Hands-On: Isotope Hydrium Seconde/Seconde/
Isotope is now seven years old. While still an ankle-biter in the horological world, the brand has grown and developed enough to feel like a new logo and branding are in order. To celebrate its anniversary and the new logo, Jose Miranda approached Romaric Andre - an even fresher face and the creative mind behind seconde/seconde/ - to create a watch marking this occasion. Introducing the Hydrium Seconde/Seconde/ in all its glory.Instead of a watch that celebrates new beginnings, here we have a fresh take on a memento mori watch. It is a piece to remind us of our mortality. The death of the old logo is remembered along with a gentle nudge to remind us that our time is slipping away. The Isotop...
Watch Strap Review 68 Veblenist
It's almost the end of the month, but I could not leave you without another Watch Strap Review. We might take a few weeks off in June, but rest assured, we will return with some more ateliers soon. Until then, however, I have an exciting brand for you all the way from the Windy City, Chicago. Veblenist offers many straps, some of which come in styles that I’ve never seen before. Howard, the name behind the brand, put together an eclectic collection for me. Let's see what he sent me.I received several straps from Veblenist, so prepare for a long article. As always, I tried to match these straps with watches that fit their style best. However, if you do not like my pairings, I suggest yo...
Introducing: Certina DS Action Diver 43mm
About a month ago, Mike and I visited the Swatch Group office in Eschborn, Germany. It was an excellent opportunity to meet our friends from the company who we had not seen in a long while. Furthermore, they were gracious enough to present us with some of their latest creations from the first half of 2023. The new Certina DS Action Diver was among these beautiful timepieces, 43mm in full black. Mike and I were both blown away by the piece. I decided I needed some alone time with it when it became available.I received the watch a few weeks ago and was about to take it on a trip. The new Certina DS Action 43mm diver is out today, and here are my thoughts on the watch after wearing it for about...
Six Summer-Ready Divers Under $1,000 Fratello On Air
Fratello On Air returns with a look at six divers under $1,000 each. We could do this episode any time, but summer is the perfect time due to casual wear and loads of water-related activities. We’ve picked a fairly wide range of pieces from a wide array of countries. If rotating bezels are your thing, sit back and listen!...
When A Watch Brand Didn't Start By Making Watches
Don't you love it when a watch brand seems everlasting and single-minded? Vacheron Constantin, for instance, was founded in 1755 and has been in pursuit of timekeeping perfection ever since. Now that's horological street cred. I am a guitar guy. Stories of Banner Gibsons and pre-war Martins leave me drooling. Yamaha, meanwhile, makes a similarly great-sounding acoustic. But wasn’t that the company that made outboard motors and lawnmowers?Is it such a bad thing when companies diversify? From a creativity perspective, it makes perfect sense. Cross-pollination can lead to innovation. But what about credibility? Today, I am looking at some examples of well-established watch brands that did...
MB&F LMX Paris Edition: It's Payback Time!
It's payback time. For Laurent Picciotto, it is. Picciotto is the founder of the Chronopassion boutique at 271 Rue Saint-Honore in Paris. And that's not your run-of-the-mill watch shop. The brands in the store are of the exotic kind, and it reflects Picciotto’s trust and belief in Nouvelle Horlogerie. If you're hunting for out-of-the-box watches, this is where you (traditionally) go. And when it comes to MB&F, the store is of historical importance. The first MB&F watch ever was sold at Chronopassion back in 2007. In 2022, the MB&F LAB right next door to Chronopassion opened its doors. Now in 2023, the MB&F LMX Paris Edition, an exclusive to the new boutique, comes out. ...
Introducing: Holthinrichs Signature Ornament And Lab Series
Last November, Morgan and I visited the cozy Holthinrichs atelier on one of Delft’s picturesque canals. There, we had the chance to go hands-on with the brand’s new Deconstructed models and talk to the founder, Michiel Holthinrichs. We got to know the brand a little better and got a good look at those impressive watches. But Michiel also showed us some sketches of new ideas he was working on. At the time, he couldn’t tell us too much about them. However, today, Holthinrichs is proudly introducing the new Signature Ornament and the limited Signature Lab Series.The main thing that stuck with me from the first sketches was the graceful and curvy lug design. It was something th...
Introducing: The Horage Lensman 1.2
Horage, one of the odd ones out in the watch industry, presents the fourth model in its Lensman series, the Lensman 1.2. It’s another technically exciting offering equipped with an upgraded version of Horage’s K-TOU movement. But one should not ignore the watch’s appearance either. With its white dial and strap, the Lensman 1.2 is also visually beautiful.In 2021, Horage presented the Lensman 1 and Lensman 1.1, two photography-inspired watch models using its manual-winding K-TOU caliber with a flying tourbillon. While the Lensman 1 was made in a limited run of 200 pieces, the Lensman 1.1 is a more or less equal watch in a different color scheme and produced as a 300-piece ed...
Introducing: The Audemars Piguet [RE]Master02 Selfwinding
What to expect after the [RE]Master01? Well, the [RE]Master02, of course. But what would that second reinterpreted timepiece look like? Nothing like anyone expected. Instead of riding the wave of comfortable retro, Audemars Piguet chose to go asymmetrical. The [RE]Master02 Selfwinding is the result of a deep dive into a niche of the brand's archives. In the search for something special to revive and under the guidance of Sebastian Vivas, director of the Audemars Piguet Museum in Le Brassus, something rare was found. It came to light that between 1959 and 1963, AP created more than 30 asymmetrical models and produced most of them in very limited quantities of less than 10 pieces. The Audemars...
Hands-On: Echo/Neutra's New Cortina 1956 Chrono GMT
Among the microbrand scene, Echo/Neutra is a bit of a cult favorite. By that, I mean it may not be a brand that everyone is familiar with, but if you know, you know. The young brand from Italy started just before COVID and has gone from strength to strength since. Today, I am looking at the Chrono GMT, which is part of the brand’s Cortina 1956 collection. This collection commemorates the Winter Olympic Games held in Cortina d’Ampezzo in 1956. The latest edition to the lineup has a timeless yet vintage-inspired design that looks as attractive now as it would have done nearly 70 years ago.Let’s start with the basics. The Echo/Neutra Cortina 1956 Chrono GMT measures 40mm in di...
Fratello's Top 5 Available Watches With Full-Lume Dials
Another Friday, another Top 5! This week, we take a step away from the pre-owned watches we have been covering lately. Earlier this week, IWC announced the first fully luminous ceramic watch. Watch spotters saw it on the wrist of Formula 1 driver and IWC ambassador Lewis Hamilton last weekend during the Monaco Grand Prix. The new IWC Ceralume concept watch inspired us to pick our favorite full-lume dial watches.When IWC announced the new full-lume Pilot’s Chronograph 41, we immediately thought of the now-defunct brand Tockr. While a luminous ceramic watch might be new, a case that lights up in the dark is far from it. Tockr created multiple hydro-dipped versions of its Air Defender Chr...
Ebel 1911 BTR
Just recently, all German watch magazines started to cover the new beauties from Ebel: the 1911 BTR collection, based on the 1911 series. Especially the chronograph is of my personal interest! I always liked the Zenith El Primero driven Ebel chronograph, as worn by Don Johnson a.k.a Sonny Crockett in Miami Vice in the 1980s. The new 1911 BTR chronograph features an in house movement by Ebel, caliber 137. The case is 44.5mm in diameter and can either be choosen with a stainless steel or rubber bezel. The 1911 BTR also comes in a GMT model (caliber 240) and a perpetual model (caliber 288). Prices start at 3500 euro for the GMT with leather strap.I think that this step could bring Ebel back int...
Event Report OMEGA X Fratello Watches Speedy Tuesday Event in Bienne
What is Speedy Tuesday?It all started in a sunny Cannes in 2012, where I stayed over for a holiday. I also remember it was actually in the Radison Blu hotel there, where I made a wristshot of one of my Speedmaster watches and posted it on-line saying Speedy Tuesday (it was a Tuesday). Then, together with the team, we decided to make it a recurring item here on Fratello Watches. We are all Speedmaster fans, some of us have impressive collections, some of us only have one. But we all love the Speedmaster, for many different reasons.Our first Speedy Tuesday event took place in 2013. An official event with the support of Omega, in the ESA/Estec Space Expo visitor centre. A few more followed, wit...
Oris Big Crown ProPilot Calibre 111 With Blue Dial
Oris introduces you to their Big Crown ProPilot Calibre 111 with blue dial. Most interesting about this watch is the in-house caliber 111 movement that is being used. This hand-wound movement was introduced a couple of years ago, and now also available in the Big Crown ProPilot watch. In their Big Crown ProPilot collection, you will find a variety of models (with different complications), but this is the only reference with an in-house movement. Normally, Oris core collections use third party movements (from Sellita for example) to keep their watch affordable and in a certain price bracket. The Oris Big Crown ProPilot Calibre 111 starts at 5,200 CHF (up to 5,500 CHF for the watch on a croco ...
Stuhrling: A Brand Grows In Brooklyn
If Henry Fischer, Stuhrling's “affably intense” founder, had listened to the well-meaning conventional wisdom, then Stuhrling would never have proved that terms like “internet brand” and “quality timepiece” can be used in the same sentence. “I kept asking, Why not?' he said. As in, Why not a watch brand that’s manufactured in the same part of the world as Apple & Bose?' And while I was being told why'300 years of various legacies and innovationsI wasn't getting an answer that really made sense.Crafted With A Brooklyn State Of MindWhile the products are manufactured in state-of-the-art overseas facilities, every other aspect of their devel...
A Conversation Between A Watchmaking Student And His Instructor
Henrik Korpela is the director and instructor of KHWCC?(K&H Watchmaking Competence Centre) and sat down with CJ who is currently enrolled in his second and last year to hear about his future plans after graduation as well as how he found the KHWCC and what he is currently practising among other questions. As well as CJ asking Henrik (HK) questions he thinks are interesting for the readers.K&H Watchmaking Competence CentreHK: What made you decide to come to study watchmaking in Switzerland?CJ: After reading the school blog and talking to the alumni who are already in the program at that time. I know the school spends a year focusing on the very fundamental part of watchmaking, micro-m...
#TBT Citizen Seven Star APSS 52904-Y A Halloweenish Diver
Happy Halloween! Well, at least it's still Halloween for the West Coast Americans who read our site. If trick or treating isn't your thing, though, you're probably with me in that November 1st brings all kinds of autumn colors to the forefront and one of those hues is most definitely orange. So, in celebration of one of my favorite seasons (between college football tailgating I miss this in Germany and the holidays yet to come), let's take a look at a rather bright and festive watch in the vintage Citizen Seven Star APSS 52904-Y. Oh, and just for your knowledge, I shot the pictures of this lovely diver in the old mining town of Prescott, Arizona which just may or may not be haunted. ??If you...
Antiquorum: November 2019 Geneva Auctions Preview
I got the opportunity to stop by Antiquorum Geneva and check out the watches in their upcoming November sale. With their usually large catalogs of biblical proportions, it is always best to get a head start on these adventures.They have just finished their Hong Kong sale, and overall, it looked like a good result, but it was pretty hard for me to extrapolate any trend in the individual results. Hard to explain things you haven't seen in person. Back to Geneva now. Just FYI, the Swiss Franc (CHF) is pretty much 1:1 with the US$ so pretty simple to calculate prices these days.Important Modern & Vintage TimepiecesTo take a look at the Antiquorum Geneva online catalog, you can click directly...
Introducing: Omega Tresor in Moonshine gold and in Stainless Steel for Ladies
Looking back to 1949 for inspiration, and embracing more contemporary design of their watches, in 2018, Omega introduced Tresor – a new line for women. Two models from De Ville sub-collection are the latest Omega release to have fallen for the romance of diamonds and ultra-slim cases.Historically speaking, while men still preferred to rock traditional pocket watches, two women?– Queen Elizabeth I, and Queen Marie Antoinette – revolutionized the way of wearing timepieces. At that time, both ladies ordered discreet and chic repeaters on a diamond bracelet called wristlets. With the release of the first wristwatch in 1810, bejeweled cocktail timepieces become extremely popular...
Genteel Handmade Bespoke Watch Straps
In a world where uniqueness is rarely experienced, Genteel Handmade creates one-of-a-kind, made-to-last watch straps entirely by hand, and provides a truly unique customer experience.https://youtu.be/4lq75mkGt8IGenteel Handmade focus on making the small things unforgettable attention to detail is a top priority.Every detail of a bespoke watch strap is entirely made by hand in an intricate process that requires skills that take years to master. Genteel Handmade straps are no exception: they are hand-crafted, hand-stitched and made to last. The lifetime of a bespoke watch strap crafted, sewed and finished by hand is unrivalled.PersonalizationGenteel Handmade offers an enormous range of persona...