Welcome to the Speedmaster World Cup. In the absence of Euro 2020, we thought our beloved readers might enjoy a tournament of a different kind. We’ve assembled eight groups (ACH), each governed by a different Fratello team member. Each writer has been assigned four watches, which they will pitch to you during the group stages.All we need you to do is vote for your favorite to move on in the

Earlier this year, Seiko announced a new spring drive movement intended to mark a new beginning for the brand. And with this new Spring Drive caliber is a great way to celebrate their 60th anniversary. Time to have a closer look at the Spring Drive 9RA5.Grand Seiko was born from a simple and ambitious aim, simply to create the best watches possible. With a small selection of Seiko's top watchmaker

Earlier this year, Seiko announced a new spring drive movement intended to mark a new beginning for the brand. And with this new Spring Drive caliber is a great way to celebrate their 60th anniversary. Time to have a closer look at the Spring Drive 9RA5.Grand Seiko was born from a simple and ambitious aim, simply to create the best watches possible. With a small selection of Seiko's top watchmaker

It was only a matter of time before we saw more from the DEFY Extreme. Zenith launched the new model back at Watches & Wonders in April of this year. Since then, the DEFY Extreme has quietly sat in the brand’s catalog, waiting its turn for the limited edition treatment. Zenith has introduced an interesting iterative update in the DEFY Extreme Desert, alongside a series of exclusive photo

That’s right, no masks, no Covid Pass, and all the top-tier brands gathered in one arena. And this includes a rather large stand from , a strong move in this non-Baselworld year. WOW, how much I missed this, even after attending the Geneva Watch Days. The Oslo Watch Fair is not perfect, with many brands missing due to an AD hosting the fair, but impressively so. This is nothing but welcome a

There's not just one Grand Seiko GMT watch to pick in the The Best Boring But Brilliant Watches In The World series. There are 37 GMT watches on the European GS website to pick from. And if you also include a few discontinued or renamed models from the recent past the numbers go up even more. What is most interesting when you go through all the different references is that they cover all the bases

My love of watches has gone through the phases many of us know all too well. A resurgence about 18 years ago involved a plethora of Fashion Watches with a smattering of vintage. After buying my first pre-owned Swiss mechanical watch, an Oris, this all changed. The last 4 quartz watches were sold off with a vow never to touch them again. Why then, is my desire for the ticking of a tough quartz watc

Fortis has hit a hot streak recently, and it continues to ride that streak with its latest launch: the Marinemaster! We can trace this hot run of form back to 2020, which was a good year for Fortis. The brand launched its popular Flieger collection, which we covered extensively here on Fratello. The Fratello team were fans of the sensible sizings, and excellent wearability, with a size to fit ever

It’s funny how, as collectors, we so often make plans for our collections. Some people might collect specific brands; others may stick to specific models within a brand’s collections. For the non-hardcore brand aficionados, many collections center around having watches fit specific style categories. There’s the rough and ready dive watch, the classy dress watch, and the traveler&

Studio Underd0g is clearly not a brand that's afraid to do something new. You could say that many brands think this way, but few produce such uniquely brilliant designs, which are both visually striking and totally bonkers while at the same time being oddly familiar. Now, with its latest release, the Mint Ch0c Chip, the British brand looks to everyone's favorite frosty treat for inspiration. And w

The Omega Speedmaster Mark II originates from a project meant to be the “Lunar Surface Chronograph”. NASA engineer James H. Ragan wanted a watch that could withstand the heat and cold on the Moon’s surface. Omega developed such a watch under the code name Alaska, a large titanium timepiece with a silvery white dial. Ultimately, it was too expensive, so NASA decided to stick with

According to Chinese astrology, next year will be the Year of the Rabbit. In Japan, however, they might see that differently. As the first Casio G-Shock came out in 1983 and 2023 marks the 40th birthday of the brand's indestructible watch, next year will be the year of the G-Shock. And although we still have two months to go, the first four Casio G-Shock 40th Anniversary watches are already here.

As watch enthusiasts, we tend to build and explore our understanding of horology. Inevitably, we go down the rabbit hole of complications. Most of us strive to add useful complications to our collection (at least we tell ourselves that). Some complications, though, are less useful than others but built as an expression of horological art. The Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto features a chiming compli

Well, hello folks! After a one-week respite, we’re back with another episode of Fratello On Air! This time, we talk about Seiko and discuss a couple of our favorite pieces. We must warn you, this is only the beginning…

Seiko is famous for its fun, capable, and affordable watches. But one prevalent comment about Seiko watches is that they’re becoming more expensive. In this article, I won’t go into why and how the brand is doing that. But I’d like to take a look at what’s still available for under $1,000 to see whether you can still buy yourself a fun Seiko watch for a decent price. Here a

The new Certina DS Super PH1000M is here, and it celebrates one of the brand’s most important dive watches that first debuted in 1970. More than that, though, this release further establishes Certina as a leader in offering attractive and capable dive watches at a reasonable price. If you haven’t had them on your radar, perhaps it’s time!It’s hard to ignore the turnaround a

One day ahead of the global launch of the revamped Breitling Avenger, Georges Kern, Breitling's CEO since 2017, appeared on my smartphone screen to talk about the new watches. The first question I had for him was the simplest of the lot: which new Avenger model are you wearing today? Well, he didn't have to answer that one because when the CEO moved his left arm, the black-dialed Navitimer on his

I have gone on the record admitting that I am anything but a value hunter. Especially when it comes to unnecessary luxuries, I look to fulfill the desires of the heart, not the mind. But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy when watches punch above their weight. I do! Some watches, like David facing Goliath, unwaveringly take on competitors in much higher segments.Today, I would like to have a look at

Last month, I met Lilian Thibault, the founder of Awake Watches, at an event in London. We’re used to the brand’s sporty, frequently space-themed limited editions. However, I saw an upcoming release that was very different. The new S?n Mi collection brings two forms of Metiers d'Art together in an affordable package.Since its launch in 2018, Awake has made some fun timepieces. Colorfu

At the beginning of this year, Piaget already spoiled us with its re-edition of Yves Piaget’s Polo Watch. But when your brand turns 150 years old, you don’t limit yourself to just one celebration. That’s why Piaget proudly presents another re-edition based on one of its biggest icons, the cushion-shaped Black Tie. For the occasion, the brand renamed the watch Andy Warhol after on