The original Sinn EZM 1 from 1997 likely ranks as the most legendary watch from the brand. Made for the German Central Customs Support Group (ZUZ), it was equipped with the beloved Lemania 5100. As such, it counted elapsed minutes via a central chronograph hand. Today, the original is a truly expensive watch and quite rare. Now, 25 years later, the Sinn EZM 1.1 S is here to celebrate, if only brie

Watches And Wonders 2022 is officially over. After a week full of new releases, it’s time to look at some of the hidden gems. These timepieces were not among the most talked-about pieces of the show, but they are ones that deserve attention for a number of reasons. Let’s take a look at some of the watches that you might have seen but forgotten about, or maybe you haven’t seen at

In a recent video I recorded for Fratello, I introduced the Bvlgari Octo Roma World Timer. To date, that watch is my favorite model in the Octo Roma line because it brought a touch more visual complexity to the wearable and identifiable case shape boasted by the model line. If I thought that model was interesting, imagine my surprise when I first met the Bvlgari Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon. This

Italy is known for bold design and expert handicraft. The watches featured in this edition of Watch Dating Profiles bring that and then some. Bold, striking, and unapologetic, these watches get as close to a short red dress or Italian Barbera red wine as any watch can. The Unimatic U1 Classic is a thick and bold yet minimalist approach to the classic dive tool watch. The U-Boat Classico 45 Tungste

This is one of those watches you can’t crave until you spend some time with it. The ASU Calendar with a Pierce movement is not only cute but also functional and pretty addictive.Whenever I dive deep into the safe and pull out something that many collectors haven’t seen before, you tell me how happy you are that I keep coming up with budget-friendly watches that live far away from the s

At Fratello, we regularly come across a lot of small independent microbrands. While we are privileged to experience some great watches through our work, seeing something truly unique is rare. In a world where new watch brands appear every day, doing something genuinely new is difficult, but the Norwegian brand Straum did just that. Over the past year, we have worked closely with the Straum team to

The Zero West DB-2 Lancaster is an impressive watch, both in the metal and in spirit, so to speak. Its steel case measures 44mm wide, 16.3mm thick, and 50mm long, and it sits on a strap 22mm wide. Generous numbers indeed. A feature that's even more impressive - I'm now referring to the spirit of the watch - is the presence of a machined disc salvaged from Dambuster ED825, an Avro Lancaster bomber

This story is about my first Swatch, which, as it so happens, was also my first watch. The tale begins when my parents gave me the watch back in the late ’80s. People over 40 will know that Swatch was all the rage back then. And I was also in awe of the colorful plastic watches accompanied by groundbreaking marketing campaigns. There was no escaping it, and I was totally on board. On my 12th

The Fratello boys (and girls) are back in town! And as the fog of war begins to settle, we’ve convened and gathered our thoughts on last week’s watch fair. This is the Watches and Wonders 2023 debrief episode. In keeping with the short-form format of Fratello Talks, we don’t get to cover every single one of the novelties. Instead, we discuss some of our highlights from the show.

We all like the idea of finding lost treasure. Today, we get to speak to one of our readers who has turned it into a successful hobby. He has become a watch collector without ever buying a watch. Read on.?In the spirit of reflecting our shared enthusiasm for this hobby, we have been featuring some stories from our readers. By doing so, we hope to keep positive and informative discussions alive and

We are lucky to have reached a phase in the modern industry where the standards of mass production are such that watches can endure all sorts of conditions. The adage “they don't make them like they used to” hasn't entirely panned out with watchmaking, at least regarding production quality (design, aesthetics, and luxury culture certainly have changed). But there is indeed something ch

Another historic French watch brand has been revived, and this time, it’s in a way we’ve never seen. Chronofixe, initially founded in the 1850s, became a well-known altimeter and Type 20 chronograph maker in the 1960s. After that, though, the brand went quiet. A virtually unknown Chronofixe watch, model Flight 1952, already surfaced a few years ago. However, the Asterix 65th Anniversar

While my colleagues and most of the industry have been in Geneva, enjoying Watches and Wonders and devouring the sights and sounds of the year's biggest trade fair, I have been watching on from home this year. I welcomed my firstborn son into the world and moved house less than two weeks later (apparently, I am a glutton for punishment, but I digress). As a result, I've had time to digest broader

The King Seiko 45KS is a lesson in finding value in vintage. Unlike its modern counterparts, this King Seiko offers a fiercely large amount of watch for the money. Depending on its condition, the 45KS can be found on the secondary market for $900C1,500.Modern Seiko has a problem. It’s not rival brands, such as Citizen; no, Seiko’s biggest problem is Seiko - vintage Seiko, to be precise

Tag Heuer recently introduced their eyeglasses. They already had some very nice sun glasses in their collection, but it seems that there was market for more ‘Vision’ products. I have to admit that I was impressed by them… looked good and reasonably priced.Click here to check them out

I suppose that I could be faulted for featuring the rather newish GMT-Master II 16710?in a #TBT article, but I'll live with it.I've covered a couple newer pieces in this series such as the Explorer 14270 and, more recently, the IWC Mark XII, so I'm more on the side of featuring what I'd call classics instead of purely vintage. Definitions aside, the 16710 is definitely a classic and one that co

One of our most anticipated visits at Baselworld is with the plucky brand from Frankfurt, Sinn Spezialuhren. We feature the brand prominently here on Fratellowatches (and took a look at last year's collection as well) because they design great looking watches, often with some innovative tech, and keep things on the relatively affordable front. This year was no different with the brand's novelties,

Last week I joined the #SpeedyTuesday Live session on the official Omega Instagram account and talked about my precious Speedmaster Professional from my year of birth. It resulted in a lot of messages from viewers that are also searching for their perfect Speedmaster. But that means something different for everyone. For some, the perfect Speedmaster is an honest Speedmaster.A pre-owned watch that

New from the Swiss watchmaker with English Heritage is the Arnold & Son Nebula 38 in stainless steel. The technical achievement of the skeletonized dial can now be appreciated in a daily durable material.The human brain finds beauty in symmetryIt is posited that how attractive humans find each other has at least something to do with facial symmetry. As “scientifically” grounded as

Sometimes it’s difficult to describe how a watch makes you feel. That’s exactly what I had when I received this Raketa Polar Watch. My first reaction was one of amazement because of its retro Soviet looks. Now I appreciate some retro style communist-style design because of its boldness and clarity in getting the message across. But I wasn’t too sure about what the Raketa Polar Wa