Christopher Ward C900 Harrison Single Pusher Chronograph Review
The first watch review of this year by yours truly has to be something extraordinary.That's a nice word; extraordinary. It is the best word to explain the watch we are about to take a closer look at. Let me share with you how we came across this amazing timepiece not too long ago. As our frequent readers might remember, last November, we?visited Salon QP in London. It's one of those rare occasion when we get to hang out with like-minded people, fellow journalists and with the other Fratelli as well, so it's always fun. We hit the Saatchi Gallery hard, being there literary all day. The only time we are not strolling the venue was when we went to have some quality British pub food. During this...
Klynt Geneve from Kickstarter An Introduction and Interview
KlyntI'm a fan of pages like Kickstarter. It's a great podium for a lot of watch related?projects which otherwise would not have a worldwide platform. Sure, the things you see there sometimes are a bit immature however often you can find surprisingly well-made and designed products for an attractive?price. The watches coming out of these go-fund-me pages are usually aesthetically driven with the majority of the effort poured into the looks rather than the hidden elements i.e. movement. Great looking watches driven by mostly Japanese movements. Not that anything is wrong with a Seiko or Miyota movement watch, but let's be honest, that Swiss Made at the bottom of the dial still is a big factor...
Speedy Tuesday The Speedmaster Gemini IV 40th Anniversary 3565.80
The Speedmaster Professional Gemini IV? is an example of a sleeper limited edition. Not anymore of course, but this watch wasn’t very much sought after in the first few years following?its introduction in 2005. Since then, its popularity has trended upward. As such, it can be viewed in a similar fashion to the original Snoopy Award from 2003.Nowadays, the Omega Speedmaster Professional Gemini IV is loved by many enthusiasts. This is mainly due to the beautiful dark blue color and silvery-white subdials. It is a blue Panda, you could say. And that is as rare as it sounds (in the wild or on the wrist). It commemorates the Gemini IV mission from 1965. That was the second crewed Gemini mis...
NOMOS Glashutte Tetra Symphony Watches Strike The Right Chord
NOMOS Glashutte has done it again. The Tetra series has a history of striking visuals, with well-received micro-ranges such as “Petit four” and the “Berlin set”. Unsurprisingly, the brand is following the same formula again with the Tetra symphony collection.The symphony line-up has been released to honor a very famous German: Ludwig van Beethoven. Also obsessed with quality and timeless classics, his famous music is still heard around the world today. Fall 2020 will mark his 250th birthday, which provided the quirky Glashutte manufacture the ideal opportunity to celebrate in its own inimitable way.The Tetra collection is known for being a very creative corner of the ...
Grand Seiko debuts Spring Drive 8 Days Jewelry Watch
Grand Seiko thrives on its legacy as an artisan. Its Spring Drive 8 Days Jewelry Watch (reference SBGD205) from the Masterpiece Collection captures the elegance of timeless design and the magic of the artistic crafts.This year marks a monumental moment in time for the house of Grand Seiko. 2020 heralds the Japanese watchmaker's 60th anniversary and debuts a new, cutting edge Masterpiece Collection. In honor of Grand Seiko's heritage and its watchmakers' desire to create a spectacular timepiece, the Masterpiece Collection revolves around the brand's history, its unique origin, and craftsmanship.I've always loved concepts that explore a breathtaking story. The release of reference SBGD205 is u...
Studio Underd0g Watermel0n, Desert Sky, and Go0fy Panda Mechanical Chronograph Watches
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s been a bit of a tug of war going on in the watch industry for some time. There is a constant struggle between the traditionalists and the revolutionaries. This struggle can take many forms. It is a war fought on many battlefields. No part of the watch world or the watch itself is safe. One week it will be a fight over brand transparency. The next week someone will be touting the merits of silicon hairsprings. Every so often, a new brand comes along determined to have some fun with the stuffy old institution we call sanctuary. The results can be challenging for both supporters and detractors. But, whatever you make of brands like S...
March Mania First Round Proper Moser, Certina, Oris, Omega, And More March On
Welcome, one and all, to the first round proper of March Mania 2021, here on Fratello. Are you a watch maniac like we are? If so, you're sure to love our month-long feature. 96 watches reviewed last year line up for a battle royale like nothing that's gone before. We need your votes. We want your comments. Help us decide the champion and share in its glory! Let the games commenceIn this first round proper, your task is a bit different from your task in the preliminaries. Below you will find the eight remaining timepieces of each of our Fratello competitors in four head-to-head contests of two timepieces. The seedings in the preliminaries dictate the match-ups. So it's number 1 vs. number 8, ...
The Small Seconds Louis Erard Excellence email Grand Feu Watch
Despite its announcement and release, the final 99 pieces of this limited edition watch from Louis Erard, are not expected to reach their forever homes until November. Why will it take so long? Well, quality takes time. To be precise, it takes a month to produce 15 dials for the Louis Erard Excellence email Grand Feu.Usually, we conclude that a watch looks much bigger than its real specs. Honestly, the Louis Erard Excellence email Grand Feu looks smaller than it actually is. At least in the pictures, as we can't yet share a hands-on experience with this new 42mm beauty. I?have to say that given this design, it is truly a?generous diameter.Louis Erard email Grand FeuI?am a?true fan of Louis E...
New Watch Alert Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Origins
A watch with a 42+mm case size is considered large even by today’s standards. This year Montblanc is reviving one of Minerva’s vintage models, an astonishing 46mm timepiece. The 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Origins Limited Edition comes in a bronze case. However, this is not what’s so spectacular about this watch.The Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Origins Limited Edition pays tribute to the heritage of Minerva. They do this by taking inspiration from a 1930’s timepiece that housed an iconic Minerva caliber: the 19-9CH.?HistoryBefore we take a closer look at the brand-new Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Origins Limited Edition, let’s talk a bit about ...
G-Shock GMW-B5000TR-9 In An All New Titanium Alloy
Again, no physical presentations this year so far. So, G-Shock presented its novelties to us - quite successfully, I should add - by mimicking a booth in a virtual online environment. Today, as an addition to the full metal premium Square series, G-Shock announced the release of the GMW-B5000TR-9. Its external components are made in an all-new?titanium alloy, named TranTiXXII?.TranTiXXII? is a brand/concept by Japan’s most important metal processing company, Nippon Steel. Tran was taken from transformed, Ti is the element symbol of titanium, and XXII - or 22 - the element number of titanium. TranTiXXII? titanium was specifically developed for aesthetical reasons. It offers a wealth of ...
Three New Seiko Prospex Save the Ocean Special Edition Watches
Just when you thought winter was over, Seiko is here to pull you back into the icy polar waters with three new additions to the Prospex Save The Ocean lineup of dive watches! But it’s not just any watches that receive this frosty makeover. No sir! The three watches chosen, are the new heritage-inspired models, which look to the 62 MAS, the 1968 6159-7001 (Seiko’s first 300m dive watch), and the famous “Willard”. This final model shares the case shape of the watch worn by the Japanese explorer and adventurer Naomi Uemura from 1974 to 1976 in her famous solo dog-sled journey from Greenland to Alaska. Imbued with the spirit of adventure, and Seiko’s proven reliabil...
The A?on Group Aims To Put French Watchmaking On The Map
You may have wondered why there are so few countries that produce watch movements on a mass scale. If you have, the foundation of the A?on Group might shine a light on why it is so rare. The goal of A?on Group is to position France as an industry leader in the field of movement production. Simply put, starting this kind of initiative is a massive job. This is the kind of undertaking many might consider for a moment before dismissing it as foolhardy upon further reflection. Thankfully, for the French industry and the industry en masse, the A?on Group is not so easily swayed from the course…Ultimately, competition benefits the consumer. It is, theoretically, us, watch lovers the world ov...
#TBT Is The Jim Clark Gallet Multichron 12 One Big Fantasy?
We have an Emperor’s-new-clothes kind of situation here. It’s about time to figure out the truth after 15 long years. The “evidence” offered is not very substantial, and for me and some other real Gallet enthusiasts, there is no Jim Clark Gallet Multichron 12. Not yet… No matter how badly we want it to be true, no matter how much it hurts… Conclusive evidence is still missing. It has been a few weeks now since I decided to start writing this story. Of all the 250 articles that I have written for Fratello, this will undoubtedly be the most difficult to write. Digging deeper into the Jim Clark Gallet only adds more suspicion, not more clarity. It’s alm...
Hands-On: The New BOLDR Expedition I Making A Comeback
After its debut in 2018, the original BOLDR Expedition sold out in a matter of months. It quickly became the brand's most popular and requested model. BOLDR followed it up with the Expedition II in 2019. But that watch featured a totally different case design and reinvented hands. Now, making a return for the first time since 2018 is the BOLDR Expedition I. It brings back the classic case design without compromising any of the model's functionality and quality. Yes, the case of the Expedition II is very cool indeed. But there's just something so perfect and understated about the original design. Those of you who agree will be pleased to see this watch back on offer after a four-year hiatus. ...
Venezianico Nereide Ultraleggero The New Venitian Flagship
If you’ve never heard of Meccaniche Veneziane, don’t worry about it. Those days are gone. They’re in the past. There’s a new kid in town, and he’s here to stake his claim to the narrow streets, historic bridges, and ubiquitous canals of MV’s hometown of Venice. From the ashes of the brand’s original name rises Venezianico, an ear-catching neologism that skips off the international tongue far better than its forerunner ever did. For the past week, I’ve been wearing the new Venezianico Nereide Ultraleggero, the renamed brand’s flagship for a new age. Having done so, I can safely say that it isn’t just the image that’s been overh...
Strap Check: Studio Underd0g Watch On A Milanese Mesh Bracelet
Have you ever bought a strap or bracelet thinking it will be perfect for one watch, but it ends up working so well on another that you can't seem to swap it out? Well, that's essentially what happened here. I picked up this vintage new-old-stock (NOS) bracelet thinking it would go on my Speedmaster. Oh boy, was I wrong! In fact, I didn't even get a chance to put it on that watch. The day the bubble envelope containing the bracelet arrived, something else was on my wrist; it was a fun and funky chronograph from a young brand that I was reviewing at the time. I give full credit for this combination to the quick-release strap on said watch and the fact that my Speedy was on the bracelet. Someti...
An Interview With Guillaume Laidet From Nivada Grenchen
As a vintage guy, it’s always exciting for me to see brands being relaunched. Often, though, my feelings are somewhat ambivalent. It is rare that a watch company comes back to the market with a strategy and lineup that I’m entirely on board with. Nivada Grenchen, however, is an example of a rebirthed brand done right. I’m lucky to be friends with Guillaume Laidet, the man behind this and other brands. We have a relationship that goes back years, and I reviewed almost all Nivada models when they came to the market. So I thought it would make sense to sit down with Guillaume and chat about the brand, the beginnings, and what the future will bring for Nivada.He shared some exc...
A Year On The Wrist: The Fratello Czapek Antarctique
On a couple of occasions recently, in the comments, other Fratelli (perhaps who are waiting patiently for theirs or are considering taking the plunge when the list opens again at the end of March) have mentioned that they would appreciate my writing an article on the Czapek Antarctique to give some insight as to what it is like to own. There had been mention of a week on the wrist sort of article, but given that I wear it in rotation with several others, I didn't really think I could do that!As I have had my Antarctique Viridian Green for over a year now, though, and with the new models imminent at Watches and Wonders, it seemed a logical time for a retrospective. Did it meet my expectations...
Breaking Down The Brand: Jaeger-LeCoultre
If it were possible to invite all the watch fans in the world to the Jaeger-LeCoultre manufacture in Le Sentier in the remote Vallee de Joux, the Swiss brand would possibly be the most prestigious in the world of watches. That's quite the statement, but what JLC does and has been doing for ages in the one-of-a-kind valley where creating complications is second nature to local watchmakers is extraordinary. And it shows. La Grande Maison is housed in an immense production facility that has been expanding over the years, and it houses many breathtaking metiers. So why isn't JLC the most famous watch brand out there? By breaking down the brand, we'll find the answer to that question.The story st...
The Doxa Sub 300 Whitepearl Is Monochromatic Cool
Doxa’s Sub 300 Whitepearl has perhaps one of the most intriguing “colorways” available to fans of the dive-watch brand. I took this monochromatic iteration of the iconic Doxa model for a dive in the Pacific Ocean to test its underwater legibility. If this experience has proven one thing, it’s that Doxa’s monochrome watch is far from dull.This is not the first Doxa model I have written about and reviewed for Fratello. Last year, I took the Doxa Army on an ocean adventure to get a truer sense of what owning it would be like, and I came out thoroughly impressed. The Army represented the brand resurrecting a bizarre design from the late 1960s. Doxa provided these wa...