?Hands-On: The Aera D-1 Diver Impresses
My love of watches moves in mysteriously lateral ways, especially this year. I don't know why, but I seem to be jinxed, with size preferences, consolidation, and plans going astray. The Aera D-1 frustratingly proves it by making a big-wristed point. I won't even go into my failed third attempt at consolidation since that includes a love of small-diameter cool, which has been turned on its head lately.This is all good and a part of life. Otherwise, where would the excitement be? Previously, I had decided that the 44mm Seiko Marinemaster 300 was the only “master of big,” embodying 44mm goodness with its innate ergonomics. But it might not be the last big one in my box since a very ...
Watches That Look Best In Titanium
Luxury is heavy, and functionality is light. If that’s true, the battle of gold versus titanium has an easily predictable outcome. Still, isn't great comfort also a luxury? And when titanium is not only used for its lack of weight but also for its special hue, the mythical transition metal that was discovered in 1791 by English clergyman and mineralogist William Gregor and named after the sons of the Earth Goddess, known as the Titans, has surprising aesthetical qualities. Sometimes watches in titanium outshine their counterparts made in other (precious) metals. Here are eight watches that look best in titanium, a shortlist to (hopefully) enjoy and (probably) debate.This is not an upda...
Hands-On: Hanhart 417 ES 1954 Flyback Reverse Panda 39
I must admit that I’ve wanted to get my hands on the Hanhart 417 ES 1954 Flyback Reverse Panda 39 for a long time. Ever since Hanhart released its most iconic chronograph in a 39mm case size (just like the original watch from 1954), it has been high on my list of watches to try. Now that I have, I can say that it may well be the brand’s best. One thing’s for sure: it packs a lot of punch for just under $2,500.When you are excited to see a watch in the metal, your expectations can be the tyranny of a good review. This is simply because your expectations are elevated beyond simply assessing a product on its merits. Your emotions come into play. “Don’t meet your he...
Omega Seamaster Professional 300M 2254.50 Vs. 2531.80
Another Sunday, another Showdown! This week, we are pitting two neo-vintage Seamaster Professional 300M references against each other. In the black corner, we have the sword-handed 2254.50. Out of the blue corner fights the 2531.80 as worn by Pierce Brosnan in Die Another Day. Our very own Nacho owns the former, while Morgan proudly rocks the latter. So, to make it a little less personal, they have each put forward a representative with a healthy emotional distance from these watches - Thomas and Jorg.Thomas will be defending the 2254, and Jorg will be backing the Bond watch. Gentlemen, get ready to rumble!But first, Kith Heuer versus MoonSwatchAs usual, we kick off with a quick recap of las...
Omega Speedmaster 105.002 A Very Rare Watch
It’s Speedy Tuesday! This week we have a contribution from Ashley Budgen (co-owner and founder of the popular Australian based omegaforums.net website) about his very rare Omega Speedmaster reference 105.002. A straight-lugged Speedmaster from 1962 – only 1 year in production – and therefore one of the rarest references. Ashley bought one last year and shares his story with you.I had actually been looking for a pre-pro, straight lug Speedmaster for quite some time, either an ST105.003 or a middle to later series Speedmaster CK2998.? As all Omega (Lemania based) caliber 321 Speedmaster fans know, the earlier the watch, the harder it is to find an all original example, and fo...
One-Hand SUBDELTA Watches Crowdfunding Starts Now
After launching the P1lot One (read here and here), a non-profit pilot’s watch exclusively for 52 forum members, some of the members of the construction team joined forces and started SUBDELTA, handbuilt Dutch watches. Every year, a maximum of 100 handbuilt watches will be issued.The first crowdfunding watch project for SUBDELTA is the Periscope. Designed and built in the Netherlands,this Periscope model commemorates the Dutch submarine legacy. Design elements that grab back to that submarine legacy can be found in the dial for example. Submarine crew can now see the time (and whether it is day/night) in one glance of the dial, due to the day & night indicator and the single hand. ...
Sacha Davidoff's Preview of the Geneva Auctions PART II
CHRISTIE'S GENEVA AUCTIONFollowing my review of the Phillips watch auctions last week, my brother (Roy) and I took a look at Christie's upcoming auction catalog and had the pleasure of viewing the watches with Thomas Perrazi in Geneva. Thomas and the team have focused on vintage versus modern in recent auctions following a global trend from collectors. In regards to the team, we also had the pleasure of seeing Marie Stauffer at Christie's as she has just moved over from Sotheby's (part of a pretty common game of musical chairs among auction houses). Along with Sabine, Marcello and Richard, the Christie's Geneva watch department team is solid and has put together a great catalog with a large ...
The Never Ending Flow Of Amazing Dials Grand Seiko SBGY003
One of the things that makes a Grand Seiko outstanding in most cases, is the dial. We all know the Snowflake and Mt. Iwate for example, but now they also have added ‘hammered’ and?radiant pattern dials to their collection.I will get to the hammered platinum Grand Seiko SBGZ001 somewhere in the next weeks but want to have a closer look at the more affordable stainless steel Grand Seiko SBGY003 first. Limited to 700 pieces only,? but with a friendlier price tag than the gold and platinum watches from the Spring Drive 20th anniversary collection. For this occasion, Grand Seiko introduced a number of new manual-wind thin dress watches with Spring Drive movements.Grand Seiko SBGY003Us...
Hands-On Review: Chopin Op. 10 No. 12
Chopin captured the essence of his work with the above words. Often believed to be French, Chopin was of Polish origin in fact.He was born in 1810 in ?elazowa Wola and lived in Poland until 1830 before moving to Paris. It was only in 1835 when he gained French citizenship, while he passed away in 1849. Chopin’s love for his homeland is most perceptible in one of his greatest works, etude in C minor?Op. 10 No. 12, otherwise known as the Revolutionary etude. It’s no surprise that Poland’s only high-end watch brand chose Chopin Op. 10 No. 12 as the designation for their first timepiece.In our report on the inauguration of the Chopin watch brand, we already mentioned the presen...
Wrist Game or Crying Shame: Omega Speedmaster Apollo XVII 40th Anniversary
Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, the online voting serial where playing along doesn’t require social distancing. Today, we’ll take a look at the limited edition Omega Speedmaster Apollo XVII 40th Anniversary and get your thoughts. But first…Last week, I decided to give you a two-part cocktail made from equal parts of rarity and controversy. It was a stiff drink in the end, but apparently you’d order another as the Grand Seiko SBGX115 triumphed in a 55% Wrist Game win. Today, with the Speedmaster Apollo XVII 40th Anniversary, we’ll look at another limited watch. The bigger question we’ll ask is if its appeal is also limited.The Speedmaster L.E. B...
MB&F Starfleet Explorer Is Out Of This World
Concept laboratory MB&F has been working with legendary clockmaker L’Epeee 1839 for several years now. Their collaborations are always interesting. Perhaps the rarity of desk clocks in the modern world makes them even more so. These are not just remarkable sculptures capable of displaying the time, but they are also futuristic anachronisms designed to mess with our heads. The new Starfleet Explorer is no exception…What year is this? Whenever I look at an MB&F desk clock I ask myself the same question. On one hand, it looks like something from the set of the latest Star Trek movie. On the other, however, it is a desk clock. And who the heck has a desk clock these days?Well...
SYE MOT1ON Watches Aims For A Seamless Exterior
New premium watch brands are ten-a-penny. Reasons to care, however, are rarer than hens’ teeth. Imagine my surprise, then, when I stumbled across SYE. The name - which stands for Start Your Engines - left me cold. But the watch? The watch hit me in what I believe the youth of today would refer to as “the feels”.Having sustained a strong impact to “the feels” I struggled to catch my breath for a moment or two. The terribly-named SYE Mot1on (no, that’s not a typo) is an unexpectedly attractive beast. There is a lot to like about it and its novel case architecture. With two models available for the upcoming launch, one of them really stuck out as a winner.The...
Herms Introduces Cape Cod And Arceau Cheval Cosmique
Hermes was founded in 1837. Back then, the company sold well-made harnesses and bridles for the carriage trade. Today, we’re more accustomed to seeing luxury watches roll out into the brand’s boutiques around the globe. The Cape Cod has, somehow, become something of a crossover icon for the colliding worlds of Haute Couture and Horlogerie.Without a doubt, Herms’ calling card is fine craftsmanship. The latest version of the Cape Cod, originally designed by Henri d'Origny in 1991, is a testament to that. It is an embodiment of the labor-intensive methods behind high fashion. And with an edgier, more industrial appearance, it looks set to win a few new fans.?The hammered surf...
The Big Eye Mondia, The Spaceman, And The Frenca (2021)
During the exhilarating March Mania, we found out that we all love to compare the incomparable. If you had to choose between an eclectic Big eye chronograph Mondia, a juicy three-hander Frenca, or a famous weirdo Spaceman, which one would you go for? Inspired by March Mania I?called my friends from 10ora10 and asked them to send us three watches that have very little in common. They are all watches, but that's about it. Each one is alluring in its own way. Let's see which one gets under your skin.“Blood-red” FrencaYou've never heard of Frenca before? Me neither. Nor had the almighty Mikrolisk.de, that knows quite a lot. Bookmark it though, it might come in handy in the future. Tr...
Fratello Gets A New Look (2021) be Part Of This New Era
Fratello has been here since 2004. What started out as a simple blog about watches has become a daily job for an entire team. And also let’s not forget about our freelancer contributors that are so incredibly involved and committed.I’m sure you might have noticed if you’ve been scrolling these pages long enough, but I started out with nothing more than a standard WordPress website with a pretty standard design and minor customizations. I think I even did it myself back in those days, and believe me when I say that a few times I had entire nights without sleep because I needed to fix something in the process of designing or changing. Things were very different back then.Frat...
Sinn 358 PIlot Chronograph Release Hides Hidden Gem In Collection
There's no getting around the radiant dark blue Zifferblatt of the pilot's chronograph. It really is as blue as blue can be. The manually engraved gray-dialed version may be a lot more understated, but once it grabs your attention it keeps a firm hold of that. The one-of-a-kind Dekorschliff gives this pilot's watch an artistic touch. Let's take a closer look at (and behind the dials of) the Sinn 358 Sa PILOT B E And DS Chronographs that recently landed at our HQ.Both Sinn 358 Sa PILOT B E And DS chronographs are timing instruments built with clarity and functionality in mind. For instance, both B E and DS models are waterproof to 10 bar ?? ?both watches meet the technical requirements as set...
Citizen Chronomatser 500M (2021) One Of The Few True Grails Left?
Today, we take a look at one of the most elusive vintage Japanese watches. The Citizen ChronoMaster 500M diver is here and for many, this article just might serve as an introduction.Things are different today in the vintage watch world. Secrets are few and this means that even my beloved vintage Japanese watches are now receiving more and more coverage. Okay, I know that I don’t help things, but they’re just too good not to share! Good examples of this are the original 300 meter Seiko divers. The 6215 and 6159 models are well known now and, unsurprisingly, they bring high prices now. However, we mustn’t forget Citizen. It turns out that they were also hard at work on a trul...
[Video] Hands-On With Omega's Globemaster Annual Calendar In Green
It’s no secret that I have a weak spot for the Omega Constellation. In fact, I do have my fair share of them (eight different references, to be exact), but the only modern version I own is the Constellation Globemaster. In this video, I talk about the latest addition to the Omega Constellation Globemaster collection, the Annual Calendar with a green dial.Omega Constellation Globemaster Annual Calendar 130.33.41.22.10.001When Omega introduced the (modern) Constellation Globemaster back in 2015, I was immediately smitten by it. The pie-pan dial reminded me of those early Constellations from the 1950s and 1960s, and the case shape was something new. On the case back, Omega added the famou...
Dear Watch Fans, Why So Angry?
In a 1981 interview on Granada TV, former legendary Liverpool FC coach Bill Shankly spoke these often misquoted and famous words: Somebody said that football's a matter of life and death to you, I said, ‘Listen, it’s more important than that.’ Does that quote apply to watches as well? I'm inclined to answer that with a firm yes based on the comments we get on articles we publish. At Fratello, we are proud of the engagement our stories effectuate. But sometimes we also are stunned by the intensity. The comments you leave behind range from lyrically positive to intensely annoyed, vexed, and aggrieved. We have to ask, dear watch fans, why so angry?Over the last year, the numbe...
Looking At Alternative Strap Options For The MoonSwatch
OK, so the MoonSwatch might not quite yet be widely available online, but there’s no harm in making sure you’re fully prepared for when it is. I didn’t get my Mission To Mercury on the day of release. I had to wait until a couple of weeks after the launch, but the wait was worth it. Why? Because I was fully prepared with my replacement strap, ready to go.Replacement strap? If you’re asking what’s wrong with the stock hook-and-loop option, the answer is “nothing”. There’s nothing wrong with it whatsoever, but it’s just not quite for me. My Mission To Mercury came with a silvery number which I wasn’t super keen on. If it had been blac...