A Brief History Of Time: Gronefeld's Complete Brand History (2021)
For a watch brand that has only been available at market for 13 years, Gronefeld has already left a remarkable imprint on the world of independent timepieces. The Dutch Horological Brothers, Tim and Bart Gronefeld, not only carry on their family tradition as watchmakers, but also, having become true masters of their craft, produce only grail-level material in extremely small numbers. In this next installment of our Brief History Of Time series, we aim to enlighten those just learning about this exclusive manufacture as to why their watches are already, despite their relative youth in the worldwide market, considered nothing less than top level.Bart and Tim Gronefeld credit their passion for ...
The New Breitling SuperOcean Completes The Lineup
The new Breitling SuperOcean is here, and it marks the culmination of a “rebirth” for the brand. The SuperOcean was amongst the last in the lineup to receive a complete remodel, but I think it’s fantastic. Let’s dive in!Yes, since the arrival of Georges Kern, Breitling has undergone a complete revamp. Essentially, everything that we knew from five years ago has been redone, resized, and, frankly, made better. Plus, we vintage nerds have even been treated to some epic reissues along the way, including some real enthusiast-driven beauties such as the hand-wound Premier. There was one notable omission from the makeover process, though, and that was the everyday dive watc...
#TBT A Tropical Day With The Excelsior Park EP-4
No doubt about it, summer is here. It’s about the highest time to put “the original” Excelsior Park into the spotlight. The last few weeks, it has been pretty hot in the heart of Europe where I live. The temperature climbed almost up to 40C, and I wished that I could go to the office naked. I have been wearing shorts with linen shirts or light T-shirts every single day for a few weeks now. With more and more watches coming into my collection, the morning pairing ritual takes longer. No matter how long it took last week, I always ended up with some colorful or bright-dialed watch.How Excelsior Park ended my bright-dial periodThe moment I took this Excelsior Park into my han...
Watch Pet Peeves: Brandon's Top 3 Deal-Breaking Designs
Have you ever seen a watch online that you absolutely loved, only to then notice the “big mole” on its face? Or worse, have you ever bought one based on doctored photos, only to find it incredibly disappointing in real life? I’ve found myself in both situations, and man, what a letdown it can be! Especially when considering dropping significant cash on a watch, it’s best to anticipate and avoid these conundrums upfront. That’s why I’m here today to share with you, the Fratelli, my top three watch pet peeves of all time. These are the top three deal-breaking design elements for me. And no, not even the venerable Grand Seiko gets a pass!In my opinion, these ...
?Giveaway Winner Announced: Mitch Mason Cream Dial Chronicle
Oh wow. What a task I created for myself. The answers given to the question posed in this giveaway were truly some of the finest generated by this exercise thus far. I am impressed and I am grateful. With so many great stories and insightful comments to sift through, picking a winner has been hard. In fact, it’s been the hardest decision yet. So many of you deserved the top prize, but the Mitch Mason Chronicle with a cream dial can call only one wrist its home…Normally, I do a rundown of the top five or so comments, but this time I’m passing on that format. Why? There was just?too many deserving comments, that the exercise felt like splitting hairs. In the end, I went for t...
?Thor Shares His Everyday Carry Coach, Lenovo, Lumix, & More
It's time for another installment of Fratello EDC, where we're sharing our editorial team's everyday carry items. This time, the Fratello editor to share the contents of his bag and pockets is the viking. Does Thor pack woolly mittens and a flare gun to scare off polar bears?I’ll be honestly sharing what I bring with me when I am outside of my home office. I lead a double life, pretending to be a free spirit - aka The Writer - while actually having a lovely day job that makes my life rather normal. Well, except for the eternal question of how my wife and two kids are still around. They are not always happy with me snapping open my laptop while doing a wrist shot of a prototype at the m...
Tissot PRX Automatic Chronograph At The MotoGP Racetrack
I really do like watching the MotoGP races on television. But seeing those two-wheeled monsters and their riders taming them live is something else. So why not call up Tissot - the brand that is the official timekeeper of MotoGP since 2001 - and ask for two press tickets, one for Nacho and one for me? It was also the perfect opportunity to once again get our hands on the Tissot PRX Automatic Chronograph. And so we asked for two of those - one blue and one panda-dialed version - to accompany us to the Friday practice sessions of the 91st Assen TT. Here's the live photo report from the famous, spectacular, and, at times, rainy Cathedral of Speed.Did you know that Tissot has been producing offi...
The Louis Moinet Super Moon Contains An Actual Part Of The Moon
When John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival said, “I see the bad moon a-risin'”, he was singing about an apocalypse, the end of days. Thankfully, there’s no apocalypse in sight in the watch industry right now. The lyric, however, is still appropriate for today, albeit with a slight tweak. I’m going with, “I see the badass moon a-risin'”. What on earth am I on about? Well, it’s only the Louis Moinet Super Moon, part of the brand’s Cosmic Art collection. And “badass” is undoubtedly the right word to describe it.I’m sure this is not the first time I have described a watch as badass. It’s likely not going to be the las...
Introducing: The New Monta Oceanking "v3"
Any news of a new dive watch is generally good news. When it comes to a new Monta Oceanking, though, we suspect that some fans have been eagerly waiting for quite some time. I’m happy to report that both those fans and potential new entrants to the brand should like what they see here.Wow! I was conducting some research for the new Monta Oceanking, which naturally led me to the prior version known as “v2.” Astonishingly, the first link that arose during my search was from Monta itself with an end-of-production notice. That’s not so surprising, but it was published in February 2022. This means that Monta has been soldiering on without a dive watch in its catalog for ne...
Fratello's Top 5 Worst Watch Brand Ambassadors Ever
It’s Friday, and that means another Top 5! This week’s topic is a follow-up to last week’s list. We decided to shake things up a bit compared to previous weeks where we focused solely on watches. Last week, we took a look at the five best watch brand ambassadors, so this week, we have compiled a list of the five worst. It was shortly discussed in the comments of last week’s article, but let’s address it properly!As I mentioned in last week’s article, brand ambassadors are a recurring topic of conversation within the world of watches. Referring back to Lex’s article that I also mentioned last week, there are a lot of questions about why watch companie...
Introducing: The Awake Mission To Earth Meatball
Space exploration was the greatest adventure of the 20th century. Humanity achieved the peak of manned space exploration over 50 years ago with Neil Armstrong's steps on the surface of the Moon, and one organization above all epitomizes exploration of the unknown - NASA. In this fourth installment of the Mission to Earth line, Awake pays tribute to NASA and its iconic logo with the Mission To Earth Meatball.Taking direct inspiration from the instantly recognizable NASA logo, Awake continues to lean into the design aesthetic of the original Mission to Earth project. A matte blue dial with a red chapter ring directly calls to mind the main design elements of NASA's logo. The chapter ring bears...
Vincent's GADA Watch: The Formex Essence 39 COSC
Let's do this without any messing around today and get straight to the topic: my GADA watch is the Formex Essence 39. There, end of the article. In all seriousness, however, I love talking about GADA watches. My entire horological life revolves around GADA watches and the pursuit of the perfect one. I think back to the times when people actually needed watches and the fact they probably only owned one. At least, I would assume most people did. Watches were necessary to stay organized and keep track of time, and sometimes having one was a matter of life or death (you've seen Apollo 13, right?) Although I don't need a watch, I love wearing one. I can't picture myself going about my day without...
The Best Summer Watches: RJ's Picks
As I write this overview of the best summer watches, I’m looking through the window of my hotel on Mykonos. It’s quite picturesque, with an incredible view of the beach, some yachts, and those typical white houses on the hills. It could be worse, much worse. But this is still a working trip, and although I feel privileged to get to see some of the nicest places in the world, it's only a holiday when I’m with my family and away from my laptop.My holiday watchMy best summer watches, not (just) holiday watchesIt is summer, though, and we decided to write some articles on our editors’ favorite summer watches, not holiday watches. Like many watch enthusiasts, I usually pic...
Hands-On: The Spinnaker Spence 300 Automatic
Some of us have had enough of vintage inspiration, while others can’t get enough, even after ’60s diver reissue number five. Spinnaker has just released some colorful takes on the Spence 300 Automatic, allowing the vast line to cater to both groups.The Spinnaker Spence 300 Automatic is a solid Miyota-powered wrist buddy that can go full-on retro. On the other end of the scale, it can be also a vivid, modern-looking, minty summer hit. Can Spinnaker’s modern twist and the Spence’s 24 possible looks be enough for a seasoned watch collector? Let me unbox it, and we’ll see.Spinnaker's wayI've long advocated for the smaller players on the watch scene, and my sentiment...
Introducing: The Hautlence Retrovision '47
One of the most whimsical timepieces we saw at Watches and Wonders this year was the Hautlence Retrovision ’47. Presented as a pice unique for the fair, this watch is far from your regular timepiece. The design takes direct inspiration from a late-1940s radio built by General Television & Radio Corp. from Chicago. It certainly brought a smile to the face of anyone who had a chance to check it out. Now Hautlence is introducing this remarkable watch as a limited edition of just 10 pieces. Seeing the watch again is a great reminder of its design’s brilliance combined with a stunning flying tourbillon movement. It’s time to remind ourselves that serious watchmaking can als...
Sunday Morning Showdown: Jubilee Vs. Oyster Bracelets
We have a rather special Sunday Morning Showdown for you today. For once, we aren't pitting two watches against each other. This time, it is up to two bracelet styles to fight it out. These are not just any two bracelet styles, mind you, but two of the most iconic ones to ever affix watches to wrists. This is the battle of the bracelets - Oyster versus Jubilee!Thomas will defend the ever-handsome Oyster bracelet, while Mike will fight for the mighty Jubilee. In the end, though, it is up to you to pick a winner. Cast your votes, and share your motivations in the comments!Last week's showdownBefore we get into all of that, let's have a look at last week's Sunday Morning Showdown. Jorg and RJ p...
Project X Designs: Customize your watch!
Project X Designs is a London based company, specializing in customizing [mainly ] wrist watches. You can order a regular wrist watch on their site, and tick the options to customize it entirely to your wishes. DLC (Diamond Like Carbon is quite popular since a few years, and since isn’t offering in their own catalogue, Project X Designs can do so for you! The DLC wiki sums it up as: “The hardest, strongest, and slickest is such a mixture, known as tetrahedral amorphous carbon, or ta-C. For example a coating of only 2??m thickness of ta-C increases the resistance of common (i.e. type 304) stainless steel against abrasive wear; changing its lifetime in such service from one week ...
A BaselWorld 2014 Recap Before We Visit BaselWorld 2015
In only a few weeks from now, the Fratello Watches team will be visiting Basel for the annual BaselWorld exhibition. Although it is a lot of fun to be there, it is also hard work. A full week of back-to-back appointments with watch brands with the five Fratelli?to bring you all the big news from Basel to your screen. From all the exhibitors (last year there were about 1500 of them), we only get to see a fraction of course, but we will make sure to bring you the novelties from the most important ones.Before we do so, let’s give you a quick run down on what I liked best of BaselWorld 2014 and what I expect to see from these same brands this year.1. Omega Seamaster 300Like every year, our...
Speedy Tuesday White Dial Speedmaster Professionals To Choose From
Unlike the Daytona, where it is quite common to make a choice between a white dial or a black dial, the Speedmaster Professional comes with a black dial. Most of the time, that is. There are some limited and numbered editions from the past where Omega decided to use a white dial instead for the Professional. In all other cases, you need to seek for Speedmaster models that do no belong to the Professional series (or are a ‘Moonwatch’) if you want to have a white dial.With this article, I’d like to give you an overview of white dial Speedmaster Professional models.?Let me start by saying that the most beautiful white dial version – in my book – is the one that th...
Hands-On With The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Chronograph Reference 1538530
Jaeger-LeCoultre had a strong game this year during the SIHH in my opinion. It is actually one of the Richemont brands that didn’t seem to be searching for its own?identity, but did what it does best: design great watches using their heritage and impressive collection of in-house movements. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Chronograph is my favorite from their new collection. In this article, I will show you why.Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Chronograph –?Using HeritageMy first appointment at the SIHH this year was a coffee with the Dutch representative of Jaeger-LeCoultre. I had an interview planned with Stephane Belmonte later that day, and I thought it would be wise to already have a qui...