We recently learned that, chaired by Evelyne Genta, the Gerald Genta Heritage Association has been established. Evelyne, a citizen of Monaco, today lives in London and has founded the association to pay tribute to one of the greatest watchmaking designers and encourage and reward promising young talents.Evelyne Genta establishes the Gerald Genta Heritage AssociationFor years and years, Gerald Gent

A Chicago based start-up brand by the name of Carpathia Watch Co. has debuted their first watch, the Ascent. Aiming to combine vintage appeal and modern trends, the company is bringing luxury timepieces back to the city that was once home to several 19th century watch companies. With a reputable mechanical movement and design elements inspired by Chicago, Carpathia hopes to bring the reputation an

A few months ago, I wrote why I did not buy the famous and much praised Grand Seiko Snowflake. Today I will tell you why I bought the Grand Seiko SBGJ201 Mt. Iwate instead.Without writing too much about the background story (you can read that here), I was undoubtedly after the Grand Seiko SBGA211, or Snowflake. I was mesmerized by the structure of the dial, ever since I handled it during my first

Welcome to This Week in Watches for February 8, 2020.? Let’s get into some news!Chronoswiss Regulator Blue SteelFirst up on This Week in Watches is the Chronoswiss Regulator Blue Steel. Here, we have a blue PVD-treated steel watch in 41mm that’s meant to evoke the dashboard of a car. After all, the brand’s C295 automatic does things in regulator style with separate hands for the

That’s it. It’s over. After a strange few months, the 2020/21 season has come to a stunningly normal conclusion. If Tom Brady keeps this up, he’ll be in the market for extra fingers before we know it. With his seventh ring and fifth Super Bowl MVP award in the bag, there is not much left to be said about a career that could be broken in half, viewed sideways, with one eye closed,

Among many ladies’ releases from last year, perhaps the most bittersweet was Patek's minimalistic manchette-styled Twenty~4. Considering what modern women demand from a watch, it fell just short. My heart went out to the rectangular design but not to the movement. Almost as if Patek heard my cry, the brand has decided to start this year in a big way. I'm thrilled that two of the three ladies

When the press release from British independent watchmaker, Garrick, dropped into our press inbox last week, it didn’t take long for me to get excited by what I saw. From just one glance at the pictures included in the email, I knew this was a real doozy.As a Brit, I am a big fan of British watchmakers. I guess it’s a sort of patriotic pride, not that I would usually describe myself as

I finally did it. I have entered the world of a 21st-century journalist and referenced a meme in the title of an article. Just as this might become a new habit of mine, so too does it seem producing compelling value propositions has become a (welcome) habit of RZE. Just last week I shared with you my hands-on experiences with the RZE Resolute. Now it is time to discuss the latest model in this you

For Collector's Week here on Fratello, I thought it would be nice to tell you about collecting Speedmasters. I've been doing so since 1999. Even though that still doesn't make me an expert, I do have some advice for the beginning collector of Speedmaster watches.There are not that many watches that truly deserve the label “iconic” and, on top of that, are still somewhat affordable. The

Watches are all about stories and experiences. That dent in the bezel reminds you of a particular holiday. You might have worn one of your watches on your wedding day. A watch might have been worn by an actor in your favorite movie. These are all things that you remember when you look down at your wrist. And I think the way you acquired a watch is just as significant as the memories you create wit

Yes! It’s finally happened. Czapek has released the Antarctique Passage de Drake with both salmon and ice blue dials. This comes after months (literally, months) of toying with the idea. Fratello had the pleasure of seeing the prototypes of these models last September in Geneva. Back then, we lent our collective voice in support of their release. It would seem the rest of the community react

In the first installment of this new podcast series, Balazs sits down with Davide Cerrato from HYT. The two talk about Davide’s career as a world-renowned watch designer in the industry.If you are a fan of the Fratello On Air podcast, first of all, thank you. Your support means a lot to us all, who sit down week after week to research, record, edit, and put out new episodes for your listenin

The first step is standing up and saying it out loud: “My name is Thor and I am a watchaholic.” Some of us reached this stage in our watch collecting years ago but failed to realize it. You might have one display cabinet with ten watches; that's all good. But if you have another 40 at your office with weekly DHL deliveries there instead of your house, you're in trouble. If you have the

Before you accuse me of writing a piece of clickbait, please allow me to explain how this article came about. The statement that the majority of Patek Philippe Nautilus owners don't care about the watch is the result of incidental and casual research with real people. And by real people, I mean a Nautilus 3700/1 owner who wears it in the wild, several watch journalists, and two fashion models, amo

We're thrilled to announce the Fratello Aquastar Deepstar II Limited Edition, an exciting new collaboration available in the Fratello Shop on February 15th at 15:00 CET. This is the first time that Aquastar has worked with a partner to create a bespoke watch since the brand’s resurrection in 2020. We couldn't be prouder, and we hope you'll like this unique and versatile diver.In my mind, the

Grand Seiko is known for attention to detail, exquisite finishing, and excellent dial work. Most of the brand’s timepieces are time-and-date watches, bereft of superfluous details and meant for everyday wear. However, now and then, Grand Seiko pulls out all of the stops, crafting a piece that illustrates its horological chops. The new version of the Spring Drive Chronograph GMT highlights ev

It has been only 12 months since Seiko reintroduced the King Seiko name. Since early last year, we have seen a limited number of new releases added to the collection. It’s good to see that the King Seiko line is not growing exponentially, which makes it easy to keep an eye out for any new references. An early new addition for 2023 comes in the form of the King Seiko SPB365. The watch comes w

This Seiko 6119-8083 sat in my safe for about four or five years. I got it fully serviced upon arrival but never really wore it. Then it popped into my mind last week when I was thinking about what watches I would nominate for the perfect vintage watch collection for $25,000…Don’t panic. I’m not suggesting that I wanted to shortlist it. I rightly selected its role model, Seiko

Today, we’ll look at two new Seiko Astron Morning Star GPS Solar limited editions. The watches follow familiar forms but bring dark cases and striking dials reminiscent of the early morning sky. The Astron has a huge global following, so let’s see if these are to your liking.It was back in 2015 that I first laid my hands on one of Seiko’s new Astron models. I was skeptical becaus

Many brands have a certain style or genre, while some get stuck in a favorite period, like the ’60s. But in a time when even smaller brands are diversifying and offering different takes on horology, the pure focus of Schofield’s Giles Ellis is brave. He has stuck to the big case design, clean lines, and graphic focus of his first watch, offering a plethora of delightful variations. But