Switzerland is often considered the cradle of watchmaking. The Swiss Made label has become a seal of quality, and the vast majority of high-end watch brands are Swiss. But how come? How has this one European nation become so dominant? What made Swiss soil so fertile for the budding watch industry?On the road to answering this question, we come across tales of refuge, religion, and a distaste for t

The sad reality is that money is definitely an object, and when you have a family, it's not always easy to allocate the amount of money you want to spend on a watch. But, as Thomas did in his Shopping With Cheat Codes ‘Infinite Money’ And ‘Infinite Purchase History'” article, I’d like to consider watches that I normally don't give much thought to. Aside from infinity

Join me on the hunt for non-cliche pre-owned picks in the diver segment. It is safe to say that the dive watch is one of the most popular genres in the watch world. Even though most of us do not dive, most watch aficionados own at least one diver. There are some obvious candidates out there. , Omega, Tudor, and Seiko hold the majority stake in the dive-watch universe. But what if you want somethin

Half a century of Omega Constellation watches explained. Fratello Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Robert-Jan Broer is a watch collector in the truest sense. He sat down with us to discuss his thoughts as a collector of Omega Constellation. A passion interlinked with his family history that, still today, he cherishes with great pride. Find out more to discover the history and meaning behind a part of

As Leonardo da Vinci said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” This famous quote is a motto that the guys at Unimatic have embraced ever since they started the brand in 2015. The Milan-based brand is known to have created a minimalist design canvas for its timepieces that works very well in multiple ways. Today, we get another taste of that canvas with the new Unimatic Modello

For many of us, especially those reading this article, watch collecting is a key part of our lives, our main hobby, and our passion. But for the vast majority of people, a wristwatch is purely a means of telling the time and, in some cases, a status symbol. Some might be familiar with famous models, but most people do not care how thin your watch movement is or how few pieces of your limited editi

As watch enthusiasts, we love to look back. We point at history's legendary watch designers as the high priests of our shared passion. We are so focused on history that we may sometimes overlook today's talents. Luckily, there still are gifted young professionals coming through the ranks. Today, I would like to put a little spotlight on three young(ish) watch designers whom I particularly admire.

This week, Fratello On Air is back with another listener-inspired show topic. We’ll talk about the three watches that each of us would save from a burning house. Don’t worry, we’ll keep things light since a real fire is no joke. Of course, expect a bit of banter up front as we work up to the main theme.

Daniel Roth and Gerald Genta are two names that resonate with watch fans. The first was a watchmaker who made Breguet great again and later started a brand of his own. The second gave the world some of its most iconic watch designs. Both names are now on the LVMH payroll, so to speak. In its ambition to become a stronger player in the high-end watch market, the largest luxury group in the world ha

Angelus has been making waves in recent years, injecting fresh energy into its lineup with bold, technical designs that blend avant-garde aesthetics with high-end watchmaking. The latest addition, the Flying Tourbillon Titanium, keeps that momentum going, playing with space, structure, and transparency in a way that feels both futuristic and deeply rooted in classical watchmaking.This is the secon

If I were pressed to choose the brand with the most breathtakingly beautiful lineup, Laurent Ferrier would surely receive my vote. The Haute Horlogerie watchmaker eschews the hyper-modern trend and makes elegant timepieces with equally bewitching movements. While I tend toward the classic non-complicated models, today’s latest Classic Traveller Globe Night Blue infuses complications without

In this week’s episode of Fratello Talks, we’re making a public service announcement: don’t let money stop you from enjoying watches! This topic is close to our hearts and has come up more than once at Fratello HQ lately. So today Nacho, Lex, and Thomas gather around the microphones and hash out their thoughts on the matter. Ultimately, it’s something we can recommend to yo

Gerard Nijenbrinks is a friend of the show since the early start of this blog and actually much longer than that. He is the guy from whom I bought my first Speedmaster, in October 1999. He has his shop Horloge Platform since 1989, where he currently specializes in pre-owned and vintage watches only after having been an official retailer for a number of brands as well.Always in for a new (horologic

To be honest I had to look it up, but it is already five years ago that Audemars Piguet introduced the Royal Oak Offshore Diver. The Royal Oak Offshore collection, originally introduced in 1993 and designed by Emmanuel Gueit, is the most popular line of Audemars Piguet. A variety of models (chronographs, calendars etc) were introduced in the first years of the Offshore collection, but it took a wh

2017 marks the year of the Speedmaster or more specifically: 60 years of Speedmaster. Omega sent an awesome press kit last week to journalists with an overview of 60 Speedmaster watches. A very neat overview of 60 different models, from the very first Speedmaster CK2915 ‘Broad Arrow’ till the latest, yet to be released, Speedy Tuesday edition.60 Years of SpeedmasterWith 60 watches, not

Context – political, sociological and cultural. When I put on any vintage watch I try to imagine what it was like to wear that particular watch back in the time it was new and fresh. When I put on the Harvel Date-O-Graph in the morning, I just can't un-see the advert from 1943 published in LIFE magazine. In it, across half a page, there is a detailed shot of a hand holding a burning cigarett

It was during Baselworld 2018 that Robert-Jan and myself met with Jacob Hatzidimitriou. Jacob had contacted us and would like to show us his Ianos Avyssos?diver’s watch that he intended to introduce. Something which is asked us more often and, because the majority of these intentions have to be addressed as ‘well-meant but not pertinent necessary’, which we did not have very high

Brand resurrections are nothing new. The reasons behind them are rarely compelling. Most often, a distant familial link that is relevant to no one but the founder(s) has been discovered. But here we are witnessing the rebirth of a brand that has seldom strayed too far from the minds of watch lovers the world over. Welcome back, Timor Watch Company.If you’ve been a fan of luxury watchmaking f

I love being involved in good conversations. The discussion generated by our latest giveaway project was a treat. I really enjoyed the suggestions (some of them really deserve to be made), and am grateful for the engaged and respectful way in which everyone chipped in. It’s a shame I don’t have ten of the Avi-8 Flyboy Sydney to give away, but there are plenty more watches on the way fo

In our Sunday Morning Showdown, 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 readers̵