Norwegian independent watch brand Straum has once again proven its commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction by launching pre-orders for its highly anticipated strap adaptors. These adaptors are the first release in the brand’s extensive accessory product roadmap. They are specifically designed for the Jan Mayen collection, a model that has already garnered favorable feedback among

Fratello On Air is back with another rip-roaring episode! This week, our topic comes from one of our dear listeners and we talk about what like and dislike about working in the watch industry. It’s a candid take on some of our favorite aspects with some that don’t rate as highly. For those who wish to skip the banter, begin your journey after approximately 16 minutes.

This past Sunday, the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games came to an end. Over 45,000 volunteers helped organize more than 300 events across 35 different venues. Over 10,000 athletes from 200 countries tried their best to win a gold medal in one of the 32 different sports. I think we can conclude that this 33rd edition of the Games was a true celebration of sport with a uniquely European (and distinct

The Glashutte Original PanoMaticCalendar is a beautifully designed annual calendar. Today, we’ll look closer at this 18-carat red gold beauty that blends functionality with an elegant layout. It features a stunning movement that’s put on display on the flip side.Glashutte Original is a brand that brings back fond memories. I was in Chicago with my family over 20 years ago and recall vi

Gold Speedmaster Professional Limited Edition Moonwatch 1969Only 1014 have been made of this gold OMEGA Speedmaster Professional in 1969 of which 28 went to the White House and 26 of them were given to the NASA astronauts of that time. Number 1 was offered to President Nixon, but he declined it. This particular watch is on display in the OMEGA Museum in Biel.Above is a picture that I took of the P

The most precious piece in a WIS collection has to be the “heirloom watch”, a timepiece passed down by a close relative. Whether that watch is a Daytona or a 1930's Gruen Curvex, it makes no difference at all. The story behind it, the connection to that special person, the moments you shared or the great anecdotes you heard of him/her by other family members – if you had no chan

The best thing of being a journalist when talking about watches is the wide variety of beautiful timepieces we get to test-drive. A big part of writing a watch review of course is that we receive the item, wear it for a few days, weeks (in this case months) and then pen our impressions, thoughts, and feelings in connection to the watch. Is it comfortable? Is it worth the money? Is it, God forbid,

A couple of months ago, Robert-Jan had the opportunity to give an overview of the new Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Deep Black collection. The watches are an interesting move from Omega as they were introduced outside of Basel and the debut actually occurred in New York. There’s no doubt that it has made waves.? We received a lot of traffic on the article and while most found the watches attr

Guess what!? This is the 26th episode in the 52Mondayz column. That means that we’re half way. Half way the year that every week I wear a different watch which we present to you here at Fratello Watches.The Breitling Chronospace A56012.01 on my wristBreitling Chronospace A56012.01And this week I’m going quartz again. A quartz watch from a brand which isn’t directly my favourite,

Formex Swiss Watches, an independent Swiss watchmaker and direct online distributor of action-sport-influenced watches, just released a free App that lets you try on their watches with your smartphone.Being detached from any retailer and selling exclusively through their online shop, Formex Swiss Watches manufactures high quality watches at very attractive prices. Their new App breaks through the

A few years ago, we had a contributor that was particularly strong in photography and knew his watches. I am talking about Ming Thein. Ming decided to focus more on photography and became a very successful one. He also reviews photography gear and became an official Hasselblad ambassador in 2016. In the meanwhile, he never lost touch with the watch industry and collecting watches. Now, in 2017, Mi

Last week we showed you an (updated) overview of all gold Speedmaster Moonwatch models from 1969 till 1995. Let’s continue with these gold Speedmaster watches from 1995 onwards. This article goes back to 2015, but since then, a number of watches in gold have been added to the Speedmaster family. We will keep it Moonwatch only though, so no gold Speedmaster Racing or other 9×00 caliber m

We spend time with the new Rado Golden Horse, a serial production model that just might change your thoughts about the brand.I know our readers come from all over, but I often wonder how many of you hail from my home region of South Florida.? And if you do, were you alive and cognizant during the late 80's into the 90's?? If you were, you'd no doubt recall this special time.? Blousy silk shirts, b

Recently we found our way to Germany to join A. Lange & Sohne at the Classic Days at Schloss Dyck. This picture-perfect location welcomed many classic cars in pristine condition. Upon our arrival, we found our way to the House of Lange'. Here we joined the other guests for the program of the day and launch of the Lange 1 Daymatic.House of Lange at the Classic Days Schloss DyckClassic Days Schl

As you probably know, we launched the Fratello Shop last December. Recently, we updated our stocklist with a few new watches for your pleasure. Let’s have a quick look.Besides the pre-owned (NOS) Omega Speedmaster Professional watches and Frederique Constant Manufacture with Moonphase, we’ve now added two references each from Rado and Fortis.Rado in Green and RedWe are very enthusiasti

Crisis. A Patek Philippe butterfly clasp is covered with hairline scratches. Was it my doing? Incredulously, I realize that it was handed to me in this condition. I find myself torn between a feeling of shock and happiness. The same clasp is worth more than a top piece or two in my own collection, and yet it is scratched. But why does this fill me with happiness? Have I lost my marbles? Is it scha

Well, it has certainly been a while since the last installment of Indie Insights. But, thankfully, I am back with what I believe to be some exciting watches indeed. Take a look for yourself and let me know what you think in the comments. I hope you’ll agree, there’s some serious hotness on display today!Konstantin Chaykin – the Joker goes all-in on blackWhen you think of the word

We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. Though most of what we write about is largely 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

In April of this year, I published an article called Watch Prices Keep Rising - Is Greed Killing The Watch Industry? It was a rumination on some of the more extreme price hikes we have seen and how they may affect brands in the future. I wrote it from a personal sense of concern and distaste, expecting most watch lovers to agree. To my surprise, some pushback came from within the Fratello office.T

Oris is no stranger to environmental conservation efforts tied to limited-edition watches. Due to the relation with its aquatic timepieces, what began as a dedication to ocean conservation expanded to the recent Change for the Better campaign. This campaign encompasses many forms of preservation and improvement projects, which Oris gladly collaborates with. Sometimes, the partnership blossoms into