Jorg's Top-5 Vintage Chronograph Watches
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 chronograph guy, but now it’s hard to deny that’s exactly what I am. So let’s check out my Top-5 Vintage Chronographs and see if you are too.The fact that these watches are all from the same period in time is not the only thing that links them. As they are all from the same era, you can s...
Watch Releases: Longines Heritage Military Marine Nationale
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 Military Marine Nationale is the newest introduction and it just might be my favorite. Before we break it down, let’s quickly review the other available 38.5mm pieces.Longines kicked things off in early 2019 with the Heritage Military. That piece celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the RAF and i...
A Mechanical Combination Lock For Your Watch (2021)
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 would turn the watch into some giant ugly safe. But if you've seen my collection, you know I am fascinated by all unusual watch complications. The quirkier they are, the more fascinated I am. So I kept reading and studying the project renders. What surprised me most was how seamlessly Denis Gladkov, th...
How Watches Work: What Is Damascus Steel? (2021)
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 of Damascus Steel actually originate in the real world rather than in Middle Earth.While you may think that Damascus Steel was first invented purely for its attractive qualities, it was actually the remarkable physical properties that made it so highly sought after. Still, it began to lose its promi...
Buying Guide: The Best Omega Watches From The 1990s (2021)
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 up with a series of articles focusing on the best watches per decade from a select group of brands. Some of them are priceless, some of them still affordable. In this installment, we will take a look at the best Omega watches from the 1990s.This week we will continue our journey through watch histor...
Norqain Laces Up For The New York City Marathon
“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 the official timekeeping partner of the TCS New York City Marathon. Norqain is also now also a Strategic Partner of New York Road Runners (NYRR), the world's premier community-based running organization, which is also responsible for organizing the New York Marathon. And the brand has some great thin...
Hands-On: The Brew Metric Chronograph
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 to time the perfect espresso shot. Between all of you and me, I'm not a coffee expert, but I do appreciate a funky backstory. I'm also new to the world of chronographs, but I find myself smitten by the Metric's distinct retro vibe.?Decades ago, there were cool watches out there that had a very part...
Tudor Ranger Vs. Tudor Pelagos 39
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. Despite not being part of Geneva Watch Days (otherwise known as “pulling a Hublot”), Tudor grabbed the headlines with its diminutive dive watch, leaving the Ranger in the shadows. Yet, each watch serves its purpose admirably. Which one is better? That’s for you to decide, so read on a...
Watch Strap Leather 101: Everything You Need To Know
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 will have a look at tanning and some of the more common leather types. I will not go into exotic leathers; that is a subject for another day. So, without further ado, let's get stuck in.Long before a rawhide becomes a watch strap: tanningLeather isn't just dried animal hide. Before you can use it, ...
Diving With The New Tudor Pelagos FXD USN
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 Tudor’s Le Locle HQ. But this coastal outpost on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico is a special location as it hosts the Naval Support Activity Panama City (NSA PC). Here, you can find the US Navy Experimental Diving Unit, the US Naval Diving & Salvage Training Center, not to mention the nearby...
Enjoying The Chanel J12 Cybernetic
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 universe to try to establish a connection with the watch while having a coffee together.The J12 Cybernetic is a limited-edition watch from Chanel's Interstellar capsule collection. This series of timepieces contains interpretations of Chanel’s different watch models inspired by science fiction, s...
The Perfect "Grab And Go" Watch Pre-Owned Spotlight
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 grab and go. When you put it on, it’s already running, the time is correct, and you don’t even have to think about setting the date. Let’s see what options there are on the pre-owned market.In part, the idea for today’s theme comes from the Seiko Kinetic Perpetual Calendar th...
The Peseux 7001 Revival: A Classy Hand-Wound Movement
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 structure brought on by electric tech, BMW set the bar for in-house production with what was considered a very high 40%. With all the focus on in-house excellence and alternative chronometric certifications, I'm feeling drawn to a fairly simple yet sturdy ETA movement. The 7001 has been in production si...
Hands-On: The Updated Oris Aquis Upcycle
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 captures the attention and imagination like no other watch. I’ve only found the specific feeling I get from the Upcycles in one other arena - modern art, particularly, Gerhard Richter’s abstract paintings.It’s no surprise to regular readers of Fratello that I have a great love for Oris. ...
Lunar Loveliness With The Louis Moinet Black Moon
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 favorite complication. I don’t mind dressy, antiquated-looking watches, but a view of the Moon and stars ruins more dials than not. Therefore, when a watchmaker attempts to show the heavens in a novel way, I sit up and take notice. The Louis Moinet Black Moon succeeds with a modern yet legible ...
Arcadia Another Reborn Watch Manufacturer Gives It A Try
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 quick query on Chrono24 and eBay did not give a result on Arcadia (watches) at all.Now, I love watches and give kudos to anyone starting a new watch brand driven on innovation, [complicated] mechanical techniques and design but starting a brand driven on the fact that they bought an old brand name, us...
Vintage Watch Buyers Guide The Sleeper Watch
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 truly valuable vintage watch for pennies are pretty much zero. As far as I'm concerned, I do not really believe in a barn find. Collecting vintage watches wisely and buying a few sleepers. But what is a sleeper watch and where and how can we find it? The answer is probably much more simple as one would...
Erika's Originals
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 Spain. Her name is Erika and her company is Erika's Originals. She is not only a strap maker, but has a bunch of interesting stuff in her repertoire. Things like wallets, dog collars or even sandals. Though I'm not here to talk about a card holder. We are here to look at the awesome straps I received...
Tribute To The Sixties The Klokers KLOK-08
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 inspired by the? spirit of the 1960’s. Now, I am from the late 1970’s, so I can’t talk from experience, but from what I’ve heard it must have been pretty wild. Especially compared to the more conservative decades before. People felt liberated, music changed (the world), fashi...
INITIAL POWER RESERVE: THE FIRST AUTOMATIC CHARLIE WATCH WITH COMPLICATIONS
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 tradition and the unique know-how of watchmaking workshops with expertise, flexibility and responsiveness as key assets.A new automatic watch with complications : Initial Power ReserveAmbroise and Adrien wished to draw a watch that one could keep for years with an elegant and timeless design. Developed w...