Hands-On With The New Oris Divers Sixty-Five Carl Brashear Watch
Earlier this year, Oris dropped the third generation of the Carl Brashear Limited Edition. As with the previous two Carl Brashear watches, the popular Divers Sixty-Five is the base of this creation. Yet, for the first time, within the bronze Sixty-Five case is a new proprietary Calibre 401 movement. But how does this new watch compare with the regular SW200-powered Sixty-Five?It's now a regular occurrence that each new Carl Brashear dive watch in the collection adds another string to Oris' bow. For the inaugural Carl Brashear, Oris gave us the first-ever bronze case Divers Sixty-Five. This watch was one hot tamale back in 2016. I distinctively remember the grudge match that ensued with fanat...
March Mania: The "What-If" Chronicles H. Moser Streamliner Vs. Tudor BB58
So, March Mania is officially all said and done. Officially, being the keyword here. There were twists and turns along the way and our mighty champion, the Czapek Antarctique, threw us a few curveballs and knocked out some heavy-hitting opponents along the way. At the request of many readers, we decided to see what would have happened if any one of the closely fought contests had gone against our ultimate champion…On the other side of the draw, the A. Lange & Sohne Datograph Lumen destroyed the competition. As such, it had been the presumptive favorite going into the final against the Czapek. The Antarctique, on the other hand, found itself in brutal back-and-forth punch-ups every ...
The HTD Safarigraph Was Designed In Firenze But Built For The Desert
Leave it to the Italians to come up with something stylish. Is that a cliche? Maybe, but that's what a cliche is all about. The HTD Safarigraph was designed in Firenze but built for the desert. The original colorway of the 39mm retro-chronograph tells of sprezzatura or “studied nonchalance”.It was the Italians that made the Daytona great. Not great again, just great, period. If it hadn’t been for them would still be having a hard time convincing dealers to take the Daytona in the collection. I'm exaggerating of course, but there's a little bit of truth in there. Paul Newman wore a Daytona with an exotic dial on the cover of a highly popular Italian magazine in the early 19...
Hands-On Review: Atelier Wen Perception With Hand-Guilloche Dial
In our beloved industry, “Swiss” is the buzzword. Swiss watches are luxury, but we all know how much of a part China plays in manufacturing watches. Not only small microbrands but also many big names employ Chinese manufacturers to produce large numbers of different parts. Is that a bad thing? No, of course not. But for some shortsighted people, it’s not worthy if it’s not Swiss. Well, that’s some successful marketing there. Thankfully, we have the likes of Atelier Wen doing its best to break down this way of thinking by celebrating the “made in China” moniker and showing what Chinese craftspeople are capable of. After its debut, the Porcelain Odysse...
Genteel Handmade's Custom Straps For Omega Deployant Clasps
For quite some time now, quality strap maker Genteel Handmade has been crafting straps designed to work perfectly with Omega deployant clasps. As someone who owns several Omega watches but has never seriously considered wearing any of them on an “official” deployant strap due to the meager and, in my opinion, uninspiring options available, this service interests me. Let’s take a look at the options.When it comes to marketing and sales strategy, the word “choice” is sometimes seen as a dirty word, capable of confusing would-be purchasers into inaction. By and large, however, choice is a good thing. Consumers like to have the power of decision-making in their hand...
Fratello On Air: New-Watch Rundown Part Two (2022)
Fratello On Air returns after a one-week hiatus with Part Two of the new-watch rundown. Balazs and Mike continue to roll through some of the more notable releases from the past month or so.Who doesn’t like a new watch? Well, if you’re like us, the season’s introductions mark an exciting period. Therefore, it was notable enough to mark the occasion with two episodes. Make sure to catch the first one if you haven’t already!Mission to the MoonHandgelenks KontrolleAfter a bit of chit-chat about travel, fitness, and normal life, the duo moves into the Handgelenks Kontrolle. Balazs is sporting a brand-new watch with the Nivada Grenchen Datomaster Mecaquartz. Mike has receiv...
Phillips "The Royal Oak 50th" Auction Highlights
The Royal Oak just turned 50. Yes, 50! But hey, if there is any field in which getting old is revered, it’s horology. At the Basel watch fair in 1972, Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak marked the beginning of a new genre for the watch market. It was the birth of an integrated-bracelet luxury sports watch in steel that nowadays cost as much or more than its gold contemporaries.Audemars Piguet did not miss a beat in celebrating this big year, having launched a whole slew of new Royal Oaks. Our editors enthusiastically shared their thoughts on the releases last week in celebration of the 50th anniversary. Check out our series of articles on the topic right here. And you know who else has ...
Best-Kept Secrets: Zenith Prime The Best Entry-Ticket El Primero
I seem to be on a roll with my newfound love for chronographs. This ’90s El Primero chronograph might be over 20 years old, but it sure doesn't look it. Considering the brand's strong history and the El Primero in particular, what’s the catch? I can’t see any, so it’s no wonder that I've marked three of these as Chrono24 favorites. Is the mid-’90s Zenith Prime the best entry-ticket El Primero chronograph out there?There is a caveat to this story, and that is one simple fact: chronographs and the complex El Primero movement are not cheap to service. So unless you have a very friendly watchmaker, make sure you get one that’s recently had the spa treatment. F...
Building A Watch Brand Ep. 7: Dial Design
Finally, we get to talk about dial design! Once we finished the case and bracelet, we used our momentum to continue with the dials. As with the case, the desired design direction revealed itself quite quickly. We then took our sweet time to iterate on it and fine-tune it until it felt just right. In this installment of Building A Watch Brand, I am happy to share some of the decision-making involved in dial design. My original dial input has largely survived the scrutiny of my designer, Max Resnick. He did, as I’ve come to expect, lift it several levels higher, so I can unashamedly say I love the result. I hope you do too! Let's get into it.The watch has also received a reference - Type...
H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Centre Seconds Smoked Salmon
The Streamliner by H. Moser & Cie is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable watch designs currently out there. In a sea of generic watches, the Steamliner instantly stands out from the crowd. The unique combination of the case, the bracelet, and the dial design make this a true original. And it has seen quite a few different iterations in the past couple of years. The great success of the Streamliner started with the amazing Flyback Chronograph. But the follow-up, the time-only Streamliner Centre Seconds Matrix Green, showed the true power and glory of the Streamliner’s design for many watch fans. That glory now gets a new chapter with the stunning Streamliner Centre Seconds Smok...
Breguet Future-Proofs Its Classique Quantime Perpetuel
If you’re a brand like Breguet, you don’t have to update or completely redesign your watches every couple of years. It’s a brand that is very much about tradition, and it doesn’t have to comply with the latest trends. Its designs are rather timeless and very much on the classic side. However, every once in a while, it’s important to stay relevant and also update the movement inside a watch. So after almost 20 years, it was time to update one of Breguet’s most important watches, the Quantime Perpetuel from the Classique collection.I’m a fan of Breguet’s Classique line. I own a time-only watch, reference 5907, from that very same collection. I v...
Restomod Watch
Off-the-shelf stuff - how do you feel about it? Well, it has its advantages. I mean, a product that's available immediately and doesn’t need to be specially made to suit a particular purpose comes in most handy. But is an off-the-shelf product a luxury product? Let me rephrase that and include something relevant for Fratello readers. Is a watch made by a brand that produces roughly a million watches per year a luxury watch? It most definitely is an off-the-shelf watch that wasn't specially made to suit your wishes. And isn't personalization a crucial element of enjoying luxury? The restomod is the ultimate feelgood watch that offers both familiarity and individuality. And it’s lu...
Fratello Favorites: Jorg's Picks Watches and Wonders 2024
This week, there won’t be a regular Top 5 list. Instead, I had a chance to pick my five favorites from Watches and Wonders 2024 as part of our current Fratello Favorites series. Funnily enough, most of my picks are variations of existing models. Is it proof that Watches and Wonders wasn’t too exciting? I would say it sure is a reflection of that. Then again, it’s still a list of watches that I was excited to see. So while there weren’t as many pieces with the “wow factor” at this year’s Watches and Wonders, these five picks stood out for me.Sitting here thinking about the watches that impressed me last year, I can come up with a list of favorites tha...
Introducing: The RZE Urbanist
The Urbanist is the latest release from RZE, and we think it might be the perfect “grab and go” watch. As you’ll soon discover, this is a fantastic everyday watch with an easygoing solar-powered movement. Best of all, the movement is guaranteed for life. Did we mention that it’s also affordable?We certainly enjoy RZE here at Fratello. The microbrand focuses on sporty titanium watches that are meant to be used, and we’ve been impressed with both the quality and approachability of these offerings. Recently, we worked with RZE on the Resolute Pro Contour, and it was well-received. Today’s RZE Urbanist keeps the string of desirable releases rolling with a watc...
Introducing: Two New Tissot Seastar Wilson WNBA Watches
Women’s basketball is tremendously popular in the United States. A little over a week ago, news broke that the women’s NCAA title game outdrew the men’s championship game by four million more viewers. The NCAAW’s record-breaking star Caitlin Clark had something to do with those numbers. She was also the number-one pick in the WNBA’s annual draft this week. With the 2024 draft happening, Tissot collaborated with the WNBA and Wilson on the first official pair of WNBA watches. These two new Tissot Seastar models are great picks for basketball fans worldwide.Tissot has been the proud partner of the NBA, WNBA, and the NBA Development League since 2015. The multi-year...
RJ's Favorite Watches And Wonders 2024 Releases
Some Fratello editors have been asked to share their favorites from the Watches and Wonders exhibition last week, so I am happy to share mine. But before doing so, let me share some thoughts on this year's Geneva watch show.A quick Watches and Wonders 2024 recapThis year's Watches and Wonders wasn’t very exciting regarding the appetite for watches in 2024. As you probably have heard and noticed, many brands and retailers struggle to sell their watches. This is very different from 3C4 years ago when the demand for watches was at new heights. Therefore, a few things we saw in Geneva the other week can be explained.Grand Seiko Kodo 2Catering to the ultra-richIn general, watches shown at W...
Hands-On: The Boldr Odyssey Black Dragonfish
Blacked-out watches will always be cool to me. There's something oddly appealing about a black dial sitting inside a black-coated case, preferably with a black strap or bracelet. Admittedly, I'm not remotely close to going on any covert operations, and there are times when a sea of black can actually hamper the ability to tell time at a glance. Still, I love that “tacticool” look. The watch I'm writing about today has all those hallmarks and then some.The Odyssey Black Dragonfish is Boldr's third offering to use Superkuro Musou Black paint. Each time, the results are striking. The Venture Singularity and Safari Vogelkop took their names and inspirations from a supermassive black ...
Introducing: The Arnold & Son Constant Force Tourbillon 11
There were plenty of standout releases at Watches and Wonders 2025, but one watch keeps coming up in my memories. The Arnold & Son Constant Force Tourbillon 11 was a delight in the metal. Plus, the reason for the watch centers on a story with actual meaning.Watch companies indeed find a reason to celebrate just about every little occasion. Some are substantial, while others seem trivial. The Arnold & Son Constant Force Tourbillon 11 feels like a credible reason to get excited due to the historic relationship between John Arnold and Abraham-Louis Breguet. Both men even sent their sons in an exchange to train with the other father. As the story goes, Arnold was an admirer of Breguet...
Introducing: Nectere's Order From Chaos Collection
You’re probably aware of the butterfly effect. It’s the idea that small, seemingly trivial events may ultimately result in something with much larger consequences. But what does that have to do with watches? Well, the principle inspired a new collection from a new brand initiated by James Wong and Tony Yip from Hong Kong. Yesterday, they launched their first campaign on Kickstarter. The brand name is Nectere, and the collection is called Order From Chaos. Let’s see if Wong and Yip can cause a ripple effect and make their new venture successful.To be honest, I’m always a bit sceptical when a new watch brand launches on Kickstarter. I’ve experienced up close how T...
G-SHOCK MRG-G1000: An icon comes of age
Long-time G-SHOCK fans will make a beeline for the new MRG-G1000. The watch has a hardened titanium case and uses hybrid technology to achieve unsurpassed precision. Ever since the first design was launched in 1983, the G-SHOCK has been considered the pioneer in the “tough watch” category within the wristwatch market. All of the watches are exceptionally rugged and shock-resistant and designed with the “Triple 10” concept.The Japanese brand sets a new benchmark with the MRG-G1000, thus entering the high-quality timepiece segment. The piece is distinguished by its sporty design, finest materials and innovative functions. For the first time, the legendary G-SHOCK shock ...