A part of what makes the watch hobby so enjoyable is the massive amount of things to explore beyond just the watches themselves. For instance, even if you’re a “one-watch” enthusiast, that still leaves open the world of straps to spice things up or tone things down, movements/technical aspects of the watch world, brand history, and more. This is indeed a hobby with so many facets

Since Forstner reopened its doors in 2019, it has become a go-to for vintage-inspired bracelets. The brand was founded by William Forstner almost a century earlier in New Jersey, concentrating on ornamental jewelry and watch bracelets in its early years. The company’s real focus came about in 1939 with the introduction of the “Komfit” bracelet, which was followed in the next deca

People sometimes ask me on Instagram and in person which watches they should get. They often expect me to suggest watches from big names like , Cartier, and Omega. And yes, those brands make and offer great watches, but they’re also rather expensive for most people. In this series, we’re looking at our favorite watches under $2,500. This time, I wanted to find watches that I would buy

The history of a watch can be vital for its ongoing success. But while Doxa’s Sub 300 had a storied past, the brand did not survive the Quartz Crisis. Thankfully, in recent years, under the stewardship of the Jenny family, Doxa has been going from strength to strength.It is time that we had a conversation about Doxa. The brand’s hot release of the new Sub 200T caused a fair bit of chat

This is hardly the first open-worked version of the legendary Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin, but it is my favorite one so far. The perfection is in the white gold that “AP” used for the watch’s exterior, the internal and external finishing, and the choice of colors. The way the watch combines significant weight with an airy appearance also creates a special sensation

Lex Watches, one of Fratello’s sponsors and just recently on the Dutch market has exciting news to bring! Since Lex Watches is trying to stand out from the crowd, they also look for partners that stand out. Lex Watches have found a brand that they feel fits very well with their own philosophy. The brand is not very famous to all of you (yet), but all watches are precious timepieces, made in

About a year ago, I wrote about a book called Vintage Panerai by Ralf Ehlers and Volker Wiegmann, both Paneristi from Germany. These guys have written the successor of their first book and it is currently available for pre-order. Their second book is being called Vintage Panerai – The References and can be ordered at vintage-panerai.de for 169 Euro. Their first book, Vintage Panerai –

The ownership of an expensive timepiece does not come without any risks. The risk of loss, damage, theft or even robbery is for some people even a reason not to buy or wear their precious watch. A safe deposit box at the bank might be a good idea but it will also become annoying when you want to swap watches once in a while. A safe at home is therefore a good alternative and this will also give yo

I?had the pleasure to visit the Moritz Grossmann during?BaselWorld. There were several interesting novelties from this relatively young brand (2008) from the praised small German watchmaking village Glashutte. There is one particular model that?grabbed?our attention: the Atum Pure M. It has several remarkable technical and visual properties which I'd like to point out.Atum Pure M in stainless stee

Although the use of ‘rare’ is often being exaggerated, it certainly applies?for this skeleton Speedmaster Jubilee 27 Chro C12 reference 3696.50. For the happy few, as we are talking solid gold here with skeletonized caliber 867 chronometer chronograph movement. Let’s have a look.Skeleton Speedmaster in GoldGold Speedmasters are rare on its own, but when there’s skeleton wor

Omega didn’t show us everything in BaselWorld, as we already noticed some images on Instagram from some Italian colleagues and collectors talking Seamaster Edizione Venezia. Just a few days ago, Omega officially announced this special watch that will only be for sale at the Omega Boutique and the T Fondaco dei Tedeschi by DFS (department store) in Venice.Omega Seamaster Edizione VeneziaThe S

You know you did something right when people start to compare your watch to one with a price tag three times as high.Whether it was justified or not to criticize the Breitling Premier chronograph for being a very expensive Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto Chrono (Michael Stockton mentioned it already in his Breitling Premier B01 review here), the comments do stick with you. I handled both the Hamilton In

Howdy-do fine folks and welcome to This Week in Watches for May 9, 2020 the Everything Edition. I’ve given it this name because we’ve got quite the smorgasbord of new watches for you. So, grab your plates and hit the buffet!Christopher Ward C60 Sapphire EditionWhen I said we had everything, I meant it. We kick things off with a new Christopher Ward C60 Diver. This 40mm dive watch has a

If there’s one useful accessory for a watch guy, it’s a watch roll. I’ve had and tried many, but only a few make it to become one of my “travel essentials”.Before I start with the review of this Bennett Winch watch roll, I think it is good to spend a few words on what I think makes a good one. For me, the most important thing is that a watch roll is sturdy. I often pu

The last one of our four-category W&W 2021 discussion with Andrew from Time+Tide, Wei from Revolution, Frank from Monochrome, and yours truly. I hosted this video and the category is “Future Forward”. What are the most innovative watches from Watches & Wonders and bring something truly new to the table?Future ForwardAgain, no budgets or limitations set in this category. Listen

Yo, yo, yo, we’ve gone decimal! I knew there was a reason we had those funny old episode numbers. Now we finally know why. The long-planned episode 10 has been delayed because for the first time this year both Balazs (Fridge) and Rob (Freezer) are in different countries (whaaat?).That’s right, episode 9.1 (the second installment of our mailbag series) sees the Podcast come to you from

In our Sunday Morning Showdown, two of our writers go head-to-head in an epic showdown for the ages. Strong opinions and hysterical hyperbole are welcome (so feel free to join in with the fun in the comments section below). And don’t forget to let us know which watches you’d like to see torn to shreds/effusively exalted next week. We’ll try and feature as many of our readers̵

If you have ever found yourself looking for an aftermarket rubber strap for your Seiko, the name Crafter Blue will certainly ring a bell. The brand rose to fame only a few years ago in 2016 thanks to its production of some of the best fitted rubber straps on the market. Since then, many competitors have joined the market with similar products. But if you're looking for bang for your buck, Crafter

Why have I never bought myself an IWC? I love pilot's watches, and the monochrome vibe of an IWC tool watch has always been very tempting. The challenge for me is their sizing and my tight budget. I would love to have burly-enough arms to rock a 43-46mm tool chronograph, but unfortunately, I’m stuck with a twig-like 17.5cm wrist. So if you share my challenge, here’s your guide on how t

How was your weekend? The time has come to wear your bright-colored, sporty, and fun spring/summer watches, don't you think? No, I'm not talking about colorful MoonSwatches, trust me. I will leave that hot topic alone for a bit. But I do have a colorful titanium Patek Philippe with an emerald dial for you. And if you're in need of some music to ease you into the workweek, there's also an Audemars