The craziness began already a few weeks in advance when you start to recieve all this press information under embargo. Normally, we don't really care for this rat race, but in some cases, it is also difficult to suppress your enthusiasm and you will write some articles in advance anyways. So that means you are actually doubling your workload in the period prior to SIHH. You have to write the artic

Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, the weekly series that aims to make all of your New Year’s Resolutions come true! This week, we take a look at the Omega Speedmaster Reduced, reference 3510.50.00Fear not, Mike fans. I’m not taking-over this column permanently. I’m just standing-in for everyone’s favorite bargain (or not) hunter for one week and one week only. So

With the new Serpenti and Octo Finissimo models stealing much of the limelight this week in Dubai, the Bvlgari Divas’ Dream collection has floated under the radar. But no longer. Here we give this concise range of jewelry watches their due.Although I don’t wear much jewelry above the wrist, I never tire of seeing such time-honored techniques applied to watches. For many years now, I

The Fears Watch Company expands its mechanical timepiece offering with a new blue dial option in the Brunswick collection. The Brunswick Blue also signals the gradual phasing-out of quartz watches from the Fear’s line-up.Nicholas Bowman-Scargill is the fourth Managing Director of Fears Watches. Founded by Edwin Fears in 1846 in Bristol, UK, Nicholas revived the Fears Watch Company name after

Yesterday, we announced the release of the Seiko Prospex Alpinist SPB201J1 European Limited Edition. As with the previous Seiko Alpinist release, it is available via the Fratello shop first. Each one comes with a special strap we designed especially to complement the watch, but we only have 35 pieces in stock. Having passed on the previous Alpinist, I thought the time was ripe to pick one up mysel

In October we announced the Seiko Prospex Alpinist SPB199J1 limited edition. And now, at the dawn of 2021 (the most anticipated sequel in the history of years), we have a new Seiko Alpinist to announce. Allow me to introduce the Seiko Prospex Alpinist SPB201J1 limited edition, exclusive to Europe.The Seiko Prospex “Alpinist” range is soaring. The modern iterations of this beloved famil

The name “Artem” comes from the Latin phrase, “Ars est celare artem” (English: true art conceals the means by which it is achieved). But Artem is also a name from Ancient Greek mythology, generally meaning “strong as a bear.” That term perfectly captures what Artem stands for with its durable sailcloth straps. A bear is both strong and, as you’d imagine, v

We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. Though most of what we write about is largely 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 c

If you think the design of the new Ralph Lauren RL867 above looks familiar, you’re completely right. The famous fashion designer launched his line of watches back in 2008 and introduced the RL867 one year later. At the time, it was only available in a fairly small 27.5mm square case. If you look at the brand’s website today, however, the RL867 is only available in a rather large 35mm s

Welcome to another edition of Sunday Morning Showdown. Today, two editors jostle for position with two watches of a similar persuasion. Expect no holds barred as these writers vie for your votes to be crowned the winner. In this fight, we have two fully ceramic dive watches with automatic calibers. As a surprise twist, both are certified by METAS as Master Chronometers. Even more serendipitous is

Disclaimer: I am particularly fond of independent brands and British watchmaking, and when it comes to Garrick’s watches, these are temptingly combined. The Norfolk-based brand produces a particular line of timepieces that makes those two qualities particularly visible, even worn on its watchmakers’ sleeves. So excuse me if I view the new Garrick S2 Deadbeat Seconds through a slightly

Saffron will cost you over $10,000 per kilogram, so at least $10 per gram. Why is it so expensive? Well, to make one gram of saffron, you need 150 hand-picked crocus sativus flowers. The threads of the flowers are dried to serve not only as a seasoning and coloring agent in food but also as medicine. Saffron was likely first used by the Assyrians in the seventh century BCE. Now, how about the watc

I belatedly wish you all a happy new year, my dear Fratelli! As one of the last Fratello writers to jot down my 2024 horological resolutions, I hope you're not tired of this theme yet. I can only promise that my plans differ quite a bit from those of my colleagues, so this article should be a bit different. Not least of all, this is because there is major uncertainty in my near future.As you have

The IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar IW3750 from 1985 is an important watch for IWC and the entire Haute Horlogerie universe post-Quartz Crisis. Master watchmaker Kurt Klaus built a perpetual calendar mechanism on top of an automatic chronograph, which reignited interest in complicated horology and made people look at IWC differently. The innovative watch brought prestige to a brand mostly known fo

Time flies when you're having fun! It has been a full two years since I set off on an adventure to build my dream watch, the VPC Type 37HW. Fratello offered me the fantastic opportunity to chronicle and share the journey with you all. Today, after having fulfilled all preorders, I would like to finish the series with one final retrospective and some musings on my plans from here on.Sending the fin

Regulator watches are not often the first, second, or third pick for a collection. The watches with a large central hand to indicate the minutes and smaller sub-dials to display the hours and seconds are an acquired taste. This non-coaxial configuration might seem odd initially, but quickly enough, you will get used to reading the time accurately. The separation of elements also makes for distinct

Press Release: In 1907, Jaeger-LeCoultre laid the foundations of what was to prove a key element in the identity of its watches. That was the year when the association between Paris-based businessman Edmond Jaeger and Swiss watchmaker Jacques-David LeCoultre gave birth to the world's thinnest pocket watch featuring a blend of aesthetic refinement and horological sophistication that only a Manufact

SIHH 2017 started and to be able to give you quick previews, we created our SIHH page, where you can have a look at the wristshots and other photos we take during this salon in Geneva.You can either click this page or refresh this particular post every now and then.(since the feed is grabbed from our Instagram account, you’ll also come across older posts! Sorry for the inconvenience)[wdi_fee

One of my personal favorite wrist watches, ever, is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. I have owned a couple of them and ended up with the reference 15202 ‘Jumbo’. One of the models I had and still love till this day, is their Royal Oak Chronograph. This year, Audemars Piguet is actually celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Royal Oak Chronograph.1997 – 2017 Audemars Piguet Royal O

We saw this one coming a long time ago, as we knew the Cartier Santos was a classic from 1978 and taken out of production recently. Our contributor George Cramer wrote about that here. The Santos collection goes back as far as 1904, but it was in 1978 that it was introduced as a stainless steel and gold (bi-color) model. With the beautiful screw-bracelet. A watch that was one of the most wanted wa