Hands-on with the Seiko Prospex SRPC49 Black Series Diver
Re-issue! Re-package! Re-package! as crooned by Morrissey of The Smiths in Paint a Vulgar Picture was actually what came to mind when I first read about today's watch, the Seiko Prospex SRPC49 Black Series. If you're at all familiar with the song (or if you're not), it, in a nutshell, speaks about the endless marketing of a dead pop star by releasing all kinds of limited edition versions of the same songs. And so it was when I first read about these new Black Series (there are three a solar chrono diver, a solar diver and the mechanical piece you see here) inspired by night diving, I kind of sighed and dismissed the watch with nary a glance. Honestly, I thought, Seiko is starting to rival Ni...
Hands-On Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Chronograph Review
With the Polaris collection, Jaeger-LeCoultre found a possible solution to attract a younger audience. In the past, the Master Compressor collection was introduced to do that, without much success.The new Polaris collection is inspired by their 1968 Memovox Polaris, as we explained in this article. We already reviewed the limited edition Polaris Memovox? (1000 pieces only), and now it is time to get hands-on with the ‘regular’ collection Polaris Chronograph watch. There are a number of variations, but we asked for the one we liked best, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Chronograph on a brown calf leather strap.Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris ChronographI was looking forward to giving this P...
Sunday Morning Showdown: Vacheron Constantin Metiers D'Art Collection
In this Sunday morning column, two of our writers go head-to-head in an epic showdown for the ages. Strong opinions and hysterical hyperbole are welcome (so feel free to join in with the fun in the comments section below). And don't forget to let us know which watches you'd like to see torn to shreds/effusively exalted next week. We'll try and feature as many of our readers' choices as we can. This week the Vacheron Constantin Metiers d’Art collection is under scrutiny. It promises to be brutal. Squeamish readers, look away now…Hahaha. Ha. Wow. Forgive me. I’m enjoying my freedom while it lasts. After the brutal battering I inflicted upon Mike last week, I assume my time on...
Hamilton Intra-Matic H Chronograph Is My Favorite So Far
It’s fair to say the Hamilton Intra-Matic gets a lot of airtime on Fratello, but with good reason. Since its (re)release, it has been one of the most praised watches in its segment. Earlier today, we broke the release of the Intra-Matic Chronograph with a green dial. It was an olivine stunner that wowed the team, but what I have for you this evening might top even that… Proving that less is sometimes more is the newly-released Hamilton Intra-Matic H chronograph.Upon first glance, you might not be able to tell exactly what’s new about the “H” variant of Hamilton‘s now-famous Intra-Matic, but the differences are quite significant. Majorly, this watch is hand...
NOMOS Glashutte: Susanne Kloss, Head Of Watchmaking, Speaks To Fratello On International Women's Day
Today is International Women’s Day so, in honor of women in watchmaking, I thought sharing a recent interview conducted with my friend and former colleague (at Omega and NOMOS), Susanne Kloss, NOMOS Glashutte’s Head of Servicing, would mark this date in style.Rob Nudds: Hi Susanne, thanks for talking to us at Fratellowatches.com. Would you please be kind enough to tell our readers who you are, how you got into watchmaking, and the path along which your career has taken you thus far?Susanne Kloss: I am Susanne, 35 years old. To be frank, watchmaking wasn’t always on my radar. When I was younger, I’d always planned on working for a travel agency after school. My dad mad...
New Release: The Citizen Caliber 0200
Today is a reason to celebrate because Citizen is finally bringing us a high-end mechanical movement. As we’ll see, it will come at a price, but it’s a step in the right direction. Let’s take a look at The Citizen Caliber 0200.If you’re accustomed to reading Fratello, you know that we’re fans of Citizen. Vintage Citizen is my current passion and I'm doing my utmost to pile them up like cordwood. Regarding modern Citizen watches, color us intrigued. Gerard went diving with one not too long ago and I truly enjoy my Promaster Tough. The thing is, though, Citizen has put most of its eggs in the Eco-Drive basket. There's nothing wrong with this because Eco-Drive is a...
Titoni Ltd. How A Family-Owned Independent Made Its Own Watch Movement
Over the past decade, almost the entire Swiss watch industry has been under a cloud of uncertainty: ETA, the leading supplier of mechanical movements in Switzerland and part of the Swatch Group, has successively been reducing sales of movements to third parties since 2010. For several independent watch brands like Titoni, this has meant that only Sellita in La Chaux-de-Fonds remains as a reliable partner for affordable, good quality movements on the kind of scale ETA’s former cohorts require.Although Grenchen-based Titoni has cultivated the art of traditional watchmaking, with a focus on mechanical watches, for decades, the company - like most watch brands in the mid-price segment did ...
Hamilton Intra-Matic Chronograph Watch In Olive Green (With Date)
Within our team, the Hamilton Intra-Matic Chronograph is a popular beast. I know for a fact that a couple of the Fratelli will be racing out to buy this new green version that, on balance, is one of the best value propositions in the industry today.High praise? Indeed it is. But is it justified? We've all known for a long time that when it comes to branding, genuine heritage, and bang-for-buck, it is really difficult to get past the entry-level Swatch Group brands. When Hayek went on his industry-wide sweep up in the early eighties, he corralled several established powerhouses that had, thanks to the quartz crisis, fallen on hard times. Names like Longines, Certina, and Tissot joined the por...
Ineichen Auctioneers In Geneva Hosts La Vie En Rose Auction
The world of auction houses can seem a distant, intimidating, and elite environment simply because of the sales that grab the headlines. Few of us can imagine ponying up the kinds of prices that recent blue-chip watches have commanded when they went under the hammer. But that isn’t to say auction houses are only for the rich and the famous! In fact, luxury watch auctions - whether attended in person or digitally - can be great opportunities to obtain some fine pieces at a good value. At the very least, they can be an opportunity to learn about a particular cross-section of this industry to which we dedicate so much time.Today, we’re shining a light on Ineichen Auctioneers based i...
Why I Swapped My First Omega in Space for the Speedmaster Pro
OK Fratelli, pop quiz: 39.7 or 42 millimeters - that is the question! Of course, you've already seen the watches in the picture above. But I think those measurements alone would already give away which watches we're talking about. Yes, we’re discussing the Omega Speedmaster. And to be more specific, the First Omega in Space (FOiS) and its bigger brother, the Professional Moonwatch. I never thought I would be able to pull off wearing the 42mm Professional Moonwatch on my 17cm wrist. So, I decided to get the 39.7mm FOiS. But one year later, I ended up selling it and got myself the new Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch. Here's why!Before I really got into watches, I had a 43mm Seiko SNP0...
Shades of Grey From H. Moser, Oris, And Omega
Grey can be seen as a nondescriptive and cold color, but in reality, it can be so much more. The razor-sharp Audi RS color Nardo Grey appearing on vinyl-wrapped M3s by arch-rival BMW only underlines one thing. Like the new look for the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date, there is an inherent elegance to a sharp grey that just works. But, there are an equal amount of grey items that will look at home in a hospital ward if you get it wrong, so just be sure to pick the right shade.Consider this my curated collection of some of the coolest items to be born from the grey mists of COVID boredom. Watches and gear in #SHADESOFGREY are cool accessories that work with dark blues and blacks but will fail with...
Fratello On Air: Talking Certina With Mike And Balazs
Fratello On Air is here with another vintage-focused episode. This time, we talk about our favorite models from Certina. If you enjoyed our previous episode on Tissot, this will be right up your alley.Before Balazs and Mike get to the heart of the matter, there is some news related to current events. Then, it’s time to move on to what has become a tradition - the Handgelenks Kontrolle.Handgelenks KontrolleNeither Mike nor Balazs chose a Certina for today’s episode, but hopefully, you’ll enjoy these choices just the same. For Balazs, he’s wearing his hi-beat Grand Seiko 5640, a lovely example with both a day and date wheel. Mike is wearing his newly arrived Citizen Hom...
Hands-On With The Vandaag Schallmauer Automatik Chronograph
Two years ago, the young German brand Vandaag released its first watch. It was the quartz version of the Schallmauer we see here today. Its timeless design combined with some interesting details set it apart from other microbrand offerings and saw it gain popularity. The brand followed up with other models, including the Tiefsee dive watch. Now, two years after its launch, Vandaag brings back its very first model in the form of the Schallmauer Automatik. The brand has replaced the quartz movement with a Swiss automatic chronograph and has added a number of upgrades based on owners' feedback. Four new models of the brand's signature chronograph will be available for pre-order on Kickstarter. ...
Is Breitling Missing Out By Ignoring The Emergency Line?
As a consumer of fine watches, I think watch brands can hit the nail on the head in different ways. This can be in design, movements, historical accuracy, and - most relevant to the watch we will discuss in this article - fit and feel. The Breitling Emergency II, while undoubtedly very capable, suffered from a size that was just not viable to regular consumers. At 51mm in diameter and almost 22mm thick, you’d either have to be a bodybuilder or a fighter pilot who wears it exclusively on the outside of your flight suit sleeve. To say the Emergency II was a niche product would still be an overstatement. There was virtually no one who could justify such a piece.The first 43mm Emergency (p...
New: Bamford Thomas Pink Automatic Titanium GMT
Bamford is the king of collaborations, but the British brand has come a long way from coating customers’ watches in its proprietary Military Grade Titanium Coating (MGTC) layer. These days, Bamford creates bespoke watch designs for a variety of applications. Its Automatic GMT watch is helpful for travelers and global liaisons alike. Therefore, Bamford’s latest collab with British shirt-maker Thomas Pink and its smart attire collection fits the lifestyle of business jet-setters. I own a Thomas Pink shirt and admire its quality, so I was keen to see what the combined efforts with Bamford could lead to.We’ve seen similar collaborations with Bamford and the Peanuts comic before...
TAG Heuer Carrera Reissues From The '90s Are Huge Value
TAG Heuer Carrera reissues are still hot, with a generous choice of reimagined chronographs available. And TAG Heuer is getting it right. With the release of the 39mm panda-dial limited edition for the LVMH Watch Week in January, I felt a tickling sensation of desire, but it still felt a bit big. Don't get me wrong; the sharp-lugged 39mm case we have seen in the Silver 160th, Monte Carlo, and green and cherry colors is a great design. But the dressy smallness of their ’60s forefathers is even more tempting.The thing is, many buyers like me are put off by the vintage complexities of the movements and scarcity of parts. After spending close to $1,000 on servicing a Chopard chronograph la...
An Evening In Zurich: Observing The MoonSwatch Crowd
It has been a long day today (Tuesday), traveling this morning from our Fratello offices in The Hague to the Paradeplatz in Zurich. But not as long as the day was for some of those who queued up to cop one of the new MoonSwatch Mission to the Moon models with the Moonshine Gold chronograph seconds hand. The first customers already queued up at 3:00 AM, while the special location only opened up at 7:00 PM. What kind of people were in the queue, and how was the atmosphere? Were there only scalpers, or did we see proper Swatch and Speedmaster enthusiasts?Queues on the left and right sides of the buildingMission to Zurich on March 7thAfter a bit of a detour (via Geneva, and then to Zurich by tra...
New: Seiko Prospex SLA069 A Tribute To Noami Uemura
Seiko has graced us before with a Naomi Uemura limited edition. Back in 2021, the brand celebrated the 80th birthday of the Japanese explorer. Unfortunately, he disappeared after reaching the summit of Mt. Denali in 1984 at age 43, but he left behind a great legacy in exploration. Today, we see the release of the next limited edition in honor of Uemura. The Seiko Prospex SLA069 celebrates the conquering of Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Europe. The watch introduces a special dial depicting Mont Blanc and features a special blue bezel. It’s time to find out more.Naomi Uemura is one of those legendary names that will you definitely know if you are a fan of mountaineering. The Japanese e...
Seiko Unveils The Prospex SPB381, SPB383, And SPB385
We are all aware of Seiko’s great stream of new releases. Most of them are in line with what we know from the brand, but sometimes, Seiko manages to really shock us. Today, the brand expands its popular Prospex collection with three more models. But they are not just simply three additions to Seiko’s collection of dive watches. With the Prospex SPB381, SPB383, and SPB385, Seiko introduces the first three mechanical GMT divers to the Prospex collection. Two are regular additions to the permanent lineup, and one is a special Save the Ocean limited edition. You know I was all ears when these were revealed, so it’s time to find out more.Seiko has jumped on the thundering GMT tr...
Fratello's Top 5 Pre-Owned Sleeper Watches: Part 3
Another Friday, another Top 5! It’s time for the third installment of our mini-series focusing on pre-owned sleeper watches. In it, we want to highlight some less obvious watches from different brands. Some of these are watches you may never have heard of, while others might be good reminders of forgotten greats. In this week’s article, we will look at some great classics from the past. We have selected five different models that are not on the radar of most watch fans when we talk about their respective brands. Let’s find out more.As a quick reminder, this series was inspired by our endless efforts to find the best pre-owned watches to spend our fictitious money on. We hav...