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Today, we're bringing back the fan-favorite topic of affordable watches. Nacho, Lex, and Daan picked one favorite under €1000 from their personal collections. In this second time diving into the topic, we have a more varied lineup than last time. On our first time highlighting affordable favorites, we ended up with three divers: two from Seiko and one from Citizen. Today's selection is a bit more varied and counts among it an integrated bracelet steel sports watch, a titanium GMT, and a bio-ceramic lookalike of one of the most well-known dive watches out there. Tune in to find out more!
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Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air. This week, we take on another listener topic and discuss passing down our watch collections or what might happen to our watches as we age. We're hopefully not near that time, but it's a subject worth discussing. For our listeners, the watch talk begins at approximately 17 minutes.
The thought of passing down a watch collection to a family member is natural, but what if no one likes watches? Even if they do, will they like the watches we've collected? We talk about this and more on today's podcast.
HandgelenkskontrolleWe kick off our latest episode with several topics before embarking on the main topic of passing down a watch collection. The latest release from Awake surfaces after Mike wrote a hands-on article. For the Handgelenkskontrolle, Mike is wearing his Ming 22.01 GMT. He's had it on for nearly a week with the brand's titanium bracelet. Balazs is on a Speedmaster kick with his pre-moon 145.012.
Passing down our watch collectionsInevitably, we will all need to think about what to do with our watch collections. In the absence of a deeply interested relative, what will we do with our beloved timepieces? Our listener, Stephan, who comes from Switzerland but lives in Birmingham has asked the question. The easiest answer is to sell them over time at some point. However, many of us fancy ourselves as curators and have built focused collections of specific brands or models such as Seiko and Angelus. We'd hate to see the collection split up, so perhaps museums or other collectors are interested in obtaining the collections as a whole. We discuss these possibilities and more.
Thanks for listening to Fratello On Air and thanks to Stephan for the topic. If you have suggestions for future shows, please let us know!
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This week on Fratello Talks, we examine the Patek Philippe Cubitus. Nacho, Lex, and Daan join forces to discuss this hotly debated release from one of the world's most prestigious watch brands. Initially leaked via a magazine ad, the watch did not receive the warmest welcome from watch enthusiasts. And despite journalists at the launch event providing some positive silver lining to Patek breaking its 25-year hibernation from releasing new models, the online rhetoric remained rather cynical. Today, we speak on the topic and provide our honest take on what has become one of the year's most polarizing new releases.
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Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air. This week, we tackle a listener question about pairing watches and straps with our clothing. Do we care or put a lot of thought into what we wear with our garb? Stick around to find out more. Watch content begins after approximately 20 minutes.
Halloween is upon us, which means starting the show off with another great joke to hear Balazs groan. Somehow, we get stuck on clothing brands including J.Crew, which takes us to the main topic. Our faithful listener, Saku from Finland, is back again and asked if we purposely pair our watches and straps with our clothing. It's a deceptively simple question that leads to a sprawling conversation.
HandgelenkskontrolleWhen we finally get around to the Handgelenkskontrolle, Balazs admits that he's been neglecting his Rolex GMT-Master 1675. He's wearing it on an original period-correct Oyster bracelet. Mike is wearing a first-generation Heuer Carrera 2447 with a horribly overpolished case he purchased ten years ago. He's just found an older case online and will complete the swap within weeks.
Watches and clothingWhen it comes to watches and clothing, it's fair to say that both of us live by loose rules. There are rules, though. We both prefer straps unless we're wearing a Rolex. Then, if our clothes are extremely casual, we shy away from strict dress watches and always avoid black or brown alligator and crocodile straps. We both enjoy a bold strap pairing with a more toned-down watch and a look that contrasts with our clothes. However, we never mix a black or brown strap with the opposite color belt. Is it a pedantic discussion? You bet, but that's why you're listening! Let us know your favorite watch, strap, and clothing combos below.
Thanks for listening to the latest episode. If you have future show ideas, feel free to let us know!
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Hello, and welcome to Fratello Talks! Today, Nacho, RJ, and Thomas discuss some of the best watch bracelets, looking at every element that goes into one, from end link to clasp. There’s nothing worse than a bracelet that feels cheap or like an afterthought. The way you fasten it to your wrist is truly an important part of any great watch. And, as opposed to straps, which are ultimately “disposable” products, a bracelet feels much more like an integral part of the watch as a whole. In this episode, the guys take a look at examples of great bracelets from Rolex, Tudor, Omega, and more. Thomas even lends us some of his insights from having recently worked on designing and producing a watch for his brand, VPC. We cover all the stops, from the shape of the end links and integration to clasp size, micro-adjust, and sizing systems.
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We're back with another episode of Fratello On Air. Balazs has just stepped off a plane from New York and is ready to record. In this episode, we kick off with a healthy dose of banter, touch on some news, and review the two watch shows that just concluded. Watch content starts after roughly 25 minutes.
WatchTime New York and Windup just finished and Balazs was on site. You'll hear about the events and how they've grown in stature. Plus, we discuss a certain square-shaped elephant in the room from Patek Philippe. We jabbered so much that the Handgelenks is last!
New York CityWe kick off the show with a discussion about luggage and the Rimowa Pilot Case. Then, it's onto Balazs' retail and social experience in New York. Before we hit the main topic, we devote time to the controversial Cubitus.
Balazs was in New York for a full week and attended the two watch shows. There were a few debuts, but we had seen the watches under embargo in Switzerland or London. We discuss how the two shows have changed and also mention some of our faithful listeners who stopped and said hello. Some of the brands that make the highlight reel are Angelus, echo/neutra, Sherpa, Marathon, Furlan Mari, Baltic, Christopher Ward, and Maurice de Mauriac.
HandgelenkskontrolleThis episode, we end our show with the Handgelenkskontrolle. Balazs brought an armada of pieces to New York, but is back to his Rolex Submariner 5513. Mike is wearing his newly serviced sterling silver Omega 30T2. We hope you enjoyed today's episode. As always, if you have ideas for future shows, please let us know.
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Watches are many different things: functional objects, fashion accessories, charming anachronistic timekeeping companions... The list goes on. But one thing they aren't is funny. In the world of watches, the only thing more serious than the timepieces themselves is their prices. But does that mean there's no room for humor and levity in the watch world? That's the question Nacho, RJ, and Lex set out to answer today. In an industry that tends to take itself rather seriously, we look to find rare examples of humor and levity with varying degrees of success. Though not always visible at a glance, when you delve deeper, you can just about identify the odd example of humor and levity in watches. In today's show, we run through every example we can think of, from the clever tongue-in-cheek humor of seconde/seconde to some questionable advertisements and the odd time (or two) when Rolex has cracked a grin.
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Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, your hosts discuss the vintage watches currently tickling their collective fancies. Before that, though, there's plenty of banter about sneakers and watches. For your convenience, watch content starts after 20 minutes.
Vintage watches are some of our favorite watches. We're always looking and thinking about what to buy next. In this episode, you'll hear about what has us searching auction sites and sale boards. We also discuss the vintage market and the watches that will become popular (again).
HandgelenkskontrolleChristmas came early in Germany and England. Mike received his Nike Air Tech Challenge 2's via the eBay authentication program and Balazs received the latest Nike x Travis Scott shoes from StockX. We then discuss a recent watch event in London held by 289 Consulting with 25 brands including Raymond Weil, Krayon, Doxa, Artya, Favre Leuba, and more. These intimate affairs are refreshing and a nice way to see a lot of watches in one place. For the Handgelenkskontrolle, Balazs is wearing the soon-to-be-released Albishorn Air chronograph. We cannot say much about it, but it's a different take on a vintage aviator's chronograph. Mike is wearing a just-received 18K Movado Curviplan with a black dial. The watch came from France and was a buying adventure.
Vintage watches on our radarFor our main topic, we discuss the vintage watches on our radar. You'll hear about Movado chronographs, Angelus, and Hungarian military watches from Balazs. From Mike, tanks, a nice early Heuer 2447 Carrera, and a later gilt dial Rolex Submariner or GMT-Master make the list. We then discuss the current vintage market and how simple dress watches have become popular. However, these watches have limitations such as a lack of popular, commonly known references. We also opine that '60s chronographs will make a slow return to prominence. Also, vintage Rolex sports watches such as the 5512 we just reviewed are beginning to awaken from a lengthy slumber.
As always, thank you for listening to our latest episode. If you have ideas for future shows, please let us know.
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Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we discuss military watches new and old. We're not here to discuss our favorite models, but we hit upon some major themes with these pieces. Some of these pieces come from disgraced regimes while newer models are similar to high fashion collabs. Stick around and see what we think!
Military watches are a deep subject. Books have been written about them and brands continue to invest in creating new models. We discuss the topic and explain what we like and what makes us uncomfortable.
HandglenkskontrolleAfter our quick weather run-down, we jump straight into watches. Last week provided a bumper crop of new releases. The revamped Omega Speedmaster First Omega in Space debuted and was met with near-universal praise. We're fans! Then, the quizzical Nomos Tangente 2Date dropped with its bonkers complication. Like many, we hope the watch previews other pieces to come. For the Handgelenkskontrolle, Balazs is wearing a special Grana chronograph with Hungarian military history. Mike is wearing a new old stock Certina Jubilé from 1971, a quirky tank-shaped watch with a manual wind movement.
Military watchesMilitary watches form an interesting sub-genre in our hobby. People collect them because of history, innovation, or even personal ties to the event or service branch. Some collectors have served while others may have a relative who fought for their country. Of course, some of these pieces were used by enemy forces. Some collectors choose to avoid these watches altogether. Then, there are modern military watches and collaborations. How do we feel about wearing a current production watch made in partnership with a special ops unit? We discuss all of this and more!
Thanks for listening today and we hope you enjoyed the show. If you have additional show topics, please let us know!
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Hey there, welcome to this week's episode of "Fratello Talks." What are some of the most underrated watch brands out there? That's the question that Nacho, RJ, and Daan have chosen for today's discussion. And though there are indeed many brands out there that could be seen as not receiving the praise and recognition that they deserve, they have chosen to focus only on a handful. For the sake of brevity, they also specify that their picks are limited to larger, more mainstream brands that they believe to be underrated. Being such a subjective topic, it's one that always results in a polarizing and interesting discussion that we know you'll enjoy.
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Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we discuss the increasing number of movement production claims and wonder whether it all really matters. In-house, in-house designed, and third-party are only some explanations we hear about movements and their origin. It's gotten a bit nutty! For our listeners, there's horology content interspersed initially, but fast-forward to 23 minutes for uninterrupted watch talk.
Do you remember when life was simple and watch movements were in-house or off-the-shelf? It was never the case, it's that we didn't care so much. Or, we weren't told to care. Now, we have a veritable buffet of descriptions for how a caliber ended up in a watch case. It's all too much now and in the end, does anyone give a rip? We're not so sure.
HandgelenkskontrolleThis week, we kick off our episode on in-house and other descriptions for movements with a load of banter. Balazs discusses his time at a Turkish airport. Mike mentions a friend who purchased a gray market Rolex Submariner Date in London and how demand is alive and well. Then, both hosts failed in their quest to purchase the recent Travis Scott Nike shoes (Mike was trying for Balazs). Finally, Mike has had it with snarky, know-it-all commenters who want gold stars. For the Handgelenkskontrolle, Mike is wearing his Rolex Datejust Oysterquartz reference 17000. Balazs is wearing the cool new Nivada Grenchen Chronoking Mecaquartz Interchangeable Bezel. Stay tuned for an upcoming review here on Fratello!
In-house, designed by, made by, whatever!Recently, Mike reviewed the new Norqain Independence Skeleton Chrono models. There was nothing wrong with the watches, but the movements were peculiar with in-house design and production at AMT. It got us thinking, do people really care about in-house, in-house designed, or off-the-shelf? We discuss the topic. You'll hear about mighty Rolex and the brand's purchase of Aegler, its longtime exclusive outside movement manufacturer. We mention Oris and question whether their in-house strategy has been helpful to sales.
We hope you enjoyed today's episode and thank you for listening! If you have ideas for future shows, please let us know.
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Welcome to this latest installment of "Fratello Talks," where we speak with a special guest. Today, we are happy to be joined by Benoît Mintiens, founder and CEO of the avant-garde Belgian watch brand Ressence. In this long-form episode, we learn about Benoît's origins as an industrial design consultant, how he transitioned into the watch world, and the philosophy that informed the creation of Ressence. Join us for this in-depth chat, you might just learn something about the brand you didn't know before.
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We're back with another episode of Fratello On Air! We apologize for missing last week, but travel and visitors got in the way. This week, we're discussing watch research, the time it takes, and the self-satisfaction obtained when uncovering a new fact. It's another nerdy episode, but recording was a lot of fun. For our listeners, the watch content begins after 22 minutes.
Watch research sounds like a decidedly dull topic. However, this couldn't be further from the truth because there is plenty to uncover deep in the digital library stacks. We discuss the effort and time it takes to scour the internet for information and the feeling of joy when something interesting is discovered.
HandglenkskontrolleWe are back in good form and before we move on to the main topic of watch research, we discuss travel, shoes, and more! It has been two weeks and we have much to chat about during the beginning of this episode! We move on to the Handgelenkskontrolle and Balazs is enjoying a beachside holiday in Turkey with his Ming 17.09. Mike has unearthed a late '90s Junghans Max Bill hand-winding model he bought on his first business trip to Germany in 1999. It's a lovely 34mm stainless steel watch that is finally seeing some use 25 years later!
Watch ResearchMike leads off with a quick synopsis of his recent in-depth article on the Movado Museum Watch. A sizeable amount of watch research led to debunking a couple of myths surrounding these watches. We discuss the power of digital archives such as the Library of Congress, newspaper archives, legal case histories, and more! The work wasn't easy or fast, but it led to publishing new information. Of course, several people helped along the way. We compare this recent research to a 2019 Angelus military vintage chronograph collector's guide that Balazs wrote about in 2019 and how information sources have changed. Finally, we bring up the official new Submariner book and how it mentions production totals. What could it mean for Rolex information in the future?
We hope you enjoyed this latest episode and thank you for listening! As always, if you have ideas for future shows please let us know.
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Welcome back to "Fratello Talks." Should you wear your watch while playing sports or exercising? It's a question we often hear. What could the possible risks be for your beloved mechanical timepiece? Or is there no real reason to be worried at all? In today's episode, Nacho, RJ, and Lex explore these questions and talk from their own experience. They also look to some sports professionals to see what their approach is and whether it should serve as an example in the first place. So, whether you're living life on the edge and wearing your mechanical watch no matter what you're up to, or you play it safe and break out the G-Shock when the going gets tough, tune in to hear our take on the matter.
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Welcome to this latest episode of Fratello Talks. Does modern Rolex still have the magic? That's the question that Nacho, RJ, and Lex tackle today. There's no question that modern Rolex watches are reliable, luxurious timekeepers. But for many enthusiasts and collectors, nothing quite comes close to the magic of the older four and five-digit references. This is reflected in the prices that some of these (let alone rarer examples) can fetch in the pre-owned market. But what (if anything) makes these more special than current-day Rolex watches? Is it a mix of pop-culture presence, aesthetics, nostalgia, and rarity? And do those models sold today still have that x-factor that their predecessors possess? Perhaps it's something we'll only know in hindsight.
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It's time for another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we cap off Geneva Watch Days 2024 with our favorites from the event. We saw some fascinating watches and met new and old acquaintances. For our listeners, there's not much banter in this episode!
We've returned to our respective countries, are fully rested, and ready to go. Still, the glow from Geneva Watch Days 2024 hasn't completely left us. We spend the show talking about our favorites from the week before and we think you'll enjoy the variety.
HandgelenkskontrolleWe spend some time discussing the new Grand Seiko 45GS reissues, the SLGW004 and SLGW005. They're lovely watches, but the originals offer stunning value and similar looks. The Handgelenkskontrolle is firing on all cylinders this week! Balazs is still rocking his burgundy Ming 17.09 and is enjoying it on a Delugs Rubber CTS strap. Mike is wearing his vintage Heuer Monaco 73633B on a perforated blue strap.
Our favorites from Geneva Watch Days 2024For our main topic, we choose three of our favorites from Geneva Watch Days 2024. Then, we add a couple of honorable mention pieces. We don't often discuss haute horlogerie, so we hope you enjoy the change of pace. There were some real stunners and they're worthy of mention. You'll hear about the following pieces:
Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto SandstoneBerneron Mirage 34mm LapisMing 37.09 BluefinArmin Strom Dual Time GMT ResonanceM.A.D.1SLederer Triple Certified Observatory ChronometerDoxa releases including the Sub 300T Professional Aristera and green modelsAtelier Wen Perception TantalumWe hope you enjoyed this episode and feel free to share your favorites from the event! As always, if you have ideas for future shows, please let us know.
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Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we have a different episode style. Your friendly co-hosts check in while on the go at Geneva Watch Days 2024. Ultimately, we try to give you a feel for the non-stop schedule and what it's like to be at a show. There's no banter beforehand, so let the audio roll!
We're back from Geneva Watch Days 2024, but while we were on the go at the show, we turned the microphones on for brief segments. You'll hear us discuss our schedules, brands, individual watches, people, shoes, and more! We hope you like it. If not, we'll be back with a more normal episode next week!
HandgelenkskontrolleWhile recording most segments, we attempted to bring up the watches on our wrists. Due to Mike's previous "fun" at the Swiss border, he kept his options to the Ming 17.09 Blue and the Patek Philippe Calatrava 570. Balazs was slightly more daring with his Rolex Submariner 5513, Ming 17.09 Burgundy, and Sinn Excelsior Park chronograph. Choosing a watch for an event like Geneva Watch Days is challenging and it's often best to pick a brand that isn't exhibiting. Plus, when on the go in 30-plus-degree humid weather, it also helps to consider a relatively robust watch. As an aside, none of our watches suffered any damage.
On the go in GenevaBalazs and I spent three days at Geneva Watch Days 2024 and it felt like we maximized our time at the event. Meetings started at 9 am and ran until at least 6 pm. Then, afterglow events kicked off at the main tent or brand-specific parties. We moved back and forth between hotels and boutiques for discussions, fueled on espresso and water. Food? It takes a conscious effort to remember to eat! Still, it was great fun and we enjoyed seeing some amazing timepieces. We hope you enjoy today's episode. Next week, we will discuss our favorite watches from the event, which will wrap up Geneva Watch Days 2024!
Thanks for listening! If you have any future ideas for episodes, please let us know!
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Hello, and welcome to Fratello Talks! Today, Nacho, RJ, and Thomas share their vintage watch wishlists. As you can imagine, these guys spend a lot of time thinking about watches. But when they're not writing about the latest releases, they're often lusting after (and hunting down) vintage watches online. It's a hazard of the job. Today, inspired by RJ's latest object of desire, the guys lend you insight into the timepieces on their current list of vintage (and neo-vintage) favorites.
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