Video Review Of The Seiko 5 Sports Collection
A lot has been written about the new Seiko 5 Sports, so we thought we’d take this new collection and discuss it on video. On the contrary to what people might think, it is not the official replacement model for the SKX007. But what is it then?After neglecting video for way too long, we recently started to record videos of our events and to review watches. It is a bit different from writing, and we definitely need to find our pace and try to get used to the camera. That said, we are looking forward to doing more of these shortly. Our first video is about the new Seiko 5 Sports models (we did an introduction here), a collection that has been the talk of the town in recent weeks.Gerard an...
This Week in Watches: October 3, 2020 Reunification Edition
Welcome to This Week in Watches for October 3, 2020 the reunification edition. Today is the 30th anniversary of this holiday in Germany, so let’s unite and see what’s new in watches.Muhle-Glashutte x Meistersinger Germany UnityMuhle-Glashutte and Meistersinger are German brands, so it makes sense that they’re celebrating 30 years of German reunification. Each have decided to release watches that are thematically similar, but keep the brand’s identities intact. A set of 30 watches are available featuring the 41mm Teutonia IV from M-G and the 43mm No. 3 from Meistersinger. These watches each have yellow gold bezels and contain red and black features to help symbolize th...
Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver Watch By Nivada Grenchen Resurrected
We are living in a world where reeditions, heritage-inspired, and neo-vintage watches are becoming the norm. Certain brands seem to be oblivious to the year we live in. They spend more time going through their archives and recreating old models rather than focusing on research and development. Oddly, these neo-vintage watches are often just weak copies of the original vintage watches they are based on. However, this is certainly not the case when it comes to the new Nivada Grenchen Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver.Now, let me be clear: I’m not against reeditions. I find them exciting and have reviewed a good few of them in the past. What I think, though, is that if you have all the money...
Serica Explores The Depths With The 5303 Dive Watch (2021)
Can a microbrand impress with only one release under its belt? Based on essentially one release, the Parisian brand Serica greatly impressed many of the Fratello team members (myself included).? The Serica 4512 won me over with its charming presence characterized by some very distinct choices that set it apart from the stream of new brands that flood the market. Now Serica has released their second model, the 5303 diving watch. Equally impressive in its presence but also a step up in many ways. Time to check out what the 5303 is all about.If you are a music fan, you know that the second album is supposedly always the hardest. The first album is often a labor of love that had been years in th...
The Forgetten Weirdo: The Zenith "Null Primero" Espada
What makes an “icon”? What is the magic formula for a classic? And perhaps even more importantly, what, exactly, is in a name? These are questions that watch designers, manufacturers, and marketers have been asking for decades. Unfortunately, they are questions for which they are no clear-cut answers, even for the Zenith El Primero.In the end, the success of a watch, especially a famous one, may just come down to a balancing act. How well a brand balances its history with its future, and its own vision with its customers’ desires, could determine everything. Today, I’d like to take a look at the Zenith El Primero Espada. A now mostly forgotten piece of recent Zenith h...
??Watch Dating Profiles, Germany: Stowa, Lange, and Sinn (2021)
You (presumably) are a person seeking a watch. Perhaps you know which watch. Perhaps it’s THE watch. However, more than likely, you’re at least open to options, if not openly shopping. Here we present a few curated choices a la dating profile, with watches and the owners they seek. Today, it’s eligible German watches. A Stowa Marine Classic is pining for its Captain. This A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia is searching for its sugar daddy/mama. And the Sinn EZM 3 is ready to party with its adventure buddy. All they ask is to be your one and only (GADA alert!).Call these German watches GADAs (go anywhere, do anything), if you like. Indeed, the lack of water resistance or addition ...
Muhle-Glashutte Launches The S.A.R. Mission-Timer TITAN
Last week Muhle-Glashutte invited us over to the north of Germany to celebrate their 20-year partnership with the German Maritime Search and Rescue Society (DGzRS). And what do you do as a watch brand to celebrate such an anniversary? That’s right, you launch a new watch! But not before we went on a trip with two rescue vessels of the DGzRS. After that the Muhle family presented us with the all-new S.A.R. Mission-Timer TITAN. A modernized titanium version of their iconic search and rescue toolwatch.But before we go to the watch, let me tell you a little bit about the Muhle family history. The company was founded in 1869 by Robert Muhle. At that time they manufactured measuring instrume...
Hands-On With The Norqain Wild ONE
Following last week’s launch of the Norqain Wild ONE - an event that I made the journey to Zermatt to witness - it’s time to take a closer look at the watches. Reading a press release with a handful of renders and images of a watch is one thing. Holding it in your hand and strapping it to your wrist, however, is something else. And it’s a different thing altogether to strap it to your wrist for a two-and-a-half-hour e-mountain bike ride up to the Zmutt Glacier at the foot of the Matterhorn and back down in time for dinner. Especially when a brand claims that its latest creation is the ultimate modern sports watch, it’s worth testing it in a suitably demanding manner. ...
The MoonSwatch From The Perspective Of A Swatch Collector
The MoonSwatch has put Swatch at the center of attention in 2022. But as the legend goes, Swatch single-handedly rescued the Swiss watch industry in the 1980s. Swatch offered affordable quartz-powered watches, intended as disposable and fun accessories to spice up your look. When Swatch hit the scene in 1983, the Swiss watch industry was in terrible condition compared to just a decade before.Swatch was introduced in a decade that brings back great memories for me - waking up very early on Saturday mornings to quietly watch and enjoy Transformers, M.A.S.K., and G.I. Joe; playing endlessly with space LEGOs, and riding BMX bikes with my friends. TV shows like The A-Team, Airwolf, and Knight Rid...
Lightheated Coffee Corner Watch Talk Why So Serious?
What I need this morning is a lighthearted watch talk over a nice cup of coffee. A strong yet creamy flat white would be nice - since it's a 1980s Australian invention, I consider it the most easy-going coffee out there. I also want to keep it nice and light and colorful. That could be a reaction to the inevitable rain and gray skies that come with autumn. Luckily, my Maurice Lacroix Aikon #tide Benzilla arrived just in time to brighten the day. And both the graffiti-inspired G-Shock Street Spirit collection and the Richard Mille RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley will put a smile on your face.This is not the first time that the Maurice Lacroix Aikon #tide makes its appearance on Fratello. An...
?Hands-On: Grand Seiko SBGX353 Skyflake 34mm
The new Grand Seiko SBGX353 Skyflake is 34mm. Even mentioning this vintage-pure diameter to your WIS friends five or six years ago would have raised eyebrows to new heights. I can imagine the comments, Red Bar members dropping their Big Pilots on the GTG pub table in shock. A new watch not aimed at ladies measuring 34mm? Surely, the world is coming to an end. But this is 2022, and the large-cased beauty of Seiko and its Grand big brother is shrinking. Yes, my friends, this is a good thing.But even if the picture is different, this is not an odd size for a men’s watch. Vintage has been cool for decades, and while prices are ever-rising, the old Air-Kings and Oysterdates were delectably...
New: Rado DiaStar Original And 60-Year Anniversary Edition
Hardmetal - a name that, for a former music journalist with a specific interest in all things metal, always had a special ring to it. I was into thrash metal, speed metal, and also funk metal, but hard metal would surely also have been a subgenre I was down with. Hardmetal is an alloy that Rado patented in 1962 when it released the DiaStar, the very first scratch-resistant watch ever created and also the first timepiece featuring a sapphire crystal. The watch has been in continuous production ever since and has become the best-selling Rado model ever. But for the jubilee watch that debuts in 2022, Hardmetal was canceled. Instead, Rado “booked” another even harder star material to...
Watch Spotting At The Tokyo Speedy Tuesday 2023 Event
Last week, our first Speedy Tuesday event of 2023 took place in Japan. It was a one-day event in the beautiful Nicolas G. Hayek Center building in Ginza, Tokyo. Besides sharing our passion for the most iconic chronograph in the world, we were treated to a special presentation by Omega on Speedmaster dials. We also received a thorough explanation of the Spirate technology that debuted earlier this year in the Speedmaster Super Racing. Although the event was in Tokyo, some guests came from abroad to enjoy this special day with other Speedmaster fans.Speedy Tuesday began in 2012 with a wrist shot of a Speedmaster while I was on holiday in Cannes. I shared the wrist shot on social media and put ...
Introducing: Montblanc Collective 1858 Minerva Monopusher P.05
Did you find yourself waking up today with an aching desire for a watch that is just a little bit more special? Something with a historic movement, perhaps? Something very limited so you don't run into others wearing the same watch? Maybe even something equal parts vintage-looking and sporty? Well, if so, then today is a good day. Montblanc and Collective Horology have got you covered! Introducing the 1858 Minerva Monopusher Chronograph Blue Arrow P.05.Limited to just 33 pieces and retailed exclusively in the US by Collective Horology, this should be plenty rare. Let's have a closer look at what this collaboration entails.Collective HorologyLet me start with Collective Horology. The Southern...
Introducing: The Seiko SPB411 Navigator Timer Reissue
Finally, after months of wondering when it would break cover, the new Seiko SPB411 Navigator Timer reissue is here. This might be the most highly anticipated release from the Japanese brand in some time, and it looks good! Today, we’ll look at the specs, pricing, and availability. Later, we’ll follow up with a hands-on review.When it comes to watches, we always seem to want what we cannot have. This is also true for Seiko, although the brand has been doing a heck of a job when it comes to delivering retro-inspired timepieces. Still, many of these have come from its back catalog of dive watches. Perhaps it’s the relatively recent return to travel or a general feeling of wand...
Stand-Ins For The Submariner, Speedmaster, And Calatrava
Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air. This time, we talk about alternatives for three of the most popular watches in existence - the Submariner, Speedmaster, and Calatrava. These watches aren’t one-for-one options but are either meant to give off similar feelings or serve a similar purpose. Enjoy the ride!...
The Best Affordable New Watches To Start A Collection With
Brands introduce attractive and affordable watches every year, but I’m particularly struck by how many good offerings I’ve seen in 2023. If you’re in the market for such a watch, I can only imagine how hard it must be to pick the “right” one. I know we’re not at the end of the year yet, but let’s take a look at some of the best affordable new watches out there.Both “attractive” and “affordable” are highly subjective terms, of course. Whether you find the watches below attractive is not for me to say. But I think if I stick to a budget of roughly between $500 and $1,500, we can all agree that it’s a fairly affordable pric...
Hands-On: Casio Vintage A1100 Series In Gold, Black, And Steel
“Wear a winner from Casio - The Chronograph is both a professional stopwatch, which allows you to be part of the action, and a super accurate electronic watch with an adjustment-free calendar.” This is a quote from a 1978 Casio advert promoting the 52QS-14B and F-100C, both of which used the advanced module 52, enabling elapsed time measurements to 1/100th of a second. Not much has changed, and these words could be valid for the recently introduced A1100 re-edition in Casio’s Vintage collection. Some things have changed, though; what are they? We’ll find out in this review.Casio Vintage A1100 seriesWhether or not we can classify the A1100 as a professional chronograph...
Introducing: The Maen Lunar Classic 36
On April 6th, 1609, the Englishman Henry Hudson set sail from Texel with a Dutch ship called De Halve Maen (The Half Moon). He was sent on a mission to find a passage to the Indies via Nova Zembla. However, Hudson ignored his contract and decided to seek a structural passage. Via the Faroe Islands, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia, the ship finally arrived at what would later become New York on September 11th, 1609. Over four centuries later, in 2017, Sebastiaan Cortjaens and Jules van Helvoort launched the watch brand Maen, which refers to this historical event. The first watch these Dutch guys, who live in Sweden, introduced was, of course, one with a moonphase complication. Now they’re...
A Ralph Destino's Spider Web, And A Leather Dial Watch
The idea of “going round in circles” is often used as a synonym for not achieving anything. This is because, when moving in circles, you keep returning to the same point where you started, having made an effort to advance without actually achieving anything. But when it comes to watches, this is not necessarily a bad thing. That’s why today, we’ll be discussing Ralph Destino and his watches.I do see two different ways of interpreting the idea of going around in circles: regular circles and random ones. I often find myself going around in circles regarding watches I keep on an active wish list. Let’s call them desirable watches. For example, Gallet watches fall i...