A brand's reputation is built piece-by-piece. Credentials, characters, stories, products, reviewsSo much goes into the formation of an identity it's a shame that we often neglect to appreciate this when we hold a young brand's early products in our hands for the first time. For those of us who live and breathe watches, it isn't so hard to understand instinctively the character (or lack thereof) of

And once again, just when you think you’ve seen it all in terms of vintage tool watches, something surprises like the Rado Over Pole.Man, it’s good to be back writing a #TBT article.? We’re so excited to have Tomas here on the team and he continues to share some fantastically different vintage pieces, but I couldn’t let him have all the fun, could I?? So, for the first time

Hello homebound friends, we welcome you to another episode of This Week in Watches for April 4, 2020. We have a decent amount of news today, so let’s get to it!Ollech & Wajs COVID-19 AidIt’s nice to know that while you’re homebound, there are companies at work trying to do the right thing. Zurich-based Ollech & Wajs sent a couple emails over the last week. Firstly, they&#

I shamelessly confess that I wear this shiny, gold-tone Seiko Mickey Mouse more often than initially thought I would.?Being watch lovers, it is not surprising that we often find ourselves compelled to gift our newborns with their very first tickers. While the temptation to buy a 3-week olf baby a classic chronograph that will make it the envy of all the other babies in kindergarten, it makes more

This week, Balazs and Rob tackle the subject of watch brand ambassadors in the four major professional sports leagues in North America.Amazingly, six episodes in, this is a topic that hasn’t been fully addressed. In our pilot episode, we touched upon Tom Brady’s ambassadorship for IWC but he is far from alone in the NFL, with Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings coming in atop Bal

In our Sunday Morning Showdown, two of our writers go head-to-head in an epic showdown for the ages. Strong opinions and hysterical hyperbole are welcome (so feel free to join in with the fun in the comments section below). And don’t forget to let us know which watches you’d like to see torn to shreds/effusively exalted next week. We’ll try and feature as many of our readers̵

Sometimes, stepping out of one’s comfort zone can be a good thing. In the case of the new Sinn 556 with its collection of colorful dials, I was able to go hands-on with watches that will undoubtedly go down as smash hits. Folks, I wasn’t sure that this release warranted its own article, but seeing was believing.It’s tough to be in two places at once, but Sinn managed to pull it o

It’s been seven years since Unimatic first hit the scene, and guess who’s been watching? Me, that’s who. Yes, I’ve been an admirer of this Italian “microbrand” since the beginning, but always at a distance. All that changed recently, though, with a purchase of the Modello Due S-Series. Was “scratching the itch” worthwhile?Seven years - that’s h

Finally, Citizen has decided to throw a haymaker at Seiko in the mechanical retro diver category. Us vintage nerds wondered if this day would ever come, but here it is - the new 200m Promaster Mechanical Diver.I must admit that collecting vintage Citizen watches has been a real source of entertainment for me over the last three or four years. I’m not alone in my passion, but there are defini

For many watch enthusiasts, a watch moonphase complication is something special! It’s not the most difficult complication for brands to develop, but it’s very rewarding for the owner of the watch. A moonphase disc on a dial is a nice visual element, and it certainly suits the official Moonwatch. With Omega bumping up prices of the regular Speedmaster Professional ($7,500 for the Hesali

One of the maddest creations that I discovered during last week's travels to the center of the horological universe was, most definitely, the HYT Conical Tourbillon Black Eklipse. The ultra-complicated watch was like a star system within a star system - a star system gone rogue. What you see is apparent mechanical chaos. You're waiting for the watch to implode, but it doesn't. A quick hands-on wit

Without a word of warning, and while most of the watch world was still digesting the Geneva-based extravaganza that was Watches and Wonders, Seiko has done it again! The Japanese brand has just introduced four new 38mm Seiko 5 Sports models. Since 1996 and throughout its 23-year lifespan, the Seiko SKX became one of the most popular dive watches. It was not a luxury item but an everyman’s to

Last weekend, researching this story was my way of returning to normality after being bombarded by sapphires, platinum, and composite bracelets with embedded diamonds. Yes, Watches and Wonders was a horological whirlwind romance, but afterward, I needed to get down from its gold-lined cloud. It’s easy to become enthusiastic about $100K grail watches, I’ll admit it. A single Laurent Fer

It looks like a joke, and it sounds like one too, but it’s a serious piece of wrist equipment. The name Orfina Golden Flame Double Automatic Twin Special sounds like a headline from a cheap tabloid - a watch you couldn’t take seriously today. But looking at it closely, there are so many distinct details to explore.Even though the Orfina name doesn’t ring a bell for many collector

The Japanese watchmaker has introduced a new series within the Seiko 5 family, which pays homage to the past but somehow feels very natural in the present. Seiko is one of those few brands for which an enthusiast can buy a very humble automatic watch. Or a mechanical marvel with very tight tolerances that competes with the best the Swiss have to offer. Today’s release by Seiko honors the for

Ambrose Bierce published Fantastic Fables back in 1899. It is a bundle of short fairy tales, most of which are absurd and feature an ironic plot twist. This unique combination reminds me of our behavior as watch lovers. Just as Bierce wrote about a woman who shot her man dead to prevent him from leaving her, do we fabricate stories that may not be entirely watertight to justify our inexplicably ir

Welcome to a fresh new episode of Fratello Talks. Today, RJ and Lex join Nacho for a varied chat centered around the topic of things that make a watch worthwhile. From waitlists to limited editions and even watches for special occasions, added value is not really a matter of price. Does a reasonable wait add to the experience of eventually owning a watch? And does too long a wait spoil the desire?

Today’s Brellum Duobox Triple Calendar Moonphase Chronometer brings heaps of functionality in a classy, relatively affordable package. We’ve covered the brand extensively here on Fratello and have come to enjoy the thoughtful touches and high-value quotient. Yes, today’s piece is a dressier affair, but it’s nicely executed.Brellum continues to roll out the hits with chronom

There are always surprises at the major watch shows. This year, one of the unexpected releases was the Alpina Heritage Tropic-Proof, a recreation of a manual-wind ’60s watch. The size and some other touches are true to the original.The big names dominate the scene at a show like Watches and Wonders. We spend hours predicting their releases, but it’s good to look at the news from the sm

The Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture debuted in 2016. At that time, it was the most affordable perpetual calendar wristwatch on the market. Now the brand has made some welcome updates to it, so let’s take a look.Frederique Constant is a brand that always brings value when it comes to perpetual calendars. The Highlife is a fan favorite and an impressive watch that we