Hands-On: The New 2024 Omega Speedmaster FOiS
Almost four years ago, we announced that Omega was discontinuing the Speedmaster FOiS (First Omega in Space) model. The watch debuted in 2012 to commemorate the first Omega chronograph worn in space on the wrist of NASA astronaut Walter Wally Schirra during his Sigma 7 mission.Stafford and Schirra - Image: NASAThe Speedmaster on Schirra's wrist was a second-generation (CK2998) model with Alpha-shaped hands and a symmetrical case. After the tribute watch came out in 2012, many Speedmaster fans loved it for its slightly smaller case, Alpha hands, and, of course, “cool factor.”I've left Earth three times, and I found no place else to go. Please take care of Spaceship Earth. - Walter...
New: The Updated Ressence Type 3 Black And White
Believe it or not, it has already been 11 years since Ressence introduced its oil-filled Type 3. At the time, it was the first oil-filled mechanical watch, and it debuted in both white- and black-dial versions. Today, the Belgian brand led by designer Beno?t Mintiens reintroduces the black and white Type 3 with a few subtle but crucial changes. Along with this update to Ressence’s regular collection, the brand also unveils a unique piece of the Type 12?with artwork by British visual artist Shantell Martin.If there’s one thing we learned from Beno?t Mintiens’ appearance on our Fratello Talks podcast series, it’s that he has a very particular idea of what a watch should...
Hands-On: The Beaufort Fiordland GMT
Until recently, I had heard of Beaufort but had never gotten the chance to check out the brand’s watches. Well, that changed with the introduction of the brand’s newest creation, the Fiordland GMT. This watch offers a good dose of vintage flair and combines it with a modern flyer-style GMT movement. Beaufort sent us two of the four variations to take out for a spin. It’s time to find out more about this traveler’s watch from Beaufort.The Fiordland GMT is the fourth Beaufort?model. Thor previously covered the brand’s Seatrekker dive watch and the Pulsatimer Chronograph. Both watches perfectly show how Beaufort gets its design inspiration from different eras of wa...
Fratello Talks: The Most Underrated Watch Brands
Hey there, and welcome to this week’s episode of Fratello Talks. What are some of the most underrated watch brands out there? That’s the question that Nacho, RJ, and Daan have chosen for today’s discussion. And though there are indeed many brands that may not receive the praise and recognition they deserve, the guys have chosen to focus on just a handful. For the sake of brevity, they also specify that their picks are limited to larger, more mainstream brands that they believe to be underrated. Being such a subjective topic, it’s one that always results in a polarizing and interesting discussion that we know you’ll enjoy. But before we get into it, let’s s...
Photo Essay: The Speake-Marin Piccadilly QP
I recently enjoyed some lens time with this rather unique piece by Peter Speake-Marin. Out of the box, the aesthetic was a little…unusual, but I admit that towards the end of the session, the design grew on me.Enjoy! All images can be clicked on for larger versions. Don’t forget to check us out on Facebook?and gives us a Like!MTYes, it glows in the dark, too!MoonphaseDay of the week hand and instantaneous change mechanism24 hour handMaster control wheel for perpetual calendar mechanism. Note the incredibly thin jumper spring attached to the pawl center-right, and the square cut gear controlling the date advance at the end of each month.One final view....
First Speedmaster In Space It Was 54 Years Ago
Sigma 7Yesterday, it was exactly 54 years ago that astronaut Walter ‘Wally’ Schirra?orbited Earth 6 times in the Sigma 7 spacecraft. The name of the NASA mission was Mercury-Atlas 8, and Schirra picked ‘Sigma 7’ as the name for the spacecraft. Using the mathematical symbol for summation as appropriate for an “engineering evaluation”, and the “7” to refer to the seven Mercury astronauts (source).?On his wrist, an Omega, the first Speedmaster in Space. Schirra is?the only astronaut to have flown Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions.First Speedmaster in SpaceNot only did Wally Schirra use a Hasselblad camera for the first time in space, it was also...
Fratello Watches x Grand Seiko Reader's Journey Part 1
Perhaps you noticed the massive Grand Seiko coverage on our Instagram (stories) already, but last week our Grand Seiko reader’s journey took place in Japan. With a some of our readers (from the United States, Belgium and Germany) who signed up for this trip, we visited the Grand Seiko manufactures in Morioka and Shiojiri.Grand Seiko Reader’s JourneyWhen I visited Seiko back in 2015, as part of their Seiko Media Experience tour, I got so enthusiastic that I asked our publisher (Ebner Publishing, who also has WatchTime, Watch-Insider, Chronos and Uhren Magazine in their portfolio) if we could do anything like this for our readers. With the help of Seiko Germany and Seiko Watch Corp...
#TBT IWC Aquatimer 3536 2000 Meters of Timeless Design
I admit that I don't spend a ton of time looking at IWC's latest offerings. No, I don't find IWC's unattractive, but they're often too large for me. Plus, they're expensive. But the real reason that my eye rarely finds itself glancing at the current collection is primarily due to the brand's activities during the late 90's that spanned until the early 2000's. This was when the brand was in the throes of its GST – Gold, Steel, Titanium – collection (as well as making some other gems like the Mark XII we reviewed) and that's where we'll center our attention today with the IWC Aquatimer 3536.Introduced in roughly 1997, the IWC Aquatimer 3536 was made in three distinct flavors. The -...
Omega Seamaster 300M 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'
When On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was first released in 1969, people were not sure whether this was a step in the right direction for the Bond franchise. Fifty years later, the film is still good for a heated discussion, but the film has cemented its place in the history of the Bond saga. So it seems only right that Omega celebrates the 50th anniversary of the movie with the release of the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 50th Anniversary Of ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.’When discussing the classic James Bond film, to me, it’s all about the movie that features Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and George Lazenby. Although many people have their doubts about Lazenby...
Hands-On PRIM "Hole In One" Review
He doesn't get mentioned as much on Fratello as Buzz Aldrin or Ed White. But it is astronaut Alan Barlett Shepard that inspired this new moon-related watch release. Made by Czech manufacturer Prim, let's take a look at the model Hole In One. Alan Shepard is quite the man. He was the second person to travel to space in 1961, making him forever the first American in space. Ten years later, Shepard would leave Earth’s atmosphere again to become the fifth man to walk on the moon. And for the sake of this article, he was the first one and only one to play golf on the Moon. That’s right, on the moon!PRIM “Hole In One”Apollo 14 Astronaut Alan Shepard assembles equipment on t...
G-Shock Square modules with Bluetooth smartphone connection
Ever since the first G-Shock Square was introduced in 1983, we’ve seen various improvements to its movements, a.k.a. modules. Not only have there been enhancements in functionality but also in technical construction and features as well. The latest G-shock Square models now offer Bluetooth connectivity. But how useful is it really? Do these additional connected features really add value? And are they worth the extra costs compared to radio-controlled-only models?G-Shock Square ConnectedPlease bear in mind that this article is about modules used in the?beloved Square models. For other models, more capable modules exist. Larger cases allow for larger modules. Larger modules are able to h...
Hands-On Review: Arken Instrumentum 1020 (2021)
I've made no secret of my love for the microbrand world. At times, it can be challenging to navigate, so the old adage goes buy the owner, not the brand. Usually, you can get a feel for a genuine microbrand pretty quickly. They'll be active on social media and in the microbrand Facebook groups. Chances are you'll have conversed with them at some point, as that's usually the way it goes from my experience. You'll also start to see more and more discussions about the brand and watch. When I first came across a new British microbrand, Arken Watches, it was indeed by way of the power of social media.Online appearances are one thing, but meeting face to face is a whole different story. Meeting so...
A Brief History Of Time: Bvlgari Part One (1884-2010) (2021)
OK, be honest with me. When you hear the name “Bvlgari”, what are the first things that come to mind? Gold? Diamonds? Snakes? A “funny name” spelled with a V instead of a U that’s pronounced like a U anyway? Or, dare I suggest, high horology? If you’re reading Fratello, it’s probably safe to assume you’re at least somewhat familiar with Bvlgari watches. However, I’d be willing to bet every last penny of my lunch money that “high horology” was not the right answer to that question.I’ll be honest with you. As a child of the ’90s, for the longest time, I merely associated Bvlgari with Colosseum-shaped rings and boldly...
The New Casio G-Shock GMW-B5000PB-6 Twilight Tokyo (2021)
In Cathy E. Mann's children's book Color Me Purple the million-dollar question is: what would make the world a better place? The answer is, color, of course! And the color purple turns out to be particularly helpful in creating a happy vibe. The blueish gray and purple hue of the Casio G-Shock GMW-B5000PB-6 Twilight Tokyo is reminiscent of the cityscape of Tokyo at dusk. So why did I bring up the book about happiness and not the buzz of Ginza at night? I will explain.I'm referring to Cathy E. Mann's children's book Color Me Purple because the mostly purple Casio G-Shock GMW-B5000PB-6 Twilight Tokyo has the potential of spreading happiness all over the world. But it won't because it's a singl...
Photo Report: Speedy Tuesday Event At ESA
In 2022, we are finally catching up with our Speedy Tuesday Events. After an unwanted two-year period of no events, we restarted earlier this year in Biel. We continued in Milan and then last week at the European Space Agency (ESA) in the Netherlands. This time, though, it wasn’t only a get-together of Speedmaster enthusiasts. It also included the introduction of a new Speedmaster X-33, explained by two scientists and an ESA astronaut.Speedy Tuesday Event at ESAWe received an incredible number of sign-ups for this Speedy Tuesday Event, but we could only have 50 guests. This had to do with the logistics (event venue, dinner location, etc.) because, in addition to those 50 participants, ...
Kristin Harila Takes Bremont S300 On 14 Record-Breaking Climbs
Kristin Harila is doing something no human has ever done before. She’s getting close to having climbed all of the fourteen peaks above 8,000 meters on our planet within six months. With this amazing feat, she is set to beat the previous record (six months and six days) set by Nirmal Nims Purja, which was chronicled in the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible. Nothing is stopping Kristin Harila, who is a Bremont Ambassador, from achieving the impossible. Well actually, that's not true. There's one thing, and it has nothing to do with the mountains, the weather conditions, or injury.We have to be honest with you. Here at Fratello, we have trouble getting up and down the st...
Book Review: Longitude By Dava Sobel
One can only look at watches for so long before the obsession requires other inputs. Recommended by my father, Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel ended up being exactly the watch-adjacent content I was looking for. It’s a book about ingenuity, dedication, betrayal, eventual triumph, and a great deal of hard-earned money. John Harrison is the father of marine chronometers, the precise timing instruments that allowed ships from the 1700s into the 1900s to navigate by longitude. Without Harrison and his chronometers, Great Britain would not have had the success it did in establishing and maintaining its empire, m...
URWERK Visits The Final Frontier With The New UR-120 "Spock"
My well-publicized love affair with URWERK continues today as the brand launches a brand-new model to the collection. The URWERK UR-120 is an evolution of the discontinued UR-110 with a whole host of new tricks up its sleeve. Nicknamed the “Spock”, this may give you a slight hint as to the watch’s coolest new feature. Since when did a watch display the time using the Vulcan salute? Wondering what on Earth I’m on about? Well, read on!I’m sure we’re all familiar with the classic Vulcan salute. I knew how to do it before I knew what it was. Seeing people in school trying to hold their hands up and part their fingers between the ring and middle fingers to form...
New: Seiko 5 Sports 55th Anniversary Ultraseven SRPJ79
Today Seiko announced the release of its latest limited release. The Seiko 5 Sports 55th Anniversary Ultraseven Limited Edition pays tribute to five and a half decades since the first broadcast of the popular spinoff in the Ultraman series. This late-1960s cult tokusatsu show reigned supreme for two decades and heavily influenced Japanese pop culture. With many characters and sequels to the original that introduced new characters and storylines, it’s a classic that continues to inspire. Today, Seiko looks back fondly and taps into the incredibly cool and unique aesthetic of the show for its latest creation. A watch worthy of the Ultra Guard, this Seiko 5 is undeniably cool, whether or ...
Best Of The Bunch: The Omega Speedmaster '57 In Blue
For the diehards, there’s probably only one Speedmaster - the Moonwatch. However, other Speedmaster variations are available, and this has always been the case since 1969. Whereas the first variations were indicated with Mark 2, 3, 4, or 5 (and even 4.5), later on, we saw Speedmaster Day-Dates, Speedmaster Moonphase watches, and even a (very limited) Speedmaster Perpetual Calendar for the Japanese market. Today, however, we’re looking at the latest Speedmaster ’57 in blue.Omega Speedmaster ’57The Speedmaster ’57 is a nod to that first chronograph with an external tachymeter bezel, the reference CK2915. The original was Speedmaster with a steel bezel, straight lu...