Who says you need tons of color options for watches? A. Lange & Sohne is the perfect proof that you don’t. The brand offers carefully created limited color options for every model. A great example is the new Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar. With the introduction of the black and platinum model, the brand has added a third variant to the lineup that is quite distinct from the first two. That&#

Lex, RJ, and Laurits discuss the Blancpain Swatch Scuba Fifty Fathoms that was introduced on September 7th and went on sale two days later. Here at Fratello, the opinions are very mixed on the Blancpain Swatch release. Can we call the Scuba Fifty Fathoms successful? It doesn’t seem to be as successful as the MoonSwatch, but that’s not a big surprise to us.

What is green, loud, and low and will go around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, September 22nd, for hours on end? Well, any ideas? It's the Lamborghini SC63 hybrid racing car prototype! The number 63 Lambo in striking Verde Mantis, piloted by Italian drivers Matteo Cairoli, Andrea Caldarelli, and former French Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean, will compete in the IMSA TireRack.com Battl

Jaeger-LeCoultre creates some of the most complicated watches on the market. Today’s Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 184 is a stunning example of this. The movement may not be new, but it’s wildly impressive and sits in an equally mesmerizing pink gold case. This is one to savor for its details and artisanship.One of my first nice watches was a manual-winding Jaeger-LeCoultre Heraion.

I looked at this post at TimeZone today and was wondering, what is ever going to happen with Minerva? They even don’t have a website anymore. Last thing heard, is that they would bring out some serious timepieces, comparable to the best of the best (Patek?). Prices were alike Patek as well.SteveG did a nice write-up at his website called SteveG’s Watch Launchpad.Will Minerva remain sil

Oompalupah has a new watch and besides the nice write-up he did on it, he should be taking photographs for the official Omega catalogue for a living as well.

Click all images for largerNomos is one of those little artisanal' brands I follow with interest as they offer a combination of things that most others don't: unique and functional aesthetics, in-house movements and great value for money. Around the middle of 2010, I remember reading about their new worldtimer, and how they would be conducting a public beta test to determine the final design and a

No decent watch collection should miss a dress watch. I think we can all agree on that. I think that a very classy yet interesting way to spice up your dress watch line-up is adding a vintage moon phase to it. That is a complication one would use probably the rarest but it is among the most fascinating complications a watch could have. Most people think that these pieces cost an arm and a leg. To

Today on #TBT we'll talk about a rare watch that's known as the LeJour Fat Arrow chronograph. For a brand that later lived its life as the Yema export brand (incorporating many of their designs with only a name change on the dial or using Yema's cases), LeJour actually created a long-lived design with its Fat Arrow chronographs, but the piece today was seemingly the first. As I mentioned, it's a r

English watch brand Farer introduced their first series of three-hander watches in 2016 and later on, in May this year, another collection was introduced with a GMT function. Now, only a few months later, Farer comes up with a model based on the sought-after Super Compressor watches.A super compressor case manages to keep water out by increasing water resistance the deeper the watch went in the wa

In May, we asked you to participate in a small contest on Instagram. We asked you to share your Speedmaster story. Why is it special to you? Why did you purchase it? And has it witnessed any memorable moments on the wrist.The rules were that it shouldn’t be longer than 100 words (very challenging). Well, it took some time, and a little bit of work behind the scenes, but we’re finally r

Today MB&F in collaboration with master engraver Eddy Jaquet releases a series of eight unique timepieces that tell the amazing stories of French writer Jules Verne. The canvas for these incredibly detailed depictions of the eight stories is the MB&F Legacy Machine Split Escapement. During the Geneva Watch Days, we had a chance to experience two of these extraordinary timepieces up close.

After our planned introduction at Baselworld 2020 (remember that?) was - ahem - unable to go ahead, I’ve been itching to learn more about the brainchild of Shane Tulloch, having encountered his stunning work online at the turn of this crazy year. Last week, we spoke over the phone about his brand and future vision. Here’s the result of that conversation…Rob Nudds: Hi Shane, thank

I've been searching for a clear definition of what constitutes a microbrand for quite a while. Unsurprisingly, it's a hot topic of debate behind the scenes. Even among the Fratelli, there is disagreement. But, perhaps more commonly encountered than disagreement, is confusion. Also, as with most things, there are exceptions to every rule we come up with. A perfect example of this confusion comes fr

Unless you’re fairly well-versed in high horology, producing sports watches is probably the last endeavor you’d imagine F.P. Journe pursuing. The living-legend watchmaker, known for his classically styled horological treasures, may seem far too highbrow for such preposterous tomfoolery (even if his cases are slightly larger than average). However, if high horology brands Girard-Perrega

A great watch dial is made beautiful by techniques such as guilloche. Created by skilled artisans called guillocheurs, who pour thousands of hours into their work, guilloche is the art of engraving fine and intricate patterns on metal with the use of a rose engine, straight-line engine, or brocading machine. Traditional guilloche methods are slowly dying out, as computer automation paves the way f

Here it is, ladies, gentlemen, exuberant watch collectors, and machiavellian sea creatures alike, allow us to present to you the grand final of Fratello’s Summer Splash tournament. The contestants? Mike, RJ, and Phil. They bring to battle their trusty Tudor Black Bay .925, the seasoned Omega Seamaster 300M, and the vivacious-yet-versatile Doxa Sub 300. Who will steal your heart and earn your

Lugs… One of the make-or-break elements of a watch. In the best scenario, lugs define a watch. In the worst of situations, they can ruin a watch. When I just got into watches, the latter played a more significant part in my opinion about a watch, or rather than recognizing great lugs. I used to see them as a natural part of a case design. But over time, I found a great appreciation for lugs

Watch collecting is a funny old hobby. What you collect and appreciate in a watch will be totally different from the next person. But therein lies the joy of watch collecting, as we all have our own tastes regarding our horological wrist companions. Sometimes, however, our tastes are pretty specific, and it’s possible that we never quite find “the” perfect watch. Many of us settl

Nothing else in my watch collection is even remotely close to this one. It is the only all-gold (or gold-plated) watch I have, the first and the last one I ever bought. I’d even say it is the dressiest Vulcain Cricket out there.I got emotional last week. Collector’s Week 2.0 made me reminisce and stirred up some memories of my first vintage watch. I told you how naive I was when I boug