Atom AT.01 Hands-On With A Clean, Minimalist Offering
Atom is a new kid on the block. The York-based brand debuts on Kickstarter this year with the Atom AT.01. The ambition is clear - to offer timeless mechanical watches at honest prices. I go hands-on with a prototype of Atom’s first model to see whether the brand meets that ambition.We are looking at a design that is fully bespoke to Atom. There are no generic parts to be found here. Well, except for the capable automatic Miyota 9015 movement, of course. Still, it is nice to see a design executed through and through. No generic handset that does not quite match the dial and other such issues commonly found on aspiring watch brands’ first efforts. Atom...
Tudor Black Bay GMT Vs. Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT
It’s that time again! There’s no moment to relax for two of our writers on Sunday mornings. As you all know by now, Fratello team members battle it out in our Sunday Morning Showdown series. In the end, you, our wonderful readers, have the final say on who wins. This week, Nacho and Jorg go up against each other, choosing two vintage-inspired GMT watches to duke it out. Nacho is here to defend the brand-new Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT. Jorg decided to back the Tudor Black Bay GMT. Let the battle commence!This week’s faceoff is a follow-up to last week’s battle. We read your comments, Fratelli! We saw some of you mention the Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT as a good ma...
Car-Themed Watches: Can They Be Cool?
I find car-themed watches to be a bit of a minefield. One filled with many cringe-worthy attempts at reaching wider sales demographics. But, unlike the logo-stamped quartz wall clock you’ve stared at while waiting for your car to be serviced at the brand dealershipor the matching wrist-sized version the manager wearssome brands simply get it right. For me, the kicker is having a good design quietly inspired by a brand or car model, not spelling it out too literally. Less is more, and it’s always best to err on the side of subtlety.A big logo on the dial is a no-go for me. As iconic as the prancing Ferrari horse is, I don’t want it on my dial. The kind of understated cool ...
Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Shades 38mm
Do you ever add spices to your coffee? It’s actually quite a common thing. If it’s something you haven’t tried, you could start with cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, cloves, or star anise as a way to spice up your coffee experience. And if you have an adventurous taste, you could test your pallet with cumin, for instance, or even a mix of different spices. While sipping a black coffee and looking at the five new Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Shades 38mm watches, the red-dialed version made me think of smoked paprika. How would that smoky, spicy, and delicately sweet taste mix with the dark, rich, yet fruity flavor of a coffee made with Kimbo beans? I had to find out.Wh...
Hands-On: The Mido Ocean Star Tribute Special Edition
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been looking forward to this hands-on review. A few of Mido’s watches have intrigued me in recent years, so I’m glad that I finally got the chance to wear one for a while. And it’s not just any Mido watch, oh no. It’s the new Ocean Star Tribute Special Edition with a blue gradient dial. I happen to be a fan of the color blue, so that’s a nice coincidence. But, as you probably know, there are many blue dive watches out there, so let’s see how this Ocean Star Tribute stacks up against those.When I was looking to buy my first serious mechanical watch, the Mido Multifort Datometer was a good contender. It’s a ...
Unimatic Introduces The New Quartz Toolwatch Collection
Most of you will know Unimatic as a brand that predominantly releases watches in limited numbers. These small-batch editions are often collaborative efforts that show great diversity. However, in 2021, after many limited editions, the brand unveiled a group of four standard models that are always available. With today’s introduction of the new Toolwatch series, the brand adds four new models to this permanent collection. These four quartz watches combine a shock-protected construction with military-based specs and a new look. It’s time to find out more!When Unimatic introduced its series of permanent Classic Editions, it was a logical next step for the Milanese brand. After sever...
New: Omega Specialities Paris 2024 Bronze Gold Edition
If you're the winning type that just can't get enough of it, why not strive to bag all the medals you can win? “Impossible,” you say? Maybe, but you can get the new 39mm Omega Specialities Paris 2024 Bronze Gold Edition, a watch that combines gold, silver, and bronze. This vintage-style timepiece pays tribute to the three medals at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in a special celebration of Paris 2024. The inspiration for this non-limited watch came from a 1939 wristwatch that housed the 30T2 manual-winding small-seconds caliber and featured the reference code CK 859, denoting the case material and shape. The new watch features the Co-Axial Master Chronometer caliber 8926, a man...
Horage Miniswys Microreg A Revolutionary Invention
This one won’t be easy. I do not often have to write about an important revolutionary invention like Horage and Miniswys’s Microreg. I could tell the story in a few words, but background clarification is necessary to understand its importance. So this article will initially be pretty theoretical and technical, but a beautiful watch will await you at the end. Keep up; this is worth your attention.Microreg is ultimately all about the practical accuracy of your mechanical wristwatch. Contrary to lab precision, it’s about perceived precision, the accuracy you experience while wearing your watch in real life. Undoubtedly, this accuracy matters to you more than the lab accuracy a...
Krayon And Its Sunrise And Sunset Complications
Krayon is a watch brand that has been around for less than a decade. I say “brand,” but I should probably say “independent watchmaker” instead. Krayon founder and owner Remi Maillat debuted with his Everywhere watch in 2017. Today, he produces around 40 watches annually with 12 collaborators in their Neuchatel atelier.Maillat's signature is finding the crossover between mathematics and watchmaking. This is clearly expressed in his complications, indicating sunset and sunrise. It is those complications that I would like to examine in this article.KrayonWe haven't previously written about Krayon at length at Fratello, so it was long overdue. As mentioned, Krayon's first...
Patek Philippe?Annual Calendar Chronograph 5960/1A-001
Why would you chase rainbows? We already know that hardly anyone can buy an entry-level Nautilus or Aquanaut from a Patek Philippe boutique or AD. Why, then, would you put yourself in a situation that has you looking outside the official channels, only to face unrealistic asking prices (although they're dipping a bit)? There are other superior and, dare I say, reasonably priced watches from the same prestigious manufacturer you can buy. Indeed, there is a striking and complicated sports watch that outshines the Nautilus. It’s rarer too. Please look at the Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Chronograph 5960/1A-001. It’s an extraordinary and sporty gentleman of a watch that I had the p...
Speedmaster Professional Broad Arrow Moonphase
Omega Speedmaster Professional Broad Arrow MoonphaseThis week's Speedy Tuesday pick is a Moonwatch with a Moon complication of one of our Italian fans. It all started in 1987 when Omega decided to put a moonphase Speedmaster on the market. In the end, they started up introducing three different Speedmaster models with a Moonphase: Two teutonic' models (1986) and one Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch' (1985) version with a moonphase complication. All three had the famous caliber 861 as a base movement and a moonphase module added to it, also known as the caliber 866 movement.As you can see, a beautiful composition of stainless steel, a silver dial and an 18 carat white gold bezel.Later on, i...
Stockinger Bespoke Safes The New Imperial Black
Some time ago, we reported to you about our factory visit in Neuried, Germany. Neuried is a suburb of Munich and that’s where the Stockinger manufacture is located. Our visit report to Stockinger can be found here. We are very impressed by the craftsmanship and technology that goes into building a good and secure safe. Besides that, Dominik von Ribbentrop (CEO) understands the demand to be surrounded by beautiful things and made a wise decision to add some sense of design and art to the world of grey and metal coloured safes. German engineering and an almost Italian-like flavour of design can be found in their broad range of safes.New to their collection is the Imperial Black. The new ...
Speedy Tuesday A Fan Talks About His Speedmaster Transitional From 1968
There aren’t many watches around that will make people talk so passionate about as the Speedmaster. That’s a bit of a bold statement, but if you see someone wearing a Speedmaster, I’ll bet there will be an interesting conversation if you ask this person about the watch. People buy the Speedmaster for a particular reason, be it the Moon association or simply because they love the heritage of the Speedmaster collection. You won’t find many people out there who bought it as a status symbol or to be ‘flashy’.So is the case with the watch of Christian, one of our readers from Germany. He has this Omega Speedmaster Professional 145.022-68, also known as the Spee...
#TBT: Mondia Top Second Flashing Dot
My discovery of the year and my purchase of the year. A 300 Euro Mondia with a very amusing and mesmerising visual complication.This year I have already made some unexpected acquisitions like the Mido Rainbow 5907 and the Seamaster 300 CK2913-8 that I wrote about recently. Thinking about all the watches that came to me in the last 12 months, this Mondia is a total blast. I say that without joking. And now the best part: the price tag for this hardly worn automatic Mondia Top Second was t-h-r-e-e hundred euros. This includes an original strap with a signed buckle, a crown and a fancy feature to stare at.Mondia extends my curiosity cabinetThe Mondia Top Second is the first watch since acquirin...
Aging is a Trend Three Bronze Watches For You
Unless you had gone to the Moon the last couple of weeks, you must have picked up the viral buzz about an AI face-altering App, or the conspiracy theory behind it. Hundreds of thousands of people have been sharing their artificially-aged images looking 50 years older on social media, including celebrities from?Drake, Sam Smith to The Lord (aka the talentless Scott Disick).Aging is trendy.Call me weird, I love growing older. I started looking forward to my 30s when I was a teen. It raised many eyebrows whenever I mentioned it. No one had any doubt again after they attended my big 3-0 bash. We roped off the whole floor of a trendy members club in London for our shenanigans with friends of all ...
Balazs's Top 10 Affordable Dive Watches
While the major part of summer 2020 is over we still have one month to go and gear up for the beach. In case you have not had any luck adding a dive watch to your collection here's a list for you. We collected 10 awesome watches that are all under $1,000.This list is not assembled in any particular order. What connects these pieces is that they are all under 1k and all have a mechanical movement inside them. Let us know in the comments below what would be your pick for this list. It would be great to see which one comes out on top!Certina DS PH200M - $695Certina is known to produce really well-made diver watches for a reasonable price. Not only in the past but still today. Vintage Certina di...
You Asked Us: Can Watches Get Wet?
Water-resistance is always a hot topic in watchmaking circles. Although very few of us actually dive, knowing your watch would be unbothered by a week beneath the waves is often necessary to feel okay about doing the dishes without doffing your luxury timepiece firstTo directly answer this one: Yes, most watches are okay getting wet, assuming we are talking about a bit of rain or the odd splash from the sink. If we're talking about being dragged through a piping-hot whirlpool at 100 knots, the answer changes. But why?Water-resistanceWater-resistance is a really misunderstood area of watchmaking. You only have to spend a couple of scrolls of the screen on any dedicated forum to find some clev...
What's On My Wish List? Rob Shares His Deepest Desires (2021)
When all’s said and done, I’m a very lucky chap. I have a lot of nice watches that I’ve spent the last couple of decades accruing. In the last few years especially, my collection has ballooned suddenly. Now with somewhere in the region of 75 timepieces to my name, spread around various locations on the big blue marble, hidden in safes, attics, and one particularly valuable sock drawer, I’ve decided to move on from the majority of these pieces to make way for the next generation. Find out what I’ll be chasing down over the next few years if all goes according to plan.I’m not going to list my collection here, but let me make this clear: of those 75 or so pie...
A Brief History Of Time: Audemars Piguet Part One (1875-1967)
If someone were to ask you to name the watch world's most famous one-trick pony, how many of you would answer, Audemars Piguet? To be honest, until just a few weeks ago, I would probably have been one of those?people. As a collector with a modest budget, historically, I always had a tendency to learn mostly about brands I could actually afford. Because of this, I had remained ignorant of Audemars Piguet for far too long. And what a mistake that was.Sure, looking at the current catalog alone, it could seem like there's nothing much to brand other than the Royal Oak. However, while you wouldn't be totally unjustified to make that assumption (just mostly), everybody knows what happens when you ...
?The Furlan Marri Permanent Collection Is Here
I don't have to remind you that the hottest microbrand of 2021 was Furlan Marri, launching its Mechaquartz chronograph on Kickstarter. After speaking to Andrea Furlan about starting a microbrand and several late-night Instagram chats, I have nothing but respect and love for the brand and its two founders. Earlier this summer, they took a big step up with the mechanical Ref. 2116-A. This La Joux Perret-powered delight still punches above its weight at CHF 1,250, but the sub-$600 Mechaquartz story continues in parallel. If you enjoy stylistic purity below 40mm, the Furlan Marri permanent collection is a superb entry ticket.You might have feared that Furlan Marri was moving permanently upmarket...