It’s no secret that we are fans of the Rado brand here at Fratello. Especially the vintage-inspired timepieces. These throwback fancies are loved by many Fratello team members. But the brand also made its mark in the 1990s with the introduction of a series of black ceramic watches. The material, the color, and the minimalist design propelled the Rado name to the forefront of the watch indust

Phillips auctioned off the Omega Speedmaster Professional ref. 145.012-67SP that belonged to American author Ralph Ellison. He wore it from 1968 till his death in 1994. Now it has sold for a whopping $667,800 including buyer's premium.The new owner of Ralph Ellison’s Speedmaster 145.012-067SP is the Omega Museum in Biel. The museum will display it beside an impressive line-up of special Spee

Is there such a thing as the end of your horological journey? I used to believe that there wasn’t. But after wearing the Omega Seamaster Professional Diver 300M Chronograph in Sedna Gold, now I am tempted to think that there is. This started out as a story about my favorite model from the Seamaster Professional Diver 300M range. But it turned into an experience of answering questions and tic

Unlike our dark #STEALTH picks a couple of weeks ago, this time we go all-in for holiday sweetness. After another heavy hit of pandemic life, if there is one thing we need, it's holiday cheer. And here at Fratello, we aim to please, so enjoy some sweet #CANDYCANE on us. Though I will warn you, this story might end with putting in some hard work to ensure a healthy New Year.I can't think of a bette

The Orb, available in either black or white, is MB&F's 14th clock co-created with L'Epee 1839. Both versions look the bomb. Especially the black one. It looks a bit like an old-fashioned bomb you can find in an old cartoon. And the white version looks like an eyeball! But joking aside, these days, table clocks are a rarity. This may be due to us spending so much time in the office - don’

The Delta Type represents horological idea-making at its best. Nava Krishnan, the founder of Ardra Labs, found a creative and artistic solution to a very personal problem - how to display the correct time in non-standard GMT zones with 30- and 45-minute offsets.I knew that there were some three-quarter- and half-hour offsets from the standard GMT zones, but I never paid much attention to them. Lik

While we have moved away from compact discs (anyone remember CDs?), one of my memories from growing up was the barrage of Now That’s What I Call Music! infomercials around this time of year. Revisiting the most popular songs from any given year is now as easy as a quick search on your music platform of choice (Spotify Wrapped, am I right?). While my greatest hits (or best sub-$2,500 watches)

In April of this year, I asked myself if the Tudor Black Bay Pro was a sort of poor man's , exactly as Hans Wilsdorf once intended. Wilsdorf created Tudor as a watch brand that would offer quality and service at a lower price point - more affordable timepieces that would appeal to a larger audience. The new Black Bay Pro, I argued, was like a vintage Tudor Oyster Prince; it looked like a , was ju

Tuseno has been around for less than a decade and, in many ways, is following a path already well-trodden by microbrands around the globe. The brand’s first watch, a meca-quartz chronograph, was successfully crowdfunded in 2015. That was followed by its first automatic dive watch, produced in collaboration with the SSTS (Swedish Sea Rescue Society). Fast forward to 2021, and Tuseno launched

After its tremendous success with the start of the Tonda PF collection in 2021, it was clear that Parmigiani would have to extend it. And indeed, the brand was able to surprise us again with the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante. It is an exquisitely elegant take on the common GMT complication and, stylistically, is absolutely in line with the core characteristics of the Tonda PF Collection. The skeletoniz

About two months ago, I covered the release of the new Czapek Quai des Bergues 40.5mm N17 Double Soleil on Fratello. Now I’ve had the time to go hands-on and truly appreciate what this watch is all about. Does the new size make sense between the existing 38.5mm and 42.5mm offerings? And what impression does this modern-formal Czapek make on me overall?I have spent some time with the black-d

The Ebel 1911 Chronograph has returned, and the result is a modernized version of an immediately recognizable watch from the 1980s. I can’t help but feel slightly nostalgic when looking at these new pieces. It’s no longer a passe feeling, though, as I now see these Ebel pieces as enduring classics. We can argue later…Ah, Ebel. It’s a brand that many of us recall from the &#

Hello, and welcome to the 50th and penultimate episode of Fratello Talks this year. Today, we dive into the topic of building a watch brand in 2023. Joining your host Nacho are Morgan and Thomas, and the latter comes well equipped to share some insights into the experience. As some of you may know, Thomas, along with being a writer for Fratello, is also the brain behind the upcoming watch brand VP

The Alcadus Quantra is a striking example of how a microbrand can evolve, delivering a product that competes with more established microbrands at higher price points. From its tasteful design and refined build quality to its thoughtful packaging and enjoyable unboxing experience, this watch encapsulates a level of sophistication that is rare at its price point. Having reviewed the Alcadus Dromo an

Yema does not shy away from more creative uses of materials and colors. The French brand's latest release proves this point brilliantly. You would be forgiven for thinking this was a forged carbon watch at first sight. You would be wrong, however. The new Yema Wristmaster Slim CMM.20 Limited Edition is made of hand-finished black PVD-coated stainless steel.Yema will produce 200 units of this editi

When I was in Munich a few months ago, I’ve met with Roy Davidoff. We were both visiting a watch event there, and he told me about his boutique in Geneva. The Davidoff Brothers boutique is located in the city of Geneva, just a small walk from the famous Rue du Rh?ne with all its brand boutiques and famous shops. Actually, the Davidoff Brothers boutique is just across the street of the MB&

Most of you Speedmaster enthusiasts and collectors love a bit of NASA history as well. Now, you probably remember that when Omega introduced the Speedmaster “Dark Side of the Moon” (we reviewed it here) in 2013, it was referring to the Apollo 8 mission in 1968. The second human space flight by NASA and the first where a spacecraft left Earth orbit to reach for the Moon and orbit it. As

One of the items of the 2019 Neiman Marcus’ Fantasy Gift is an Aston Martin DBS Superleggera designed by Daniel Craig. A car that comes with a ‘free’ Omega Seamaster 300M ‘007’ in platinum, only 7 pieces.I had never heard of Neiman Marcus before, let alone their annual Fantasy Gifts. A closer look shows a $70.000 luxury doghouse from Rockstar Puppy (by Denise Richards

Of course, over the course of 2020, Omega introduced more than three Speedmaster watches. However, the release calendar was significantly scaled back in comparison to previous years. It seems that Omega took the feedback on limited editions very seriously.In all honesty, I somewhat regret the fact that there was no limited edition Speedmaster Professional for 2020. I love the “standard”

In this podcast, I talk with OMEGA’s Mr. Andreas Hobmeier, Vice President of Production and Procurement, about Master Chronometer and the role of METAS. We speak about all the facets of Master Chronometer, and why precision and anti-magnetism is such an important topic.I recently had a wonderful conversation with Mr. Ansdreas Hobmeier, to which you can listen below, or use one of the many pl