?Solar Power Rocks: Six Of The Best Ambassadors
We all love the possibility of wearing a big sports watch or a retro chronograph without worrying about the fragility of a vintage, mechanical grail. Some Gen-Z and Millennial buyers wouldn’t even know what to do with such a thing and might run to the local watch shop if the power reserve runs down. So what’s the trick to getting these people into mechanical watches? Quartz is now cool again, and how about the added allure of many years of effortless power? Even without the powerful sustainability badge, big brands are proving that solar power rocks.Even hardened watch journos like me are finding joy in the simple peace of mind that comes from an ever-accurate watch that doesn't ...
Seiko Introduces The SFK001J1 and SFK003J1 Sumo GMTs
The year is just one month old, and Seiko has already graced us with the first string of new releases these past few weeks. While that is business as usual, Seiko surprised me with its latest release. I own a first-generation Seiko “Sumo” SBDC001 that I love very much. While I don’t wear it as much as I once did, the watch has a special place in my heart. That's why I was more than intrigued to learn more about the new Seiko Prospex SFK001J1 and SFK003J1. These two surprising new Sumo models add a GMT function to this popular Seiko dive watch. As someone who owns a Sumo and is looking for a great GMT, you will understand that I had to check them out.When I think of my Seiko...
New: Seiko SPB335J1 And SPB337J1 "The Black Series"
Once again, Seiko is presenting blacked-out versions of two of its classic models. This time, it’s the Alpinist (SPB337J1) and the Turtle Origin (SPB335J1) that took a dip in the black bath. I have seen the Alpinist in person in many different iterations, and I happen to own the “basic” steel version of the Turtle Origin. But it’s surprising how different familiar watches can look when you give them another color. Let’s take a look at how that’s possible with these new additions to Seiko’s “The Black Series.”If blacked-out watches are your thing, Seiko is really doing its best to please you. When a steel re-edition of a Seiko classic come...
#TBT Building The Perfect Vintage Watch Collection With $25,000
Late last year, I followed my colleagues’ thoughts on how would they spend their $25,000 budgets on a perfect watch collection. I had as much fun reading their articles as you did. Since no one asked me about how would I break the bank, I allowed myself to slightly adjust the brief. What would a perfect watch collection look like for me if I were only allowed to spend my budget on vintage timepieces?It is an interesting exercise indeed. Usually, when I think about vintage watches that I would like to add to my collection, it doesn’t happen within any pricing frame. There isn’t anything like “budget left,” so money does not restrict my thoughts. The decision usua...
New: Grand Seiko SBGX355 "Snowflake Quartz"
Quartz is having something of a quiet comeback. After decades of scorn and contempt, many have come to appreciate the ease of use that quartz provides. Furthermore, not all quartz watches are the same. Today’s new Grand Seiko SBGX355, already nicknamed “Snowflake Quartz,” uses the brand’s famed 9F62 movement and comes in a highly wearable case. I’ll go ahead and call this one right now - this watch will be a big hit.The Grand Seiko Snowflake SBGA211 is arguably the brand’s modern-day classic. When most folks think of Grand Seiko, this is the watch that comes to mind. The Spring Drive-powered model with its textured dial first saw light back in 2005, and it...
Going Forward, All Of Serica's Watches Will Be COSC Certified
Any young watch brand constantly has to make choices about designs, costs, quality, and many other aspects that affect the organization every day. In the case of Serica, a young Parisian brand founded in 2019, elegance, reliability, and accuracy steer the decision-making process. In terms of elegance, I don’t think there was anyone who thought that Serica wasn’t on the right track. However, when it comes to accuracy and reliability, there have been some bumps in the road. That’s why, going forward, the brand will have every movement certified by COSC as a chronometer. Not only that but, after final assembly, each watch will also undergo further tests to ensure optimal perfo...
LVMH's Reissue Of The Daniel Roth Tourbillon
Daniel Roth is a name that carries weight in the world of Haute Horlogerie. When LVMH, the brand’s current owner, announced its revival back in 2023, it filled us with anticipation and trepidation. Could this work under the umbrella of a big luxury group? Will LMVH do the Daniel Roth name justice? Well, today, we finally get to see and judge for ourselves.We already saw the first renders and dial samples last year. Now, however, we can have a closer look at the finished product. Let's dive in!Daniel Roth before Daniel RothBefore we get to the watch, let me paint some context. Daniel Roth (1945) started his watchmaking career at Jaeger-LeCoultre and later Audemars Piguet. After that, in...
Fratello Talks: When Should You Service Your Watch?
Welcome to this week’s episode of Fratello Talks. Today, Nacho is joined by Morgan and RJ to discuss the topic of watch servicing. More specifically, they answer common questions on the topic, including: when should you service your watch? How often should you service your watch? And how much should you expect to pay for a service? Keeping your beloved watch shipshape is not something you should overlook. Most watch brands have a recommended service interval, but do you really need to stick to this advice? We don’t think so, especially in the common case where you own/wear multiple watches. It’s a topic that’s not as clear-cut as it may seem. Today, the guys tackle th...
The Breitling Pop-Up Museum In Zurich Chapter 2: Air
On November 30th, Fratello published my first article about Breitling’s pop-up museum in Zurich, which celebrates the brand’s 140th anniversary. In that article, I covered three gems showcased at the museum under one of Breitling's three universes - Sea. Today, we will cover three essential pieces of Breitling's next universe - Air. Be sure to stick around for the last watch; it rises above anything horological (no pun intended!).The historical link with aviationHistorically, Breitling has put a heavy emphasis on Air since the 1930s, notably creating onboard instruments under the Huit Aviation line for pilots of the Allied forces. Fun fact: huit, meaning eight in French, stands f...
Hands-On: The Astor+Banks Sea Ranger M2 Black
We all love talking about GADA (“go anywhere, do anything”) watches. They represent an ideal for collecting and living - that one watch can handle all situations, just as we can. Along with this comes the notion of pairing down what we own and the goal of simplifying our daily lives. If we own just one watch, we get closer to that goal. Doing so has benefits, such as saving money and time and allowing us to be more adaptable to any situation. Or maybe we don't care about any of this. We might simply like owning a watch that we know can handle whatever we do.?Regardless of why we lean toward GADA watches, there are plenty to choose from, including options from long-established pow...
Hands-On: The G-Shock DW-5000R-1A Origin Revival
When it comes to G-Shocks, I seek advice from the Wizard of G, our very own Gerard. Balazs is also a devoted fan of the rough-and-tumble digital watches that take a beating and ask for more. Me? I like the watches, but I’m an analog and mechanical junkie. Still, when news of the forthcoming DW-5000R-1A Origin Revival reached me, I knew I had to get one. It recently arrived, and I’m excited to share my thoughts.A shoulder injury ago, I was a frequent gym goer and enjoyed lifting weights. Nine times out of 10, a G-Shock was on my wrist. Years ago, I bought a lightweight JDM model in Tokyo with an ana-digi display and loved wearing it. Since then, I’ve picked up a few G-Shocks...
Hands-On Melbourne Portsea Blue Review
We introduced you to micro brands in earlier articles here on Fratello Watches. Dutch distributor FORaSEC supplied us with a watch from?micro brand Melbourne Watch Company. This Australian owned and operated brand has been founded in 2013 and since then have released watch models Flinders an Hawthorn by using Kickstarter to fund these collections. Their third and latest project was Portsea. The watch that I have on my wrist today. The Melbourne Portsea comes in three flavors, two stainless steel watches with either blue or a white dial and a rose gold version with a white dial.Melbourne Portsea BlueI received the Melbourne Portsea with the blue dial which comes on a blue leather strap. The w...
Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra James Bond Spectre Edition
I guess it is safe to say that we are all awaiting for the James Bond Spectre movie to be released later this year. As you know, Omega has been their ambassador since 1995 (“Golden Eye”) with their Seamaster 300M watch. In Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, the Seamaster Planet Ocean took over the role of the Seamaster 300M and in Skyfall, Bond?started to wear the?Seamaster Aqua Terra next to the Planet Ocean.It was expected that Omega would release another James Bond limited edition for the James Bond Spectre movie, as they’ve done so in the past. Although I expect James Bond to wear both an Aqua Terra and a Planet Ocean – or perhaps a Seamaster 300 as well? –...
Speedy Tuesday An Overview of Speedmaster Books
With all the stress of the watch shows like SIHH and BaselWorld in our mailbox, we are unable to answer all Speedmaster related questions we get in a timely matter. However, a lot of them concern questions about authenticity and originality. Super-LumiNova or a modern bezel on a 1960’s or 1970’s Speedmaster is an example of the obvious ones, but some times it is difficult to tell whether a watch left the manufactory in Biel with a certain set of hands or case back or bracelet or .. [fill in] or that it has been replaced afterwards. Don’t forget that watches needed to be serviced in the 1960’s and 1970’s as well, so some parts might have been replaced long time a...
Alpina Seastrong Horological Smartwatch
In less than two months from now, we will bring you as much news as possible from the biggest watch exhibition in the world. A couple of brands give us a little sneak preview of what’s coming, such as Omega with their new Speedmaster Racing or in this case, Alpina with their Seastrong Horological Smartwatch. And it is already available!Alpina Seastrong Horological SmartwatchAlpina continues to expand their collection of horological smartwatches. Just before BaselWorld 2017, they now introduce their Alpina Seastrong Horological Smartwatch. This time, they’ve packed their Horological Smartwatch in a pretty looking divers watch. It is the same digital component as used in the Freder...
Rare Bird: Lemania 5012 SAAF (South African Air Force)
Recently I bumped into a picture of a vintage watch that I had never seen before. It turned out to be a military watch by Lemania, issued to the South-African Air Force (SAAF) in the 1980's and equipped with an iconic movement. Since it is not a watch you probably see very often, I tried to find out more about it.Lemania 5012 SAAFThe Lemania 5012 SAAF was in use by South African Air Force pilots during the 1980s. It looks much more modern than the classic military watch. The black and greenish dial looks like a serious instrument. It seems to be quiet big, with its slightly domed glass providing a stretched view over a dial with one register (at 9) and a date window (at 3). The combination o...
The Seiko Marinemaster 300 Golgo Tuna
Travel back with me to October 2012 to, of all places, Fukuoka, Japan. I'd been to Japan many times but really only to Tokyo, but work had taken me to the Southern part of the country and I was excited to see something different. Well, it was different in some ways, but in many ways, the litter of small restaurants, electronics stores and, naturally, a large baseball stadium reminded me of the country's largest city. Still, it was here, after going through the typical camera shops for so many years and admiring brands like Seiko, Orient, Casio, and Citizen that the bug finally bit me. It's hard to believe, but it was during this trip that I bought my first new Seiko and it was, and is, a uni...
Watch Strap Review Part 32. Watchacc
A hook-up for a new strap for our Watch Strap Review feature comes from all sources. Sometimes I search for a strap on the web and new name pops, other times somebody suggests me a company they worked with. This time, I stumbled upon Peter and his amazing company Watchacc on Instagram. It just so happens that we have more than one mutual friend from within the collectors' sphere. So I reach out to my good friend Jack Wong and asked him if he could connect me to Peter. Jack was of course happy to help and introduced us. We corresponded with Peter a bit but from the first moment I sensed that he understands what we're doing at Fratello and what could be interesting for us. He graced us with tw...
Sunday Morning Showdown: The Patek Philippe Nautilus
In this new Sunday morning column, two of our writers go head-to-head in an epic showdown for the ages. Strong opinions and hysterical hyperbole are welcome (so feel free to join in with the fun in the comments section below). And don't forget to let us know which watches you'd like to see torn to shreds/effusively exalted next week. We'll try and feature as many of our readers' choices as we can. This week it’s the turn of the Patek Philippe Nautilus. Let battle commence.Rob NuddsI was a slow convert to the Patek Philippe Nautilus. For years, I just didn't get it. The furor surrounding this weird anomaly in the brand's catalog? Why? If I wanted a steel sports watch, I'd go to a brand ...
5 Reasons Why The New Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Master Chronometer Is So Great
Just in case you are looking for a reason to buy one of those new Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Master Chronometer watches, I will list five of them in this article.If you joined our last Speedy Tuesday GTG in December 2019, the new Moonwatch Master Chronometer wasn’t really a surprise to you. During that event, Omega announced that its caliber 3861 will be used in a new Moonwatch. Those who have been paying attention over the last few years, know that every first Tuesday of the new year means a new Speedmaster introduction.The New Moonwatch Master ChronometerWith the introduction of the new Moonwatch Master Chronometer, the former famous caliber 1861 Moonwatch has been discontinued. You...