Hands-On: MING 37.07 Fifth Anniversary Edition
Five years… That’s how long MING has been creating its watches. Through praise, controversy, and swift sales, MING’s releases are always something we look forward to at Fratello. Now, the brand is taking a moment to celebrate with the announcement of the new MING 37.07.When people ask me about some of my favorite brands, vintage or new, I list some of the usual suspects. A nod often follows, and then at some point, I bring up MING. Naturally, watch folks either know the brand or they don’t. In 2022, there are more small brands than ever, yet MING is the one that stands out for me. MING makes watches that somehow align with my aesthetic tastes while challenging the nor...
Interviewing John McConnico Of Bespoke Watch Projects
Bespoke Watch Projects is a small watch company in Oakland, California. It’s not far from me, in fact. Truly a microbrand, founder, designer, and watchmaker John McConnico hand-makes every dial and hand-assembles every watch leaving his workshop. This allows him full creative expression and to foster deep relationships with his customers, regardless of whether the watch they buy is readymade or commissioned. These artistic and personal qualities combine to make watches and a watch-buying experience unlike any other.I first met John McConnico at the Windup Watch Fair in San Francisco. He had a table set up there for his company, Bespoke Watch Projects. I was first drawn in by the fun di...
Best Watches For Under $2K Breitling Chronomat 81950A
Although the title sounds pretty straightforward, this assignment made me change my pick a few times. I currently have a watch on order below $2,000, but would it be my pick for the best watch at this price point? No.I ordered it because I like it as a nice addition to my watch collection. But what if I didn’t have any nice watches yet, and I had $2K in my pocket (or bank account) to spend on a watch? Any watch! That changes the entire game.Sailed shipsI can pick a new, pre-owned, or even vintage watch. A few years ago, my pick would have been different from the one I made today. It wasn’t too long ago that you could have a Seiko Marinemaster 300 SBDX001 for under $2,000. It is a...
Chill Out And Take An Ultra Deep Dip With Omega
If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen is a quote first heard in 1942 by the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman. If you ask me, the oft-used words also apply, in the most literal sense, to office coffee corners in summer. Luckily, we have quite a bit of water around the Fratello HQ. The former cigarette factory that we call home is situated at Binck Harbor, an inland port, so we can have our hot coffee corner watch talk near the coolness of the water. Unfortunately, taking a refreshing ultra-deep dip in the harbor is out of the question for all kinds of practical and hygienic reasons. But there's no reason not to wear the massive Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 60...
Visiting The Vacheron Constantin Manufacture
Being a watch journo comes with a few perks. One of them is the regular invitations to the hallowed grounds where our objects of affection are created. This time, I had the pleasure of visiting Vacheron Constantin in Geneva. I spent a day at the ultra-modern manufacture and met the watchmakers and artisans who create the watches. In this article, I will try to convey the impression they made on me to you. Because yes, they made quite the impressionWithout further ado, join me on a tour through the Vacheron Constantin manufacture d'horlogerie.State-of-the-art Vacheron Constantin headquartersVacheron Constantin's Geneva-based headquarters was finished in 2015. The hyper-modern building is insp...
The Seventh Fratello REM Straps Collaboration
July is always a special month for Speedmaster enthusiasts, as it commemorates the watch being used on the surface of the Moon on July 21 (UTC 3:15). First by Buzz Aldrin; as legend has it that Armstrong left his in the lunar module to function as a back-up timekeeper as the onboard Bulova-made clock malfunctioned. We paired up with REM Straps for our 7th collaborative strap release to commemorate this remarkable moment in both human and Speedmaster history.Aldrin climbing down the ladder 19 minutes after Armstrong set foot on the moon on July 21, 2:56 UTC (Image courtesy of NASA)Fratello REM Straps - “The Eagle Has Landed”Just 19 minutes after Armstrong spoke his famous words &#...
Visiting The Tudor Pop-Up Boutique In Knokke, Belgium
This summer, watch brand pop-up boutiques are taking over. Breitling and Longines have landed on the German island of Sylt. Omega celebrates the Seamaster’s 75th anniversary with pop-ups in locations like Mykonos, Saint-Tropez, Forte dei Marmi, and San Diego. But as tempting as those locations were, we’ve reduced the yearly mileage allowance of the Fratello private jet for environmental reasons. So when we heard that a Tudor pop-up boutique would open in the not-too-distant Belgium town of Knokke, we had to make the trip. All jokes aside, the Benelux region’s relatively short distances - coupled with an additional mission (which will remain a secret for now) - had us hittin...
Every-Day Perfection With The SZSB006 "TiCTAC"
I first wrote about the Seiko SZSB006 TiCTAC 35th Anniversary Limited Edition in the fall of 2021. It was as part of a list article compiling the best Seiko JDM releases. I called it the “love baby” of a Seiko Alpinist and a Explorer. Essentially, I labeled it a design construct. Generally, I do not believe in design constructs. But something with this SZSB006 is different. While I still stand by my words, the watch grew more on me every time I saw it. This led me to write a longer thought piece on the watch earlier this year. After that article, I knew I had to get one myself. And I can say it’s lived up to its expectations.This story is not necessarily about a perfect wa...
#TBT A Surprising Gallet Chronograph With A Landeron 149
I wasn’t planning on adding this watch to my collection. However, as it often goes, watches that are supposed to find their way to you simply will. And that’s exactly my story with this specific Landeron 149-powered Gallet.First, I will address why I was not planning to buy this watch. I am a huge Gallet fan but not of later models or ones not powered by fine Venus or Excelsior Park movements. My wish list is still full of many EP- or Venus-powered Gallet watches, and I simply didn’t want to get distracted. There is also the fact that I’m not very knowledgeable about later 1970s models, which vary with different hand styles. I’m never sure which hands are origin...
Hands-On: The New Nomos Ahoi Neomatik 38 Date Atlantic
One year ago, I went hands-on with the then-new Ahoi Neomatik 38 Date collection. Two versions of the newly sized Ahoi debuted then, one in clear Sky blue and the other in beautiful Sand gold. The introduction of those two new models also meant the discontinuation of the 40mm Ahoi. That meant a larger Ahoi was no longer available in Nomos’s classic Atlantic blue colorway. That changes now, though, as the Glashutte brand has decided to reintroduce the high-contrast and specially lumed navy-blue dial for the Nomos Ahoi Neomatik 38 Date. Let’s take a quick look.You could say the Ahoi is Nomos’s beefed-up and rugged version of its signature Tangente model. The Ahoi’s case...
Hands-On: The Montblanc Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810
The new Montblanc Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810 might be the perfect watch for spec-loving divers. Let's look at the data, the numbers, and the cold, hard facts. Montblanc's latest dive watch, the flagship of the newly formed Iced Sea collection, has a 43 19.4mm case containing no oxygen and is water resistant to 4,810 meters. Yes, 4,810 meters is the height of Western Europe's highest mountain, which the brand is named after. The watch also has a COSC-certified automatic movement inside, and its price stays beneath the 10K mark in both euros and US dollars. This is a dive watch that wants to play with the big boys. Do you want to find out if it can?Let's continue with the numbers and the obje...
Fratello Talks: A New Watch For The Next James Bond
Welcome to the latest episode of Fratello Talks. While the rest of the world ponders who the next actor will be to don the tux and become the newest double-O seven, today, we ask ourselves what the man behind the gun will wear on his wrist. You join Nacho, RJ, and Lex to discuss James Bond’s watches, past and present, and some thoughts on what we’d like to see in the future. When picking a new watch for the next James Bond, there are many options to consider. However, as we know, it will likely be an Omega timepiece. The choice within the brand’s catalog is extensive, and many options could suit the gun-toting spy well. That said, we still discuss some watches from other br...
Introducing The Dark Sea 500m From Undive Watches
There was a time that our mailbox was flooded with new watch projects via Kickstarter. Although there were some very nice projects among them, at some point we also got our share of emails with quartz watches that were not so interesting for us (or you). I was happily surprised to get a notifier about this new watch project by Undive Watches. This is a new micro brand based in Hong Kong and get their inspiration from vintage Seiko. Seiko 6105 fans, you should definitely keep on reading.It is not really a secret that we like (Grand) Seiko. Mike mentioned all the right reasons to like Seiko in the recent interview he did with Chris of Time4APint (listen to it here). Undive doesn’t make i...
??The Limited Edition Milus Archimdes Orange Coral Dive Watch
When you see two crowns and an internal diving bezel, your watch enthusiast brain thinks: Super Compressor. It's a Pavlov effect and, though very understandable, it’s not entirely correct. It's not about the number of crows and the bezel, you see, it's actually all about the case construction. We'll dive deeper into the subject while having a look at the limited edition Milus Archimdes Orange Coral Diver A True Super Compressor Or A Compressor-style watch?A Super Compressor (SC) is any watch that has twin crowns and an internal rotating diving bezel, right? If only it were that simple. The SC denomination says something about the case construction of a watch and not really any other e...
Will Luxury Watches Exist In The Future?
The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated an already ongoing trend: the world of mechanical watches is becoming more and more digital. 2020 was mostly a virtual watch year due to the pandemic, and 2021 hasn’t been much different so far. Everything takes place online. From virtual watch fairs to appointments with brands, discussions, and even sales. Something else that’s also taking place online is the growth of watch-related social media channels and other specialized watch websites. A development that has boosted people’s interest in watches to new heights. So, will luxury watches exist in the future? I think that they will. But the real question is: what exactly does the futu...
??MeisterSinger Perigraph Mellow Yellow 20th Anniversary LE
I can hardly believe it has already been 20 years since MeisterSinger entered the stage with something completely different. The MeisterSinger No.1 - a pretty good name for a first watch - only had one hand. With this hand, you’re able to tell both the hours and minutes. Using 144 indexes on the dial, you can read the time more accurately than you’d think. Every 5-minute interval has its own marking, so you’re only ever just a few minutes off at best.Although it doesn’t seem like that long ago that Manfred Brassler introduced the MeisterSinger No. 1, the one-hand watch has become world-renown and even gone on to win many prizes, including the Red Dot Design Award for ...
Hot Take: The Zenith Chronomaster Original For Hodinkee
We see plenty of watches all through the year. With so many different releases passing in front of our eyes all the time, we tend to forget some. But there are ones that have a huge impact from the moment you see them, and the Zenith Chronomaster Original Limited Edition For Hodinkee is one of those special watches. Zenith teamed up with our friends from Hodinkee to come up with the coolest version of the brand’s Chronomaster Original. The watch that is based on the iconic A386 combines an awesome opaline salmon dial with cool, gray details. The end result is stunning! So stunning that it sold out very quickly.The El Primero A386 is Zenith’s biggest icon. It’s one of those ...
Hands-On: Omega's Green Speedmaster In Moonshine Gold
The Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch collection is growing, and it is doing so at a rather rapid pace. Is this a good thing? It depends on how you look at it. If you are a purist, you have probably raised an eyebrow or two with the introduction of the different gold versions of the watch. But if you are a fan of the Moonwatch in general, you might have enjoyed the diversity of gold models that Omega has released. The latest addition to the lineup is the Moonshine Gold version with a dark green dial. Green seems like an odd choice for the Moonwatch, but the reality is that a great design can use a bit of green. A certain shade of green, that is.If you know something about rock music, you might kno...
Celebrating The 15th Anniversary Of Mr Jones Watches
What's the use of being into something if you're not having fun with it? Far too often, the world of watches can be a very serious and even snobby place. Thankfully, there's a handful of brands out there unafraid to have fun with it, prioritizing creativity above all else. The longest-standing brand which not only follows this philosophy but fully embraces and allows itself to be molded by it is Mr Jones Watches. Self-described as an unforgettable British watch company, the brand specializes in unique and unusual watches. I think you'll find that, if anything, this is an understatement. Looking through the Mr Jones website, one can see the kinds of quirky and colorful designs that the brand ...
Three Awesome But Discontinued Tudor Watches
While the world goes gaga for the new Tudor Ranger and the many variants of the Black Bay, I thought it would be fun to look at some of Tudor’s now-discontinued models. The Shield has suffered from comments suggesting that it has lost some of its originality and now serves only to ape the Crown and fill in gaps in its bigger brother’s repertoire. Whether or not that is the case is largely subjective, but Tudor has had some original watches in its long and illustrious past. Here are some other models that may be gone but not forgotten.For many collectors, the post-Submariner and pre-Heritage Tudor era was a “difficult” time that saw marked experimentation with wild and...