Welcome to the first semifinal of Fratello’s Seiko World Cup. Four Seiko divers have already been kicked out of the competition. The other four are still very much alive and ready to take on their next opponents. Today, Daan’s SPB317 and Thomas’s SKX009 will compete against each other. It’s promising to be a very close battle, and that’s not just based on our intuitio

For its ongoing 40th-anniversary celebration, G-Shock is rolling out loads of attractive new models. This latest four-piece drop has been dubbed the Polychromatic collection. It’s a more colorful take on some of the brand’s most popular models and should please fans. Let’s take a closer look at this kaleidoscope of colors.It’s not a surprise that G-Shock has decided to make

We published an article with our favorite picks for this year’s GPHG 2024 awards ceremony two weeks ago. Then, during last week’s ceremony, we got to see whether our favorites won. We were happy to see several of our picks take home the award in their respective categories. But we also were completely wrong about some others. Also, some watches we picked ended up winning in different c

It has been a while since I bought a new watch. And by that, I mean not a pre-owned or vintage one. Just last weekend, I bought another vintage Constellation at a local auction to satisfy my hunger. One of the reasons I refrain from buying new watches these days is that prices of certain ones have risen so much that the pre-owned and vintage alternatives often beat them. Of course, those who are m

Watches and street style go together quite well. While this combination might not be for everyone, there is a huge audience for modern timepieces that celebrate the best in street culture. But what if you combine the colorful graffiti world with the traditional shapes of horology? That’s exactly what Maen and IFL Watches have done with the new Manhattan Graffiti collaboration. The canvas for

Kucimo wrote me an e-mail about two weeks ago, stating that I shouldn’t forget about Grand Seiko, after my negative rant on collecting Seiko or other Japanese watches.On the one hand I think he is absolutely right. Look at this picture below, which Kucimo attached to his e-mail, this looks perfect. You can see that Seiko put a lot of work in this to reach perfection in a watch. Everything on

Exactly one year ago, I bought an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph (also nick named ‘ROC’) ref.26300 to?accompany?my precious Royal Oak ‘Jumbo’ ref.15202. I added the ROC because I missed the thicker bracelet and case of the Royal Oak ‘Date’ ref.15300 I previously owned.The AP ROC has become one of my favorite watches and is always in my weekly watch rotati

Today Watches & Pencils goes into hyperspace. Let's talk about the helmet shaped big boy (44mm x 51mm, 15mm thickness) from the 1970s with reference number ST?145.0023, a.k.a. Darth Vader. Chuck Maddox?came up with this fantastic nickname.?Scratch-resistant and lightsaber-proof with a glossy Jet Black finished tungsten metal jacket and armed with deep red sub-dials it beats several watches in

Walking into a prestigious watchmaker's, you browse the glass cabinets for your perfect timepiece. This a luxurious experience, where attention to detail is a must. It is then when you spot it and instantly, you know this is the one for you. To try the watch on, you ask for assistance and wait excitedly as they unlock the cabinet and gently remove it from the cushioned stand. You then slide the wa

Holthinrichs Watches Officially IntroducedMichiel Holthinrichs yesterday officially introduced his watch brand ‘Holthinrichs Watches’ together with his first watch model, the ‘Ornament 1’. Holthinrichs, being a recent Architecture graduate, choose the Faculty of Architecture of ‘his’ Technical University in Delft (Netherlands) as location for the presentation.Th

Ever since the introduction of the new Oris diver watches, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five models, people have been praising them. A cool retro watch with a very affordable price tag. We have reviewed a couple of the Oris Divers Sixty-Five variations ever since (the original Sixty-Five, the 42mm model, and just recently we reviewed the green dial version).ComparisonThis article however, is not another

Happy Thanksgiving to all our American readers!? At Fratello Watches, we've followed the activities of the Diver's Watches Facebook Group with real anticipation. The group's 35,000+ members plus their insatiable appetites for all things diver, from inexpensive to dear and vintage to new, it's a good place to scroll through and blow through a few minutes each day. Plus, the group has enough clout t

On Wednesday evening we joined the official (re)opening of the Seiko boutique in Amsterdam. It was one of the very first Seiko boutiques in Europe, and they felt it was time to update it. In the center of Amsterdam, the Seiko boutique almost can’t be missed.Seiko Boutique AmsterdamThe boutique?has received quite an overhaul on the inside and outside. The large doors give access to the most i

One of the questions we get a lot is which watch you should buy. Or which one is considered a good investment. First of all, I think you should buy a watch to wear and enjoy as that's what they are made for in the first place. But when collecting, it sure helps when a watch keeps value. But many have watches with emotional value.Balazs, “I hope that some of my watches will become heirlooms f

Normally Black Friday is about big discounts, but we like to do it differently. And therefore I decided to create a screensaver from my latest illustration (‘Crown Guards’) and make it free to download for just this Black Friday.?It’s our way to show you our appreciation for supporting us and being engaged to all our activities.Download offline (24/11/2018)It is strictly forbidde

Gatsby’s style sign from . Original Seiko Date Tee and last, but not least, an Omega Speedmaster poster.A few weeks ago, we shortlisted our first three gift ideas. We created this series to show you what’s out there for watch nerds like ourselves, besides watches - cool things to have.Creative lightingI once bought an all original 1975 Ford Coke bottle Cortina from an old fellow from t

We all love watches here, otherwise, you wouldn't be reading Fratello Watches, we love them because of their design, technology, mechanical marvels, or just simply love them for no particular reason (some people say this is the best reason to love). Sometimes this love drives us to collect vintage watches which is a path of equal parts of joy and frustration. Over time, however, I’ve found t

After his recent triumph in the 2020 championship, Lewis Hamilton’s name is the one on most peoples’ lips these days when it comes to Formula One. After all, he is now the most decorated driver to ever get behind the wheel.His latest win ties him with Schumacher’s 7 World Titles. Hamilton also holds the outright records for the most wins (94), pole positions (97), podium finishes

When it comes to watch design, “vintage” has been the magic word for quite some time. Call it a re-issue, a modern re-interpretation, or simply an updated version of a classic. It’s hard to think of a watch industry without vintage-inspired pieces. One of the brands that has mastered the art of vintage-inspired timepieces superbly is Longines. The brand’s Heritage collectio

I love my job. Seriously, it's a very humbling position to be in where my employment affords me the chance to write about the things I love. Not a day goes by where I am not thankful for the opportunities I have to do this. Today is one such opportunity where I have been lucky enough to speak to some of the people behind two of my favorite brands and their latest collaboration: the Linde Werdelin