It has been a while since the last episode of Building A Watch Brand. In fact, that was a full month before the big launch, which took place on March 7th. As you may have gathered elsewhere, the VPC Type 37HW presale was a success, meeting the threshold number of sales over the first weekend. It wasn't smooth sailing, though! A lot has happened since, so an update from my end is long overdue.?Prod

Welcome to the latest episode of Fratello Talks. This week, Nacho is joined by RJ and Lex to discuss their thoughts on a hype-hungry watch industry. Lately, more than ever before, it seems that big brands within the watch industry are doing their best to remain relevant by chasing hype. We saw the natural hype behind the Omega Swatch MoonSwatch take over the world a couple of years ago, but have b

The young Swedish brand Nezumi has made a name for itself with a catalog of stylish, affordable watches. Now, with the release of its new Terrain field watch, the Stockholm-based brand has completed its ultimate traveling triumvirate, the Adventure Trio. Alongside the new Terrain, we have the relatively longstanding but revised Baleine dive watch and the brand’s hit release from last year, t

Here is a short review of my Ingenieur ref.3227 after exactly 3 months of ownership.I don’t think it’s necessary to give background information on this watch, as I have done this in the past (here and here) and you can read all about the vintage Ingenieurs (including the 1976s SL) on this page by Larry Seiden, Marco Schoenenberger and David ter Molen.Although this purchase might seemed

Here is a short review of my Ingenieur ref.3227 after exactly 3 months of ownership.I don’t think it’s necessary to give background information on this watch, as I have done this in the past (here and here) and you can read all about the vintage Ingenieurs (including the 1976s SL) on this page by Larry Seiden, Marco Schoenenberger and David ter Molen.Although this purchase might seemed

On the 11th, 12th and 13th of July 2008, the vintage sports car event ‘Le Mans Classic’ is to be held. Richard Mille is the main sponsor of the event and is also the official time keeper.Especially for the Le Mans Classic 2008 event, RM created a Flyback Chronograph as pictured below. This is the RM 011 Flyback Chronograph watch, that should breathe the same atmosphere and style as the

Bas van Dorp, friend of the show for many years now, is always keeping his eyes open for a cool chronograph. He found this vintage Cyma Watersport chronograph from the 1940s in a watch shop in Maastricht, in the southern part of The Netherlands. Cyma is a brand with a history dating back to 1891, however they didn’t survive the quartz crisis in the 1970s only to be reborn in 2005. The curren

Today marks a special day, not only is it the birthday of my beautiful daughter, it is also the fourth anniversary of our Speedy Tuesday feature and the 70th birthday?and?the last working day of Stephen Urquhart, CEO of Omega.Stephen Urquhart was born May 31st 1946?in Trinidad and has both Swiss and British nationality (Scottish father and a Portuguese mother).?He started working for Omega in 1968

Nomos is a huge hit in its home country, Germany, and in its price range, the brand is extremely popular. This is likely is due to a combination of the watches’ Bauhaus-inspired design,?the company’s laid-back, friendly attitude and how Nomos?approaches their customers.? Which factor is most important?? I’m not sure.NomosWhat I can tell you, however, is that almost every co-worke

Here on Fratello Watches, we generally cover the new watch releases that the Diver's Watches Facebook Group (43,000 members and growing) helps create along with what is most often a micro brand. Thus far, we've reviewed releases from Zelos, Gruppo Gamma and Aquadive. All sold out quickly and were great, limited edition one and done pieces that showed serious evidence of design choices made in part

We have word of a new diver, the Seiko Prospex Twilight Blue, a special edition for the European and US markets.Seiko is no stranger to special editions.? With the announcement of the new?Seiko Prospex Twilight Blue, the brand keeps things rolling with their newest regional offering.? ?In the past, it was Japan and some southeast Asian countries receiving all the attention, but this newest diver i

Glashutte Original surprised many people by introducing the Glashutte Original Spezialist collection as a new and fifth collection to their line-up. The Spezialist collection is Glashutte's collection for instrument watches and the first watch in the collection to be introduced is the Glashutte Original SeaQ that is available in three different versions.It's Glashutte Original's take on a classic

Compressor-style cases (as aped by this Isotope Goutte d’Eau dive watch) somehow fell out of favor with the general watch-buying public for a couple of decades. Why? I don’t know. Maybe the industry just outgrew the technology and assumed no one enjoyed the twin-crown aesthetic without the compressible case that got more and more water-resistant the deeper it traveled beneath the surfa

Let's give it up for one of our old friends and Watch Strap Review alumni, Delugs Straps. If the name sounds familiar, it is no coincidence. This is not the first time we are reviewing products from Delugs Straps. About one and a half years ago, we already took a closer look at one of Singapore's finest watch strap companies.From time to time, we revisit brands we already introduced to you in the

Is there more to the Casio G-Shock MT-G MTGB2000PH2A “Blue Phoenix” than its stunningly extravagant looks? A question that might pop up in the heads of many of our readers. It was the exact questions that popped up in my head when I first laid eyes on the colorful watch. It’s a watch that is hard to miss, and everyone will have an immediate opinion on its bonkers presence. While

Color has always been something NOMOS Glashutte deploys with the kind of verve it’s hard to teach. It may seem almost counterintuitive that one of the Bauhaus style’s foremost proponents has such a reputation, but, as with everything worthwhile in watchmaking, it is the subtle applications of flare that can turn a simple piece into a showstopper. The new NOMOS Glashutte Club Campus mod

To some of you, it may not be surprising that I now own a Speedmaster Moonwatch. After all, I do work at Fratello. It's basically in our DNA. Nevertheless, it was an inadvertent twist of fate that led me toward purchasing this watch that now rarely leaves my wrist. Allow me to explain why it wasn't my first choice, and why it's all I wear now.?And if you're wondering, yes, I did purchase the watch

Simply reading the fact that MB&F has created 20 calibers in its 17 years of existence is nothing short of impressive. On top of that, every release has pushed the boundaries of creativity, making you realize just how special MB&F is. It’s not that we didn’t know that already, but just reading the facts creates a pretty good idea of the brand’s impressive achievements. Bu

In 1982, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) introduced ISO 6425, which outlined the international standards and features for divers’ watches. Currently, ISO 6425 is in its fourth edition, formerly known as ISO 6425:2018. If you’re a fan of the dive-watch genre, you’ve likely heard of this standard. But how important is it for today’s divers’ watc

We’ve all been waiting for a pandemic-free summer, and this year, the airports are going to be packed. If you plan on working through the warm period, or if it’s still gray and rainy like here in my northern climes, you’re going to have to bring your own sun. Personally, I don’t know of any better way to cheer up a rainy day than a popping watch, and with a #LEMONFRESH colo