Klynt Dome D01 Steel From Kickstarter A Hands On Review
We wrote about Klynt last year when their first collection hit the microbrand scene. It was a refreshingly new approach, combining elements of watch design and architecture. The guys behind Klynt researched this topic and came out with a product that was interesting to look at and had a price tag that was more than fair. The watch looked exciting and the deeper you dwelled into its design the more features you explored. Needless to say, it was a success (click here for our previous review) and a great start that hopefully will continue with the 2 new models within a new line Klynt is about to release. Staying true to their motto to create Swiss-made timepieces that look unique and affordable...
Preview of the Geneva November 2019 Phillips Auctions
Aurel Bacs & Livia Russo in association with Phillips auction house, are back for their tenth Geneva watch auction together. There is always a ton of buzz around Phillips auctions, and especially thematic sales as Aurel and his teams are established trendsetters.I think of Geneva watch auctions as the fashion week for watch geeks, and there is no more popular runway being watched like a Phillips auction room. Granted, that can be a nuisance for the auctioneer as so many attendees come to do just that, watch, and recently they have been stricter about paddle holders getting a seat and comfortably bid since the room gets so full.Phillips has assembled a special retailer signed watch (some ...
The Speedmaster Holy Grail Explained
When Omega introduced their Speedmaster Automatic 376.0822 in 1987, they never guessed it would be nicknamed ‘The Holy Grail’ by Speedmaster collectors and fetch prices between 20.000 and 30.000 Euro.We wrote an article on the Speedmaster Holy Grail last year, with an explanation of mainly the technicalities of this watch. The production number (believed to be 2000 pieces), production years (1987 and 1988), and how it was initially being delivered (which bezel, dial, hands, bracelet, etc.). If you are looking for that, please read this article, as it covers the extensive research done by the authors of Moonwatch Only as well as the author of OmegaHolyGrail.com.But what makes the ...
Hands-On With The Seiko Prospex SRPE33 And SRPE39 Dive Watches
On land or beneath the waves, the Seiko SRPE33 and SRPE39 dive watches are faithful companions with an attractive price and an even more attractive dial decoration, celebrating the brand’s partnership with the Save the Ocean charity…Overseeing the scheduling and creation of the 960+ articles we publish every single year on Fratello is a lot of fun, but it is easy to get confused by all the references floating around. Months ago, I agreed on a publishing plan for this year’s Seiko novelties with the brand directly. At that point, I dished out the serial numbers to the team to cover. Occasionally, I would pick-up a random straggler myself.It isn’t until I come to spend ...
Interview With Nick Manousos, Director Of The Horological Society Of New York
Today, we welcome Nick Manousos to Fratellowatches.com. Nick is a watchmaker, writer, and the current director of the Horological Society of New York.Rob Nudds: Hi Nick, thanks for sitting down with us at Fratellowatches.com. As director of the HSNY you must get asked this a lot, but would you mind telling me where your watchmaking journey began??Nick Manousos: Hi Rob, thanks for thinking of the Horological Society of New York! My watchmaking journey began in 2010. I was living in San Francisco and working in the tech industry as a software engineer. I had a great job but was beginning to realize that I did not want to spend my life writing code and building websites.My wife encouraged me to...
Podcast Our Interview with Marco Borraccino From Singer Reimagined
If you are an Haute Horlogerie and/or car enthusiast, the name Singer Reimagined should definitely ring a bell. Although the brand is still relatively new to the watch scene, it already has a dedicated fan base comprising both petrol heads and watch guys. The brand’s new model, the Flytrack, looks a bit like its big brother, the Track 1. It is, however, a simpler but equally fun timepiece.On this occasion, we thought it would be fun to sit down with Marco Borraccino, the man behind Singer Reimagined. We went all the way back to the beginning. Marco was kind enough to share his path with us. From his childhood in Italy, surrounded by modern design. All the way to his first job in the wa...
Hands-On: The Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium Watch
When a watch feels at home at work, at a wedding, in a bar, on a hike, and on a vacation, you might think it lacks character. You could also imagine that a watch that's able to pull off something like that has tons of personality and qualities, enabling it to stand tall everywhere you take it. Let's go hands-on with the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium in three configurations to find out if this is the watch equivalent of a chameleon.The Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium is a discrete watch. Too discrete? Well, I opened the box holding the three executions of the watch, it didn't send lightning bolts through my brain. But when I got the version with a black dial and a brown stra...
My Favorite Forstner Bracelets So Far The 1450 President, The Komfit Mesh, And More...
Now that Halloween is done and dusted, it is only natural that attentions might turn toward the upcoming gift-giving season. Although that would infuriate my dear old dad who would complain on an annual basis that Christmas celebrations were stretching further and further into fall, he a) doesn't read Fratello because his Casio F-91W from 97 is still fine, thank you very much, and b) is a miserable grinch who needs to have a serious word with himself. For the rest of us, the idea of getting presents bought nice and early so we can get back to browsing Chrono24 (for ourselves), I thought I'd run down my favorite Forstner straps currently available in case you want to gift one to a loved one t...
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe in Grade 23 titanium
Yes, you are right, THE toughest Blancpain tool is still the no holds barred, grenade pin-in-mouth Fifty Fathoms X Fathoms. But the X is like Arnold in full combat gear, inside the giant robotic Mech monster from Robocop. It's an instrument, nay weapon more than a tool, and not usable in normal situations. And that is even without using the term desk diver. The Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe in Grade 23 Titanium, however, is pure functionality, with added lightness in its titanium armor.Where does it fit in the Fifty Fathoms family?I come fresh from the Oslo Watch Fair last week where I did enjoy the Blancpain stand and a long chat with Philippe Conte on the family tree of the Fifty Fathoms. What...
The Top 15 Best Watch Bracelets , Omega, Cartier, & More
Designing a bracelet for watches is one of the most difficult things to do. I didn’t just make that up, instead, this was said to me on multiple occasions by different designers and product developers. I am not a designer myself, but I can definitely judge a bracelet after having tried and seen so many watches in the last 20+ years.I’ve done an article on the best watch bracelets before, but I thought it was time for an update. Taste changes, but I’ve also seen and tried some bracelets that were new to me (Moser certainly comes to mind), and immediately loved them. One is from a brand (Bvlgari) where their designer was one of the guys that told me it is one of the toughest ...
?The Moonphase Complication: Irrelevant Or Cool?
If there is one complication that seems to be low on the desirability meter, it is the moonphase. For me, it's been the same, but with some sharp new releases over the last couple of years, I have come to appreciate it. I'm no sailor or fisherman dependent on the changing tides, and I’m guessing that most watch lovers aren’t either. While this may make it pretty irrelevant for the majority of us, is the moonphase complication cool nonetheless?You might find me shallow, but I tend to view this particular classic dial twist in a purely aesthetic sense. But isn't that OK in 2022? I'm merely trying to be pragmatic here, but for me, the craftsmanship of it is paramount. Plus, a miniat...
Longines Record Heritage Chronograph: A Lancia Delta Integrale?
Let’s have a look at the Longines Record Heritage Chronograph. You’d be forgiven if you forgot, but Longines was one of the absolute kings of chronographs back in the day. As such, when the brand does a new one, it is like Lancia building a new road-legal rally car. You expect a mud-slinging beast of a car with a bonkers design - a Stratos or a Delta Integrale. But I would be scared that modern regulations, market analysis, excessive layers of management within the group, and design by committee would result in a dull, lifeless, and obese dilution of a rally car. So what do we have here? A revival of what made Longines great in its heyday or a bloated family hatchback of a watch?...
Hands-On: The Bold Clemence Munro Ridgeline
It has been over a decade since I last bimbled through the gently winding roads of Glen Coe on my trusty old Yamaha. Yet the picturesque backdrop of Scotland at its rugged best has stayed with me ever since. I never imagined I would see that mountainous landscape being the inspiration for a watch dial. To be honest, Tom Clemence, founder of Clemence Watches, had to point out precisely what I was looking at after the Munro Ridgeline caught my eye back in September.Asymmetry is a fun thing to see on watches. I don’t mean just a date window drawing attention to itself as it sits awkwardly beside a stunted index, nor a power reserve indicator blemishing the prettiest of textured dials. Tru...
Strap Check: The World Of RSM Watch Straps
Most of the time, when we talk about horology, we describe watches. Less often do we discuss the brands and their founders. And even less often do we talk about brands that solely focus on making straps. Perhaps this is because straps are accessories. A bit like a cover band at a concert, they’re not the stars of the show. However, some of us like straps so much that we say things like, I've got new shoes for my watch! Yes, there is an entire subculture of straps aficionados, and I am proudly a part of it. After all, watches used to be primarily sold on straps before metal bracelets became more common. And there are now dozens of types of straps, from Marine Nationale and NATO to two-p...
David Scott's Speedmaster Tribute to Astronauts BA145.022-69
The Omega Speedmaster Professional BA145.022-69, also known as the Tribute to Astronauts watch, was the first Speedmaster in 18K yellow gold and intended for all active NASA astronauts, the US president and vice president, and several officials. In total, Omega gifted 31 of these watches to the NASA astronauts, most of them during the official banquet on November 25th, 1969, at the Warwick Hotel in Houston.Warwick Houston, where the astronauts’ dinner took placeTribute to AstronautsThis watch needs no further introduction as we've covered it numerous times on Fratello. If you’re not familiar with it or want to refresh your memory a bit, make sure to read our ultimate guide to the...
Hands-On: The Charming Laventure Transatlantique II GMT
Laventure introduced its Transatlantique II GMT this past June. Since then, the brown versions in steel and steel and gold already sold out. Those models were limited to 99 and 50 pieces, respectively. The black and green version in steel is only limited by the brand’s production capacity. It’s probably the first time that one of Laventure’s watches is still available so long after its introduction. So it’s high time to take it for a spin and see what it’s like in real life and on the wrist.The above shows that Laventure managed to keep the hype around its releases very high since its initial Kickstarter campaign in 2017. If you want to buy yourself one of Cleme...
Passing Down Our Watch Collections
Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air. This week, we take on another listener-suggested topic and discuss passing down our watch collections or what might happen to our watches as we age. We’re hopefully not near that time, but it’s a subject worth discussing. For our listeners, the watch talk begins at approximately 17 minutes....
Hands On With The New Tudor FXD GMT "Zulu Time"
When Tudor hints at a new watch, the rumor mill starts running on overdrive. Usually, it sparks discussions about great possible additions to the Tudor lineup. How about that for Tudor scooping up ideas for future releases? But this time, the teaser that Tudor released wasn’t too mysterious. With a clip that showed the Marine Nationale’s Aeronautique Navale pilots and the words “Zulu Time,” the assumption that it would be a Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT was rather logical. But there was still much left to take in once the Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT “Zulu Time” was finally unveiled. Now that the dust clouds have settled and I’ve spent time with the watch, it’...
Watch Papers
Did you buy a wrist watch without papers? Do have have watch papers from a former collectors piece and have no need for them anymore? WatchPapers.com can help you out in both situations. For example, your vintage Royal Oak Jumbo bought without papers at a watch fair.. Just enter your watch brand and serialnumber, and WatchPapers.com will check their database for the original matching papers. If you still own the papers of your long sold Sea-Dweller ref.1665 and have no use for them anymore, you can make some money by putting them into the WatchPapers.com database and wait until the current owner of the watch enters the serialnumber of this watch. Matching original papers to a vintage , IWC...
Speedy Tuesday OMEGA Spacemaster Z-33
2011 was the year of the Seamaster Planet Ocean, but 2012 was definitely a year packed with some cool Speedmaster news. Already in 2011, someone from the Omega staff briefly mentioned that a new Flightmaster alike timepiece was in development, but with a quartz movement. As it didn’t seem appropriate to ask any further about it during the introduction event of the new Planet Ocean, I didn’t even try to find out more.However, it kept me busy for quite some time as the Flightmaster (1969 till somewhere in the 1970s) had an odd shaped case that was very typical for that time period. Would it do well in 2012? It was clear to me that this would probably be the successor of the short-t...