Hands-On With The New Seiko Presage Green Enamel Dial SBP111
Where other brands get flamed for the constant flow of limited editions, Seiko seems to get away with it every time. This time, it is the Seiko Presage Green Enamel dial watch, reference SBP111.That might be because they are simply stunning releases, or that the Seiko crowd is not that bothered by it and are just happy when there’s a new release and thus more to choose from. It’s just an observation, and I don’t have any issues with Seiko doing these releases as well.The Seiko Presage collection consists of many special or limited editions, in fact, I own one as well, and I love it. Without further ado.Seiko Presage Green Enamel Dial SBP111We’ve seen it before, Seiko ...
The Tool Watch To The Rescue!
About 90% of my watch collection consists of tool watches. And I’m not the only one. This watch style is one of the most popular categories. Let’s spend some time on the definition of tool watches for this episode of Watches & Pencils.What is a Tool Watch?Sorry disappoint you, but there is no exact definition for a ‘tool watch’. Overall, I tend to say that a tool watch is a watch that is designed to support you during specific tasks. Most of the time, it has at least something extra to offer than time-only. A watch with an add-on, you could say. Thousands of ‘add-ons’ are created for tool watches. For example, the bezel on a dive watch shows divers whe...
FORTIS: PC-7 Team Aeromaster Editions
Dynamics. Precision. Elegance.The motto of the Swiss Air Force aerobatic formation PC-7 TEAM is clear. True to this motto, the new AEROMASTER models from the traditional and still independent pilot’s watch manufacturer FORTIS are presented. Almost 15 years ago, FORTIS was selected as a partner and now has a very special edition up its sleeve for the 30th anniversary of the formation: The precise chronometers, limited to 300 pieces each, come with an elegant royal blue dial and applied numerals and indices. Available in a chronograph and a three-hand version.Made for men who don’t lean back in business class.The PC-7 TEAM consists of 9 pilots, who under the leadership of Captain C...
Wrist Game or Crying Shame: Longines Legend Diver No Date
We’re back with Wrist Game or Crying Shame and this week we take a look at the Longines Legend Diver no date. But first…Last week, we featured another twin crown diver (that’s blatant foreshadowing) with the IWC Aquatimer Cousteau Divers. Despite its rough and semi-ready appearance, apparent mechanical foibles, and overt branding, the watch resurfaced with a 71% Wrist Game win. As I hinted above, we’re staying the course on our underwater voyage. This time, we go retro with the Longines Legend Diver No Date.The Longines Legend Diver No DateThe Longines Legend Diver No Date first came ashore back in 2007. Thinking about it, that’s a hell of a long time ago! For t...
NOMOS Glashutte Ace Jewelers Tangente Amsterdam Limited Edition
We reported on it as soon as it hit the market. Now, just a few weeks later, we managed to get one of the last available pieces in hand for a quick review. And, I’ve got to say, that the new NOMOS Glashutte Ace Jewelers Tangente Amsterdam limited edition is a sterling follow-up to its three forerunners.The whole Ace/NOMOS collaboration is taking on a life of its own. Since the release of the NOMOS Glashutte Orion De Stijl in 2017 - which now looks like an outlier to the Amsterdam-flag-themed trio that came after it - the micro-collection has found its feet and a definite audience that looks sure to propel this partnership onwards and upwards.Throughout the design processes of each of t...
Podcast Talking About Our Favorite Seiko Watches
In this 20th podcast, RJ and Rob talk about their very favorite Seiko watches from 2020 and mention their all-time favorites from Seiko.Our Fratello on Air podcast is available via Buzzsprout, Soundcloud, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Deezer,? Stitcher, and Spotify....
Balazs's Top 5 Iconic Vintage Angelus Watches
Vintage watch fans are an interesting bunch of enthusiasts. We have our usual suspects when it comes to watch-preference. These include the Omega Speedmaster, Submariner, or the Breitling Navitimer, for example. Needless to say, these are not the only models we love from said brands. However, when it comes to smaller, lesser-known companies, we tend to be selective. So, from time to time, we need to remind ourselves that there are so many fantastic watches these often defunct brands can offer. This is why I selected my Top 5 iconic Angelus watches.These are by no means the only timepieces from Angelus that I love. Yet, I have to draw the line. When Rob tells you to write a Top 5, I cannot a...
Bond Edition Of Wrist Game Or Crying Shame: Seiko 7549-7009 Golden Tuna
My name is Game, Wrist Game. Or is it Shame, Crying Shame? The name of this column, double agents, is up to you. Today, we reach back to a 1981 movie in celebration of a film that debuts today. I guess you know the theme, but do you know the watch? It’s the Seiko 7549-7009 Golden Tuna and do I expect you to talk? No, I expect you to vote! But first…Last week, I shook you and I stirred you with the Tudor Heritage Chrono, a watch that paved the way for the brand today. Despite comments almost as ugly as “Jaws,” you felt that this watch is still as hot as Ursula Andress on the set of Dr. No. A full 79% voted for this watch that boasts nearly as much color as a box of Sou...
New For Only Watch 2021: The TAG Heuer Carbon Monaco (2021)
TAG Heuer has produced a very special Monaco for this year’s Only Watch auction. This year, the brand revives a collector’s classic in an all-new, carbon-cased construction. Inspired by the fabled Monaco “Dark Lord” of the mid-70s, this one-off piece is sure to strike a chord in the heart of the TAG Heuer collector lucky enough to get his or her hands on it.Every two years, many of the world’s greatest watch companies come together to participate in the Only Watch charity auction. The auction raises money for research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. In all, 99% of the proceeds benefit this worthy cause. With CHF 38,593,000 raised for the cause in 2019, Only Wa...
Hot Take: Ollech & Wajs OW 350Cl
Today, we take a brief look at the new Ollech & Wajs OW 350Cl, a watch inspired by a Swiss military motorcycle. This is a fun one with attractive specs, so let’s twist the throttle and go for a ride.I’ve been following Ollech & Wajs over the last several years since the company has been going through somewhat of a rebirth. I must say that I really like what they’re doing. It probably doesn’t count for much, but they have a really good website (not always a given in this industry) and their watches look great. The Zurich-based brand is building rugged tool watches with some great details. Today’s OW 350Cl is the latest addition and it brings some the righ...
The NOMOS Glashutte Fratello Weltzeit "The Hague Edition" (2021)
Suppose you’ve kept an eye on our social media and the website over the last week or so. In that case, you’ll have first seen the announcement, and then the full reveal, of the NOMOS Glashutte Weltzeit “The Hague Edition” for Fratello. This project was the brainchild of our Managing Editor, Rob Nudds. The watch is available from the Fratello Shop right now, and it’s limited to just 25 pieces. The price is $4,620, including VAT, which may differ slightly depending on your region. We include FREE worldwide shipping on all orders and the watches are ready to ship in 3-5 business days. Don’t hang around as we’re expecting these watches to move fast! If y...
Meet The GS9 Club Europe At The Fratello Grand Seiko Paris Event
On October 21, Grand Seiko and Fratello will host an event for fans and enthusiasts of the brand in the Grand Seiko boutique at La Place Vendome in Paris. Not only will you be able to experience the latest Grand Seiko watches, but also to be introduced to the European chapter of the GS9 Club.During our last year’s Fratello x Grand Seiko event in ParisFratello x Grand Seiko Paris Event – Meet GS9 EuropeThe GS9 Club is a membership organization specifically for Grand Seiko watch enthusiasts and owners. It is an initiative by Grand Seiko Europe and starts on October 1st, 2022. There are already GS9 Clubs in Japan and in the United States of America. Members of the GS9 Club will get ...
The 10 Best Watches Under $1,000 Of 2022
At the Fratello offices, we often discuss affordable watches. The question of what “affordable” means, however, is obviously a very personal one. We decided to set the affordable budget for this list at $1,000. So what watches in this price bracket are the best in the long stream of new releases that were unveiled in 2022? We have compiled a list of ten choices that our editors loved for various reasons. All of them are great options under $1,000.Picking ten watches is not always easy. Why? Because sometimes it is hard to choose, and sometimes there is simply an abundance of options. In the category of releases under $1,000, we have seen a ton of great releases this year. But it ...
Seiko Presage Sharp Edged Kabuki Limited Editions
If you love Japanese culture, you will probably be familiar with the Japanese form of theatre known as “kabuki”. If you are unfamiliar with the name itself, you will probably recognize it when you see the image of a play below. Kabuki inspired Seiko to develop two new models for its Presage Sharp Edged Series. Both models feature dials that are inspired by the colors and patterns used in kabuki. The Seiko Presage SPB329 and SPB331 show that the mixture of traditional Japanese culture and modern design leads to surprising results.When the aptly named Sharp Edged Series debuted in 2020, Seiko introduced a concept with sharp-edged case designs combined with dials inspired by Japanes...
Introducing: Tissot Telemeter 1938
For a story that started 84 years ago during a ski race in the Swiss Alps, Tissot's timing to reminisce with a vintage-inspired model was peculiar. Back in July this summer, the heritage watchmaker introduced the 42mm chronograph Telemeter 1938 in two color variants to do just that. Nevertheless, it is a story worth telling because it captures the very start of Tissot's sports timekeeping history.How it all startedOur timing is better now as we edge into the last quarter of the year. As the story goes, the protagonist was Vital Thiebaud, and the year was 1938. Thiebaud helped mold the future of the Swiss watchmaker when he used a Tissot chronograph to time a race at the Swiss ski resort of V...
Hands-On: The New Oris Artelier S In Black And Green
The Oris Artelier collection holds a special place in my heart. The very first luxury watch I bought was an Oris Art Blakey limited edition from that same collection. I still wear it quite regularly and enjoy its bass-drum-inspired dial a lot. I think it came out simultaneously with the James Morrison Academy of Music limited edition at the end of 2019. And since then, it has been awfully quiet around the brand’s Artelier collection - until now!As Ben said in his introduction article for the Artelier S, the brand’s Aquis, Big Crown, and Divers Sixty-Five models are much more popular. On its website, Oris also puts the Artelier collection last when presenting all its different lin...
Hands-On: The Praesidus Rec Spec MACV-SOG
Praesidus has quickly made a name for itself as a producer of great modern remakes of classic military watches. Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of trying out the wonderfully weird A-5 UDT. This time, I had a chance to check out the brand-new Rec Spec MACV-SOG. Behind this new model is a tale of how Seiko dress watches bought at local markets turned into field watches during the war in Vietnam. As it turned out, they even proved to be excellent watches for the job. With the new Praesidus Rec Spec MACV-SOG, this story comes back to life.Let’s start this review with the background of the MACV-SOG (or the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group, as it is kn...
New: The Lorier Worn & Wound Astra Stargazer
The new Lorier Worn & Wound Astra Stargazer is the latest limited-edition collaboration from the New York City-based publication. The partnership is close to home as Lorier, a well-known microbrand, also hails from the Big Apple. They’ve created an affordable, very cool watch that should sell faster than the newest SoHo clothing drop.I’m a big fan of Worn & Wound. It’s one of the founding titles in watch media, and I like the site’s coverage of small, independent brands. The folks there have put their love of these microbrands into action with many collaborative releases. I still remember a titanium piece with Boldr that dropped during the holidays several yea...
Unveiling The Lorca Watches Model No.2 Chronograph
It’s been roughly 18 months since Lorca founder Jesse Marchant unveiled his debut watch. Praised by the press and enthusiasts alike, the Model No.1 GMT presented a unique take on a multi-time watch. Instead of following the typical GMT category codes, Marchant created a watch much more characterized by its overall vintage-inspired elements. The result was a design signature that not only gave the Model No.1 GMT character but also essentially defined the brand. The introduction of the Model No.2 Chronograph is proof that this signature translates perfectly to one of this year’s best chronographs.When we had the Model No.1 GMT in the office, unfortunately, I missed it. Consequently...
IWC Watches And Polaris Dawn Mission Return From Space
Four IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph Edition Polaris Dawn models in white ceramic with space-blue dials are back on Earth. Along with their wearers, they launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 05:23 EDT on September 10th, 2024. The four members of the crew and their watches safely splashed down off the coast of Florida at 03:36 EDT on September 15th. Jared Isaacman, Kidd Poteet, Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon spent nearly five days in orbit and completed their first commercial extravehicular activity (EVA). With their feet back on the ground, the crew handed over the four IWC watches because they will go up for auction at Christie's New York to raise funds for the lifesaving wor...