Before we enter the next story about color I would like to say something about the past period of Watches & Pencils on Fratello Watches. It all started pretty small with a quick sketch and a few lines (view the very first post about the Bullhead' here). After the launch W&P quickly evolved to a feature with long intense stories accompanied by complex artwork. The Sandwich'-post or the prev

In the 1990s, when my interest for mechanical watches sparked, one of the most complicated watches I’d ever seen was the IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar. I was fascinated by the fact that a mechanical timepiece could be ‘programmed’ to have a calendar that won’t need any corrections until a certain year. The Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar was introduced in 1985 and now, IWC de

Last weekend we joined the Chrono24GTG Event in Germany. Chrono24 is best known to be the world leading watch market platform with 10 mio visits per month, offering new & pre-owned watches from over 16.000 sellers world wide. Both professional and private. We don’t need to introduce them, as you are probably well aware of their website.To show that there’s more to this company (wit

When A. Lange & Sohne present their novelties they always do so with a modest amount. This year was no exception apart from the fact that they announced to launch a new Lange 1 each month up to its 25th anniversary in October. But as those are yet to be released, so let’s have a look at their other novelty, the new Zeitwerk Date.Another anniversary for A. Lange & SohneBesides the Lan

Hey ?it’s time for This Week in Watches for February 1, 2020. We’re in the midst of some rather gray days here during Winter; let’s see if we can brighten things up a bit!Aquadive Bathyscaphe 100 in Hardened SteelFirst up on This Week in Watches is the new Aquadive Bathyscaphe 100 in hardened steel. This 500-piece run of watches brings the same classic 42.9mm x 49mm long c-case

At last year's SIHH Montblanc presented the 1858 Split Second Chronograph, providing a complication that is also known as a Rattrapante. This watch comes in a vintage design and with a movement in a typical traditional layout. The finishing of this movement is breathtaking. The actual sensation about this watch is its price.If you lurk around watch forums you frequently read about grail watches or

If you’ve been looking for a go-anywhere, do-anything, super legible, satisfyingly robust, everyday timepiece for absolutely no money at all, you’re in luck. In our second watch giveaway of 2021, Avi-8 has kindly donated the Flyboy Automatic, Sydney edition for your pleasure.I love free stuff. Who doesn’t? Unfortunately, an irksome little thing I like to call journalistic integri

2020 was a dark year. Thankfully, however, some things brought light to what was otherwise a rather bleak affair. One of those things was light in its literal form. Enter, the Linde Werdelin ?Black Badger Oktopus Blue Sea. What a wonderfully cheesy, yet apt, segue!I have been a fan of Linde Werdelin for a while now. Visually, the brand's watches have always struck a note with me. Modern, and, som

The Hamilton Ventura is one of those watches that pretty much every watch enthusiast knows. The Ventura takes all the classic conventions of what a watch should look like and throws them straight out of the window. The most famous wearer of the Ventura was without a doubt, Elvis Presley. Back in 2015, Hamilton launched the Ventura Elvis80 collection on what was to be Elvis’s 80th birth year.

Titoni Ltd. is a Swiss watch manufacturer headquartered in the city of Grenchen. Two years ago, the family company, which holds a unique position in the Swiss watch industry in many respects, looked back on 100 years of watchmaking history.The company was originally founded as Felco (later Felca) Ltd. by the grandfather of the current CEO, Daniel Schluep. In the early 1950s, the traditional Swiss

Shell Cordovan watch straps enjoy a special status in the watchmaking world. A material that was, not so long ago, more associated with shoes or bags, is now one of the most sought after leathers in the industry. It is notoriously difficult to achieve bright colors with Shell Cordovan given the natural vegetable tanning process favored by the world’s best producers. However, as techniques ev

Time to brush the dried mud off your cleats and kit up - Bremont has just announced the release of a new limited edition watch in partnership with the RFU. The Henly on Thames brand proudly presented its latest release today: the Bremont S300 RFU. A watch that adopts the kit colors of England Rugby, as well as the signature, rose logo, subtly incorporated onto the crisp white dial. Bremont not onl

I found my grail watch! In this series, each Fratello editor will share their grail watch. It’s the watch they want the most, and sometimes it’s their exit watch. Here’s my story.The word grail, of course, relates to the Holy Grail or the Holy Chalice, the cup that Christians believe Jesus drank from at the Last Supper. The quest to find the Holy Grail made its way from religion

There is something special about books. In today’s online world, books are a tangible piece of magic. For me, nothing beats the sight and the smell of a book that comes fresh from the printers. I grew up in the age of print media, so books will always have a special place in my heart. Watch books are often visually stunning, but they turn into static decorative objects on the coffee table. I

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! Today marks the start of the Year of the Tiger, and in Chinese culture, the tiger has a very special place. The majestic big cat is considered the king of all animals. The tiger is third in the twelve-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. It symbolizes power, courage, confidence, leadership, and strength. Swatch's 47mm Big Bold is the right platform to create a watch

In this video, our senior editor Lex Stolk takes a closer look at the stainless steel Certina DS Action Diver Powermatic 80, reference C032.607.11.051.00.This watch, with a retail price of $895, seems to promise a lot of bang for the buck. But does it deliver? Lex covers the watch’s specifications, which include the fact that it is able to withstand pressure up to 30ATM (~300 meters) and has

Ulysse Nardin has developed a charmingly lateral position with the top-tier Swiss manufacturers. This is, without a doubt, a brand with a strong history, but it’s one that’s certainly not stuck in the past. With a strong focus on outre designs and high-tech horology, Ulysse Nardin watches are not for everyone. And in my opinion, this is all for the best.The world would be a dull place

Fratello On Air is back! This time, Balazs and Mike come back to case materials and focus on precious metals. Specifically, we discuss gold and platinum along with some of our favorite examples. Before we get to the main topic…Precious metals are in play this week, but Balazs and Mike also pick up on the latest news and releases from the LVMH brands! First, though, it’s time for a Hand

One of my favorite aspects of being a part of the Fratello team is getting to grips with watches that I may not otherwise get the chance to see up close. As we all know, the best way to get to know a watch is to see it and feel it in hand, tracing the case’s curves and seeing how it interacts with the light. There’s just no substitute, in my opinion. Photographs can only show so much o

With Seiko’s recent relaunch of the King Seiko collection, I thought it’d be nice to take a look at the history of King Seiko, the Japanese watchmaking powerhouse’s “other son”. Historically, it was the rice to Grand Seiko’s fish, the two vital ingredients in Seiko’s finest horological sushi. However, King Seiko has lived firmly in Grand Seiko’s shad