Tips For (Affordable) Father's Day Presents
It’s almost Father’s Day (June 17th), at least in a lot of countries around the world, and you might be searching for some (last minute) tips for a little gift. While nothing beats a nice drawing, painting or another DIY piece of art from your little girl or boy, at a certain age the presents start to become different of course. I will refrain from selecting watches as gifts because that’s most likely not the case for many of us. A gift for Father’s Day is most appreciated when a bit of thought and creativity has been put into it. Or just a simple visit to your dad for a coffee will do in a lot of cases as well.That said, let’s have a look at some nice gifts for...
Watch On Your Wrist? Fratello Instagram Photo Challenge 2020 Round 1
Ok, this is going to be fun. Nowadays you cannot put all of your eggs in one basket. Meaning, content creation is at its peak so it's not enough to concentrate on one type of channel. That's why Fratello Watches is not only an online magazine but also on most of your favorite social media platforms. I'm talking about the usual suspects like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and of course Instagram. Enter: Watch On Your Wrist…The rules are simple. Every week we will pick four watch images from Instagram. All you need to do to be eligible for selection is tag your watch shots with #fratellowatches. We will publish these four images here on the Magazine with a bit of a background story. You can...
Jorg's Top Five Omega Watches That Deserve More Attention
In the world of Omega, the Speedmaster is king. There is no doubt about it. And the Seamaster a very loyal and steady queen to the king. But what about the rest of the collection? We find that several models are not talked about as much as they should be. Even within the Speedmaster and Seamaster collections, some models are sometimes overlooked. As such, I’ve compiled a list of five Omega watches introduced over the last couple of years that might not always get the attention they deserve.With a large number of Omega releases every year, there will always be watches that will not have the long-lasting success of some of the other watches in the collection. Consequently, I wanted to ta...
New Pilot's Watches The Longines Spirit Collection
Just a few days before traveling became impossible, we saw the new Longines Spirit collection. Under embargo, of course. So we are happy that it’s now finally time to show you the pictures we took during that appointment.To me, it seems that Longines is taking a new direction with the Spirit collection. Although we’ve seen - and still see - some heritage-inspired watches from Saint-Imier, this Longines Spirit collection is different. It combines heritage and modern watchmaking, with a very attractive price tag.Longines Spirit CollectionEvery new watch needs a story. For this collection, Longines has dived into its archives and come up with tales of more than 20 pioneers as well a...
Speedy Tuesday Turns Nine: Read Our Best Yet (2021)
I can't believe it is already nine years since I published my first Speedy Tuesday story. In 2012, I posted a picture of my Speedmaster Professional “Moonwatch” on Facebook with just It is Speedy Tuesday', as it was a Speedmaster and a Tuesday. Fast forward to today, and Omega now drops its new Speedmasters on Tuesdays (deliberately). You could say a lot has happened in the last nine years.Since then, we've published nearly 500 Speedmaster articles and the Speedy Tuesday hashtag has been used over 280,000 times on Instagram by Speedmaster enthusiasts and collectors. In 2017 and 2018, we even had the opportunity to create two Speedmaster Professional watches, the Tribute To Alaska...
Louis Erard Alian Silberstein (2021): Color Wins The Day (Again)
I like Alain Silberstein. I'm not against Louis Erard. And yet, whenever the artist and brand have collaborated before, I've been one of the only Fratelli left untouched by the result. Oh sure, I thought the most recent models were cool but there was absolutely no doubt in my mind as to whether I wanted one (I did not). However, with this latest Silberstein release, Louis Erard has finally won my heart, with the almost faultless execution of a case style often attempted and very rarely accomplished.It’s hard to believe that a year has passed since Tomas reviewed the Louis Erard Alain Silberstein Regulateur watch on Fratello. That watch caused quite a stir in our offices. No one (except...
The Ulysse Nardin Lemon Dive Watch New For 2021
Sharks have long been a source of inspiration for dive watch manufacturers due to their infamous toothy maws and fearsome reputations. Well, now Ulysse Nardin has turned to the denizens of the deep for its new Diver Lemon Shark. It's an attractive black and yellow number, a color scheme that is right up my street.If I asked you to tell me your favorite shark species, I'd guess that many people would say the great white shark. Most likely because it's the only one they could name. That's fair given the amount of publicity the species has received over the years, even if it is mainly negative. I wouldn't, however, expect many people to list the lemon shark at the top of their list.Our toothy &...
Hands-On With The Blancpain Air Command Flyback Chronograph
We hear the words “legend” and “icon” used (very) frequently and, oddly upon reflection, interchangeably in the watch industry. However, when it comes to the Blancpain Air Command, the legend of the watch’s origins is far more apt than its well-deserved iconism. Why? Because no one is quite sure where it came from or from what exactly its name derived. What is sure, though, is the fact this iteration is one ice-cool customer and boasts a surprisingly wearable aesthetic despite its undeniable luxury status.Whenever the conversation turns towards super-high-end watches (and, make no mistake, this Blancpain Air Command Flyback Chronograph qualifies as exactly that)...
British Watch Dating Profiles: Bremont, Chris. Ward, And anOrdain
Grey skies and green hills - the British Isles provide endless picturesque landscapes perfect for soulful longing and distant gazing. That longing would be for watches, of course. And the United Kingdom delivers plenty of those as well. With a rich heritage of watchmaking to stand upon, the craft is returning to England in full force. Christopher Ward has become a well-known name in independent watchmaking with unique and refreshed approaches to old standards. Bremont is proving that British watches can be very British indeed with new limited editions that are primarily made in England. Scotland makes its contribution as well with anOrdain and its beautiful enamel dials. Whatever your fancy,...
Jean-Claude Biver Joins Norqain As An Advisor To The Board
Jean-Claude Biver, an industry veteran with a remarkable resume, joins young watch brand Norqain as an advisor to the board.Jean-Claude BiverBiver’s list of accomplishments in the industry is impressive. In 1981, he purchased the rights to Blancpain. After restoring its reputation as a much-respected Haute Horlogerie brand, he then sold it to the Swatch Group in 1992. He is the very same man responsible for connecting Omega to James Bond in 1995, as well as putting Hublot back on the horological map with the Big Bang in 2004. Besides becoming CEO of TAG Heuer in 2014, Biver also became the head of the watches and jewelry division of the LVMH (which owns Hublot, TAG Heuer, Bvlgari, and ...
Introducing The Seiko Hybrid Divers The "Arnie" Is Back!
Seiko's analog/digital hybrids have been fan favorites ever since Arnold Schwarzenegger popularized them in the 1980s. The oversized and unique case shape is quirky in all the right ways. I am known to criticize large watches, but this line of Seikos would not work any other way. Today, Seiko introduces three new variants to the collection, all with some serious tech on board. Let's have a look at these new Seiko Hybrid divers!SNJ033P1Is it upside down?When introduced the “Destro” GMT-Master II, we sort of tilted our heads to see whether it was perhaps upside down. If you have been wearing an Arnie ani/digi Seiko of any previous generation, you might experience the same here. Th...
Introducing: Seiko Prospex SPB313J1, SPB315J1, And SPB317J1
Well, I know I’m ready for this one! After re-editions of the 62MAS and the “Captain Willard”, Seiko now brings the less famous 6105-8000 back to life. It could be called the sleeker precurser of the ’70s Seiko Turtle. The new SPB313J1 (white), SPB315J1 (gilt), and SPB315J1 (black) all have a streamlined C-shaped case and, at 12.3mm thick, are Seiko’s thinnest Prospex watches to date. Is this the re-edition to get? Let’s find out!The 1965?62MAS was Seiko’s first professional dive watch, and because of that, it became a legend. The 6105-8110?from 1970 appeared on the wrist of Captain Willard in Apocolypse Now, which also garnered that model incredible...
Introducing: The New Seiko 5 GMT Series
Oh boy! If someone had told me back in my early days of watch collecting that I'd get to see what is effectively a GMT version of the Seiko SKX, I would never have believed it. The new Seiko 5 GMT Series takes a form factor known and loved by so many and adds a splash of functionality to it. Personally, I've been somewhat hesitant to embrace the new Seiko 5 series as a proper replacement for the SKX. These are not dive watches and are more suited to newcomers to the watch world. That said, I'm also one of the few people who actually will take dive watches diving, and I realize that this makes me part of the minority. Either way, I didn't have much interest on the line, except for some of the...
The Vero ADPT Workhorse Limited Edition
Let's face it, collaborations are very popular in the watch world. Brands ranging from micros to historical Swiss household names join forces with clothing companies, organizers of vintage car races, or real-life adventurers. Each watch born from these collaborations is unique, but when our good friends at ADPT (a subsidiary of Worn & Wound) and Vero (an American independent brand) do a collab? My, oh my, we are in for a treat! ADPT makes colorful and playful all-purpose watches and Vero distinctive tool watches. The two entities decided to create the ultimate summer watch that pairs a unique color scheme with robust specifications. This winning combo results in a watch like none I’...
The $3.3 Million Speedmaster CK2915 Fraud Case
You've probably seen the news on the Frankenstein Speedmaster CK2915 that fetched 3.3 million US dollars. It was, supposedly, an all-authentic, first-generation Omega Speedmaster in impeccable condition with a tropical dial. It fetched the highest amount ever as it was Omega’s destiny to have it for the brand’s museum in Biel, Switzerland. Or so it seemed…It must have been devastating to find out the watch was a put-together - a “Frankenstein” watch. This news has been all over social media in the past few days after Bloomberg reported about it based on the in-depth article in the Swiss newspaper Neue Zurcher Zeitung. However, if?you're a bit deeper into watches...
#TBT Tissot PR 516 Ref. 40528 With A Pulsation Bezel
I was hunting down the Tissot ref. 40528 with a pulsation bezel for a few years. You either can’t find them at all, or you find them with chewed-up dials and broken bezels. I got lucky about two years ago.?I remember it quite well because I won the auction just a few days before my son was born. The watch was listed at an Italian auction house. This particular example got under my skin because of its consistent wear and honest condition. As you’ll see below, there was dirt around the edge of the bezel and the pushers, so the watch undoubtedly saw some real life. What I liked the most was that it was not worn beyond the thin line where the watch becomes too “tired”. Ju...
Ulysse Nardin Diver Net Azure And Diver X Skeleton Azure
Today, Ulysse Nardin introduces a new azure colorway for its Diver Net and Diver X Skeleton models. If, like me, you’re unfortunate enough to have experienced a short-lived streak in the cloud computing industry, the word Azure will remind you of the Microsoft platform. However, if you remained untainted by this association (until now), you’ll likely think of a particular coastal area in the south of France, or even a lovely bright blue shade of clear skies. For Ulysse Nardin the it’s latter. It’s this attractive shade that the brand has applied to two of its dive watches. Their release today is no coincidence, as June 8th is World Ocean Day.The brand’s relation...
New: Seiko Prospex Speedtimer 1/100 sec Solar Chronograph
Is it too soon to be nostalgic about the early 2000s? The turn of the millennium brought about the “digital revolution” with the onset of the iPod, broadband, and social media. The evolution of technology continues to shape our lives today, but the advanced acceleration makes devices from 20 years ago seem antiquated. Just hold an original iPhone in your hand and compare it to the latest model, and it’s hard to believe it wasn’t that long ago. The tech era also inspired many of the traditional products of the time, with futuristic shapes and forward-thinking designs appearing everywhere. An early example of the 2000s “Matrix-style” aesthetic is the Seiko S...
New: Seiko 5 Sports 55th Anniversary Models
In 2019, the Seiko 5 Sports line was revived. Since then, we've seen loads of releases, and several have looked back upon the brand's historical catalog. Today, in celebration of the Seiko 5 Sports 55th anniversary, we get four retro releases. We'll spend most of our time, however, on one of the models because it's something different and very refreshing.Yes, it was 2019 when Seiko decided to bring back the Seiko 5 Sports line. I recall this well because I was sitting by the pool in Cyprus when the email hit my inbox. Here was the replacement for the much-loved SKX series - sort of. Regardless, I sent a quick WhatsApp to RJ, and moments later, I was cranking out an article on the 20+ variant...
Grail Watch Attained, Collection Complete Now What?
Grail watches, complete collections, exit watches - are these ever actually attained? I attained mine, or I think I did. Aside from still needing to sell off a few unloved pieces languishing in the drawer, with my most recent acquisition, I felt the sweet relief of the watch bug leaving me. “I have the watches I want, and I don’t want more,” I felt. I even pitched an article about it, which you’re reading now. The trouble is, I’ve since seen a watch I want. So the question is: is there a difference between wanting and wanting to own? Furthermore, is a collection considered complete when it’s complete for the time being or complete forever? Because future T...