Last week I traveled to La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland to witness the pre-introduction of the Hautlence Vortex. Founder & CEO Guillaume Tetu did the introduction of the Hautlence Vortex in front of a small group of watch journalists and showed us the workshops where the watch makers are working on Hautlence timepieces. Hautlence is a small independent watchmaker that gained a lot of respect

Did you hear the click?Hublot’s watch cases are not only famous for the special material used in them, they are also renowned for their unique strap attachment system.In the following video, we cover the mechanisms in Hublot's watch cases, from the opening zone to the pusher of the mechanism, which allows the owner to have several straps in different colors and to change it himself.Want to k

Seiko Spacewalk – A short introductionBefore I start writing about the Seiko Spacewalk as a daily watch, let’s do an introduction first. On the Seiko SpaceWalk but also on Seiko and Space in general.Richard GarriotIn 2008, Seiko introduced the Spacewalk Spring Drive watch during BaselWorld. It was made for astronaut Richard Garriot. Garriot, who?started developing video games in the 19

Our world is moving at a pace faster than people flipping their watches. Things come and go as easily as your Tinder swipes. Longevity is a rare quality.The word didn't exist in my dictionary until I fell into the watch world. My then boss lectured me on longevity'. Without grasping the meaning, I brushed it off.Guess what, over a decade later, I'm still in watches. Now I get to work with Robert-J

This Episode 3 of Fratello on Air is about the Marlon Brando GMT-Master, the sense and non-sense of Limited Editions, Special editions etc. as well as answering a listener’s question about our most un-boring watch.The Fratello on Air podcast is available on Apple’s Podcast, Google Podcast, Soundcloud, BuzzSprout, Spotify and via RSS. You can also read/listen our Episode 1 and Episode 2

This year Seiko is celebrating the 55th anniversary of its first-ever dive watch. Besides the indispensable special and limited editions to celebrate the event, we were happy to see some spectacular models in the regular Seiko dive watches line-up as well.Back in March, Michael Stockton informed you about the three significant releases Seiko presented to celebrate its underwater beginnings. And, r

The Grand Seiko Hi-Beat SLGH002 watch is the latest in a long line of rootin’ tootin’ anniversary release from the hyperactive Japanese brand.And I love it. In fact, I take that back. I?adore it. And when you see the hands-on pictures we took of this baby when it passed through our headquarters in the Hague, I am sure you will too. But don’t be distracted by the “movement&#

Hey there, it’s time for Wrist Game or Crying Shame where you get to play a little pick ’em choose ’em. This week, we super size things with an IWC Big Pilot. But first…Last week, I showed you a modern-day Omega Speedmaster Mark II Co-Axial with a racing dial for just under $3,600. You gave this one the checkered flag as it motored to a 78% Wrist Game win. I’m pretty

Have you noticed these four lines of text above the 6 o'clock on the Breitling ref. 3865? This -like fairytale read amuses me each time I see it. And trust me, I can't help but notice it each time I look at the dial. It is truly awesome and something I’m very happy to share with you today.When one says Breitling, most see pilot chronographs. Divers watches come to mind only later. I bet any

Earlier this year, I had an online talk with Montblanc's new Managing Director Watch Division, Laurent Lecamp (43). Amongst other things, I asked him about his favorite new watch in the collection. That must be the new, bronze 1858 Geosphere Limited Edition 1858, he answered. This new Geopshere is inspired by a 2,000 kilometer solo journey by legendary mountaineer and adventurer Reinhold Messner i

How many chronograph nuts do we have in the house tonight? Judging by our loyal following of Speedmaster fans, I'd venture to guess quite a few. But whether you love you some sub-dials or just prefer a nice three-hander, we all know what a chronograph's main job is: to record elapsed times.When you think about it, this fairly obvious function that unites all chronographs is nevertheless rather rem

Tissot struck gold when it released the sharp and crisp PRX Powermatic 80. The Tissot PRX Automatic Chronograph is another retro-powered creation that strikes love into the hearts of watch lovers. And you guessed it right, the watch strikes fear into the hearts of the competition. What makes this first-ever PRX in chronograph mode so impressive and attractive? The video explains everything.The har

Summer is underway, and people are leaving to enjoy a couple of weeks of vacation. On trips like these, the chances are pretty high that you will pack at least one dive watch. Dive watches are versatile in their appearance and can withstand any activity you might undertake. Whether on land or in water, dive watches can take a beating. On top of that, they often come in stand-out colors that fit th

It is not all about the money! Not always, anyway. In a new series entitled “My Most Affordable Watch”, Fratello editors will show their least expensive watches. Sometimes, less is just more. Like how Clarkson, Hammond, and May prefer a cheap hot hatch over many supercars, sometimes an inexpensive watch can bring us immense satisfaction. The wearing experience can be less worrisome, an

The T-Touch has come a long way since it was touted by Tissot as the world's first tactile watch in 1999. The revolutionary ana-digi wristwatch was equipped with a sapphire crystal that acted as a touchscreen. More than two decades on, those deft little taps on the screen not only allow you to activate outdoor functions but also connect you to the greater world. Having gone through evolutionary br

The Grand Seiko 62GS is a well-known reference for old and new fans. As a vintage piece, it was the sub-brand’s first automatic model. Today, Grand Seiko is a standalone name and the 62GS has its own place in the Heritage collection. In this article, we’ll go hands-on with the original and discover why it’s so unique.It’s hard to believe that after writing so many articles

I am not a mono-brand collector, although sometimes it does seem that way. I have watches from all sorts of brands, but the majority are indeed from one brand - Omega.Although I’ve touched upon the topic of Omega and its connection with my family before, I thought I would freshen up a story that I wrote a few years ago.Why do I love Omega?I am often asked why I only buy and wear Omega watche

The tennis world hosts as many watch enthusiasts as it does brand ambassadors. I recently had the privilege of sitting down for an interview with someone who is both of those things. I’m referring to Matthew Ebden, of course. Two-time Grand Slam winner, the Australian most recently gained the title of 2022 Wimbledon doubles champion. In our interview, we delved into both his watch journey an

As people who write about watches, we at Fratello are lucky to have the chance to handle many of them. Sometimes we don’t have a special bond with a watch, while others make us wish it was ours from the moment we put it on. For me, Ressence watches come very close to the latter category. I find the brand’s way of displaying the time quite fascinating. It’s different from what we

I am not a mono-brand collector, although sometimes it does seem that way. I have watches from all sorts of brands, but the majority are indeed from one brand - Omega.Although I’ve touched upon the topic of Omega and its connection with my family before, I thought I would freshen up a story that I wrote a few years ago.Why do I love Omega?I am often asked why I only buy and wear Omega watche