Stuhrling Original Men's Winchester Bridge Black Mechanical Watch

13 Mechanical Watches Under 1000 Euro

Watches Under 1000 Euro A mechanical watch doesn’t need to cost you an arm and a leg. Although one could say anything above €50 Euro for a watch is ‘luxury’ anyway. According to some studies and reports on (Swiss) watches, everything above 500 Swiss Francs is considered to be a luxury watch. I don’t like […]

The post 13 Mechanical Watches Under 1000 Euro appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Tour de France with Official Timekeeper Tissot

Tour de France We received an invitation for the finish of the Tour de France in Paris with official timekeeper Tissot. While we are not exactly known for being very sporty, some of us do enjoy a workout every now and then. In-between work, traveling, quality time at home and the typical Dutch weather (rain […]

The post Tour de France with Official Timekeeper Tissot appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Grand Seiko SBGM021 Automatic GMT Hands-On Review

Grand Seiko SBGM021 The Grand Seiko SBGM021 is not a new model. Actually, it has been in the collection for a couple of years already. However, I had a closer look at it while I was in Japan and have admired it ever since. In fact, my interest was sparked even more when I saw […]

The post Grand Seiko SBGM021 Automatic GMT Hands-On Review appeared first on Fratello Watches.

#TBT Roamer Stingray Chrono Diver

Would it surprise you if I said that the Roamer Stingray Chrono Diver is one of the best watches I’ve purchased over the last year? Well, it should because it shocked me and to this day, it still does. At first glance, this oddly designed seems to belong in the all-too-frequent category of questionable 1970’s […]

The post #TBT Roamer Stingray Chrono Diver appeared first on Fratello Watches.

TAG Heuer: Assembly of a Movement

A visit in the TAG Heuer workshop in Chevenez Eduard Heuer was the inventor of the oscillating pinion. This is a key component in the construction of many chronograph movements and, in particular, is the component that lies at the center of the system for starting and stopping of the chronograph. We visit the Swiss […]

The post TAG Heuer: Assembly of a Movement appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Junghans Meister Pilot Hands-On Review

Junghans Meister Pilot Almost 10 months after we first saw the Meister Pilot at an event deep in the Black Forrest we finally put our hands on one. Our loyal readers might remember that September last year we were invited to Schramberg by Junghans. This small town hidden inside the belly of the forest is the […]

The post Junghans Meister Pilot Hands-On Review appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Speedy Tuesday – Why is there a Snoopy on the dial?

Snoopy On The Dial When I post a picture of my Speedmaster Snoopy watches on Instagram, or when writing an article about this watch, I still get questions why there is a Snoopy on the dial. Or what the connection is between Snoopy and the Speedmaster. This question has been answered before by me in an article […]

The post Speedy Tuesday – Why is there a Snoopy on the dial? appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Watch Industry – Back to Reality

Swatch Group The 2016 half year results of the Swatch Group did not go unnoticed. An overview can he found on the Swatch Group corporate website. On Bloomberg and Reuter’s Business Insider, these sources talk (big) numbers and give a technical run-down on the topic. They don’t talk watches of course, or talk about why […]

The post Watch Industry – Back to Reality appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Watches & Pencils #17 – Spider Dial

After the last Watches and Pencils episode about Panda dials I decided to briefly discuss another dial which is related to an animal: spider dials. Although there are similarities they are quite different in terms of ‘creation’. The human decided to design and create a panda dial, while the spider dial is (partly) created by the […]

The post Watches & Pencils #17 – Spider Dial appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Chronographs for Collectors – The book review

Chronographs for Collectors Not all watch books are the same. You have the ones commissioned or written by the brand about the brand. These are usually very interesting to read with tons of photos, old newspaper ads and extracts. But also often lack a certain depth. Then, you have the watch books written by collectors. […]

The post Chronographs for Collectors – The book review appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Eberhard Scafograf 300, a Hands-On Review

This past March at Baselworld, Blaise, Teun and I had the opportunity to sit down with Eberhard & Co and were introduced to a watch that really hits the sweet spot of our readership: the Scafograf 300. In fact, Teun published an overview of the watch based upon our brief session with the company during […]

The post Eberhard Scafograf 300, a Hands-On Review appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso à Eclipse Tribute to Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh Dutch Post-Impressionist Vincent van Gogh was almost unnoticed during his (short) life time. Up to his death, age 37, he only sold one painting, “La vigne rouge”. However, he painted over 2100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings. He did so in only about a decade, as he only started painting in his late […]

The post Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso à Eclipse Tribute to Vincent van Gogh appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Breguet: How the winding of Breguet’s La Tradition Tourbillon works

How the barrel, chain and fusee work together Since 2003 Breguet has had four major expansions of its Vallee de Joux workshops. In its newest wing, Breguet has organized its watchmakers into specialty groups, inlcuding one dedicated to tourbillons. Tourbillon watches are a key pillar of Breguet’s patrimony as it was its founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet, […]

The post Breguet: How the winding of Breguet’s La Tradition Tourbillon works appeared first on Fratello Watches.

How the Speedmaster became the Moonwatch

Apollo 11 – 47 years ago Today 47 years ago, NASA’s Apollo 11 mission was dominating the news everywhere. On July 20th 1969, the Apollo 11 Lunar Module put astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin on the surface of the Moon. On July 21st, at 2:56 UTC, Armstrong set foot on the Moon and […]

The post How the Speedmaster became the Moonwatch appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Czapek Quai Des Bergues No 33 Review

Czapek & Cie Czapek might sound very familiar to you. Watchmaker François Czapek had a partnership with Antoni Patek (yes, that Patek) between 1839 and 1846. Right before Patek hit it off with Adrien Philippe in 1851. Czapek started his own horological adventure and was at the time quite successful in doing so. Our friends […]

The post Czapek Quai Des Bergues No 33 Review appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Sinn Watches Meeting The New DIN 8330 Standards

DIN 8330 Germans and their standards. I can see the fun in that though. However, Sinn doesn’t joke around and is dead serious regarding meeting certain standards. The DIN 8330 is similar to the TESTAF guidelines and is to pilot’s watches what DIN 8306 is to diving watches. Criteria In short, the DIN8330 standards are a […]

The post Sinn Watches Meeting The New DIN 8330 Standards appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Hublot: Changing straps more easily

Did you hear the click? Hublot’s watch cases are not only famous for the special material used in them, they are also renowned for their unique strap attachment system. In the following video, we cover the mechanisms in Hublot’s watch cases, from the opening zone to the pusher of the mechanism, which allows the owner […]

The post Hublot: Changing straps more easily appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Seiko Spacewalk Spring Drive SPS005 – My Daily Watch

Seiko Spacewalk – A short introduction Before I start writing about the Seiko Spacewalk as a daily watch, let’s do an introduction first. On the Seiko SpaceWalk but also on Seiko and Space in general. Richard Garriot In 2008, Seiko introduced the Spacewalk Spring Drive watch during BaselWorld. It was made for astronaut Richard Garriot. […]

The post Seiko Spacewalk Spring Drive SPS005 – My Daily Watch appeared first on Fratello Watches.

#TBT Seiko 6139 Pogue Chronograph

If asked by a vintage watch collector who mainly focuses on Swiss watches for a recommendation on one Japanese chronograph to add, my answer is always the same and without hesitation: a Seiko 6139 Pogue. Astute collectors of the brand might find that a little surprising amongst so many well known and, in certain cases, […]

The post #TBT Seiko 6139 Pogue Chronograph appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Breaking: The Yema/LeJour Rallye Mario Andretti Mystery Is Solved

What watch did Mario Andretti wear? Part of the fun of collecting vintage watches is to research them. Get to know their story. Perhaps find a famous person who owned it before you did. We all heard of the Jim Clark Gallet MultiChron 12, the Jo Siffert Heuer Autavia or staying with the same brand […]

The post Breaking: The Yema/LeJour Rallye Mario Andretti Mystery Is Solved appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Omega’s Extract Of The Archives – How It Works

Why you want an Extract of the Archives When I bought my first vintage Omega Speedmaster, I wanted to know more about this specific watch. Information on the Speedmaster I could find on-line or in magazines, but I was curious to learn about the history of my own Speedmaster. For this, Omega – and a […]

The post Omega’s Extract Of The Archives – How It Works appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Watch Strap Review 22. Bianca Mosca Alligator Strap

Who Is Bianca Mosca? Truth to be told, I had never heard of Bianca Mosca before. That does not mean much to be honest. Anyway, I was contacted by the CEO of Bianca Mosca a while ago. As we plan our monthly Watch Strap Review installments quite far in advance, it took a while before […]

The post Watch Strap Review 22. Bianca Mosca Alligator Strap appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Hublot Big Bang Unico Titanium Ceramic Hands-On Review

Hublot Big Bang Unico Titanium Ceramic We had the opportunity to test drive the Hublot Big Bang Unico Titanium Ceramic for a while. Before we continue with the actual review, let’s spend some words on this remarkable manufacturer first. History When it comes to fashionable manufactures, Hublot is easily in the top 3. The industry […]

The post Hublot Big Bang Unico Titanium Ceramic Hands-On Review appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Salthora – time in the window

MeisterSinger specializes in manufacturing watches that feature one single hand – and only show what is really important. Mostly, a single, needle-thin hour hand rotates around a dial on which you can accurately tell the time to the nearest five minutes. However, the Salthora, which was first presented in 2014, features a minute hand instead […]

The post Salthora – time in the window appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Fortis Classic Cosmonauts Chronograph – A Hands On Review

Fortis Watches If you’re a regular Fratello reader, then you’ve likely noticed that we’ve started to focus heavily on watches from Fortis and today we take a look at what is probably one of their most eagerly followed pieces: the Fortis Classic Cosmonauts Chronograph. In 2015, Blaise and I met with the brand in Basel […]

The post Fortis Classic Cosmonauts Chronograph – A Hands On Review appeared first on Fratello Watches.

New Linde Werdelin Model – LW10-24

Linde Werdelin – 10 years of watches Although the Linde Werdelin company is older than 10 years, they introduced their first watch in 2006. Jorn Werdelin and Morten Linde, old friends (40 years of friendship) that went into different directions (professionally) but shared the same passion for watches. In these 10 years, we’ve seen them […]

The post New Linde Werdelin Model – LW10-24 appeared first on Fratello Watches.

#TBT Glycine Airman Special

Today on #TBT, we’ll take a look at one of the more legendary tool watches in the Glycine Airman. It’s a watch that I’ve always desired, but, for one reason or another, never purchased until only recently. Even then, I wound up with the watch before you by accident – more on that later – […]

The post #TBT Glycine Airman Special appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Zenith: History of Zenith’s Fuse and Chain

Zenith developed a special complicated watch, the Academy Georges Favre-Jacot, to celebrate its 150th Anniversary in 2014. Zenith traces the roots of this watch, which is equipped with a fuse-and-chain constant force sytem, to its development of marine clocks. In this video, the movement designer of Zenith explains how the system works and show some […]

The post Zenith: History of Zenith’s Fuse and Chain appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Hands-On Zenith Heritage Pilot Ton-up Review

El Primero – Zenith Heritage Pilot Ton-up Zenith is one of those brands you can hardly go wrong with. Whether it is vintage or a watch from their modern collection, there is plenty to choose from. How come? Simple. The El Primero movement. It was one of the first automatic chronograph movements on the market […]

The post Hands-On Zenith Heritage Pilot Ton-up Review appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Omega Olympic Timekeeping Exhibitions in Amsterdam and Brussels

Olympic Timekeeping Partner Last Monday, Omega kicked off their Timekeeping event in the Tourbillon Boutique in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Since 1932, Omega has been the official timekeeping partner for many of the Olympic Games. Their starting pistol, photo finish cameras, photoelectric timing etc. have been in constant development, and still are. Olympic Games in Rio […]

The post Omega Olympic Timekeeping Exhibitions in Amsterdam and Brussels appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Speedy Tuesday – Ed O’Neill Wearing A Speedmaster in Modern Family

Jay Pritchett in Modern Family This man really needs no introduction, but you might know Ed O’Neill better as ‘Al Bundy’ or nowadays as Jay Pritchett in the successful sitcom Modern Family. He starred in all 263 episodes of Married With Children, that aired from 1987 till 1997. His movie and TV career started much […]

The post Speedy Tuesday – Ed O’Neill Wearing A Speedmaster in Modern Family appeared first on Fratello Watches.

Oris Bronze Watch Review – What Does It Look Like After A Few Months?

Oris Bronze Watch – Carl Brashear Limited Edition To be honest, I’d never heard about Carl Brashear before and did not see the Men of Honor movie. I also doubt if the story, to which I will come back later, would have impact on my decision whether to like this watch, or not. Or better yet, […]

The post Oris Bronze Watch Review – What Does It Look Like After A Few Months? appeared first on Fratello Watches.

STOWA – Flieger Professional DIN

German certificate DIN official showcased Well done – congratulation! On Friday, June 24th STOWA was awarded at the FH Aachen for its excellent Flieger Professional DIN watch with German DIN standard 8330 for Flieger watches. After multitude testing it was fix – the STOWA Flieger Professional DIN is not affected by the physical stresses of […]

The post STOWA – Flieger Professional DIN appeared first on Fratello Watches.