Last week was very impressive auction week. First, the Omega Speedmaster CK2915-1 that sold for a over 230.000 Euro via the Swedish auction house Bukowski (click here for our report) and then there was the Daytona ‘Paul Newman’ reference 6239, owned by Paul Newman himself, that fetched a whopping $17,752,500 USD at the Phillips auction in New York.Another great watch that was sold dur

This week's You Asked Us is about the most asked question since about a year or two: Is this watch [name any model or brand] a good investment? Every single day we receive this question via email, our contact form, Whatsapp, or direct messages on our Facebook and Instagram channels. I thought it might be a good idea to give a generic answer to this commonly asked question, as we roughly give the s

Professional watch photographer Bert Buijsrogge shares his tips and tricks with you, which might immediately improve your watch pictures. He wrote a similar – but more generic – article for a photography magazine, but assumed it would be useful for those who like to take pictures of their watches as well.A Bit Of Background On MyselfMy interest in watch photography started after I ran

It wasn’t only Seiko’s first quartz watch; it was the first quartz watch ever.? Quartz technology was used before, but on December 25 in 1969, Seiko introduced the first wristwatch with this technology.Today, Seiko introduces their tribute to that very first quartz watch from 1969. Meet Seiko’s 1969 Quartz Astron 50th Anniversary Limited Edition as it is officially called. It is

La Blausee is a return to the origins of the very first timepieces, its manual winding, and spectacular design makes it the perfect combination of both heritage and innovation.La Blausee a blend of heritage and innovationThis personalization is the encounter between Artisans de Genve and a watch enthusiast who wanted his timepiece to gather the essential values of traditions and watchmaking, whil

It was a test of my patience. Just when I thought I was there, I had to take a step back, disassemble the watch and work on it again. And this happened three times. Watching the bulb light up for the first time on my Tourist Everlight was truly a victorious moment.In last week's #TBT we uncovered the story behind the world's first electric lighting mechanical watch, the Tourist Everlight. Today we

Happy Halloween! Welcome to the latest edition of This Week In Watches. We’ve not had a huge amount of new releases trickle into our inboxes, but there have been a few tasty ones. To be honest, I’m glad we’ve not seen a surge of cheesy, Halloween-themed watches (but there’s always one) - ain’t nobody got time for that…Breitling Chronomat 36 & 32 for womenIt

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

I am an advocate for actually wearing watches, instead of just putting them in a safe or babying them. Recently I noticed that our friend and colleague at Revolution magazine Adam Craniotes using the hashtag #wearyoursh*t and that's exactly how I feel. And this almost always used to be the case, until interest rates dropped below zero, that is, and people started to look elsewhere to invest their

I'm not stretching the truth if I proclaim the self-taught watchmaker Hajime Asaoka to be our collective eye-opener to the allure of Japanese independent wathmaking. At least this was my first look into the quiet world of Japanese Independent Watchmaking. Asaoka-san is a one-man band, nay I'd even call him a solo string orchestra, such is his increasing influence outside Japan. As his creations ar

The subject of today’s article is the Citizen Homer HO140501. It's a watch that shares its general design with several other watches from the brand and the period, but it has some subtle yet key differences that we'll discuss. It's no secret that vintage Japanese watches are at or near the top of my favorite subgenres, and this rare piece helps to explain why.Slowly but surely, I'm getting a

Watch events are slowly returning. They are a fantastic chance to see the novelties and to try them on your wrist. To reduce the risk of attendees infecting each other, big international events have strictly limited the number of guests. Only a part of the Fratello team has been in Geneva this year. All the more, I welcome local watch events taking place close to my home - events like The Show.For

It's always a good thing to plan. I have nothing against spontaneous actions, but for stuff like watch shows held abroad, it's better to be prepared. So, please take note that Watches and Wonders 2023 will take place from March 27th through April 2nd in Geneva. Furthermore, on Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd, the show will be open to the public. There will be 49 (!) brands present, including t

An empty dial can be a sight for sore eyes. When I first went to the Grand Seiko dealer to have a look at the SBGW231 that I would later buy, it was the empty dial that jumped out at me. Just an applied GS and printed Grand Seiko at 12 o’clock, nothing more. It provided a visual calm and balance that I find utterly beautiful. It got me wondering, what is up with all this printing on other wa

The Hamilton Ventura’s connection to Elvis is one of those famous-owner stories that never gets old. Ever since the King made it “his watch” in 1961, the avant-garde timepiece has been immortalized. Through the decades, the Ventura has spawned countless sizes, colors, executions, and movements. The latest iteration takes inspiration from a neon city at night as the energy and vib

The stars truly aligned when Parmigiani Fleurier launched the Tonda PF collection in 2021. The collection epitomizing discreet elegance was unveiled to critical acclaim. Subsequent releases featuring the character-defining integrated bracelet continued to seduce the market. Now the Swiss watchmaker is adding a new dimension to the collection with a simple update to the accessories. The Tonda PF ha

For this month's Fratello REM strap, we took one of our team's favorite Speedmaster references as a starting point. The Omega Speedmaster '57 reference 3594.50 - also known as the Broad Arrow - officially debuted in 1997 as the Speedmaster '57 Replica. This watch flew under the radar for many years, but recently, it seems to be receiving some well-deserved attention.Omega Speedmaster ’57 359

It’s not often that a G-Shock is featured in a luxury watch auction. We expect pieces from F.P.Journe, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and even the more extravagant MB&F to make an appearance. But this year, Casio’s very mature sub-brand is turning 40 years old. This, of course, calls for something unique to happen. That’s why the one-off G-Shock G-D001 was developed and wil

As an owner or collector of mechanical watches, you look after your prized possessions. Responsible ownership includes regularly taking your watches in for service. Many people, however, are shocked when they first find out that a regular watch service can cost hundreds of euros/dollars. So the question naturally arises: what actually goes on during a watch service?This article is primarily for re

At the end of my recent introduction article on the Studio Underd0g 02Series, I said I would get some hands-on experience with the new watch. And here it is! For a couple of weeks, Studio Underd0g graciously provided one of its 02Series Field Watches for review. While I could view all four watches in person, only the Full Mo0n was in my temporary possession. This is partly because the watch felt m