Ive been test-driving each generation of the Forstner Flat Link bracelet for nearly two years now. From the early prototypes to the final product, Ive kept a close eye on each continual improvement. The new Forstner Contemporary Flat Link is the most significant update yet and gives an option to those wanting a modern feel. But while it still maintains the vintage cues, the Contemporary Flat Link is not without sacrifice.In his review here, Rob delivered the run down on this new Forstner bracelet. While it was fantastic to see the Flat Link on the Broad Arrow Omega Speedmaster, the Moonwatch is the iconic home of this bracelet style. As this is only a Strap Check, I wont be retreading Robs s...
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This week's TBT focuses on a model from brand that's finally getting some long overdue attention: the Gallet Multichron 45. Here on Fratello Watches, we've had a couple articles on Gallet and more are coming but I've mainly had my attention on the larger 3-register Multichrons (Gallet's name for their chronographs). Today, though, we'll look at a more diminutive piece that's a lot simpler in execution, but no less interesting. Let's jump into it!The Gallet Multichron 45 is a simple, elegant chronograph that balances dress and sport35mm dont be afraid!When it comes to watch diameters, 36mm seems to be the cutoff between the wearable and the pass . I'm not sure why, but I suppose this si...
The full, exhaustive history of watches worn by the British Armed Forces (and all associated squadrons/units/regiments and so on) could fill several volumes. Here we will pick-up on some of the more famous watches worn by the British Army.Nowadays, military watches are incredibly popular for their no-nonsense layout and hardy construction. We often forget that it has its roots in real military conflict. In fact, the advent of wristwatches itself might well have war at its core. The British Army is one of the most famous military forces around the globe. Historic images of British Tommies have romanticized the armys reputation, which, throughout its history, has fluctuated. From the bloody ti...
Easily busted, next, please The statement that there are no complicated watches in the modern omega catalog, is evidently wrong. Sorry about my bluntness, I will obviously delve deeper into the matter, including the mere perception of what constitutes a complicated watch. We all have different standards, and while for some this means a sapphire-cased, Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar, Wikipedia puts it quite succinctly in their definition:?In horology, a complication is any feature of a mechanical timepiece beyond the display of hours, minutes, and seconds. A timepiece indicating only hours, minutes, and seconds is known as a simple movement. Common complications include the date or day-of-the...
The days of finding a pre-owned Omega Speedmaster Professional under $3,000 are behind us. Perhaps, when luck is on your side, you might run into one for that kind of money. But, in general, I will say that those days are gone.In this article, I want to share 5 Omega Speedmaster watches that can be had for under $3,000. These are the Speedmaster models I would (and in some cases I did) purchase with a budget of $3K. Perhaps not the best, wildest, coolest, or most popular references, but I happen to find them interesting Speedmaster watches.5 Speedmaster Watches Under $3,000I went with $3,000, as this used to be the budget for a nice pre-owned Moonwatch. Ive picked up Speedmaster watches for ...
The end of October brought a flurry of news surrounding the new Calibre 400 Aquis. A lot of the usual press channels covered the details. But what was interesting was the number of influencers on social media sharing their shots of the watch. Oris, in its wisdom, sent out examples of the new Aquis to many in the community to maximize its reach under COVID-19 restrictions. Smart move, but with the dust settling and social media checks clearing, what do current Aquis owners think of the new Calibre 400?Robert-Jan Broer went into great depth with his hands-on review of the new Aquis Calibre 400. I am pleased, but not too surprised that he was captivated by the blue gradient dial. The sunburst A...
We are living through a golden era of sports watch design. Ive alluded to it countless times this year and blurted it out loud on more than one occasion. At the end of the craziest year I can remember, I can say that despite all of the awful things that transpired in 2020, the luxury sports watch market is fizzing with optimism. I dont mean that to sound glib; in these dark days, we must rush towards the light where we find it. And thanks to Bvlgari the sun is shining brightly towards the futureIn 2017, Bvlgari released the Octo Finnissimo Automatic in blasted titanium on a matching bracelet. That case, inspired by the designs of the legendary Gerald Genta, became legendary itself overnight....
Rob dials in Maurice Lacroix HQ to speak with Thi baut Bentz, International Product and Marketing Director of the brand to discuss Fridays release of the Aikon Venturer GMT. A short and snappy episode, tune in to stay on top of this weeks watch news.Robs keen to know a few things about the new Aikon Venturer GMT. He asks the thinking behind the design, what Thi bauts favorite element is, and whether we can expect more from the Venturer GMT in the future. Bentz shares his insights into Maurice Lacroixs target demographic with women and millennials high on his list of priorities going forward.Theres some exciting stuff in the works for Maurice Lacroix in the coming months, with new manufacture...
I remember when being a kid, our neighbor showed me his new timepiece. A Seiko with a moon phase. I was very intrigued by it, not even knowing it was just a quartz watch and that a mechanical moon phase watch would be much more complicated. It must have been mid-1980s somewhere, so what did I know?In any case, a moon phase disc on the dial of a watch is ever since something magical to me. It became even more magical when I learned about mechanical timepieces in the mid/late 1990s. It is one of the complications on a watch, not being a very useful one, that I really love.It is a real challenge though, to find a mechanical timepiece with a moon phase complication that comes at an affordable pr...
On the 25th of December 2018, the man who probably had the biggest impact on Seiko's modern history, and possibly the story of the modern watch industry in the 20th century, passed away.Tsuneya Nakamura reached the age of 95 years and a funeral service was held on the 4th of February in the city of Suwa, in Japan's Nagano Prefecture, where Nakamura san spent most of his life serving local industry and economy but also education and arts.Tsuneya NakamuraToday we would like to pay tribute to this emblematic Seiko figure by retracing the life of the man that orchestrated Seiko's phenomenal success in the 60s and 70s.Born on the 8th of March 1923, Tsuneya Nakamura joined Daini Seikosha Kameido (...
Theres no denying that 2020 has been one heck of a year. Any way you cut it, its been one well all remember for a long time. And thankfully, the luxury watch industry has been providing us with plenty of interesting things to keep us distracted2020 saw the release of several new models from Breitling, Tudor, and Bvlgari. Today, in Episode 26 (were back on track with that), Alon and Rob discuss these novelties and pick out their favorites. For the most part, this is a Podcast full of happiness, sweetness, light, and unbridled positivity. That is except for the part when Rob loses his mind (and almost his lunch) while expressing his fervent dislike for one headline-grabbing novelty on this lis...
This week I am highlighting five of my picks of the IWC Aquatimer, ranging from 1968 to the present day.The concept of a bespoke, wrist-worn timing device for deep ocean diving began earlier than most people appreciate. Omega and Hamilton had novel ideas to retain waterproofness in the 1930s. Most famously, Panerai provided a luminescent and over-sized wrist-watch, with a case made by omega, for the Marina Militare. Not often were these watches commercially available outside of naval use.Turning the tidesBut there was a seismic shift by the middle of the 20th Century with the introduction of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms in 1953. Soon after came the omega Submariner. At the time, these watches...
Hmm, thats one heck of a handsome family. Well, I certainly wasn't referring to the Hemsworth brothers. That was my gut reaction to seeing the new Rado Captain Cook dive watches. They have this wholesome look that has even me dropping my usual mean-girl defenses.The Rado Captain Cook has been wooing us with its 60s retro vibes since its revival five years ago. First introduced in steel and bronze in 2017, then in ceramics last year, the divers have firmly secured their position as Rado's winning collection. This market consensus is evidently corroborated by the verdicts of our Fratelli.To plasma or not to plasma?As a new release in 2022, Rado has extended the Captain Cook family with six new...
Ive always enjoyed doing interviews. Having the opportunity to pick the brains of industry executives is a real privilege (which you can add to the long list of privileges we as watch reviewers get to enjoy). Normally, we find ourselves asking the same old questions. In these interesting times, however, it is all changed.Brands are being forced to think, feel, and react. This is undoubtedly the biggest crisis watchmaking has suffered this century. Yes, the financial crash eventually sent shock waves through our world, but it was business as usual. A little choppy, yes, but normal enough to stay the course and keep doing what had always been done.Those times are gone. We live in a new world. ...
In this Sunday morning column, 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 readers' choices as we can. This week the famous Grand Seiko Snowflake dials are being debated. Prepare yourself for some ice-cold cruelty and white-hot barbsLast week, RJ and Ben squared off. The object of their affections/rejections? The omega Daytona reference 116500LN. Understandably, RJ, who positioned himself on the hate-fu...
Patek Philippe in America is a book on how this brand conquered the United States. The sub title of the book, Marketing the Worlds Foremost Watch, covers it pretty well. The impressive dimensions of this hard cover book 13 x 11 and the 360 pages with over 500 images reveal that this must be something special. The arrival of Patek Philippe in the USA has been documented using archives, photographs and numerous advertisements starting in 1860. The author of this book, John Reardon, did an excellent job creating such a valuable treasure for collectors and admirers of Patek Philippe watches.Patek Philippe in America contains 8 chapters covering the marketing of the brand from the 19th century ...
Sometimes I feel slightly schizophrenic, probably a normal feeling for a horological obsessive. Some days, I feel like only wearing patterned, bright-colored socks (well, that's every day) with a searingly yellow Doxa. On other days, I hanker after the crisp monochrome, graphic panache of a matte black dial. Tool-zen, if you like. This story is my take on the best German monochrome watch design. Theres an emphasis on functionality and tool watches, no matter how used-up that term might seem in 2022.To be fair, here at Fratello Watches, the Speedmaster is the king of monochrome. But this is about Germanys best. There is a reason we associate pilot's watches with Germany, whether it be Sinn, L...
Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame where, this week, we take a look at a mid 90s classic. The IWC Fliegerchronograph IW3706 is in focus. But first?Last week, we looked at the TAG Heuer Carrera 1964 that was reissued back in 1996. You lot truly enjoy a retro manual wind chronograph Despite the fact that this model was a bit overpriced, it stopped, started, and reset all way to an 87% Wrist Game win. Let's stay in the same era and the same color scheme for that matter. Will the IWC Fliegerchronograph IW3706 have an on-time arrival or will it fail to leave the terminal?IWC rocked the 90sI know that I bring this up somewhat frequently, but I just can't help it. IWC really had their act t...
3, 6, 9 and 12 There is no watch brand that relies, so much on these four bold numbers.?Year after year,?Panerai keeps its followers in a grip and surprises them with new models. Often with minimal changes, since at Panerai it is all about details.?Now I just said minimal changes, but that's a bit crude, minimal' only counts for those who just know the brand? by name; any die-hard Paneristi notices every tiny detail that has been changed.Panerais Heritage and HistoryPanerai was around 1935 commissioned by the Italian Navy to construct watches for use underwater.? When Navy orders dropped in the late eighties and watch collectors started to show interest in these vintage Panerai watches, the...
We love the challenge of a good list here at Fratello. Especially when it comes to smaller budgets, its a great challenge to figure out the best options. With ever-increasing prices, its not always easy to come up with a list of affordable contenders. For this list, we picked the best mechanical chronographs under 2,000. As it turns out, there are plenty of options available for the money. But some of the obvious picks of the past are not an option anymore. So lets find out what the best chronographs under 2,000 are.I am going to honestI am one of those people that loves making lists. It doesnt matter whether its about music, sports, or watches. When it comes to watches, I have a special int...