The story begins with Michel Parmigiani graduating in 1974 and starting a traditional watchmaking workshop shortly after. Dedicated to his greatest passion, restoration and creating unique pieces for collectors on a side line. In 1980 he was introduced to the Sandoz family and trusted with the restoration of their impressive collection of pocket watches and automatons. Over the years plans rose fo

Collecting vintage watches is not easy. To put it mildly. You need to bring a fair bit of knowledge, make sure the dealer or seller has a good reputation and make sure the watch is functioning properly. There are a lot of pitfalls and although there are some generic hints and tips that can be given, you need to become subject matter expert to buy with real confidence.One possibility is to buy a wa

Dear Hublot,Three years ago, we provided coverage of your Basel 2012 novelties at an event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, hosted by your regional distributors The Hour Glass and attended by none other than CEO Mr. Guadalupe and Regional Director Ms. Sakai.Here is the original article, missing images which were hosted on flickr: https://www.fratellowatches.com/hublots-basel-2012-novelties//This morning

Recently, I was in the United States and took a couple hours to visit a place that had always been within 30 minutes of my house, the NAWCC Museum in Columbia, Pennsylvania. The National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC) is a well-known entity within the USA that essentially provides a meeting place with over 190 global chapters (admittedly, most are in America) for collectors of a

As per the title says this article is not about the latest iPhone extension screen, as well known as ‘smart watch’. It however, details a tool watch. A purposely-built object for the ones in need of a companion during their (adventurous) journeys. The anomaly is that while it is not a smartwatch, it is a very smart watch. In terms of functions that is. Tissot released their T-Touch ser

Rimowa, the suitcase of choice for globetrotters and those who travel frequently. But what makes them so special? For this instalment of our Weekend Read, we talk about this travel classic and why it is favored by many watch journalists.Journalists, like many other professionals, are frequently on the road. Sometimes for longer periods of time but more often than not on shorter 3 to 5-days trips.

While some people refuse to buy a watch with a comic character on the dial, others pay over $40,000 for one. We will try to explain the immense popularity of the white dial 2015 Omega Speedmaster.Before the introduction of the Omega Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award 50th anniversary watch (we showed it to you here), the white dial 2015 Speedmaster Snoopy prices were already on the rise. The Omega Sp

Roll up, roll up, we’ve got some tasty Grand Seiko news for all lovers of Japanese watchmaking today! Our good friends at Hodinkee have just announced their latest limited edition model. It is, as of 10 am EDT today, available in the Hodinkee shop. Given how quickly these models sell out, you might want to hop over there and grab one before reading this article as only 500 pieces will be mad

Welcome to the Speedmaster World Cup. In the absence of Euro 2020, we thought our beloved readers might enjoy a tournament of a different kind. We’ve assembled eight groups (A H), each governed by a different Fratello team member. Each writer has been assigned four watches, which they will pitch to you during the group stages.All we need you to do is vote for your favorite to move on in the

Welcome to the Speedmaster World Cup. In the absence of Euro 2020, we thought our beloved readers might enjoy a tournament of a different kind. We’ve assembled eight groups (ACH), each governed by a different Fratello team member. Each writer has been assigned four watches, which they will pitch to you during the group stages.All we need you to do is vote for your favorite to move on in the

For some reason, I just can't seem to pass up a rescue project. I've been collecting watches for almost a decade and my acquisitions have been wide-ranging. Looking back, it's clear I had no idea what I wanted. The more I explored the more fascinated I became, the deeper I went down the rabbit hole. Sound familiar to any of you? If there's a consistent element, it's my penchant for the forlorn str

Happy Wednesday, folks! I’m pretty excited today, as one of my all-time favorite brands is releasing a brand new model to its collection. No, not a new variation, but a totally new silhouette. Joining the brand’s “Special Projects” collection, the UR-112 Aggregat is something completely new from the master of the Avant-Garde. A cursory glance suggests that the UR-112 Aggreg

Temperatures drop, daylight hours get shorter, leaves turn yellow, then red, then brown and drop down from the trees. Fall is officially here, but Omega is already thinking ahead to the even colder season coming up immediately after and the de facto winter spectacle which it will bring. I'm talking, of course, about the Olympic Winter Games set to take place in Beijing next year. An event that ins

Many of you out there will have likely already heard of Chronographe Suisse. In fact, they are hard not to come across when delving into the world for vintage chronographs from the 1940s and 50s. A never-ending stream of different designs, sizes, materials, and even brands can be found under the Chronographe Suisse name. However, the brand's roots are shrouded with mystery. In this article, I will

Sometimes it's written in the stars. You can call it cosmic fate. Or karma. Watch karma in this case. The story of why I bought the Grand Seiko Tough Quartz SBGX341 watch is a tale of random events that string together in the end. And it all began back in June of this yearAs you might know, this year, Seiko celebrates its 140th anniversary. As a consequence, numerous limited editions in all produc

If watches attended classes on elegance and dignity, the Breitling Chronomat ref. 769 would be a lecturer, if not a rector.The first Breitling I acquired was the Chrono-Matic ref. 2110. I liked the “race” for the first automatic chronograph as much as I liked the design of the chronograph itself. It ticked so many boxes for me. It had an unusual movement that brought a 12-hour recorder

Omega has announced six new watches that are joining the De Ville Prestige collection. The De Ville name has been with Omega since the 1960s and was preceded by another familiar name - “Seamaster”. However, in 1967, the De Ville became its own collection within Omega’s catalog. The watches represented the slimmer and dressier side of things. In 1994, Omega introduced the De Ville

Before I got into writing about watches full-time, I worked in the museum management industry. I was brought to attend seminars and conferences and meet colleagues worldwide. Most people I met there were passionate about their work, but it wasn't their passion. As I boarded my New York City-bound plane in Paris for the Windup Watch Fair a few days ago, I had a sudden realization. I was soon to be

Since launching its first ladies’ timepiece in 2016, Bremont has been fusing British engineering, aviation, and military inspiration for a growing women's collection. Last month, the independent watchmaker added not one, not two, but six new models to its lineup. The Maya and the five Lady K variants are certainly not gender-neutral. These five new chronometer-certified mechanical watches ar

After Daan spent a week with Lex's Grand Seiko and Lex had a test run with RJ's Speedy, I felt it was about time to raid Nacho's collection. I immediately knew which watch I wanted to try - his Cartier Tank Solo. It is an icon within our little sub-universe, and it is like nothing in my own collection. It would be a great opportunity for me to spend some quality time with the Cartier Tank.Interest