Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

Welcome, one and all, to the first round proper of March Mania 2021, here on Fratello. Are you a watch maniac like we are? If so, youre sure to love our month-long feature. 96 watches reviewed last year line up for a battle royale (no Happy Meals here) like nothing thats gone before. We need your votes. We want your comments. Help us decide the champion and share in its glory Let the games commenceIn this first round proper, your task is a bit different from your task in the preliminaries. Below you will find the eight remaining timepieces of each of our Fratello competitors in four head-to-head contests of two timepieces. The seedings in the preliminaries dictate the match-ups. So its numbe [...]

Welcome, one and all, to the first round proper of March Mania 2021, here on Fratello. Are you a watch maniac like we are? If so, you're sure to love our month-long feature. 96 watches reviewed last year line up for a battle royale (and extra fries) like nothing that's gone before. We need your votes. We want your comments. Help us decide the champion and share in its glory Let the games commence?-In this first round proper, your task is a bit different from your task in the preliminaries. Below you will find the eight remaining timepieces of each of our Fratello competitors in four head-to-head contests of two timepieces. The seedings in the preliminaries dictate the match-ups. So it's numb [...]

The third times a charm, or so they say. RB take to the ice in an effort to help the NHL rename its four woefully-monikered divisions while attaching watch sponsors that reflect each lineups unique character for good measure.We briefly touch on NFL free agency, with some big moves deserving a mention, which resulted in us slipping into a weird would you rather bit that pitted the career (thus far) of Carson Wentz against that of Dolphins legend Dan Marino.The recently renamed NHL divisions get the Balazs treatment, walking away from this awesome episode with some much better titles and new watch sponsors. There is a massive controversy between Union Glashutte and Glashutte Original as Balazs [...]

If youre enjoying the March Mania contest, weve got a little something for you to increase the fun A free, downloadable, printable bracket so you can either follow the competition offline or, better yet, make your own predictions.Why not play along with your watch buddies? Download the bracket here (or by clicking the below image) and share it with your group. Share it on Facebook, LinkedIn, throughout your Red Bar crew, wherever you like Nail it to lampposts throughout your hometown. Tie it to the backs of stray dogs (please get the appropriate jabs before attempting this), or have it blow up to 100 times its original size and attach it to the back of your Biplane before flying it all over [...]

Were two days out from March. Normally, that wouldnt get me so excited. I hate spring. Its my least favorite season. My dear old mum used to express horror at how openly I derided the gamboling lambs, fresh green shoots of optimism, and the soft, diffused post-winter sunlight. What can I say? All that new life puts me on edge Give me autumn the season of death any day. But not this year Oh no, this year, spring holds the greatest treat of all another knock-out competition on Fratello. This time, weve admitted 96 watches we reviewed last year to the March Mania arena. Only one will walk away victorious Its time to play ballAs you will see in the coming week or so, Ive taken more of a back sea [...]

Last year we brought you the Speedmaster World Cup; this year, were ratcheting things up a gear with Fratellos March ManiaHere at Fratello, we love a good competition. Why? Well, we simply love the sweet smell of victory. No, Im kidding, as much as watching my fellow editors crash and burn at my feet would amuse me, the closest I got to sniffing the title last year was a Semi-Final flattening at the hands of our eventual Speedmaster World Cup champion, Balazs. As such, the smell of victory is unknown to all but one of our team. And while the sharp saltiness of last years tears has sustained the rest of us into 2021, were sick of swallowing defeat. Its time to go back to war. How about you co [...]

Wearing an A. Lange Sohne Lange 1 Time Zone is one of those treats you get as a watch journalist. This of course applies to all sorts of watches from a plethora of brands but receiving an A. Lange Sohne is still something special. Even after 16 years of running this magazine, it is still a special moment when you can strap a Lange 1 to your wrist.The Lange 1 Time Zone has been in the collection since 2005, but last year, in June, A. Lange Sohne decided it was time to present an update. This new version of the Lange 1 Time Zone has a new movement, featuring a handy feature for indicating daylight saving time. But, of course, this hands-on Lange 1 Time Zone review is not about that new addi [...]

Who amongst our readers has proclaimed that their luxury wristwatch purchase was an investment? Okay, that was just a wall of noise. Let me refine the question. What about justifying the cost because you can pass the watch on to the next generation when the time is right? Alright, I hear you this is a crowd I can work with.Even for affluent people, putting down big bucks for a flashy timepiece inspires a slight level of guilt. That money could have bought a family holiday, a new lawnmower, or even a new business venture. Regardless of the options, we choose to swipe our cards on fancy high-tech tickers we strap to our wrists. To compensate, we employ all sorts of reasons to convince ourselve [...]

Integrated bracelets have been in vogue for several years and most brands now offer a choice in this highly competitive arena. Were here to take a look at the contenders.The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus are popular icons. Aside from the fact that both are 1970s Genta concepts, they also share a major design trait. Namely, they feature integrated bracelets. This look seems to fit the current trend of what has become an ever-widening grey zone between dressy and sporty. And so it makes sense that these watches are blazing hot today and nearly impossible to source. But whats a person to do if theyre not on a first name basis with their local AP boutique? Well, the posit [...]

Through the years, weve seen many incredible watches. But some of them certainly love the camera more than others do. Cases, colors, reflections, you name it. All manner of things can affect a watchs performance in front of the lens. To commemorate my favorites, Ive put together this list of the Top 10 most photogenic watches.Being able to capture them in all their beauty is always a pleasure. But not all watches photograph that easily. Needless to say, these watches were a pleasure to work with. Especially because some watches seem to been deliberately designed to make the life of a photographer extra tough.A. Lange Sohne Datograph Lumen.With Lange, it is really tough to select only one fa [...]

New releases from A. Lange Sohne are rare. When they do come along, they should be given the respect and attention they deserve. While the latest A. Lange Sohne Lange 1 Time Zone is not a new model per se, it does feature a new caliber, which thoroughly bolsters this models presence in an already star-studded catalog.The Lange 1 model first emerged in 1994 as the soon-to-be icon charged with establishing the brand as a major player. It was the piece that put the Lange family name back on the map. Since then, it has remained (in several forms) a mainstay in the Lange catalog.Thanks to its defining role, the Lange 1s memorable layout has remained largely unchanged since inception. Different [...]

There are many different ways to illuminate a watch face at night. Different materials, different styles of application, different methods entirely. And within those different methods, there are vastly different qualities of execution. Lets take a look at some of the lume styles available.You may rarely use your watch at night. Thats fine. Im not sure I do either, to be honest. Regardless, there are few things I scrutinize more thoroughly prior to purchase than lume performance, and even more importantly for me, lume homogeny. I like to see a clean, crisp glow from the hour markers. And almost as important, I want that glow to be on the same level of intensity as the hands. So often, hands b [...]

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. Are you ready for round two? Next up is the A. Lange S?hne Odysseus with a sumptuous new dial.While you may still be drooling over the A. Lange S?hne Zeitwerk extravaganza we featured this morning, were coming right back at you with the second post in our SMS double-header. Thats right, there is yet [...]

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.Here's something a little different for you, dear readers. Previously, in Sunday Morning Showdown, two writers have adopted polarized positions on a single watch. Today, we're taking that idea and messing with it. Instead of one writer rating, while the other spends their time hating, we've picked one f [...]

When writing my first photo book article, it brought up some of the things I have learned over time. It also shows some specific topics related to watch photography which I find fascinating. So after mentioning lume photos, there is another topic which is about the details. Though the years I've created many watch macro photos that reveal details that can be hard to see with the naked eye.Watch macro photos simply reveal the true beauty of a watch, or, occasionally, the not so perfect craftsmanship. Thankfully that rarely happens but through the years only a few blemishes have crossed my lens. When this is something you don't want to find on a new watch, vintage watches are something differe [...]

Good morning. In an attempt to deliver you some news you may have missed without causing you to choke on your cornflakes, I will preface it with this: It is wholly unsurprising. In fact, it is such a common occurrence, that perhaps I should start reporting when A. Lange S?hne doesnt win at the Golden Balance awardsAwards are good. They provide us with some idea of industry direction. Thats never absolute, but they can be useful for ascertaining more what the industry itself wants us to pay attention to (irrespective of what the buying public are voting for with their wallets). Major awards like the Golden Balance are useful to those of us who cannot afford to buy many of the watches that wi [...]

The best watches of 2019 according to our editorial team, an overview of over 30 different watches!Were looking back at a very successful year for Fratello. We grew tremendously, not only in reach but also in the quality and quantity of our content as well as the number of contributors to Fratello. We hired a head of operations, Daniel, whos responsible for almost everything besides the content you see here (yet we asked him to chip in as well for this article, as he is a watch guy after all), we did a total redesign of our online magazine, we started with our podcast series, we opened our shop, we started to have our articles translated in other languages (live early 2020) and we are about [...]

We usually don't find an NDA document in our mailbox. I can't remember having to sign a nondisclosure agreement before any event. So when you receive one from A. Lange Sohne, you know something big is about to happen.A. Lange Sohne invited us to Dresden last week, to meet up with Anthony De Haas (Director of Product Development). He talked us through the latest family member of the Glashutte company that re-established in 1990: the A. Lange Sohne Odysseus. According to A. Lange Sohne, there was demand from their existing clientele for a sportier watch in steel. They listened and designed an A. Lange Sohne in stainless steel. Without further ado.A. Lange Sohne OdysseusA Lange watch and [...]

Goedendag, this is The Week in Watches for September 28th, 2019. It has been a busy week, for a lot of brands, so here we go.The brands picked up the pace again in September, with new releases from big brands and some smaller brands.?We saw several beautiful and important releases this week that we didnt get to cover in separate articles this week. Without further ado, here are some of the releases you shouldnt miss.Hublot Big Bang Unico SORAIThe young Hublot company (1980) collaborates with a lot of different initiatives, from Ferrari to Berluti to Orlinski and a lot of others. And now with SORAI.Ricardo Guadalupe (CEO Hublot) and Kevin Pietersen (SORAI)Hublot teamed up with Kevin Pietersen [...]

Its This Week in Watches for September 7, 2019.Bonjour, collectionneur de montres!? This Week in Watches is back with another action-packed look at what went down over the past 7 days or so.? We actually have a lot to cover here, so Ill skip my rant and get right down to itMING 17.06 WatchesMING sent us word of two new watches that will become available for order on the 19th of September via their official site.? Both watches are 38mm (43.9 lug to lug) stainless pieces powered by an ETA 2824-2 automatic thats been modified for two crown positions and adjusted to five positions.? Both are water resistant to 100 meters and feature a new case where the bezel is affixed to the case by screws, th [...]