Sometimes, I feel bad for certain watch brands. They’ve created amazingly beautiful watches, but due to the unknown name on the dial, the price, or bad marketing efforts, they never really made it. Today I want to share with you 5 watches that never (really) hit the big time.Perhaps unbelievable today, but that is basically how the Nautilus and Royal Oak also started out. Nobody cared. Look

For someone who has around 75 watches in their personal collection, you might think I love buying watches. You would be wrong. I actually hate the feeling I get when I spend thousands on yet another watch. As such, I am always looking for reasons not to buy a watch. I like to think it helps keep my feet on the ground when it comes to reviewing these pieces for the community. When I first encounter

Roll up, roll up! The summer has hit The Hague and Fratello is keen to celebrate. After the fizzing success of March Mania, we are back with a new knock-out competition conceived to find the very best summer watch out there, according to YOU, the Fratelli. And guess what? You can win prizes! No, there won’t be a watch available this time but there WILL be some of the finest water-firing weap

We like to talk about vintage watches a lot within the Fratello team. While the daily routine is largely focused on the most recent developments in the world of watches, the most fun for many of us lies 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 serie

The ’90s was quite an era for dive watches. The decade saw many models released that continue to influence our expectations when it comes to divers today. Zodiac’s offerings were no exception. In the ’90s, the brand released a series of watches, each designated by a colored dot on the dial. To me, the most charming and interesting were the Red Point models, namely the Red Point d

I know we are among friends here on Fratello, so this is a safe space. And since we are safe here, perhaps it is time to admit that we watch people are an odd bunch. We display some behaviors that non-watch people may struggle to understand. And unless your partner is a watch geek too, you probably know what I mean by that look. My dear Fratelli, we have to talkI am not going to tell you to change

Our friends at Monochrome have teamed up with Armin Strom for their third Montre de Souscription limited edition. The result is a unique new version of Armin Strom's Gravity Equal Force watch. In keeping with the online watch magazine's name, the new version comes in a gray color scheme. It is monochromatic but with the added warmth of maillechort, also known as German silver. Let's have a closer

The Scottish brand anOrdain has garnered significant attention here on Fratello. The brand's craftsmanship and striking enamel dials provide a unique and somewhat-bespoke approach to watchmaking in their price tier. I’ve been particularly interested in anOrdain throughout its development, mainly because of its beautiful enamel dials and relative transparency around the processes behind its w

Do you have any idea how long I've been listening to our photographer Morgan telling me how badly he wanted a Tudor Pelagos FXD? Ever since he started with Fratello back in March. Yes, he desperately wanted to be part of the winning team. I am, of course, referring to the fact that the titanium dive watch, with its crisp blue dial and fixed lugs, won last year's Fratello Summer Splash. Anyway, not

For the new Mido Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961 Limited Edition, the brand decided to release a black PVD version. At first, this might be surprising due to the Decompression Timer’s colorful dial. If you think about it a little longer, though, it makes sense. The black overall aesthetic ensures that the dial truly pops. And not only does it make for a funky version of the watch, but it

surprised us all when the brand launched a Submariner with a green bezel in 2003. The stainless steel Sub was steadily monochromatic during the five preceding decades, so this was a bit of a shocker. The model was soon nicknamed Kermit. More than two decades later, it seems green is here to stay. We are in our third generation of green Submariners with the 126610LV, aka “Starbucks.” T

Since its introduction in 2020, the Longines Spirit collection has become very popular. That’s understandable due to its modern design and great finishing. It also helps that many different versions cater to anyone’s needs. In 2023, Longines added a Spirit Flyback alongside its regular Spirit Chronograph. Upon its release, the Spirit Flyback was available in stainless steel with a blac

Besides a chronograph complication, I tend to have a weak spot for watches that can indicate additional time zones. Having travelled quite a bit through different time zones in my previous field?of work, I understand the importance of being able to see the actual time in other parts of the world in a glance. It was with great pleasure that I’ve reviewed World Timer watches before here on Fra

PanoMatic LunaAs you can see, the PanoMatic Luna is one of Glashutte Original’s ladies’ watches. The version we have here, is the latest addition to that collection. A Boutique Edition, that will – as its name suggests – only be available through the official Glashutte Original boutiques.Like any other PanoMatic Luna watch, it measures 39.4mm in diameter. However, the bouti

Stop2goAbout a year ago, Gerard Nijenbrinks wrote a review on the Mondaine stop2go watch.?Just a small recap of the stop2go movement before we head over to the Mondaine SBB Gottardo2016 stop2go review:The stop2go system is powered by the Swiss made caliber?cal 58-02. This movement ensures that the watch runs exactly like the official Swiss railway station clocks. The second hand rotates the dial i

Since 1990, Jo?rg Schauer designs and produces his distinctive watches. Thereby, Schauer prefers stainless steel for the watch cases, high quality mechanical movements and a clean and unique design language. His signature feature has become the 12-fold screwed bezel. Essential part is the technical screwing of all hand-finished Schauer watch cases.Due to its perfect surfaces, precision and a desig

Gold Speedmaster 3695.50.31One of my first encounters with a gold Speedmaster was with the BA145.022-69, which translates into the famous yellow gold Apollo XI commemorative edition from 1969 with a burgundy bezel. It must have been late 1999 or early 2000 that someone showed it to me. It paved the way for my (later) craving to own a gold Speedmaster some day.Although Omega always had (and still h

Inspired by the iconic Memovox Polaris, a watch that was initially produced between 1965 and 1968 and aimed at the USA market, Jaeger-LeCoultre now introduces the Polaris Date.This watch is being launched exclusively for the US market until October 1st. Jaeger-LeCoultre speaks about a pre-launch, but I am not convinced you can talk about pre-launch when you’re launching a new watch. Anyway,

Get ready for some vintage inspiration. An original date version of the loved/hated chronograph, a playful diver from the 70s or a quirky and irreplaceable futuristic watch from the late 50s? You make the call.“You buy the seller” is one of my profound rules for scouring the vintage watch market. It means buying watches from a verified and trusted source is your best bet. It takes a lo

Welcome to This Week in Watches for August 22, 2020 the hot edition. The searing heat is about to break in Europe, so take in the cool air and some new watches.UNION Glashutte Noramis Chronograph Sachsen 2020How do you like a hot red dial? The UNION Chronographs Sachsen 2020 is a COVID victim. This chrono was designed as a celebratory piece for the Sachsen oldtimer rally. That rally has been ̶