Speedy Tuesday BaselWorld 2018 Omega Speedmaster Predictions
Unfortunately, a lot of brands these days already bombard our mailboxes with pre-SIHH and pre-BaselWorld releases. So we know what’s coming, some times we even receive invitations to come and have a look before one of the big shows, to do our own photography. To be honest, we favor the ‘being surprised’ a bit more, like in the old days, when press kits were a binder with some spec sheets and actual photos.Some brands don’t share at all before the show, or at least only minor things in advance. Some times it can be useful, to do some preparation because trust me if I say that there’s little time during SIHH and BaselWorld to sit down and do a proper write-up.Alth...
Prometheus Zenobia The Latest Divers Watches Facebook Group Collab
Today, we'll take a look at the Prometheus Zenobia, the latest watch made for the ever-growing Divers Watches Facebook Group.We've now reviewed roughly a handful of limited edition dive watches made by various micro brands in collaboration with the Divers Watches Facebook Group (DWFG).? The group, headed largely by Andreas Gregoriades of Cyprus, continues to expand its membership as the largest watch group on the powerful social media network.? In fact, at time of writing, there are nearly 48,000 members!? With most of the members sharing a real enthusiasm for ocean-able timepieces, it's enabled Andreas to work with smaller brands in order to create customized watches that members should enj...
Certina Argonaut Vintage Chronograph With Valjoux 23
Awesome vintage watches often come in odd packaging.Whether it is a funny shape, like the Zenith El Primero Big Blue with its TV Screen case. Or a household watch brand's unusual model, such as Tissot's Wood- and Stone watches. Not to mention a low-key looking timepiece concealing an awesome movement, as any Junghans chrono from the 50s with their amazing J88 movement. What if all 3 comes in one watch? In a timepiece that is from a household name from the industry. A chronograph perhaps, with a legendary movement. To top it off in a weird rectangular case. Well, I know at least one such watch, albeit I'm sure there are many out there. Better yet, I have this watch in my collection and I'm ha...
AVI-8 Spitfire Type 300 Automatic Hands-On Review
The AVI-8 Spitfire Type 300 Automatic is one of the latest watches from the Aviation-obsessed brand. It also happens to be one of the most accomplished in terms of specs, design execution, and price. I spent a week alternating between two of the four available colorways and here's what I think about itTo be quite frank, I'm finding having my preconceptions shattered so regularly quite exhausting. I've covered AVI-8 releases in the past, but I'd never had the chance to go hands-on with the brand's products before. And then, just like buses, two came along at once. I didn't really start out with a negative view of the brand; rather, I was just a little apathetic. Small, new brands are popping ...
New Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi Set To Open In June 2020
With news flooding in thick and fast, you could be forgiven for missing the announcement that Grand Seiko is set to open a new Studio facility. As the brand hopes to kick-off its next 60-year cycle with a rush of positivity, the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi promises to boost production capacity for the future.A lot lies in wait for us in Summer 2020. Mostly, of course, unanswered questions when it comes to travel plans and the potential cancellation of major sporting events (like the Tokyo 2020 Olympics). But there is one thing about which we can all be very excited… The opening of the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, scheduled for June.The Studio will house the specially-trained watc...
Fratello On Air: Our Favorite Vintage Dive Watches
Balazs and Mike come with the latest episode of Fratello on Air and discuss their favorite vintage dive watches. For a couple of watch crazies who live inland, you’ll see that they have a lot of live for these beasts of the deep.On an earlier episode, we discussed our most cherished chronographs. It’s hard to say which watch genre is our favorite, but there’s no doubt that vintage dive watches vie for top spot. There are just so many great models out there. Super Compressors, Submariners, Seamasters, oh my! You’ll hear about which models we chose and why. Then, we touch on a couple modern stand-ins and even throw out some budget friendly vintage options. You won’...
March Mania First Round Proper Breitling, Tudor, Aquastar, MING Make The Grade...
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 commence…In 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’...
Buying Guide: The Best Breitling Watches From The 1950s
We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. While the daily routine is largely focused on the most recent developments in the world of watches, the most fun for many of us lies in the world of yesteryear. It's a world full of history, remarkable watches, incredible stories, and quirky details. It inspired us to come up with a series of articles focusing on the best watches per decade from a select group of brands. Some of them priceless; some of them still affordable. But all of them are remarkable watches. In this third installment, we will take a look at the best Breitling watches from the 1950s.The best Breitling watches from the 1950s? What does that actually me...
Eone Bradley Voyager Cobalt A Field Test
Eone has created a sleek, modern watch designed for people with or without vision impairment. A good design and inclusion for persons with disabilities go hand in hand here. The result, sometimes called inclusive or universal design, addresses as many people’s needs and abilities as possible. The focus is on the design so that users with diverse needs can enjoy the product.The idea for the Eone Bradley started as a simple problem shared between friends. It blossomed into Eone’s mission to create a beautiful and functional product that meets the needs of many people. The Bradley timepiece is named after former US Navy officer Bradley Snyder, who lost his vision in an IED explosion...
The New To The Hour Enigma Case A Rugged Travel Companion
Recently on Fratello, we have covered some truly delightful leather watch rolls. I’ve even been tempted to invest. And that’s in spite of having more than enough storage for a collection I hope soon to scythe in half having been inspired by Thor’s article from Collector’s Week. However, there is one thing of which I do not have enough. I need more rugged carry cases capable of enduring the rough and tumble life I like to live at the weekends. Thankfully, To The Hour (which is, quite remarkably, based in my hometown of Glossop, Derbyshire) is stepping up to the task.The back of my car is a mess. It supposedly seats two passengers, but both seats are folded down and the...
Dear Omega, Bring Back The Seamaster 120
Right off the bat, I know what you’re thinking: “Ben, you think the world needs another Omega Seamaster variation?” That’s fair, and we did get a slew of new Omega releases, mostly within its sea-faring collection. Yet, my suggestion to Omega is to consider dive watches that don’t plunge to the ocean floor but are pretty comfortable in the coral reefs. I’m referring to reimagining the Seamaster 120. It shouldn’t be a 1:1 recreation of a particular reference, but instead, a modern reinterpretation with a sprinkle of heritage flair.Just this week, news of the Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep dominated the watch world. I’d been saying for a while...
Seiko Stories: Henry Zwartz And His Seiko 5 SNZG11J1
It has been great to read about the exciting and personal experiences that my Fratello colleagues have had with Seiko. Reading about Fratello founder RJ's journey with the Seiko Marinemaster and how it changed his views on the brand reveals something fundamental about our hobby. The way that our tastes and opinions about watches shift over time leads to fascinating journeys that we could never have envisioned at first.?RJ's story on the Seiko Marinemaster and Daan's story of having a Seiko stolen really got me thinking about why we keep finding ourselves drawn to this hobby. Besides the wonderment of mechanical designs telling time on our wrists, storied brand histories, and rare finds (amon...
Fortis Refreshes Its Flieger Collections For 2023
When Fortis introduced the Flieger collection in 2020, it offered classic Flieger DNA with various complications. Three-hand automatic, chronograph, and Triple-GMT options ensured there was something for everyone, whatever your tastes. For me, the collection is classic Fortis.Fortis managed to combine the Flieger concept with its signature tool-watch aesthetic. The resulting watches were a unique and wholly modern interpretation of what a Flieger watch could be without losing that je ne sais quoi that makes Fortis, well, Fortis. Now, in 2023, the brand from Grenchen offers some beautiful, refreshed color palettes to expand the Flieger collection further.Flieger F-39 and F-41Let’s start...
The Fratello Nivada Grenchen Racing Chronograph
We're beyond excited to introduce the Fratello Nivada Grenchen Racing Chronograph, an electrifying new collaboration! For one week only, we will have 50 pieces available exclusively in the Fratello Shop at an early-bird price of $1,499. The week-long pre-order period will be open from Monday, March 20th at 4:00 PM CET to Sunday, March 26th at midnight, ahead of a larger-scale release in June 2023. This time, we have worked with Nivada to create a new line that is not based on just one vintage timepiece. Instead, it take inspiration from two vintage models from the brand's immense catalog - the vintage Chronosport (for the case) and the Racing chronograph (for the dial) - and provides a moder...
Wearing The Colorful Oris ProPilot X Calibre 400
I was looking for a watch that I shall not mention in the Fratello safe, but?instead, I stumbled upon some watches that I liked but had doubts about when I first saw them last spring. My eyes fell on three versions of the Oris ProPilot X Calibre 400, neatly tucked away side by side in a watch box. In particular, the blue and pink versions grabbed my attention. The gray, my favorite at the time of release, I left behind in the safe, but the two colored iterations took a turn on my wrist throughout the day. And seeing and enjoying the matte pink and blue dials made me fantasize about possible future color variations.It’s the combination of having Watches and Wonders 2023 just around the ...
The King Seiko 4420-9990 Is A Grand Seiko In Disguise
We’re back with another review of a vintage Japanese watch, and this time, the King Seiko 4420-9990 is in focus. This is a neat reference, and I’m happy to share two examples that, like Voltron, will hopefully come together to make one lovely example. Or will they?In 2022, I decided it was finally time to (re)take a look at vintage King and Grand Seiko. For whatever reason, I had kept my collection to one piece after picking up the 2013 44GS reissue. That watch is nothing to sneeze at, but as the resident vintage Seiko kook here at Fratello, it was high time to turn my attention to the good stuff. Since then, I’ve been busy. I purchased and wrote about the lovely King Seiko...
Introducing: The Lebond Souto Moura
Besides my passions for music and watches, I also greatly love architecture. It takes a unique talent and ability to create buildings that seem like they have an actual soul. But what if you combine architecture and watch design? Does that work? The answer came in the spring of last year. The Lebond Siza explored the crossroads of architecture and watch design. The result was a watch that showed that architectural design philosophy can indeed cross that border. Now Lebond is back with its second release. The Lebond Souto Moura takes a different approach to design. The watch is an architect’s take on the classic driver’s watch. The results are once again remarkable and intriguing....
Hands-On: Fortis Marinemaster M-40 In Four New Colorways
I mainly associate Fortis with its different watches created for use in space. But there is more to the brand than just those. The Fortis M-40 is a versatile tool watch for diving or adventures out in the wild. It has appropriate specs to make it a versatile piece that will serve you in various conditions. And knowing that it is a Fortis, you know that the quality is top-notch. So, after reviewing the Novonaut late last year, which impressed me, I welcomed the chance to go hands-on with the Marinemaster M-40.Getting back to the association that I have with Fortis, I love the story of the brand’s watches and adventures in space. The Fortis Official Cosmonauts Chronograph has become an i...
Introducing The Baltic Hermetique Glacier Limited Edition
The Baltic Hermetique collection consists of colorful and vintage-inspired field watches. I say “colorful” because, initially, it was “only” available in brown, green, beige, and blue. Somehow, I didn’t even notice that a black or white option wasn’t available. But one of our readers left a comment underneath Thomas’s hands-on article expressing his surprise at the lack of a black-dial option at launch. Well, it almost looks like Baltic’s founder Etienne Malec saw that comment because now, less than six months after the initial introduction of the Hermetique, he’s launching both black and white versions. But be quick because only 400 of t...
Make Complications Great Again
We seem to be living in a watch era in which people lose their marbles over a faded bezel - something that just happens - while man-made tour de forces like a gyro tourbillon seem to be brushed aside. I blame the retro trend, which gave us watches like the Tudor Black Bay. But it's also a trend that overshadowed the traditional, marvelous craftsmanship of boundary-pushing master watchmakers. But it's not all bad tidings because, when current complications are out of reach and only to admire, neo-vintage ones might be up for grabs instead. That's the advantage of shopping for things that are not en vogue. Yes, my dear Fratelli, all of us can make complications great again.When my interest in ...