Crafter Blue Launches The Hyperion Ocean In Sunburst Blue
Crafter Blue proudly announces a new colorway for the Hyperion Ocean line. A compelling sunburst ocean blue colored dial that will catch your eyes with different shades of blue in different angles under the sun.CaseThe Hyperion Ocean is 45mm in diameter - a common size for many professional diver's watches. What makes the Hyperion Ocean line stands out from the others is that its lug-to-lug length is only 50mm, and the crown is placed at the 4 o'clock position to make it very comfortable to wear. The watch sits down on the wrist very comfortably. The addition of the rubber strap - an accessory for which Crafter Blue is perhaps best known - reduces the overall weight of the package, while hol...
Boldr Venture Un.Dark Watch Commemorates A Shocking Moment In History
It is a testament to the individual ingenuity of watch designers the world over that I come to work every day and find something to be excited about waiting for me on my desk or in my inbox. I’m a big fan of microbrands, as may well be obvious from my previous writings on the subject, but what I often find more compelling than the products themselves is the brand identity they are wordlessly able to create. How tough is it to build a recognizable brand across multiple ranges in a heavily saturated marketplace that ceaselessly stacks the odds against the new guy? Well, according to Leon Leong and the Boldr Venture Un.Dark, while it may not be easy, it is certainly possible. Especially, ...
My Thoughts On The New Omega Speedmaster Sapphire Why I Love The Watch
“Oh, no. Not another article praising the new Speedmaster,” I hear you say, as your eyes snap to the title of my article. Without a doubt, this piece is going to talk about the current Speedy. So, if you are fed up with the topic, feel free to navigate back to the main page and look for another write-up. No hard feelings. However, let me quickly try to sum up what I’d like to talk about if you’ve stuck with me this far.The main idea behind getting the latest Speedmaster was to check it out, of course. I wanted to see a few things up close, namely: how is it compared to a vintage piece? Does the bracelet feel as good as it looks? Can you use the bracelet on other model...
Watch Giveaway COMPETITION: Indulge Your Inner Designer With Von Vogel
This one’s going to be really interesting. For the first time ever on Fratello, we’re giving you the chance to design your very own watch and then win it! This concept comes to us courtesy of Von Vogel, a Danish brand that wants to give its customers complete agency when it comes to assembling their perfect watch from a raft of interchangeable components.Simple or complex? Steel or rose gold? Sporty or dressy? Rubber or leather? White? Blue? Black? Silver? The choice is yours. Von Vogel gives customers (and now Fratello readers) the chance to design their own watch using a straightforward customizer tool on the brand’s website. Click this link to check it out.The prizeFor o...
RJ's Top 10 Tips For Beginner Watch Collectors
The world of collecting watches has changed drastically in the last 10 years or so. While the Nautilus and Royal Oak were considered ugly and over-expensive nonsense watches in the 2000s, they are now the most coveted (and over-expensive) watches today. Only seasoned collectors were after a Nautilus or Royal Oak, now they seem to be the watches every starting collector is aiming for. But is that the way to get into this hobby? Read on to find out…These models are the typical grail watches of today, but that doesn’t make them the obvious choices for beginners. In this article, I’m offering you 10 tips based on my own experience as a watch collector for just over two decades....
#TBT LeCoultre Baron Feeling Big About Going Small
Brycen is swimming against the stream with the 26mm LeCoultre Baron on his wrist. If you don’t care what other people think about your wristwatch of choice, a modestly-sized watch can bring unexpected gratification. I know how Brycen feels. My Mido Radiotime is only 23mm wide, but I wear it more proudly than I wear my GMT-Master 1675. As much as I like the GMT-Master, there are so many people out there that love it as well. Not only does that make prices for the GMT-Master go higher, but it also makes sporting it a bit of a status game which spoils watch collecting for me. I find wearing a small and often impossible-to-recognize, whatever-style-you-like watch the highest level of watc...
A. Lange & Sohne 1815 Rattrapante Honey Gold Is My Holy Grail
When I was asked to write my article about my grail watch, I didn’t answer immediately. The reason for that was personal but simple. Working as a watch journalist allows one to check out incredible timepieces up close. But the reality is that a great number of them are so expensive that the thought of wanting them doesn’t even arise. Call it Dutch level-headedness or maybe a Weppelink family trait because I recognize the tendency to be very down to earth in both of my parents. But there is one brand that passionately fights that family gene, and that’s A. Lange & Sohne. The brand’s 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold “Homage to F. A. Lange” feeds into the dream...
My Cartier Santos Is Exactly The Datejust I Was Looking For!
If you've read my first-ever story on Fratello, you already know this by now. But in the first two years of my collecting journey, I was on the run. I’m not sure what I was running from exactly, but I was buying watches fast. And when you go fast, you don't always make the best decisions. That's how I ended up with a 1974 Datejust. It was a 1603 with a beautiful blue pie-pan dial and pretty yellow tritium lume pips. But it was also attached to a very worn-out Jubilee bracelet. To cut a long story short, it didn't give me the butterflies when I was wearing it, so I ended up selling it after a few months.?That Datejust was supposed to be the star of my collection at that moment. ItR...
Strap Check: This NATO Is Perfect For My Breitling Aerospace
There are some watch/strap combinations that are classic, timeless, and with which you can never go wrong. Take, for example, the trusty gray NATO. Gray is a neutral color that pairs well with any steel or titanium watch. Even black DLC or PVD watches look great on gray. A black or brown two-stitch leather strap will also look good on just about anything. And black alligator, overused and boring as it may be, is a perfect match to any dressier watch. But life is too short to stick to classic pairings. Sometimes, going over the top with color, patterns, or texture is the way to go. That, or a strap that perfectly matches and complements the basic color scheme of the watch in question. And tha...
Fratello's Top 5 Zenith El Primero References Ever
Another Friday, another Top 5! In this series, we take one classic watch and choose our five favorite references ever produced. Four of these references will be based on the historical importance of the specific watch in the grand scheme of things. Though there may be some overlap, it's not a question of which references are the most collectible or of the highest value on the market. The fifth pick is our Fratello favorite that takes the current market price and collectability into account, potentially making it a sleeper reference. As such, the last pick could be described as our wild card. In this new installment of the series, we will look at the Zenith El Primero. What are the top five r...
Hot Take: The New Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 "Ice Blue"
Without any press release or announcement, this Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 “Ice Blue” entered the collection. It features a very fresh-looking blue dial inside the immensely popular PRX watch.Tiffany Blue? No, ice blue!Okay, I’ve never bought anything from Tiffany (not on purpose, though), but despite that, I can’t stand the robin’s-egg blue shade anymore. It’s a color I would never have considered before the hype, and it’s one that I still would not consider today. It was a nice “fun” and fresh color when came out with it in 2020, and it raised some eyebrows when Patek Philippe used the official Tiffany color in 2021. But from that moment...
The Watches I'd Buy If Money Were No Object: Daan's Picks
It’s funny how your watch budget pulls your focus toward specific watches. I tend to pay a lot more attention to watches below the $10,000 mark simply because that’s just what I’m comfortable spending on a watch. So automatically, watches in that price range will pique my interest more than the ones above $10,000. But just like everybody else, I too have dreams. Of course, I read and write about many watches that are above my budget. Every once in a while, one of those watches plants itself in my memory. And today, I can finally come back to those watches and tell you about my dreams!Both Thomas, who kicked this series off, and RJ went completely crazy with their infinite c...
A New IWC Ingenieur Is Coming
Rumors about a new IWC Ingenieur started last year during Watches and Wonders 2022. But even before that, the Ingenieur was on people's minds. It was on my mind anyway. During an IWC event back in 2021, I asked the brand's CEO Chris Grainger-Herr if there were any plans to reintroduce a steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet in the style of the Gerald Genta-designed Ingenieur SL 1832 “Jumbo.” He answered that a Portugieser with a new steel bracelet that mimics an integrated look would do the job just fine for the time being. This year, during Watches and Wonders 2023, we have the feeling that IWC will most probably launch a new Ingenieur. But what will it look like?I know...
Hands-On: The Charismatic Tornek-Rayville Type 7B "Blakjak"
If you are a fan of classic military watches, these are good times. We have seen quite a few brands bring back military watches from the past. The latest addition to the modern reinterpretations of classic military-style watches is the Tornek-Rayville Type 7B “Blakjak.” But this is not just a simple remake. This is an evolved version of the classic mil-spec Stocker & Yale “Sandy” P660. Tornek-Rayville has improved upon the MIL-W-46374F specification to develop a modern version of the P660. The result is a watch that will appeal greatly to the fans of military timepieces. I had a chance to learn more about the Time-Elapse model, one of two Type 7B “Blakjak...
The 34mm Kurono Tokyo Calligra: Sold Out In A Flash
Hajime Asaoka's signature style is early mid-century with a touch of Art Deco, and he chose the studied charm of a 34mm case for his premier (and accessible) release of 2024. We first saw this size from Kurono Tokyo in 2022 with four fresh two-tone releases. Now, by introducing the Calligra, Hajime Asaoka has committed. Is it too small or just a natural, even purer take on vintage? Well, considering that fans already swooped these watches up in less than a day, perhaps more and more people are coming around.The case has the same well-proportioned, sweeping design that we know from the brand’s 37mm annual editions and my Grand Urushi Aoyama Edition. And even with brief order window open...
Frederique Constant Collaborates With Seconde/Seconde/
Frederique Constant teamed up with Romaric Andre, aka seconde/seconde/, resulting in this cool limited edition. The core premise? Frederique Constant wanted to convey the message that it is a true manufacture, making watches by hand. Rather than hiring an agency to tell that story in an expensive billboard campaign, FC teamed up with seconde/seconde/. And you can trust Romaric to make your point, it seems.The collaboration resulted in two limited editions of the Slimline Moonphase Date Manufacture. One features a rose gold crown and rose gold dial appointments. This model is limited to 10 pieces worldwide. The other one, in full steel, is limited to 100 pieces. Both are available now. The ro...
The WRK Timepieces ACF-02 Refines a Winning Formula
In the world of independent watchmaking, few brands make an impression right out of the gate. WRK Timepieces, however, did just that with its debut ACF-01 last year. Now, with the release of the ACF-02, the brand refines its design language while maintaining the bold, lightweight approach that made its first model stand out.WRK Timepieces is the brainchild of Nasko and Caroline, a husband/wife duo whose passion for horology is evident in every conversation. I met them last year during Watches and Wonders and had the chance to try the ACF-01. The titanium case, bead-blasted finish, and striking orange hook-and-loop strap all left a strong impression. The movement, developed in partnership wit...
Hands-On With Five Vintage-Inspired Forstner Bracelets
Forstner has made a name for itself as the go-to brand for aftermarket vintage-inspired bracelets. The revived company, which has roots in the 1920s, has quickly expanded its collection over the past few years. We have reviewed quite a few of the brand’s bracelets as well. What has always stood out is how much fun it is to pair the different bracelets with our watches. This time, we took five of the most popular Forstner bracelets for a spin. We fitted them to five different watches to compare them and see how the styles fit the different watches.It’s impressive to see how quickly Forstner has expanded its collection of bracelets. Particularly, the brand gained traction for bring...
Fratellowatches Visits Bunter SA In Versoix | Fratellowatches
Bunter – Switzerland’s Best Kept SecretLast year in September, the Fratello team visited Bunter SA in Versoix, just outside Geneva. Chances are big that you've never heard about Bunter, but you've probably seen their products not knowing that it was actually manufactured by them.What about the 5 Million Dollar Big Bang by Hublot? Executed by the fine workshops of Bunter in Versoix. Diamond set Cartier watches? Bunter. Diamond set Patek Philippe? Bunter. Diamond set Bvlgari Snake Watch? Bunter.Click here to read our visit report to Bunter...
NOMOS Metro Wins Once Again
NOMOS just won another design award for one of their timepieces. This time, the brand from Glashutte received the iF Product Design Award for their Metro watch. NOMOS received iF Product Design Awards in previous years as well, for their Zurich (2012), Tangomat GMT Plus (2013), and Ahoi (2014).According to the official press release, “The iF Product Design Award has been bestowed upon outstanding design achievements for the last 60 years and belongs to the oldest and most renowned prizes worldwide. It recognizes modern iconsrecipients of the iF label awarded by the international expert jury have successfully demonstrated that the design of their products creates added value. This awar...