In the Fratello EDC series, editors and freelancers alike come together to share their daily carry items. Whether it’s for the daily grind, travel, or both, you’ll get an inside look at what’s in everybody’s bags. Though much of what we carry every day is basically the same, our individual choices are also a way to express our own tastes - the same in essence, but different

Is watch passion shallow? Whenever I am asked about my work at a party, the bystanders seem to instantly divide into those who are interested in watches and those who feel the irresistible urge to point out that it is a rather “silly” and “shallow” hobby. Although most will avoid being overly confrontational about it, a remark along the lines of I do not need a physical sta

Another Friday, another Top 5! In this series, we take one watch or watch series and choose our five favorite references ever produced. This week, we decided to focus on the Seiko 5 line. This obviously led to the question of whether to go with modern or vintage/discontinued Seiko 5 models. To make things easier, this week’s article will focus on the current Seiko 5 Sports series, and weR

Aquastar has been on a tear since its relaunch in 2020. Since then, we’ve enjoyed a new Deepstar chronograph in two different sizes. The Deepstar II has also been a great success as a time-only rendition of the chrono. Today, we’re excited to share a new dive watch that strays from the Deepstar formula. The Aquastar Model 60 brings back the brand’s first-ever diver with modern sp

I know this is subjective, especially knowing that sub-38mm watches are hot this year and I covered another one just two days ago. But that was a sub-$1K watch, not just sub-38mm, and what comes out from Hida-san's Tokyo atelier exists on a different plane altogether. That might sound pompous, and that's on me. But to my mind, every watch recognizably from the pen of Naoya Hida has been marked by

TAG Heuer gives one of its most enduring timepieces a serious revamp, mixing a crowd favorite with a bold skeleton-dial approach to mark the 80th Monaco Grand Prix. The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the iconic modern races in motorsport. I remember seeing footage of Formula 1 races in Monaco from the 1950s and 1960s, showing sleek, rocket-like shapes blurred against the backdrop of a beautiful Medit

In general, I do not consider myself a purist when it comes to watches. However, I will raise an eyebrow or two regarding fashion brands entering the industry of luxury mechanical watches. And honestly, it’s more a story of believing in specialist brands rather than being turned off by a fashion brand and its image. There are plenty of fashion brands I like and even some I like a lot, so tha

My wife isn’t into watches that much. I mean, she really likes the Cartier Tank Solarbeat that I got her for her 40th birthday last year. But she doesn’t have any other watches other than that and a Timex that tries to be a Datejust. I do know other couples, though, in which both people are watch enthusiasts. And what I found interesting was that some of those couples share their watch

Today, we’ll take a look at a vintage Movado Disco Volante. This is a lovely watch with an incredible case. It also marks the first article I’ve written about Movado. Hopefully, that’s a good thing because there are more on the way about this oft-forgotten brand.Since moving to London, my interest in watches from the 1930s through the 1950s has risen dramatically. Tanks, pointer

By now, it’s pretty clear William Wood has gone all in with its firefighting-themed watches. For its latest creation, the brand pays homage to the sea with a dial inspired by the twin telegraphs of the Massey Shaw fireboat. This vessel played a part in the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940, saving 600 lives, and the later formation of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). Not only is the wa

If you read this article shortly after publication, you are probably missing the Monaco Grand Prix. Or you are multi-tasking, which I would not recommend; eyes on the road! Either way, TAG Heuer is releasing a new version of its Monaco Chronograph in celebration of the Monaco race.Join me for a first look at this new model from TAG Heuer, dressed in black and blue with yellow accents.A new outfit

Grab a cup of coffee, and get ready for a new Sunday Morning Showdown. For this week’s battle, we have selected two new Tudor introductions. During Watches and Wonders this year, many watch fans agreed that Tudor’s releases were more exciting than ’s. So what if we put two popular Tudor watches up against each other? Let’s find out which one is the Fratelli favorite. Robert

As you probably may know (or not), the Omega Speedmaster was introduced in 1957 as a watch for racing drivers. At least according to their own advertisements from that period (who are included in a.o. Omega SAGA). We all know the Speedmaster (pre-)Professional watches for their share in the Apollo (and current) space programs by the NASA.Since Omega was my first introduction to serious watches, an

BR01 Aviation Collection 2013Bell & Ross and its iconic BR01 Aviation collection has a few new instruments this year: the Heading Indicator, Airspeed and Climb. Limited to 999 pieces only, although the first 99 pieces are only available in a collector’s box that also contains the BR 01 HORIZON, ALTIMETER and TURN COORDINATOR (introduced in 2012). So basically, there are 900 pieces for sa

It’s Speedy Tuesday! Just last weekend I’ve met Ben Oliver, a car journalist from the United Kingdom who writes for a number of titles. He told me about his love for mechanical watches and vintage chronographs in particular. One of the watches he carried with him last weekend – it was during the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2014 in Italy – was the 17mm thick

MeisterSinger manufactures single-hand watches. The leanest and flattest of these is the Neo. It is one of those timepieces that appears ultimately familiar in its measurements and design, as if it had been around for decades. Its diameter of 36 millimeters, the thin bezel and the Hesalite glass make the Neo seem like it was created in the 1950s. However, not in an old-fashioned way, but embracing

ShkiraAnother month another Watch Strap Review. For May I have a really cool company lined up for you. We add yet another country to the ever-growing list of places we virtually visit to search for the best strap makers around. The place we are having our latest craftsman from is the picturesque city of Ternopil in West-Ukraine and the company is SHKIRA. As with in most cases Shkira does not only

You come to Fratello for everything Speedmaster (related). Well, this also includes sad news of course. Yesterday, on May 26th, Apollo 12 astronaut and 4th man to walk on the Moon, Alan Bean passed away.Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot for the Apollo 12 mission, is about to step off the ladder of the Lunar Module. (c) NASAAlan BeanBorn in 1932 in Texas, Bean was selected by NASA in 1963.

If you are a vintage Angelus fan or a military watch geek, you'd probably want to read this article.Angelus Collector's GuideThe latest issue of Klassik Uhren for our German readers…a lot of dealers offering these watches are far from being honest.Some of you remember that around this time of the year in 2017 we published an article that contained a pdf about a similar topic. Good friend and

The sun is shining, the weather is nice, the BBQ is warming up… It’s summer! While I already covered the tropical dial, there was one other dial that came up to me when I was thinking of my favourite season:Smoked dials are hot! Some recent releases are the Hamiltion Intra-Matic and the?Mido Multifort Patrimony. Let’s zoom in a bit on the details of this smokey face.Focus on the