What’s the first to say about a Top-5 list of vintage chronographs? That there are too many to choose from. I have to say that compiling this list and seeing the watches together did open my eyes to some of my preferences. The most important? All of these chronographs have a strong link to the 1960s and have their roots within a decade of each other. I never considered myself a 1960s chronog

The Heritage Military Marine Nationale is the latest retro release from Longines. We take a closer look.Longines has been on a roll for the last year or so with continuous additions to its Heritage collection. The brand has added pieces with complications as well as simple three-handers. My favorite releases, though, have used the now-familiar 38.5mm diameter stainless steel case. Today’s Mi

Two crowns and four positions are used together to set a four-digit code in order to open a mechanical combination lock. When the code is entered correctly, the stem is released allowing you to wind the mechanical movement, set the time, or unscrew the case back. When I read the email from the creator about his mechanical lock on a watch, I was skeptical, I instantly envisioned a fortress that wou

We’re all familiar with stainless steel; after all, it’s the most commonly used material for cases and bracelets. It’s a hard, silver-colored metal that is relatively easy to machine and mold. Great, but what is Damascus Steel? It may look like some mythical metal, ripped straight from the pages of Tolkien’s The Lord Of The Rings. Still, the beautifully undulating patterns

We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. Though most of what we write about is primarily focused on the most recent releases and developments, for many of us, a lot of the fun can be found in the sometimes weird and often wonderful world of vintage watches. It's a world full of history, remarkable watches, incredible stories, and quirky details. It inspired us to come

“New York is the one you have to win”, said Rod Dixon, winner of the 1983 New York City Marathon. That feels a bit like Neil Armstrong saying, “You had to be there,” when asked about the Moon landing, but we won’t argue with a New York City Marathon winner. So New York is the one. Fresh-faced independent Swiss watch brand Norqain took that quote to heart by becoming t

I like a nice vintage-inspired watch once in a while. You know, something that takes me back to the 1950s or ’60s but with a modern movement and construction. But sometimes I feel I should be mindful of what I wish for. Some watches may be a tad too vintage and super niche. Take, for example, a parking-meter chronograph with a very specialized usage or, in the case, of the Brew Metric, a way

We’re back again for another Sunday Morning Showdown! Last week pitted the Swiss Tissot against the Japanese Citizen. But today is an internal affair, as Tudor faces off against Tudor. We’re featuring two 2022 watch models from the sister brand. The grand announcement of the new Ranger in London in July was swiftly usurped by the Pelagos 39 bombshell in Geneva the following month. Des

Ah, the trusty leather watch strap. If you are like me, you have rolls full of straps for your beloved watches. The strap can make or break a watch, so you may find yourself going down the strap rabbit hole at some point. Not all watch straps are created equal, though, so it pays to have some basic knowledge about leather. And that is precisely what I aim to provide you with today, so buckle up!We

On the surface, this new Tudor Pelagos FXD model may appear to simply offer a new colorway. But as any diver worth their salt knows, it’s what’s below the surface that’s truly worth seeing. To highlight the deeper significance of this launch, Tudor flew a select group of journalists out to Panama City Beach, Florida. That’s far from Fratello’s home in The Hague and Tu

There’s nothing like a bit of watch controversy. Nope, I'm not talking about the polarizing Blancpain Swatch Fifty Sistems Nudibranch Scuba - I just can't get the name of that watch right. The watch that caused some brains to short-circuit at Fratello HQ was the Chanel J12 Cybernetic. The disruptive shape of the watch was perceived as if it were something alien. I stepped into the Chanel uni

Sometimes, you just need a watch that’s ready to roll. Maybe you’ve got your hands full with the kids, you’re in a hurry because the rain is about to come down any minute, or you simply forgot to put on a watch that day (hypothetically speaking, of course). In all those cases, it would be nice to have a watch right there next to the door that’s always ready for you to just

These days, the focus seems to be on whopping power reserves and in-house calibers, with even mid-tier brands jumping on the bandwagon. But if you know your vintage watches, you'll be aware of a time when everything wasn't measured in the number of bridges, cogs, and pinions a brand produced by itself.In the car world, the image is more realistic. Even a few years before the increased sharing stru

Oris released its redesigned Aquis line in April at Watches and Wonders 2024. Included in that update were three sizes of Aquis Upcycle with dials made of recycled PET ocean plastic. I had a few opportunities to interact with all of the new Aquis models, and each time, I kept returning to the Upcycles. The subtle elegance of the updated case and bracelet combined with the truly unique dials captur

When we think of Louis Moinet, chronographs come to mind. After all, the company’s namesake invented the complication in 1816. Today, though, we’ll look at a different level of functionality. The moonphase complication is also traditional, but the new Black Moon Limited Edition ushers a novel method of displaying the lunar cycle.Admittedly, a stodgy moonphase indicator isn’t my f

Arcadia, a brand that started making watches in the year 18something – the website only mentions “19th century”, I assume they KNOW the exact year – tries again in 2010. As so many other brands, Arcadia went bankrupt during the 1970s quartz crisis in watch land. According to their website, Arcadia was even the symbol of Swiss watchmaking excellence in the 19th century. A qu

The majority of vintage watch collectors always look for a nice bargain. It doesn’t matter how much money we have in our pockets,? we always dream of finding that special vintage watch at a flea market or car boot sale. But also in the drawer of our grandparents or distant uncle or even on eBay (which is getting more difficult by the way). Let's be honest though; the chances of finding a tru

The summer is over and I'm back from my holiday. It's time to bring you a new craftsman and a few great straps to this?edition of Watch Strap Review. This is our 23rd review and a very cool one in my opinion. I know, I'm a bit biased but you will see. We can also add another country to the list where I have received straps in the past. Even though the owner is from the Netherlands she resides in S

Klokers needs little introduction. We’ve been playing with the Klokers KLOK-01 watch a while ago (which you can read here), and it is a very fun watch to wear. Original from a design standpoint as well, as our own Teun ‘Toon’ van Heerebeek discussed (here).Klokers KLOK-08 and the 1960’sToday, we show you the new Klokers KLOK-08. According to them, this new version has been

Charlie Watch CompanyFounded in spring 2014, Charlie Watch is the French watch brand – ambassador of a certain French art of living, both elegant and intelligent, and which qualifies the watch not only as a measuring instrument, but also as a fashion, luxury and identity item. Guarantee of quality and authenticity, Charlie Watch watches are assembled in the heart of Paris in the purest tradi