I don’t know about the winter weather where you are, but here in the Netherlands, we’ve hardly had any. We usually get a few weeks with freezing temperatures and a decent amount of snow. This year, though, temperatures hardly went below zero degrees Celsius, and we’ve only had a wafer-thin layer of that white stuff. Nevertheless, we’re already in February, and spring is on

In this week’s episode of Fratello Talks, we’re taking a look at three affordable watches that punch above their weight. Nacho, Thomas, and Morgan have set their sights on sub-$500 offerings. This is a space in which the likes of Seiko, Hamilton, and even Tissot once reigned supreme. Today, it’s the battleground for many microbrands, but there are still hundreds of options availa

Thomas recently published his love story on the A. Lange & Sohne 1815 Chronograph. I also made a quick video about it since it was in our Fratello office for a few days. Seeing beautiful images of a watch is one thing, but seeing the hands in motion and the wheels and gears turning is something else. In this video, I am looking at and talking about the white gold A. Lange & Sohne 1815 Chro

Ceramic is a material that has been used in watches for decades. It comes with some significant advantages over more traditional stainless steel. However, there are also a couple of issues to consider.Recently, I spent a significant amount of time with the IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic RAAF (ref. IW3281-02). This is a modern interpretation of the IWC Mark 11 that was provided to members of the

Boesch Motorboote from Kilchberg (Lake Zurich) creates reddishbrown mahogany boats since 1920. Boesch boats are famous for their quick starts, especially useful for water-ski matches. To celebrate its 80th birthday, IWC created the Aquatimer Chronograph Boesch, limited to 300 timepieces. Which is, compared to most other limited editions in this segment, really limited. The caseback of this watch h

Our friends at Chronos24, the Polish watch portal and blog, just published a very nice review on the Baume & Mercier Capeland Chronograph Flyback. As you know, Baume & Mercier was one of the nicest surprises for us during the SIHH 2013. Although they’ve sent us pre-SIHH press releases, you have to see watches in the flesh before you (we) should judge.Anyway, check-out this thorough B

Not too long ago, we did an in-depth review on the Longines Conquest Heritage 1954. A beautiful watch of a collection that referred to those very first models of this collection. However, not everyone is into these watches with retro designs. The Longines Conquest Classic Moonphase is something different though. This model grabs back to some ingredients of its heritage but is also a modern and up-

Last week the new owners of Eza came down to the Fratello Watches HQ in The Hague and showed us their Eza Sealander. Needless to say that we always like to have watch people over in our office to ramble about watches over a coffee, we love it when we get to see a new watch or new collection?that has not been launched yet.If you are into vintage watch collecting, you might recognize Eza as the bran

With only a few hours to go, there is still a chance to own that flown Speedmaster watch. Russian cosmonaut?Sergei Zalyotin (53) received this Omega Speedmaster Professional X-33 from the?Russian Federal Space Agency in 2000 and used it during missions?to both the Mir and International Space Stations. Even though he has been connected with the Fortis Cosmonaut Chronograph watch, he wore the X-33 o

In today's installment of #TBT, we'll talk about what I think is, hands down, one of the most perfect chronographs ever created, the Breitling 765 AOPA. In case you're in denial, have been reading elsewhere or are blinded by the fact that the brand's current offerings are far different (read: much larger) than its historic lineup, vintage Breitling offers a true treasure trove of goodies for the v

Barely a month before Baselworld 2018 kicks off, some good news arrived. Today, we received official word that the new Seiko Prospex Mini-Turtle series will be sold within European markets. In late November of last year, our friends over at Worn & Wound first showed these new releases but it seemed these watches would fall under the designation of Japanese Domestic Market only, aka the dreaded

In this 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. Thi

There are some Omega Speedmaster watches that I missed out on in the past. As a Speedmaster enthusiast and collector, that sometimes hurt. But you can’t have it all, I guess.In this article, I will share with you the five Speedmaster watches that I missed. Either during its introduction or just because I only realized later on that I “need” it. Of course, you can still add it lat

Tockr landed on my radar with its incredible Tockr Air-Defender Lume series of watches. A single sight of that series tells you everything you need to know about this brand. Tockr is not restricted by conventional boundaries. And I like that. As long as the brand can keep coming up with remarkable, eye-catching, and fun ideas, you can count me among the interested. I had a chance to find out wheth

We’re back with another look at a vintage Seiko. Today, we’ve brought an early pair of sporty watches known as the Seiko Champion J13040 to the party…By now, you’ve hopefully come to expect a regular dose of vintage Japanese goodness here on Fratello. Well, today is no exception and we bring you the Seiko Champion J13040. Like so many late ’50s and early ’60s Ja

One of the age-old questions in our hobby is, “Are there genuine alternatives for some of the most sought-after watches?” At Fratello, we never back down from a challenge, having already provided alternatives to the venerable Datejust and GMT Master, as well as the iconic Omega Speedmaster and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. In this article, I am searching for five alternatives to the Pate

Grail watches are supposed to embody the best. “Best”, however, is a subjective term. That’s why everyone’s grail is different. What I consider best for me is a watch that doesn’t require careful handling. My best is a watch that can keep up with me in all that I do. Beyond that, I want the ultimate expression of capability in specs and design, as well as efficiency o

In the words of the almighty Chuck D of Public Enemy, “Don’t believe the hype, it’s a sequel. As an equal, can I get this through to you.” The words are just as powerful in the context of today’s world of watches. I am well aware that debunking hype is actually preaching to the choir here at Fratello. But we sometimes have to deal with the effects of hype, even in the

Judging by how many variations of the Gallet Multichron Navigator we know, it is a surprisingly rare watch to come across. However, once we realize what the watch is capable of, it becomes quite easy to understand why.About six years ago, a Zenith Sextant watch sold at Phillips for a staggering 46,250 Swiss francs. I haven’t followed the Zenith Sextant market, but I can tell you with certain

Today, I’ll tell you all a little bit about my latest watch, the Brew Metric Gold. Over the last several years, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know John Ferrer, the owner and designer behind Brew watches. In that time, he has stayed true to his overarching design theme, but the refinement and execution have constantly improved. Having seen the steel versions of the Metric on the w