Last weekend, we hosted An Evening With Fratello in the city center of The Hague, Netherlands. At the upscale hotel VOCO The Hague, in the “below deck” of its Ultramarijn bar, there were over 50 watch enthusiasts from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and even Denmark who came to share their passion for watches.Since the start of Fratello back in 2004, we have organized several events

As watch aficionados, we can have a tendency to behave like maximizers. Chasing ever-bigger dreams. Pursuing more exotic materials. Chasing down more complicated movements. Getting the version that is even rarer, even more special. But you know what? Those are not always the better watches. Let me take this opportunity to bring an ode to the base model - the simplest, often most affordable version

With this review, Mk II will be making its very first appearance on Fratello. However, it is a brand known to those who are into historically accurate, modern-made military dive watches. There are many military watches, vintage and new, that watch collectors are into, and the Mk II Stingray II Keroman has become a sought-after timepiece. Let's find out why!?Mk II's founder Bill Yao developed a few

Urwerk exists in a rarefied space occupied by brands of a different species than the Swiss norm. Hyper-modern yet exhibiting a strong sense of craftsmanship, Urwerk’s designs are in an exclusive league indeed. The UR-120 Space Black is created within the brand’s secret lab by artisans with their eyes on the future rather than in the rearview mirror.I bet you’ll find it more chall

Coinciding with the Wheels & Waves surf-and-motorcycle festival in Biarritz, France, Breitling unveils two motorcycle-themed Top Time watches. Kickstarting the event is the third collaboration between Breitling and Australian surf-style brand and motorcycle customizer Deus Ex Machina. Also returning is the Triumph Top Time edition, both now part of Breitling’s permanent collection. The w

Last August, Christopher Ward released the C60 Trident Pro 300 collection, which quickly grew into one of the brand’s most popular lines. Now Christopher Ward gives it a new look with the C60 Atoll 300 models, featuring gradient dials and stainless steel bezels. Additionally, the brand is releasing a new slimline tapered rubber strap, making these two new watches more than just simple additi

Several watches and brands pay homage to certain aircraft or vehicles. Even more are designed specifically for flight or racing. But I get excited about watches that capture something special about these modern machines we humans obsess over. The REC Watches Limited Collection does just that. These watches contain physical pieces of the vehicles they represent, making each unique. It lets one wear

Parmigiani Fleurier, a brand synonymous with discreet luxury since the runaway success of the Tonda PF collection, has done it once again with its new Tonda PF Sport line. Marketed for active leisure times rather than performance sports, the line debuts with a 42mm Chronograph and a 41mm time-only Automatic in both steel and 18K rose gold.With the unveiling of the Tonda PF Sport line, the Swiss in

More than once, I’ve come across comments below articles and posts that try to measure the success of a watch brand by the resale value of its watches on the pre-owned market. But does it make sense to measure a brand’s performance this way? Is there a link between the revenue of a watch brand based on its new products and the prices on the secondary watch market?Traditional metrics to

Omega has quietly introduced a trio of updated Seamaster Aqua Terra models to its catalog. These three new references cover the full size range in the Aqua Terra lineup, feature all the upgrades found in the Shades collection, and add a new micro-adjustment system for the bracelet. But whereas the Shades quintet had a lot of fun in the sun playing with color, this latest three-watch launch is stay

Another Friday, another Top 5! This week, we look at some of the best Audemars Piguet releases of 2024. With a new CEO Ilaria Resta now leading the brand, it will be interesting to see what the future has in store. In her first six months on the job, we have seen quite a few interesting AP releases. As we all know, they still have Fran?ois-Henry Bennahmias’s signature on them as developing d

Let me begin with a piece of advice: if you think you actually want to buy this watch, you might be better off just going straight to the Laventure website instead of reading this article. By the time you’ve finished, chances are that the reference of your choice will have already sold out. Now, for everyone else who simply enjoys reading about a well-designed and hot new watch, let me intro

Doxa’s Sub 200T is a wonderful underwater companion and underlines the trend toward smaller tool watches. Having debuted just before the start of Watches and Wonders 2024, the Sub 200T was met with broadly positive acclaim. As a truly mid-sized option with a 39mm case diameter and slim profile, it rounds out Doxa’s cushion-cased offerings quite nicely.Doxa dive watches have always worn

Ulysse Nardin would not be the first brand I’d turn to when considering modern dive watches. But I must admit that the Diver Net OPS and the Diver X Skeleton OPS in this review immediately stood out when I saw the pictures online. Both watches feature a military-inspired camouflage look that I quite like, so when they landed on my desk, I was happy to take them for a spin. As it turns out, t

If it weren’t for the guys over at Hodinkee to notify me, I probably wouldn’t even have noticed that Audemars Piguet’s golf ambassador Rory McIlroy is wearing the same watch as I do. The Royal Oak Chronograph ref.26300ST with the ‘Newman’ dial.Rory McIlroy (22yrs old) won the U.S. Open last Sunday (June 19th) with the lowest score in the history of the tournament. He

It is no secret that we love mechanical watches. But what if you go to foreign places where this type of luxury is not much appreciated, or where there’s other sorts of risk of damaging your precious watch? This is where this FW Classic – Seiko SKX007 vs Citizen NY0040 article comes in. Two affordable mechanical watches, from well-respected manufacturers, that you can wear with confide

Here on Fratello Watches, we've featured a number of vintage Yema models on our site. These fun, often brightly colored watches represented the affordable side of the hobby: often mimicking far more expensive Heuers with semi-similar design motifs, but costing far less in the marketplace. They were plentiful, robust with most containing 773x movements and fun. Recently, though, Yema chronographs h

We receive a fair amount of email over here at Fratello HQ, which is folksy code for saying that our team receives a lot of messages in our inboxes. Some of these emails are direct communication from readers like you, but more often than not, they're promotional emails from brands either announcing a new model or brands asking if we are interested in covering their newest piece. Believe me, we rec

Some of you might have thought that Watch Strap Review disappeared from our pages. This feature did not vanish but went on an extended holiday. However, I'm happy to report that we are back and have something special for you guys today. This article's topic is not entirely new, you could read about a similar project from the same brand a while ago (here). The company is G.L.C. Straps, an Italian s

Just before the news hit us that Matthias Breschan (Rado) will be the successor of Longines CEO Walter von K?nel, I had an interview with him. Although things are slowly getting better here in Europe, we still had to use a Zoom call to do the interview.Times are a-changing, and the Swatch Group is endeavoring to change with them. Shuffling the positions of power within the group was a nice move. D