If you're already a fan of the Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronzo PAM00671, but 47mm is just too big for you. Don’t fret, I might just have the perfect solution. You could consider the new Panerai Submersible Bronzo Blu Abisso PAM01074 - a bronze, 42mm people-pleaser with an annual production of 1,000 pieces per year. Is this Piccolo Bronzo a Paneristi-worthy watch, or is this

Now that the dust has settled, I feel that it is time to reflect on the madness that is the (aptly named) MAD1 by MB&F - coming in under the brand’s M.A.D. Edition moniker. Typically, the first time I hear about watches is from a press release in the Fratello inbox. This was not the case here. This particular project eschewed the usual press release and was released in secret.That in its

Daily beater. It’s a term we hear quite often in the world of watches, but what it means to each one of us is personal. Some will tell you that a cheap Seiko is the perfect daily beater, while for others, a Submariner is the ideal choice. For this short list, we decided to go in the vein of the former. We have established some principles as guidelines for our choices, but at the end of the d

I’ll be honest with you: when the Seiko SPB317J1 arrived at Fratello HQ for a first impression, I didn’t even realize it was a re-edition. What I did know, however, was that it could very well be my next Seiko diver. I was actually looking at the SPB151J1 “Captain Willard” re-edition. But I always found the Willard case a bit too bulky for my wrist, no matter how big or sma

My Bosphorus Leather obsession runs deep. Now, just a couple of years after discovering this charming Turkish leatherworker, I own six separate Bosphorus products. In my opinion, the material quality has been consistent from day one of my relationship with the brand, but the refinement of the company’s output has improved release on release. Last week, I received an eight-watch storage case

After two years of limited air travel, 2022 is already fulfilling my summer holiday quota. In June, I went on back-to-back trips from the Algarve in Portugal to Dubrovnik in Croatia. Both destinations were booked in 2019 for 2020 and subsequently postponed each year until this one. After three years in the making, I was ready to soak up the sun and culture and engage in a little R&R. Accompany

Enthusiasm for mechanical watches has exploded in recent years. While many have predicted the demise of the mechanical watch, passion for these types of watches has flourished. It hasn’t always been easy, and the entire industry has had to survive the quartz crisis and the smartwatch revolution. Much like any hobby with devout enthusiasts, increased awareness and interest in mechanical watch

Since its rebirth in 2019, Formex hasn't ceased to impress the independent horological community. Its initial new release was the Essence 43mm in 2019, closely followed by a 39mm version the year after. Since then, the Essence collection has grown a lot, with dials made of meteorite, malachite, and mother-of-sky. Furthermore, the Leggera sub-family made a splash (pun intended), given its forged ca

I enjoyed a little road trip from Holland to Tuscany with my better half and son last month. We spent some quality time in Florence. Of course, we visited the Piazza San Giovanni, home to the Cathedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. My fiance and son were gazing in amazement at the massive green and white structure. I was staring in the exact opposite direction. There has been a Panerai boutique right

Today, Walter Lange would’ve turned 100 years old. It’s a special day for A. Lange & Sohne because Walter Lange, who passed away at the respectable age of 92 in 2017, revived the brand his great-grandfather founded in 1845. In December 1990, a year after the Berlin Wall fell, Lange re-established his great-grandfather’s legacy under the name Lange Uhren GmbH. More than three

For those who have not gone on holiday yet and are still wondering what watch to bring, this could very well be an interesting little article. Let me introduce you to the Crafter Blue Bon Voyage Macaron Super Chrono. This watch is an instant feel-good object if you ask me. And more good stuff comes to light when you learn more about this particular Super Chrono.Before I discovered the watch's exac

The Certina DS Action Diver Chrono is here just in time for the summer holidays. It’s a refreshing modern watch that follows the same design path as the DS Action Diver. It also takes a sharp detour from the trend of smaller diameters and thinner cases. This is a big, bold watch!I’m happy to go on record and state that Certina is currently handing it to Seiko when it comes to affordabl

There’s no shortage of vintage-inspired watches in today’s market. With so many options, there are bound to be hits and misses. This article will be a personal take on the factors that attract me to a vintage-inspired watch design or do the complete opposite. I have found four main aspects that seem to frustrate me the most.You see, in my role as a contributor for Fratello, I am lucky

My fellow Omega addict Mauriche, mailed me a photo of his wonderful Omega Marine Chronometer. This is not the average clunky 1970s Omega watch, this one is quite special actually. The Omega Marine Chronometer features a 2.4Mhz quartz movement that is graded as a ‘Marine Chronometer’. There are similar Omega Megaquartz 2400 watches from that era, but these lack the ‘Marine Chronom

A watch company that uses the same e-strategy as Dell computers and Amazon.com? 121TIME.com is the first Swiss Made quality watchmaking company that use this direct sales and customization model. Each watch can be personalized with an engraving of text or a logo in the case back of the watch. Before that, you have to make a choice which type (or as 121TIME put it: “theme“) of wrist wat

Dutch Speedmaster GTGIt’s Speedy Tuesday! As you probably know, the first steps on the Moon were set by NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong on July 21st at 2:56 (UTC time) in 1969. 44 years later, a perfect date to have a GTG with Speedmaster enthusiasts to have a lunch.Gerard Nijenbrinks of the in2watches.com watch blog and I invited some Speedmaster collectors and enthusiasts to meet in The Hagu

Dear fans of #TBT, I'm afraid this week's issue will be a bit different. As Mike is on his much-deserved holiday from the series I was asked to do the next article. It will lack the cool, suave Florida talk, the praising of 60's watchmaking which we all love to read about and even the endless lines discussing?the smallest details on a piecepun intended, Mike ?? This week, though, we feature a supe

Everyone who knows a bit about Omega watches is familiar with the Constellation collection. Today, perhaps, it is associated with the design characteristics of four “gold claws” and bi-coloured bracelets, but it was Omega’s flaghsip collection during the 1950’s and 1960’s. I’ve actually have said it before, but the Constellation is the watch that started my inte

Tour de FranceWe received an invitation for the finish of the Tour de France in Paris with official timekeeper Tissot. While we are not exactly known for being very sporty, some of us do enjoy a workout every now and then. In-between work, traveling, quality time at home and the typical Dutch weather (rain is falling straight down) I find myself on a road bike from time to time doing recreational

If you are in favour of big and bold diving watches, think Deepsea or Ploprof, you can add another to that list: the Ulysse Nardin Diver Deep Dive. There’s nothing much toned down about this particular watch, but I assume that this is also not intended by the Le Locle based manufacture.Ulysse Nardin Diver Deep Dive – It Will Not Go UnnoticedThere are more watches on the market with a c