Depancel AUTO RS New Collection Available For Pre-Order Now
Every brand should be built on passion. More often than not, the first passion of watch company founders is watchmaking itself. What adds real flavor to the dish, however, are the secondary passions and interests of a brand’s creators. In the case of French brand Depancel, the obsession remains within the mechanical realm. The new Depancel AUTO RS collection continues the brand’s established theme of blending automotive design cues with those of the watch industry. The result? A rather stylish number…If you’ve not heard of Depancel, allow me to give you a brief introduction to the brand. The brand was founded in 2018 by Clement Meynier, a former CERN engineer. It has,...
Nezumi Voiture Chronographs On The Wrist
For a while, when I was a kid, I think I was the teacher’s pet. I’m not entirely sure how comfortable I am with acknowledging that, but in hindsight, I’m sure it must be true. I hadn’t realized how easy I’d had it until I started to analyze the position of the (three) Nezumi Voiture watches in my collection. At last. I’ve found my kindred spirit…Everybody has things in their lives that don’t make much sense when stacked next to the rest of one’s existence. These little erraticisms make us interesting. They are very often the best bits of us. The weird streaks of madness that make our otherwise beige existences pop with color. From outside...
The Sternglas Zirkel Edition Bauhaus
Last year saw the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus movement. Many watch brands also celebrated with the release of a special Bauhaus edition watch. But there are brands that celebrate Bauhaus design every day. One of those brands is the Hamburg based brand Sternglas. They just released their Sternglas Zirkel Edition Bauhaus as a special celebration piece showing the symmetry that makes Bauhaus design so effective and playful at the same time.Although still a young brand, naming Sternglas a new brand is not really fair at this point. If you are present in the online world of watches, chances are you have seen its many ads on websites and social media. The brand’s onli...
Interview With A Speedy Collector From A CK2915-3 To The Silver Snoopy Award
For this week’s Speedy Tuesday we have an interview for you with Peter, or PC as his friends call him. However, to most of you #SpeedyTuesday followers on Instagram, you’ve probably come across his account by the name of @watch_ors.With over 2500 posts he gathered roughly 7500 followers on his Instagram account. It will become immediately clear he’s a Speedmaster enthusiast, although you will also find posts of his Swatches, Grand Seiko, Longines, and watches. PC is a Speedmaster enthusiast living on a continent surrounded by two oceans and three seas. He’s married with children, yet fortunate enough to still continue his passion for watches. His grandfather was a wa...
Great Watches We Rarely Discuss, But Should (2021)
These days, we seem to focus on the newest watch releases with a longing eye towards whatever might come next. We lap up the debuts and move on quickly. Furthermore, we also pine over those watches that are impossible to buy (ahem, ). It’s time to take a deep breath and realize that there are some truly great watches that are readily available and are, dare I say, modern classics. Let’s have a look …FOMO … that’s “fear of missing out,” for those of you who aren’t glued to your phone. We’re addicted to platforms like Instagram where the pressure is on to keep showing something / anything new. In today’s watch world, a competitive nat...
Hamilton Field Khaki Bronze (2021) Is The Best Novelty This Year
Every so often, a press release hits the inbox that looks so familiar you almost ignore it as old news. And then, because a little voice in the back of your head calls out and stays your cursor as it hovers over the trash can, you look again and you realize that this is actually something new. It is something that, while new, looks so much like something that should have already existed you genuinely believed for a second that it did. Your apathy morphs into excitement. This new watch feels like a vivid dream that has leaped from your subconscious and manifested in metal and sapphire before you. Such was my first encounter with the Hamilton Khaki Field in BRONZE.There are few watches so wide...
Fratello EDC: Thomas's Everyday Carry Essentials
In this installment Fratello EDC, Thomas shares his everyday carry essentials. We have a look at the stuff he needs to get through the day. Let's stick our curious little noses into his bags and pockets!I do not particularly like to pack a whole lot of stuff. Unfortunately, as a watch journo, you need quite a few things on a daily basis. I am also slightly neurotic when it comes to my daily items. Everything is always in its proper place. Few things bring me greater discomfort than finding that my keys, wallet, or phone are not in the right place.The phone: iPhone 13 Pro MaxI have to confess, I like big phones. I remember making fun of a friend years ago. He had this 4.7″ Samsung, and ...
Chanel WANTED Capsule Collection Featuring The J12 Calibre 12.1
Long gone are the days when I sneered at the mention of a Chanel watch and dismissed it as a fashion item. I remember sitting at a fine London bar some years ago with my WOSTEP-trained watchmaker-turned-marketer friend from Audemars Piguet and, unavoidably, talking shop. After a few decadent cocktails, my Dutch courage compelled me to blurt out how much I liked the BoyFriend Skeleton. Then I went on about how Chanel had upped the horological ante. To my surprise, he confessed that he loved the J12!Talk about genderleess or unisex watches, whatever the label is, Chanel was already on board back in 2000 with the introduction of the ceramic J12. I’m not a watch snob. I am not partial to ...
Hands-On: Nezumi Voiture Ref. VM1S.601 Limited Edition
Hey! You're wearing the new Nezumi Voiture ref. VM1S.601 chronograph, the neurobiologist enthusiastically said during last Saturday's Fratello get-together. I was quite surprised by that. Nezumi is not a mainstream brand, and the lights in the bar were dimmed. Still, he identified the watch as soon as it met his gaze. Later, I found out that the neurobiologist has a scary knack for remembering reference numbers. I suspect, since he's in the brain business and probably knows a trick or two to get the most out of the human brain, he also stunned some other attendees with his factual knowledge. Anyway, back to the blue Nezumi Voiture ref. VM1S.601 chronograph. I have been wearing it for a while...
Tissot NBA Strap Collection Perfect For The Tissot SuperSport
Tissot has had a connection to the NBA as well as other basketball organizations for a long time now. For this, having at least one watch in the collection that celebrates this partnership is a must. Still, the brand went a bit further. Tissot does not only associate a watch, the SuperSport, with its affiliation but also a new collection of straps.The NBA (National Basketball Association) is one of the four major sports leagues in North America, consisting of American and Canadian basketball teams. As such, the market is vast, and being part of this grand alliance is crucial. Tissot has been the official timekeeper for the NBA since 2015. Last year, the Swiss watch manufacturer and the leagu...
Serica 5303-3 Vs. Oris ProPilot X Summer Splash Round 3
Are you ready for round three of the Fratello Summer Splash 2022? Well, ready or not, it's about to begin. This year's contest is all about finding the best colorful watches to keep you happy all summer long. Sure, warm weather and long days might already put a smile on your face, but a brightly colored watch on your wrist always kicks things up a notch. Much like a bold pair of sunglasses, a Hawaiian shirt, or even your summery cocktail of choice, a suitable watch for the warmer months is a cornerstone of summer fun. Last year we narrowed this down in a rather technical way with requirements as to water resistance, price, and availability. This year, all we ask is that the watches are curre...
Fratello Talks: Approaching Watch Wearers In The Wild
Do you approach other watch wearers in the wild, or are you hesitant to do so? We often see others wearing incredibly nice watches on their wrists, but we only comment on them once in a while. Lex remembers making a comment to someone wearing a full-gold Cartier Santos 100 with a very special strap. And RJ commented on someone’s , but that wasn’t well-received. In this episode, we talk about approaching watch wearers in the wild!...
Fratello Nivada Grenchen Racing Chronograph Is Back In Stock!
Summer is upon us, and it holds a special place in our hearts here at Fratello. Why, you may wonder? It’s pretty simple: the sun graces us with its warmth, the outdoors becomes inviting once again, and most importantly, we’re thrilled to announce the release of the remaining Fratello Nivada Grenchen Racing Chronograph collection.Brace yourself for an exquisite selection of timepieces as we proudly present five distinct dial variants. We have a total of 40 watches available in each color, resulting in a magnificent total of 200 pieces. Yes, the time has come to place your orders. The watches are available right now, and we anticipate an overwhelming response, just as we experience...
#TBT The Non-Lumed Gallet Snow White
I promised you more Gallet vintage watches this year, so here we go. After years of hunting, I found my ultimate non-lumed Gallet Multichron 12 “Snow White.” As a warmup, I do recommend reading my story about the lumed Gallet Snow White, which I published almost four years ago. They have something special in common. To give you a hint, focus on the 12-hour counter. But we will get to that soon enough…Lumed or non-lumed Gallet Snow White?To me, the answer is simple - the non-lumed version wins. It seems like a minor difference, but the simple style of the hands adds something unique to the overall experience. The lumed Snow White is fresher, more playful, and a bit sporty. T...
Hands-On: Sinn 104 A Fan Favorite For Good Reason
The Sinn 104 is a watch that is near and dear to the hearts of many collectors and aficionados. I know that for many of them, it was their first and/or only foray into higher-end watches. I considered buying one many years ago too but never got around to it. So I am ashamed to admit I had never handled one. I felt it was about time that I see what the fuss is all about, so I asked the folks at Sinn to lend me one, and they did. I have spent some time with it, and I am happy to share that experience with you.In short, the Sinn 104 lives up to its promise. Join me to have a closer look at the 104 ST SA I, the black-dial version with stick indices.The Sinn 104The Sinn 104 was introduced in 2013...
The New Alpina Heritage Carree Mechanical 140 Years
It's late June in the quiet mountain town of Zermatt. A bustling ski resort in winter, summer is a relatively quiet time up here, with only hikers and mountain bikers making the pilgrimage to the Matterhorn's unofficial base camp. Fittingly, it’s this alpine backdrop that Alpina has selected to celebrate its 140th anniversary, and it wouldn't be a proper celebration without at least one new release. To mark the occasion, Alpina decided to look back to some of its accomplishments in the early 20th century and release two new watches, both named Alpina Heritage Carree Mechanical 140 Years.Not everything about these two new timepieces is new. The movements used inside are a young 85 years...
Hands-On: Calgari Dimora Panda And Pierre Morlet
It’s always exciting to discover a new watch brand, even more so when it was founded in your hometown. As we’re practically neighbors, I sat down for lunch with Vincent Bakker, one of the three founders of Calgari, to learn more about this Amsterdam-based brand and its watches. The adventure started by selling off-the-shelf watches, but soon, the founders wanted to develop designs of their own. That’s how their first collection of meca-quartz chronographs came about. I went hands-on with two of them - the Dimora Panda and Pierre Morlet.As we sat down, Vincent told me this all started as a fun project between three friends. He and his friends Tim and Thijs had always wanted ...
Hands-On: Three Colorful Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba Watches
Two of the colorful new Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba watches are easy. One comes in yellow and the other one in orange. But the third one is a bit more puzzling. Is it pink? No, I think the right name for the color Hamilton so boldly decided to use is magenta, a purplish-red hue. You could say it's a shade of pink, but because of the different saturation, it looks bolder and stronger than pink. Why did Hamilton pick magenta instead of more traditional pink? Maybe because it’s the color of universal harmony and emotional balance? Nah, I think the brand just didn't want to bring yet another pink watch into this world.Case closed in terms of colors, I suggest. We have a bigger fish to fry - ...
Independent watchmaking: Les Ateliers deMonaco
Monaco is one of those cities you really have to visit once every while, just to breathe the atmosphere of luxury lifestyle and jet-setters. Fans of independent watchmaking now have a new (or other) excuse to pay Monaco a visit… The launch of independent watch manufacturer Les Ateliers deMonaco!The Ateliers DeMonaco Carre d’Or is a watch that should remind us of the famous and most exclusive squares in the world, located in Monaco between the famous Royal Casino and a number of five star hotels. The Carre d’Or has a convex case design, a patentend Grand Tourbillon movement that uses a sapphire bridge that makes it look like the one minute tourbillon is floating inside the w...
Treasury Cabinet At Kronometry 1999 London
Treasury CabinetWhile many watch collections – like ours – are stowed away somewhere in the safe environment of a local bank, there are other more attractive ways to safely store your beloved timepieces. During a trip to London?some time ago we actually had some spare time to explore London. So apart from making sure we tested all local bars we actually spent some time window shopping and we were friendly invited inside at Kronometry 1999 on Bond Street to see their special treasury cabinet.Besides all the watches on display our attention was caught by this amazing and fully customisable Treasury cabinet. This well built cabinet called The Treasury' is made by Buben & Zorweg ...