Speedy Tuesday John's Speedmaster CK2998-6 FAP (Fuerza Aerea del Per)
Reader’s SpeedmastersThere is nothing that beats a real reader’s story or experience in my opinion. At least, those are the stories I like to read myself. Today and in the coming period, we will have a couple of these stories for you. I also like to ask you that whenever you think you have a great Speedmaster story to share, please send us a note.Speedmaster CK2998-6 FAPJohn contacted me a few weeks ago that he owns this beautiful Speedmaster CK2998-6 FAP watch. FAP stands for?Fuerza Aerea del Per (Peruvian Airforces) and they ordered watches from different brands (e.g. ). Besides the Speedmaster, Omega also shipped Seamaster 300 models to the FAP.From PeruJohn was contacted by ...
Hands-On Lonville Virage Fuel Tank Review
Lonville might be a brand you never heard of before. Although it has some history (from 1873 till the early 1950’s) I won’t bother you with it. The Lonville today has little to do with the watches the company made back then. Initiated in 2009 by Joost Vreeswijk, a Dutch entrepreneur, Lonville is a small high-end watchmaking brand that only served one purpose: create watches for enthusiasts. Only produced in very small numbers and all Swiss (I will get back to this). Let’s have a look at the Lonville Virage Fuel Tank watch in white gold.Lonville Virage Fuel TankNot too long ago, I finally met Joost Vreeswijk when he was visiting Amsterdam (he is normally located in Switzerla...
Forbidden Fruit: Hands-On With the Seiko Digi Tuna SBEP005
Sitting by the ocean somewhere along the coast of Menorca, I glance down at my wrist and spy the Seiko Digi Tuna SBEP005, a watch that's not overly typical of anything that I'd choose to wear due to its method of displaying the time. Still, due to the inclusion of a shroud, I felt the need to track this JDM-only piece down and add it to the collection. It's an oddity, but it's a watch that's been making waves online for a lot of reasons. Let's get into it, talk about what it is, what it isn't and my overall impressions.The Seiko Digi Tuna SBEP005 is one of three regular production versions of an all-digital Landmaster within the Prospex line of watches (an SBEP001 with silver hardware and de...
Hands-On: Certina DS Action Diver STC 60th Anniversary Review
The Certina DS Action Diver Sea Turtle Conservancy 60th Anniversary special edition, the topic of today's review is a special piece.To start with, this is the first DS Action Diver we’ve reviewed on Fratello. Well, it’s the first steel model anyway as we’ve already taken a closer look at the DS Action Diver Titanium (review is coming soon). The DS Action Diver line consists of mostly steel watches, and the STC is such a watch. It is also more than just another colourway with the DS Action Diver line. As a special edition, the watch raises awareness for the amazing work that the Sea Turtle Conservancy is doing. More than that, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the t...
Mitch Mason Maelstrom Compressor-Style Dive Watch (2021)
Hmm. I don’t know if I have any right to be annoyed by someone else’s endeavors rounding into shape so delightfully, but I must say that the first thing I thought when I saw the new Mitch Mason Maelstrom dive watch was, “damn, I wish I’d come up with that.” Why am I so impressed? To put it simply: this brand, with its second model, has done what I think all microbrands should try and do; it has taken an old-school idea and brought it right up to date with a clear focus on execution.Smart design decisions. I talk about them all the time. What are they? They are “clever sacrifices”. Smart design has nothing to do with microchips or screens in this cont...
Hands-on: Genteel Handmade Calf And Goat Watch Straps (2021)
The calf and goat watch straps collection is Genteel Handmade's most versatile product line. With more than 50 leather options (spread across a variety of types and colors), a raft of threads to choose from, custom dimensions, a long list of linings, buckle and spring-bar options, and peerless customer service, it’s hard to go wrong. The only question is, how creative do you dare to be?Genteel Handmade‘s goal is to make one-of-a-kind watch straps for every customer. This bespoke service is especially useful if the watch you want to treat to a new band is of odd proportions. GH covers uncommon strap widths, such as 17mm/16mm, 21mm/18mm, or 23mm/20mm. With this enormous range of pe...
IWC Brand History Highlights Pilot's Watches And Beyond (2021)
For IWC everything began in 1868 with the American engineer and watchmaker, Florentine Ariosto Jones, who decided to leave the USA and travel to Switzerland to look for new and better business opportunities. Basically, he wanted to escape the cost of labor in his home country, and use more affordable labor in Switzerland. Not long after, he founded the International Watch in Schaffhausen where he used the force of the river Rhine to power his machines. With its American roots, IWC has since become a household name in the Swiss watch industry. Let's have a look through the IWC brand history highlights.Florentine Ariosto Jones was a man with a plan. Jones was born in New Hampshire in 1841 and ...
What's On My Wish List? Grand Seiko, Longines, Hermes & More...
The watch wish list – a piece of personal information that we keep hidden from our partners and spouses, scared by the thought of what they’d think if they only knew of our secret schemes. Schemes which, more often than not, lead head-first into the purchase of a new watch. Challenged by RJ, I recently wrote an article detailing the watches I’d buy for under $ 1,500. Once it was published, a number of people contacted me to ask if I had plans to actually buy any of them. This made me realize that I do get asked about my watch wish list quite often. I can’t be the only one who has a list on their phone containing the dream watches they would like to someday buy, right?...
The Seven Vintage Watches Under $1,000 Seiko, Omega, Citizen
Over these last couple of months, I have written a series of articles on vintage watches. The primary theme of the series is to find the very best watches of some of the bigger brands from every decade. It has been an absolute joy to write these articles and delve deeper into the brands’ offerings - and I am far from being done. Along the way, we have even seen quite a few vintage watches that turned out to be great affordable options. It’s safe to say that there are also a ton of fantastic alternative options that have not been featured in the series. With an ever-growing interest in vintage watches and many options available, it’s time to have a look at some of the best v...
Hands On: The Benrus Type II Reissue
There is no shortage of reissue watches in today's market. It seems we have a taste for vintage aesthetics combined with modern reliability and ready availability. It is a winning recipe, and Benrus is tapping into it once more with the Benrus Type II. I have spent some time with this one on the wrist to see if Benrus managed to bring the Vietnam-era military vibe.Previously, Benrus reissued the Type I, which is nearly identical to this Type II. The difference is in the dial. Whereas the Type I is fitted with a dive-style dial, the Type II’s dial has more of a field watch design. A double array of Arabic numerals displays both civilian and military time. Other than that, there is one b...
New: Bosphorus Leather Watch Winder Trunks (2022)
Muslum from Bosphorus Leather contacted me the other day, just hours before my recent review of the Turkish company’s products went live. He informed me that Bosphorus Leather was about to release a watch winder. As someone who has never owned or designed a watch winder, I wasn’t bothered. Out of politeness and in respect of our long-standing professional relationship, I told him to send me some pictures regardless. “I’ll do my best to put together a quick release article,” I said, wondering what on earth I could say about a watch winder that, curiously, he seemed unwilling to ship to me for review. And then I saw them. I don’t often criticize how a brand ...
Hands-On: Oris Divers Sixty-Five Calibre 400 Chronos LE
After a long wait, I finally spent some meaningful time with the Oris Divers Sixty-Five Chronos Limited Edition. Released in February this year, this Divers Sixty-Five is a 200-piece collaboration between Oris and WatchTime’s sister publication, Chronos. The Divers Sixty-Five has had a fair share of partnership creations, notably with the Carl Brashear Foundation. But its latest special edition with a media publication demonstrates its versatility. Originally, it may have seemed like a flight of fancy for Oris to reinterpret its vintage skin-diving watch from the ’60s. The Divers Sixty-Five, however, is now a full-blown collection of its own. The range currently sits 24-strong (w...
Hands-On With The Black Lacquer Cartier Santos-Dumont
I already have the Cartier Santos Galbee XL in my collection, and I’m not too fond of blacked-out watches. So I thought I had nothing to fear from the stainless steel Cartier Santos-Dumont with its black lacquer dial and case finish. Well, I couldn’t have been any more wrong because this watch is a true black beauty. On paper, it looked like a watch that was trying too hard, but in person, it totally won me over. Let’s take a look at how that happened.A friend of the show already came to the Fratello offices earlier this year to proudly show us his rose gold Cartier Santos-Dumont with the creme lacquer finish. I liked the size, and the lacquer finish on the case looked a lo...
Hands-On: The Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Shades
When Omega introduced the Aqua Terra Shades in 2022, the response was Well, lukewarm at best. The range of colors was considered a little too on-trend after 's colorful Oyster Perpetual models. And the frameless date window certainly caught some flack. Availability was also compromised. Now, though, Omega has fixed the date window and supply issues. And the colored dials hype has quietened down a bit. So how does the new Aqua Terra Shades collection fare in 2023?I have spent time with all five of the 38mm variants. After my encounter with the white-dialed regular Omega Aqua Terra last year, I was eager to see if the Shades can resolve my few remaining doubts. Let's jump in and find out!Nine ...
Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 35mm Ice Blue And Gold PVD
Tissot introduced the PRX Powermatic 80 35mm just last June, to a roaring round of applause from the fans. The 35 automatic completed the collection that already existed of 40mm quartz and automatic and 35mm quartz versions. Reading the comments under my introduction article, I saw many of you had been waiting for this watch. There were also plenty of you, however, who wanted the ice blue version in 35mm automatic. Wellhere you go!Today, Tissot introduces the PRX Powermatic 80 35mm in ice blue and in full yellow gold PVD coating. Let's have a look.PRX Powermatic 80 35mm in ice blueTissot likes to drop a few new colors every now and then. It is a proven strategy for keeping interest in a watc...
Fratello's Top 5 Omega Olympic Games Special Editions
Another Friday, another list! This week, we decided to skip our best-of-2024 lists and focus on watches commemorating the Olympic Games. With the Paris Olympics in full swing, it’s a good moment to look at some of Omega’s best Olympic releases. But while Omega has been the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games since 1932, we selected five celebratory watches from 2000 onward to make life a little easier.Compiling a list like this gives you a good impression of just how many special editions Omega has created to celebrate the Olympics. It also becomes clear that quite a few are playful celebrations of the Olympic colors integrated into familiar Omega designs. The biggest challe...
The Best Summer Watches At Three Price Points: Lex's Picks
What should you take with you on your quickly approaching summer holiday? Well, as little as possible, meaning just one watch to do everything you do on a vacation. “Travel light, easy, and carefree” is my motto. Picking the best summer watches at three different price points to accompany me on my vacation is a mostly hypothetical exercise. Still, I managed to select one practical watch under $1,000, another under $10,000, and an unlimited-budget option, with the last two being the hypothetical ones. Although I might not wear the two more costly picks on my upcoming summer trip, I still chose them based on hands-on personal experience.Don't race what you can't replace. The same p...
Franc Vila Cobra Edition Watches
Personally, I don’t have much going on for snakes. Luckily, Franc Vila’s Cobra time piece doesn’t bite. Although a Cobra isn’t the first thing come to mind when looking at these time pieces, with some imagination I can see the resemblance of a Cobra’s head in the watch case. However, with the same kind of imagination, I can see a skull in the shape of the dial, the sub dials being eyes and mouth.The version pictured above has been created to celebrate Spain’s World Cup victory in July 2010 against the Orange team from The Netherlands. It is another edition of the ‘Cobra’-line of watches that Franc Vila introduced during BaselWorld 2010. Limited...
NOMOS Tangente Automatik With In-House Caliber DUW 3001 (Live Photos and Pricing)
Our contributor Gerard has been a NOMOS retailer in The Netherlands for many years, until he decided to sell pre-owned and vintage only. Every time I was in his shop in The Hague, I made sure to check-out the NOMOS section as I love their clean designs. However, it took me until 2012 before I visited their manufacture in Glashutte and from that moment on, I appreciate this small independent brand from Germany even more.As printed in the “NOMOS Glashutte – Das grosse Universallexikon” book that NOMOS published in 2006 (also in English, and even if you don’t own a NOMOS watch, you NEED this fantastic book. Order it here.): Glashutte is not a company, it is a city. A sma...
Dapper Watch Winders, an Interview
This has been a long time coming…? It was April when I was in San Diego and had the chance to meet some fellow watch enthusiasts over some IPA’s on a Friday night.? We published an interview with Erik Akin of DECAMP Goods that struck a chord with a lot of our readers.? Today, we’ll take a look at the final interview from my San Diego visit.? This time, though, we’ll focus on a different kind of accessory: the watch winder.To be fair, I don’t own a watch winder, but that’s primarily due to the fact that I try to change watches daily and it, umm, takes me a little while to come back around to any given piece.? That’s not to say, though, that I don̵...