NOMOS Glashutte Brings Yet More Elegance To The Orion Family
Few brands do effortless elegance as well as NOMOS Glashutte. It is fair to say that a lot of the brand’s more enduring work gets overlooked in the first instance simply because the designs are so polished, so refined, and so intentionally timeless that you find yourself thinking you’ve seen the same kind of thing 1,000 times before.And the truth of the matter is that you have. You have seen the same kind of thing before, but you haven’t seen it done like this very often at all. The new Orion 33 Gold and Orion 38 Silver models remind us why NOMOS remains one of the very best brands at flying under the radar and why it’s our duty to ensure they land on yours.Perfectly ...
The Best Watches Of 2022 That Flew Under The Radar
Can we still surprise you when it comes to new watches? And what about watches that fly under the radar? Well, hardly any watches truly fly under the radar these days. Still, we here at Fratello HQ thought it would be nice to highlight some of the less-talked-about releases of 2022 that deserve all the love and attention they can get!When it comes to picking watches for this list, the “limited edition” ghost quickly becomes part of the discussion. Some people might say it’s not worth talking about watches that sold out in an instant. That’s a fair point, but it would also be strange to ignore them as if they didn’t exist. Additionally, if they are really great r...
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms The First Modern Dive Watch
Introduced in 1953, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is widely regarded as the first modern dive watch equipped with a rotating unidirectional bezel with a diving scale. Like many great products, the Fifty Fathoms was born out of necessity. With more humans than ever before venturing into the deep, the world needed a reliable, purpose-built watch for divers.The story of Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms is a very interesting one that clearly demonstrates its pioneering spirit. It is a story about two quests for a dive watch, one by Blancpain’s then-CEO Jean-Jaques Fiechter and another by French naval officers Bob Maloubier and Claude Riffaud. These quests resulted in the watch that we know today as...
?Hands-On: Nezumi Voiture VQ3.201 Chronograph
When does a young brand transcend its status as a microbrand? After more than ten years, Stockholm-based Nezumi Studios ticks all the boxes with ease. With some racy collaborations to its name including Porsche-tuning icon Ruf, Nezumi has become a small brand to inspire others in the genre for sustainable growth. At the same time, while introducing new watches to the collection, the Voiture Chronograph has evolved slowly but securely. Still retro-evocative but mature, I go hands-on with this Nezumi Voiture VQ3.201The Voiture is the original and first chronograph from the 11-year-old design studio’s horological debut in 2015. It is a testament in itself to see the same model with the sa...
Panerai Breaking Down The Brand
What do Panerai and Hummer have in common? Arnold Schwarzenegger is one correct answer - the Governator is the original civilian Hummer driver AND a passionate Panerai wearer. Another answer is a military history with a civilian follow-up. For quite a while, Panerai was the hottest ticket in town. But ever since the 2007C2009 Great Recession, Panerai, the king of XL watches, seemingly has been less relevant. Disappointed Paneristi lamented the endless limited editions and especially the launch of the S-sized Luminor Due with a water-resistance rating of 30 meters. And there's also the confusion that surrounds the in-house and non-in-house movements. I guess it's time to break down the brand ...
Are You Still After An Omega Swatch MoonSwatch?
One of the most discussed releases this year has been the Omega Swatch Speedmaster MoonSwatch. Whether you like it or not, we never saw a watch get so much attention before, not only in watch publications like Fratello but also in the mainstream media. I can’t remember seeing the new release of a watch brand covered on national television.The most talked-about watch of 2022On March 24th, Swatch announced the MoonSwatch models - 11 pieces that all had their own “destination.” It was a complete surprise to most people, except the few journalists (including us) invited a week earlier to Swatch HQ to look at this new secret project with Nick Hayek Jr., CEO of Swatch Group. On M...
Vintage Appeal A ZRC Diver With A Personal Story
Brands that share their backstories and celebrate their history, particularly with public exhibitions and museums, serve to inspire the next generation of watch enthusiasts. Here is one such story. If you’ve ever seen a vintage watch and been completely mesmerized, I’m sure that this story will strike a chord.It is no surprise that we here at Fratello have a fondness for Omega. Our founder RJ has a pretty amazing collection, and we often feature watch reviews from the brand on our site. Oh, and don't forget #SpeedyTuesday! There is another great thing about Omega (and several other brands that come to mind, including IWC), and that is an open celebration of its past with the esta...
Seiko World Cup: SBBN011 "Darth Tuna" Vs. SBDX001 "MM300"
Welcome to the second semifinal match of Fratello's Seiko World Cup. Five Seiko divers have been eliminated so far, while three others remain to face their next opponent. Today, G2's SBBN011 “Darth Tuna” battles RJ’s SBDX001 “MM300.” Both watches have iconic status, so we expect it to be a tough fight. Will the MM300 design prevail over that of the hockey puck, or will the Tuna’s 1000m depth rating leave the SBDX001 in the shade? We can’t say for sure, but one thing is certain: only one watch will emerge victorious and move on to the final round.In their first bouts, we saw that both the Darth Tuna and the MM300 have a huge supporter base. Now is the...
Taking A Closer Look At The Yema Manufacture Morteau
During one of the last years at Basel, we met the folks from Yema at a nearby hotel. They showed us fantastic and faithful reissues from the brand’s heyday of the 1960s and ’70s. Since then, a lot has changed as there’s now the Yema Manufacture Morteau where three calibers are produced. Let’s look at what happens in this idyllic French town.I’ve been surprised by Yema’s ascendancy in the small, affordable independent category. Like clockwork, the company releases new models every few months. Best of all, there’s been a nice blend of pure reissues and new designs. What I didn’t see coming was the Yema Manufacture Morteau. After all, the most rev...
Are We Suffering From A Bad Case Of Luxury Fatigue?
There's no escaping luxury. Luxury is everywhere you look. Luxury is the norm. So why is the luxury market as a whole in a slump? Is it the economic situation worldwide? Luxury brands have used the slowdown in China to explain why sales are down, and the results are disappointing. But there might be more at hand. According to Frederic Grangie, head of Chanel's watch and jewelry division, the luxury industry will face a complicated few years because of a trivialization of the product. Luxury is no longer unique and exclusive, and that includes high-end watches. Are we suffering from a bad case of luxury fatigue? And if so, what's the cure?Frederic Grangie told Swiss newspaper?Le Temps, and hi...
The Best Gift Ideas For Watch Enthusiasts 2024 Edition
The holiday season is upon us, dear Fratelli, and what better time to spoil the watch enthusiast in your life? It has become a long-running tradition for the team to come together and bring you some of our favorite gift ideas for watch enthusiasts every holiday season, and 2024 is no different. Whether they’re seasoned collectors or budding watch aficionados, there’s likely a gift in our guide that they’d be thrilled to receive.Fratello Holiday Gift Guide 2024 - The best gift ideas for watch enthusiastsWhile watches often top the wish lists, a range of watch-adjacent accessories and other interesting gifts can elevate the horological experience. We’ve curated a select...
Hands-On: The Piaget Polo Skeleton Ceramic
Today, we’ll go hands-on with the new Piaget Polo Skeleton Ceramic. This is a modern-looking take on the brand’s entry into the sports-dress category. As we’ll see, the lack of an integrated bracelet and textured dial helps provide this watch with an identity of its own.The current Piaget Polo lineup features many models, including three-handers, chronographs, perpetual calendars, and more. With the new Polo Skeleton Ceramic, there’s now a version that blends modern materials with an open-worked movement. All of this comes together in a sharp design that pairs just as well with sportswear as more formal wear.The Piaget Polo Skeleton CeramicThe standard stainless steel...
Hands-On: The All-New Serica 1174 Parade
Here at Fratello, we’ve closely followed Serica’s progress since its founding in 2019. We know the Parisian brand for its vintage-inspired yet fresh-looking and attractive watches. Both founders - Jer?me Burgert and Gabriel Vachette - pay great attention to (design) details. When they told us they were working on a dressier piece, it piqued our curiosity. The brand’s current field, dive, and GMT watches all have a recognizable design signature. But how is a less sporty, more elegant model going to fit in there? Well, it’s time to find out, as the all-new Serica 1174 Parade is here.Up to now, all of the watches from Serica have had a fairly standard shape with a round ...
If I ever would >
If I ever would get myself another IWC (I had a caliber 89 IWC for a short time) I will buy an Ingenieur! Larry Seiden, Marco Sch??nenberger and David Ter Molen wrote a very nice article on this great timepiece by IWC. You can find it here.I have a weakness for luxery sportswatches like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo, so I would definately get myself the IWC Ingenieur SL ‘Jumbo’ like the one below, ref.1831. If I only had the money….....
25 Years of Constellation Manhattan!
This year, 2007, is the 25th anniversary of the current Omega Constellation model. It all started in 1952 of course, but in 1982 Omega had enough of all those different 1970s Constellations and introduced this ‘Manhattan’ model to get the Constellation back on the map again. After 25 years, a lot changed, but the original ‘Manhattan’ design is still recognizable!1982 – Emoticons and Compact Discs?The classic Omega Constellation pie-pan models from the 1950s and early 1960s are covered by numerous articles in books, magazines and on the internet. The current Constellation though, gets less attention, except for the Asian countries, where this model seems to be ve...
Green With Envy The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Off-Shore Monte Napoleone At Juwelier Burger
Although Audemars Piguet thinks that all their watches are limited editions, the Royal Oak Off-Shore Monte Napoleone really seems to be restricted to 100 pieces only. It might even be possible that you have never seen this green Off-Shore before! Dutch watch dealer & jeweler Burger in Maastricht has found one and just put it up for sale on their website. This ref.26075ST.00.D038CR.01 (you wonder how they make these up) Monte Napeolone was introduced in 2005 to commemorate the inauguration of the Audemars Piguet boutique in the Monte Napoleone shopping street (Via Montenapoleone) in Milan.This example was produced (or sold) in 2006 and is in great condition. The big and bright Arabic nume...
Formula One Boss Bernie Ecclestone And Girlfriend Robbed
Bernie Ecclestone and his girlfriend Fabiana Flosi got robbed in his F1 HQ in London last Wednesday evening. The attackers ordered Bernie and Fabiana to hand over their watches and jewelery, with an estimated value of 200,000 UKP (or 235.000 Euro/$300,000USD).A picture of Bernie in happier times (no pun intended).You probably guessed it already, which watch was he wearing? According to some news sites, it had to be his gold Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Geographique, as pictured below. This leaves me puzzled with respect to the amount (or value) of jewelery worn by Fabiana. Bernie got a head injury after being repeatedly kicked and punched by his attackers (pretty tough, kicking an 80 year old). H...
Speedy Tuesday Omega Speedmaster Day-Date Racing
It’s Speedy Tuesday! As you probably know and as its name really suggests, the Speedmaster was meant for those who were active in sports or better yet, racing cars. Long before the Speedmaster became the ‘Moonwatch’, the tachymeter and chronograph were actually used for timing car racing. Even today the Speedmaster collection has two pillars, one is the Moon program and making sure that new models have enough Moonwatch heritage and the other pillar is racing. Whether it is a dedicated Speedmaster Racing or a Speedmaster Professional that refers to its racing history, there is always a Speedmaster that refers to the original purpose of the collection.One of the dedicated rac...
#TBT Hamilton Chrono-Diver Chronograph
A Happy Thanksgiving to our American readers!Sometimes, albeit rarely, I'm pleasantly surprised when I open a package containing a watch I've bought online. More often than not, it's the condition that is enlightening, but every once in awhile, it's the overall build quality and design of the piece. Today's #TBT highlights such a case where I really thought I was adding an also-ran to my horde, but the result was far more positive. The fact that the watch is a Hamilton makes it even more pleasurable. Why? Well, I've mentioned it before, but I have a soft spot in my heart for the brand because they were American and also because I've spent so much time in the central Pennsylvania area near to...
Just Because A Barn Find Gallet Multichron Decimal
As it's the weekend after Thanksgiving and most Americans are either exhausted from eating too much or from being dragged to the mall to fight the crowds (this idea of Black Friday is spreading around the globe by the way), we thought we'd lighten your spirits by giving you a mini #TBT Just Because about a barn find Gallet Multichron Decimal. Enjoy it!An Unrestored Gallet Multichron DecimalToday, on Fratello Watches, we thought we'd bring you a brief look at an amazing watch the Multichron Decimal. However, unlike almost all of our articles we've only featured one pre-spa watch in Blaise's Tissot this watch needs work. In fact, it doesn't work at all right now! But because I enjoy the archae...