This Week in Watches February 29. Are you looking for good news?
Twenty-eight and one. In grim times, influenced by the Coronavirus, we’ll try to cheer you up with some good news on this bissextile day. Amidst cancellations of Time To Move, the Grand Seiko Summit, Watches & Wonders, and the latest victim Baselworld, we delve deep to help the watch industry survive. Here’s what we picked up for you this week.Urwerk UR-111C Two-ToneOne of the most conceptually adventurous watches on the market, the Urwerk UR-111C, now comes in a striking two-tone, black physical vapor deposition?(PVD) and brushed steel. The UR-111C TT comes with three innovative constructions in watchmaking. 1) A?retrograde linear minute display, with?numerals set in a 30 d...
Herms Slim d'Herms
Dress watches are on the rise. While sports watches from the likes of Tudor, Omega and Seiko are perpetually generating interest, bubbling away in the background is a resurgence of clean and classic watches. Take, for example, this Longines 1946. As pared back as a watch can be, yet our Fratello readers flocked to learn more. To broaden our coverage of dress watches, I looked to none other than the masters of elegantly refined design: Herms.There is a stigma surrounding luxury fashion brands that turn their hand to traditional watchmaking. It’s not without virtue, however. For the uninitiated, it is a reasonable assumption that a luxury brand’s quality is consistent across all p...
#TBT Investigating A Gallet Navigator Telemeter's Dial
Until recently, I had never changed my opinion about the originality of a watch three times in the same week. But that happened when the intriguing Gallet Navigator Telemeter crossed my path. Two other great collectors joined me on my journey of exploration, and they were equally puzzled. The buying experience of this rare Gallet Navigator Telemeter has resonated with me for two months now, so I thought you might find a retrospective on my investigation interesting.I am not confident enough to make a call about what’s right or not when it comes to or Omega. The stakes there are much higher, and the quality of Frankenstein’s “work” sometimes reaches the original facto...
The Nomos Club Campus In Nonstop Red And Endless Blue
Even without mentioning the name, if I tell you these watches have an all-polished 36 or 38.5mm case, Roman and Arabic numerals, a hand-wound movement, and colorful dials with a contrasting sub-seconds hand, you’ll probably already know what watches I’m talking about. The Nomos Club Campus has become quite an icon for the young Saxon watchmaker. No wonder the brand keeps improving its design with small alterations. But even with those minor adjustments, the Club Campus is still very recognizable and popular with more novice and seasoned watch enthusiasts alike. And now two more vibrant colors are joining the collection - Nonstop Red and Endless Blue. Let’s take a look!Every...
Fratello Talks: Horological Hidden Gems Under $5K
Are rising watch prices getting you down? Well, we’ve got good news for you. In this week’s episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho, Timo, and RJ take a look at some horological hidden gems under $5K. These are watches you can buy either new or pre-owned that offer something truly interesting for the price. If you want to get the most for your money, these nine options are perfect ways to go. We’ve got a little bit of everything, from big-brand bangers at a fraction of their current-day equivalent prices to under-the-radar watches currently available at prices that won’t stay low for long. But before we take a look at the lineup, let’s see what’s on the guys̵...
Speedy Tuesday OMEGA Speedmaster Mark III
Omega Speedmaster Mark IIIHappy New Year everyone and Happy Speedy Tuesday! We started Speedy Tuesday somewhere half-way 2012 and it has become the most popular topic here on Fratellowatches. We are very thankful for your enthusiasm and submissions! This year, we will continue our Speedy Tuesdays and will have some great Omega Speedmaster related give-aways as a sign of our appreciation to you, our readers!In one of our recent Speedy Tuesday topics we asked our readers about the Speedmaster Mark III. One of our readers, Santosh, submitted a couple of photos of his much beloved Speedmaster Mark III with black dial.The Speedmaster Mark III (1971) was the successor of the Speedmaster Profession...
Seiko Presage Sakura Fubuki SRPC03 52Mondayz week #1
A new year, a newly introduced watch! Recently Seiko added two new designs to their ‘Cocktail Time’ line. I had a hard time choosing but went with the Seiko Presage Sakura Fubuki.The Seiko Presage Sakura Fubuki, SRPC03, on my wristSeiko Presage Sakura Fubuki ref. SRPC03Ever since Seiko introduced them in 2010 in Japan, Cocktail Time models proofed to be very popular. And I think the four new models introduced lately will be no exception. Both new designs, the blue dialed ‘Starlight’ and the ‘Sakura Fubuki’ with white dial, come in two variations. My choice of model was quite clear from the beginning.Caliber 4R35 or 4R57?Time only or power reserve as an ext...
Happy New Year! The Least Worn Watches of 2017!
2017 is over, so welcome 2018! 2017 was a big year for us at Fratello Watches. Reader traffic grew and our team is stronger and more excited than ever to bring you unique content. Regarding that notion, let's take a look at?our least worn watches of 2017 – from most of the team that is – and, why not, we'll talk about what graced our wrists most because that seems to be a popular thing to do this year.? There are some surprising picks!Balazs Ferenczi’s PicksBalazs – he’s often known as “Blaise” because his name can be tricky to pronounce (seriously, ever been to Hungary?).? But, in 2017 we all learned how to say his name correctly – you can eve...
Gimmicks Spiromax(R) Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time Ref. 5650
Since the early 2000s, a special project team (Advanced Research Department) within the Patek Philippe manufacture is occupied with the future of (haute) horlogerie. In 2017, their effort resulted in two major innovations: the new Spiromax(R) balance spring made of Silinvar(R) and a new solution to set a second time zone in timezone watches.To welcome these innovations, the manufacture is launching the sporty and elegant Aquanaut Travel Time Ref. 5650 Patek Philippe Advanced Research in a limited edition of 500 watches, the first ones to be endowed with both of the avant-garde developments.Aquanaut Travel Time Ref. 5650GThe Patek Philippe Aquanaut celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2017. The...
ARCHIMEDE: In-House Fabricated Blued-Steel Watch Hands for Pilot 42 A & H
For all friends of Pilot watches ARCHIMEDE presents now in-house fabricated Blued-Steel Watch Hands for their Pilot 42 A & H.For a few years now, ARCHIMEDE has offered their in-house fabricated blued-steel watch hands solely in their DeckWatch and a number of special editions. ARCHIMEDE now announce that their facilities have developed these high-quality watch hands for the Pilot models as well. The new heat blued steel hands will initially be offered in the Pilot 42 A & H models. Through their unique fabrication process, the steel watch hands can be offered in an elegant, homogeneous blue colour.All ARCHIMEDE Pilot watches have clear dials and reliable Swiss Eta automatic movement 2...
Mark Knopfler An Omega Speedmaster Fan
It's been a while since we reported about a Speedmaster sighting by a celebrity. In the past, we have seen Russel Crowe wearing one in many of his movies. He also had a Speedmaster in his private collection until recently. He auctioned numerous personal memorabilia away, including the watch, towell, pay for his divorce. ?Ed O'Neill, the star of Modern Family, Married with Children and one of my favorite movies; The Adventures of Ford Fairlane also sports a Speedy regularly on and off screen. RJ also wrote a report about James Corden ditching is AP Royal Oak for an episode of Carpool Karaoke with Christmas Season favorite, Michael Buble. I don't follow Corden closely so I'm not sure how often...
Genteel Handmade
Genteel Handmade's top priority is to make the small things unforgettable. Being inspired by the attention to detail that is involved in the making of an Omega timepiece, they created a unique strap that perfectly fits your Omega Deployant.Genteel Handmade offers you the freedom to design a truly unique strap. When designing an Omega-Style Deployant Strap, you can choose the leather, thread, lining leather, dimensions, strap width and more. The personalization goes even further by offering the possibility of embossing initials or other meaningful words on the back of the strap. The only limit is imagination.The Omega-Style Deployant strap dimensions are custom-made, specifically for an Omega...
Cartier The Gentleman's Files by George Cramer
Often overlooked by collectors, but never lacking respect from them either. Cartier: One of the most influential brands when it comes to the history of the wristwatch.When a friend writes a book on a subject he’s so passionate about, it is very difficult to write something about it. What if the book isn’t very good, or not worth spending your money on? Well, I can be very short about this: the book that George Cramer wrote on Cartier watches is actually the only book you need to have on the subject. Only if your interest goes very deep, it might be interesting to explore some other Cartier books that might go more in-depth on certain topics (the “Cartier – The Tank Wa...
Hands-On With The New EZA 1972 Re-Issue
We've been following EZA ever since their re-launch a few years ago. Whenever we have the chance, we catch up while enjoying a beer (or two) in my hometown Rotterdam or in Switzerland. Last week we had one of those moments and they had something exciting to share. While catching up they opened a watch roll on the bar (labelled Monday to Friday) and pulled out their new model, the EZA 1972.EZA 1972The EZA 1972 is a completely new model which follows the Sealander and Airfighter models. We've covered those in the past and for those who aren't familiar with them, make sure to check our earlier write-ups about EZA. This new 1972 brings EZA back to its roots. Where the first models merely carry t...
Podcast Balazs & Mike on Collaboration Watches & Rerelease Hopes for 2021
In this podcast, Balazs and Mike sit down on the very last day of 2020 and hit upon a couple of key topics. Collaboration watches and re-release hope for 2021 are in store in this latest episode.Our Fratello on Air podcast is also available via Buzzsprout,?Soundcloud,?Apple Podcast,?Google Podcast,?Deezer,??Stitcher, and?Spotify....
Bosphorus Leather Watch Case For 15 Watches In Birmingham Leather
I have a lot of odd habits. I think it’s probably normal for those with minds to which the hobby of watchmaking appeals to have a few neuroses. One thing I am particularly particular about is how I store my watches. As such, I’ve been on the hunt for a smart, uniform solution to house my ever-growing collection that now numbers north of 70 pieces. After much trawling, I came across the Bosphorus Leather Watch Collector Case that holds 15 watches. It was one of the two products I purchased from this relatively young company from Turkey and I couldn’t be happier with it.Everyone has different preferences when it comes to wristwatch storage. Some collectors prefer to keep thei...
Mike's Favorite Watches of 2020 Breitling, Ming, Grand Seiko, Omega, Moser, And More
2020 was quite a year in all respects and that’s true regarding timepieces. Here were some of my favorite watches over the past 12 months.I recently penned an article on the vintage Japanese watches that entered my collection during 2020. That was a seriously fun article to write, but what about new watches - Japanese or not? Well, I am here to say that this year, of all years, was one of my favorites when it came to new releases. Perhaps I focused more on them than in the recent past, but I don’t think so. With so many approachable luxury releases (and many in my favorite dive genre), I really enjoyed myself. Oh, and then there were the bracelets! Seriously, for such a wild year...
Fratello On Air: Talking Seiko With Nick From DC Vintage Watches
Fratello On Air returns with a seriously focused episode as our resident Seiko nut, Mike, speaks with Nick Ferrell, the owner of DC Vintage Watches. If you’re a Seiko fan, you won’t want to miss this!Nick Ferrell is the owner and founder of DC Vintage Watches, a site that not only sells vintage Seiko, but will help clients find the watch of their dreams. Nick is a seriously nice person to speak with, and together with Mike, they go in many directions related to vintage Seiko. Whether it’s the JDM scene in Southern California (where Nick now lives), favorite “hidden gems” in the vintage Seiko world or a number of helpful tangents for collectors, this is a podcast...
How Watches Work: What Is Tantalum? (2022)
As a fan of alternative case materials, I love seeing watches made of uncommon metals. We’re all familiar with stainless steel and probably gold and platinum too. But over the last few years, I’ve noticed a marked increase in brands using tantalum for all or part of their watches. What is tantalum? And does it make for a good watch?Tantalum is a metal. That much, I am pretty sure you knew already. Also known as the element “Ta” on the periodic table, this transition metal was discovered in 1802 in Sweden. It got its name from Tantalus, the son of Zeus. It is rarer than gold and has an unusually high melting point, making it notoriously expensive to mine and even more ...
Watch Year 2021 A Retrospective Review
And all of a sudden, 2021 is done. In case you're wondering what happened from a horological perspective, I tried to reconstruct the year in about 1,500 words - what struck me, stayed with me, and what have I learned in the last year. And that’s important, if you ask me, because it's easy to look back at what happened, but learning from the past to understand the present and the future is the hard part. So let's have a look at Watch Year 2021 in retrospect, and check the lessons learned that will help us cope with the horological future.Numbers don't lie. The most popular (most-read) stories of 2021 with you, our beloved readers, were about , Seiko, and the Omega Speedmaster, of course...