Daan's GADA Watch: The Very Versatile Cartier Santos
All right, the moment is here. My time has finally come to choose and tell you about my “go anywhere, do anything” watch. I’ve tried to postpone this decision because I feel it’s a very difficult one to make. After all, I feel like different occasions ask for a different watch on the wrist. That’s exactly why I and so many others don’t own just one but various types of watches. But if I had to choose my one and only GADA watch, it would be my very versatile Cartier Santos Galbee XL reference 2823.The other watch in my collection that I could’ve gone for was the Explorer 114270. And as it was so hard to choose between these two watches, I even asked ...
Hands-On: The New Casio G-Shock Remaster Black Series
Over the past couple of months, we have seen quite a few new Casio G-Shock introductions that celebrate the 40th anniversary of the brand. It’s been great to see the creativity in all of these new watches. But in the end, it’s all about the biggest icons that the brand has produced that make for the greatest anniversary models. For this special Remaster Black series, G-Shock came up with a very cool concept, releasing four of its biggest icons in stealthy black versions with the reference numbers of the 49 most important G-Shock models stamped on the strap. These four models offer a great timeline of 40 years of G-Shock and might just be the best anniversary models that have been...
What Are Some Essential Watch Tools And Why?
We love our straps here at Fratello and offer a wide variety of great options. But what about essential watch tools? Is it worthwhile to spend more for a higher-grade strap-changing tool, and what is a good starting point? This article will introduce the basics. Read on.I don’t know about you, but when I first got into this hobby I was daunted by the prospect of changing a strap or a bracelet. Heck, I wasn’t even ready to start considering changing the bracelet length yet. This was a challenge because my first new Swiss watch (a Doxa Sub 200 Sharkhunter) had come on a factory bracelet that was way too long for my small wrists.Essential watch toolsI remember when I pulled it out o...
Is Seiko Slowly Losing Its Value-For-Money Image?
This week, I wrote the introduction article for the new additions to Seiko’s Marinemaster collection. To prepare myself, I read through the comments below Thomas’s article on the initial release of the updated Marinemaster last November. The number of comments below that article was quite surprising in itself. We certainly don’t get nearly 80 comments on a release article that often. But what struck me the most was the overarching theme: people thought the $3,400 price was way too high. Is Seiko slowly losing its value-for-money image?I’m not saying I agree or disagree with the point of view in those comments. I merely think it’s surprising to hear something lik...
IWC Ingenieur Mission Earth Edition Adventure Ecology IW3236
The green production process of the watch manufacturer in Schaffhausen, is something to be proud of. Not only IWC, but a lot of other companies seem to embrace durable entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility. One of IWC‘s projects is to support projects like David de Rothshild‘s Plastiki Expedition. David de Rothschild and his Adventure Ecology organization built a 60 foot catamaran made entirely of plastic bottles, PET plastic and recycled waste products. With this ship, named the Plastiki, David and his carefully picked crew members will sail approx. 10,000 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Sydney.The name of this boat, Plastiki, was ins...
Speedy Tuesday Our Reader's Speedmaster 145.022-78 Story
The story starts, not with my 1978 Speedmaster 145.022 but on a July day in 1961 in West London. Three months earlier Yuri Gagarin's Vostok One took the first man into space. Now aged 7, I stood with my Dad in the crowds lining the streets near our house in Hounslow. As Gagarin's car drove past towards London Airport he waved and even today I get butterflies just thinking about that moment. On Yuri's wrist during that first manned earth orbit a Sturmanskie watch made by the First Moscow Watch Factory. The first watch in space.Fast forward 8 years to July 1969. I was watching grainy black and white TV pictures with my family of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepping onto the Moon's surface. ...
Hands-On With The Omega Speedmaster Moon 345.0809
The Omega Speedmaster Moon 345.0809 or “Speedy Moon” is one of those grail watches of mine. It’s not the small production of 1,300 that makes it so desirable for me, but rather its complications combined with the classic Speedmaster design.It is no secret that the Speedmaster is my favorite chronograph. I love the design of the case, the clean and readable dial, and the history of this watch. Now, the Speedmaster Moon 345.0809 combines two of the complications I love the most - the chronograph and a moon phase indicator. It makes the dial a bit more cluttered, but the beautiful moon and stars on a disc make up for that. The “Speedymoon” was produced between Nove...
SPB171 Seiko Presage Arita Porcelain Dial Limited Edition Watch
In the olden days, long before Covid-19 swept the globe leaving a trail of heartbreak and disruption in its wake, I used to have friends. Really. Well, at least, I knew people who would willingly spend time with me if there was beer involved. One of the places we - the founding members of @RedBarMcr - used to meet to discuss our next group meetings was The Moon Under Water on Deansgate. In the egocentric fantasy land I like to occupy as often as possible, Seiko has therefore released the SPB171 to commemorate one of the former watering holes frequented by my friends and me. That is, of course, nonsense. But the watch is anything but…I’ve never been to Japan. As soon as lockdown i...
Wrist Game Or Crying Shame: Swatch Tresor Magique In Platinum
Wrist Game or Crying Shame is back again and it’s time to go “glamping.” That’s right, we are going to add a high-end touch to something normally very casual when we look at the Swatch Tresor Magique. But first…Oh, what a time we had last week when I dangled the Bulova Royal Oak in front of your beady eyes. An astounding 79% felt that the $3,900 asking price was akin to highway robbery and gave this sheep in wolf’s clothing a Crying Shame loss. I wasn’t surprised and I enjoyed all your comments. Today’s subject isn’t a pretender by definition, but one could say that it’s attempting to box well above its weight class due to the addit...
Discussing Tracking Watch Accuracy With A?Watch Geek
When I “rotated” the one and only watch on my wrist back in the day, I remember how obsessed I was with its accuracy. Every few days I set the time against a known source to be sure I always had the most precise time possible.? ?Since more watches have entered my collection, I?seldom wear the same watch for a few days in a row. Even if a watch comes for review, I?switch it during the day, just to refresh my eyes. I?don't know what your vibe is, but when I?have a?watch on my wrist for one?day only, watch accuracy is not an issue for me. Once I?put the watch aside, I?have no clue when it comes back on the wrist. That means I?always need to set and wind it again to feel like I?have ...
Watch Giveaway: Mitch Mason Chronicle With Cream Dial
It's been a while since we've had a straight-up giveaway on Fratello. That's entirely my fault. Furnished with a handful of cool and quirky watches to hand over to the Fratelli, I've been working through this stash in between my frequent travels. To many of us on the team who have become more than accustomed to heading into the office (or staying at home) throughout Corona and having the opportunity to pound the keys, the return to the road has hit us like a freight train. Happily, though, a window of opportunity has presented itself to me to write this article, and so I would like to present to you, the Fratelli, an opportunity to own this rather fetching cream-dialed Mitch Mason Chronicle ...
#TBT Seiko Think The Earth Wn-1 A Cosmic Watch Experience
I passed on the Seiko Think The Earth wn-1 a few times before. But my curiosity about bizarre watches multiplied by encouragement from peers (hello, Mike!) made me pull the trigger on this wonder from early 2000s. And I couldn’t have done any better. It doesn’t look very wearable. It even doesn’t look like a watch that can display the time. These were two major reasons why I held back from it for a long time. But when it popped up again (or when Mike made it pop up in front of me again), I gave it another look. I was trying to understand all the excitement that Mike and a few other fellow collectors hold for it. After all, I can relate to that feeling for sure. People who h...
Paint It Black The New Cartier Tank Must In Steel
Last year, Cartier surprised us with a most unexpected launch of three colorful Tank Must watches. I must admit, I found these pieces so amazing and charming that the series had already sold out before I could even make a choice. It was quite noteworthy that Cartier announced that the pre-launch of the Tank Must would take place in Europe, while the global release would happen a few months later.This announcement caused some excitement indeed. Soon, there was a shortage at the boutiques here in Europe, and soon after, it appeared that all the stock had sold out. Collectors weren’t sure how to view this release. With Europe running out of stock, would the rest of the world even get any?...
Strap Check: Breitling Superocean On A Zuludiver Sailcloth Strap
It’s funny how when we first start our journey into watch collecting, many of us have no intention of collecting straps too. I’m sure most people who eventually amass an alarming number of watch straps probably never set out with that goal in mind. But, one day, we all wake up, look at the sheer number of straps before us, and wonder how things got to be this way. I don’t know about you, but I have loads of straps I bought to try out that never even saw a watch because they were just a bit rubbish when they turned up on my doorstep. But some straps that I certainly can’t say that about are the Zuludiver Sailcoth straps I have in my collection.I bought my first one wit...
Fratello's Top 5 Vintage Seiko 5 References Ever Produced
Another Friday, another Top 5! In this series, we take one watch or watch series and choose our five favorite references ever produced. Today, it’s time for the last of three articles on the Seiko 5 line. Last week, I focused on our favorite Seiko 5 Sports limited editions ever produced. The result was a colorful list of Seiko 5 Sports references that show the great diversity of the line. But this week, we’ll have a look at vintage Seiko 5 models. These watches are both great first vintage pieces and sought-after models by collectors. It’s time to look at the top five vintage Seiko 5 references ever produced.After two lists with modern Seiko 5 Sports models, it was about ti...
The New Breguet Type 20 And Type XX Are Too Cheap
The Air and Space Museum is located within Paris-Le Bourget, Europe's leading business airport, and it was the perfect venue for the introduction of the new Breguet Type 20 and Type XX watches. Two massive Ariane rockets, a gigantic Boeing 747 jumbo jet, and an even bigger Airbus A380 dominate the scenery. It's inside the terminal building with its elegant Art Deco architecture that the worlds of Breguet watches and flying machines come together. But after walking past several Breguet creations and seeing the exhibition of three generations of military Type 20 and civilian Type XX and XXI timepieces, I saw that the fourth and latest generation was absent. I needed to be patient until much la...
Testing A Porsche Design Chronograph 1 In Its Natural Habitat
I have probably given the Porsche Design Chronograph 1 the best possible chance of impressing me. I tested it in its natural environment, a Porsche 911. And then Porsche let me loose with that watch/car combination on the Grossglockner-Hochalpenstrasse, the natural environment of the 911. Admittedly, I am not the biggest fan of press trips. Some may look glamorous, but they often involve a ton of waiting and awkward conversations. But this one, I must say, could have been worse - a lot worse.Join me on a pacy drive from the Porsche Design headquarters in Zell am See to the new Mankei drivers' hideout on the Grossglockner.Image: Grossglockner.atThe Grossglockner-HochalpenstrasseLet me start b...
Why Do Brands Release So Many Watches?
The answer to these questions is probably - spoiler alert - to earn money. But apart from that, what do brands typically expect when they launch new collections or additions to their portfolio? Yes, sure, in the end, it’s all about selling more of their products, but there can be different underlying motives as to why brands release so many watches.In the realm of luxury watches, with a seemingly never-ending stream of new timepieces hitting the market, enthusiasts, and collectors are spoiled for choice. Many renowned watch brands consistently release a plethora of models, leaving us wondering why they maintain such a fast-paced production schedule. In this article, I’ll explore ...
Fratello Talks: In-House Movements
In this week’s episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho, RJ, and Thomas discuss the matter of in-house movements. What is an in-house movement? Which brands produce/use them? And how much do they matter to the guys when buying a watch? If you want the answers to these questions, listen to the episode below. It’s a hot and much-discussed topic among our audience....
The Omega CK976 With A Glorious T17 Movement
Today, we’ll look at a charming little Omega CK976. It’s a lovely watch on the outside, but the inner workings are just as notable if not more so. This tank from 1939 is equipped with the caliber T17, a movement worthy of a place in anyone’s vintage collection.When considering vintage Omega watches and their movements, calibers 30T2 and 321 tend to dominate the narrative. It makes sense to some degree because the former was a rock-solid movement that soldiered on for decades. The 321 went to the Moon and has staged a successful comeback in recent years. There are other notable movements in the brand’s history, and the T17 is certainly among them. This movement found i...