Welcome to this episode of Fratello Talks, in which Nacho, Lex, and Laurits try to answer the question: what makes a watch brand great? It’s not as obvious as one might imagine. There are as many factors to consider as there are parts in a watch movement. However, a handful of specific criteria come into play in separating the few from the many, including heritage, storytelling, and, ultimat

Gerald Charles continues to release new watches with artfully crafted surfaces. Today, the Maestro 9.0 Roman Tourbillon White Gold is the focus. It features a handmade dial and exotic movement. As a limited edition, it joins a previous release with a rose gold dial.Earlier this week, we detailed the?Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin Lapis Lazuli, a watch made to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the?Gerald C

Since 2012, Nomos has supported the German office of Doctors Without Borders, also known as ?rtze ohne Grenzen. The humanitarian aid organization was set up in December 1971 in Paris by journalists and doctors to provide an emergency medical response and help people afflicted by crises in conflict zones or victims of natural disasters. This neutral, Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization prioritiz

New releases do not often surprise us at Fratello. Once you know the brands and follow their developments for long enough, most new watches feel somewhat familiar or expected. Well, today's release does not fall within that category. Today, we welcome the new Louis Vuitton Tambour Convergence collection in the montre guichet layout.Louis Vuitton offers the new Convergence in two versions. You ca

Yesterday I was at Gerard’s place and he asked me if Speedmasters always were chronographs. I didn’t have to think long and said that I can’t remember seeing them. Then he showed me this Omega brochure from 1991 with a Speedmaster on the cover which wasn’t a chronograph. The referencenumber is definately Speedmaster, since it is in the 3000-series. The case-shape showed som

It seems to be Jaeger-LeCoultre month here – which of course isn’t at a bad thing at all! I recently had the opportunity to photograph the uncommon JLC Master Compressor Navy Seals Alarm Beverly Hills Boutique Edition (what a long name). It differs from the standard edition in a) it’s very limited production run; b) the yellow accents on the compressor crowns and strap; c) the lo

This year Cartier surprised us with a new collection, the Cle de Cartier. Cle is French for ‘key’ and refers to the winding crown of this watch. Cartier positions the Cle de Cartier line-up in the same range of iconic collections as the Santos and Tank. Very ambitious, but Cartier is one of those watch manufacturers that probably can live up to it, creating a new iconic model that is.

Willy Mairesse and his Omega SpeedmasterThe Omega Speedmaster is one of the most recognizable watches of the second half of the 20th century. A watch that originally was released as a racing model in 1957C hence the name – but gained worldwide fame as the timepiece that was worn on the Moon in July 1969. Throughout the years it has always been referred to as the Moonwatch and associated with

Reaching back to your roots, resurrecting old models is a thing in the watch industry these days. Heck, it's the only thing?for many brands to be fair. Is it the lack of originality? Laziness, if you will? Or simply a way to pay homage to the predecessors? Not to forget the amazing timepieces of a bygone era? I don't know, and I do not wish to elaborate on that. It's surely a trend, and we know wh

In the past years, I've captured numerous watches from all kinds of brands. While most of the images are only used once or twice, some never see the light of day. Revisiting my archives is, therefore, a great pleasure, as I often come across images of a special watch I had forgotten, or just a shot that came out better than I thought it would. So to give those shots the attention that they deserve

I've previously written about Artisans de Genve. For those not familiar with the Swiss company, it does not produce its own watches. Instead, it's more of a personal design studio for the collectors who want something a little different for their collection. Previous work from the studio has included a skeletonized Daytona and Submariner for two high-profile collectors.Now, Artisans de Genve i

A few Tuesdays ago, Omega introduced its new Moonwatch Master Chronometer. The drop included the Speedmaster Canopus 310.60.42.50.02.001. 18-karat white gold is not new to Omega’s Speedmaster, but this specific Canopus alloy is. In this article, I take a closer look at the Speedmaster Canopus and explain why it’s my favorite new Moonwatch Master Chronometer.I showed a picture of the ne

After CODE41 surprised us with watches like the X41, Anomaly, and Day41 editions, the brand is back with the NB24 chronograph. The NB24 refers to Nigel Bailly, who will take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 2021. And what better watch to support this endeavor, than a chronograph!I never used to care for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. That all changed in 2013. Soon after my daughter was born and I

Establishing a disruptive concept based on integrity is not always easy. Especially when you have created a winning concept like Bvlgari did with the Octo Finissimo. That is why it has been interesting to see how Bvlgari has been expanding its Octo Finissmo collection. Can you keep the concept and characteristics of the Octo Finissimo alive when adding new watches to the line-up? And is there an e

It’s time for Two For Tuesday where we pit two watches against each other that you just might find yourself hemming and hawing over at the local boutique. We’re moving at a fast pace here with the high-frequency Zenith Chronomaster Sport and the Chronomaster Revival A385.It’s already been quite a January for chronograph lovers. The month kicked off with a brace of steel Speedmast

This article has been on my mind for a long time now: The Omega Speedmaster in movies. We've covered the appearance of Speedmasters in movies and TV shows every now and then, but we never compiled a proper list of movies that featured Speedmaster watches.I know Apollo 13 has been the movie when it comes to the Speedmaster, but I only saw that movie much later than its release date. Back in 2000, a

The Beatles already knew that money can't buy you love. But it can buy you a watch no one else has. LVMH owner Bernard Arnault got himself a Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5740/1G perpetual calendar. You've seen it on the internet - I'm talking about the Tiffany Blue one. There's a lot to say about that watch aesthetically, but it also raises a very valid question: will LVMH owner Bernard Arnault al

We did an article last year on everything about a watch that wasn’t the watch itself - straps, bracelets, clasps, and spring bars. It seemed exhaustive in its reach (and in the writing), but it wasn’t. That was the primer for the respectable, polite, middle-of-the-road people that accessorize their watches accordingly. This article, on the other hand, is downright funky. We’ll ge

During Watches & Wonders last year, Zenith graced us with the new Defy Extreme. The most extreme Defy model was not just a tour de force in materials and design. The main attraction was, without a doubt, the 1/100th of a second automatic high-frequency chronograph movement. We had the pleasure of witnessing one of the models from up close. Besides the amazing movement, I was pleasantly surpris

This is largely going to be a visual exercise. What you're about to see is three Fratelli - Sofia, Nacho, and Jorg - trying on a wide range of watches. Nothing new so far, I agree. But what they will be doing is wearing very differently sized watches, ranging from the elegant Cartier Tank Solo to the beast-like Omega Seamaster Ploprof to see and feel what fits and what doesn't. We are trying to se