If you’ve read my recent article, you may well have noticed me banging on about dial textures and why they’re so important. The dial is probably the first thing we see when looking at a watch for the first time. They say first impressions are the key to success, so the dial is quite an important element in this regard. It’s not just color that can make a dial truly eye-catching,

Ladies and gentlemen! The time has come for you to decide which of these two summery stunners will rise to glory in the final vote. One of these watches will advance to the last round of the Summer Splash, the other will end up crying in the kiddie pool. The choice is left up to you, the Fratelli. So pick wisely! Will Lex’s Sinn rise from the saddle to crush the competition in the final spri

You have to draw the line somewhere. And I draw the line at cheese. Anything beyond cheese is a step too far for me. I'm talking cheese as a building material for watches of course, not cheese as food. Cement, granite, wood, and marble are highly debatable, but at least you can't eat the stuff. Anyway, after looking at all kinds of metals in the first part of this How Watches Work, I'm leaving all

For Fratello Collector’s Week 2.0, our editors are sharing their collecting philosophies. It's my turn, and not by coincidence, it's a Tuesday. I collect watches, and my core collection is made up of Omega Speedmaster and Constellation models. Let me tell you about my collecting journey, the mistakes I made, and the golden rules I (try to) respect.I've been a hoarder/collector all my life. A

The Fortis Marinemaster M-44 is big, bold, and beautiful. And the beauty is also functional, as you would expect from Fortis. There are three new colors available for the Marinemaster M-44 - Woodpecker Green, Ocean Blue, and Black Resin. Technically speaking, black is not a color but a shade, but when you add an 18k yellow gold bezel, as Fortis did with the Black Resin Gold Limited Edition version

Do you think this Bvlgari Octo looks chubbier than usual? And wait, aren't they all called Finissimo? That’s a question that many younger enthusiasts will be asking themselves after this introduction, so let me enlighten you. The original Bvlgari Octo made its debut in 2012 and is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The Finissimo, however, debuted in 2014 with a rather delicious tour

For Fratello Collector’s Week 2.0, some of our editors are sharing their collecting philosophies. Today it is my turn. As I described in a recent article, I do not consider myself a watch collector. But then again, I guess that is a collecting philosophy in its own right. So maybe I just have to bite the bullet and get into it.As it turns out, I quite enjoyed reflecting on my collecting habi

Ladies and gentlemen, that’s a wrap! After exactly seven days of availability, we have stopped taking orders for the Fratello Minase 2022 Exclusive Edition! Thank you to each and every one of the supporters of this exciting project. This is the first time (but not the last time) that Fratello will pursue this sales strategy. Why? Because our community spoke, and we’re doing our best to

Bon dia! We're here in Barcelona because Omega invited us over to come take a look at how the Emirates Team New Zealand is preparing for the 37th edition of the America's Cup. The world-famous regatta will start from here in exactly one year from now. To mark this occasion, a preliminary regatta will take place this weekend, close by in Vilanova. And to help the ETNZ crew defend their title, Omega

Why do brands “always” make their limited editions the best versions of a certain watch? When this topic first popped up in a Fratello editorial meeting, all of the team members recognized that feeling. But is it just a feeling, or is it reality? The simple fact is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so sentiments like this are always up for debate. But somehow, we felt there wa

Yes, you've seen it on my wrist before. It was during Watches and Wonders earlier this year when I came across the Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph Orlinski Titanium. Well, two of them, actually - one on a black rubber strap (very classic Hublot) and one on an edgy titanium bracelet (very sculptural). In the live W&W report on Fratello, I wore the watch with a pink denim jacket. Yes, a pink d

The pilot's watch is one of the most popular genres of watches around, perhaps second only to dive watches. Since most owners of dive watches don't dive, and divers don't necessarily use them anymore, they are often referred to as “desk divers.” How about pilot's watches? Do they still have a role to play, or should we start referring to them as “desk flyers”?Let's have a l

For the horology enthusiasts gathered at Watches and Wonders Shanghai, Ulysse Nardin now unveils the newest evolution of the Freak collection - the Freak X OPS. Few timepieces in the annals of Haute Horlogerie have disrupted conventions and reshaped the narrative as dramatically as Ulysse Nardin’s iconic Freak.Introduced in 2001, this avant-garde marvel was a horological game changer, eschew

When we look at the history of watchmaking over the past 150 years, we notice that most watches people wore were elegant (by today's standards, that is). It wasn't until the beginning of modern warfare in the early 20th century that watches became visually and mechanically utilitarian, with straightforward designs, better movements, and, generally speaking, better specs. The best example of this i

Since the brand’s founding in 2018, Norqain has built a robust lineup of modern, sporty watches. Customers like the attention to detail, expensive looks, and relatively affordable entry points. At Fratello, we’ve followed this journey by covering many of the latest releases. Today, we continue this by looking at the Norqain Independence Skeleton Chrono 42mm models, which feature a new

Sometimes, watches seem predestined to be worn on either a bracelet or a specific strap. It’s almost a no-brainer, especially for sports watches with integrated bracelets. Straum’s Jan Mayen is one of those watches. The Norwegian brand’s popular modern sports watch is often praised for its brilliant design. A big part of that design is how the case effortlessly flows into the bri

What is a service, why is it needed and how often? And most important of all: What are the costs? In this article we show you what the watch manufacturers do, per watch type / model and what they will charge for this.A mechanical watch needs periodical servicing, like your car. Your car needs a service every year where they will change the oil, do checks with regards to the brakes, steering, gearb

The one and only recurring section dealing with accessories on Fratello Watches is the Watch Strap Review, which we publish roughly once per month. In this section, I usually introduce a craftsman to the readers of Fratello Watches, a brand worth considering when thinking about new shoes for your watches. Of course, accessories in the watch world does not only mean straps or your occasional watch

Pilot's watches have been present in the cockpit since the very beginning of aviation. Most pilots used to navigate with the help of pocket watches, because wristwatches specially designed for flying were a rare occurrence.A legend is bornThe first pilot watch built by Hanhart in 1938 was the one-button chronograph Calibre 40 with black dial, luminous numerals and the small distance between hands

Hanhart Pioneer Monoscope ReviewSome History FirstHanhart was, and to some extent still is, a household name in Germany. Their history spans over 130 years between two countries. Hanhart was established in 1882 in Diessenhofen (Switzerland) but the company was relocated by Johann A. Hanhart, the founder, to Germany in 1902. They reached mediocre success until 1924, when Willy Hanhart (son of Johan