Favre-Leuba: Bathy reborn!
The watch enthusiasts among you readers probably remember Favre-Leuba for making mediocre watches during the 1990s. However, what I didn’t know, is that Favre-Leuba is actually quite old (1718). This brand from the 18th century is based in Basel, the city that we all know for the annual BaselWorld show. Fast forward to 1966 (a nice overview of Favre-Leuba’s history can be read here), when Favre-Leuba introduced the first Bathy diving watch. This watch featured a mechanical depth gauge, graduated in metres (50m) as well as feet (160ft) and had a screw-down type of crown, to secure the watch against water.The picture above shows the original Bathy, dated 1966, with a water resistan...
Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Gravity Review
During the Baselworld novelty presentation at Maurice Lacroix, we were happily surprised by the new Masterpiece collection. Apart from the Square wheel' and Mystery' line-up, perhaps the most interesting novelty was the Masterpiece Gravity. We already posted some live wristshots on our @fratellowatches Instagram account. Now, we present our hands-on review of the Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Gravity with better photos.Maurice Lacroix describes the Gravity as the force that is intended to attract admiring glances'. And to be honest, the Gravity was the first thing?that caught our attention on the presentation tray, containing some of the novelty watches for this year’s Baselworld.The lar...
Speedy Tuesday Houston Speedmaster Event Report
Last week, on the 12th of May, Omega hosted the Houston Speedmaster Event to celebrate and introduce the new collection of Speedmaster watches together with astronauts Jim Lovell, Tom Stafford and Eugene Cernan. Oh and George Clooney. His relationship with the Speedmaster and the Apollo program? Keep on reading.I heard about my invitation for this Houston Speedmaster Event during BaselWorld, but the official invitation followed in May via regular mail. A beautiful card with Moon relief on one side and the invitation text on the other side. ?It with a short NASA-like coded message about the event, as shown below.Together with about 300 guests, including Omega staff, retailers, boutique manage...
#TBT Tissot Navigator Yachting After
Tissot Navigator YachtingRoughly 5 months ago I published a #TBT about a vintage Tissot Navigator. That article was titled ?before. Anyone who read that piece knows exactly why I gave that name to the write-up. The watch I bought was in sorry condition, the crystal was cracked and it was not original, the bezel was damaged, the case was dirty and scratched up and last but not least the movement was rusty and in such a condition that it really was screaming for a restoration. We decided to feature it anyways then have it serviced so we would be able to compare the before and after shots and show you dear reader that even a lost case can turn out to be a success story. As the great roman philo...
A Breeze Of C?te D'Azur Corniche Heritage 40
When there is a new watch brand around the corner, we are always interested to have a look at it. Although we all feel the market is flooded by the number of watch brands, in some segments there is room for new brands. Except for a couple of vintage watches, a new Seiko and a few others, what is really available under $500 Euro these days?Our Scandinavian friends from Corniche must have thought the same thing, and decided to come up with something fresh. On their website, I read that the owners spend their childhood summers on the French Riviera, to which I can relate (until I was 10 or so and my father decided to go Great Britain as his interests shifted a bit), and wanted to design and cre...
Share Your #SpeedyTuesday Story On Instagram
Last week, Omega announced a little contest for #SpeedyTuesday fans. All you have to do to take part is to post a picture of your Speedmaster on your Instagram feed and tell us your Speedy Story. What makes it special to you? Why did you buy it? Has it seen adventures or memorable times on your wrist? Get snapping and join in the fun. We can’t wait to read your words!Your Speedy Stories should be 100 words or less. Omega will choose its favorites and post them (with your consent) to its official Instagram Stories feed and on the official website. This little initiative runs for the next three weeks and you don’t need to wait till it is Tuesday, but you must remember to use the #S...
Fortis Aeromaster PC-7 Team Edition Day-Date, 300 pcs LE
A few years back, Fortis was firmly on my radar. Somewhere along the way, I lost touch with the brand. But now, thanks to new ownership and an exciting return to form, the brand is back in my sights.Fortis suggested we test drive some of its recently introduced models. To me, it was like a re-introduction to the brand. Last week, RJ took on the Amadee-18. Today, I’ll take the limited-edition Fortis Aeromaster PC-7 Team Edition Day-Date out for a spin.Fortis Aeromaster PC-7 Team Day-DateI’m not eager to admit this, but what I remember as being the “real” Fortis is the Official Cosmonauts Chronograph introduced in the mid-nineties of the last century. At that time, Fort...
New Release: Breitling Superocean '57 Limited Edition II
If you missed your chance at the most recent Breitling Superocean ’57 Limited Edition, you now have a chance at a slightly different follow-up model. Significantly, proceeds will aid charities that support frontline healthcare workers in the battle against COVID-19.Just over a month ago, we shared news of Breitling‘s latest capsule collection. The Superocean Heritage ’57 was announced during a video stream led by Georges Kern. While the watch could be considered as a somewhat niche offering, I threw my money behind it within a couple of hours of its release. After all, this watch recalls one of my all-time favorite vintage watches while adding some modern twists such as siz...
Panerai Luminor Marina PVD Destro (2021) A Divisive Left-Hander
Welcome, watch-wearing persons to Wrist Game or Crying Shame! This week, we head back to 2008 to take a look at the Panerai Luminor Marina PVD Destro. Are you “sinister” enough for this one? Before we find out…Last week, I truly enjoyed myself when talking about the original TAG Heuer Formula 1. This cheap and cheerful watch even brought out some great stories from you fine folks about your adolescent years. Sadly, it wasn’t all fun and games because the high school bullies gave this one a wedgie to the poor TAG. As a result, this one flunked out with a 56% Crying Shame loss. Boo! Now, let’s head to the next decade and talk about the Panerai Luminor Marina PVD D...
Hands-on Review: The Ergon Adventum Review (2021)
Genta is on-trend right now. Across all areas of the industry, we have seen brands riding the Genta-wave with aplomb. While some trends come and go, others stick around because they’re timeless. I think we can all agree that the designs of one Mr. Gerald Genta fit that timeless category perfectly. But, with so many brands now taking inspiration from the legendary designer, are we seeing the saturation of the homage market? The Ergon Adventum is a microbrand proposition that wears its inspiration on its sleeve. It doffs its cap to the legendary designer but also maintains its own style and personality.I’ve long been an avid follower of the microbrand scene. I love seeing the creat...
The Tudor Black Bay 36 Is Better Than The Explorer (2021)
Surprise, surprise: we get asked this a lot. What’s the best watch to buy? Such a question cannot help but elicit further questions. What’s your budget? Will it be your only watch? What do you like, for goodness’ sake? Mostly, however, despite the well-intentioned questioner desiring a solid, definite, concrete answer, supposed “experts” like my Fratello brothers and me, prefer to side-step the question - to place the burden of choice back into the hands of the buyer. Well, for all of you that find that tactic unsatisfactory, I have an answer: the Tudor Black Bay 36 M79500-0007 is the best watch on the market right now. And here’s why…History, aesthe...
Sign Up Now: Fratello Event On June 18th In The Hague
It’s with great pleasure that we announce our upcoming event, “An evening with Fratello” on June 18th, in the beautiful city of The Hague, The Netherlands. That’s right, we can finally meet with you again, and we’re really looking forward to doing so. We love to talk about watches, not only online but also in real life, in a nice environment with a drink and a bite. We’re guessing that you do as well, so we hereby invite you to sign-up for the Fratello event on June 18th using the form below.Before the pandemic, we hosted many events. Mainly, these were together with brands (Blancpain, Glashutte Original, Grand Seiko, Omega, Oris, etc.). But we also hosted...
#TBT Turtle Astronaut: A Bizarre But Amusing 24H Deadbeat Watch
You’d better sit down now. The Turtle Astronaut is a bi-metallic 24-hour watch with a sector dial, lumed, printed, and applied numerals, red detailing, an arrow central seconds hand, a push-down crown, twisted lugs… and a deadbeat Chezard movement. ?Shall I repeat myself, or will you read that again? If I were a gypsy king, the Turtle Astronaut would be my second choice after whatever gold watch. This watch is so awkwardly different that, in a way, it’s actually cute. If I didn’t see the watch and had just read the above description, I would think it was an April Fools’ “frankenwatch” to entertain readers. Well, it’s not. I am serious. And the ...
Alpina Seastrong Diver 300 Heritage Gets A New Colorway (2022)
Dual-crown divers are enjoying a bit of a revival these days. While some brands are coming out with new designs, others are exploring their back catalogs. Alpina has a rich history dating back to 1883 and was there when diving and dive watches entered the zeitgeist. Launched in 2016, the Seastrong Heritage line was established as a tribute to the water-going watches of yesteryear. Poised as a fresh take on a classic design, this line offers modern technology in a vintage-inspired package. We will see that this is much more than a pretty face in a new case.There has been no shortage of dual-crown dive watches released in recent memory. We’ve seen them from fresh-faced microbrands and th...
Fitting Omega's Speedmaster Chronoscope Clasp To A Moonwatch
It’s safe to say the new 3861-equipped Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch caused a big splash at Fratello. Since the launch in January 2021, at least four team members obtained Omega’s first Master Chronometer Moonwatch. All smiles, then? Well, overall, yes. The Speedmaster is one of my most prized possessions, and not just in terms of watch collecting. Every time I wear it, I can’t help but spend some “me time” ogling its many intricacies. However, on the wrist, a niggling feature, or lack thereof, began permeating my psyche and spoiling the wearing experience. In this somewhat different Strap Check article, I aim to tackle my reservations about the bracelet and remed...
Gerard's EDC Essentials From Apple, Sony, Ray-Ban, And More
It’s time for another installment of Fratello EDC, where we’re sharing our editorial team’s Everyday Carry (EDC) items. The third Fratello to share the contents of his bag and pockets is OG Gerard, aka G2. What essentials does he carry with him daily?As a guy who likes to travel light, I don’t particularly like calling these items “essentials.” Rather, I’d say they’re necessities. They’re necessary to lock the house, necessary to start my car or unlock my bicycle, and necessary to do what I like or have to do. The things I carry have no specific hierarchy, so let’s start with the largest of them.G2’s EDC necessities - Starting...
Fratello's Top 5 Seiko Alpinist References Ever
Another Friday, another Top 5! In this series, we take one classic watch and choose our five favorite references ever produced. Four of these references will be based on the historical importance of the specific watch in the grand scheme of things. Though there may be some overlap, it's not a question of which references are the most collectible or of the highest value on the market. The fifth pick is our Fratello favorite that considers the current market price and collectability, potentially making it a sleeper reference. As such, the last pick could be described as our wild card. This week, we’ll take a look at the Seiko Alpinist. What are the best references in the history of this ...
Hands-On: Bremont MBII Anti-Shock Pilot's Watch
Following a renewed interest in the British watch brand Bremont, I spent quality time with one of its most recognizable models, the MBII. With the hardened stainless steel case and second crown for the internal bidirectional rotating scale, the MBII cuts a striking silhouette. But beneath the solid looks, it is a capable pilot’s watch packed with technology to benefit the wearer in various scenarios. My time with the MBII was enlightening, and it broadened my view of Bremont and its model namesake Martin-Baker. Read on to discover my thoughts in this hands-on review.Getting meaningful time with a loaned watch is a luxury in itself. While we get access to a variety of new pieces, protot...
Favorite Watches Under $1,000 Lex's Picks
The agony of choice. You might be familiar with that when it comes to watches. I know I am when it comes to composing lists. But not this time. And that's because I already picked one watch under $1,000 in 2023 and actually bought it. Of the three watches I will highlight here, I purchased the 40mm Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Ice Blue and haven't regretted it since. The other two watches are not in my possession, but I do believe they would look just right on my wrist too. The Yema Rallygraf Meca-Quartz caught my eye when it was at HQ a little while ago. And it was Jorg who led me to the blue-dialed Seiko Presage SPB167 when he reviewed the black and brown SPB331.I do like a chronograph with li...
New: Green-Dial Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 & Chronograph
Can the Tissot PRX become any more popular than it already is? With a full collection of quartz and mechanical models in different sizes, the PRX is one of the biggest success stories of the watch industry in recent history. It makes you wonder how Tissot can make that story even better. One simple way is by introducing attractive new dial variations. That’s exactly what the brand has done with today’s new green-dial PRXs. The first is a dark green PRX Automatic Chronograph, and the second is a light green PRX Powermatic 80 available in two sizes. These watches will surely be new hits in a super successful story.As a Tissot PRX owner, I have asked myself occasionally whether I...