Omega puts Japanese vibes on Seamaster Planet Ocean and Seamaster Aqua Terra
Omega recently introduced two modern sports watches designed especially for upcoming Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Let’s have a look at them!Whether you’re in the mood for The Land of the Rising Sun during cherry blossom season, or the sensory-overstimulated jungle of neon lights, manga, Maneki-Neko cats, and video games, Tokyo speaks to one’s imagination. These new limited editions for the Tokyo 2020 Games also have a unique vibe to them, which might speak to specific customers.A Watch Game?The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are getting closer. I'm quite sure that everyone has heard that this time, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) emphasis on making the upcoming games more ...
Certina DS Action Diver Sea Turtle Conservancy A diver's perspective
We recently already introduced the Certina DS Action Diver Sea Turtle Conservancy to you. So, for general information on this special edition take a look here. However, this summer, I had the opportunity to test this watch underwater during dives in the Mediterranean. We thought it might be interesting to you to learn how this real dive watch feels like when applied to its actual purpose.Certina got on my radar via the re-edition of the DS 200PHM which we covered here. Which is late, I admit. One reason for this is that Certina only recently started to exploit their rich heritage, probably motivated by the current vintage trend (in watches). Another reason might be one I reluctantly admit: I...
Glashutte Original Sixties Chronograph In Green For Summer 2021
We’re now deep into the Summer Splash showdown and, predictably, the Fratelli are out in force in their joint mission to choose the finest summer watch of them all. Meanwhile, old Bobby is reviewing the latest raft of loaners from Glashutte Original and has, in the process, stumbled across a watch that, while wholly inappropriate for the Summer Splash contest in terms of specs, perfectly elicits the kind of feeling we’re seeking. The Glashutte Original Sixties Sixties Chronograph Annual Edition in green is a vivid slice of optimism that, like the summer sun, threatens to disappear sooner than anyone would like…GO is in a really good way when it comes to producing seasonal w...
Summer Splash: Mike Round 1 Citizen, Seiko, Tudor (2021)
Roll up, roll up! The summer has hit The ‘Furt and Fratello is keen to celebrate. After the magnificent maelstrom 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 weapons money can buy: the Spyra 2 water cannon is reputedly the strongest of its kind ever made. Fancy getting your hands on one? Read on and take part in the comments section of this article.This time around, eight writers will choose three of their favorite summer watches and pitch them t...
Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze Boutique Edition Review (2021)
No seriously, the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze Boutique Edition really does smell like money. I am no expert when it comes to coins and their materials, but I am sure you will recognize the smell of bronze in coins. Now, it was my colleague Lex that pointed out that our bronze Oris x Fratello watch also had this particular smell.I never noticed because I don’t tend to sniff watches. But, ever since then, Lex turned me into a watch sniffer and every time I come across a bronze watch, I have to give it a sniff (thanks Lex). Anyway, when Tudor showed us the Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze a few months ago, and I didn’t need to put much effort into smelling the typical metallic sc...
Speedy Tuesday Event In The Netherlands Sept. 27th
You can now register to join the next Speedy Tuesday event of 2022. This event will take place on September 27th in The Netherlands. After two very successful Speedy Tuesday events before the summer, we continue our European tour with a stop in The Hague area.You can find a report on the last Speedy Tuesday event in Milan here, or you can watch the video below. Together with Omega, we try to make every event a little bit different and focus on something local.Speedy Tuesday event in The NetherlandsFratello and Omega have organized Speedy Tuesday events for dedicated Speedmaster fans worldwide since 2013. As mentioned, the upcoming Speedy Tuesday event will take place in The Netherlands. We w...
Seiko Adds Two Camo Models To Its 5 Sports Lineup
Camouflage patterns are definitely not for everyone. I would even say that camo is a love-it-or-hate-it thing. Especially when it comes to watches, not everyone is a fan of these military-inspired patterns on their dial or straps. Personally, however, I love a good camo motif. Seiko decided to introduce two new camouflage versions of its popular 5 Sports (nicknamed “5KX”) models. The first is the limited-edition black-and-gray SRPJ39 created together with Japanese skateboarder Yuto Horigome. The second is the regular-production SRPJ37, which comes with a green camouflage dial. Needless to say, I was curious to find out more.Even if you count yourself as a camo lover, there are to...
Introducing The New Isotope Old Radium Bronze Pilot
If you've kept up with Fratello over the past several months, you'll almost certainly be familiar with Isotope watches. The brand's bold and colorful designs never fail to make a splash. Now, Isotope's latest release tones things down. The new Old Radium Bronze Pilot model takes a pinch of imagination and poses the question, what if Isotope had been around in the 1940s? And what if it had been asked to produce a watch for the Ministry of Defense? The answer to these questions is being released today in three different colorways and in the brand's first bronze case. Vintage charm meets Isotope's unique design language, and the result (I think you'll agree) is a great one.There's always a cert...
Fratello On Air: Random Musings And Vintage Grand Seiko
Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air where Balazs and Mike return to talk watches and other semi-adjacent topics. Vintage Grand Seiko is in play towards the end, but there’s plenty of other banter to consume as we near the end of summer....
The Omega CK 859 Is The Brand's Most Boring Release
When it comes to watches, boring is good. Or at least it can be good. After reading a couple of headlines that praised the Omega CK 859 as one of the year's best and most exciting releases, I couldn't help but disagree. It's the brand's most boring release of the year. However, I'm here to say that this is not a bad thing. With the tendency of brands to over-hype releases beyond good reason and chase trends by using the same handful of colors as other brands, sometimes keeping it simple is the way to go. And keeping it simple often results in a boring watch. But I think we should embrace boring and celebrate the many upsides of watches that might be labeled as such.Before I get into why the ...
Chanel Mademoiselle J12 La Pausa Duo For Only Watch 2023
In the world of heritage luxury, few names resonate with as much gravitas as Chanel. This year, the independent brand’s watch division Chanel Horlogerie, a Swiss-based creative manufacture in its own right, unveils a pair of unique pieces for Only Watch 2023 - the Mademoiselle J12 La Pausa duo.The Mademoiselle J12 La Pausa is a summer version of the J12 in a limited edition featuring a graphical figurine of the late Coco Chanel. For Only Watch 2023, Chanel has created a pair of black and white unique editions. Each don a bezel encrusted with color-matched diamonds, rendering each version one of a kind. Further distinguishing this duo are the glossy cases and bracelets in highly resista...
The Best Watches Under $3,000 Nacho's Picks
I guess it’s finally my turn to talk sub-$3,000 picks! Don’t get it twisted; I’m glad I didn’t have to go first. It’s never easy to narrow down these picks, so having time can only be an advantage. And this list took me way longer than I expected. The process involved a lot of disappointment. Many of the watches I thought sat comfortably below $3K actually turned out to be more expensive. That’s what happens with watches. You turn your back to them for a few months, and before you know it, the price has changed completely. However, I managed to narrow it down to just three under three. These are my picks for the best current watches under $3,000 plus one p...
New: Grand Seiko 44GS Katana USA Exclusives
The three new Grand Seiko Heritage Collection 44GS USA exclusives look sharper than any Grand Seiko watch has before. The 44GS case is already edgy, but the dials of the new watches make them look as sharp as a Japanese sword. The black SBGA489, dark green SBGA491, and deep red SBGA493 were made with the katana as a source of inspiration. The world-famous Japanese blade is the expression of exquisite craftsmanship but also of a sublime metal that has a very special allure.Crafting a katana is no mean feat. It's an ancient craft that can now be seen as an art form. Yes, a katana made by a master swordsmith is still a formidably sharp weapon, but the days of the samurai are long gone. Therefor...
Hands-On: Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M Brown Ceramic
Remember the first Omega Planet Ocean from 2005? I will never forget it because the orange bezel blew me away. Orange is a complementary color to blue, meaning it is the most visible color in a blue environment. That makes sense for a functional and instrumental dive watch, right? The Planet Ocean has come a long way since then. Take the Planet Ocean 600M in its 39.5mm brown ceramic case, for instance. And you don’t just get a brown ceramic case, oh no. You also get a brown ceramic dial and shiny touches of Ceragold and Sedna gold. That color combination sounds a bit like an Omega Michael Kors collaboration, doesn't it? Let's find out how it works and feels on the wrist.Now and then, O...
Hands-On: The New Yema Sous Marine Collection
French brand Yema is on a roll, knocking out new timepieces every week, it seems. The Urban Traveler, Urban Field, and Superman 500 Dato are just some of the models that were released in the last few months. Last week, Yema announced its new Sous Marine line. It’s a colorful collection of contemporary divers with a nice injection of vintage style. Overall, this new collection could be a new hit for Yema. I had a chance to go hands-on and get a feel for the new timepieces.As some of you know, I have a great soft spot for Yema. There is something about the style of the watches that I really like. On top of that, the brand has plenty of history, resulting in great stories from the past an...
Casio Edifice ECB-2200P-1A Inspired By Race Cars
While I’m not necessarily a big motorsport fan, the Casio Edifice line of watches is always intriguing. The Japanese brand has made the world of racing the focal point of a significant branch of the brand’s watches. The majority of the crossover is made visible by the design elements that Casio uses for said models. As a big design fan, seeing how design spreads from one product category to another is always interesting. This is why I’m always curious to learn more about Casio’s Edifice line. The latest addition to the brand’s lineup is the Edifice Windflow ECB-2200P-1A. The Windflow models are inspired by the wind flow around race cars. It has inspired the desi...
Fratello's Top 5 Current Citizen Watches
Another Friday, another list! Last week, we concluded our series of articles covering the best watches of the first half of 2024. Now it’s time to move on to something different. This week, we’ll look at our five favorite currently available Citizen watches. Over the past couple of years, this longstanding Japanese maker has shown that it has become the go-to brand for affordable timepieces. And the great thing is that the catalog’s diversity is quite astonishing. It makes a list of just five picks way too short. But we went ahead and picked up the challenge anyway. Let’s find out what our five picks are!It’s almost overwhelming to browse through the extensive C...
New: Urwerk EMC SR-71 A 10th-Anniversary EMC Edition
Let me take you back to 2014. This is the year that “Gangnam Style” reaches two billion views on YouTube and Luis Suarez bites an opponent at the World Cup. Did I refresh your memory? You would be forgiven if the 2014 GPHG award winners occupied a less prominent place in your mind. Let me refresh your memory there too: the Urwerk EMC (Electronic Mechanical Control) was the big star of the show. It won two awards - one for innovation and another for mechanical exception. Today, for the 10th anniversary of that milestone, Urwerk introduces a new version. This is the EMC SR-71.The EMC SR-71 is a collaboration with Dreamland Aerospace. This lifestyle brand by Jason Saroyan and Dr. Ro...
The Best Of British Watches Event In Brighton On September 7th
Following the excellent British Watchmakers' Day in March is the Best of British Watches event in Brighton on Saturday, the 7th of September, 2024. The bustling Brighton seafront’s Old Ship Hotel will host the event in the spacious Paganini Room from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM.This year is not short of exciting watch events in the UK. Many regions are covered, from the aforementioned British Watchmakers' Day in London this past March to the upcoming Manchester Watch Show in the north. For the South Coast, there is the Best of British Watches event, which celebrates exquisite craftsmanship and timeless elegance in all price ranges. This showcase of British watchmaking covers many bases, from cl...
New: Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 37th America's Cup
This year marks the fourth time Omega will fulfill the role of official timekeeper for the America’s Cup. The 37th edition of one of the world’s most prestigious sailing races will take place in Barcelona, where six teams will compete to win and become the defender for the next edition. To celebrate Omega’s important role during this event, in which every second counts, the brand is launching a special edition of its Seamaster Diver 300M. Compared to the previous America’s Cup special editions, this year’s is one of the least complicated. But it certainly features many interesting details that recall the oldest still-running international sporting competition.Ri...