The Best Watches For Under $2,000 Today Longines Spirit 37mm
Finding a good watch for $2,000 seems easy when you're in the know, but it’s actually quite tricky. As Nacho experienced, it is far too easy to fall into the trap of the most popular watches of today. Actually, finding a watch that hits the sweet but difficult spot between $1,500 and $2,000 had me wringing my watch-obsessed brain. Not having $5K-10K to spend without selling off A LOT, $2K is a budget with which I’m very familiar. This is a space dominated by Seiko with its huge value props. And while I do love Seiko, this time, I'm going Swiss with the Longines Spirit 37mm.Within the Swatch Group, Tissot does great work in the $500-$1K segment, but between $1,500 and $3,000, Long...
Taking A Dip With Eberhard & Co, Mido, And NOMOS
I couldn't resist wearing the Summer Splash prize watch for a little while. Rest assured Fabio, LeFred, and @babywildanimal - the three winners of the #FratelloSummerSplash competition who will very soon receive the colorful and fun watch that’s on my wrist - I treated your Casio G-Shock DW-5610DN-9ER with extra love and care. Anyway, we're taking a dip in the coffee corner this Monday with Eberhard & Co, Mido, and NOMOS. Let's talk about watches that don't mind a summer splash in the sea, the lake, or the inflatable pool on your apartment's balcony.I don't know about you, but I root for the underdog. But no, I’m not talking Studio Underd0g this time. Instead, I'm talking abo...
Hands-On: The Squale Master Marina Militare Is A Stealthy Watch
Whenever most of us hear or see the words Marina Militare, the name Panerai immediately pops into our heads. But there is more to the Italian Navy’s watch story than its connection to Panerai. Back in the 1980s, the Italian Navy and Squale had a partnership. The brand was the official watch supplier to the La Spezia Scuba Diving Corp. Both parties worked on dive watches according to specific requests of the Navy. Forty years later, Squale brings back one of those classics and updates it to become a serious modern dive watch that also has a ton of style. Time for a hands-on with the Squale Master Marina Militare.First impressions can be deceiving. At a first quick glance, the all-new Sq...
Where Have You Gone, Limited-Edition Speedmaster Pro?
It’s hard to believe that 2019 was the last time we had a limited-edition Speedmaster Professional. Before that year, a new Speedy was practically an annual expectation. And then, poof, life as we knew it changed. Many cheered, and some were saddened. I was formerly in the middle, but now I miss this yearly occasion…Back when Baselworld was the big mainstream watch event, it was a treasure trove of novelties. Big brands like and Patek Philippe brought their newest wares, as did smaller companies like Sinn. It was a lot of fun to hypothesize about what would come every year and then be surprised both positively and negatively. Within the melee, though, there was almost always one...
My Horological Discomfort Zone: Modernist Designs
Have you ever considered what your horological discomfort zone is? You probably have a pretty good grasp of your comfort zone. Maybe you love dive watches, vintage chronographs, or both. But have you ever spent some time considering what lies outside it? If you were to go shopping in your horological discomfort zone, what would you consider?Let me make this personal. Coming from the world of vintage watches, my taste has always leaned towards classical designs - not always vintage per se but, primarily, watches based on the designs of the 1940s through ’70s. Modernist watches have always been far outside my comfort zone. Not that I have anything against them, but I simply never went th...
New Watches From Seiko, TAG Heuer, Aquastar, And Louis Vuitton
Fratello On Air returns with a discussion on some of the latest new watches. We discuss a few brands, including Seiko, Nivada Grenchen, TAG Heuer, Louis Vuitton, and Aquastar. As always, expect a fair dose of candor!...
Hands-On: The Tudor Pelagos FXD Alinghi Red Bull Racing
Stepping off the shuttle that had taken us into the port of Barcelona, I pulled on my sunglasses to guard against the blinding glare of the morning sun. As we left the cool air-conditioned comfort of the minibus into the hot and humid embrace of that late June day, I was still blissfully unaware that I’d be presented with a pair of new Tudor watches just a few minutes later. You see, a team of journalists from around the world and I had just received a tour of the Alinghi Red Bull Racing team’s base in Barcelona. After a short shuttle ride, we arrived at the new headquarters, where a black curtain waved ominously in the balmy wind. As we stepped inside, we were greeted by a table...
Hands-On With The G-Shock MTG-B3000PRB Aurora Oval
The G-Shock Rainbow IP series always gives us a reason to smile. This colorful line of watches was first introduced in 2019 and has seen several new introductions every year since. With bright, dynamic colors, the effect of ion-plated cases is impressive, to say the least. As the newest addition to the Rainbow IP series, G-Shock introduces the MTG-B3000PRB Aurora Oval. This eye-catching design is inspired by the colors of the aurora borealis. Does it capture a piece of the northern lights perfectly on your wrist? It’s time to find out.I have a huge soft spot for the G-Shock Rainbow IP series. Two years ago, I had the pleasure of going hands-on with the brand’s MTG-B2000PH2A Blue ...
Industry News: LVMH Makes Moves With Leadership Shuffle
LVMH has been busy with leadership changes recently. Today, we received news that more key positions within the group have been addressed. Ricardo Guadalupe steps down as Hublot CEO, taking on the role of honorary president. Recently appointed TAG Heuer CEO Julien Tornare takes his place, opening up the TAG role for Antoine Pin.Tornare took over the helm at TAG Heuer when Frederic Arnault became the CEO of LVMH Watches earlier this year. As he will move on to Hublot on September 1st, this means he will have spent less than a year leading TAG Heuer. Considering the key position of Hublot within the group, this speaks volumes about Tornare's reputation within LVMH.Ricardo Guadalupe (left) with...
#TBT Four Vintage Watches Tied To Specific Occasions/Activities
Morning watch selection is a ritual that is special and specific for every collector. Many variables get involved, starting with the number of watches in someone’s collection. One’s current mood, the weather, planned activities throughout the day, and matching with certain clothes may also come into play. Today, I will focus on random, usual, memorable, or important events and how they manage to overrule anything else when I choose my watches.Over the years, I have developed a pattern - we could even call it a superstition in some cases - for determining which watch to wear to the specific event waiting ahead. Choosing the same watch for the same event or activity over the years ...
What's Next For Tudor?
The Tudor of today has a raised voice and speaks its mind loudly and confidently. It doesn't look like the brand it was before 2012, the year in which Tudor launched the Black Bay, the foundation of the manufacture we see today. Seeing a retro-styled dive watch with a burgundy bezel at Baselworld was confusing in a way. How could an airport brand like Tudor suddenly have come up with a watch that perfectly captured the zeitgeist and awakened aficionados and collectors? The Black Bay revived the brand and marked the start of Tudor’s hot pursuit of stalwarts like TAG Heuer, Breitling, and Longines. Some think Tudor also has Omega in its sights. Or what about the theory that Tudor will ta...
Fratello Talks: Watch Market Update Summer 2024
Welcome to this latest episode of the Fratello Talks podcast! This week, Nacho, RJ, and Daan have prepared a watch market update for you. We often like to circle back to this topic as things evolve and change. The guys go through the facts and figures (so you don’t have to) and summarize different trends and patterns, breaking it all down with their unique industry insights. We’ve all heard talk of a slump in the market, but is it actually the case? Are the speculative buyers backing out? And what does the current state of things mean for collectors and enthusiasts? All that and more in this week’s episode. But before answering those questions, it’s time for a wrist c...
Speedmaster Professional Apollo-Soyuz 'Meteorite' Review
Omega Speedmaster Soyuz ApolloJuly is the month of Omega’s Speedmaster watches. Not only the Moonlanding will be celebrated (on the 21th of July 2:56 GMT), also the last Apollo mission which dates back to July 1975 is celebrated. The ASTP (Apollo-Soyuz Test Project) consisted out of a number of joint scientific experiments, but was – of course – mainly meant to see whether combined (manned) missions between two super powers would be possible in the future. Mission ASTP started on the 15th of July and returned on the 24th of July 1975.Now, I think that my track record on blogging and writing about the Omega Speedmaster models is something I can be? a bit proud of, but I neve...
Personal Style Signifier Of Franco Gussalli Beretta
Dr Franco Gussalli Beretta, one of the Managing Directors of the famous Italian firearms manufacturer Beretta and descendant of the founder, explains in a short interview in FT’s HowToSpendIt that his personal style signifier is his watch. An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch, to be precise. Beretta’s CEO owns several of them and does so since 20 years.Although I have nothing against using paid-for brand ambassadors, as long as it makes sense for the brand and their watches, I actually think people like Franco Gussalli Beretta are more interesting to read about. He probably paid for these watches himself, unlike official brand ambassadors, and can [therefore] probably tell a much m...
Hands-On Longines HydroConquest L3.642.4.56.6 Review
When you have around 1000 Euro to spend on a watch, you can go Japanese with Seiko or Citizen, you can find your way in the numerous Kickstarter projects or microbrands, but is there also still something from the established Swiss brands for you?Longines HydroConquestWhy talk about a watch that has been on the market for 10 years? Well, some times a watch is interesting enough to give it some (new) coverage for a couple of reasons. One is that this watch has become so well-known and a best seller from Longines, we want to know & see ?‘why’. In this case, we thought it would be interesting to focus on this watch due to its interesting price point (for such a large Swiss brand)...
#TBT Going Hands-on With the Seiko 7C46 Golden Tuna
If you've been following #TBT, and Fratello Watches for that matter, for any length of time, you've undoubtedly noticed that we're huge fans of the Seiko Tuna series of watches. Whether reading Gerard's history of the watches or sifting through any number of model-specific articles, our admiration runs deep for these oddly shaped, but distinctive divers. And so, today, it's with somewhat of a bittersweet feeling that we've come to the end of our journey on vintage true Tunas with a look at one of the brand's most successful and popular variants, the Seiko 7C46 Golden Tuna. Don't fret, we'll be back with more love for the shrouded beasts, but those articles will focus on the slightly less pur...
Omega's Hand-Wound Dress Watch: The De Ville Tresor in 40mm
When Omega introduced their De Ville Tresor back in 2014, it was only available in white, yellow and Sedna gold. The watch received a lot of appreciation, but it was merely out of reach for many of us. Omega listened and came with a stainless steel version.Two versions, with a blue dial (that we have here today) and one with a silvery opaline dial. The Omega De Ville Tresor in white gold is a watch that I looked at many times in boutiques, but the price tag of $12.800,- was a bit too steep for me. A pity, as it ticks a lot of boxes for a proper dress watch. A few months ago, during the Time to Move event in Switzerland, Omega showed us the new De Ville Tresor, with models in gold and stainle...
Travelling With The Longines Conquest VHP GMT
For a long time, quartz watches were to be neglected by the watch enthusiast. “Watches without a soul”, could often be heard. But that seems to be changing: meet the Longines Conquest VHP GMT.Longines introduced their new collection of VHP watches in 2017, guaranteeing accuracy with a maximum deviation of 5 seconds per year. VHP stands for Very High Precision, and that’s exactly what it is. Already in the 1980s, Longines had their VHP quartz watches but they disappeared again at some point. In those days, the accuracy was impressive, but not what they promised back in 2017. Longines is not alone in their battle for the best (quartz) accuracy: Grand Seiko is pushing hard wit...
Hands-On With The Maen Greenwich 38 GMT Watch (2021)
I love microbrands. It’s one of those areas of our beloved industry that you probably love or hate. For me, I love it. While it takes a lot of effort to sift through all the dross and rubbish to unearth real gems, the effort is worth it. Today I am writing about one such gem from the microbrand Maen. More specifically, the Maen Greenwich 38 GMT.You may recall I briefly covered this watch in a previous Independent Insights article. I made it the lead story of the roundup because I loved the look of it so much. I reached out to brand owner Sebastiaan Cortjaens and asked if I might borrow the prototype to get a hands-on feel for the watch. Luckily for me, Sebastiaan kindly agreed and ship...
AnOrdain Adopts Batch Production Strategy (2021)
If you’ve been following the Fratello Instagram account recently and paying particular attention to our stories, you might have noticed that I popped up to Glasgow a couple of weeks back to visit anOrdain founder Lewis Heath and his delightful team of artisans based in the East End of the city.While I was there I learned an awful lot about how enamel dials are produced, and the patience it requires in not just the painstaking research and development phase, but thereafter. Oftentimes, the team is firing three dials simultaneously in the hope just one will survive the delicate process. The method is truly amazing but the craftspeople behind that method are more amazing still.I expressed...