CITIZEN: Caliber 0100 New Eco-Drive watches
This previous article already introduced Citizen’s New Eco-Drive watches featuring the world's most accurate time-keeping of within 1 second per year. Now it is time to take a closer look at the three different (and limited!) models.White Gold Model (AQ6010-06A)The beauty of simplicity is magnificently reflected in this limited edition with ultra-precision accuracy of 1 second per year.Visit www.citizenwatch-global.com/caliber0100/ for more information.The case and crown are crafted of clear white gold with a crystal design motif suggesting ultra-precision and the crystallization of CITIZEN technologies, as well as purity of individual seconds. The Caliber 0100, incorporated in the w...
Delma Oceanmaster Antarctica Limited Edition
The Delma Oceanmaster Antarctica Limited Edition is an exciting twist on one of the brand's best-selling timepieces.The company developed this model for their ambassador and Ocean adventurer, Nick Moloney's expedition to Antarctica. The team aimed to commemorate the 1820 discovery of our least populated continent, 200 years later.For this special occasion, Delma created a limited edition of 200 watches (a nod to the milestone anniversary). The brand used one of its signature model lines, the Oceanmaster, to create this commemorative piece. The Oceanmaster is no stranger to such an environment. Delma developed it for the world's best offshore sailors to keep time in challenging conditions.The...
#TBT Undiscovered Tellus "Reverso Watch
To search for a watch that everybody knows? That's easy. At least from the perspective that it has already been discovered. Often, you just need a lot of cash or enough patience (or often both). But find me a genuine, surprising, and out-of-the-box watch that no one has ever heard of, and you’ll have my attention. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Tellus “Reverso.The Tellus “Reverso is one of those watches that I never would have put my hands on if it hadn't been for the thoughtful and helpful members of the watch community. I bet all vintage watch collectors are quite familiar with that warm rush of excitement when you bump into something “big while searching for your n...
Carl F. Bucherer Presents A New Version Of Its Heritage BiCompax Annual
Now, two years after the original version came out in 2019, the Lucerne-based watchmaker introduces a new reverse-panda version of the Heritage BiCompax Annual. This steel watch is limited to 888 pieces.Ever been to Lucerne? It's where the headquarters of Carl F. Bucherer is situated. It places the brand in the heart of Switzerland. Land-locked to the max, but nevertheless, the brand ventured out into the world. That expansion led to 350 points of sale worldwide. That's why the brand says it’s at home in the world in its slogan.Still, in the world of watches the name Bucherer is not the most familiar one. But that doesn't mean the high-end mechanical watches that leave the Bucherer man...
Let's Talk About Space: Fortis, Fratello, And Esrange (2022)
Would you travel to space if you could? When did your fascination with the heavens begin? How did you find your way to this moment in time, surrounded by rockets, balloons, and fellow space enthusiasts? These questions and more are posed to Andreas Bentele of Fortis, Stefan Kramer of Esrange, and me, Rob Nudds of Fratello.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhimyGmrThIWhen you put three slightly obsessive men in a hanger 145km north of the Arctic Circle, what happens? Bentele, Kr?mer, and Nudds discuss their relationships with space and watchmaking, as well as the factors that led to what has become a lifelong fascination. This talk was recorded just hours before the GO signal to launch a strato...
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms X Fathoms Video Review
In this video, RJ explains the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms X Fathoms reference 5018 1230 64A. If you thought the Omega PloProf or the Seiko Tuna were big dive watches, think again! The X Fathoms has a whopping diameter of 55.6mm and a thickness of 24mm. Wearing this watch on dry land takes some major guts! Underwater though, it’s a high-tech mechanical dive companion.Blancpain has a long history when it comes to dive watches. Back in 1953, it was the first brand to introduce a modern dive watch as know it today. That's before even came out with the Submariner and Omega splashed in with the Seamaster 300. I feel that Blancpain deserves a bit more attention when it comes to divers’ wa...
Hands-On: Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph 50th Anniversary
Audemars Piguet celebrates 50 years of the Royal Oak this year, and today is the official date of the anniversary. To mark half a century of one of the most iconic watches - a true masterpiece of Genta design - AP has launched a number of new models. Here at Fratello, we were lucky enough to get to see them, and even have a little bit of time to wear, shoot, and get a feeling for these watches. Personally, my highlight was the 41mm version of the Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph (ref. 26240OR.OO.1320OR.01) in rose gold with a blue dial. Sure, there's a 38mm model available. But there was something simply magical about the slightly larger version that caught my eye and had me googling the bl...
How To Set Your Watch Down Overnight
Dear Fratelli, how do you set your watch down overnight? Do you put it in a watch box? Do you put it on a stand? Is it on some kind of table? Or do you simply keep it on while sleeping? Of course, there are many ways to put your watch to sleep at night. As such, before I choose my new watch-storage solution, I wanted to know how my watches would be affected by different storage methods. We’ll go through a few of those effects below.Now, this hasn’t been a real-life scientific study of everything that can happen to your watches while storing them overnight. Rather, it’s been primarily an online search of what people have to say on different aspects of the topic. I must say, ...
There's More To The AP Royal Oak Than The "Jumbo"
Do I need the new AP Royal Oak “Jumbo”? Well, the watch is an essential part of horological history. And the new iteration that celebrates fifty years of the Royal Oak sure is a stunner. But, if I'm honest, the one watch that impressed me the most of all the 50th Anniversary models this year was the reference 15550ST.OO.1356ST.04. It’s the delightful, light blue, 37mm Royal Oak Selfwinding. And it’s the watch that tells me there’s more to the Royal Oak than the “Jumbo”.Never judge a book by its cover, and never judge a watch by its dial. Right? Well, actually, if it's a coffee-table book, the photographic qualities of the cover are quite relevant. An...
The BOLDR Odyssey Regatta Gets A Nautical Makeover
After a successful launch in 2021, BOLDR brings back the Odyssey Regatta in a new colorway. The dial in Admiral blue perfectly sets the tone for this nautically themed timepiece. Though regatta timers are not the most common of watches these days, it is still a fun take on the chronograph and one that all you seafaring watch fanatics will be happy to see, especially at a reasonably affordable price point. BOLDR didn't take the creation of this model lightly. Instead, the brand consulted with a number of experts to validate its design. They include Mathias Hubner (a vintage watch expert & collector from Germany), Mark Reichardt (a Netherlands-based collector & founder of regatta-yacht...
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak "Jumbo" 16202 In Gold Hands-On
Exactly 50 years ago today in Basel, Switzerland, Audemars Piguet introduced the Royal Oak. You can read the background on the original Royal Oak 5402 here, as well as all models that succeeded it up till today's Royal Oak “Jumbo” 16202.What better way to celebrate an anniversary with a very special watch? Meet the Royal Oak 16202 in pink gold, also known as the 16202OR.OO.1240OR.01. We already announced this new reference last January as the worthy successor of the 15202 in rose gold. But for this special occasion, we go hands-on with this beauty from Audemars Piguet.Royal Oak “Jumbo” 16202This 39mm Royal Oak Jumbo, or Extra-Thin, marks the 50th anniversary of the ic...
The Aubergine Has Landed: Fratello Studio Underd0g For Charity
Thank you to everyone who bought (and those who patiently tried to buy) the recent Aubergine Limited Edition from Studio Underd0g and Fratello, created together in the name of charity. All of the profits from this hilarious and heartwarming project will be donated to Cancer Research UK to help fund the fight against testicular cancer, a disease that has touched and will touch many of our lives.Charity projects elicit a lot of emotions in people. It’s understandable, of course. The causes these charities support hit all too close to home for many of us. I’m sure most of us know someone lost to or personally affected by cancer. It’s a brutal, uncompromising disease that ends ...
Introducing The Isotope Hydrium NASA
It’s no secret that I am a big fan of Isotope’s Hydrium series. So whenever the brand releases a new addition to it, I am all eyes and ears. For the new Hydrium, Isotope owner Jose Miranda has a special trick up his sleeve. He combines the futuristic aesthetic of the Hydrium series with a NASA look to result in a watch that looks like it could be on the wrist of astronauts. Somehow the combination of elements results in another standout release from the London-based brand. Time to find out more about the Hydrium NASA that has been officially approved by NASA.It’s been a little over a year since I got to witness the magic of the Isotope Hydrium series with the HydriumX ̶...
[Video] W&W2023 Afterthoughts: Did They Play It Safe This Year?
In this video, we try a new format where Fratello’s managing editor Nacho talks to senior editor Lex Stolk about watches. Here are their afterthoughts on the Watches and Wonders 2023 show last month.Watches And Wonders 2023 AfterthoughtsBeing back in the office gave us time to reflect a bit more on Watches and Wonders 2023. Lex and Nacho sat together in the Fratello offices for this video and discussed their favorites. Yacht-Master 42Nacho and Lex can’t afford not to talk about , of course. The titanium Yacht-Master 42 receives a lot of credit from both, and it even made Nacho forget to take a look at the new Explorer 40.Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso ChronographAnother watch that rec...
Hands-On: The Certina DS-2 Chronograph Automatic
There is something transcendentally appealing about watches worn by people performing incredible feats. The Speedmaster, a watch worn by the astronauts who set foot on the Moon, is a familiar example. A more contested case is ’s association of the Explorer to the famous 1953 British expedition to the summit of Everest, a credit which should likely go to the Smiths watches alleged to have been worn by the expedition members. And speaking of Everest, the Certina DS-2 Chronograph Automatic watches I’m looking at today have quite the tale tied to the vintage timepiece that inspired them. This time, it’s not about the ascent but the descent. Yuichiro Miura’s 1970 skiing de...
A Quick Hands-On With The New Cartier Santos Dumont XL
Cartier’s watches have several signature design features, as we know. There are, to name a few, the distinctive shapes and beautiful crowns, but my favorite are the elongated and stylish Roman numerals. The new Cartier Santos-Dumont XL watches that debuted during Watches and Wonders look like they are a true celebration of those very same numerals. Each version has a distinct case material, which pairs with a corresponding red, green, or blue mineral for the numerals. These watches already looked very attractive on paper, but in person, they really came to life.The Cartier Santos-Dumont made its first appearance in 1904. At the time, Louis Cartier created it for his Brazilian friend Al...
?Introducing: The Rado True Square Automatic Skeleton
Rado is one of those brands that I deeply respect, one that manages to offer a recognizable language and considerable diversity. On one hand, the Swiss brand offers its signature sleek ceramics in dark shades, but Rado also has its fingers firmly on the retro pulse with the Diastar and color-popping Captain Cook range. This time, we are invited into a world of fascinating movement and dial architecture laid bare with the new Rado True Square Automatic Skeleton.Since its early days in 1917, founded as Schlup & Co. in Lengnau, Switzerland, Rado has been an innovator rather than a follower, and it shows in its broad range. We wouldn't have the fashion-forward ceramics of Hublot or even Rich...
Trilobe Introduces The Les Matinaux L'Heure Exquise Series
Trilobe is a brand that impresses watch fans more and more with every release. This year is no different for the young Parisian watchmaker. Building on the success of the Les Matinaux collection, Trilobe introduces its first complicated watch. The Les Matinaux L’Heure Exquise Series is its first take on a moonphase watch. But if you know anything about Trilobe, you’ll know it’s not just a watch with a moonphase complication. Prepared to be amazed once more by the original take on watchmaking that Trilobe has created.In 2018, Trilobe burst onto the scene with its inaugural Les Matinaux collection. Rene Char’s 1950 poem collection inspired the name, and the watches pres...
Curing My Watches And Wonders 2024 Hangover
The Watches and Wonders hangover is not something to joke about. It's not the days of constantly swimming against a constant stream of champagne that wear you down. It’s not the standing in the cold, early morning hours waiting for a scheduled shuttle that never arrives. It isn't even the average of 21,000 steps you do daily while running from one end of the exposition hall to the other. Rather, it’s the never-ending stream of impressions that slowly but surely starts to take a toll. After spending four days filled to the brim with touch-and-feel sessions, interviews, and one-on-ones, the body and mind slip into a buzzing state with a constant vibrating of the muscles and brain. ...
Frank Gehry x Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon
I knew Canadian architect Frank Gehry for his work on the beautiful and impressive Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. However, through Louis Vuitton, I learned that he was also responsible for the Fondation Louis Vuitton building in Paris (2014) and the Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul (2019). The latter inspired a remarkable watch, the Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Poin?on de Genve Sapphire.Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul - Image: Louis VuittonFrank Gehry and Louis VuittonIt took two years from the first discussions between Louis Vuitton and architect Frank Gehry to finish producing the watch. This Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Poin?on de Genve Sapphire Frank Gehry provides an uninterrupted ...