Introducing: The Baltic MR Roulette
Baltic, the uncrowned king of affordable vintage-inspired watches, has launched a new version of its dressy MR - the MR Roulette. It has the same dial layout as the previous version, which means the off-center sub-dial is still there. Of course, it’s also still powered by a very elegant-looking micro-rotor movement on which the collection’s name was based. This time, the most striking feature is the different textures on the dial that create a nice perception of depth. Let’s take a look.The trend of vintage-inspired watches has been going on for quite a while now. A lot of the watches that pass through the Fratello office are based on something from the past. That’s n...
#TBT The Gallet Basketball & Football Timer
There will hardly be a better time to feature my Gallet Basketball & Football Timer than now, just a day before the Euro 2024 quarterfinals begin. However funny it may sound, imagine me sitting on the couch and starting my timer the moment the next match starts. That’ll be me tomorrow!Collecting pocket watches is not that cool. Besides my watchmaker and a friend from Prague, I don’t know many collectors who systematically expand their pocket watch collections. If I had to guess, I’d say that for every pocket watch I own, I have about 40 wristwatches. We do not cover vintage pocket watches much either; my latest contribution was a story about my Wilmington four years ago...
Hands-On: The Sinn 903 St II
One of the perks of my line of work is that I sometimes get to experience watches I wouldn't have normally sought out. Nacho requested the Sinn 903 for himself to test but found his schedule overfilled with management responsibilities and handed the watch to me. So I strapped on the newly revamped Sinn 903 St II and wore it for about a week. Here is how we got along.I love these impromptu hands-on sessions as I tend to approach them with more of an open mind. Of course, our job is always to be as neutral as possible. Still, when we request certain watches for ourselves, it is usually because we already have some positive or negative feelings about them. In the case of this particular style o...
The Best Watches Under $5,000: RJ's Picks
It has already been nine months since our last series of articles about the best watches under $5,000. I had to look up my choices from last time (new watches from Longines, Tudor, and Seiko and a pre-owned pick from Omega). I still stand by those picks, but my mood is slightly different these days, so I will swap them out for watches I would consider at the moment.Yes, $5,000 is a chunk of money, so let's spend it wisely. When you add the pre-owned market, you have so many exciting watches to choose from, and you can easily spend days or weeks browsing the interwebs to find that one special piece that fits this budget. We can say it's a buyer's market today, so if you have the money and are...
Fratello Talks: Where Did All The Watches Go?
Welcome to this week’s episode of Fratello Talks. Today, Nacho, RJ, and Daan ask themselves the question: where did all the watches go? Whether consciously or otherwise, watch spotting is something every watch-minded person partakes in. It may be when walking down the street, at your office, in a restaurant, or even on holiday - essentially, anywhere where there are people wearing watches. But sometimes, a lack of watches can be as noticeable as the watches themselves. And recently, RJ has felt that he’s seeing fewer watches on people’s wrists. Is this about the specific location? Or does it have to do with awareness of watches and increasing thefts? Certainly, you’ll...
Hands-On: The Zelos Nova 37mm Tantalum
This review was tough as this Zelos made a big impact with its materials and slim, demure case. Going hands-on with the Zelos Nova 37mm Tantalum has been a pleasure regardless of value, brand image, and size, so staying objective was quite challenging.First impressions from press shots left me with an image of too much action for the dressy size. This is a known mistake of many small brands. I'm not using the term “microbrand” here as Zelos is one of the genre’s progenitors and busted out of it many years ago. But how did I go from an impression of material overload to a deep infatuation with the new Nova 37mm? It has been a surprising journey of appreciation.Zelos goes fro...
Michele Cuoccio's watchsite
Michele Cuoccio, owner of the Russianwatches website and moderator of WatchUSeek’s Russian Watches Forum, seems to have put a lot of effort in her Russian watch passion.“On April 12, 1961, Yury Gagarin took along the wrist-watch “Sturmanskie” in the world’s first space mission. Since that time “Poljot” became the trade mark of the First Moscow Watch Factory.”If you are passionate about Russian wristwatches as well, you better click here for more…....
Speedy Tuesday Ed O'Neill Wearing A Speedmaster in Modern Family
Jay Pritchett in Modern FamilyThis man really needs no introduction, but you might know Ed O’Neill better as ‘Al Bundy’ or nowadays as Jay Pritchett in the successful sitcom Modern Family. He starred in all 263 episodes of Married With Children, that aired from 1987 till 1997. His movie and TV career started much earlier, but his ‘Al Bundy’ character was my first encounter with Ed O’Neill.During and after Married with Children he featured in a couple of movies and TV shows. But to be honest, I couldn’t see him apart from his role as Al Bundy. That changed with the ABC sitcom Modern Family, which I truly enjoy watching. Together with his?beautiful?(yo...
OMEGA Seamaster Diver 300M "Commander's Watch" Limited Edition
We introduce to you the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M “Commander’s Watch” Limited Edition watch. James Bond has been a wearer of some handsome timepieces ever since the first movie, including?the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M. A watch that is often being referred to the ‘Bond’ watch, despite that he has been wearing slightly different watches in the last film (Spectre). What is the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M “Commander’s Watch” about? Let’s have a look.Since 1995, Omega is the official watch for James Bond. So what’s there to celebrate or commemorate, you might think? James Bond was created in 1953 and the first movie was Dr. No in 1962. ...
Skolorr The Next-Gen On-Line Marketplace For Independent Watchmakers
Skolorr, to be pronounced as scholar, is a new on-line platform where you can buy timepieces from a number of artisan watchmakers and independent brands.Independent watchmaking, or indie watchmaking, has been hot over the last few years. You will find some brands that made fame for themselves for larger audiences, like MB&F, Hautlence and Voutilainen, but you will also often find some new names (to you). The interesting part about independent watchmaking is that they have small production numbers, often tailored to wishes of their clientele. There’s also the tendency of doing as much themselves as possible, even when it is very expensive to do so, it is about the quality of finish ...
Seiko MM300 SBDX017 Discontinued Get It While You Still Can
Earlier this year, Seiko let us know that the Marinemaster 300 SBDX017 will be discontinued. And it now is. The limited edition Seiko SLA019J can be seen as successor, but it is a limited edition. We’ve been raving about the Marinemaster 300 for a long time now, it is a great diver with an incredible value for money. Although it has been discontinued, you still might find them for sale at your Seiko dealer. Before they run out of stock, we suggest you seriously consider buying one if you want a diver that’s close to perfect. Especially at this price point. There’s a reason four out of six Fratello members have bought one. To inspire you a bit more, read Mike’s review ...
James Bond's 25th Movie And His Seamaster 300M
,The latest, number 25 to be exact, James Bond movie is in the making. Finally! It was time for the team to continue on this epic journey and bring the adventures of 007 to the silver screen.For a long time, it seemed that the 25th Bond movie was not going to happen anytime soon. First, the debate came about who'll play Her Majesty's secret agent. Now we know that Daniel Craig is back or rather, never left. Then, Danny Boyle jumped ship, and the production lost its director. Luckily, they found a new person in charge rather quickly. To direct this epic film, the producers chose none other than Cary Fukunaga who most of you might know as the director of True Detective's first season. Fukunaga...
The Edox SkyDiver Neptunian Is A Versatile Sports Watch (2021)
You may not have heard too much about the Edox SkyDiver, but it’s been around for quite some time. For almost 50 years, in fact. Established in 1973, the SkyDiver line was created for an elite military unit. It’s tough. It’s durable. And now, almost half a century after it first emerged from the Edox facility in Switzerland, it has been treated to the best modern manufacturing techniques have to offer, and an origin-era-appropriate colorway for 2021.The Edox SkyDiver Neptunian is one of those pleasingly over-engineered dive watches that is probably unlikely to ever be pushed to its physical limits. And despite the fact that’s par for the course for most dive watches (...
The Top 8 Of Awesome Desk-Diver Watches Blancpain, Omega
Desk diving is without a doubt the favorite pastime of many watch enthusiasts. The number of diving watches that will never be used for their intended purpose is enormous. And at Fratello, a majority of the team is also “guilty as charged”. Luckily we also have some people on the Fratello team that do take their diving watches into the water and test their true functionality. But for all of you that do not go diving this summer, we have made a list of the eight best desk diving watches that look great in the office. Additionally, they will make for a great watch summer watch. So let’s desk dive in!The thing that has always surprised me the most when it comes to discussing w...
A Brief History Of Time: Breitling's Brand History Part One (2021)
Breitling: Instruments for Professionals. Many watch enthusiasts will be more than familiar with this slogan, and I would be willing to bet we all could rattle off a few of Breitling's most famous models. Let's be real who among us has not heard of the scuba-ready SuperOcean or the legendary aviation chronograph, the Navitimer? Some of us may not realize though just how important Breitling has been to the watch industry throughout its illustrious history.Unfortunately, a truly comprehensive review of the brand and all of its models is beyond the scope of this article. We do hope, however, that this two-part overview will highlight the most important moments in Breitling's history, and help t...
Norqain Independence 21 And DLC Skeleton Limited Edition Watches
The first scratch hurts the most. To ease your pain, the Independence 21 Limited Edition comes pre-scratched. Just kidding. Still, scratches play a big role in the appearance of this new sports watch. And that's because each one of the 200 midnight blue dials is brushed by hand, which results in 200 uniquely scratched patterns. The superlative of scratching is skeletonizing. If you keep taking away material, light will eventually seep through. It doesn't exactly work like that, but the Norqain Independence 21 And DLC Skeleton Limited Edition watches still have a lot in common.Norqain might not be the biggest or the oldest watch brand, but that doesn't say anything about the brand's collectio...
The New BND Dive Watch Is Even Better Than The First
Remember the introduction of BND Watches last year? The brand’s $396 dive watch had some impressive specifications and aesthetics. Not only that, but I’ve also found it to be truly well made. With entry-level-priced watches, one can often dish out a lot of criticism about the finishing or build quality. The offerings from BND, however, were a pleasant surprise, and the brand’s first dive watches sold out in a flash.BND Watches, round 1Brand owner Vincent Bonnaud, a 30-year-old watchmaker from France, only made 150 pieces of each of the three colorways. One of the owners of the watch is former ambassador and COMEX diver Theo Mavrostomos, who praised Vincent’s work on ...
Picking A Graduation Watch: Tudor, Oris, Cartier, And More
All around Amsterdam, I see flags being raised, and at the end of each of these flagpoles, there’s a backpack. It’s the typical Dutch way of announcing that someone in the household has graduated from high school. Right now, we’re in the middle of the graduation season. That means many students will also finish their degrees at university. I’m curious to see if the graduation watch is still a thing. For now, let’s assume it is and go over some possible options.In addition to my writing job here at Fratello, I’m also a part-time teacher’s assistant at a high school. When I look around the classrooms, I hardly see any of the students wearing a watch. A...
Flaming Comments And Scorching Summer Citizen Dive Watches
Fratello On Air returns with a talkative episode. Balazs and Mike cover a lot of ground. Some of it is watch-related while some of it is not! We discuss the recent cranky comments on our site and ultimately spend a few minutes on our “grab and go” summer favorites. There’s a bit of Citizen headed your way. Enjoy this meandering episode....
?Longines Master Collection Chronograph The Unusual Suspects
I have an affliction and a deep need for blue dials. To me, they represent classic elegance, especially in a sunray finish that encompasses formal panache. With no braggadocious pretense on a matching blue strap, such a watch is quietly monochrome but lifts my spirits so much more than matte black. The Longines Master Collection Chronograph ref. L2.629.4.92.0 nails the look with a balanced chronograph layout to boot, and I bet you didn't know about it.I'm still recovering from seeing an Instagram post three days ago of a five-watch collection of all-black dials. The five very different watch designs blended into one colorless void of creativity, and the term the color black was used. I must ...