New: The Panerai Radiomir Perpetual Calendar GMT Goldtech
Panerai's first-ever watch prototype was released on October 24th, 1935, and it was called Radiomir. The watch will turn 90 next year, but the excitement must be too big to control at the brand's headquarters because the Panerai Radiomir Perpetual Calendar GMT Goldtech PAM01453 you see here is a celebratory model. It is a complicated pink gold one that shows the brand has come a long way in the last nine decades.This is neither the time nor the place to dive into the long and often murky past of the Panerai Radiomir. Instead, we will focus on the present, which is very clear - or should I say “bright”? The new Radiomir Perpetual Calendar GMT Goldtech PAM01453 is a complicated hom...
Hot Take: The Ulysse Nardin Freak X Enamel Seddiqi
The Ulysse Nardin Freak, with its open-worked dial and flying carousel movement, is one of the watch world’s most recognizable timepieces. It has also become a popular platform for collaborations. The latest of these is the new Freak X Enamel Seddiqi featuring a titanium case and guilloche dial.Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, the leading luxury watch retailer in the Middle East, has partnered with Ulysse Nardin to create an attractive limited edition. The Freak X Enamel Seddiqi blends modern looks with traditional dial-finishing techniques. The color is also a refreshing twist for the Freak X.The Ulysse Nardin Freak X Enamel SeddiqiUlysse Nardin has chosen “grey” titanium for thi...
HYT H2 V Engine, Oil and Coolant Temp Indicator
Recently, I was invited to join the presentation of HYT watches at a very fine restaurant?hosted by one of the top jewelers in The Netherlands,?Pijnenburg in Eindhoven. A mixture of press and clients of Pijnenburg were invited to see the HYT collection and meet with Vincent Perriard (CEO of HYT watches). A perfect reminder that we still had some photos of the initial presentation of the HYT H2 watches earlier this year when we met with Vincent Perriard.Perhaps my bad, but when I first saw the HYT H1 I didn’t realize that it is actually not that awkward to have a fluid in your mechanical watch. A fine wrist watch is so often being compared to a car and a movement to an engine. As you kn...
The Vintage Market is Dead, Long Live the Vintage Market!
It's been roughly a quarter since I wrote my last Vintage Market update, so it's high time for another installment. Ever since publishing that article and committing to writing another, I’ve mulled over some potential topics. Clearly, a pure regurgitation of the fact that prices continue to climb especially in the chronograph arena would be a short article. So, I've decided to focus on some additive topics that certainly use that price rise as a backbone and I'll attempt to dig a little deeper into some things that I've seen while alluding to what may come. If you're in the northern hemisphere, there's likely a foreboding Autumn chill in the air that signals the long winter ahead, but ...
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox Boutique Edition
60th Anniversary2016 marks the 60th anniversary of the automatic Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox. Reason to celebrate with the Master Memovox Boutique Edition, limited to 500 pieces only. These 500 pieces have a blue ‘rich’ dial with beautiful thick applied hour markers, inspired by their 1970s Memovox watches.Jeager-LeCoultre Caliber 815In 1956, JLC used the self-winding caliber 815 to power the Memovox watches of that time. This new Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox Boutique Edition is equipped with JLC caliber 956, a direct descendent of the original caliber 815. This movement requires two crows, as you can see. One to set and correct time, the other crown to wind the spring tha...
Delma Shell Star Swiss Made Dive Watch Heritage and Mastery
The Delma Shell Star Automatic is one of the brand's most iconic models and is a true dive watch. An ideal companion, it is equal to the toughest challenges, whether on the open seas, under water, on a mountaintop or on any other adventure. The new edition of this timeless stainless steel watch from Delma again demonstrates the traditional Swiss watch brand's mastery.In 1975 Delma launched its first professional dive watch, the Delma Shell Star, which proved to be a landmark for the company, extending its legacy of underwater timepieces. The new Shell Star retains the distinctively sporty appearance and is now equipped with a helium valve and a rugged stainless leather strap. Its automatic m...
Fortis Dornier GMT -Hands On Review
Fortis Dornier GMTFortis is at it again. You?might remember that since a few years now we follow this Grenchen brand's activity on Fratello Watches. Just this year we have already looked at two of their new releases. Michael?had a Classic Cosmonaut Chronograph to play with, while I took the Aeromaster Steel Chronograph for a test drive. Both were really cool watches. Let's jump back a bit in time though. It's the end of March, we are at Basel having coffee with Andreas from Fortis. He tells us that the brand has something interesting coming this year. He shows us the design of a pretty handsome watch. No prototype yet, just the renderings. It looks promising. Fast forward to today (early Nov...
Seiko 62MAS (6217-8001) versus the new Seiko SLA017
Earlier this year, and we reported a few times about it, Seiko introduced the new SLA017 (SBDX019 for some markets). When I was in Japan about a month ago, doing a week long Grand Seiko manufactory tour with some of our readers, I had the chance to handle both the new Seiko SLA017 and the vintage Seiko 62MAS reference 6217-8001. Both watches belong to the?same person, who is an avid reader of Fratello and a fan of (Grand) Seiko watches.Seiko 62MAS and SLA017We did an in-depth coverage on the Seiko 62MAS in 2015 already (go here), so I won’t repeat much of what has been written there. In short, the 62MAS was introduced in 1965 by Seiko and MAS stands for ‘autoMAtic Selfdater’...
Omega Raises Its Warranty On All(!) Watches To 5 Years
Years ago, when Omega introduced their Co-Axial technology and silicon balance springs, they raised the warranty to 4 years (instead of the standard 2 years, which is also mandatory by European law for example). Now, Omega takes it one step further and decided to raise the warranty on all of their watches to 5 years, regardless of which watch model (or type of movement that is inside).Effective July 1st 2018The new 5-year warranty will take effect from today, November 2nd, 2018 and will also be applied to any OMEGA watch purchased on or after July 1st, 2018. So yes, this also means your (and ours) Speedy Tuesday Ultraman will have the 5-year warranty. Yeeee.Raynald Aeschlimann, President and...
Opening Of The New A. Lange & Sohne Boutique In Dresden
Last week we joined A. Lange & Sohne for the opening of their new boutique in the center of Dresden.?Located near the watch capital of Germany you always pass by this lovely place with its rich history and architectural beauty. Not only was it the day of the opening, they also launched their new Datograph Up/Down Lumen.The newly build location was the home of court jeweller Moritz Elimeyer in the distant past. One of the finest establishments in Dresden and now it serves as the new home for A. Lange & Sohne. Although the building itself has been rebuilt it retains the rich details of the past. Something that is often discarded due to costs and modern architecture. However, they found...
Hot Take: The All New Singer Reimagined Flytrack Chronograph
Singer entered the watch scene with a huge splash back in 2017. Not only was the name new but so too was the approach the brand came with as well. Singer Reimagined took inspiration from Singer Vehicle Design to create Track 1. Fast forward to 2020, and Singer is back at it again. This time with a new model, the Flytrack.The Flytrack is unmistakably Singer down to the last screw. The case shape, the dial design, even the movement, carry the brand's DNA. The brand also to its wheelhouse, which is chronograph mastery. They created something simpler and easier to use. Yet it still serves the same purpose. That is, to measure elapsed time. So let's see what this new model is exactly.FlytrackThe ...
Dave's Top 5 Movie Watches, Part 2: Seiko And The Silver Screen
I'm back again. More watches and more movies! I swear I do more than sit around watching movies and talking about the watches I see in them. As I said in my last post, we watch collectors love a reason to add another watch to our collections. Movie tie-ins allow us to kid ourselves as to why we need to buy just one more watch - except it never is only one more, is it?Despite being a big fan of Seiko, I'm wasn’t entirely aware of how frequently the brand’s watches have been featured in movies. So, I thought I would write another list. This time, my favorite Seiko watches from the big screen! Read on, Seiko fans, and let us know which of these you’d strap on for your big-scre...
How The Oris Big Crown 1917 Became My Wedding Watch
Hundredth-anniversary wristwatches do not come around that often. Especially watches that are recreations of designs of the time, yet still appealing to today’s consumer. In 2017, Oris kept the faith in one of its original Big Crown pilot’s watches from 1917. This is my story about how and why the Oris Big Crown 1917 became my wedding watch.The story began in March 2017. I, along with some friends, found myself in the Oris Baselworld booth enjoying the hospitality. Soon after, a dapper-dressed fellow by the name of Matt Miller, aka @sunflowerman on social media, arrived. Miller is accustomed to sketching inside showrooms, on trade-show floors, and at famous landmarks. Even whilst...
Forstner Flat Link Bracelet On The New 2021 Omega Speedmaster
It has been almost a year since I ran a comparison between Forstner and Uncle Seiko aftermarket watch bracelets. Specifically, I compared both 19mm flat link polished and brushed variants that fit the Omega Speedmaster First Omega in Space. Over these past twelve months, the article grew to become one of my most well-read write-ups. To this day, I still receive comments, emails, and direct messages on Instagram about the review (P.S. follow me on Instagram @benjameshodges). Today, I am following up this review with the new 20mm all-brushed Forstner Flat Link for the Calibre 3861 Omega Speedmaster. So how does the new bracelet stack up against its predecessor? Let's find out.Firstly, the flat...
A. Lange & Sohne Honey Gold Zeitwerk Lumen Breaks The Internet (2021)
Unless you’ve been under a rock or holidaying at the Baltic Sea (as I was), you might have noticed A. Lange & Sohne - Germany’s undisputed grand-daddy of watchmaking companies - just dropped a watch that, on paper at least, sounds like the sexiest thing to enter my mind since I had that weird dream about Lex in a skimpy yellow speedo. But even though it seemingly brings together all of the “coolest” elements of the brand’s range, is it really the best yet?Okay, my analysis of this piece is going to be highly subjective. Technically speaking, nobody in team Fratello, nobody reading this site, heck, nobody in this industry is likely to argue that the Zeitwerk ...
How Instagram Influenced My (And Your) Watch Collecting
It sounds a bit dirty, but I’m definitely being influenced. Furthermore, I know that I’m influencing others too. I notice that I don’t really feel particularly proud or comfortable as I write this. It seems like it’s not cool to admit that Instagram - or any other social medium, for that matter - is affecting your thought processes. But I think that for me, Instagram has actually played and still plays an essential role in the enjoyment I experience while collecting watches. And based on the reactions I get and the people I speak to, I think it does the same for many others. Why should we be ashamed of that?When I noticed that the feed on my personal Instagram account...
Tudor's Ten-Year Transformation
It has been ten years since Tudor introduced the Black Bay and made its comeback in the US. It marked a new beginning for the company and a change of strategy, but now Tudor really does mean different things to different people. We have several generations of aficionados working at Fratello. Interestingly, the younger writers now seem to have a completely different view of Tudor than the older colleagues. It sparked a lively debate during a recent editorial meeting. For some, Tudor remains Lite. For others, it is one of the better enthusiast brands out there. This is something worth unpacking!The core question is this: is Tudor succeeding in stepping out of 's shadow? And, perhaps more impo...
#TBT The Atlantic Seahunter: A Low-Budget Beauty
With the mood of the vintage watch market in line with the upcoming winter temperatures, now is about the right time to look for something unusual. I went deep into my safe to bring to light the Atlantic Seahunter, a low-budget piece with so many talking points.To start, there’s the brand. If you collect vintage watches long enough and don’t limit yourself to usual suspects like Omega, , Zenith, or Breitling, you’ll most definitely bump into Atlantic. It’s the kind of brand that pops up a lot in the UK, Sweden, and Poland. There are tons of beautiful watches with the Atlantic logo on the dial, yet you probably don’t have that urge to pick one up. Call it “...
Introducing: The Nomos Tangente Rose Gold Neomatik
Whoever knows Nomos knows the Tangente. The model was part of the first collection of watches that the brand from Glashutte launched in 1991. Since then, many different editions have also come out, and almost every color has found a home on a Tangente dial. Apart from stainless steel, the case has also been produced in 18K yellow gold. So, how can Nomos keep it fresh? Well, I think the brand’s designers have found exactly the right way to grab our attention again. May I have your attention, please, for the Nomos Tangente Rose Gold Neomatik?About a month ago, I was lucky enough to visit the company’s home base in Glashutte for its fourth Nomos Forum. This is an annual event where ...
Watch Features And Details More Brands Should Get Right
Once you have experienced your fair share of watches, you develop a taste for certain specific watch features. Call them the opposite of your pet peeves. They are the details that make a good watch great for you. Some may be objectively better features, while others are completely personal preferences.In this article, I will share some of mine. These are the watch features I thoroughly appreciate and wish more watch brands would get right. Let's get stuck in!Interestingly, the small jump between the lug and end link works hereWatch features I appreciate: properly integrated end linksYou may have heard me rant about end links before. The humble end link is a dead giveaway of the level of atte...