Hands-On Review of the Zenith Elite Chronograph Classic (El Primero) in Gold
When the watch craze begun for me, somewhere in the 1990’s, I met with a watchmaker (who I became friends with) who had this interest in Zenith’s El Primero chronograph movements. Oh, and gold watches. He showed me his Zenith El Primero Chronomaster?with full calendar in gold and I was sold. Every time I see this watch – be it in gold or stainless steel – I remind myself to buy that watch at some point.So, when Zenith contacted me whether we would be interested in doing a review and photo shoot on their Zenith Elite Chronograph Classic I immediately said yes. A while ago Bert and I traveled to Switzerland to do a little tour visiting watch manufacturers and one of the...
Speedy Tuesday Christie's Auctions Three Rare Display Back Speedmaster Professional Watches
You might have read it before here on Fratello Watches, but on May 15th, Christie’s has their Rare Watches auction. Three lots in that auction are pieces that you might have read about in a couple of our Speedy Tuesday articles. The white and yellow gold Omega Speedmaster Professional of the 1980s and a stainless steel version from the 1980s. All three with display backs. Actually, the first Speedmaster models with a display back. Let’s have a look.Speedmaster Professional Reference 345.0808The first Speedmaster watch with display back in Christie’s Rare Watches auction catalog is this reference 345.0808 that dates back to ca. 1985. Lot 65, to be exact, was the first stainl...
Staudt Praeludium Chronograph Introduced At BoekeloWorld 2018
“I am Yvo Staudt and I play the accordion. I also made a watch.” That was Yvo’s sales pitch for a long time when visiting retailers, at the beginning of Staudt Watches, in 2013. Before I jump to the new Staudt Praeludium Chronograph, first a bit more background on this young watch entrepreneur and Staudt Watches.Playing classical music, tango and jazz on his accordion since he was 5 years old, Yvo had one dream: move to Italy and study the accordion in Pescara. The conservatory there had one of the best accordionists as a teacher: Claudio. When Yvo turned 18 he moved from The Netherlands to Italy and his?music showed a lot of progress from the start. It was a dream come tru...
The Agent's Watch 007
With today’s announcement of the new Bond25 release, we thought it was time to run you by all previous Omega Seamaster watches that Bond had on his wrist.James Bond SeamasterSince over two decades, the Omega Seamaster is a trusty companion to the most famous spy in the world; James Bond. It was 1995 when Her Majesty's secret agent strapped an Omega on his wrist for the first time. Throughout the years, just like the timepieces, the taste of Mr. Bond evolved and broadened. He went from quartz to mechanical, from a single watch to wearing multiple models by the brand on the silver screen. It was also the time when the production company realized their franchise needs to be brought up to ...
#TBT Surprisingly fresh Alpina La Ronde
The most complicated part of shooting this watch was to find an old brick to match its vibrant indexes. Meet my lucky catch Alpina La Ronde.There are watch brands and there are watch BRANDS. Brands and watches every collector knows, has or dreams about – holy grails, legendary models with hundreds of stories or famous ambassadors to talk about. Yet certain brands fall into a strange middle ground – every collector knows about them, but they don't bother paying much attention to it.Abandoned petsWe all know collectors with a heavy weight set of timepieces that have developed a sweet spot for some B-class watch brand or model. I bet you have that too, don't you? From whatever reaso...
New Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Models
The Overseas line by Vacheron Constantin is on the move. It is stepping out of the shadows cast by the Royal Oak and Nautilus. Capitalizing on a groundswell of positivity, Vacheron Constantin is bringing us more options to choose from.?Ok, don’t tell my wife about the new blue dial Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin. Last year in May, my wife and I attended a Havana Club and Vacheron Constantin party, in Whitehall, London. Sipping Airmail and Dark ‘n’ Stormy cocktails certainly lowered our inhibitions. Before long, we were inquiring about beautiful Vacheron Constantin Overseas watches that may have (definitely) been beyond our means. Luckily, the helpful staff members were more ...
Introducing The New Herms Arceau L'Heure De La Lune models
Looking back at January 2019 almost seems like looking back at a different period in time. But it doesn’t mean everything is a distant memory. Last year saw Herms release one of the best watches of the SIHH 2019 with the Herms Arceau L'heure de la Lune. A little over a year later sees Herms introducing five new Herms Arceau L’Heure de la Lune models.In a string of excellent releases last year at the SIHH, the Herms Arceau L'heure de la Lune stood out. Despite its classic looks, it gave us something fresh and new, as you can read in Robert-Jan’s article. The concept, technique, and execution are all incredibly well thought out. The Arceau L'heure de la Lune showed that ...
Jaeger-LeCoultre Updates Its Master Control Collection
The manufacture from Le Sentier had big plans to properly launch the new and updated Master Control series in Geneva this year but unfortunately had to change track to make it a digital introduction only.Too bad, I have to add, because I would love to go hands-on with the new Master Control watches. The entire line receives an update, from the Master Control Date to the Master Control Chronograph Calendar. My favorite JLC complication for many years, the Geographic, also is part of the new line-up.The Master Control collection is a classic looking watch, without being too classic. The danger with very monochrome looking classic watches is that they tend to look or becoming boring. Nobody wan...
This Week in Watches The Panerai Edition
Welcome to a special episode of This Week in Watches. I say “special” because it’s a one-brand show today as we bring you the Panerai Edition where I’ll run down each and every new model for 2020.What you’ll notice in this Panerai edition is a real focus on case materials. It’s almost as if Panerai has transitioned into a Formula 1 chassis builder with its suite of cool composites. And for those who have scoffed at reduced water resistance in the recent past, rest assured that 300 meters it the theme here. Let’s get to it.PAM01118 - Luminor Marina Carbotech 44The Luminor Marina Carbotech 44 closely follows yesterday’s PAM01117 Luminor Marina. T...
Neoclassical Glam Rules Jaeger-LeCoultre's Reverso One for Women
Have you noticed how many brands have jumped on board with the matching-strap-dial trend? Jaeger-LeCoultre presents a striking design that falls in line with this year’s hottest look. Deep red juxtaposed with a stainless steel case gives JLC’s most famous model a shot in the arm. This Reverso One has bags of character and demands your attention.If you're into bold colors, your prayers have been answered. The next time you’re checking your watch collection for something striking, remember?Jaeger-LeCoultre's take on red. The rectangular design features a 30-m water-resistant case that is 40mm length, 20mm width, and 7.9 mm thick. Made of stainless steel, it features 27 brilli...
Fratello On Air: WASP 8.0 NOMOS, Hockey, And The Origin Of Chronographs
Hi and hello watch fans and welcome back to Watching Sports and Sporting Watches. In episode 8.0 and we will begin with a short interview, as the Hungarian Horntail takes the reins and welcomes his most charming guest to the smooth booth yet…Spoiler alert: it’s Rob. But that’s all we’re going to say about that. After Balazs has put our resident motormouth through his paces, we kick him into touch in favor of Dave “down the pub” Sergeant, who phones in (quite literally) to chat some hockey....
Why Watch Enthusiasts Love Fountain Pens Too
This article about fountain pens is written by Samuel Naldi, a friend of the show and founder of Inkstable, the online magazine on fountain pens. We like his work on Inkstable, and also enjoyed his videos on YouTube about pens (and watches). Therefore, we reached out to him to see if he would be interested in trying to explain why watch enthusiasts love fountain pens too. He was, and here’s his first article on Fratello. Enjoy!The emotion of a well-crafted timepiece is accurately summarized by a quote from Dan Simmons: In such seconds of decision entire futures are made. Is it the watch's value that makes it so desirable? Or is it having the perfect mechanism to track those seconds tha...
Inside The Tudor Manufacture Visiting The METAS Laboratory
It’s not every day that you get an invite from the folks at Tudor to come to see their manufacture and METAS laboratory in Geneva. So we gladly accepted their invitation, and Ignacio and I found ourselves in front of the impressive green building on a Thursday morning at 8:00 a.m.Tudor Black Bay Ceramic Master ChronometerSince the introduction of the Black Bay Ceramic ref. M79210CNU-0001, Tudor has a watch in the catalog that can call itself a Master Chronometer. This relatively new standard debuted in 2014 at the hands of Omega and the Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS) in Switzerland. This independent organization is responsible for the testing procedures and the actual certific...
NEW: Breguet Marine Hora Mundi (2022)
You might have heard the name Hora Mundi before. The dual-time watch isn't new in the Breguet collection. But until now, the travel complication could only be found in a classic case with a more traditional dial. The new 43.9 13.8mm pink or white gold Breguet Marine Hora Mundi travel watch is anything but a traditional globetrotter. The case is a modern take on the classic theme of nautical watches with very contemporary proportions and design details. And if the size won't get the watch noticed, the elaborate dial sure will.The party trick of the Breguet Marine Hora Mundi travel watch is its ability to switch between two timezones instantly. It took practice to make that possible - three ye...
Coffee Corner Watch Talk: A Case Of Mistaken Watch Identity?
I hope you enjoyed a sunny weekend somewhere outside. And even if you stayed at home in front of the TV, the weekend was very eventful for the avid sports fan. There was MotoGP action from Portim?o in Portugal, the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield, and Formula 1 action from the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy. Plenty to talk about in the coffee corner, but maybe you also want to throw in some watch-related stuff. Well, if the F1 topic lingers on a little too long, you could mention a case of possible mistaken watch identity, the first topic in this episode of Coffee Corner Watch Talk. Anyway, enjoy your coffee and have a great start to your work/watch w...
NOMOS Ludwig Gold Celebrates Glashutte's Watchmaking Heritage
The 175th anniversary of watchmaking in the small Saxon town of Glashutte may have been two years ago in 2020. The celebrations, however, are still rolling, well into the 177th year of horological activity taking place in the Muglitz valley. With the release of the limited-edition Ludwig 33 in solid gold, NOMOS Glashutte looks to honor the history of the town it has called home since its foundation in 1990.I was born in 1985. I have it in mind that I am very used to being told just how young I am by anyone even slightly older than me. However, it is only recently that I began to realize it happens rather infrequently these days. Throughout my twenties, I was uncommonly fresh-faced. Even in m...
Now Available: The Fratello REM Moon Explorer Strap
The Moon Explorer strap is our fourth collaboration with REM. Every month in 2023, we will offer a special strap for Speedmaster enthusiasts. Last month’s Speedy Tuesday - Tribute to Alaska III strap went crazy, so we actually restocked a few more last week, and we will continue to do so in the future to ensure you can get one. This month, we present to you The Moon Explorer. This one will go well with almost any Speedmaster but especially the special red-and-white-dial one that was in production from 2013 to 2016.The “Tintin”It’s the Omega Speedmaster Professional watch that we introduced to you in 2013, originally marketed as a “Racing” edition. This wat...
Introducing Le Regulateur Louis Erard Konstantin Chaykin
Sometimes watches are serious technological instruments, and sometimes they are serious style items. Other times, though, watches can be just pure, unadulterated fun. With the new Le Regulateur Louis Erard Konstantin Chaykin, the two brands mentioned in the name of the watch have created just that. This new collaboration combines Louis Erard’s signature Regulateur timepiece with Konstantin Chaykin’s trademark Joker style. But is it really that simple? You already know that it isn’t. This collaborative effort is an impressive duo of timepieces that hide serious watchmaking behind a funny face. Time to find out more about the Le Regulateur Louis Erard Konstantin Chaykin.Louis...
Hands-On: Formex Reef Radiant Bronze For Collective
Recently, I had a chance to wear the new Formex Reef Radiant Bronze dive watch ahead of its launch today. This new Reef is a collaboration between Formex and the American retailer Collective. It is very much the Formex Reef that we know and admire but with a rather unique dial. As the name suggests, this is a bronze dial. And not just a bronze-colored dial but an actual bronze dial.Let's have a closer look and see how my time with the Formex Reef Radiant Bronze panned out.Formex Reef Radiant Bronze dialLet me kick things off with the core of the matter - the dial. Bronze has been in vogue as a case material for a while now. People like it for its warm hue and unpredictable patina. You do not...
Fratello On Air: Vintage Watches For Everyday Use
Fratello On Air returns with an episode that focuses on vintage watches that are great for everyday wear. We all love our pieces from yesteryear, so why not choose some that can handle the rigors of daily life? Settle in and listen while we talk for a while....