NEW: Zenith Defy Skyline The "Null Primero" Returns (2022)
Happy Monday to you, Fratelli, and what a Monday it is! Today is the start of LVMH Watch Week, and that means we’ll see a plethora of new watch releases. The group’s watch brands - TAG Heuer, Hublot, Bvlgari, and Zenith - all have a bunch of new stuff up their sleeves. So allow Jorg and I to kick the week off with a few of the first new watches that caught our attention. In Jorg’s article, he’ll be showing you some highlights from Hublot, while I’ll be introducing the new Zenith Defy Skyline.Last week, Daan de Groot made his editorial debut on Fratello, writing about the new Zenith Defy Revival A3642. It’s a near-spitting image of the first Defy wristwatch...
Andersen Genve Celestial Voyager Sunset Over Cappadocia
Watchmaking doesn’t have its own version of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but it should. Who do you think would find their names added to the annals of watchmaking legend if it did? I bet not too many of you named the watchmaking sensation that is the one and only Svend Andersen. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Andersen last year at his atelier in Geneva, and today, I finally get to go hands-on with the Andersen Genve Celestial Voyager “Sunset Over Cappadocia,” a reverie in wristwatch form.Svend Andersen launched his workshop in the late 1970s after spending nine years working at Patek Philippe. Over the years, he welcomed and trained high-end watchmakers such as Fra...
The New And Improved Contemporary Forstner Flat Link (2022)
“New and improved.” I’ll bet you’ve heard that before. How often is it just “sales speak” for “new and not really much different at all but we’d like your money, please, thank you very much”? Often, I’d say. Here though, in regards to the “new and improved” Forstner Flat Link, I can guarantee you it is both of those things in spades. And, thanks to that, it elevates the Flat Link to the cusp of my top three Forstner bracelets of all time.Well, in reality, it cracks the top three on the “available” list. The as-yet-unreleased Bullet bracelet might muscle it off the third step if it had debuted already but, as ...
Now Available: Fratello REM Lunar Lander Strap
Together with the Swedish strap maker REM, led by Totte el Siddig and Roger Clementz, we’re very excited to introduce to you the first Fratello REM collab for the Moonwatch. Every month in 2023, we will have a different themed strap for the Omega Speedmaster. We designed all of these straps together with REM, and each will be available in a limited run. The first strap for this year is suitable for any Moonwatch. In the following months, however, we will come up with some more specific themed Moonwatch straps.Fratello REM Lunar Lander StrapFor this January 2023 edition, we thought it would be good to start with something that will suit all Omega Speedmaster Professional models. The bla...
Design Vs. Specs Which Is More Important To You
I love hearing about other people’s choices in watches, but it’s about more than just the outcome for me. How and why someone chose to buy a certain watch is often far more interesting. It leads to a different perspective on how people make choices, and being either a specs person or a design fanatic has a big influence. Of course, there’s more to buying a watch than simply weighing the specs or the design, but most watch fans do favor one over the other. As a design enthusiast, my main attraction to a watch is its looks. While I definitely find specs important, they will never outweigh the ?visual aspect. But there are people that do put specs first. Are the numbers, ratin...
Show Us What's In Your Watch Box And Win A Peli-Case
Once you have a few nice watches, one of the first things you buy or receive is a watch box to store them in. Now we want to hear the story behind yours. Tell us what watches are in your watch box, and share what they mean to you. It should be a fun read, and I am sure it will inspire other readers to go look at some of the watches you shared in your story. There’s no right or wrong; just tell us about the watches you love.My watch boxLet me start by giving an example of my watch box. I received this box over 15 years ago from my girlfriend at the time, who is now my wife. It is a nice lacquered wooden box with four watch cushions. Most of my watches are in my safe, but I also like to ...
The Certina Watch Issued To Elite Royal Australian Navy Divers
Recently, Certina provided me the opportunity to get my hands on a revived classic, the DS Super PH1000M. I love Certina, and I believe it’s a brand that does not get the kudos it deserves. This article is about the watch from which this new release took its design cues, and it has an incredible backstory.Last month, I brought you the story of Cabot Watch Company's (CWC) role in providing watches for journalists working on the front lines. Today's story is in a similar vein but looks at a Certina watch?issued to Australia's elite Royal Australian Navy clearance diving teams during the height of the Vietnam War. This two-decade-long conflict left millions dead, though exact figures are ...
Hands-On: The Otsuka Lotec No.7.5
As a keen observer of the independent side of Japanese watchmaking, I felt honored when Precision Watch Co. reached out on behalf of Jiro Katayama. Katayama-san is a small-scale watchmaker I have been following for a few years. What I find fascinating is his self-taught watchmaking, a quality he shares with Hajime Asaoka that beggars belief.As only the second Western journalist to get all the details on the latest piece from Jiro Katayama and a chat with him, my story on the Otsuka Lotec No.7.5 inspired me. His watches are still only for sale in Japan, with plans for worldwide export within 2024C25. However, through a close friend, I managed to find one. In our insular watch world, many of u...
A Closer Look At The Effect Of The 2024 Tudor Price Increases
For most of us, having a budget to work with is a reality in this passion for watches. As a result, increasing prices are not without personal side effects. Until recently, the go-to brand under $4K was Tudor. With prices going up, however, that reality has shifted. It’s safe to say that it could be your go-to brand under $5K nowadays. A fitting cliche is that you can only spend your money once, so you’d better spend your money wisely. So what do you do? Do you accept that Tudor watches have become more expensive? Or do you shift focus and move on to something else? Let’s look at Tudor prices for 2024 and the overall effect on the brand’s perception.At the beginning o...
Introducing: The Aquastar Benthos H2
It’s great to kick off the new year with a watch from one of my favorite brands. The Aquastar Benthos H2 is a welcome release that should appeal to a wide audience. It’s affordable and, best of all, fits beautifully.The original Benthos 500 was a highly innovative mechanical dive watch that debuted in 1970. With its chronograph-like operation and slow 60-minute elapsed-time counter, the watch differed from other heavy-duty divers. It was produced for several years into the decade until, somewhat suddenly, the watch market was turned on its end. Quartz entered the market and forever changed the landscape. Today’s new Benthos H2 looks like what might have been if the Quartz C...
Vintage Heuer: The Most Predictably Volatile Market Around?
Some of my earliest watch-collecting memories concern vintage Heuer. The ’60s chronographs, with their captivating names, left an indelible mark in my subconscious. How could they not? The breadth of choices, from clinical (the Carrera) to zany (the Monaco), has always been a veritable feast for the eyes. Yet, have watch collectors ever witnessed a sub-series of watches so prone to over-interest and periods of complete and utter disregard?Indeed, the vintage Heuer market exhibits the strangest dynamics among commonly collected watches. I can recall periods when nothing aside from was hotter. Unfortunately, these eras of flying very close to the Sun were followed by an Icarus-like fall...
Introducing: The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph In Titanium
With TAG Heuer being the Official Timekeeper of Formula 1 again, the five versions of the new TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph in titanium don't come as a surprise. There are four regular mechanical chronograph models plus one tribute watch in cooperation with the Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 team.No, you're not mistaken: we only received three of the five new titanium versions of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph. Two of the ones here are part of the regular collection, and the Formula 1 Chronograph Oracle Red Bull Racing is a tribute to the spirit of motorsport. This year, TAG Heuer is the leading watch brand in F1 once again, so what better way to celebrate than through a collection of larg...
A. Lange & Sohne 1815 Annual Calendar Hands-On
The SIHH 2017 is over and we’re left with mixed feelings. If all SIHH brands knew how to make us smile like A. Lange & Sohne seems to be able to do every year, there wouldn’t be any issues. This year, A. Lange & Sohne showed their 1815 Annual Calendar watch, and it immediately became the talk of the exhibition.Walter LangeIt was a bit of an awkward moment, when A. Lange & Sohne gave their presentation on all the new timepieces they have for us (and you) in store. Just a few moments before, we received the message that Walter Lange (92) passed away the day before. He spent his entire life dedicated to watches and was the man who helped building up A. Lange & Sohne ...
Don't Be Ashamed About Collecting Watches, The Others Are Worse! 10 Examples Given In This Article!
How often do you need to explain your love for watches? I’ve noticed that I don’t mind explaining why I like watches so much, or explaining what I am exactly doing all day as a watch journalist. It is understandable because – believe it or not – not everyone is into watches or even familiar with mechanical watches. A lot of people are also unaware of the fact that there is an entire industry around watchmaking: e.g.?watch magazines, websites, market places, collectors meetings, auctions and so on. For many people a watch is just that, a watch. So I do not mind talking about what I do and explain it a bit.During our Speedmaster collector’s meeting last year in Du...
The Sleeper Watch Omega Seamaster 300M 2531.80
Somewhere in 2014, Balazs wrote an article on two possible sleeper watches. His explanation back then: “A sleeper is a watch that has no significantly high price tag today but is likely to gain value or become more sought-after in a few (more) years time. This could be because of historical significance, because it was produced in a smaller number or maybe because – like everything in life – fashion changes. Five years ago nobody would care about a 1980s Casio or Seiko quartz watch, nowadays thousands of trendy teenagers rummaging throughout their dad’s drawers in hope of a working example that they can wear with their skinny jeans, knitted hats and flannel shirts....
Hands-On with the Funky 70's Vibe Straton Speciale Chronograph
When it comes to beer, I generally favor brews from the smaller companies. These brewers offer beer styles and flavors that often appeal to less people overall, but provide a greater amount of satisfaction to a select group of drinkers. The other note about these brewers is that they were once but a tiny part of the marketplace, but times have changed. This is kind of how I feel when it comes to micro branded watches. No single brand is large enough to disrupt the big boys, but taken as a whole, they've caused many of the larger players to sit up and take notice. Numerous examples exist of famous brands dabbling in marketing or by offering pieces made out of material (read: bronze) that only...
Understanding The Mechanical Chronograph A Watchmaker Explains
A chronograph watch is a practical wearable measuring device that can record intervals of time upon the will of the owner of the chronograph watch, as well as telling the time of the day.Chronograph Mechanism ExplainedA stopwatch or a timer is different from the chronograph, it's an instrument that only measures short intervals of time, this is a much simpler type of time recorder as it lacks the addition of telling the time of the day.The word chronograph should not be mixed up with the word chronometer as chronometer refers to accuracy, but a chronograph watch may also be rated by an independent rating institute such as C.O.S.C. and if it passes the stringent rate tests, it will receive a ...
Hands-On Panerai Submersible BMG-Tech PAM00692 Review
Between the introduction of a new watch and the actual delivery to the market can be quite some time. Weeks, months and sometimes even over a year. It is one of the biggest frustrations of watch consumers.In some cases, it is understandable that it might take a little longer, when specific materials are used or when a watch is completely hand-built and hand-finished. The Panerai Submersible BMG-Tech PAM00692 I have here today is a watch that belongs to the first category. It uses BMG technology, a new light-weight metal that consists of different alloys. After this watch was introduced in 2017, it took a while before it hit the market. We recently received the Panerai Submersible BMG-Tech PA...
This Week in Watches: January 25, 2020
Happy weekend folks! It’s time for This Week in Watches for January 25, 2020. Let’s begin…Parmigiani Fleurier Kalparisma with Snow SettingWell, we hope you like ice because our first piece for This Week in Watches just happens to be the Parmigiani Fleurier Kalparisma with “Snow” Setting. The front of this 42.57mm x 30.15mm white gold watch is absolutely layered in roughly 6 carats of diamonds. In fact, between the case, dial, and buckle, there are 1,379 of the bright sparklers on this watch! Somewhere inside all the bling, the PF342 in house automatic does its thing with a chronometer rating. Parmigiani uses a black crocodile strap. If you’re interested, f...
TimeTravel #3: Radio-controlled Citizen 7400 Multizone
A brilliant idea in a sci-fi package: Meet the Citizen Multizone 7400-70015C with five pushers and seven hands. What you see here today is the world's first multi-band radio-controlled watch. And what a mindblowing gadget it is. Thanks to Citizen and their ref. 7400-70015C creation, we can once again travel back in time, this time to 1993.Quartz Time It wasn't premeditated, but the first two watches introduced in our new TimeTravel series happened to be quartz. The best part? Both the Tissot RockWatch and the manual wound quartz Seiko 8T23?garnered a lot of interest from you, our Fratello Magazine readers. Believe it or not, again without particular intention, we dug out yet another jaw-drop...