The Seiko SRPC35K1 Mini Turtle: Underrated Future Cult Classic?
Lately, I've found myself slowly getting into the Halloween mood. And though I don't own a single pumpkin-orange-dialed or all-black cased watch that would be sufficiently spooky, my Seiko SRPC35K1 Mini Turtle came to mind as a seasonally appropriate choice. In having gone back to this watch after several months of neglect, I must admit that I was positively impressed. This shouldn’t have come as a surprise. It happens every single time I strap this one onto my wrist. In my opinion, it's a near-perfect Seiko dive watch, and certainly better than the humble SKX. Yet for some reason, it flies well under the radar when compared to more popular Seiko divers.First of all, allow me to explai...
New Sternglas Marus Dive Watch (2021): Exploring New Frontiers
Over these last couple of years, we have come to know Sternglas as a brand that offers Bauhaus-inspired watches. Inspired by the famous German design movement, the Hamburg brand has built a reputation for offering watches that combine style with affordable prices. But it’s time to break new ground for the brand. Although the Bauhaus signature is great, Sternglas doesn’t limit itself its restriction. The first proof of this is the all-new Sternglas Marus. It’s a modern-day diving watch that explores new territory for the brand.When I first received the Sternglas Marus on my desk, I was quite surprised, to be honest. After reviewing a number of Sternglas watches over the last...
Scratch The Itch For A Moonwatch With Other Speedmasters
With the recent increase in the price for an Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch ($6,400 / $7,100), your favorite watch might have gone out of reach. In the past, Omega had a wonderful solution for this - the Speedmaster Reduced. In this article, I’ll highlight this and some other alternative Speedmasters that you can pick up today for a lower price.After Omega discontinued the Speedmaster Reduced, the brand still kept Speedmaster models with smaller diameters in its collection. Let’s not forget about the Speedmaster Day-Date models from the 1990s and early 2000s, which had a diameter of 39mm. However, Omega also added self-winding models with caliber 9300 that had a 44.25mm...
Meet The New Patek Philippe Nautilus 5811/1G
It was quite something that Patek Philippe discontinued its iconic luxury sports watch in stainless steel, the Nautilus. Today, the brand introduces the Nautilus 5811/1G. It is a variation of the classic discontinued 5711/1A, now in white gold. But wait, there’s more. One millimeter, to be exact, for an increase in size from 40 to 41mm.Even more important, however, is the new case construction, or better said, a return to the original concept behind the 1976 Nautilus 3700/1A. As you probably know, the case of that first Nautilus reference was a monobloc style, a two-piece (case and bezel) construction where the movement had to come out via the dial side. The case back was fixed and cou...
A Look Back At The 3rd Annual NOMOS Forum In Glashutte
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the third annual NOMOS forum in Glashutte. This is the brand's response to the demise of Baselworld a few years back. Now, instead of packing up and making the trip down to the big Swiss watch fairs, NOMOS keeps things in-house, much like its watchmaking. The brand invites a number of journalists and other content creators to come and experience the latest releases. NOMOS also provides insights as to the brand's direction in the coming year and gives us a sneak peek at some of the exciting things to come. As this event took place in the brand's home of Glashutte, we were also given a tour of the manufacturing facilities. Today, I'll give you a brief...
Balazs And Mike Talk About The Watch Market
Fratello On Air is back with a new episode, and this time, we discuss the watch market. In the background, we bring up a couple of reports that have recently been published. There are some interesting numbers, but the market hasn’t fallen apart to the extent that secondary prices are reaching retail. Will they?...
?Get The Chills With The Spookiest Watches For Halloween
It's getting close to that time again. The days are becoming shorter, and Halloween is looming in, now less than two weeks away. I know, watches are a serious business, but as my story on cartoon-inspired watches showed, the fun factor is real. And it can even include a touch of spookiness, perfect for this time of year. Let me inspire you to get the chills with the spookiest watches I could find. Just remember to keep the lights on.I will confess, one of the watches in this article costs more than some houses. But then again, that particular example is peak horology with a spooky but thoughtful intent, so read on. And do you know what? All the watches in this chilly tale can be worn irrever...
Introducing: Fratello Fortis Flieger F-43 Bicompax Chronograph
Yes, pilots need sturdy instruments on their wrists that are easy to read, even in the most difficult circumstances. But that doesn't mean that their watches should be just functional. A watch that performs flawlessly in the cockpit should also shine elsewhere. That includes places where looks matter and style is appreciated. With that in mind, we started working on a pilot's chronograph that would effortlessly combine functionality with style. The result is the Fratello Fortis Flieger F-43 Bicompax Umber Brown Capsule Edition, an everyday pilot's watch that is both incredibly instrumental and phenomenally handsome. This is the first watch in the Fortis Fratello Capsule Collection. This watc...
Atelier Holgur's Two New Fr?mand Edition Fumee Models
One of my favorite releases of 2022 was the Atelier Holgur Fr?mand. This stylish dive watch was the debut model from the new Singapore-based brand. Atelier Holgur’s founders Matthew de Bakker and Asbj?rn Simonen-Andersen were dedicated to creating a modern and handsome diver’s watch that stood out from typical offerings. The Fr?mand turned out to be a fresh take on the genre that was as much at home in the water as on land. As a follow-up to last year’s inaugural model, the new limited-edition Fr?mand Edition Fumee sees a variation of the watch with two gradient dials, making it look even chicer.As I explained in last year’s introduction article of the Atelier Holgur ...
Discussing Our Picks Under $5,000 And Industry Changes
Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air where we discuss our recent picks of the best watches under $5,000. We apologize for the late publishing of this week’s episode, but travel is back in season. Get ready for another candid episode with our usual pre-topic banter!...
Louis Moinet Savanna Tourbillon Tiger Contends For GPHG
You may know about the Emoji watch featuring a jigsaw-puzzle-inspired dial that set the watch community abuzz earlier this year. Following hot on the heels of that whimsical release was another, more sophisticated jigsaw creation, one in a very different league. A unique piece equipped with a tourbillon, its dial is not merely a multicolor motif but a true jigsaw of an exquisite miniature work of art. It is the Savanna Tourbillon Tiger by the upscale brand Louis Moinet, now contending for the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genve (GPHG) 2023.The Savanna TourbillonLouis Moinet’s Savanna Tourbillon collection is a homage to the wilderness of nature. The dial of each edition is conceived as a...
Hands-On: The Kurono Tokyo Grand Urushi Aoyama LE
It's no secret that I have a soft spot for the intensely Japanese watches of Kurono Tokyo. But this year, I had a master plan that involved a rectangular Swiss piece. It did not involve diving deeper into the fascinating world of Japanese independent watchmaking. Then the Kurono Tokyo Grand Urushi Aoyama Edition got to me.To quote the title of a TED Talk, You don't actually know what your future self wants. And that's one of the widely unknown reasons that your New Year's resolutions often fail. For me, it means that I have bought new watches this year, none of which are rectangular or a dressy Cartier. But it does involve my first non-indexed dial, and it's a real conversation starter.Kuron...
Introducing: The 18K Gold TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph
Today, we bring news of a truly attractive timepiece with the release of the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph. The somewhat plainly named watch is anything but boring, though. After all, it’s made of one of our favorite materials - gold! The watch is meant to put a cap on the 60th anniversary of the seminal chronograph, and I think it does so in splendid fashion.I’ve keenly watched TAG Heuer’s recent releases, and, overall, I’ve witnessed positive developments. Watches like the recent Monaco Night Driver or the Carrera Glassbox are attractive and offer strong technical specs for the price. Still, there are pieces like the recent Carrera Skipper that have left me wanting ...
Debatable Watch Names: The Bad, The Worse, And The Cringey
Don't take this article too seriously. It’s the result of a wacky brainstorm at Fratello HQ, a wild conversation sparked by the release of a Fortis watch last week. Yes, you guessed it - the N-42 Novonaut Chronograph. I have a young-classic B-42 Official Cosmonauts Chronograph in my modest collection, and the new Novonaut very much presents itself as an evolution of the original design made for Roscosmos, the Russian Space Agency. Now that Fortis is not cooperating with Roscosmos anymore and probably for other obvious reasons, the original name was ditched for a new one. The made-up name Novonaut sparked the conversation about debatable watch names and uncovered some real, umm, “...
Parmigiani Presents Two New Tonda PF Automatic 36mm Models
Last year, Parmigiani Fleurier introduced the Tonda PF Automatic 36mm, extending its PF range to those with slender wrists and women. This new, gender-neutral diameter was warmly received. The rose gold model, adorned with diamond indexes, even garnered the Women’s Watch Prize at the 2022 edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genve. Deservedly, it earned the recognition for its exceptional design and craftsmanship.This year, the Fleurier-based manufacture synonymous with “quiet luxury” expands the series with two 36mm variations. The first model in two-tone steel and gold marks a debut and adds a fresh aesthetic to the collection. Conversely, the second model hai...
Introducing: The Oris Divers Date
In 2015, Oris reintroduced its dive watch based on a 1965 design. Since then, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five has become a popular and well-loved model line within the brand’s portfolio. Now, almost 10 years after its reintroduction, it was time for an update. Meet the new Oris Divers Date. Even though it lost the “Sixty-Five” name, it still comes with a ’60s-inspired design. However, both its style and performance received some serious upgrades.Oris offers some great watches at the more accessible end of the spectrum. The brand’s Divers Sixty-Five was no exception. But with other brands, especially microbrands, closing in on both the design and capabilities side of ...
Fratello's Top 5 Patek Philippe Nautilus References
Another Friday, another list! This week, we’ll take a look at the famous Patek Philippe Nautilus. It’s a great reminder of what makes Gerald Genta’s creation stand out. The watch was first introduced in 1976 and has become one of the industry’s leading silhouettes over time. But we all know that the brand discontinued the stainless steel “Jumbo,” much to fans’ discontent. In light of the recent news about the Patek Philippe Cubitus, it only seemed logical to dedicate an article to the Nautilus and remind ourselves why it is such a great series. We picked our five favorite references, and while some are no-brainers, others might surprise you. Let̵...
Laco Extends Its Scorpion Line With Stealthy Black Cases
We mostly know Laco for its extensive collection of vintage-inspired pilot’s watches. However, the brand also offers more modern silhouettes in its Squad and Sport Watches collections. The latter is a series of versatile sports watches with the looks of a modern diver. Besides the standard model series, Laco also allows you to customize one to your liking. Until now, you could only choose a stainless steel version in two sizes. The German brand now gives you more options by introducing a new series of black DLC models. It’s time to find out more!It’s been five years since Laco first introduced its Scorpion watch series, which makes up the brand’s Sport Watches collect...
Introducing: The Patek Philippe Cubitus Collection
Let the record show that this introduction to the Patek Philippe Cubitus collection was written a day after the official release. That’s important because these watches elicited strong emotions upon their debut and beforehand during online leaks. Therefore, I’ve let these watches sink in a bit before reacting. I’ll run down the specs and share brief thoughts before we return with a more extensive hands-on review.The announcement of a new collection from Patek Philippe is a big deal because it happens so infrequently. In fact, 1999 was the last time with the Twenty~4 collection. Earlier this week, photos emerged on social media showing a squarish take on Nautilus, and people...
New: The Czapek Faubourg De Cracovie Crossroads
When we think of Czapek, the Antarctique comes to mind. However, the popular brand has several other models within its lineup. The Faubourg de Cracovie is a chronograph with uniquely designed integrated pushers. Czapek has endowed this model with various dial designs. Today’s guilloche dials inspire the name Crossroads.Czapek’s rise to watch stardom has been incredible to witness. Indeed, the watches are beautiful to behold in person and feature exquisite dials. Today, the Antarctique isn’t in focus, though. The Faubourg de Cracovie Crossroads is the latest release, and the dials alone are worthy of review.The Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie CrossroadsThe Czapek Faubourg de Cra...