Fratello On Air: Vintage Watch Opportunities for 2022
We’re back with more block-rockin’ beats - errrr, talk! Balazs and Mike return (quickly) to talk about vintage watch opportunities in 2022. If you love the old stuff and are looking for value, tune in and relax!That’s right, the dastardly duo of Balazs and Mike is back, and we return to one of our favorite subjects - the vintage watch market and where to find opportunities. As we know, there’s little out there that hasn’t been uncovered. However, that doesn’t mean that value doesn’t exist. There’s no highfalutin talk during this podcast, so your trust funds are safe!Vintage watch picks for 2022After a bit of a “Handgelenks Kontrolle“...
Omega Speedmaster Calibre 321 In Canopus Gold
If you’ve been paying attention since 2017, you might have noticed that Omega has been up to something. Every first (Speedy) Tuesday of the year, the brand has released either a new Speedmaster or something Speedmaster-related, like the caliber 321 re-introduction in 2019. This year, the 65th anniversary of the legendary chronograph brings us the Omega Speedmaster Calibre 321 in Canopus Gold, reference 311.50.39.30.01.001.I am very proud and honored to be able to go hands-on with this new Speedmaster Calibre 321. It’s an incredible reproduction of the first Speedmaster CK2915, but in Omega's own white gold alloy, Canopus Gold. As the name suggests, it features the beloved 321 chr...
A.F.0210. Straps: Perfect For Your Vintage(-Inspired) Field Watch
As some of you know, I’m more of a bracelet guy, but I still buy watch straps from time to time. There are many companies out there offering watch straps nowadays, and let’s be honest, many of them offer very similar products. Some specialize in leather straps, others are more into textile straps, and there are even those who offer the whole shebang. But when I first saw the straps from Rob over at A.F.0210., I knew they were something different!Our very own Balazs reviews straps from many different strap makers. And he has indeed reviewed a few very nice ones that offer something that isn’t available from just any strap shop. But I’ve never heard him talk about the m...
?Vintage Inspiration In Watches: Are The '40s and '50s Next?
Could we be entering a new phase of retro love? I don’t know about you, but these days I’m feeling somewhat desensitized to the coolness of 1960s dive watches. We all love their aesthetics, and they’re a surefire way to start a new microbrand as long as you get the basics right, but are they too many? The benefits of their popularity linked with tech advances mean that small brands can produce 38mm watches under 12mm thick with 300m depth ratings. But do we actually need more watches like this? I believe we need to reach further back into the more formal cool of the ’40s and ’50s when even the sportiest watches had a strong sense of elegance.Lately, I have been ...
My New Year's Watch Resolutions: Thomas's Plans For 2023
Last year was a milestone watch year for me. I released my book and stepped on board at Fratello. I was also blessed to be able to acquire some very cool watches in 2022. It is going to be hard to top that in 2023, but let's see.When Nacho asked me to write my 2023 watch resolutions, it made me think long and hard. Do I have any specific goals? Mine are certainly not as clear as Lex's. He has a two-watch hit list and an exact budget. Join me in an exploration of some rather vaguer resolutions.Looking back in appreciationI am very happy I moved to Fratello early in 2022. The team is awesome and has made me feel so welcome. I was also delighted to meet many of our readers and talk with you in ...
#TBT Downsizing And Selling A Watch To Make Someone Happy
A year ago, downsizing my watch collection was just an idea, a concept that I had never explored thoroughly before. It sounded rational and inevitable since my budget wasn’t endless. I knew it had to happen so that I could keep featuring new watches in my #TBT column. But I honestly couldn’t imagine it happening…Looking forward and making new plans for 2024 without providing a proper retrospective of what happened in 2023 wouldn’t be right. Last year, Nacho caught me unprepared when he asked me to write down my 2023 watch resolutions. I felt a bit surprised, even guilty, that I didn’t have any. When I put pen to paper, I realized that it helped me understand how...
The Best Watches Of 2023 Thor's Picks
Staying objective as a writer on something as unnecessary as wristwatches is difficult, and 2023 made it worse. Brands seemed to be shrugging off post-pandemic woes with a vengeance and for good this time, despite sales lagging behind expectations. So for me, picking the best watches of 2023 was never going to be easy.But we need something to keep our mood positive, and many of the watches I pick for my best-of lists are pure daydream material. The same goes for commissions and picks from press releases that refuse to keep to the big release weeks like Watches and Wonders and Geneva Watch Days. With great difficulty, I’ve picked three watches from this deep basket of goodness. The firs...
Fratello Talks: Watch Wishes And Predictions For 2024
Welcome to the first episode of Fratello Talks of 2024. We hope that the new year has been treating you well so far and that you’re as excited as we are to kick off this second season of the podcast. Here at Fratello HQ, we decided to tackle the new year head-on, discussing our watch wishes and making predictions for what we’ll see over the coming 12 months. You join your host Nacho alongside Morgan and Lex, who voice their expectations and wishes for the new year. From educated guesses to wild predictions, the guys have the bases covered. And who knows? Maybe some of their wishes just might come true before the year is up! But before we get into it, it’s time for the first...
Vincent's Top 20 Microbrand Watches Of 2024
As someone who solely writes about watches from micro/independent brands, I'm pleased to share my list of their 20 best releases of 2024. And there is a lot to talk about, of course. The list below is simply organized in alphabetical order by the brand name. All watches listed are ones I've handled in the metal. Many others out there are worth your while too, but I have set a strict rule for myself of only writing about watches I’ve had experience with. This is why you will also mostly find photos I took here. Some of the photos were shot by colleagues at Fratello or provided by the brand. However, I did indeed handle all of these watches.Because there are 20 models to review, I will s...
Analog-Digital Watches: The Best Of Both Worlds?
Analog-digital watches are making a comeback. Here are a few fantastic examples of compelling designs from popular brands to consider. The aesthetically pleasing design of an analog watch and the added functionality of a digital complication make a strong case for including analog-digital watches in any enthusiast’s collection. Let’s take a look.When I say that analog-digital watches are making a comeback, I don’t mean that they represent a massive part of the enthusiast market. However, for a relatively niche category, analog-digital watches consistently punch above their weight with media coverage and chatter on online forums and podcasts. Perhaps this is because analog-d...
Sinn EZM review
Some time ago, Bas van Dorp and I both decided we needed a Lemania 5100 watch. I bought a Sinn 142 St.S at Horloge Platform Nederland in The Hague and Bas ordered a Sinn EZM1. His one was on order, and since the run on the last watches with Lemania 5100 was enormous, he had to wait a bit longer. Last week his watch arrived and here you can read his review on his EZM1.About two years ago, I read that Lemania would end the production of thecal. 5100. The horror! The guys who came up with this idea will be thefirst against the wall when the revolution comes, that's for sure. Sinn,among others, would still be producing watches with this movement, usingthe remaining stock. I was still happy weari...
BaselWorld 2010: Maurice Lacroix's Novelties Revealed
The days of Maurice Lacroix being an entry level brand is long gone (click here), especially since the introduction of the Masterpiece collection. During BaselWorld 2010, that is going to be held from March 18 till March 25, Maurice Lacroix will be introducing a number of interesting models.Most interesting are the two different Phases de Lune timepieces, since a moon phase is a complication that speaks to everyone’s imagination. The Phases de Lune are from different Maurice Lacroix collections, namely that of the Pontos and the Les Classiques.First, the Les Classiques Phases de Lune Automatique. A classic shaped moonphase timepiece, with a day and month indicator near 12 o’clock...
Finally, A Breitling I Would Buy: The Navitimer Caliber 01
I am not a big fan of Breitling watches, with the exception of the Navitimer. I have owned one and wasn’t very impressed with it, to say the least. However, Breitling is on a roll with their new in-house constructed movements.Breitling’s most interesting model, the Navitimer, is now available with their chronograph Caliber 01 movement. Column wheel chronograph with a vertical clutch and the classic tri-compax dial layout (sub dials at 3, 9 and 6 o’clock). If it wasn’t for the price of approx $7,600.- USD, I’d put it on my list.My guess is that Breitling will quickly sell their stock of 2,000 pieces in stainless steel. The run of 200 pieces in 18 carat red gold p...
FratelloWatches Top 10 Most Popular Posts Of 2012
People love to see Top x lists, so we gathered the Top 10 best read articles in 2012 here on Fratellowatches. We also would like to take the opportunity to thank you for your interest in Fratellowatches in 2012. We had more visits than ever before! We hope to take you aboard for 2013 as well and surprise you with some cool and interesting upcoming features!Number 1: Review of the Omega Speedmaster Caliber 9300This watch was introduced in 2011 and we received one from Omega to try & test it later that year. It was and still is one of my most favorite modern timepieces. If I had one modern watch to pick in the 5000 – 6000 Euro price range, this would be it.Click here for the articleN...
Tutima M2 A Family Of Rock Solid Military Chronographs
If you are a regular visitor of Fratellowatches, you know that we’ve always been a fan of the Lemania 5100 movement. This work horse chronograph movement was used by brands like Omega, Sinn and Tutima. Even when the Lemania 5100 movement was discontinued, Tutima was in the end the only brand that still produced watches with this movement. I was told that Tutima stocked a lot of these Lemania movements as they were the official supplier of chronograph watches to the German military (‘Bund’) with these Tutima NATO watches. Which explains they were able to deliver them long after the movement was being discontinued.Below you see – in the middle of two Tutima NATO chronog...
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Class Watch Making
During our visits to watch manufactures we always get to see a lot of watch makers at work. Sitting behind their low desks, highly concentrated, working on movements or other small watch parts. Recently I was able to try it ourselves during the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Class Watch Training.Jaeger-LeCoultre Master ClassOrganised in their recently opened boutique in the renowned P.C. Hooftstraat in Amsterdam, we were welcomed by the JLC team and their watchmaker. In their basement they’d set up some work benches, with all the necessary watch making tools for the surgery we were about to perform. Today patient? The Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 986, as used in the Grande Reverso Duoface.After e...
Speedy Tuesday Dutch Comics Writer and Cartoonist Martin Lodewijk (Agent 327) Wearing A Speedmaster
I am by no means a fan of watch brands using certain ambassadors to endorse their watches and did a thorough and much-read article on that about a year ago (here). However, I also get the fact that watches need to be sold and that some customers actually like to be associated with a movie star or athlete by wearing a watch from the same brand, or even the same watch perhaps.What I do like, is when people (famous or less famous) are wearing a watch for the right reason, that they bought it because they love it. A few months ago, I watched a documentary on television about (comics writer and cartoonist) Martin Lodewijk, author of the Agent 327 comic.Martin Lodewijk in his studio in Rotterdam, ...
The Top 10 Vintage Seiko Watches You Should Buy Now
It's the New Year and as many people put together resolution lists, we thought we'd do the same and kick off the year with a look at 10 Vintage Seiko watches you should buy right now. Our admiration for Seiko is pretty transparent from its new releases that we anticipate each March at Basel to our many in-depth articles on classic references (and a recent look on affordable vintage here) we find that the brand from Japan has so much to offer. Some of our chosen models are extremely familiar and have been covered while some are less known, but still significant. So, Happy New Year and, in no particular order, let's talk vintage Seiko.Reference 6309Seiko 6309A list of top Vintage Seiko watches...
The 5 Coolest Sinn Watches
Sinn Spezialuhren from Frankfurt is top of mind when it comes to (relatively) affordable tool watches. We have covered Sinn watches many times, since the start of Fratello Watches in 2004 actually. It is no secret that we have a lot of love for Sinn watches and there are a couple of them in our team.Sinn creates watches where form follows function. That’s a very German thing to do, and certainly not a bad thing if you like the aesthetics of tool watches anyway. Their watches are used by German special police and military forces, and they also created a special piece for the fire brigade. The fire services are a big thing in Germany, they have over 1.3 million(!) fire fighters, most of ...
Watch Giveaway: Zelos Nova 38mm Linen Silver Watch
I’ve been looking forward to this for a while. Last year, I mooted the possibility of running a regular watch giveaway on Fratello and now, right at the start of 2021, I’m pleased to say that dream has finally come to fruition. Thanks to the generosity of Zelos, we have a brand new Zelos Nova 38mm watch with a silver linen dial to give away to one of our lucky readers. Interested? Read on to find out how this watch could be yours…I’ve been working in and around the watch industry since 2003. In the past 18 years, there is one thing I have never, ever tired of: free stuff. Unfortunately for the growth of my immense stash of watch freebies, we have a slightly different ...