Hands-On: The CWC 6BB-WR Chronograph
Cabot Watch Company (CWC) has a strong and loyal following, including among some of the writers here at Fratello. The British-based brand is known for its military-issued timepieces. Today, we take a closer look at the new CWC 6BB-WR Chronograph.For a small and relatively young brand, CWC has quite a lot of history. It was founded in the 1970s by Ray Mellor, who had been the representative for Hamilton in the United Kingdom until the brand shuttered its business there. Undeterred, Mellor decided to establish a company of his own and maintain the military contracts that Hamilton once had with the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) for rugged, hardy watches. In addition to military contracts, C...
Fratello Talks: Should You Wear Your Watch While Playing Sports?
Welcome back to Fratello Talks. Should you wear your watch while playing sports or exercising? It’s a question we often hear. What could the possible risks be for your beloved mechanical timepiece? Or is there no real reason to be worried at all? In today’s episode, Nacho, RJ, and Lex explore these questions and speak from personal experience. They also look to some sports professionals to see what their approaches are and whether they should serve as an example in the first place. So, whether you’re living life on the edge, wearing your mechanical watch no matter what you’re up to, or playing it safe and breaking out the G-Shock when the going gets tough, tune in to ...
New: Seiko Presage SPB447, SRPK93, And SRE015
You can find inspiration in tradition and at the bottom of your glass. Seiko found it in both places. The SPB447 is a watch in the Seiko Presage Craftsmanship Series that presents itself with a glossy urushi (lacquer) dial and a GMT function displaying two time zones. Seiko also presents two new Presage Cocktail Time models inspired by the scenery of Tokyo at night and with a dial interpreting the Night-time Tokyo, an original cocktail created by Star Bar owner Hisashi Kishi.It’s important to do things in the right order, so before we take a sip of the two new Presage Cocktail Time models, let's first inspect the fine craftmanship that made the SPB447 from the Seiko Presage Craftsmansh...
No Breitlings, Pateks or IWC
I get a lot of e-mails lately, to quote my best price on watches I even have never held in my hands. So, to clear a few things, I do not sell new watches. I might sell some used watches occasionally, from my own collection or those of friends, but I don’t sell new Breitling Bentley models or Patek Philippe Calatrava. People seem to think, after reading an article (some times full of bashing) they can order it right away.Oh, and I recently got two e-mails on the name Fratello Watches. To some it looks like a commercial name or website, but it is not. Fratello is Italian for Brother, which is Broer in Dutch, which is my last name. And Watches… well, that’s what it is about! (...
Ritmo Mundo
I read about this brand before, also on WristWatchReview.com, but the last Dutch copy of Miljonair Magazine (and I am not the target audience probably :-)) did a small essay on ‘bling’ watches. Ritmo Mundo and ofcourse the terrible creations for hiphopping USA, Jacob & Co were both heavily mentioned in the article as being awfully hip and populair amongst Paris Hilton, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, 50 cents and a lot of his iced homies.To quote probably the same target audience, these watches are “like school on sunday… no class!”...
Vacheron Constantin ref.4591 A Stylish Beauty From The 1950s
A few weeks ago, when I was visiting my friend Gerard over at Horloge Platform Nederland, he showed me this incredible beauty of the 1950s, a Vacheron Constantin ref.4591. It reminded me of scenes from The Godfather when the Corleones hang around with Moe Greene in a Las Vegas casino. Somehow, 1950 watches do that to me, I might be the only one though.So, what it so special about this watch? The main thing is the shape of the crystal, which is quite difficult to photograph I assume. But as you can see on the picture above, there is a small ‘folding’ line from 3 o’clock to 9 o’clock. Although it is a relatively small watch (25mm wide, 8.5mm thick and a length of 38.5mm...
Xetum Introduces The Tyndall And Stinson Timepieces On Steel
Our friends over at Xetum introduced a new stainless steel bracelet for their Tyndall and Stinson timepieces. Their designer – and eco-friendly – timepieces get a different look with this solid bracelet, with brushed and polished links. The 20mm wide bracelet is available for all Tyndall and Stinson timepieces and the prices will remain the same as when delivered on a leather strap.Ever since we’ve met the owner of Xetum, Jeff Kuo, during the BaselWorld fair, we’ve been following Xetum closely. Although based in San Francisco, Xetum watches have a modern – almost Danish – design but are being?manufactured?in the Swiss Jura valley. A combination of modern d...
DuBois et Fils Oldest Watch Factory In Switzerland Now Open For Watch-Loving Investors
DuBois et Fils, you might have heard about them but probably not yet about their new chapter in the company’s history. Thomas Steinemann, CEO and owner of DuBois et Fils has a long time career in the watch industry but it wasn’t until now that he started living his dream.“We aspire to build a sophisticated watch that combines classic and modern influences. We want to stand out from the crowd and inspire our customers in line with the tradition of DuBois et fils,” said CEO Steinemann. All watches manufactured by DuBois et Fils are according to fine and traditional Swiss watchmaking spirits. Also, watches are limited to 99 pieces per series to ensure exclusivity.The mec...
Speedy Tuesday Speedmaster Albino For The Italian Market
Speedmaster Albino – White Dial Speedmaster for the 40th AnniversaryRemember our Speedy Tuesday article about Speedmasters with white dials (click here), we already included the Speedmaster Albino, or ‘Bianco Italiano’ there. However, in this week’s Speedy Tuesday installment I would like to zoom in a bit on that particular model.Speedmaster Professional?3593.20Officially introduced as the Omega Speedmaster Professional with reference 3593.20 for the model on a bracelet, reference 3893.20 for the watch on a leather strap. Omega released this watch for the Italian market only, in 500 pieces, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Speedmaster in 1997. As you know, t...
In Detail Blancpain Tribute to Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC
The story is well-known, the “Fifty Fathoms” watch was designed for the French navy. Originally, French officers?Bob Maloubier and Claude Riffaud started to work together on requirements in 1952 for a watch to be used during under-water missions. Diving watches at the time were a piece of equipment that men depend their lives on. After testing some watches, they were quite disappointed with the results. Until they met?Jean-Jacques Fiechter, CEO of Blancpain from 1950 till 1980 and a passionate diver himself. Fiechter understood the need for a proper divers watch and even before came up with their Submariner and Omega with their Seamaster 300, Blancpain was able to come up with a...
Munichtime 2018 Unleash the Bavarian in you and visit this watch event
Munichtime?is an event that is not for press or retailers, but for you, the watch enthusiast or collector. We’ve visited Munichtime ourselves a number of times in the past, and this year we are an official media partner for the first time. We believe in events like this, where the end consumer can (finally) see, touch and try the watches in the flesh and ask questions to the brand’s representatives. Where Baselworld and the Geneva SIHH are typical industry events, Munichtime is an initiative for the consumer.Munichtime 2018Approximately 37 brands can be found exhibiting on October 26-28 at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich. These are:?A.Lange & Sohne, Bayerischer Meistersch...
Vintage Seiko Buyer's Guide by Fratello's Michael Stockton
Here it is, our updated Vintage Seiko Buyer’s Guide. The thought of pulling together a directional like this sounds audacious, but as you'll see, Seiko makes, and made, a lot of things relatively easy for us. Butas with all things in life, there are caveats. This guide won't focus on all Seiko through the years, but we'll focus largely on watches from the mid-1960's through the mid-1970's and pictorially, I'll feature some seldom seen watches to whet your appetite.Vintage Seiko Buyer’s GuideThis Seiko 6619-8230 is a masterpiece…large and beautifully designed!Here on Fratello, we ran an in-depth article on Seiko's vintage Sport Divers and this made a lot of sense because the...
Zenith DEFY Classic 41mm: After a few weeks of wearing
Although Zenith still produces watches way beyond my comfort zone, I’m glad they remember and honor their past as well. In most of the currently available model lines (DEFY, Chronomaster, Elite, and Pilot), conservative models can be found. I see the Zenith DEFY Classic 41 mm as one of them.I’m a great fan of most integrated bracelet(*) watch models. So yes, I like the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, the IWC Ingenieur, and the Vacheron Constantin 222 and Overseas. I like the Girard Perregaux Laureato, and I could have liked the Piaget Polo S if its bracelet, quality-wise, hadn’t been such a disaster. Ultimately, I have to admit that it even might be ...
Summer Splash: Discover Our Final Three Watches (2021)
What can I say but thank you? After a roller-coaster month of hilarity, with accidental (and occasionally deliberate) controversies, we have reached our final Summer Splash round. We - team Fratello, the Fratelli, and the newly-minted Kraken Kartel - have narrowed down our combined selections to three models. Left standing after four weeks of furious voting are RJ’s Omega Seamaster 300M, Mike’s Tudor Black Bay .925, and Phil’s Doxa Sub 300.We’ve got a fresh, colorful line-up including a crisp white dial, a surprisingly versatile taupe dial, and, thanks to you the Fratelli, a vivid orange dial (nice one, Phil). The Doxa Sub 300 battled through a packed Wild Card tussle...
How Watches Work: What Is A Minute Repeater? (2021)
When it comes to watch complications, the minute repeater has a reputation few others can touch. In terms of cost, it's certainly no slouch. An entry-level minute repeater wristwatch demands as much as a new, entry-level Mercedes-Benz. And when it comes to complexity and delicacy in construction, it's no joke either. Assembling a minute repeater is enough to send most watchmakers to the nearest dark closet, only to curl up in the fetal position and long for the days of fiddling with ETA 6497s.Like all watch complications, however, the minute repeater was born as the solution to a problem - how to tell the time in the dark. And my goodness, was it useful. Whether used out of convenience or ne...
MB&F HM10 Panda For Only Watch Real Life Images Arrive (2021)
A bulldog no more… One of MB&F’s most beloved modern pieces, the Bulldog, was given a facelift in honor of the Only Watch Auction due to be held in just over a month’s time. Now sporting a new panda-inspired livery and a pair of cutesy ears, the horological tricksters once again look to win hearts and minds while drawing attention to a good cause.Uncharacteristically, I’ve had a pretty good week. As such, smiling is a little easier than usual. However, even on my glummest days, efforts like the MB&F HM10 Panda for the Only Watch auction can’t help but tweak the corners of my lips skyward. It’s not just that this is a desperately cute object that ev...
Why Omega No Longer Release Limited Edition Watches (2021)
“Introducing the new limited-edition Omega S…” Well, we haven’t heard that in a while. At least for a good six months. That may not sound like a long time ago. But over the last few years, learning about the latest Omega limited edition has been a regular occurrence. The steady release of exclusive Omega watches, mainly in the Speedmaster and Seamaster range, seemingly became a way of life. However, we see fewer and fewer Omega timepieces produced at a capped amount in recent times. So today, I am looking at the possible reasons for the sudden shift. Sorry to bait and switch you in the intro if you were hoping for something new from Omega. Hopefully, I can give some i...
My Citizen Promaster NY0040: The Only Diving Diver I Own (2021)
I'm sure that at some point or another in our watch collecting we have all fantasized about using our watches for the task they were designed for. Whether it be ripping around a racetrack in a souped-up deathtrap of a single-seater while rocking a vintage Daytona, gambling and drinking the night away in a smokey NYC jazz club backroom with a Cartier Tank, or lifting off from the Kennedy Space Center, moon-bound with an Omega Speedmaster on your wrist. Well, as far-fetched as some of those fantasies maybe, some are more achievable than others. In my case, It was a Citizen Promaster NY0040 and a holiday on Lanzarote, as well as a dive shop opposite my Air BnB that beckoned me, like a siren's ...
The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Night Diver Is A Return To Glory (2021)
TAG Heuer has a history of creating some of the best full lume dial diving watches. In the mid-1980s, the brand released an entire collection of full lume dial versions of their Heuer 1000 and later TAG Heuer 1000 Professional line of watches. One of them became a Bond icon on the wrist of Timothy Dalton in the Bond movie The Living Daylights. I love this series of watches a lot. It’s why I was delighted that TAG Heuer announced a full lume version of theirAquaracer Professional 300M. Time to find out whether the new stylish Aquaracer Night Diver is as good as its iconic predecessors.As some of you might know, I write a series of articles on the best vintage watches per brand per decad...
A Space Oddity: Omega Speedmaster 220 Misprint Bezel
It was 1969 - the year of the Moon landing - when David Bowie released “Space Oddity”. The year would arguably be the most significant in the long history of Omega watches. But the true space oddity would come out a year later. A batch of Speedmasters left the factory with a tiny little fault. It was nothing mechanical, nothing problematic, but a fault nonetheless. Or, in more friendly wording, an oddity. Here we have the Omega Speedmaster 220 misprint bezel.In a world obsessed with striving for perfection, it can be the rare faults that turn out most attractive. Today, I ask you to embrace the wabi-sabi, my dear watch geeks.The 220 misprint bezelWatch aficionados are known to lo...