Zenith A3818 "Cover Girl" Remake Courtesy Of Revolution Magazine
And it is awesome. It may sound like it has a slightly anachronistic name, but rest assured - its origins are savory. Famed for its starring role on the cover of Manfred Rossler’s book, The Zenith A3818 “Cover Girl” with its identifiable minuterie is a stone-cold classic that’s been given a red hot makeover.I say makeover, but it’s really more like necromancy. The Revolution Zenith A3818 “Cover Girl” watch became part of brand lore when it was featured on the cover of Rossler’s retrospective. As one of the best watchmaking books ever written (seriously, it contains a wealth of interesting brand information), the famous facade fell into legend a...
Hands-On With The URWERK UR-220 Falcon Project CTP Carbon Fiber Watch
Oh boy, I am like a kid in a candy shop right now. This is the kind of stuff that really gets my horological spidey senses tingling. Lately, I have made no secret of the fact I am a big-time URWERK fanboy. I have no regrets and make no apologies for the fact. Today I get to indulge this adoration by going hands-on with one of the latest offerings from the Swiss masters of innovation: the UR-220 Falcon Project.There is an old saying that you should never meet your heroes because you’ll only be disappointed. I think this has a certain level of aptness for the watch world too. When you see some watches in the metal for the first time, ones that you’ve dreamed about, sometimes that e...
Thoughts On The Seiko Prospex 1959 Alpinist Re-creation SJE085
Here we are in the first part of 2021 and that means it’s watch release season! Both Seiko and Grand Seiko have brought their wares, so expect a lot of coverage in the next couple of weeks. Today, we’ll focus on the Seiko Prospex 1959 Alpinist Re-creation.I must say that these 1959 Alpinist-themed watches took me by surprise. It’s certainly not an unhappy surprise, but as I’ve often alluded, the Alpinist has a bit of a fragmented history. It debuted in 1959 and made in several forms for the next six or seven years before disappearing. It wasn’t until 1995 that Seiko resurrected the Alpinist name and on very different-looking watches. Within the last year, Seiko ...
Competition Preview: March Mania Comes To Fratello!
Last year we brought you the Speedmaster World Cup; this year, we’re ratcheting things up a gear with Fratello’s March Mania…Here at Fratello, we love a good competition. Why? Well, we simply love the sweet smell of victory. No, I’m kidding, as much as watching my fellow editors crash and burn at my feet would amuse me, the closest I got to sniffing the title last year was a Semi-Final flattening at the hands of our eventual Speedmaster World Cup champion, Balazs. As such, the smell of victory is unknown to all but one of our team. And while the sharp saltiness of last year’s tears has sustained the rest of us into 2021, we’re sick of swallowing defeat. It...
Wrist Game Or Crying Shame: IWC Portuguese Vintage
Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, where, this week, we take a look at the IWC Portuguese Vintage. To consider this one, you’ll require a large wrist and a pretty large wallet. Before we head down the path…Last week, I discussed a fancy piece of horology with the Breguet Tradition 7027. What a stunner! Thankfully, most of you agreed as this watch danced its dapper duds to a 74% Wrist Game win. Heck, even our most prolific commenter, Chow, is thinking about donning his leisure suit every week to find a reason to wear such a watch. Please send us a pic! This week, we stay on the slightly dressier side of things, but we up the size spec with one of history’s all-time ...
Sunlight and Stars: Telling time in the wilderness.
You’re deep in the Amazon rainforest. Towering trees filter all sunlight so that the ground is just a dim, vibrant green. You’re trying to make your way through, but the undergrowth is too thick. You know have no idea what time it is. Just then, you remember, you were supposed to bring a dessert to your boss’s dinner party. It starts at 7:00. If you could just find out what time it is, you could figure out how much time you have to get out of the jungle, back to your apartment, bake a pie, and make it to your boss’s house. If only there was a way!I am what I consider to be a hypothetical survivalist. I can consider what I would hypothetically need to do to survive and...
Buying Guide: The Best TAG Heuer Watches From The 2000s
We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. Though most of what we write about is primarily focused on the most recent releases and developments, for many of us, a lot of the fun can be found in the sometimes weird and often wonderful world of vintage watches. It’s a world full of history, remarkable watches, incredible stories, and quirky details. It inspired us to come up with a series of articles focusing on the best watches per decade from a select group of brands. Some of them are priceless, and some of them are still affordable. In this installment, we will take a look at the best Panerai watches from the 2000s.By the turn of the millennium, Switzerland ...
Citizen ME Series NJ0151 And NJ0153: Your Summer Watch
Last August, I showed you the new Citizen NJ0150 watches that were, till then, only available in Asia. Following a successful introduction in Europe, the reception of these Citizen watches has been very good. Today, Citizen announces four new ME series models that will appear outside of the brand’s home continent this summer. And yes, “Tiffany” blue is still a thing!The Citizen ME series - four new modelsOfficially, these new Citizen NJ0151 and NJ0153 models belong to the ME series. Each one is a stainless steel watch with an integrated bracelet that features both brushed and polished finishing. The dimensions (40mm wide, 11.7mm thick, and 49mm long) are still the same as t...
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Vs. Chopard Alpine Eagle
The last few weeks have been a bit dive-watch-centric, so today’s Sunday Morning Showdown will focus on different types of watches for a palette cleanser. This week Ben and Jorg pick a fight between two modern sports watches with integrated bracelets. But these watches are not part of the holy trinity of Grandes Maisons. Instead, this week’s battle pits the less hyped models in that category against each other. Our contenders are the Girard-Perregaux Laureato, introduced in 1975, and the Chopard St. Moritz from 1980. The modern iterations lean heavily on the classic designs but contemporize them for today’s audience. In the case of the Chopard, even the name evolves to the ...
G-Shock CasiOak Spitfire And Supersonic By IFL Watches
The great thing about custom-made dials is that their inspiration is endless. The team at IFL Watches shows that time and again. For its latest pair of releases, the Swedish brand is inspired by the world of aviation. To be more exact, the first watch pays homage to the iconic past of the aviation spirit, while the second model celebrates the future of aeronautics. The canvas is the metal G-Shock “CasiOak” GM-2100 that comes on a canvas strap. With its military style, this G-Shock model fits the aviation theme perfectly, resulting in another special duo from IFLW.It’s only been a month since I wrote an introduction article about the Citizen Tsuyosa Automatic Space Surfer. I...
Ten Mistakes To Avoid As A Beginner Watch Collector
In this installment of Back To Basics, I’ll go into typical mistakes that beginner watch collectors often make. These are the common pitfalls that newcomers might find themselves running into. After reading this, you, as a new watch enthusiast, will hopefully be able to steer clear of them! And that might just save you some frustration and even money.As always with Back To Basics articles, I would like to invite our more experienced readers to add their tips in the comments section at the end. Let's help each other out in avoiding some of these common mistakes!Mistake #1: Thinking it is all about buying watchesLet's face it: watches are products. So what are we into when we are into wa...
Exploring Evergreens: The Breguet Classique Tourbillon 3357
Approximately 180 years after the first Breguet pocket watch with a tourbillon, Breguet decided to put its founder’s famous invention into a wristwatch. It wasn't the first wristwatch with a tourbillon, though. Arguably, Omega created that back in 1947 to compete in the observatory trials. Then, in 1986, Audemars Piguet became the first to put a tourbillon caliber (and a self-winding one, at that) into wristwatches that clients could buy.Breguet Classique ref. 3357Eleven years before Swatch Group acquired Breguet in 1999, the brand introduced the tourbillon in the 35mm gold reference 3350. This watch was the brainchild of Daniel Roth, a watchmaker who came from Audemars Piguet in Le Br...
Hands-On: The Brilliant RZE Fortitude GMT Nighthawk
RZE is a brand that manages to impress me with every release. While not every one of the brand’s models might be right up my alley in terms of looks, there is no denying that RZE offers spectacular value for money. My favorite models from the brand are the Resolute Pro, Endeavor, and Fortitude. In particular, the Fortitude immediately stood out for me. The Cruiser White version looked good, especially with its full-lume dial. A little over two years later, RZE brings back the Fortitude, this time as a GMT. I had a chance to go hands-on and can already reveal that great got even better.Those who follow RZE know that the brand is all about titanium watches. I like titanium watches a lot....
Introducing: The Havid Nagan Classic One
If you have not heard of Havid Nagan, it is about time you did. F.P.Journe alumnus Aren Bazerkanian founded the brand in 2022, and he is doing things properly. Despite barely three years of the brand’s existence, Bazerkanian dropped his third watch recently: the Havid Nagan Classic One.Havid Nagan does not follow your average microbrand's route. Instead, it joins the growing ranks of higher-end independent brands with outsourced production. Although most heritage brands now focus on vertical integration and everything in-house, the traditional way of working was based on a brand forming a hub with external craftspeople and suppliers as spokes. Known as etablissage, this approach is exp...
Hands-On With The Timex Ironman 8-Lap Gray Shades
Retro watches have been all the rage for more than a decade now. When we review those releases, though, most are analog and inspired by highly collectible vintage timepieces with lengthy stories. But what about the omnipresent everyman’s watches we took for granted as kids or teenagers? Every so often, they return too, and if I’m being honest, they’re just as much fun as the fancier reissues. The Timex Ironman 8-Lap Gray Shades puts a slight spin on the original, but it’s certainly a faithful throwback to the ’80s.It turns out that the recent purchase of a G-Shock, the DW-5000R-1A Origin Revival, sent me down the rabbit hole of looking at vintage-inspired digita...
An Encounter With The Tudor Black Bay "Monochrome"
Last year’s big Tudor releases during Watches and Wonders were the Black Bay 58 GMT and the black version of the Master Chronometer Black Bay. The latter was quickly nicknamed Black Bay “Monochrome,” to be more specific. With Watches and Wonders 2025 around the corner, an obvious next release would be the Master Chronometer Black Bay with a black dial and blue bezel. It is the only regular 41mm stainless steel model that hasn’t received an update yet. Plus, it has always been my favorite of the previous-generation Black Bays. But with the current black model losing its faux gilt details, my preferences might have changed. As it turns out, that model might be hard to b...
Hands-On: The RGM Model 207-EB
It’s been a while since we covered a watch by the North American brand RGM. The company is known for its high-quality watches with classic styling and extensive customizability. Today, we’re looking at the RGM Model 207-EB with a blue guilloche dial. Its 35mm case feels a bit un-American as it isn’t oversized by any means. However, the watch still makes a big impression because of the beautiful engine-turned decoration on the dial.For those unfamiliar with RGM Watch Company, it was founded in 1992 by Roland G. Murphy, hence the brand’s name. Mr. Murphy is a watchmaker trained by both the Bowman Technical School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (PA), and the Watchmakers of S...
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication | Fratellowatches
Royal Oak OffshoreAudemars Piguet’s most popular collection is without a doubt the Royal Oak. Even more precise, the Royal Oak Offshore collection. This more sporty version of the traditional Royal Oak watches, was introduced in 1993.The Royal Oak Offshore chronographs and Offshore diving watches are the ones we already had seen in the past and now Audemars Piguet introduced the Royal Oak Offshore masterpiece: The Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication in 44mm. This Grande Complication features a minute repeater, perpetual calendar, split-second chronograph, hours, minutes and small seconds.Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication in Pink Gold and TitaniumThis watch is definitely not for...
Introducing The Fortis Terrestis Tycoon
It was a bit silent around Fortis lately. While this brand from 1912 definitely had great moments in history, in recent years mainly with their Fortis Cosmonautis collection. Watches that are being (officially) used by Russian cosmonauts since 1994.2015 however, will be their year of comeback. Comeback is perhaps a bit dramatized, but we’ve been whispered that Fortis will have a new corporate identity, new forms of marketing and appealing advertising campaigns. We are very curious to see which new way the Fortis brand will be heading, but perhaps their new Terrestis Tycoon model will give you an indication of the brand’s comeback.Fortis Terrestis TycoonWe don’t have all det...
Omega Speedmaster Alaska Project II 2008 re-edition 52Mondayz, week #9
The Omega Speedmaster Alaska Project II 2008 re-edition is my 52Mondayz watch of week #9Omega Speedmaster Alaska Project II 2008This week I will attend an Omega Speedmaster event. Long time friends-of-the-show Ace Jewelers in Amsterdam will open their ‘Moon Room Speedmaster Pop-Up’ on Speedy Tuesday evening.On the opening night our own Robert-Jan Broer will give an introduction talk. Ace Jewelers Moon Room will be open at least from February 28th until March 11. Three more evening events can be attended, you’ll read about it here: Moon Room Speedmaster Pop-Up.A Speedmaster, What Else?So what else could I wear this week than a Speedmaster? I chose to wear a rather unseen mod...