Hooray for pilots! Thanks to them, we get to talk about Pilot’s watches. Oris, one of our favorite brands here at Fratello, has just dropped a new addition to the Propilot range. It was released earlier this week and brings a sumptuous shade of green to the lineup. In my mind, this is a very current, on-trend release, and a nice limited edition in conjunction with a fine organization.On Marc

The discussion of “genderless” watches has never been stronger than it is now. Whether it’s because of the articles or current political and social trends impacting each industry, the conversation appears here to stay. Will the concept of a genderless watch industry revolutionize the way we see and wear watches? Personally, I hope not. I don’t see gendered design as problem

We've been fortunate enough to spend some real hands-on time with the new MING 27.02 and now it's time for a proper review. Before we get to thatAs this review kicks off, I am sure there are quite a few of you who are asking, why do a review on a watch that no one can buy anymore? Yes, when the MING 27.02 was announced in January with a list price of CHF 4,950, the 200-piece run sold out in mere m

If you read my Independent Insights article from last week, you’ll have seen that one of my favorite microbrands announced a new refresh to its Resolute line. Not only with an updated version of its field watch, but RZE has also added a new supercompressor too. And not just “in the style of” with two crowns, either. Let’s have a closer look at the new RZE Resolute Supercomp

We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. Though most of what we write about is primarily focused on the most recent releases and developments, for many of us, a lot of the fun can be found in the sometimes weird and often wonderful world of vintage watches. It’s a world full of history, remarkable watches, incredible stories, and quirky details. It inspired us to

The enigmatic moonphase complication goes in and out of fashion like watch sizes, and I have a personal penchant for the genre. With classic iterations from mid-range brands like Longines up to grail Pateks, the classicism still reigns supreme. For many of you, the very name conjures up images of small-cased watches with guilloche dials and blued hands. But chances are the new Farer Moonphase will

GMT watches are hot! And that must be the exact reason why both Seiko and Mido have added a GMT complication to one of their classic divers. For Seiko, it also counts as the introduction of an all-new GMT movement in the 6R series. And for Mido, it actually marks the first time that the brand has released a standard-production Ocean Star GMT in a size smaller than 44mm. Let’s take a look at

In late 2022, I had a chance to check out the ADPT Series 1 watches. It was a fun experience. The collaborative effort between the folks behind Worn & Wound and Boldr resulted in a duo of colorful field watches. For the next step, the team worked on a second pair of watches based on the debut model. For the Series 1 Dual-Time, a GMT function has been thrown into the mix. Something that immedia

In this installment of Back to Basics, we’ll dive into chronometers. What does this term mean, and why should it be relevant to you? If you are (relatively) new to the watch hobby, the word “chronometer” may be somewhat confusing. Technically, any object that measures (meter) time (chrono) is a chronometer, right? Then why do brands label some mechanical watches as such but not o

We’re back with another episode of Fratello On Air,?and this week, we discuss watches from brands that everyone should own at some point on their collecting journey. Our ideas come across as more of a suggestion than an edict, though. We also touch on several other watch-related topics before the main event. Enjoy the show!

In this series called Exploring Evergreens, we review watches that have been around for over a decade - or long enough to feel ubiquitous - and ask ourselves whether they have managed to stand the test of time. We'll address whether they're still relevant, how they feel today, and, ultimately, if they're worth their current prices. In some cases, when the authors own/have owned the specific pieces

Omega’s Deep Black series is a sub-collection within its Seamaster Planet Ocean line. The watches all have a 45.5mm brushed black ceramic case with a 600m depth rating. Today, the brand from Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, adds two new references to the four current ones by introducing the popular worldtimer complication. You have the choice between versions with gray or turquoise accents.Two year

I was recently watching a video on the excellent 5 Watt World guitar channel on YouTube. Host Keith Williams discussed catch-and-release guitar collecting as a way to enjoy the hobby. This makes a lot of sense for guitars as each has a different feel and sound, triggering different playing. You could even argue that you become a better player as you move from one guitar to the next. It got me wond

Over the last couple of weeks, you’ve seen some of the guys pick favorites among some of the best vintage watches on the market for less than $5,000. I set them out to complete this task, so it only seems fair that I join in. Today, I’ve scratched the surface of the vast selection of excellent vintage watches available at this price point and selected three. Seeing how different people

Watchmaking class starts now! Be a watchmaker for a whole weekend in Germany. You’ll start with a few theory lessons on watchmaking, but soon you will be polishing steel, creating blued screws, engraving your personal serial number in the movement etc. etc. After a weekend of hard work, you will leave the Blancier Lottermann & Sohne seminar in Mannheim Germany with a brand new unique wri

Normally, my coverage on quartz driven watches is second to none, however, I’ll make an exception for this special timepiece. The Blancier Desert Wolf is dedicated to the Dutch troops in Uruzgan.The watch case of the Desert Wolf has a 45 diameter and a hard PVD finish. The buckle of the strap also has this PVD finish. As you can see, the dial of the Blancier Desert Wolf is marked with the co

Patek Philippe introduced some white dial versions for their Nautilus collection during the BaselWorld 2012 exhibition. Fratellowatches had a chance to get them in front of the lens during our meeting with Patek and we’re happy to share our photos with you. We also were able to get the new Patek Philippe 5204P (split seconds chronograph and perpetual calendar) in front of our lens, we will g

More than once, I’ve seen a watch that was specifically designed or made for members of a watch forum or community. Heck, we even did our own Fratello Watches timepiece together with Marvin a couple of years ago. This P1lot One watch is something special though, as it was also made by forum members.Dutch watch forum horlogeforum.nl (with 4000 members) decided it was time for a special projec

Universal Geneve Compax 1950, reference 884.475Last week I mentioned a lot of Panda-love again. Our own Teun van Heerebeek showed the stickers which he will bring to Baselworld. Including in the designs of the stickers is the drawing of his Watches & Pencils #16 about Panda Dials. It immediately became my favorite sticker.This, and a few other items, inspired me to wear a watch with a Panda-di

Every once in a while we receive the question whether we could live with just one watch, and which watch that would be. You have probably also fantasized yourself of trading (all) the watch in your collection for just one watch.One Watch Only!In this article, we take a look at watches that we find interesting in a certain price bandwidth. From an entry-level mechanical Seiko to something ‘ha