Last Friday we organized an event together with Seiko Nederland and Dutch print magazine Watching for fans of Grand Seiko watches. When we announced this Grand Seiko event?a number of weeks ago, our mailbox was flooded with messages from people who signed-up. However, we could only select 20 people as it was decided to keep it small and exclusive. In the end, it was stretched to 22 people that wer

Towards the end of Baselworld 2018, Bert and I visited Carl F. Bucherer for a meeting. I have to say it was not only pleasant and relaxing but also very entertaining and interesting in terms of what we saw. It was my first encounter with the brand and while I know of them, I've not had the pleasure of handling their timepieces. Needless to say, both Bert and I were quite impressed by the overall q

A few months ago, I pre-ordered a Forstner “Komfit” JB mesh bracelet. The Forstner brand was resurrected and started to produce those weird-looking mesh bracelets again that could be seen on the wrists of NASA’s astronauts.These bracelets are often better known as JB Champion bracelets. JB stands for Jacoby Bender, and they acquired the Forstner brand (in 1963) before astronauts

A few days ago, we heard from Fratello’s sparkling-eyed sweetheart, Balazs. In his very popular article, he referred to me as the “annoying little Brit”, which, thanks to the arrival of my new, black British passport is now officially true. I am annoying. I am quite little. And, alongside my Irish nationality by birth, I can now start singing God Save the Queen should the fancy e

With the festive season just around the corner, it’s time to start planning the perfect gift for the stylish woman in your life. Imagine this: a Christmas tree, a velvety wine, twinkling lights, and… Wait… What’s missing from this scene?Watches, of course! And lots of them! Christmas is always the perfect time to treat yourself and your loved ones, and 2020 is no exception.

In todays selection, you will meet an under-the-radar vintage Tissot chronograph with a Lemania movement, an unusual Worldtimer, and a quartz Tissot that helped get them through tough years and survive. We also won't forget the constantly running monopusher Mediostat or the later lube-free plastic experiment Astrolon Watch…Vintage Tissot T12 ChronographOne of the many models in the Tissot T1

In today’s video Lex talks you through the Roger Dubuis brand, before getting excited about this stunning piece of Hyper Horology, as he calls it. In 2005, Roger Dubuis introduced the first Excalibur watch. The predecessor of the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Eon Gold that we have with us today.The watch, named after King Arthur’s sword, is extravagant, to say the least. Not only due to the i

What better way to make the most wonderful time of the year even better than by giving your watch-loving loved ones some of the coolest goodies out there? Big budget or small budget, the Fratello Watches Holiday Gift Guide has you covered. With picks ranging from $15 Christmas decorations from NOMOS all the way to $730 for the Bennet Winch watch roll (and above), there's bound to be something for

As The Fast And The Fratelli quarter-finals get underway, we see a dangerous number of Speedmasters slicing their way through the competition. Here, it's Balazs’s Speedmaster Ultraman, which goes toe-to-toe with Nacho’s humble Hamilton Intra-Matic. But will Ultraman fall to his latest foe? Or will the Intra-Matic lose its Intra-Magic and require a tow back to pit lane? The fate of thes

Did you know that the red panda is not really a panda? The red panda, or lesser panda, with its chestnut fur and long, bushy, ringed tail, is not a relative of the black-and-white giant panda. Sorry to burst your bubble. But the red panda, with its happy white face, is closely related to raccoons, skunks, and weasels. And did you know that the Edox SkyDiver Automatic Limited Edition is not an ultr

“High-tech materials” is a bit of a buzzphrase in the watch industry. To many, it's a marketing gimmick, while to others (myself included), it's a fascinating look into the future of watchmaking. Materials like ceramic may seem new and high-tech, but some brands have dabbled in the dark arts of ceramic watchmaking for decades. The most famous? Rado. The Swiss brand has used ceramic in

Why do people wear watches when the time is everywhere? Because a watch is so much more than just a tool to tell the time. For me, watches evoke an idea of romance with their combination of beautiful design, technology, and the ongoing innovations that keep them relevant.As a watch enthusiast, I always find myself checking others’ wrists (subtly, of course, as this can seem like weird behavi

This year has been another strong one for new watch releases, and these articles are the most difficult to write, hands down. There must have been 10-20 watches that I fell for in 2022, and a few of those actually made me sell one or two to acquire them. This time, I am going to remain firmly in daydream land with none of these being within my affordability spectrum except one. This is my take on

Solid slices of Fordite, composite dials made from slate… What’s next in Arcanaut’s arsenal of unexpected dial materials? Scandinavian mussel shells. Yes, you read that correctly. When I first read that, I was equally surprised and intrigued. We are treated to two more unusual dials for the brand’s latest Arc II models. One is a crispy white dial made from a composite mater

It looks like people are still not tired of vintage-inspired dive watches, and many brands keep coming up with re-editions of ones that used to be in their catalogs. Today, we’ll put two of our favorite revived skin divers up against each other. In one corner, we have the Airain Sous-Marine, which is inspired by the 1962 original. In the opposite corner is the Seiko SJE093, which is a re-edi

Seven months have passed since Oak & Oscar released its Atwood hand-wound chronograph. However, it seems that founder Chase Fancher and the team were already plotting the next model, the Humboldt GMT SAR Edition. To be fair, this is a limited offering designed with a search and rescue team in mind. However, it deserves attention due to its new case material and story.The guys at Oak & Osca

It's here! The Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified debuted as a pilot-only watch a few months ago, but Omega decided to make a slightly different version available for people like you (assuming you aren't a US military pilot) and me.Originally for US military pilotsAt the end of September, we showed you the US military version of the Omega Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified, based on leaked interna

Welcome to another edition of Fratello On Air! This week, we’re back with a lengthy episode to see you through holiday travels or unruly guests. We received a listener suggestion to discuss our favorite watches from the ’90s and ’00s. We’ve added the ’10s to the mix as a bonus. Wait 20 minutes for the watch content!

Whenever I read the word “icefall,” my mind wanders to climbing Mount Everest. To reach the top of the world on the Nepal side of the mountain, you must pass the Khumbu Icefall early on to reach Camp 1. It’s a notoriously dangerous start to your journey to the summit. This is part of the greater fascination with the world of climbing that I have had for the last decade. Alas, des

It is Speedy Tuesday! In the past, we’ve shown you a couple of Speedmasters with Moon Phase complications. There was the first Speedmaster Professional Moon Phase from 1985 that we’ve covered in August, the Speedmaster Professional Moon Phase ‘Replica’ or ‘Broad Arrow’ we did in July, the new Speedmaster Professional Moon Phase Aventurine in September and the pl