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

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

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 fro

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 bran

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 tw

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 pr

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

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 al

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 mysel

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 a

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 th

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

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 an

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

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

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 A

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

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 t

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 certa

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