SevenFriday S3/02 Carbon Edition (Live Photos)
We’ve covered SevenFriday a few times in the recent past and they sent us their latest watch which is officially launched today. Time to have a look at the new?SevenFriday S3/02 Carbon Edition which was made in collaboration with an innovative partner.Different ApproachFor those who know SevenFriday, this new version is easy to recognise. Witits’s typical case design SevenFriday first saw daylight in 2013 and it was an instant hit. Although the reactions were mixed they are still going strong which answers the question, if it was?short-term fame or not, in our first SevenFriday article by Balasz some 4 years ago.SevenFriday is different from many watch brands by their approach to...
Model 25 and Lady Two New Collections From RGM
The beautiful thing about watches is the fact that they are universal. On the one hand, it means that fans of different brands or types of watches can link up often across continents. On the other hand, it also means that watchmaking is everywhere. We tend to think that watches can only come from Switzerland, perhaps Germany, God forbid Japan. Reality is however that it is much more complicated than that. Take the USA for example. Many of our favourite Swiss brands today (like Hamilton) started their history across the ocean in America. Also, other brands that came from the USA (Bulova for example, before the Citizen era) conquered the industry without leaving the motherland. I'd love to thi...
This Week in Watches: December 7, 2019
Hey team, it’s time for This Week in Watches and we have lots of news this week!? I’m already listening to Buble and would like to get back to it – so let’s get into it!RJ Watches ARRAW Spider-Man CarbonFirst up on This Week in Watches is the RJ Watches Spider-Man Carbon.? This 100-piece, 45mm carbon-cased watch features an in-house RJ-3005 manual wind movement that looks like it’s floating in a spider’s web.? The case back is done in titanium and has some pretty cool Spider-Man inscriptions on it.? Honestly, I’m at an age where I look fondly upon my comic book buying days and I’m sure there are other (far wealthier) people who feel the same.? ...
TAG Heuer Bamford Aquaracer Is A Gritty Take On A Classic Dive Watch
It’s bromance time. TAG Heuer and Bamford Watch Department. Most of you will at least be familiar with the Aquaracer line from TAG. These entry-level dive watches have a lot of fans in the community and are nothing if not reliable and well-made watches.They’ve always been a little safe in their design from my personal point of view. Reliable? Yes. Solid? Yes. Exciting? Perhaps not so much. Now, this is something I have said very frequently on the site - “Taste is subjective”. My tastes will differ from yours. With that in mind, I think the new Bamford Aquaracer proves exactly why TAG Heuer keeps going back to George Bamford and rekindling this bromance.TAG Heuer Bamfo...
Watch On Your Wrist? Fratello Instagram Contest 2020 GRAND FINAL
Welcome back to our Watch On Your Wrist? Instagram extravaganza for the last time in 2020! We will soon find out who will be the lucky winner of this year’s contest!In case we need to bring you up to speed, this is what happened so far:Every week, we selected four images. You could vote in the article for your favorite image. The winner moved on to the semi-final round (held every fifth week between the previous four weekly winners). The winner of each semi-final went straight into the final.The previous Semi-Finals were one, two, three, four, and five.Over the course of the contest, we have collected over 80 images from Instagram from different users. We checked who tagged our account...
Balazs' Top 10 Badass Watches Under $1,000 Seiko, Casio, Omega, And More
I swear to God; this article topic was Rob's idea. I mean, what is a badass watch, anyway? That's not an easy question to answer. The topic is subjective, to say the least, but that's not the only issue. Even if I had an idea in mind, limiting the possible candidates down to watches below $1,000 would be a challenge, at best.This is exactly what this annoying little Brit did to me. Alright, he is not annoying, but he gave me quite a headache with the topic. So I hope you enjoy my Top 10 watches that are badass under 1K. And don't forget to let us know which watch you'd add to this list.Disclaimer: The watches are not in any particular order, just the way they came to my mind. Enjoy!1. Any vi...
Norqain Freedom 60 GMT Watches NN2100 And NNZ2100 On The Wrist
We’ve seen many new watch brands over the last few years. Norqain was one of them. Many of the initiatives were attic start-ups, born out of a passion for watches. Those often lack a solid plan to become a real well-known watch brand and mainly rely on gut feeling. Norqain was not one of them.Norqain was founded in 2018 by Ben Kuffer. And like so many start-ups, this one was to fulfill a dream of building an own independent watch company. But when Norqain came to the market in 2019, it became clear that it wasn’t just another well-meant microbrand startup. It appears that the company besides to fulfill a dream has been established on solid foundations of know-how and experience. ...
Hands-On: Omega Speedmaster Canopus Gold The Most Impressive Of 2021
We're approaching the end of the year, and it has been an odd one (again). However, for Speedmaster fans, it was quite interesting. On the one hand, there were no limited editions or special editions this year. On the other hand, Omega introduced to us the new Moonwatch for the coming years, or perhaps even for the next decades. Two of these Moonwatch models are in precious metal. One is in Sedna Gold, Omega's own rose gold alloy. The other one is in Canopus Gold, Omega’s white gold formulation.Omega Speedmaster Canopus GoldThe white gold Omega Speedmaster Professional Master Chronometer is on my wrist as I write this article. Together with the platinum Speedmaster with caliber 321, th...
The Fast And The Fratelli Shootout: Jorg's Tudor Vs. Andreas's Zenith
It's time for a good, old-fashioned shootout! This is the stage where the voting really counts. It will decide who drops out of the competition, and who comes one step closer to taking first place. Today, it's Zenith versus Tudor, and Andreas versus Jorg. Both their picks are firmly rooted in the past. While the Tudor Black Bay Chrono is a more contemporary model, Zenith reaches back to the birth of a legend with the A386 Revival. Will the popularity of the crown’s little sister outplay the historical achievements of the grande dame who once established the concept of a manufacture? That's up to you! Cast your vote and let us know your pick in the comments!As always, both editors will ...
Hands-On With The Gane C1 Sandy Salmon
Those who are familiar with my taste in watches will know that when it comes to brands, I am slightly skeptical. So when asked to take a look at the Gane C1 Sandy Salmon, I followed my usual process. I always approach slowly, making no sudden moves. From a distance, the promise of refinement and quality is hard to pin down. Upon approach, it often fades like a mirage. However, on some occasions, the mirage doesn't fade, and the quality turns out to be quite real. But not all microbrands are created equal. How did Gane's very first offering fare under close inspection? Read on to find out.Launched on the 20th of July 2021, Gane Watches was founded by Raymond Pee. A Malaysian native living in ...
New: Nivada Grenchen Worn & Wound Limited Editions
With just over three weeks remaining in the year, Nivada Grenchen and Worn & Wound have announced a trio of watches to close out 2022. The first is a great version of Nivada’s Chronomaster that comes with the legendary Valjoux 72 movement. This one will make the true chronograph enthusiasts’ hearts beat faster. The other two watches are a pair of Datomaster VK64 models powered by Seiko meca-quartz chronograph movements. All three watches have plenty of style and pizzazz to end this year with a bang.Ask a chronograph lover to name his top three chronograph movements ever, and there is a pretty big chance that one of them will be the Valjoux 72. This legendary caliber was produ...
When Watch Desire Cools Down: A Grand Seiko Swap
In my years of collecting, I have desired, hunted, and acquired watches that didn't do it for me in the end. And I know I’m not alone. Indeed, I can see about 1,347 virtual hands going up, and that's okay; you're just normal. Just like Daan in his story on his Black Bay Fifty-Eight, it happened to me in a big way a month ago. It has actually happened before, also with a Fifty-Eight, but that's a different story. This time, I made what I felt was a BIG upgrade for my single-piece Grand Seiko collection, but I didn't fall in love. And for me, love is an essential part of any watch purchase. I mean, it's not like these are tools for telling the time, are they? But what can you do when wat...
Hands-On With The Atelier Holgur Fr?mand
On the 26th of October, 2022, the Atelier Holgur Fr?mand made its debut in the watch world. It sent ripples across social media, and a handful of watch media outlets also caught the scent, publishing pieces praising the watch. But at that point, all that we had to go on were several pictures, a spec sheet, and a brief from the brand's owners. Since then, a lot has changed. We were lucky enough to meet both Matt de Bakker and Asbj?rn Simonen-Andersen. I enjoyed a Teams chat with Matt, who gave me some insight into how the brand came to be and how it all ties into his long-standing passion for watches and diving. And Asbj?rn, who lives just a short flight away in Denmark, made the trip down to...
A Regret-Free Guide To Buying Your First Luxury Watch
When I introduce myself at events and parties, new acquaintances often ask what I’d recommend as a first luxury watch. I’m not a guy who easily gives advice about anything, though, so I always try to give them some pointers that can help them on their way into the watch hobby. I think that in doing so, they can find something that speaks to their taste rather than just something that I like. And why not share these pointers with the bigger audience on Fratello?When I bought my first “luxury” watch, the Oris Art Blakey, I wasn’t aware of all the things I had to take into account. I knew that I wanted an automatic watch and that it had to look good by my standards...
MeisterSinger Stratoscope Edition Best Friends For WWF
The single-hand watch specialist MeisterSinger has renewed its collaboration with WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) to support the organization’s mission to conserve our natural world. This time, the stage is set to showcase the interdependence between Planet Earth and the Moon in a collaborative timepiece. The German watchmaker calls it friendship as a concept and wants us to think of the big picture with the Edition Best Friends. This Stratoscope special edition with photorealistic Earth and moonphase is limited to 250 pieces.Second collaborationMeisterSinger is based in Munster, the city of bicycles, which is unique in Germany with cycling as the main mode of transport. For the secon...
Furlan Marri Introduces A Flyback Chronograph Trio
I enjoy chronographs on a technical level. Even if I don’t time many activities, I find joy in the complex watchmaking craft. Many secretly lust after a perpetual calendar with a leap year indicator and sidereal time in case we want to jump aboard a Space X flight. However, a mechanical chronograph is one of the most difficult complications to produce. Next to the date complication, a chronograph is the most popular, partially due to our obsession with sports watches, and a flyback chronograph with a column wheel is a timekeeping grail for many of us. Luckily, Furlan Marri has introduced just that, and it comes in three versions - Taupe, Salmon, and Honey Blue.For some reason, all I ha...
#TBT Polishing Your Watch Crystals Just Do It!
OK, it’s about time to come clean: until recently, I had never polished my beaten crystals myself. The reason was simple. I was afraid I would do more harm than good. I think there are other collectors like me, those who would like to polish crystals themselves but are just a bit too afraid…It looked simple, even though I never did it myself. I had all I needed - dozens of watches with beaten crystals, a soft cloth, and even a tube of PolyWatch, a special emulsion for scratch removal. Well, actually, I didn’t have all it needed. I didn’t have the courage to try it on my own. I watched videos, and it seemed to be no big deal. But when it came time to do it, I hesitated...
Hands-On: The New Airain Type 21 Subtle Tweaks Matter
When you bring back a lost watch brand and want to restore it to its former glory, you are not just a watch geek. No, you’re also part custodian and part historian. At Fratello, we appreciate it when someone does this with passion and attention to detail. Tom van Wijlick is such a guy, so we follow him with great interest. Today, he released the Airain Type 21.I have had a chance to go hands-on with the new watch as well as the latest update to the Type 20. This is how we got along.Type 20 versus Type 21To see this new release in the proper context, we need to go back to the 1950s. As you probably know, the French Air Force issued specifications for a watch for its pilots. Dave describ...
Hands-On: Formex Reef 39.5mm Automatic Chronometer 300M
I have worn and reviewed my share of Formex watches before, and, without exception, they impressed me. Whether it was the Essence or the Reef GMT, they always felt ridiculously well specced and properly built. The Reef, however, is quite a substantial watch at 42mm across. Today, Formex is releasing the downsized Reef 39.5mm Automatic Chronometer 300M. Additionally, the brand has improved the Reef’s finishing with these models. Is an almost perfect watch now finally perfect?I got the chance to go hands-on with the new Formex Reef 39.5mm to see what's what. Could this be the ultimate giant slayer?The new 39.5mm version (left) next to the original 42mmThe Formex Reef 39.5mm - Size matter...
Fratello Talks: Watch Photography Q&A Ft. Bowl Of Salmon
Welcome to the 48th episode of Fratello Talks. Today, we have a very special episode lined up for you. We invited our good friend, watch photographer, and Instagram staple Tom, aka Bowl of Salmon, onto the show. We’ve always received a lot of questions on watch photography, even more so after our first episode on the topic featuring Nacho and Morgan. So what better way to answer some of these recurring questions than to get not two but three photographers on the show? Slightly longer than our usual episode, we take a deep dive into photography advice, gear, lights, and even editing. So be sure to tune in, and if you have any questions for Tom, Morgan, or Nacho on watch photography, gea...