Mr. Jones Watches Want To Make You Smile
What if I told you there was a watch company interested in producing watches that don’t tell the time? With so many watch companies desperately clinging to some element of practicality and relevance in a digital world, Mr. Jones Watches fully embraces being obsolete. The brand does it so well, you might call it elevated obsolescence - haute nihilism, anyone? From a barely readable birds-eye view of a lone person floating in a pool - fittingly named “A perfectly useless afternoon” - to an elegant paper crane slowly soaring across a mythical sky, Mr. Jones Watches has explored many ways a watch can avoid telling the time. Beauty, whimsy, and joy are the focuses here, with a l...
Introducing The MING 22.01 GMT
The MING 22.01 GMT is here and it represents a wonderful new chapter in the history of the brand. As we will soon see, these watches bring higher-end details once reserved for the more expensive MING models. The pricing, however, remains approachable.A new year and a new MING watch. That's a nice occurrence, yes? Well, double down because we receive two new variants of the MING 22.01 GMT. At the time of writing, I like both so much that I haven't made a choice on which will ultimately adorn my wrist. Exciting stuff!The new MING 22.01 GMT blends styling from prior modelsThe MING 22.01 GMT brings us an all-new case style that is meant to straddle the line between the now-discontinued 17-series...
Casio G-Shock MRG-B5000B-1DR Titanium Square Watch Review
Whenever the conversation turns towards G-Shock, there is one of the Fratello family I turn to before all others. The aptly named “G2”, the “Godfather of G” always has a sharp insight or cutting comment ready to greet new releases. Unsurprisingly, therefore, I consulted with G2 when the question of exactly what I would do with a G-Shock should I have the opportunity to design one with Casio on behalf of Fratello was raised. As it turned out, G2’s suggestion landed remarkably close to a plan Casio had been working on itself for several months. When we first saw the new, Casio G-Shock MRG-B5000D-1DR, we realized exactly how close our prescient sage had actually be...
Hands-On With The Ball Roadmaster GMT Watches
The magic of crossing timezones! Ever since the COVID-related restrictions have been lifted, the prospect of traveling the globe has been an exciting one. What better watch to accompany you during your travels than a nice GMT watch. While there can only be one GMT watch that defined the category as we know it, there are plenty of great alternatives to the GMT-Master. One of them, or better, two, come courtesy of Ball Watches. The brand’s Roadmaster Marine GMT and Roadmaster Pilot GMT fit the mold of a modern GMT watch. But it would not be a Ball watch if they didn’t bring something special to the table. That’s why I took the opportunity to check out both Ball Roadmaster GM...
Watch Microbrands 20 Years From Now A Look Into The Future
Starting your own watch brand or reviving a gone-but-not-forgotten one has never been easier. Both the hardware and the software side of all things watches are in favor of the bold entrepreneur. Materializing your passion for watches is now possible thanks to like-minded people and with a little help from Kickstarter. It's the microbrand way. And it could well be the way to great success. Small, independent, passion-driven microbrands like Unimatic, Aevig, Zelos, Serica, Isotope, and Maen have found their way to the world stage of watches. That's because these brands know exactly how to touch the heart of the watch aficionado; their founders’ hearts beat for watches too. But how will w...
New: The Limited Edition Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Chronograph
If you are a fan of track and field, you have undoubtedly spotted the bright yellow timing instruments from Seiko scattered throughout tracks and stadiums. The presence of Seiko's expertise in sports timing goes way back to the 1960s when the brand introduced a new standard of precision in the form of several timing devices, with stopwatches and chronographs among the most recognizable. Even since then, Seiko has been ever-present in the world of athletics. This year will mark the 17th time that Seiko provides its state-of-the-art timing equipment to the World Athletics Championship. To mark the occasion, Seiko has created a special limited edition of its Prospex Speedtimer model. It’s...
Meet The Five New Seiko Presage Sharp Edged Series Models
When Seiko introduced its Sharp Edged Series about two years ago, I was surprised to see something so similar to the designs of Grand Seiko. The series, however, seems to be doing quite well, featuring designs with flat surfaces, strong lines, and dials with different motifs and textures. Today, the Presage Sharp Edged Series expands once more with five new references.Four references (SPB305, SPB307, SPB309, and SPB311) feature a new case design, and SPB303 is a limited-edition GMT. The SPB303 GMT with its blue textured dial pays tribute to Ukiyo-e paintings of Mt. Fuji in mid-summer. The four other references receive a new case with a polished bevel between the top of the lugs and the case ...
#TBT The Late Gallet Flying Officer With Landeron 149
For some collectors, the later Gallet Flying Officer with a Landeron movement is way too far from the original clamshell pioneer. But is it??I have to say that until last week, I had never worn the original clamshell Gallet Flying Officer chronograph. My biggest surprise was how present the 34.5mm case felt on the wrist. But we will talk about the original Flying Officer in another #TBT story. Today, we are going to focus on its later version from around the mid-’70s.The issue with landing an early Gallet Flying OfficerIt is not easy to get your hands on the original clamshell Flying Officer. I have been after one for a few years now, but I haven’t gotten lucky yet. Some Gallet F...
Building A Watch Brand Ep. 5: First Design Ideation Skeches
Today, I am proud to share the design ideation stage of VPC's debut watch. I have been postponing this one so that I could share a big chunk of progress in one go. And a big chunk it is! Finally, I have something visual to show you. Max Resnick and I started with my original concept and generated several different possible design paths from it. We then took the elements that spoke to me to come up with the preferred path. Today, you will see that journey from many rough ideas (divergent thinking) to that one path (convergent thinking) for the case and bracelet.I will show you some of these different paths and how we went through a process of elimination. I am proud to share this with you bec...
Hands-On: The Vario Versa
There are some horological experiences that I’m almost certain I will never have - reviewing an A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia or owning a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Duoface, for example. Never say never, but I'm pretty sure neither will ever happen. I do find these watches stunning and unique, and I truly do want to experience them. However, like many of you, I have a limited budget, I don't live near a JLC boutique, and I don’t even feel comfortable stepping inside one. I yearn to experience a Reverso each time I see a photo of it online, just as I yearn to strap on a Cartier Tank (you know, the tiny one with the solar-powered movement?). So I turn to micro/independent brands that,...
A Beginner's Guide To Buying A Pre-Owned Watch
Buying a pre-owned watch can be daunting at first, especially if you are new to the game. You read horror stories of fake watches or watches with incorrect parts. And you would not be the first to end up with a watch that is not functioning properly. For many, this is reason enough to buy nothing but brand-new watches from authorized dealers. But you may be cutting yourself short there. Buying pre-owned can be an attractive option for several reasons, but only if you can do so with confidence. I aim to boost that confidence with a few practical pointers.At Fratello, we have a broad reader base. Some of you are lifelong collectors, while others are just dipping their toes in watch waters for ...
Fratello Talks: The MoonSwatch Mission To Moonshine Gold
The anger surrounding the new Swatch MoonSwatch Mission to Moonshine Gold was very visible in the comments section on our website. It was less noticeable during the Swatch pop-up sales event in Zurich on March 7th. We did a report here, but we also want to discuss the watch itself a bit more in-depth. How does the story sit with us, and do we like the watch as such? Listen to our Fratello Talks podcast for this week to find out....
Hands-On: The William Wood Fire Exit Watch
William Wood announces a new wristwatch as an extension to its firefighter-inspired collection. Instead of firefighting, the Fire Exit watch focuses on global emergency signs in public buildings. These signs comply with the ISO 3864 safety standard to ensure international familiarity. Specifically, the signal-green shade graces the emergency exit signs that William Wood channels in its latest release. Also, the stickman figure within the sign gets to try out new contortions based on the mood of each day via the central disc. While this watch is more playful than the more stoic firefighting collection, there is a genuine respect for the importance of fire exit signs and the lives they protect...
The Man Who Skied Down Everest With A Certina DS-2
Yuichiro Miura’s 1970 expedition to Mt. Everest was the subject of a documentary and press coverage, and it became a legend in the extreme skiing community. His companion on that adventure was the Certina DS-2 Chronolympic. It was a hardy chronograph built for adventure.There is a way of considering the world’s tallest peaks that resonates with the adventurer in me. Watching the award-winning 2006 documentary Planet Earth, narrated by the great Sir David Attenborough, is when I first heard it. In one episode, focused on mountains, he described those fearsome and majestic peaks above 20,000 feet high as “the roof of the world.”It has always stuck with me as a poetic su...
Hands-On With The Christopher Ward C65 Dune Aeolian
It’s no secret that I have a huge soft spot for Christopher Ward’s C65 Dune series. I own the first-generation C65 Dune GMT, and the C65 Dune Automatic models are easily among the best affordable daily wearers. It came as a bit of a surprise that the brand decided to update the Dune lineup with new dials only two years after its debut. But after seeing the new C65 Dune Aeolian versions, I was happy to find out more about the updated models with their new textured dials. The new C65 Dune GMT does not feature that same dial texture, but it does bring a new dial color to the GMT versions. That’s more than enough reason to find out more!As I explained in the introduction articl...
King Seiko Vanac Vs. Toledano & Chan B/1
And before you know it, it is Sunday again! Welcome to another Sunday Morning Showdown. We hope you are comfortable, with a cup of coffee in hand and a croissant nearby. Depending on where you are, maybe you are even greeted by a soft spring sunshine. Well, say goodbye to your peaceful morning because we have another horological bare-knuckle fistfight for you. Today, we pit the brand-new King Seiko Vanac against the Toledano & Chan B/1. Things are about to get brutal(ist)!These are two watches taking a design-first approach, so it made no sense to pit anybody but our two design buffs against each other. Jorg will defend the Toledano & Chan?B/1, while Thomas will make a case for the K...
Radio Controlled Junghans
To set the time correctly on your mechanical wrist watch, you definately need at least one quartz controlled wrist watch. Even better, you need a watch that keeps perfect track of time. You need a radio controlled wrist watch! In 1990, Junghans introduced the first radio controlled wrist watch, the Mega 1. An integrated antenna in the strap receives a long-wave radio signal every morning broadcasted on 77.5 KHz from Frankfurt. This broadcast carries time information from Germany’s national atomic clocks at Braunschweig. These radio transmissions automatically set the watch correctly.Currently, Junghans still carries one radio controlled watch in their ‘Avantgarde’ collectio...
Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver BaselWorld 2013 | Fratellowatches
Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver PT6248I rarely write about Maurice Lacroix watches on Fratellowatches and I actually don't know why. Back in 2008, I asked ‘What to think of Maurice Lacroix?‘ and it received quite a few interesting responses.Anyway, just recently I've become quite intrigued by their Pontos collection. Although I have a weak spot for some of their complicated watches for a long time (especially their Masterpiece Collection, the Moonphase model) I started to like their Pontos collection.Polished Facet On The LugsI am a sucker for chronograph watches, and the Pontos collection has a number of very cool watches with this type of complication. However, some days ago I r...
The Watch Editor's Pick Angus Davies
Chronos24.pl and Fratellowatches.com are proud to present you this new, special, bi-weekly section dedicated to our fellow watch journalists and bloggers. Ever wondered what they really like? read on.Without going into the long-lasting dispute about who is a journalist, who is a blogger, and which of this two is better (like it matters) we tried to find out about a? more interesting topic: what are the personal favorite watches of watch editors and which timepieces would they purchase when having unlimited resources. In the next coming weeks (every other Monday) we will bring you some of the biggest names from the world of watch editors, both acclaimed authors with an impressive track-record...
Speedy Tuesday Omega Speedmaster Galaxy Express 999
It is Speedy Tuesday! I recently received an e-mail from Andi (Germany) who’s interest in Omega Speedmasters was sparked by our weekly Speedy Tuesday topic. That is always good to hear of course, but that’s not all, he also sent some photos of the Omega Speedmaster Professional that he bought. Andi is part of a German group of watch enthusiasts who have their own place called uhrforum.de.The watch that Andi bought is the Omega Speedmaster Professional Galaxy Express 999. This watch, especially for the Japanese market, was dedicated to the manga Galaxy Express 999, written and drawn by Leiji Matsumoto. The series ran from 1977 to 1987 and there have been several movies and series ...