The Watches I Wore The Most In 2022
I don’t think I could ever be a one-watch guy. I love the idea of it, but I also like switching up the watches I wear nearly every day. Sometimes I want a sporty chronograph; other times, I want a “grab-and-go” piece that I can put on without worrying about setting the time. Sometimes I want something a little more laid back. You know the feeling. As a watch collector, it’s tough to suit all moods with one watch. It’s the curse of our beloved hobby. Therefore, I wore a lot of different watches in 2022, but which ones did I wear the most? Were there any particular watches that earned significantly more wrist time than others?Well, I guess the fact that I wrote th...
Hands-On: Peren Nera Rogue BW
Today, we're taking a look at this new Nera Rogue BW. Peren has become a household name in the microbrand universe. In particular, the brand's divers under the Nera moniker are well thought-out and widely appreciated. Previously, they were fitted with a signature petrol-color dial, but now there is a version with a black dial as well. You may think the watch could lose its unique character with this change. However, I am happy to report that it does not.I have spent some time with the new Peren Nera Rogue BW on the wrist. This is how we faredPerenWe have covered Peren before. Nacho previously reviewed the petrol-dialed Nera Rogue, and he was very enthusiastic. Watch lover Andy Bica runs the ...
A Condensed Guide To Grand Seiko Releases In 2023
Last week, we created an overview of all the Seiko releases we covered in 2023. It only makes sense to follow that up with an overview of the Grand Seiko releases we wrote about this year. While Grand Seiko does not release as many new models as Seiko in a year, the brand still adds many references to its collection. As we all know, with a stream of reference numbers as names, it can be hard to remember which watch is which. That’s why we created an overview of all the Grand Seiko goodness that came out in 2023.This year, Grand Seiko celebrated the 25th anniversary of its caliber 9S. The brand released the mechanical calibers 9S55 and 9S51 in 1998. These two movements marked a turning ...
Building A Watch Brand Ep. 12: Ultra-Hard Coating And More
Several specialized manufacturers are currently hard at work producing the parts for the samples of my VPC Type 37HW. Everything we have worked on over the past year is coming together as we speak. To say that fills me with a mix of anxiety and excitement is an understatement. We have, however, fine-tuned a few details still. And, I have an exciting new feature to announce - an ultra-hard coating on the entire case, bracelet, and clasp.The latter is something I have been silently working on for almost the entire year. There are many different options out there, but it isn't quite as straightforward as ticking a box on an order form. So I kept it quiet until I was completely certain of what I...
Why A Watch Catalog With Fewer References Makes You Happier
We all make choices every day. Most of us, however, probably don't decide to buy a luxury watch all that often. So when you do, you’d better think it through properly. You might experience the agony of choice. It happens sometimes - for instance, when you have to choose between a Pepsi and a Batman. It also happens when you're spoiled for choice, like when there are 217 Seamaster references to choose from. Picking the right Fifty Fathoms out of 102 references could be challenging as well. And there are numerous other brands with seemingly overflowing catalogs. But did you know that with more choice, expectations increase while the level of satisfaction decreases? Should watch brands ta...
Fratello's Top 5 Dive Watches Of 2024
Another Friday, another list! It’s the last Friday of the year and, therefore, also the last list of 2024. We could still make plenty of lists about the best watches of 2024, but we decided to go ahead and release one final list looking back at the past 12 months and leave it at that. Sure, we could cover the best chronographs, dress watches, complicated watches, etc. But we decided to go with the best dive watches of 2024. After all, dive watches are the kind that lands on our Fratello desks the most often. On top of that, we have seen some amazing takes on the genre. So here are our five favorite divers of 2024.We had many different ideas when Nacho and I started contemplating this y...
New: The Chronoswiss Delphis Firestarter
It all sounds very impressive, but what does a Titanium Core Nano Shell?case mean? According to Chronoswiss, it's an unprecedented symbiosis of Grade 5 titanium and high-tech composite, permanently merged at a molecular level. The red high-tech material makes up this? 42.6 14.5mm watch case, which Chronoswiss then pairs with an equally fiery dial with many delicate details. Yes, the Chronoswiss Delphis Firestarter is a red-hot release.You can't say that the Delphis Firestarter is a surprise. After all, Chronoswiss, the brand from Lucerne, already gave us the 44mm Open Gear ReSec Electric Blue. But no matter how blue a watch is, the impact is much greater in red. Sure, the new red creation mi...
The Best Watches Of 2024: RJ's Picks
According to some, 2024 was a slow year for new watches. I beg to differ! It might have been slow in sales but not in new models to choose from. I haven’t been writing as much for the magazine as I did in the past or as I would like to, but I have been following all new releases of 2024 with great interest. The list of interesting new watches is almost too long to make a nice selection without forgetting or leaving out a few pieces. You will find all the 2024 releases we covered on this page.You may have noticed that my taste in watches has slowly evolved over the past few years from sports watches to somewhat dressier ones. My focus was on sports watches for a long time, and I still l...
Swatch Forum
Squiggly got my attention before, but I’ve recently noticed (I am not that much of a Swatch collector) that they have a Swatch Forum besides their Squiggly Swatch Store. The forum is visited by Swatch enthusiasts from all over the world and besides the ‘generic’ Swatch talk, there is a lot of interest in identifying all kinds of Swatch models.What I also noticed about Swatches is, althought that they are plastic, battery operated, quartz driven and (normally spoken) disposable watches, most people seem to like them (or the brand). Even the sophisticated mechanical watch collectors seem to have respect for the brand that invented this Swiss made watch in 1982. Perhaps it has...
Vintage Jaquet Droz From The 1960s and 1970s
Jaquet Droz, owned by the Swatch Group, wasn’t always the high-end brand as we know them now (see my former post). In the 1970s, Jaquet Droz produced watches using mechanical movements by A.Schild (and probably Landeron for the chronograph movements) for a decent price. Once in a while, you will see them pop-up on eBay or Chrono24 and prices start around a few hundred dollars to $1,700 USD.As you can see above, I was able to borrow a NOS Jaquet Droz and take some pictures of it. The watch was still in the original box and had its original Jaquet Droz tag on it. Never worn. The other model is a chronograph in stainless steel and has these funky looking purple minute markers. This two re...
MCT Sequential Two Hands On!
Last week it was exactly one and a half year ago, that I wrote an article about the MCT Sequential TWO for RevoOnline. At that time the watch was not on the market yet and the white gold version I photographed, was still an unfinished prototype. So time to get my hand on a production model, but now in pink gold!Why am I doing another story on the same watch? Well just because this is one of the most amazing jumping hour watches (wrong word) that came on the market lately. A moving time display like this, had not been seen before. There is a lot to see, every time when the hour changes and while I know the watch quite well, it still does not bore me at all. I did use the word jumping hour' be...
Hands-On With The Baume & Mercier Clifton Chronograph Complete Calendar (10280)
When the Clifton was introduced by Baume & Mercier’s CEO Alain Zimmermann in Geneva, he introduced it as a watch in the category of affordable luxury. Back then, the Clifton series started below 3000 Euro for the most basic version. Later on, complications (including a tourbillon) were added. Today, we take a look at the Baume & Mercier Clifton Chronograph Complete Calendar. A watch that does not exactly belong to the affordable luxury category, but does offer a neat and useful complication.Clifton Chronograph Complete CalendarLast year, we reviewed the Clifton Complete Calendar, a watch offering day, date, month and moon phase indicators. This Baume & Mercier Clifton Chron...
Seiko Prospex The Black Series Limited Edition 2018
Seiko is introducing a limited edition ‘Black Series’ for their Prospex collection. Prospex, referring to ‘professional specification’, consists of a wide collection of watches for divers, pilots and adventurers. For their diving collection, Seiko created three models with black coated cases. A quartz chronograph (SSC673P1), a quartz three-hand model (SNE493P1) and an automatic three-hands watch (SRPC49K1).Seiko claims to be inspired by the world of night diving for these new limited edition Black Series, but our guess is that there is simply a good market for black watches. They have proven not to be a fad, so many brands have included black coated watches in their c...
Hands-on With the Baltic Chronograph Bicompax 001
A funny thing happened as I was looking for my Baltic Chronograph Bicompax 001. I thought I had left it in a drawer and, lo and behold, when I went to look, it was seemingly gone. After a fleeting moment of panic I rarely lose anything and unfortunately keep everything I recalled that the watch had arrived a few weeks back and at the same time as a few other vintage chronographs that our resident watchmaker Paul had just serviced. You know Paul, the one who has a bespoke watchmaker's bench covered in Louis Vuitton Monogram canvas? Yes, him. But I digress; I found that the Baltic had made its way into a watch roll next to an old Mulco chronograph, a Chronomat and another vintage specimen.?? A...
Hands-On With The Davosa North Pole Limited Edition
The resemblance to the legendary Explorer 1016 is undeniable. After a week on the wrist with the prototype, I see more than a distinct expedition legend. The Davosa North Pole has self-esteem and ice in its veins. Its clinical charisma has won me over. We spoke to the man who is the brain behind this 500 pieces limited collection. “I was always fascinated by stories or events, whose details remain unclear or mysterious, says watch designer Mario Gaspar. When I asked him which explorer is depicted on the majestic case back engraving, he replied, “I don't know.”Iwas understandably confused.Davosa North PoleThe first undisputed expedition to reach the North Pole was that of t...
The Bvlgari Owners Club Now Is A Good Time To Join
We are living through a golden era of sports watch design. I’ve alluded to it countless times this year and blurted it out loud on more than one occasion. At the end of the craziest year I can remember, I can say that despite all of the awful things that transpired in 2020, the luxury sports watch market is fizzing with optimism. I don’t mean that to sound glib; in these dark days, we must rush towards the light where we find it. And thanks to Bvlgari the sun is shining brightly towards the future…In 2017, Bvlgari released the Octo Finnissimo Automatic in blasted titanium on a matching bracelet. That case, inspired by the designs of the legendary Gerald Genta, became legend...
The Seiko Watches I Want To See Reissued Champion, SilverWave, Sonar 7015, And More
My journey into Seiko and it’s watches has been a relatively recent part of my watch collecting journey. Technically, I haven’t added any Seiko watches to my collection yet, but there’s an excellent reason for this.I’m one of those people who go down the rabbit hole when learning about a brand. I like to look at the brand history: where it came from, the older watches in their back catalog, and Well, that’s where I got stuck. Some of the best looking pieces for Seiko came from its back catalog. Seiko did some really cool work back in the 60s, 70 and 80s. While some of the cool pieces did see the light again in the form of reissues, some other seriously badass wa...
Sternglas Edition Companion Automatic Watch Rounds Out A Strong 2020
During its short History, Sternglas, the Hamburg-based brainchild of Dustin Fontaine, has managed to turn out a serious number of smart, wearable timepieces for a variety of budgets. On Fratello, we're quite fond of this small company, having had the chance to meet with the founder and his team in Munich earlier this year (what a lifetime ago that seems now). During the Inhorgenta Fair, we were able to try on a great many pieces in the Sternglas catalog. The Edition Companion was one of my surprising favorites, and here's whySternglas is a difficult brand to put in a box. As the entry-level price point dukes it out with brands such as Daniel Wellington, Olivia Burton, and Larsson & Jenni...
Fratello's 7 Best-Read Speedmaster Articles Of 2021
The year 2022 will be the 65th anniversary of the Omega Speedmaster and the 10th anniversary of Speedy Tuesday. I can't believe it was already 10 years ago that I coined the term Speedy Tuesday, and even more, I can’t believe what has happened since. But let's save that story for next year. Today, I’d like to share our best-read Speedmaster articles of 2021!Today is the last Speedy Tuesday of 2021, and what better way to close this year than with an overview of the seven best-read Speedmaster articles on Fratello. Although we did not see any Speedmaster limited edition watches this year (unfortunately), Omega did release some very interesting new variations. But most importantly,...
Fratello On Air: The Boys Talk 2021 Breitling, Tudor, And More
Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air! Finally, Balazs and Mike got their collective acts together, and they’re back with a return engagement! Settle in and enjoy the banter about our favorite watches from 2021, along with a healthy rant for good measure!Folks, we’re back and better (or worse) than ever! Balazs and Mike come together at the end of 2021 to talk about some of their favorite watch releases from another wild year. We won’t give away everything, but the list is heavy on dive watches and chronographs. Seriously, what else do you expect from these two?...