The Casio F-91W: Far More Rugged Than We May Think
I think it’s fair to say that the Casio F-91W is a watch with legendary status. In this feature, I look at why such status is well deserved. The Casio F-91W has served well on the wrists of people around the globe. In my travels as a journalist, I have regularly seen the F-91W on the wrists of all sorts of folks, from rebels and spies to everyday people. In my photo above, it’s on the wrist of a member of the Karen National Liberation Army, an armed pro-democracy ethnic group in Myanmar. Perhaps that is a story for another day.Casio is a brand that sparks fond memories for many of us here at Fratello. For some of us, a Casio watch represents the moment we started to get involved ...
How To Find The Perfect Summer Watch
A few weeks ago, we recorded an episode of Fratello Talks on finding the perfect summer watch. In preparation, I thought, “What watches do I wear most during summer, and what do they have in common?” That’s how I came up with a little formula so I could determine what would be the perfect summer watch for me. I shared it during the podcast, and Nacho and Lex quickly added a few criteria as well. Today, I’ll delve deeper into the theory to see how it holds up.Let me start by saying that, of course, the “perfect” summer watch doesn’t exist. Everyone has a different perception of why a certain watch works or doesn’t work for a specific situation. ...
20 Years Of Chronos Magazine 20 Of The Best Watch Advertisements
Chronos magazine celebrates its 20th anniversary! Besides their anniversary edition of the magazine (including a Vacheron Constantin supplement), editor-in-chief Rudiger Bucher selected 20 of the best watch advertisements that were printed in Chronos magazine in all those years. Chronos is part of the Ebner Verlag (publishing company) and also responsible for Uhren Magazine and WatchTime.Below, we show you the two we like best! The first is one from Swatch and dates back to 1995. The one below is probably a bit more well-known and dates back to 1998. Patek’s ‘Begin your own tradition’ campaign has been successful ever since, as even non-watch enthusiasts seem to know this b...
Your Help Needed! A Stolen Patek Philippe Nautilus 5726
Once in a while we are being confronted with the scum of the Earth who steal other people’s stuff. In the worst case scenario, with violence. On the 5th of July one of our friends was robbed during a watch trade in Amsterdam. It concerns the following watch:Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5726/1ASerial number: 5686847 / 4587076Reference number: 5726 / 1A – 010Dial number: H900.936.THNT1If you come across this watch or know more about it, please contact the Watches and Art blog. A $5000 reward is there for the one who is able to get this watch back to its rightful owner.Photo shown above is not the actual watch but a similar watch. Please refer to the link above to see pictures ...
Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed
Tranquility Base Here. The Eagle Has LandedIt’s Speedy Tuesday! Just a few days ago, it was the 45th anniversary of the Moon landing on July 20th of 1969. Although Omega already surprised us in BaselWorld with their new Speedmaster Professional 45th Anniversary edition in titanium, Sedna gold and a beautiful NATO strap, we selected this Speedmaster Pro 20th Anniversary edition from 1989 to show to you today. We already published our Omega Speedmaster Pro Apollo 11 45th Anniversary Edition review a while ago.One of our loyal readers and Speedmaster fans, Darren, sent us photos of his Speedy Pro 20th Anniversary Apollo 11 from 1989. Only 2000 pieces have been made according to the side o...
Chronographs for Collectors The book review
Chronographs for CollectorsNot all watch books are the same. You have the ones commissioned or written by the brand about the brand. These are usually very interesting to read with tons of photos, old newspaper ads and extracts. But also often lack a certain depth. Then, you have the watch books written by collectors. These authors are usually crazy about the topic and go extremely deep into details. A prime example would be Moonwatch Only, the ultimate Speedmaster book that came out a few years ago. Chronographs for Collectors is the book I'm talking about today. The publication in front of me does not cover one brand or one model line but a certain type of watches we all love; chronographs...
Cheeses and Cleaning Watches
No matter how hard you try, your watch will get dirty when you wear it every day. If you have a watch on a leather strap, it might even get smelly.No matter whether it is a $200,000.- Patek Philippe or a $350.- Seiko. Every watch needs its occasional cleaning. Otherwise, you can add extra cheese to your platter:Yes, I’m talking about wrist cheese here. I’ve asked some watch people to give their opinion and tips. It seems like there are not many in favour of wrist cheese. They came up with a list of cleaning tips to prevent and remove the wrist cheese. Below, the five most often heard responses (spoiler alert: not all are useful tips).Most of them use a soft cloth and soap to clea...
Wrist Game Or Crying Shame: Tudor Big Block 79180
Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame where your click just might be the hardest decision you’ll make during Summer vacation. Today, we’ll look at a Tudor Big Block 79180 and ask for your thoughts. But first…Last week, we prefaced this week’s?big theme by bringing in a rare transitional IWC Big Pilot 5002. Sadly, this aviator never left the ground and stayed parked with a 63% crying shame defeat. Given the diameter of that watch, I can’t say that I am surprised. But what about a little heft in the thickness department? Enter the Tudor Big Block 79180.Tudor Big BlockWe’ve spoken a lot about Tudor recently. With the recent release of the Black Bay Fifty...
Hands-On With The Seiko Presage SPB163 Enamel Dial Watch
This is one of those brands we all seem to have a thing for. I guess most of our team own at least one Seiko, if not more. And the same goes for me, although I have to admit that all of my Seiko watches are divers. But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate other types of watches. It’s always nice to go hands-on with a model that’s not your regular fare. So let’s have a closer look at the Seiko Presage SPB163 from the Presage collection.For those who aren’t familiar with this Seiko line, we have written quite a few?articles about the Presage over the years. So it’s clear that the Presage is quite a popular model and there is little against it, to be ho...
Ben's Top Five Strap Monster Watches
While many brands could be accused of underrating the importance of strap design, not even the best strap can save a poorly designed watch head. And sometimes, when a brand nails the watch head design, it can burst into life on hundreds of different straps. Some watches demand you wear them on the straps the designers designed for them; others encourage you to experiment. We call these watches “strap monsters”. Let’s take a look at a few of my favorites.Theoretically, you can put a strap on any timepiece. In the early days, even pocket watches had wire lugs soldered on as a way to affix the watch head to the wrist. I say theoretically, as not all watches qualify as “s...
The Top Four Weirdest Pushers On Vintage Watches (2021)
When you see that little mushroom-like cap sticking out from the case somewhere around the 2 o'clock position, you may instantly expect the watch to be chronograph. Well, it wouldn't be the art of watchmaking if decades of invention and innovation hadn't found other uses for them, right? Here is what the 4 most creative pushers can do!If you have been a reader of Fratello Magazine for some time, you know very well that I am the weirdo within the editorial team that gets excited by any bizarre, creative, and quirky watch complications. Since I like to break stereotypes, you can also imagine how amused I am to come across a pusher that does anything other than starting or resetting a chronogra...
The Forstner Stretch Rivet Is Perfect For Summer (2021)
Back in March, I reviewed the Forstner Rivet bracelet. A version which, as you may remember, features fixed links throughout. An exception is made at the final link on the 12 o’clock side of the. I praised that single link as providing the fixed-link version of this vintage-inspired rivet bracelet with the best of both worlds. Now, I’ve had more of a chance to wear the full-stretch version (a model featuring the same stretch technology in every link). Which one did I prefer and which one (as a fuzzy little watch reviewer) claimed more of my wrist hair than the other?Hair snagging is a big deal when it comes to bracelet style and, probably, more importantly, the finishing quality....
Breguet's Striking New Tradition Fusee Tourbillon 7047
A magnificent dial-side showcase of the engine has been Breguet's house style for its Tradition collection. These epic open-worked timepieces honor the brand's watchmaking tradition for over two centuries in their modern interpretations and executions. And if you want to experience a watch with all of Breguet’s history rolled into one timepiece, you cannot miss the Tradition 7047. This Grande Complication watch with a fusee tourbillon has just been given a new color scheme in regal blue to enliven its mechanical marvel.Forming the landscape of the dial, the tourbillon and the fusee-and-chain of the Tradition 7047 are naturally the centerpieces. Both of these centuries-old components we...
Best New Small Watches: Seiko, Tudor, Longines, And More
Are small watches a thing? If you believe the word on the street, they must be. I also love a good small watch, but it’s not because I am a faithful believer in the gospel. It’s just that recently, I have had the pleasure of wearing some amazing watches under 40mm. It sparked my interest in buying one of the many great, smaller options. And if we combine the supposed trend with my recent love for smaller pieces, it seems like a great opportunity to come up with a list of 10 of the best smaller watches available today.Watch sizes are a neverending topic of discussion. Without a doubt, one of the most commonly heard sentiments among watch fans is that the brand should have made the...
Cartier Crash: La Maison's Most Desirable Creation
The Cartier Crash, often incorrectly called the Dali watch, dates back to 1967. That is just 55 years ago, which isn’t that long ago at all considering what this watch brought about. When the watch was launched, Cartier New York, Cartier Paris, and Cartier London were still designing their own models. The Crash was one of the Cartier London designs and, therefore, only sold in the UK at that time. International sales would have been difficult since only a few pieces of the first version were made.Interestingly, Cartier London designed and released many different models featuring their own typography style. Among them were several versions of the Tank. Despite the fact that, of course, ...
Parmigiani x Revolution Tonda PF Micro-Rotor Serenissima
Parmigiani Fleurier, according to reports, has massively outsold its production capacity for the year. So while we thought the esteemed independent brand wouldn't have more novelties this year, along came a little summer surprise. Watch media-commerce site Revolution and its sister style outlet The Rake have launched their first collaboration watch with Parmigiani Fleurier. This Tonda PF Micro-Rotor Serenissima is a salmon-dial limited edition of only 25 pieces.The news comes not from the Swiss Jura. No, no. The folks there take summer closure very seriously. In fact, it originates from Singapore, where the equatorial sun shines all year round. Thus, it seems that now is as good a time as an...
Hands-On: Isotope Hydrium Pro Nordlbad Limited Edition
Isotope has been delivering its Hydrium dive watch in many different guises, most recently with neon-green touches in the successful collaboration with seconde/seconde/. The series has generally been segmented into regular Hydrium models and the “X” models, which are a little more playful. The watch I’m going hands-on with today pays tribute to record freediver Johanna Nordblad, and it is the first to carry a “Pro” designation. As such, the Nordblad Limited Edition is the most professional and functional Hydrium variant to date. But what exactly does that mean, and what elevates it above previous models?Many of us will never push a dive watch to the extremes of ...
Introducing: The Bausele Sydney Diver Black Pearl
Bausele is one of those brands that has been around for some time and regularly shows up in social media feeds. But we have never covered any of the Australian brand’s watches here on Fratello. The Bausele Sydney Diver Black Pearl seems like a good place to start. For this limited-edition timepiece, Bausele founder Christophe Hoppe joined forces with Luke Eldridge from Frogsquad Straps and Eric Ricioppo, founder and host of Rico’s Watches Podcast. The daily work of the military and first responders was the inspiration for this new watch, which combines familiar looks with a new execution.As a fan of the world of tennis, I know that Bausele pieces grace the wrist of Australian ten...
Introducing: The New Baltic HMS and Bicompax 003
It's been a while since the second generation of Baltic's HMS and Bicompax models came out - about three years, actually. In early 2020, Baltic released limited editions with salmon dials and, a few months later, regular production models with silver, black, and blue/gilt dials. So an update, if we should’ve expected one anyway, was overdue. I love brands that dedicate themselves to updating the models they started with.Not only does this approach create a sense of continuity, but it also allows us to observe a brand's evolution. And indeed, the way the HMS and Bicompax 003 look in 2023 is different from the first and second generations. They show maturity and a certain boldness that t...
Hands-On: The Wonderful Lebond Souto Moura
A little over a year ago, Lebond Watches unveiled its inaugural Siza model to the public. The Barcelonian brand works with famous architects to create each one’s take on a watch. After world-famous architect lvaro Siza was the first to do so, the brand’s second effort debuted earlier this year. This time, Lebond founder Asier Mateo worked with renowned Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura to develop his concept of what a wristwatch could be, resulting in a minimalist take on the classic driver’s watch. I had a chance to go hands-on with the two versions that came out.In some of the articles I’ve written over the years, I have repeatedly stated I’m not mu...