Seiko Astron GPS Solar SSH101J1 and SSH105J1 Limited Edition Watches
Ǭ, or kanpai meaning cheers in, of course, Japanese, and let's enjoy the sake. And after a couple of them we will see the full beauty of the city and the night sky. As we all know Seiko's designers often find inspiration by looking at the beautiful and diverse facets of nature around them. Not this time. The Seiko Astron GPS Solar SSH101J1 and SSH105J1 Limited Edition watches have an urban vibe. And it wouldn't surprise me that a night on the town served as inspiration for this pair of intoxicating Astrons.It's raining limited edition Astrons lately. We covered the white and blue SSH093J1 that celebrates Seiko's 140th anniversary. And also the game-inspired black and gold SSH097J1 KOJIMA PR...
Forstner Klip Bracelet (2021) Promises Vintage Vibes On A Budget
I’ve written extensively in the past about the stunning effect bracelets can have on a watch’s character. It is perhaps most apparent to us as watch wearers, consumers, and analysts, just how important bracelet design is to the overall impact created by a new product whenever we shift a watch head onto a new band or bracelet. The transformation is immediate. The watch’s mien becomes something else entirely. Whatever the original designer intended disappears from your wrist and a fresh, personal hybrid remains. I myself have fully transformed from an after-market bracelet hater into a bracelet/strap specialist rater. My teammates are partly responsible for this. The other gu...
Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins's Speedmaster Up For Auction
Astronaut Michael Collins, one of the three men on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, passed away just over a year ago at the age of 90. When I was in Italy for the Speedy Tuesday event in Milan in 2019, I spoke at length with our special guest astronaut Nicole Stott about Collins. She knew him quite well, and according to her, Collins was one of the nicest guys from the Apollo program, as well as a talented painter.Michael Collins on the left, Deke Slayton in the background. Image by NASAMichael Collins, Apollo 11 astronautIn fact, Collins was responsible for the design of the Apollo 11 patch, and he orbited the Moon thirty times in the Command Module during the Apollo 11 mission. During these ...
Sorry Tudor, It's Not You, It's Me: I'm Selling My Black Bay Fifty-Eight
I just think we went a little too fast. Sorry about that, Tudor. I mean, before I really got into watches, about two years ago, ?I didn’t even know you existed. There was your bigger brother , and friends like Omega, Cartier, Oris, and Nomos, which all sounded familiar. But I only got to know you quite recently. You won me over with your vintage looks, modern-day technology, and modest price. But what I realized is that you’re actually just using your bigger brother’s success to try to be cool. Don’t get me wrong, that’s what you’ve always been doing, and that’s fine by me. I just didn’t see it until now. Please, let me explain.I first started ...
New: Bremont MB Viper And Bremont Vulcan Pilot's Watches
British watch brand Bremont continues to celebrate military aviation with a limited-edition Vulcan monopusher chronograph and an all-new model, the MB Viper. Watch brands have long worked with outside companies and organizations on timepieces. Think of, for example, Doxa and Synchron collaborating with Poseidon Diving Systems or Patek Phillipe partnering with Tiffany & Co.These collaborations often involve a small detail added to a watch, such as an emblem or a bit of text signifying the presence of the relationship between the two companies. Rarely does that collaboration entail a ground-up project leading to an entirely new timepiece. Bremont, however, has made exactly that, and with M...
AnOrdain Unveils The Model 3 Special Edition For Hodinkee
If you know anything about anOrdain, it’s probably that the Scottish brand makes some of the most spectacular enamel dials in the industry. In a collaborative effort with Hodinkee, anOrdain shows even more impressive dial-making skills than ever before. The new anOrdain Model 3 Limited Edition for Hodinkee introduces a handmade sunburst dial that is nothing short of spectacular. On top of that, it is the first anOrdain Model 3 to become available to the public. That makes this limited edition an extra special release.The moment your eyes hit the new anOrdain Hodinkee Model 3 Limited Edition, you are immediately hypnotized by the dial. I’ve only had a chance to see the promotional...
Do The Box And Papers Matter When Buying A Pre-Owned/Vintage Watch?
Box and papers - yay or nay? It is a question I get a lot and one worth diving into. There are, as always, entrenched fanatics on either side of the aisle. Also as always, the answer is a little more nuanced than one might expect. The truth is, it all depends on several factors that are personal to you and to the purchase in question.In this article, then, I will try to arm you with the relevant considerations rather than tell you what to do. Without further ado, let's get into it.Image: Bachmann & ScherBox, papers, box and papers, or full setWe are, of course, talking about the included original accessories when you buy a vintage/used watch. Depending on the age and type of watch, it ca...
Delightful Dual-Time Watches To Dazzle The Senses
They look a bit funky, and I definitely don’t know all that much about them. But every time I see one of those dual-time watches with two dials next to or above each other, my heart skips a beat. Of course, a more conventional GMT watch is nice. They often feature a fourth hand and 24-hour scale(s) that allow another time zone or two to be tracked. But there’s something about the simplicity of two entire watch faces existing together on the same dial. Let’s take a look at some nice examples that I was able to find online.Yes, online. Why? Well, because you don’t see these watches all that often in the wild. At a recent get-together organized by RedBar Amsterdam, I saw...
?Hands-On: Orient Star 1964 Diver 2nd Edition
I’m old. In fact, I’m probably the second-oldest member on the Fratello team, with teenage (watch out!) dad duties taking as much time as writing. But I stay tuned to the streets, son! (Who am I kidding? I look silly with my Air Force 1s.) My age means that Orient is a brand I remember from my childhood before I knew about premium Swiss provenance. Orient has been absent from many European store windows, but there’s a comeback in the cards. When I was around 10 years old, I remember the Orient coat of arms in a watch display. For me, it already then seemed great value (not for my mom), even quite flash. Will the Orient Star 1964 Diver 2nd Edition give me the same feeling as...
Rado Introduces Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton
Rado is one of the brands that have successfully capitalized on the modern-retro trend in recent years. Its Captain Cook collection is a great example of mixing 60s throwback aesthetics with cutting-edge materials. In its latest edition, the Swiss brand has gone one step further, installing a skeletonized movement in the new diver. The result is the Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton, showcasing watchmaking finesse both inside and out.The ’60s comebackFirst introduced in 1962 and discontinued in 1968, the original Captain Cook dive watch was revived in steel and bronze in 2017 and then in ceramic in 2021. Since then, the Captain Cook collection has firmly secured its position as R...
Hands-On: The New Lesablier LS-04 Travelgraph
It’s not often that we get to review a watch from a brand that is completely new to us. This week, though, I had the honor to get up close and personal with a new watch from a young brand called Lesablier. It was the LS-04 Travelgraph, and, in short, I’d describe it as a compact and affordable worldtimer. It runs on the Miyota 9075 caliber, which means that it has an independently adjustable hour hand. The Constellation version I went hands-on with also features a blue aventurine dial. Keep reading to find out what I thought of it in person.But first, let me tell you a little bit more about Lesablier (le sablier means “hourglass” in French). The brand was founded by a...
Overreacting To The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Kith
This week, Fratello On Air returns on its non-normal day because your co-hosts have been under the weather. We’re both on the mend, though, and happy to be on the airwaves. In this episode, we cover several topics, but our main discussion centers on the recent TAG Heuer Formula 1 Kith releases. We try to bring some level of sense to these watches....
Why Cartier Wins While Other Brands Struggle
We have heard quite a few complaints from brands about the watch market recently. Many are struggling from economic uncertainty and a serious correction after lockdown-induced all-time highs. One brand, however, seems to be on a bit of a winning streak. According to Morgan Stanley, Cartier overtook Omega as the second-largest Swiss watchmaker behind in 2020 and has managed to hold on to that position since. Even as recently as Q4 2023, Cartier’s owner Richemont reported growth in China, compensating for a modest decline in European sales.We even see it on Fratello. While Cartier articles never performed very well on the site before, they do now. It seems you, the Fratelli, are more in...
Citizen Super Titanium Eco-Drive Chrono And Day-Date
Among affordable watches, the offerings from Citizen are hard to ignore. “Hard to beat” would be an even better choice of words. The Japanese brand is almost invincible when it comes to offering great value for money. The latest series added to the brand’s lineup are the Super Titanium Eco-Drive Chrono and Day-Date lines. Both share a ’70s-inspired case design with an integrated bracelet. Add a series of colorful textured dials, a full-titanium construction, and Eco-Drive movements, and you have the full package. But the best thing is that the Day-Date and the Chrono versions are well under $500. Join me as we find out more about these new models.Straight out of the b...
What does a Concorde test pilot have on his wrist?
A GMT-Master ofcourse!Hannes treats the R-L-X.de forum visitors on these two screenshots from the Discovery channel:The fellow above is Brian Trubshaw, British Concorde Testpilot.Thanks Hannes!If you want over 80 pages of famous (and less famous) wearers, click here (you might need to register)....
AMG And IWC Ingenieur Event At The Race Track
IWC Ingenieur EventRemember our give-away of tickets to the AMG and IWC event at the Zandvoort Racing Track in The Netherlands? The conditions to participate were quite strict, you needed to have an IWC Ingenieur already AND live in The Netherlands, Belgium or Luxemburg. We had to disappoint quite a few people who mailed us from Denmark, UK, Franc and even Italy. In the end, we had two people who met all requirements!We have a Winner!However, one of them needed to cancel the evening before due to an important business meeting. So, in the end, we only brought Maarten van Munster to the race track. Instead the other winner, there was suddenly some extra room for our photographer Bert Buijsrogg...
TAG Heuer Monaco V4 Tourbillon Review
With a rich automotive history, the (TAG) Heuer Monaco has always been linked to racing. So if you're thinking of a special, haute horlogerie version of the Monaco, nothing beats incorporating components from the race industry in a watch! TAG Heuer came up with a new way to drive' their Monaco. After 5 years of hard work, the patented belt-driven Monaco V4 has crossed the finish line back in 2004.10 years later, during the 2014 Baselworld exhibition, TAG Heuer presented us the evolution of this award-winning (including best design award and Red Dot award) watch, the belt driven Monaco V4 Tourbillon.As we take a look at the front, the first things to notice are the two v-shaped bridges. These...
Salthora Meta the new jumping hour by MeisterSinger
MeisterSinger specializes in manufacturing watches that feature one single hand and only show what is really important. Mostly, a single, needle-thin hour hand rotates around a dial on which you can accurately tell the time to the nearest five minutes.However, the Salthora, which was first presented in 2014, features a minute hand instead and the hour is shown in a circular window positioned at 12 o'clock. As soon as the hand reaches the middle of the window every sixty minutes, the number denoting the next hour appears in the window like a flash.The jumping hour principle was first used in wristwatches during the 1920s. However, its perfection is quite a technical challenge.The Salthora by ...
Bulang and Sons Lounge Now Open!
Remember our review about Bulang & Sons straps? As part of our monthly Watch Strap Review series, editor Balazs Ferenczi makes sure to try & review all the straps out there that matter. Well, now you can also visit the Bulang and Sons lounge in Maastricht, The Netherlands to see all straps and other accessories in the flesh before you buy.On the 2nd of May, Berhard Bulang (and sons) opened a beautiful lounge that is not only about watches and watch straps (although there are a lot of them), but also about other “essentials for urban survival”. A couple of beautiful vintage bicycles, clothing, vintage Louis Vuitton bags, a nice turntable, fountain pens and so on. The place...
Jaeger-LeCoultre manufacture visit with lots of photos
Some weeks ago we were invited to visit the Jaeger-LeCoultre manufacture, in order?to see the?Grande Complication Workshops during?a factory tour.After arriving in Le Sentier, where we will spend the day at the Jaeger-LeCoultre manufactory, we are welcomed by Marina Greene at the Lounge of the Maison d'Antoine'. From here we have a great view over the Vallee de Joux.Jaeger-LeCoultre manufacture Grande Complication presentationOur program begins at the Grande Complication Work shop where 12 watchmakers are working on highly complicated watches. Here, master watchmaker Christian Laurent, presents us with the Grande Complication Collection and an in-depth explanation of the Gyrotourbillon?model...