Fratello On Air returns once again! Balazs and Mike are together after a three-week break due to heavy travel. It's a light-hearted show full of observations and head scratching. We talk about the Omega X-33 Marstimer, the Apple Watch, and even about luggage.

Yes, it's been a while, but the boys are back in town again. Balazs has been all over Europe while Mike has been in three time zones within the USA. We focus on the craziness that seems to surround collecting anything today and then dip into some discussion around the Omega X-33 Marstimer. It's two friends getting back together after a while...enjoy it!

Handgelenks Kontrolle

We kick things off with the Handgelnks Kontrolle and Balazs is sporting a brand new piece.  He is sporting a Benrus Sky Chief with a freshly serviced Valjoux 72. Mike is wearing his Rolex Sea-Dweller 1665 "Great White" and talks about how small it is versus the current Deep Sea Sea-Dweller. The discussion meanders to the classic pilot's chronographs and the Glycine Airman.

The Omega X-33 Marstimer and Rimowa

Before getting into the Omega X-33 Marstimer, we talk about how Rimowa has seemingly gone the way of Rolex. Apparently, the well-known luggage sells out on a daily basis these days and draws queues in front of the boutiques. The horror! We move on to the Omega and while we really like the looks of the watch, we both wish that it had more functionality such as solar or some sort of connectivity. It's a pricey piece and we feel like more could have been done with the opportunity. We finish our discussion by talking about the Apple Watch and how it has become so commonplace today that it just might be worth a try. Scary stuff indeed!

As always, thank you for listening, and thanks for waiting for us to return!  We'll be back next week with another episode!

Fratello On Air checks in with a new episode and Geneva Watch Days 2022 is the subject. Balazs and Mike discuss some of the key new releases. As always, expect banter and clear views on what's happening around us in the world of watches.

Geneva Watch Days 2022 is a wrap and Balazs was there. He gives his impressions on some of the most essential new releases while Mike weighs in. Naturally, there's talk about other watch news and equipment. Enjoy!

 Handgelenks Kontrolle

Before getting to the Handgelenks Kontrolle and our main topic, our hosts have a few items worth mentioning. Mike brings up a seriously lightweight and packing-friendly rain "shirt" from Patagonia called the "Houdini Jacket." It's available for men and women. Next is the Manfrotto Befree GT XPRO tripod, which has a nifty horizontal guide rail that should allow for great macro work. Finally, Balazs has stumbled upon the Baseus Magnetic Wireless Power Bank and vouches for its convenience. As far as the Handgelenks Kontrolle, Balazs is wearing his '50s Omega 2505 with a caliber 256. Mike is sporting his Citizen Homer HO150401 with glossy black dial and lumed indices.

Geneva Watch Days 2022

Balazs was on the ground during Geneva Watch Days 2022 while Mike watched from afar. We discuss the big release that wasn't actually part of the show, the Tudor Pelagos 39. Then, it's onto the Doxa Army, the new Bvlgari Octo Finissimo novelties, and the Oris Divers Sixty-Five with 12-hour bezel. We finish with thoughts on the newly announced pricing for the Speedmaster Professional.

As always, we hope you enjoyed the episode. If you have any topics you'd like us to discuss in a future episode, please let us know!

Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, Balazs and Mike rant a touch after talking about a number of topics and before finishing with Geneva Watch Days. We were feeling a bit feisty on this one, so forgive us…or don’t!

Who doesn’t love a good rant every so often? As much as we try to keep things on a relatively positive note, every so often something raises our collective eyebrows. Today is that day! Still, there are plenty of other topics to discuss.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Balazs is busy packing for his evening drive to Geneva Watch Days and informs us about the watches that will make the journey. On his wrist, though, is his prized Speedmaster 145-022“Transitional.” Mike is still living in his vintage higher-end Seiko world. He’s wearing a King Seiko 44-9990 from 1966 in support of an upcoming article on this classic.

A rant or two

We discuss a true-crime podcast called “The Yellow Car.” Then we shift to a documentary on the once-popular basketball brand, And1.” We recall the “Starbury” shoes that were supposed to revolutionize the shoe world…but didn’t. Mike also brings up the Mickey Mantle baseball card that recently sold for $12.6 Million…a sign that big spenders aren’t going anywhere anytime soon for top-grade collectibles. Balazs mentions an upcoming Michael Jordan-themed auction where a game-worn jersey is estimated to sell for around $5 Million.

The rant begins when we get to watches. We discuss a recent video made by a watch personality that is aimed toward Breitling and question the intent. Then, it’s on to a W.M.T. watch with a bent case that’s a replica of a battle-worn piece that took a bullet. Neither of us is impressed with the commercial venture. Finally, we talk about Geneva Watch Days and what we might see.

We hope you enjoyed this episode. As always, if you have ideas for the show, let us know and we’ll be happy to consider them for a future episode.

Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air where Balazs and Mike return to talk watches and other semi-adjacent topics. Vintage Grand Seiko is in play towards the end, but there's plenty of other banter to consume as we near the end of summer.

Balazs and Mike are together again! Balazs just landed in Stansted and Mike returned from a weekend in Colmar, but they have united on the airwaves. In this episode, you'll hear about space-related TV, old trucks in Slovakia, straps, and, of course, watches. Vintage Grand Seiko comes into play when it comes to watches on Mike's radar. Balazs brings up some King Seiko models.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Mike kicks things off with a truly brand-new (it arrived today) Sinn EZM 1.1 S and he's overjoyed with how well it fits despite its size. He offers a tip on some truly inexpensive but enjoyable straps from Fullmosa on Amazon. Balazs counters with his two-tone Rolex Datejust 16013. He ponders whether this watch would look good on a strap versus its stock Jubilee.

Vintage Grand Seiko

Before getting to vintage Grand Seiko, there are plenty of topics to discuss. We mention For All Mankind, a gripping TV show that's currently receiving great reviews. Then, we discuss old trucks from before the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Casio WV-59 Wave Ceptor from Better Call Saul has arrived, so expect a fun review soon! Gregoriades.com has some great-looking FKM Tropic-style straps with "Rally" holes and quick-release spring bars. Then, we come to Grand Seiko and we discuss the 44GS, the 4520-7000, and the SBGW235. We pivot slightly to some beautiful King Seiko models as well and end with custom display backs.

As always, we hope you enjoyed this episode. Feel free to let us know if there's anything you'd like us to cover in a future edition!

Fratello On Air returns with an amusing look at Casio. That's right, it's not just about GShock this time! With these picks, get ready to measure temperature, barometer, and other fun data.

Yes, Casio is in focus with Balazs and Mike on the airwaves. In this episode, the duo talks about a couple of their favorite watches from the Shibuya-based brand. As mentioned, there's more to GShock when it comes to the digital powerhouse. The discussion triggers a walk down memory lane and we hope you have as much fun as our hosts.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Before heading into Casio, it's time for our one and only Handgelenks Kontrolle. Balazs leads off with the newly delivered King Seiko 45-7000. He's really enjoying the watch and its manual winding Hi-Beat movement. Mike is wearing his DOXA 300 SUB Black Lung. He feels it's still one of the best reissues and wore it on recent trips to England and Slovakia.

Casio

We turn our attention to Casio and give a brief history of the brand that makes a whole lot more than watches. Furthermore, we share some stories from childhood when it seemed that everyone was sporting some sort of digital watch. Then, it's time to name our favorites. We throw in a few surprise models along the way and in the end, but here are the main topics:

• The CMD-40, a watch that could be used as a remote control for all your home electronics
• Casio AMW-320, an ana-digi diver that was even worn by Arnie in some great movies
• TSR-100 Thermo Scanner — this watch has a barrel-like protrusion that measures temperature!
• GShock Riseman "Men in Rescue Orange" GW-9200RJ-4JF, a watch that Mike remembers from a 2008 trip to Japan

Thanks again for listening and, as always, feel free to let us know if there's a topic you'd like us to discuss.

Welcome back to a long-overdue episode of Fratello On Air! Balazs and Mike have returned from lengthy travel and that forms the underlying agenda of today’s chat. There’s plenty more, though, so sit back and enjoy!

Yes, Balazs and Mike have been away for a couple of weeks. Balazs spent time in Japan after his vacation in Hungary. Mike flew the opposite direction and stayed in South Florida for some much-needed holiday. In this episode, travel sets the stage, but with watches as the primary focus.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

After a brief chat, Balazs introduces the newly reborn Vulcain Cricket that is in with him for review. He has the larger-sized model and we even get to hear it! Mike stepped off a plane only hours earlier and is wearing the watch that accompanied him for two weeks in a row: the new Breitling SuperOcean 42.

Travel

Before discussing travel, we discuss the new Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date models in “Vibing Orange” and “Disco Blue.” Neither of us are fans although we do enjoy G.O. Then, Balazs recaps his visit to Japan and some watch-related topics. Mike talks about South Florida and a particularly weak visit to Wempe at Frankfurt Airport prior to departure. Finally, we cap things off with a talk about recent watch thefts and whether it’s beginning to shape what we wear when we hit the road. (Hint: yes) Is it safe to wear a Rolex or a gold watch?

As always, if you have a topic that you’d like us to discuss, feel free to let us know. Thanks for listening!

Fratello On Air is back with another winding episode where the Tudor Ranger and the idea of a field watch are in focus. Enjoy this flowing discussion while Balazs and Mike are sweating it out in Europe!

That's right, it's hot out there, but a little (or a lot of) heat can't keep Balazs and Mike away from the mic. Balazs is holding court at a castle in Chemnitz, Germany while Mike is roasting in Frankfurt. Both are looking forward to cooler days whenever or wherever. Before discussing the Tudor and what a field watch means to each, they take care of some wristy business and the news.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Mike kicks things off with his late model Rolex Explorer 1016, a nice example within the field watch genre. Balazs debuts his new Angelus Datalarm, a stainless model that joins his gold-plated version. For a bit of off-topic news, Mike discusses airline woes and his unfounded excitement over the upcoming Rimowa Pilot's case. Balazs has received a pair of new, discontinued leather Adidas Stan Smith's.

Tudor Ranger and the field watch

Next, we discuss the new Tudor Ranger. We like the watch but aren't wholly convinced. Perhaps, seeing will result in believing. The Ranger sparks a conversation about the field watch category in general. What is it and why do people like them so much? Are we all adventurers at heart or do we simply crave a basic and capable watch with good legibility? We cover a lot of different watches in the genre such as the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical, the Nivada Super Antarctic, and even a GShock!

As always, thank you for listening. Feel free to let us know if there are any topics you'd like us to cover in a future episode.

Fratello On Air comes back with another brand-focused episode and this time, it's Oris! The independent watch company from Hölstein is in play and, as always, we've picked some unique models. Settle in and enjoy!

There's no doubt that Oris is a Fratello favorite. From the "FratellOris" to the Sixty-Five, we're fully locked into this fan-friendly brand. Most of us, though, know the company from the last decade or so. Are there some interesting gems from the past? Of course, there are!

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Traditional calls and that means that after some healthy banter, it's time for the Handgelenks Kontrolle. Mike kicks things off with his newly received Grand Seiko 6245-9000 (look forward to an upcoming review) and raves about its details. This also kicks off a broader discussion about King and Grand Seiko. Balazs pulls out a newly serviced black-dialed Angelus 210 chronograph. What a stunner!

Oris

When it comes to Oris, there's no doubt that the current models are winners. Did you know that there are some truly interesting older models? We take a look at a few of them!

• Star ChronOris, although Balazs pinks a funky green version with hooded lugs
• ChronOris 2005 Reissue, a 7750-powered model with a great kit
• Star Diver with a case design that showed up on several brands during the '70s
• Diver 7401, a wearable automatic dive watch from '90s
• Oris Dynasty, a wild square watch with a manual movement and mirrored dial
• The Divers Sixty-Five, the watch that put Oris on the map for many of us

We hope you enjoyed this look at some unique Oris watches! As always, feel free to contact us if there's a topic you'd like us to discuss.

Fratello On Air returns with a talkative episode. Balazs and Mike cover a lot of ground. Some of it is watch-related while some of it is not! We discuss the recent cranky comments on our site and ultimately spend a few minutes on our "grab and go" Summer favorites. There's a bit of Citizen headed your way. Enjoy this meandering episode.

Yes, Summer is in full swing and Balazs is sweating it out in Hungary. Mike is staying relatively cool in Germany. Our readers, however, seem a bit hot and bothered! Maybe some inexpensive Citizen dive watches will help assuage sore feelings.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

When it comes to the handgelenks kontrolle, Balazs is wearing his tried and true MoonSwatch Mars! This one is super lightweight, which helps beat the heat. Mike has also gone with a bantamweight in the Breitling SuperOcean 57. However, he has taken it off of the mesh for the first time and put on an inexpensive green canvas strap. Comfy!

Loads of other topics including Citizen

We hit on loads of topics today. Adidas Stan Smith shoes, Oakley sunglasses, and Swatch watches and sunglasses are just some of the fun. Then we talk about a recent Strap Check article where Mike paired his Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925 with the Forstner Model J. Our readers weren't fans! Then, we discuss the polarizing new Breitling SuperOcean and third-party movements in general. The Serica 5303 also comes up and Mike is interested! Finally, we discuss some of our favorite easy Summer watches.  Balazs mentioned the new Citizen JP2007-17W Aqualand with an all-lume dial. Mike mentions his Promaster Tough "Ray Mears" and BN0220 diver. Enjoy!

Rikki and David from Scottish Watches sit down with Rob for the first of two crossover episodes a la Murder, She Wrote, and Magnum P.I. (but with fewer murders and Rolex GMT-Masters).

Follow me on Instagram @robnudds

Fratello On Air returns with a focused episode on one of our favorite watches, the Rolex Day-Date. Mike and RJ are here with some serious heft on the wrist. You'll hear about their love for these decadent, yet classic pieces.

We really think that you're going to enjoy today's episode on the Rolex Day-Date. This edition features two watch fans in an unscripted discussion about the flagship of the world's most famous watch brand. The watches are different, but the admiration is similar. A word of warning, though, have the pause ready after the opening salvo to regain your composure!

 Handgelenks Kontrolle with the Rolex Day-Date

It's no surprise that the Hangelenks Kontrolle sets the stage for the main topic. RJ is wearing his new-to-him 18238 in yellow gold with an equally champagne dial. Mike, goes with a watch from a different era and in a different hue. He's sporting his "new" white gold 1803 with a black dial. Yes, this is the watch that suffered an agonizing shipping delay! Both talk about what makes this watch special along with their memories of seeing it on the wrists of others or on TV. Enjoy the ride!

Fratello On Air is here with an episode covering several topics. In the end, you'll want to stick around because Balazs meets his "shoe idol," who is none other than Stan Smith. Not the shoe, mind you, but the tennis player with an incredibly famous shoe. Of course, we talk about watches as well...

That's right, Balazs has finally met Stan Smith and talks to him about several things including "the shoe." We also discuss travel and how good it is to get out again. There's also the topic of finding a MoonSwatch randomly and going hands-on with a new retro Certina dive chronograph.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Mike is in Atlanta during this episode and it's a Sunday. He's heading back to Germany in about 6 hours. What to do? Well, he's wearing his Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925 on the Forstner Model J (and his Stan Smith sneakers). Plus, he has just returned from Waffle House! Balazs is in Germany and he's wearing the new "Mission to Mars" MoonSwatch that he unexpectedly found at the Swatch HQ in Biel!

Certina and the Stan Smith interview

We talk about travel and that includes Balazs and his adventures in Switzerland. As mentioned, Mike traveled to Atlanta and enjoyed wearing his Tudor as an "only watch." We discuss the new Certina DS Chronograph Automatic 1968 that he has in for review. After that, it's time for the Stan Smith interview that Balazs held in person while he was in Switzerland. Stan stopped in on his way to where else but the French Open! Enjoy it!

As always, thanks for listening to Fratello On Air. Don't hesitate to let us know if you have any additional subjects you'd like us to cover in a future episode.

Fratello On Air is here and we’re excited to discuss the recent Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute release and provide an interview with Fred Mandelbaum. Balazs and Mike are on the mics again talking travel. Tune in and listen to their latest experiences.

That’s right, Breitling came with a new Navitimer Cosmonaute in the form of a limited edition model. It’s an interesting watch with an interesting build-up to its introduction. The introduction actually took place in Europe and there were some surprises. Enjoy the ride!

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Before hitting the new Navitimer Cosmonaute, Balazs and Mike do the usual with the Handgelenks Kontrolle. Balazs is wearing his beloved Eterna 852 and even shares a story related to the watch with his recent travels to Switzerland. Then, Mike brings out something he hasn’t worn in quite a while — the IWC Aquatimer 3536.

The Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute

Mike had the opportunity to spend a couple of nights in Zurich for a Breitling event which included the release of the new Navitimer Cosmonaute. Next, we discuss the watch, its story, and a fantastic collectors dinner that loads of friends attended. Listen hard and you’ll even hear something from our friend Eric Wind — this sound byte will live on in eternity! Finally, enjoy a chat with Fred Mandelbaum where he shares some history about the original Cosmonaute.

As always, thanks for listening, and feel free to let us know if there’s anything you’d like us to discuss in future episodes.

We’re back with another episode of Fratello On Air. This time, Balazs and Mike discuss Longines. This is an episode where we cover some of our favorite models and play an interview that RJ had with Giuseppe Maccio, the head of product at Longines. Enjoy it!

It’s been a couple of weeks since Balazs and Mike have come together due to travel and life in general. Here they are, though, talking about one of the most iconic brands in history: Longines.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Before coming to Longines, it’s time to hit the Handgelenks Kontrolle. Mike goes first with the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925 and brings a twist. He has chosen to add the Forstner Model J and the results are positive. Balazs shares his Angelus 215 that has been on a weeklong trip to Switzerland. Good for him for wearing this classic on the road!

Longines

We then move onto some news which is actually specific to Longines. The new Ultra-Chron debuted as a 43mm diver with a 36,000vph automatic movement. This is an impressive watch and we like the brand’s direction. Then, we move onto the main topic and begin to name our favorite pieces. We discuss the:

• Admiral, an interesting early ‘70s collection that reminds us of the Omega Dynamic
• The Big Indian ref 6111 – an amazing ‘50s military piece that weighs in at a daunting 44mm

We then cut to the interview between RJ and Giuseppe. Then, it’s back to a couple more of our favorites.

• The Nonius Chronograph with the Valjoux 72
• Finally, the Weems watches with their innovative bezels used for flight navigation

We hope you enjoyed this episode on Longines. Thanks for listening and if you have ideas for future shows, feel free to let us know!

Fratello On Air is back with another brand-focused episode. This time, Balazs and Mike focus on Bulova. Finding six favorites from this legendary brand was a real task, but we've pulled out some winners. We hope you enjoy it!

Bulova, the brand founded in New York in 1875, is on the hot seat. We do our best to find six attractive models to help paint a picture of how varied this brand was during its heyday and even after the quartz crisis. Expect the unexpected — especially when it comes to Balazs' picks!

 Handgelenks Kontrolle

Before getting to Bulova, we take care of our Handgelenks Kontrolle. Balazs kicks things off with a new arrival, his "NOS" vintage Excelsior Park EP 4 chronograph. Congrats on the arrival of this long-awaited stunner! Mike is doing his best Balazs impression with the late '40s, early '50s Siduna Commander. This is a Danish brand, but a Swiss watch with a 36.5mm "waterproof" stainless steel case and an ETA 1110.

Bulova

For the main part of our show, we discuss six of our favorite models from Bulova.  Before doing so, though, we give a little bit of history and bring in some stories about how we were personally impacted by this brand. Then, it's time to hit the watches. We discuss the following:

• Bulova "Parking Meter" Chronograph ref. 7392 from 1973, a watch that Mike declares as his favorite bullhead
• "Stars and Stripes" Chronograph C from 1970 with its incredible dial and mesh bracelet
• Accuquartz "Woody," a 1973 collection with wood-grain bezels and even a diamond!
• The Accutron series, which debuted in 1960 with a focus on the Spaceview and Railroad-approved models.
• Sea King, with its small whale on the dial and Seamaster-like looks
• Bulova Sea Hunter chronograph, a weird child of the early '80s with a Squale-like case and Valjoux 7736

We hope you enjoyed today's show! As always, if there's anything you'd like to discuss, feel free to let us know.

Get ready for a winding episode for this week's Fratello On Air! Balazs and Mike return after a one-week hiatus with news from the road. Enjoy this open discussion!

Mike has been on the road for much of the last month and Balazs is gearing up to leave. Movement around the globe forms part of today's episode along with a couple of news bits. As always, though, it's time to start with a Handgelenks Kontrolle.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Balazs is sporting the new Nivada Datomaster Mecaquartz and we discuss this affordable entry. We also muse about how this watch looks like the Nivada Dato 4368 that Tomas reviewed for #TBT. Mike has pulled out his Omega Speedmaster Professional "TinTin" and decided to put it on the original bracelet for the first time in years. We're not sure how long that will last!

Travel and the news

We spend some time talking about the news. Specifically, we mention the new IWC Pilot's Watch for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. That sparks a conversation about racing in general. Then, we discuss shipping woes including lost and stolen packages. Regarding travel, we talk about some of the most common watches we see while moving through airports. Mike brings up the enduring Rolex GMT-Master II reference 16710 and 15 to 20-year-old Speedies. Balazs talks about Breitling. Finally, Mike mentions a quick coffee with Jason Heaton in Minneapolis and the Vertex AquaLion he was wearing.

As always, we thank you for listening! We're ready to discuss another brand, so if you have any suggestions, please feel free to let us know!

Fratello On Air returns with an episode where both hosts are finally in the same room. It took two years, but the dynamic duo are together again. Face to face - reunited and it feels so good!

That’s right, Balazs and Mike are finally sitting in the same room, recording a podcast, and checking out watches. It’s a fun show with a couple reader questions and a look at a handful of watches from each host’s collection. Enjoy a candid discussion between two friends who haven’t seen each other in awhile.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Before moving on to the main topic, the two discuss the recent DOXA ArmyDOXA Army release. They both offer their thoughts on this limited edition, sold out timepiece. Then, for the Handgelenks Kontrolle, Balazs discusses his prized Omega 27CHRO 12. Mike has decided on his Rolex Submariner 5513 MaxiRolex Submariner 5513 Maxi dial. 

 Face To Face

Once the formalities, are over, we decide to answer a couple reader questions. The first question relates to making a watch with a large lug to lug wear smaller. Next, we address a question about strap colors for watches with either black or white/silver dials. Then, we move on to looking at some key watches in the collection. Some of the watches we discuss are:

• A variety of Datejust models
• The Eterna 852
• Various MING watches
• A glorious collection of '40s and '50s chronographs
• The Citizen Chronomaster Diver

We hope you enjoy this one! As always, feel free to send your questions. Thanks for listening!

Fratello On Air is here and we finally get around to answering a reader's question about vintage chronograph movements. Are there differences? Which do we like best? We attempt to answer some of these questions in a chatty, non-technical way. We hope you enjoy it!

Balazs and Mike love a good reader question and after over a month of travel and tackling different subjects, it was time to respond. Our reader sent us a question about vintage chronograph movements. Which do we like, are there differences, and should some be avoided? Well, we aren't watchmakers, so the technical discussion is light. Still, little differences find their way into the conversation along with some of our favorite watches that use these movements. 

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Before moving on to the main topic of vintage chronograph movements, it's time for a Handgelenks Kontrolle. Balazs has come correct with his newly acquired Omega Speedmaster Professional 145.012-67 with a 321 caliber movement. Mike also enters the game with his Excelsior Park "Tuxedo Dial" with an EP4 movement.

The chronograph movements

For our main topic, we have decided not to boil the ocean. We simply could not discuss every vintage chronograph, so we chose our four favorite manual-wind movements with column wheels. As we mentioned, we aren't watchmakers, so technical intricacies are left for others. However, our research did point out that all four movements were stellar and that personal preference likely towers over true technical prowess. We discuss:

• The Valjoux 72, is one of the most famous movements of all time. Its peculiar asymmetric pusher placement is a hallmark and its robustness is a key feature. This is the engine behind greats from Heuer, Rolex, Universal Geneva, and countless others.
• The Venus 178 is a reliable, overlooked worker. Breitling used this movement heavily, but also Benrus and Clebar.
• The Lemania 2310 (Omega 321) is the movement that went to the moon! However, lunar travel wasn't its only claim to fame. This movement found its way into many Omega watches and its predecessor, the 27 CHRO C12 is just as legendary.
• The Excelsior Park EP4/EP40 just might be our favorite of all! This stunning movement is a niche piece versus the others listed here. These movements were used by Gallet, Girard Perregaux, and Zenith to name but a few. 

As always, thanks for listening! Please feel free to let us know if you have any other show ideas.

Fratello On Air returns after a one-week hiatus with Part Two of the new watch rundown. Balazs and Mike continue to roll through some of the more notable releases from the past month or so.

Who doesn't like a new watch? Well, if you're like us, the season's introductions mark an exciting period. Therefore, it was notable enough o mark the occasion with two episodes. Make sure to catch the first one if you haven't already!

Handgelenks Kontrolle

After a bit of chit-chat about travel, fitness, and normal life, the duo moves into the Handgelenks Kontrolle. Balazs is sporting a brand new watch with the Nivada Grenchen Datomaster Mecaquartz. Mike has received his MoonSwatch Mission to the Moon and the two discuss the fun around these watches.

New Watch Rundown Part Two

Then, we move onto the main part of the show and that's more from the new watch parade that has occurred over the last month. We discuss new pieces from:

• Sinn — such as the 556, EZM 1.1S, and the U50 S BS
• Doxa — looking at the new Whitepearl family
• Citizen — with their new 200m Promaster Mechanical Diver
• Vacheron Constantin — the triumphant return of the Les Historiques 222
• Some additional tidbits on some of our favorite independents

As always, thanks for tuning in, and stay tuned for more from Fratello On Air!

It's time for another episode of Fratello On Air and, wow, do we have news! In fact, we have so much news that our New Watch Rundown will consist of two episodes. Enjoy the first one!

'Tis the season for all the debuts. Balazs and Mike are here with a new watch rundown! It's not just Watches & Wonders 2022 here, though, because plenty of brands have come to the table.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

As always, the duo kick things off with a bit of banter about Balazs's trip to Miami with Maurice Lacroix and then move on to the Handgelenks Kontrolle. Mike is wearing his fresh-off-the-delivery-truck Aquastar Deepstar Mid-Size chronograph. Stay tuned for a hands-on review! Balazs takes a trip to Saturn, not the german electronics store, with his new MoonSwatch! The two spend some time talking about the mania around these watches and some personal experiences near the Swatch boutiques.

New watch rundown, part 1

Next, we hit a number of new watch brands and discuss our thoughts on their newest pieces. In this episode, you'll find:

• Breitling and their new Navitimer
• Rolex with the new GMT-Master II, Air-King, and Yacht-Master Falcon's Eye
• Tudor brought the Black Bay Pro, GMT S&G, Black Bay Chronograph S&S, and Black Bay S&G
• TAG Heuer with its trio of Aquaracers
• Grand Seiko with its Evolution 9 models and 9S64 duo

As always, thank you for listening, and be sure to check us out every week!

Fratello On Air is here with Balazs and Mike. This week, Zenith is in focus as the duo roll through their favorite models out of Le Locle. You'll be surprised with this list because the El Primero doesn't factor so heavily.

Zenith dates way back to 1865 with its founding in Le Locle, Switzerland. While we won't go back that far at all, we will look backward at some of our favorite models. Of course, Zenith makes some fantastic new models (ooh, we love that Chonomaster Original!), but bring two vintage nerds together and vintage is what you get!

Handgelenks Kontrolle

As always, Balazs and Mike kick off with a Handgelenks Kontrolle. Balazs is sporting his Casio G-Shock GW-B5600 with Bluetooth. Mike is wearing his vintage Technos Sky Diver on a bracelet.

Zenith

As mentioned, there's more to Zenith than just the El Primero and there are some proper surprises here. In fact, there are watches that one of our hosts had seen for the very first time. We discuss:

• S.58 Diver made from 1958 to 1968
• A3736 Super Sub Sea Chronograph Diver from the early '70s
• A3635 Super Sub Sea Diver, a big 40mm piece that pairs with the chronograph above
• Time Command Futur, an incredible '70s quartz watch with an analog dial and LED display showing the seconds
• A386 El Primero because it's one of the most iconic chronographs of all time. We reference the site alphahands.com with its amazing research.
• Defy Surf Quartz, a '70s piece that's highly on point these days with its integrated bracelet

As always, thanks for tuning in and we look forward to "chatting" with you next week!

Fratello On Air is back with another brand-focused episode. We truly promise that we're not on a Swatch Group parade, but we will hit our third marque within the portfolio. Hamilton is our topic today with Balazs and Mike on the - erm - mic. Enjoy it because the guys really enjoy this brand.

Before we get to what was once America's most famous brand, we talk a little bit of news. Mike brings up the latest MING 22.01 GMT and asks Balazs what he thinks about "caller" GMT's. In the end, both think this is a subject that receives more scrutiny than necessary. It's not Hamilton time yet because next, it's time for a...

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Balazs is in point with his Hamilton Intramatic chronograph, a stunning modern reissue in blue. This watch will play a part later on in the episode. Mike is wearing his MING 17.09 in blue on the Universal bracelet. It's a watch that offers the perfect move from his recent blue-dial Datejust infatuation. 

Hamilton

We move on to Hamilton and talk a bit of history. This is a brand that truly appeals to Mike as he lived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the ancestral home of this longstanding company. With the six watches that we'll discuss, watches from both Lancaster and Switzerland will make their appearances. We discuss:

• Piping Rock, is an art deco watch that was first made from 1928 to 1935 and has a baseball tie-in
• Super Compressor 600, a lovely 36mm diver
• Odyssee 2001, the late '60s watch with a connection to Stanely Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (Balazs mentions the book by Horolovox where this watch is featured)
• Military W-46374, the 33-34mm '70s and '80s military watch with a manual wind movement
• Military Chronograph, a watch issued to the RAF and Royal Navy from 1970-82 and largely produced by Breitling. Head to cwcaddict.com for loads of information.
• 7730 Chronograph, built by Heuer and known as a "poor man's Carrera"...check those prices now!

As always, we thank you for listening - stay tuned for more!

In the second episode of “Meet The…”, Balazs chats with Alex Gravelle, the man behind Velle Alexander, a strap company from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Alex tells us why he chose this path, what watches he’s into, and which timepiece is on top of his wish list.

If you are a fan of the Fratello On Air podcast, first of all, thank you. Your support means a lot to us all, who sit down week after week to research, record, edit, and put out new episodes for your listening pleasure. I consume a lot of podcasts myself, so I know how it feels when my phone notifies me about a new episode from one of my favorite channels.

Velle Alexander

We featured Velle Alexander for the first time on Fratello in 2019. Then, last year, we revisited the brand, and I was happy to see how well the company had taken off since our initial article. Aside from the fantastic craftsmanship Alex imbues in his straps, he is also a great guy to talk to. His passion, attention to detail, and meticulous process never cease to amaze me. So, when the opportunity came to interview him for the next episode of “Meet The…” I did not hesitate one bit. The first part of our interview revolves around straps. We chatted about leathers, designs, special orders, and more. Later on, Alex and I moved on to other topics like watches, a bit about cars, and some more watches. 

We finished the talk with a fun round of This or That, but not before he gave us his SOTC (as we often used on watch forums back in the day, State Of The Collection). If you are looking for a strap, need inspiration for what to get, or want to spend some time on IG browsing through watch eye candy, I suggest you check out Velle Alexander’s Instagram page. I kept on scrolling up and down during our interview, sometimes for questions, other times just admiring the level of watch (strap) photography he posts there. 

The idea for our new “Meet The…” series is simple. We’ll feature another job or position in and around the watch industry or community in every episode. We’ll chat with watchmakers, owners of strap ateliers, CEOs, collectors, and researchers. It’s going to be fun and, hopefully, highly informative.

As always, thanks for tuning in to Fratello On Air! Feel free to let us know if there’s anything you’d like us to cover in future episodes.

Well, well, well. After a hiatus of almost exactly four months, WASP returns for the (very) long-awaited LIVE Episode 10, which was so important to Balazs and me that we even went down the route of decimal show numbers to ensure we kept our promise.

And keep it we did (eventually)! Now, for the first time in ages, the Fridge & Freezer presenting duo have the chance to chat in person. The show was recorded in one take and is available in video format too.

Check out fratellowatches.com to see us in all our dubious glory, as we rattle through our favorite watches from Balazs's private collection, mock my "old-fashioned" diameter preferences when it comes to Rolex, and discuss what those extended lines on the minute counter sub-dial of many aviation chronographs are actually there for.

When WASP will return to the airwaves on a regular basis, we don't know. If you've enjoyed the show and would like to hear more from us in this vein, hit us up in the comments section below.

Follow us on Instagram @robnudds and @ferenczibazs

Fratello On Air is here with another vintage-focused episode. This time, we talk about our favorite models from Certina. If you enjoyed our previous episode on Tissot, this will be right up your alley.

Balazs and Mike return with an episode focused on Certina. Before getting to the heart of the matter, there is some news related to current events. Then, it's time to move on to what has become a tradition: the Handgelenks Kontrolle.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Neither Mike nor Balazs chose a Certina for today's episode, but hopefully, you'll enjoy these choices just the same. For Balazs, he's wearing his Hi-Beat Grand Seiko 5640, a lovely example with both a day and date wheel. Mike is wearing his newly arrived Citizen Homer HO140501 from 1964.

Certina

It's time to move on to the main topic: Certina. After a bit of history, six great models receive mention.

• '70s Argonaut chronographs with their column-wheel Valjoux movements
• '50s and '60s DS 5601-013 and 113 with their incredible lume-laden dials
• Biorhythm — a funky watch that belongs in Tomas' collection
• '60s DS and DS PH200M 346.825 with their amazing dials
• EA split-seconds chronograph — a proper vintage gem
• 1968 DS-2 Super PH500M — a diver used in the Tektite studies

As always, thanks so much for tuning in, and feel free to send us topics!

Fratello On Air returns and this week, Mike talks to Martin Klocke from Sherpa Watches. If you're a watch lover and want to hear a tale about an incredible passion project, this episode is definitely for you!

Martin Klocke is someone I "met" well over a year ago via Instagram. He had aired his intentions to bring back highly faithful, yet modern, renditions of vintage Enicar models. Sherpa Watches was born and, now, production of the Sherpa OPS and Ultradive models is about to begin.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Martin is from Germany, so you'll get to hear "Handgelenks Kontrolle" pronounced correctly! Martin is wearing one of his watches and I'm sporting my Enicar Sherpa Super Jet. After some pleasantries, we get into how Martin got into vintage and the story of Sherpa Watches.

Sherpa Watches

In our discussion, we walk through the painstaking research that Martin did on EPSA, the engineering behind the cases, crowns, and all the details. Next, we talk about how challenging this project was to ensure sourcing from Europe. Again, you won't want to miss this! Finally, it's an honest and open story that sheds a lot of new light on a subject all of us truly enjoy — watches! A huge thanks to Martin for his time and look out for an upcoming full review of the new Sherpa Watches.

Fratello On Air kicks off a new series where Balazs and Mike discuss their six favorite watches of all time from a given brand. First up on the docket is Tissot, a historic Swiss brand with loads of options. Settle in and hear about some watches that you know and some that just might surprise.

Before getting to Tissot, Balazs and Mike talk a bit about cycling, lead-lined film bags as a radium shield, and Balazs' informative article on the Tissot Antimagnetique. We also hit upon the recent Seiko 5 Brian May release and both declare it to be a bit of a head-scratcher!

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Regarding our Handgelenks Kontrolle, Mike is wearing his Gallet Decimal with its glorious EP4 movement. He chose it as a nod to Balazs' recent fascination with Excelsior Park, their watches, and movements. Balazs storms in with an on-point piece. He's sporting his Lemania 174 and it's relevant because it was a related brand to both Tissot and Omega.

Our favorite Tissot models

Once we enter the main topic, we go back and forth discussing our six favorite Tissot models. We hope this sheds some light on some previously unknown watches for you!

• T12 Seastar Chronograph "UFO" reference 40505
• PR 516 Series from the 1970's
• Navigator 817 "Military-styled" Chronograph
• 6216 Chronograph
• T12 Seastar Chronograph reference 40506
• Navigator Worldtime 4002-1

As always, thanks for tuning in, and feel free to let us know if you have any questions or suggestions on future topics.

Fratello On Air is here with your weekly installment. This time, Balazs and Mike handle a reader question about a few rather different chronographs.

We love a good reader question and this week, our faithful listener John sent us a great one! Firstly, thanks, John! John works at a hospital and we're thankful for the efforts he's putting in during these trying times. We're glad that our podcast helps just a little during those tough days.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Before getting to our reader question, though, we talk a bit about bicycles and then get into our "Handgelenks Kontrolle." Mike is still in love with his '90s Rolex Datejust 16200 with few signs of it leaving his wrist. Balazs is wearing a truly uncommon Certina Chronolympic with Hungarian Air Force cred.

The Reader Question

John's question brought a number of subtopics. He brings up the legendary Sinn EZM1 with its Lemania 5100, the original Orfina Porsche Design chronograph, and the Breguet Type XX. John asked what we thought about these watches and why they haven't become as legendary as some other iconic pieces. It's a fun discussion on three watches that we wouldn't have considered discussing otherwise.

As always, we thank you for tuning in to Fratello On Air and welcome your questions!

Shortly after the turn of the New Year, I invited our resident Formula One fantastic, Ben Hodges, into the smooth booth to record a TAG Heuer special, focusing on the brand's most visible ambassador on Planet Earth right now: the flying Dutchman, Max Verstappen.

We discuss the controversial conclusion to the 2021 Formula One season that saw Sir Lewis Hamilton denied a record eighth driver's championship in almost unbelievable circumstances. Whether what came to pass should have happened in the first place is, by now, a moot point: the result is in the books and the Netherlands has its first World Champion in the sport.

In addition to recapping the wild final lap that decided one of the most talked-about titles in recent memory, Ben also shares with us his favorite TAG Heuer pieces from the current collection, surprisingly confirming along the way that ambassadorship really do work.

Follow me on Instagram @robnudds

Fratello On Air is back! This time, Balazs and Mike come back to case materials and focus on precious metals. Specifically, we discuss gold and platinum along with some of our favorite examples. Before we get to the main topic...

Precious metals are in play this week, but Balazs and Mike pick up on the latest news. It's watch-release season with LVMH week in full swing! First, though, it's time for a Handgelenks Kontrolle and Balazs is sporting a pair of light blue DOXA watches — the SUB 200 and SUB 300 — while Mike is enjoying his new MING 17.09 in blue (everything runs well, thanks for asking).

 Some news and onto precious metals

The news was fast and furious over the past week. We discuss the King Seiko Collection and how, in the end, we are fans of these reasonably sized watches. Then, it's time to discuss the new Zenith Defy Skyline. We see it as a great entrant in the integrated bracelet game and remark how Zenith is on a roll in general.

When it's time to discuss precious metals, we admit that our interest in gold has grown over the past several years, We also talk about how it feels in the wrist and, oddly, how it even sounds different! Regarding some picks, Balazs mentions the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K along with the Grand Seiko SBGW252. Mike also brings in a Grand Seiko with the SBGW264 and throws in a '90s crush with the Patek Philippe Gondolo 5014G. Then it's time to "flatten 'em with platinum." Platinum is a stealthy and expensive material, but it's like getting a free arm workout! Balazs discusses the eye-watering Patek 5970P Perpetual Calendar Chronograph along with the Omega Speedmaster Moonphase Chronograph — both mortgage-worthy timepieces. Mike discusses one of his favorite all-time watches, the Patek Calatrava 5196P, and ends the discussion with a 36mm Rolex Day-Date.

As always, thanks for tuning in to Fratello On Air! Feel free to let us know if there's anything you'd like us to cover in a future episode!

Today, I sit down with Pim Koeslag, the CEO of Ateliers de Monaco, and technical director of both Frederique Constant and Alpina.

Perhaps the highlight of the exchange is the conversation surrounding Frederique Constant's innovative high-frequency oscillator, the "monolithic" oscillator, created from a single piece of silicon. With an operating frequency of 40Hz, this affordable regulating organ (installed in pieces starting around €5,000) looks to change consumer expectations in regards to accessible accuracy from a mechanical watch.

The conversation strays into the philosophical as I ask Pim what it is that defines the line between tradition and innovation and what brands and watchmakers, and the surrounding innovators themselves, must do to stay on the right side of it.

If you enjoyed this podcast, you can learn more about Alpina here, Frederique Constant here, and Ateliers de Monaco here.

You can follow me on Instagram @robnudds.

Exotic materials — titanium, ceramic, and carbon. What do we think of them for our watches? Tune in to the latest episode of Fratello On Air to find out what Balazs and Mike have to say.

What happens when two vintage watch lovers come together to discuss exotic materials? Well, we had to open our minds and consider alternatives to our beloved stainless steel. In the first of a two-part series, we talk about materials that find their way to watch cases. Titanium, ceramic, and carbon are in play and while they aren't our favorites, we come up with some suggested models.

Getting into exotic materials

As always, we begin with the Handgelenks Kontrolle and Balazs is rocking his vintage Heuer Montreal and Mike has his (titanium) Seiko Marinemaster "Emperor Tuna" SBDX011. Then, we chat a little about TV shows as Mike expresses his boredom related to the movie, The Eternals. Balazs gives some watchable suggestions to help get past those winter blues including Endeavour, Grantchester, Broadchurch, and Bodyguard.

When we come to the main event related to exotic materials, neither of us is truly in love with titanium, ceramic, or carbon, but that doesn't stop us from providing some suggestions. Regarding titanium, Mike brings up the trusty Tudor Pelagos, while Balazs discusses Zelos. Ceramic brings to mind one of Mike's favorite all-time review pieces, the Omega Speedmaster Grey Side of the Moon. Balazs chimes in with some wild card suggestions such as the Bell & Ross like the BR 03-92. Finally, we discuss the fanciest material: ceramic. We discuss the ultra-pricey such as the Zenith Defy Classic and the Panerai Luminor Marina PAM1661. Balazs mentions a crowd pleaser with DOXA SUB 300 Carbon (a watch both of us would love to own) and affordable options from Tempest.

Enjoy the show and, as always, feel free to let us know if there are any topics you'd love for us to discuss on a future episode!

Fratello On Air returns with what we think is a fun episode. We talk about large watches that work for smaller wrists and small watches for larger wrists. Balazs and Mike exist on both sides of the wrist border, so there's plenty of personal experience on this subject.

Balazs and Mike are here to talk about large watches for those with small wrists and vice versa. It's a show chock full of ideas and, thankfully, watches. Some other topics weave their way in as well.

"Handgelenks Kontrolle" and Sneakers!

Before hitting the main topic on large watches for small wrists and the reverse, though, Balazs talks about one of his favorite other subjects: sneakers. First, there's a "Handgelenks Kontrolle" that sees Balazs rocking an Angelus Dato 12 and Mike with his Seiko SBCM023 Perpetual Calendar,  The Jordan 12 Playoffs are back again and the Air Jordan 13 "Court Purple" has already come and gone. We briefly reminisce about retro shoes, Stan Smiths, and then get into the main topic.

Large watches for small wrists and vice versa

We have a lot to say about large watches for small wrists. Watches like the Omega Ploprof, the Speedmaster Professional, and the Breitling Navitimer all make sense with their large diameters and short lug to lug measurements. The Rolex Submariner makes a guest entrance and the Seiko Turtle offers an affordable option. No matter what, we suggest trying these watches on and, importantly, trying different straps to make a watch more comfortable or to look larger or smaller.

For small watches, there are loads of great options for the thick wristed! The 36mm Rolex gets a brief mention while the gents spend more time on the 39mm Omega Railmaster 2503.52.00. The vintage Universal Geneve Polerouter, modern twin crown Seiko Alpinist, and Hamilton Khaki Mechanical all receive a discussion.

Finally, Balazs mentions a great YouTube channel called Wristwatch Revival - it's worth watching!

That's right, we're trying to do keep our podcast on a tight weekly schedule! Fratello On Air returns and this week, Balazs and Mike talk about some wishes for 2022. This isn't a pure recap of a recent 2022 Watch Wishes article, so tune in for new content!

Balazs and Mike are keeping the microphone hot! Both return and while Balazs is not feeling his best, they're here to talk about what they're looking forward to in 2022. Some of those wants are realistic, while others are hopeful thinking.

The "Handgelenks Kontrolle" kicks things off with Balazs wearing his bi-color Datejust 16013 and Mike sporting his Breitling Superocean Heritage '57.  Then, we talk about a few movies that we're excited to see in 2022 with the hopes that cinemas remain open for the whole year. Batman, Death on the Nile, Operation Fortune, Mission Impossible: 7, and Top Gun: Maverick make an appearance. We are a watch podcast, however, so, we move on to the main part of our episode.

Mike kicks things off with an unlikely wish about a proper reincarnation of Universal Geneve. Balazs talks about Nivada and what they will likely do next. Will we ever see a Nomos chronograph? Will Tudor add a new color for their GMT? What will Omega come with during 2022 after the Speedmaster 65th Anniversary launch?

Finally, we mention the upcoming Vintage Rolex Datejust Buyer's & Collector's Guide that is still available on Kickstarter. We can't wait to read this one!

We're back with more block rockin' beats — errrr, talk! Balazs and Mike return (quickly) to talk about vintage watch opportunities in 2022. If you love the old stuff and are looking for value, tune in and relax!

That's right, the dastardly duo of Balazs and Mike are back and we return to one of our favorite subjects: the vintage watch market and where to find opportunities. As we know, there's little out there that hasn't been uncovered. However, that doesn't mean that value doesn't exist. There's no highfalutin talk during this podcast, so your trust funds are safe!

Vintage watch picks for 2022

After a bit of a "Handgelenks Kontrolle," we head off into our vintage watch picks for 2022. Balazs talks about Angelus, the Certina DS, and even the ubiquitous 7750 (respect due for this nearly 50-year-old movement!). Mike brings up '60s Omega Seamaster models with fat lugs, 34-36mm Rolex such as the 6694 Precision, and (gasp!) '90s IWC.

As always, thanks for tuning in to Fratello On Air! If you have any thoughts on what you'd like to hear next, feel free to let us know!

Fratello On Air returns with a seriously focused episode as our resident Seiko nut, Mike, speaks with Nick Ferrell, the owner of DC Vintage Watches. If you're a Seiko fan, you won't want to miss this!

Nick Ferrell is the owner and founder of DC Vintage Watches, a site that not only sells vintage Seiko, but will help clients find the watch of their dreams. Nick is a seriously nice person to speak with and, together with Mike, they go in many directions related to vintage Seiko. Whether it's the JDM scene in Southern California (where Nick now lives), favorite "hidden gems" in the vintage Seiko world or a number of helpful tangents for collectors, this is a podcast you won't want to miss. 

A big thanks to Nick for joining and sharing so many stories about one of our favorite watch topics here on Fratello. Vintage Seiko - we just can't get enough!

Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air! Finally, Balazs and Mike got their collective acts together and are back with a return engagement! Settle in and enjoy the banter about our favorite watches from 2021 along with a healthy rant for good measure!

Folks, we're back and better or worse than ever! Balazs and Mike come together at the end of 2021 to talk about some of their favorite watch releases from another wild year. We won't give away everything, but the list is heavy on dive watches and chronographs. Seriously, what else do you expect from these two?

Tudor, Breitling, Synchron, Excelsior Park, and Omega make the last along with a few more. Plus, the dynamic duo shares some recent encounters in the outside world at AD's. Finally, there's a healthy dose of crankiness when Mike kicks off a rant about the current behavior in the marketplace. Tune in and enjoy!

Today, I am is joined in the studio by Monica Porracin, the founder and director of The Blue Company, based in London. The Blue Company manages the interests of seven popular brands in the UK, working as a distributor for some and an agent for others.

Monica  represents Doxa, Junghans, Meistersinger, Maurice Lacroix, Mühle Glashütte, Scatola del Tempo, and SwissKubik in the UK and at events all around the world. Her tireless championing of brands she seems united by a mutually strong design DNA has earned her the respect of her peers.

With over ten years of specific experience in this sector of the industry (the Blue Company was founded in 2008), she has amassed a broad knowledge of not just her own brands, but also those competing with them. Jump into the conversation to find out exactly what we talked about.

Follow me on Instagram @robnudds

This week, Balazs takes the reigns and welcomes the fastest Canadian swimmer of all time, Olympic medalist Brent Hayden to the smooth booth.

In a wide-ranging chat, Brent and Balazs explore the mental pressures endured by professional athletes, track the human side of the sport, and delve deeply into a couple of unexpectedly personal issues that place our hobby of watch collecting in sharper context.

This is one of the longest WASP episodes ever and it really makes use of every second. This is why we created this podcast: to mold a perfect fusion of our love of sports and watches. Brent is not only a pro athlete and an inspiration to those around him, but he is also a genuine watch nut, having been bitten by the Omega bug when he won his first watch in the early 2000s.

Follow us on Instagram @robnudds, @balazsferenczi, and @thebrenthayden

Rob talks to Guido Terreni of Parmigiani Fleurier. With over twenty years of experience in the industry, a decade of which was spent with Bvlgari, Terreni brought with him a definite vision to a brand that still benefits from having its iconic founder a living, breathing part of the company.

In this podcast, Terreni explains how it is important to honor your existing customer by keeping the product message close to a clearly recognizable core silhouette in order to add permanence to the client's purchase.

Watchmaking is not a business of fads, nor even fashion in the short term. He aims to create timeless watches that need no explanation. Distilling a design down its bare elements is the hardest but most rewarding endeavor when achieved satisfactorily. Listen to the podcast now to find out more.

Follow me on Instagram @robnudds

The ever-charming Antoine Pin of Bvlgari fame sits down with Rob to chat about his life in the industry, how his experience has shaped his approach to watch design and story-telling, and what possibilities might lie in store for Bvlgari in the future.

In an energetic chat, Pin explains how he became bewitched by the industry and never managed to stay away from it for long. The fusion of passion, talent, and manual skill enthralls him on a daily basis at Bvlgari, and his guiding "why not" principle has led him to many happy design discoveries.

He touches also on his perception of the effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the industry and what we can expect to see from brands as they adjust their communication and product strategies going forward.

Follow me on Instagram @robnudds.

Here at Fratello, we love Casio. Some would say we love the brand too much. Those people would be wrong. Very wrong indeed... Today, Rob is talking to three of his teammates to the smooth booth to discuss their shared love and long-held obsessions with the Japanese Juggernaut that blessed the world with the G-Shock watch family.

First up is G2. As the elder statesman of the team, "the G-Father" was actually an adult when G-Shock first appeared in the early eighties. This gives him a unique perspective within the team as the rest of the gang we either in their teens, nappies, or fathers' eyes when Casio first unveiled the model that would go on the redefine the quartz watch industry.

Design classics come along rarely. The Casio G-Shock square series has remained largely unchanged for almost 40 years now. That kind of permanence speaks volumes. But for Balazs, our second guest on the show, his Casio journey started with a much more demure (although no less interesting timepiece) that has since been stolen by his mother

Lastly, Rob welcomes Mike to the show. Our in-house Floridian shares a tale of global proportions and explains how his collection of Casio watches grew to four pieces and is showing no signs of stopping there. 

If you love Casio, this is a must-listen show. Let us know what you make of it in the comments below.

Today on the Fratello on Air, Rob is joined by the boys from Straum watch company, way up in Norway. This emerging brand is the result of five years' hard work, a huge personal investment of time and money, and the inspiration offered by Norway's myths, legends, and landscape. The brand's Opphav model ranks near the top of several Fratello team members' wish lists so we thought it'd be a good idea to get the lads on the show to find out more.

 You can buy these watches online at Straum.co. The (very) limited edition model is already sold out and the other four Oppav models (now limited to 500 pieces each to ensure Straum is able to fulfill orders in a timely manner and guarantee excellent aftercare).

The watches come with vegetable-tanned travel cases and integrated leather straps available in dark brown, light brown, blue, green, and black.

Follow me on @robnudds

WASP 9.91 sees the guys go to two decimal places for the first time, much to the confusion of everyone else. Less confusing, however, is the duo's shared love of a very special Omega Speedmaster created for the Olympics, but that's not the only Olympic watch to feature... Far from it...

For the first time ever, an on-air purchase occurs as Rob stumbles across his all-time favorite Swatch available on eBay for a stunning price (box and papers included). Additionally, Fridge and Freezer discuss Balazs's recent purchases (lovers of vintage Angelus be sure to tune in) and Rob's burgeoning collection of caps that had a sudden injection of volume thanks to the chance discovery of an old forgotten sports store in Alcudia on Mallorca.

The biggest conversation of the show, however, centers around a question posed by RJ in one of his recent articles: what does it take to consider oneself a watch collector? The boys pick over the nuances of their own feelings towards their own habits and collections with some interesting results. Would you believe that Balazs is not a watch collector but he is a collector of vintage Angelus watches? If that sounds crazy, you'd better listen to the show to hear the reasoning behind that conclusion...

Follow us on Instagram @robnudds and @ferenczibazs

myhe boys are back in town after a desperately long hiatus. We've plugged in the fridge and switched on the freezer — Balazs and I are back and this week we have our top Olympic moments and some awesome vintage Omega purchases to share with you.

We decided to choose our bronze, silver, and gold performers/moments from the Olympics this year, to round off what turned out to be a pretty darn exciting edition of the greatest sporting carnival of all. Normally, I don't reveal much about the show in my notes, but for posterity, I thought it best that I note down the picks for all those that don't have time to listen to the pod but might like to offer their own suggestions in the comments below.

Balazs

Bronze: on the third step, Balazs placed Annika Schleu of Germany. The talented pentathlete already has six world and three European golds to her name, but she was desperately seeking the Olympic title to add to her haul. In the prime of her career, she looked set to snare it when, in the last round of the modern pentathlon, her horse (an animal unfamiliar to her as per the somewhat puzzling rules) refused to do as she instructed. Distraught, Schleu fell out of contention with her British rival going on to snare gold. Balazs felt sorry for Schleu and her experience inspired a very interesting discussion on the rules of the modern pentathlon.

Silver: one of the most heartwarming moments of the games was also one of the most controversial...at least in Rob's opinion. The men's high-jump competition ended with the Italian and Qatari competitors agreeing to share the gold, having achieved identical records up until that point. The world rejoiced; Rob grumbled about bloodlust or something or other... Check out his full gripe on the show.

Gold: a proud Hungarian, it is somewhat unsurprising Balazs chose one of his countrymen for the gold medal position. But this was more than a patriotic nod. Áron Szilágyi became the only male fencer in Olympic history to win three golds, which he has done in the last three games. Still only 31 with just three years until the next games in Paris, it isn't impossible Szilágyi will still be around to contest a fourth Olympics. 

Rob (me)

Bronze: My bronze position goes to national treasure, Tom Daley. Not so much for (finally) winning the gold medal Rob was thrilled to see him snare, but more for chilling out in the crowd of the women's event, knitting. We've decided Tom Daley should knit us big purple WASP sweaters to wear while presenting (it gets cold when you're a fridge and/or freezer) and also "horse cozies" to keep annoying horses calm in the modern pentathlon.

Silver: love can find us when we least expect it. My silver medal goes to one of my heroes and most muscular crushes, Lisa Carrington. The indomitable New Zealander is the finest kayaker on planet Earth right now, and her destruction of the field in no less than three separate events proves that. I happen to be a keen kayaker myself, and while I'm not worthy to clean Carrington's paddle, I'd gladly offer my services if she ever needed a lackey to cheer her on at races. 

Gold: just as Tomas recently flouted the rules in the Summer Splash and was allowed to compete regardless, I too will bend the rules here. I'm giving my golden moment to one event: the 400m hurdles. The men's and the women's finals were mind-blowing. World-class performances abounded. If you want to know exactly what went down, listen to the pod. It's a lot of fun!

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Over in article land, my good friend Dave Sergeant has written up the new release from URWERK and Collective today, so please feel free to check that out at your leisure for a detailed look at the watch itself and Dave's hot takes, and what is his favorite base model in the URWERK catalog.

On the Podcast today, however, we're diving into the background of this project with Martin Frei of URWERK fame and co-founder of Collective, Asher Rapkin. Collective is a US-based group of watch lovers that works directly with brands to create thoughtful, imaginative, and emotive special edition pieces available to the members of the movement only.

We get a really genuine insight into the method of collaboration, how organically these things come about, what it's like working (and getting to know one another) digitally, and both URWERK and Collective's philosophies on collaboration.

Following the truly immersive interview with Fred Buyle, Ulysse Nardin ambassador and pro freediver in WASP 9.8 (which aired on Sunday), the podcast is on a bit of a roll. If you've not checked out that fascinating talk with an experienced submariner, do so. You won't regret it.

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Welcome watch fans, to another very special episode of Watching Sports And Sporting Watches. Today, I (Rob) am joined by Fred Buyle, Ulysse Nardin ambassador, professional free diver, passionate conservationist, and, perhaps most interestingly for our community, a real watch guy.

You'd probably expect a lot more ambassadors to be as into watches as Fred clearly is, but it really isn't the case. I've encountered sports stars and celebrities that have no idea what their agent is telling them to strap to their wrist. I think that's a real shame. When I was working for NOMOS Glashütte, we discussed the possibility of hiring an ambassador —something the brand has never done — frequently. We came close to a decision several times, but we always backed away at the very last. It never felt genuine. It never felt on-brand. Oh, how wonderful would it have been to have a genuine collector in the limelight profess his or her love for NOMOS and solve the problem organically. It didn't happen then. In truth, it rarely does. But, in one of those seldom situations, it seems the very best man ended up with the right job for Ulysse Nardin.

There's a bit of a running joke about how many free divers there are representing watch brands. It kind of gives the impression that 80% of the people you meet on the street can hold their breath for seven minutes or don't bat an eyelid when confronted with a Great White Shark. That isn't the case, of course. As such, I'd never actually met or had the pleasure of speaking with a professional free diver. I relished the opportunity to ask all the stupid questions a sub-aquatic novice might wish to.

What's the deepest you've ever dived? Is it cold down there? Does it hurt? What's the most memorable experience you've had beneath the waves? Surprisingly, however, Fred's interest and genuine passion for watches meant the conversation was able to stay very much within the intended wheelhouse of this pod column. I hope you enjoy listening to the show as much as I did recording it.

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Fridge and Freezer return after a short break with fifty minutes of top-quality sports chat, as several competitions get down to the sharp end.

In an impassioned exchange, Balazs question's Rob's right to support England in Euro 2020 given his Irish birth, while Bobbysled Bobby defends himself on the grounds of dual nationality and his upbringing having been blighted by the national woe of being so thoroughly incompetent when it comes to major tournaments.

The boys lament the fate of Primož Roglič, forced to abandon the Tour de France following a brutal crash early on in the race. The Tissot ambassador and friend of the show was a great loss to a Grand Tour that looks likely to be won by last year's winner, Tadej Pogacar.

Balazs enjoys poking fun at Rob's awful run of predictions (and heartbreak) in the Stanley Cup playoffs, while lording his NBA calls over the belittled little man.

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After coming down from the interview with World Number One Primož Roglič last week, Fridge and Freezer are back in the Smooth Booth, foraging around in a bulging mailbag. This week, the boys select two very watch-centric questions for one another.

 This week, the terrible twosome tackle questions about dress watches (the best ones and the very definition of the genre), which watches one should buy to commemorate achieving the PADI diving certification, why they collect watches and sports memorabilia, and Rob fields the easiest watchmaking he's ever been asked: which watches would you recommend buying as a "his and her's" wedding gift?

Next week, we'll be back on the boards and the ice to round up the end of both the NBA and NHL seasons. In the meantime, please feel free to send your questions to us via our Instagram profiles @ferenczibazs and @robnudds. We'd love to hear from you and welcome you to the show if you'd like to take part.

Until next time, stay safe, and keep on ticking!

Can you believe it? Fourteen episodes in, WASP welcomes its very first pro-athlete, and we've kicked things off with an absolute stunner: we're welcoming Primož Roglič, the number one ranked road cyclist in the world. A two-time grand tour winner, Roglič began his career as a ski-jumper, before rapidly rising the rankings to stand at the very summit of his new sport.

Following Rob's chat with Primož, Balazs returns to the studio, reuniting the Fridge & Freezer presenting duo at long last. The boys spin around the leagues, catching up with the NBA and NHL playoffs that are very much in full swing. Rob's full of the joys of Spring as his Golden Knights look to continue their fine form against the underdog Canadiens, while the Tampa Bay Lightning hope to recover against the streaking New York Islanders. 

On the boards, the seeds have a good chance of hilding all the way to the conference deciders, but will we see the number one seeds face off in Finals? Our analysts aren't so sure...

Find and follow us on Instagram @ferenczibazs and @robnudds.

With Rob "the little man" Nudds on the road, Balazs takes over the mic and welcomes Dave "down the pub" Sergeant to the smooth booth to round up the NBA action from the play-offs.

How will Fridge fare without Freezer? And what on Earth is the wee man's excuse for leaving the Horntail untended? Tune in to find out.

Find and follow us on Instagram at @davesergeant, @ferenczibazs, and @robnudds.

The last year or so has certainly been special, but now that things are reopening, it's time to get back out there. Perhaps you've read Fratello like crazy, but have you been able to try on any of the great watches that came out over the past 12 to 18 months?

Finally, the reopening is here. Sure, in places like the USA or Japan, they never truly closed. However, some folks have waited to head out until feeling comfortable. Here in Europe, stores were closed for something like six months!

The trio is back! Balazs, Jorg, and Mike talk about watches from the past year that people should try in person. Balazs goes fancy and lists a Lange as one of his favorites. Jorg picks a tough find with one of the newer Rolex models. Mike takes it down a notch with a Breitling and something even less expensive from Seiko. For good measure, the OG Nike Air Jordan kicks make an appearance in relation to the GShock "Blue Phoenix" during Jorg's Handgelenks Kontrolle.

A couple of weeks ago, our very own Ben Hodges enjoyed an illuminating back-and-forth with one of his musical heroes. The gracious Misha Mansoor of the metal band Periphery took some time out of his day to chat about timepieces. Today, we revisit that interview with the audio supplied by Misha, interspersed with the fearsomely inane commentary of Ben and Rob.

Okay, we're not that bad. In fact, there's a good argument to be made that we might be mildly entertaining. From my perspective, the highlight of the show is definitely my spot-on impression of Ben's delicious British accent, but he would probably disagree. He might point to the first-hand testimony of one of music's most talented guitarists as the centerpiece of episode 62. Who's to say?

Well, to be precise, you are! Let us know in the comments below if you enjoyed the show. If you did, and you'd like more content like this, please let us know. Suggestions are always welcome. If you didn't like it, tell us why. Unless you didn't like my hilarious accents. That's just mean.

Find and follow us on Instagram @benjameshodges and @robnudds.

It's true that Fratello boasts one of the more multinational teams. One of our listeners from Finland decided to take advantage of that by asking us about watch culture around the globe. How do people come together, do they come together, and do they even like watches in some countries? We don't have all the answers, but we enjoyed the chat. This time, it's Mike, Jorg, and Balazs on the mics for a bit of banter.

Wrist check and the news

The gents roll through a "Handgelenks Kontrolle" and you'll find a lovely Rolex GMT-Master 1675 on the wrist of our main Magyar, Balazs, who happens to be in his homeland. Jorg hails from the land of wooden shoes and tulips and is there watching the pounding rain. He's sporting his beloved Omega Speedmaster Professional X-33. Mike comes from the land of the free and the home of the brave, but he's back in Germany. This time, he's wearing his Grandfather's '90s Rolex Datejust 16220. Talk about watch culture! As far as news, we highlight the free hardbound 60th-anniversary catalog that everyone can, and should, order on the Sinn website.

Watch culture

The trio talks about watch culture, how "get-togethers" work (and don't work) depending on the country. The USA looms large here because people are spontaneous and seem to have few qualms about bringing expensive wares to a group of strangers. Europe, as no surprise, is a bit more conservative and privacy-focused. Neither is right nor wrong, but there are definitely differences no matter where you travel.

 Welcome to Episode 61 of Fratello on Air, otherwise known as WASP 9.3. After spending the last three weeks rummaging around in our mailbag, we’re returning to the world of sports to provide you with a quick whizz around the American sports leagues to keep you abreast of news and developments in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and NFL.

Find us on Instagram @robnudds and @ferenczibazs.

RJ chats with the guiding IWC into the next phase of its development, who, coincidentally, also happens to be the same man that designed IWC's current manufacturing headquarters...

Some people have all the talent...

Hi and hello watch fans, and welcome to Fratello on Air Episode 59, otherwise known as WASP 9.2. Balazs is in Hungary; Rob is in Dresden but soon to hit the road once more. As such, a whistle-stop episode of WASP was recorded in between many other things, so our dedicated listeners don't have to go without their weekly fix of Skilly Music's sweet theme tune...

Today we talk about the Champions League finalists (and how we called it way back in Episode 9.0), the best watch to wear (or not) while rock climbing, and the watchmaking stories from our own pasts. Do we have heirloom watches in our families? Have we got a family history of the craft? Is there something within us that makes us love watches so? Tune in to this, the latest episode of WASP, to find out...

Find us on Instagram @robnudds and @ferenczibazs.

Yo, yo, yo, we've gone decimal! I knew there was a reason we had those funny old episode numbers. Now we finally know why. The long-planned episode 10 has been delayed because for the first time this year both Balazs (Fridge) and Rob (Freezer) are in different countries (whaaat?).

That's right, episode 9.1 (the second installment of our mailbag series) sees the Podcast come to you from Dresden (Germany) and Pécs (Hungary). Our intrepid international impresarios have watches from Omega, Artya, Armin Strom, and more.

This week, we touch on Murderball (correcting an error in last week's episode), Ice Hockey (the Olympics), the Isle of Man TT, Stamford Bridge, and Baseball. It's a fun show with plenty of mustard, spiders, and chewing gum to keep you all entertained on your daily commute.

Don't miss it!

Follow us on Instagram @ferenczibazs and @robnudds.

Today on Fratello on Air, I welcome my old friend Giles Ellis of Schofield Watch Company to the smooth booth to discuss some of his finest creations in exacting detail.

Giles has been busy. Despite the world shutting down for many businesses, Schofield is busier than ever. The recent Strange Lights collection has been a great success thus far with very few units still remaining. Its release last year heralded a new and more consistent design language moving through the brand.

We talk about pens, we talk about materials (ceramic, bronze, and titanium particularly), we talk about tactility. In short, for those of you that care about watch design and the processes (read agonies) watch designers go through to bring you these beautiful wares, tune in.

Find me on Instagram @robnudds

Hi and hello watch fans, welcome to Episode 56 of Fratello On Air, otherwise known as WASP 9.0. This week on Watching Sports and Sporting Watches, Balazs and I will be stepping away from North America itself and focusing on our very own mailbag, which is bursting at the seams thanks to our valued listeners writing in with their questions. 

We have questions from both sides of the Atlantic to address, with fun answers to chew through. First, though, we touch on the latest developments in European Soccer following the semi-finals of both of Europe's major cup competitions, the Champions League and the Europa League.

In the mailbag we find questions about the NBA, our watch experiences, how we got into American sports and luxury watches despite neither of us being American nor possessing a familial background in the industry.

Find us on Instagram @robnudds and @ferenczibazs.

Balazs and I are inquisitive folks. We acted on this trait with a very different type of show. Each of us came up with two questions for the other person. The rules? They were simple! The question had to relate to watches in some way and neither of us could prep the other person ahead of time. The hypothetical looms large and your hosts had to think on their feet. We think you'll enjoy this candid listen.

Wrist check and the news

Before hitting the main topic, we do a wrist check and then mention friend of the show Jason Heaton's new book. Depth Charge sounds like a riveting thriller and we're rooting for the success of Jason's first book!

Two questions

The questions begin and along the way, we mention everything from Rolex to Omega to Moser. Like I said, this is unscripted, so enjoy us in our natural state.

Hi and hello watch fans and welcome back to Watching Sports and Sporting Watches. In episode 8.0 and we will begin with a short interview, as the Hungarian Horntail takes the reins and welcomes his most charming guest to the smooth booth yet...

Spoiler alert: it's Rob. But that's all we're going to say about that. After Balazs has put our resident motormouth through his paces, we kick him into touch in favor of Dave "down the pub" Sergeant, who phones in (quite literally) to chat some hockey.

And to round out the show we have another exhilarating installment of Robley's Believe It Or Not. This week, we will be touching base with the real/fictional stories of Eric Money, Ray Caldwell, and Nicolas Rieussec. There's mid-game team switching, lightning strikes, and bizarre inventions to entertain. We hope you enjoy the show. 

This year's introduction of the new Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch, Seamaster 300, De Ville Trésor, Constellation, and black ceramic 300M  is a good reason to catch up with Omega's CEO and President, Raynald Aeschlimann.

On the first (Speedy) Tuesday of this year, Omega introduced its new and improved version of the iconic Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch. A combination of the latest innovation when it comes to movements and heritage when it comes to design. Then, at the end of March, Omega introduced the other aforementioned watches. New models in each Omega collection: Speedmaster, Seamaster, De Ville, and Constellation.

After some jocular banter and a wrist check, the trio gets down to business. The team trades watches (and quips) in rotation with two favorites per person. We talk about the following:

• A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split in Pink Gold and Blue
• Vacheron Constantin Traditionelle Split Seconds Chronographe Ultra-Thin Platine
• Breitling Premier Chronograph 40 in Steel
• IWC Big Pilot's Watch Shock Absorber XPL
• Patek Philippe In-Line Perpetual Calendar 5236P-001
• Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925

It's a diverse group of watches mixed with a bit of fun — enjoy the ride!

Welcome to Episode 51 of Fratello on Air, otherwise known as WASP 7.0. Today we’re going to discuss our three favorite sporting icons and which watches we’d gift them if we had the chance. 

We've got disgraced and redeemed French cyclists, Swiss footballers and tennis stars, Hungarian and Irish soccer legends, a swaggering quarterback, and arguably the GOAT of all GOATs for your listening pleasure. The watches we've handed over to these sporting heavyweights range from the ludicrous to the luxury.

Ending the show today we have a new segment called "Robley's Believe It Or Not" based on the popular books, "Ripley's Believe It Or Not". In this new segment, Rob presents Balazs with frankly unbelievable stories and Balazs has to decide whether they are true or false.

Today we have sports stars turned watchmakers, the fascinating Schillertron movement, and the sports played in space as well as their potentially deadly consequences.

Find us on Instagram @robnudds and @ferenczibazs

Rob and RJ select their three favorite watches from Watches & Wonders 2021. Some very unexpected choices appear in their lists. And, on top, they pick a bonus (4th) watch.  Listen to Rob and RJ talking watches from Watches & Wonders.

We discuss the new Rolex Explorer, Explorer II, Daytonas, and new Datejust dials in detail in this podcast. The responses were all over the place yesterday, and so are ours. A bit different for Tudor, with some proper new releases in silver and gold. And its new Black Bay Chronograph, of course. We have these watches in the Fratello offices for a closer look and will be publishing a hands-on review soon. Last but not least, we talk about the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 in steel, with a green dial. Will this really be the last Nautilus in steel, or will they keep it for precious metals only? 

This week, Balazs and Rob tackle the subject of watch brand ambassadors in the four major professional sports leagues in North America.

Amazingly, six episodes in, this is a topic that hasn't been fully addressed. In our pilot episode, we touched upon Tom Brady's ambassadorship for IWC but he is far from alone in the NFL, with Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings coming in atop Balazs' list of football-playing watch lovers and Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers is Rob's pick.

The MLB throws up a couple of throwbacks, with Balazs stretching all the way back to the fifties for his selection. Rob, meanwhile, reaches back about a decade to call upon a superstar that played in the modern era.

The NHL gifts us a couple of under-the-radar players and brands, along with the predictable powerhouse. And, as for the NBA, we take polarized routes to find our champions.

Most exciting of all, however, is WASP'S first phone in Ben Hodges of team Fratello joins us to discuss his love of Formula 1 and how it and his passion for watchmaking combine.

We hope you enjoy the show. Follow us both on Instagram @ferenczibazs and @robnudds.

Part of me was scared to over-hype this interview/podcast in case you'd feel let down by the end of it. Then I re-read the interview, listened to the Podcast (enduring an hour of my own voice), and revisited the Lapinist's Instagram account and realized that, if you class yourself as a fan of vintage Seiko or Grand Seiko, you won't possibly be disappointed. On the contrary, I'm willing to wager you will be totally amazed...

About a week ago, I conducted an interview with Kamil, otherwise known as the Lapinist (@lapinist_watchrestoration on Instagram). He wasn't comfortable coming on Fratello on Air himself, but after sharing the content (and the images of Kamil's work with Balazs) he agreed to hop into the recording booth with me and act out the interview so you have the choice of consuming the content in either format.

Honestly? If this subject interests you, I'd recommend consuming BOTH. In the Podcast, we go a bit off base and discuss a few interesting asides that Kamil's answers gave rise to. So right below this paragraph, you'll find the Podcast link. Below that, you'll find the interview text. Hit us up in the comments and let us know your own vintage Seiko/Grand Seiko stories. And don't forget to tell us what you make of Kamil's work. I'm hoping you'll be as impressed as we were.

Welcome to WASP 5.0, the fifth edition of the Fratello On Air Pod-column, Watching Sports and Sporting Watches. This week, Rob and Balazs celebrate reaching their fifth episode by sharing some of their favorite players from around the four major North American sports leagues. 

R&B had planned to pick one player each and assign each superstar an on-field/court/rink watch and one off-field/court/rink ticker. Apparently, this was Rob's idea. Unsurprisingly, Rob got confused and just picked two players from each league and gave each of them a very special timepiece.

We've got surprising choices like Ryan Fitzpatrick, two NHL goalkeepers, and the eternally sexy John Stockton. Additionally, we have some slam-dunk superstars like Dennis Rodman, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Mike Trout for your entertainment. And what of the watches? Major brands like Omega, MB&F, Richard Mille, Rolex, and Vacheron Constantin dominate the arena, but there's plenty of space for the little guy, with Doxa, Konstantin Chaykin, and NOMOS Glashütte making into the smooth booth along with several others.

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Omega introduced the new and upgraded Seamaster 300, a new Seamaster 300M Black Black in ceramic, and new De Ville Trésor watches with small seconds and power reserve indicator. Mike and RJ discuss the novelties and give you an insight into how brands work with media titles for new releases.

Rob and Balazs scoot through five major sports leagues (and touch on a sixth) as they seek out the very best on-field threads available right now. Pairing each jersey/team with a watch model or brand, is, of course, their secondary task.

We've got lots of Rolex, wild creations like Hublot and HYT, fun stuff like Neff and Casio, and loads more watchmaking wonders to discuss. Jump in and enjoy, and let us know your favorite jerseys in the comments section on Fratellowatches.com.

The third time's a charm, or so they say. R&B take to the ice in an effort to help the NHL rename its four woefully-monikered divisions while attaching watch sponsors that reflect each lineup's 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 Glashütte and Glashütte Original as Balazs favors one as a sponsor, while Rob leans toward the other.

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Giles Ellis joins Rob on this latest edition of Fratello on Air, as the pair discuss the trials and tribulations of independent brand-ownership, the thrill and responsibility of opening a mono-brand store, and how Giles got into watchmaking in the first place.

As always with the owner, founder, chief designer, logistics manager, and coffee maker extraordinaire of Schofield Watch Company, the chat is a fascinating meander that touches on many different subjects linked to starting up on your own in the modern watchmaking industry. We hope you enjoy the show!

Ranting Robbie enters the "smooth booth" and unloads about the recent controversy surrounding Bill Belichick's legacy. It's a brutal monolog, but the riposte is worth waiting for so hang tight. 

This week, we're talking about great coaches and great locations to play pro sports. Inspired by the recent outdoor NHL games at Lake Tahoe, we're choosing our dream locales for the NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, and PLL, and discussing which watch brands should sponsor and outfit the the events and teams in question.

It's a rollicking ride and we hope you enjoy the show. Let us know what you liked and didn't like and we'll adapt accordingly.

Follow me on Instagram @robnudds

On an earlier episode, we discussed our most cherished chronographs. It's hard to say which watch genre is our favorite, but there's no doubt that vintage dive watches vie for top spot. There are just so many great models out there. Super Compressors, Submariners, Seamasters, oh my! You'll hear about which models we chose and why. Then, we touch on a couple modern stand-ins and even throw out some budget friendly vintage options. You won't want to miss this week's salty banter!

Handgelenkskontrolle

Our faithful listener and reader Lukas gave us a friendly "top tip" and you can see that our wrist check now has the correct German translation. Thanks Lukas!

• Balazs comes correct with one of his dive watches and sports his DOXA SUB 300 Black Lung Reissue
• Mike doubles down on the DOXA with his vintage SUB 300 Searambler

News

Before hitting the main topic on vintage dive watches, we talk a little about the recent the new Synchron Military and the upcoming DOXA Army reissue. Is the first proper watch beef?

The Main Topic

Enter the realm of the ocean deep as we embark on a fun discussion about our favorite vintage divers and why.

Balazs talks about the following:

• DOXA SUB 300T Sharkhunter Aqua Lung
• Omega Seamaster Ploprof 600, a watch he doesn't own — yet
• Bulova Oceanographer 666, a vintage plongeur that's relatively easy to find

Mike mentions some of his all time faves:

• Rolex Sea-Dweller 1665 Great White, which is just a beast
• Enicar Sherpa Super-Dive, a big Super Compressor that hasn't quite found its way into Mike's collection — yet
• Zodiac Seawolf, a smaller vintage dive watch that's out there and not too expensive

Balazs brings up the Certina DS PH200M as well as the Rado Captain Cook as great modern alternatives and brings up skin diver style vintage dive watches. Mike mentions Squale as well as the original and new Seiko Turtle as a great option.

We hope you enjoy this podcast on vintage dive watches. Don't forget to let us know if there's a topic you'd like us to discuss.

Welcome one and all to our new Sunday afternoon Pod-Column, Watching Sports (Or WASP, for short).

To celebrate this new Fratello feature, host Rob Nudds welcomes fellow sports fanatic Balazs to the virtual booth. This week, the despicable duo look back on Super Bowl LV and the remarkable achievements of 43-year old Tom Brady, as he guided the Buccs to their second championship while picking up his seventh (seventh) in the process.

We talk about team building, Brady's place in both NFL and general sports history, and why the heck the GOAT is wearing an IWC these days?

There will be fun. There will be frolics. And there will most definitely be more sports talk than you can shake a stick at.

As the Fratello team seeks to form new bonds with its readership, expect more Pod-Columns discussing our interests outside of watchmaking and how those fields occasionally intersect. Why do we want to share this with you? Fratello is a community made up of like-minded individuals and we're keen to get to know you all better as the people behind our (quite frankly delicious) readership stats.

Hit us up in the comments on Fratellowatches.com with sports/athletes/competitions you'd like us to talk about, and let us know if you want to take part in the show yourself!

Rob dials in Maurice Lacroix HQ to speak with Thiébaut Bentz, International Product and Marketing Director of the brand to discuss Friday's release of the Aikon Venturer GMT. A short and snappy episode, tune in to stay on top of this week's watch news.

We touch on a topic that's top of mind for many watch collectors and that's this idea of rare and exclusive watches. We have so many questions! Is it foolish when we call a watch such as the Submariner "rare"? Would we snap up a steel Rollie at retail? Do we think this current trend of finding scores of supposedly unobtainable watches on the grey market is a bit ridiculous? What do we think about burgeoning brands like MING or Unimatic that purposely limit production? And finally, how does early aughts rapper Fat Joe come into this?

Before hitting the main topic, the trio review the cornucopia of watches on their respective wrists.

• Jorg brings his "grab and go" Unimatic Modello Uno U1-F, a watch from a brand that only makes limited editions
• Balazs is sporting his vintage Rolex GMT-Master 1675, a watch always said to be rare and exclusive!
• Mike goes unconventional with this Seiko Think the Earth Wn-1, a wild 45mm watch from all the way back in 2006

We touched on the upcoming Watches & Wonders to be held on April 7 — 13 to be held on a computer screen near you and not in Geneva. We'll get to see all the new releases from the likes of Rolex, Patek, and more. This derailed us a bit and set up our main topic on supposedly rare watches, but not before we discuss the fact that none of us are enthralled with the current Explorer II.

Thanks for listening and if you have ideas for new shows, don't hesitate to contact us. And remember, don't lick your sneakers or your watches!

This (somewhat raucous) episode sees Arcanaut co-founder and chief designer Anders Brandt join Rob and a particularly feisty Black Badger (James Thompson) in the virtual studio. This trio of horophiles discusses the background of Arcanaut, why everybody loves Canada, and whether or not creating a watch that tells the time on Neptune is of any use to anybody at all...

Rob invites James Thompson, AKA Black Badger, into his Dresden-based den for lockdown laughs. The pair chat about James's experiences in the industry, what he's got on his plate right now, their failed gridiron careers, and a whole host of other nonsense.

That's right, vintage chronographs are in focus yet again, but this time we talk about the pieces on our wish list with some cool anecdotes thrown in for good measure. We don't own these, but would love to acquire them if funds allow.

Before hitting the main topic on vintage chronographs, we roll through our customary "Handgelenk Kontrolle". Mike comes prepared in his vintage 38mm Excelsior Park "Tuxedo Dial." Balazs turns back the clock with his fetching Eterna Caliber 852 and its unique case back.

The gents move on to some news and regret the fact that the latest James Bond movie has been pushed out yet again until October due to a certain pesky virus. The big topic, however, is the new Zenith Chronomaster Sport with its new El Primero 3600 caliber. There's no doubt that this watch boasts some serious technical chops. However, both love Zenith vintage chronographs and are a bit unsure about the highly familiar styling of this new piece.

We ease into our main topic where Balazs and Mike go back and forth on vintage chronographs that would receive a warm welcome in each's respective collection. Here are the watches that made the grade:

Balazs:

• Hamilton Chrono-Matic Caliber 11
• Longines 13zn
• Junghans J88 Bundeswehr

Mike:

• Movado Super Sub-Sea
• Breitling 777 Premier in 18K gold
• Jardur Bezelmeter

If you're thinking of getting into vintage chronographs, but are concerned that you've missed the boat, don't fret! There are still some wonderful options with great names and movements out there at very reasonable prices. Here are some of the options:

• Anything with the venerable Valjoux 7733, 7734, or 7736.
• A Roamer Stingray with a Valjoux 72 or other Valjoux movement
• One of many vintage chronographs using the Angelus 215 movement
• A vintage Vulcain chronograph

As always, we thank you for listening to our latest Fratello on Air podcast. Keep the questions and ideas flowing — we'll be back!

Balazs & Mike return with a new episode and we talk vintage Chronographs!

First, it's a "Handgelenk Kontrolle" where Balazs is sporting a '70s Seiko 6139-7070. Mike is donning a 1960 Gruen Ocean Chief.

News-wise, the gents discuss the new Omega Speedmaster Professionals, the recently announced 2021 European L.E.  Seiko Alpinist SPB201J1, and the MING 27.02 and Mike reveals a guilty confession..

Our main topic focuses on vintage Chronographs — the favorite style of watch to collect for both Balazs & Mike. It wasn't easy for each to pick their three favorites, but here they are!

Balazs discusses the following three pieces:

• Omega Speedmaster Mark II with Racing Dial, an attainable watch that both of us own!
• Angelus Chronodato, with its unique display. He also touches on the 215 with Hungarian Air Force provenance as well.
• Lemania 27chro, a watch that's worth knowing because of its tie to our favorite Moonwatch.

Mike takes his turn on vintage chronographs and heads to the '60s:

• Breitling 765 CP "Jean-Claude Killy", which ranks as one of the favorite watches in his collection.
• Heuer Autavia 2446 "Jochen Rindt", an absolute classic that harkens back to the good old days of motor racing.
• Omega Speedmaster Professional 145.012, an all-time classic that looks just as good today as it did back in 1967.

We close out the show with some talk on Tritium dial Speedmaster models and a promise to return with vintage chronographs we'd like to buy. Enjoy the show!

Alon Ben Joseph has been a Bvlgari dealer for six years. He's been a Bvlgari owner, however, for three. He finally decided to pull the trigger on a model from the famous Italien brand when the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic (in titanium and on a titanium bracelet) was released at Baselworld 2017. Now, three years on, Rob wants to know what he makes of it.

Yesterday was the big day for Speedmaster fans all around the world! The introduction of the new Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Master Chronometer. 

Four new models basically, two steel variations and two in gold. You can read all about the new Moonwatch here. Rob and I decided to host a podcast on the new Moonwatch and answer some of the hottest questions we've read in the comments and on social media.

In this podcast, Balazs and Mike sit down on the very last day of 2020 and hit upon a couple key topics. Collaboration watches and rerelease hope for 2021 are in store in this latest episode.

The Handgelenk Kontrolle

Mike kicks things off with this newly received MING 18.01 H41 Diver.
Balazs goes vintage cool with his funky and unusual Omega Genève Dynamic.

News Update

We then hit the news and talk about the Speedmaster World Cup and our favorite Speedmaster models from the competition. Balazs talks about the recently completed "Watch On Your Wrist? Instagram Photo Contest". Finally, before we move on to our main topics on collaboration watches and 2021 wishes, we discuss the new Fratello App  for iOS (hint: it's cool and flawless to use) and our new website design!

Collaboration Watches

We talk about collaboration watches in general and then walk through six of our favorite "teamwork" pieces. Some of these will surprise you!

• Sinn x Manufactum 103 St OU "Tachy Chrono"
• Sinn x The Rake x Revolution 155 Bundeswehr "Dark Star"
• Oris x Hodinkee Divers Sixty Five
• Squale x AWCo Special Editions
• Christopher Ward C65 Sandstorm Chronometer x Worn & Wound
• Casio G-Shock x Wu-Tang Clan DW-6900

2021 Rerelease Wishes

After hitting on their favorite collaboration watches, Balazs and Mike discuss their rerelease wishes for 2021.

• A new take on the Seamaster DeVille 145.018 with the METAS Chronometer-certified 3861 movement
• The Rolex Submariner 6538
• A quartz powered Seiko 5 Sports "diver" like the vintage 7548
• The 321 movement is back, so why not bring back the Valjoux 72 and the Exclesior Park 40?

Thanks for your collaboration!

Speaking of collaboration, we end the show with a hearty thanks to all of you for listening and wish you a very safe and healthy New Year!

In this podcast, I talk with OMEGA's Mr. Andreas Hobmeier, Vice President of Production and Procurement, about Master Chronometer and the role of METAS. We speak about all the facets of Master Chronometer, and why precision and anti-magnetism is such an important topic.

Balazs and Mike make good on their promise to come back with frequency! On this episode we give recommendations for the upcoming Holiday Season and then we talk about our favorite bracelets.

First, it's a "Handgelenk Kontrolle" and Mike is wearing a vintage Meylan Chronograph while Balazs is sporting his Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical with a Kill Hubris NATO.

We then talk about the "Fratelloris" Fratello x Oris Big Crown Bronze Pointer Date that's now in our shop!

For the holidays, we roll out some affordable recommendations:

• Watch-inspired T-shirts from Watch Thing
• A Book - "Retro Watches - The Modern Collector's Guide"
• The 36mm Timex MK1 Mechanical
• The Bergeon 6767-F/S Spring Bar Tool
• Zeiss Head Loupe "Loupe L"
• Forstner Bands

We then talk about our favorite bracelets.
Vintage:

• Doxa Expandro Bracelet
• Rolex Jubilee
• Omega 1039 and 1171

Modern:

• MING Universal Bracelet
• Moser Streamliner Bracelet
• Breitling Superocean Heritage '57 Mesh

And we end with a few words on the modern gold Speedmaster Apollo XI 50th Anniversary "Nixon Bracelet" and how Omega is on the comeback trail with their most recent bracelets.

Rob and RJ received a number of watches from Glashütte Original this week, and discuss the green dialed PanoMaticLunar watch. And a lot of other things. Enjoy this episode!

In a surprisingly structured fashion, Alon and Rob blitz through their favorite (and least favorite) novelties of 2020 from the Breitling, Tudor, and Bvlgari brands.

Swatch gets a brief mention and so does team member Mike Stockton, who, after a joyous week of watching his brainchild (the Fratelloris) wend its way to readers' homes, seems to be on everyone's mind...

It's episode 25 and Balazs & Mike come together to talk about their favorite divers of 2020.

This one was recorded a few weeks back and we jabber about lockdowns, border crossings, quarantines, and uncomfortable boots.

Then, it's time for a "Handgelenk Kontrolle" and Balazs is sporting a DIY Casio G-Shock GW-B5600 with a fresh DIY metal body kit from eBay.  Mike is wearing his modified Oris Big Crown Bronze Pointer Date.  Consider it a day of mods!

We talk about our favorite divers:

• New Nivada Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver
• Seiko Prospex 62MAS Modern Reinterpretation 
• DOXA SUB 300 Carbon 
• Christopher Ward Super Compressor
• Certina DS Super PH500M and Balazs gives some history on diver dial colors
• MING 18.01 H41

We end things with a discussion on how the Swatch Group is absolutely crushing it with affordable divers.
 

Today, in Episode "definitely-not-22-but-we're-calling-it-22-for-now", Alon and Rob talk about the future of retail. Alon lays down his background and interests and why he loves retail.

This week, on Fratello On Air, Rob and Alon chat about many things. They touch on different retail strategies. The (now-released) Oris movement gets a mention. Terrifying teddy bears make a surprise appearance. And, finally, the new Snoopy goes under the microscope. Crucially, Alon attempts to make sense of Rob's strange, "moderately ridiculous" feelings towards it...

If you are an Haute Horlogerie and/or car enthusiast, the name Singer Reimagined should definitely ring a bell. Although the brand is still relatively new to the watch scene, it already has a dedicated fan base comprising both petrol heads and watch guys. The brand's new model, the Flytrack, looks a bit like its big brother, the Track 1. It is, however, a simpler but equally fun timepiece.

On this occasion, we thought it would be fun to sit down with Marco Borraccino, the man behind Singer Reimagined. We went all the way back to the beginning. Marco was kind enough to share his path with us. From his childhood in Italy, surrounded by modern design. All the way to his first job in the watch industry with Panerai. And finally establishing Singer Reimagined and teaming up with Rob Dickinson from Singer Vehicle Desing.

The post can be found here.

RJ talks to the Head of Product Development of Longines, Xavier Ligero,  to talk about the new Longines Spirit collection. Get some insights on how the watch came to life, what challenges Longines experienced, and about the exclusive Longines calibers by ETA. We talk about how such an exclusivity actually works between Longines and ETA. 

In this 20th episode of Fratello on Air, RJ and Rob discuss their favorite Seiko watches. Their favorite Seiko of all time, but also their favorite watch of the releases in 2020. They discuss these watches in detail and tell them why they love these references so much, or what makes them so special. Head over to Fratello.com to see all show notes for this episode, including pictures of the Seiko watches discussed.

All in one big episode, Mike and RJ pick their Top 3 from the novelties of the Geneva Watch Days and discuss the new Rolex watches that were just released last week.

This year, Omega introduced the new Constellation 39mm and 41mm. Time for us to sit down with Petros Protopapas (Brand Heritage Manager at Omega) and talk about Constellations, vintage and new.

In this Fratello on Air episode, RJ talks to Jean-Marc Pontroué, the Officine Panerai CEO. We talk about how Panerai is doing today, Jean-Marc's views on the status of today's watch industry, and about PAMCast. 

When you're a watch collector, there's always a wish list. At Fratello, we are collectors in the first place, the writing part came (much) later. In this episode of Fratello on Air, Mike and RJ talk about the next 3 pieces on their radar. There's no overlap in watches this time, just one brand that is mentioned twice. 

For RJ, the lists consists of a Zenith El Primero Rainbow (Flyback), a Rolex Day-Date 118238 and last not but least, something modern, a Bvlgari Octo Finissimo. Mike has a slightly different list, with a Rolex Datejust 1600, a Patek Philippe Calatrava, and a Grand Seiko SBGW235.

Mike and RJ discuss their top picks (they selected two watches each) from Watches & Wonders and the new Breitling releases: Chronomat and the SuperOcean'57. One of the Fratello members already has received his new Breitling from this new collection: the Chronomat Tricolore. 

Recently, Tim Stracke gave an interview on WatchPro, discussing the impact of Corona on the (online) watch sales. Sitting on a big pile of data, generated by the millions of users of the world's largest watch market platform, Tim Stracke is the go-to place for the watch industry when it comes to numbers.

In this 14th episode of Fratello on Air, I speak with Tim about Chrono24, why he purchased the platform back in 2010 and, of course, what he sees happening right now due to the corona crisis. Are sales going up, or down? Are people trying to get rid of their watches via Chrono24 or is the opposite happening? Tim gives us some very useful and clear insights on the state of the watch market today, based on fresh data. I also ask him how he can assure that someone is making a safe purchase via Chrono24, how the transaction basically works and what they do to make sure you get what you want. This, and a lot more, is being discussed in this hour-long podcast with Chrono24 (Co-)CEO Tim Stracke. 

In this 13th episode of Fratello on Air, Mike and RJ talk about the new watches that have been introduced last month by Grand Seiko. As there was no Grand Seiko Summit this year, the introductions have been done mainly digitally so far. Mike and RJ comment on their favourites so far: the GS Diver 60th anniversary, the 1960's re-creation in gold, the green dial dress watch in rose gold.

In Episode 12 of our Fratello on Air podcast we try to take our minds of the Coronavirus a bit and focus on some watches and other forms of distraction. However, we do share some words on it of course, but mainly how it affects our private lives basically.

The main topic of this podcast though are the watches we kind of rediscovered recently. Home Office and not traveling, or the combination of these two, give us the opportunity to reflect a bit on our own watch collection a bit, and both Mike and me selected two watches that we have in our collection that we are giving some attention (again) as of late.

Handgelenk Kontrolle (wrist check)

The watches we are talking about in this Fratello on Air podcast, are the following:

Oak & Oscar Olmsted 38, as reviewed in this article.

I am wearing the Speedmaster Tokyo 2020 “Rising Sun” during the podcast, as described in this article. It has the discontinued (1990s) reference 1479 bracelet on it.

Rediscovered Watches
As we’re talking about some of the watches that we rediscovered, below you will find some images of the watches we discuss. Mike kicks off with this Doxa Searambler 300 (no T) and talks about his DIY restoration on the bezel.

I selected my Chronoswiss Regulateur Automatique, a watch that I’ve owned since late 2000 and was produced in 1993. One of the earlier models, but already with the self-winding Enicar based movement. The really early 1980s Regulator models had a hand-wound movement. Below, my old 1993 Regulateur next to a modern interpretation.

ike’s other watch he talks about is the Seiko diver below, with reference 6215-7000 from 1967. The first Seiko diver with 300m water resistance. Mike had it restored recently by James from Belgium, and enjoys wearing it (again).

Last but not least, I recently took out this Seamaster 300M Chronograph Diver (2296.80) from my bank safe. I bought it a few years ago, after hunting one for a long time, but it ended up in the safe in the end. This watch dates back from 1994 (originally introduced in 1993), and was a heavy hitter with its titanium, tantalum and rose gold materials.

Thanks for listening to our podcast and reading these show notes. If you have a question for our upcoming podcast, drop us note via email.

Episode 11 is about the effect of the Coronavirus on the watch shows and the watch industry in general, where we service our watches and an open discussion on the Seiko and Grand Seiko limited editions.

As we reported here and here, the Coronavirus COVID-19 killed the Time to Move, Watches & Wonders and Baselworld shows, as well as the Breitling and Grand Seiko summits. Michael and RJ talk about the impact of this virus on these shows and how brands deal with it. When we recorded the news on Baselworld wasn't there yet, but to be expected. Michael also starts a discussion on having your watch serviced or repaired. How he finds a watchmaker, sources his parts and the role of watch forums. RJ elaborates on the importance of finding a good watchmaker when you're a collector, and why you should find a (different) skilled watchmaker for your specific watches.

Another topic they touch is the flow of Seiko and Grand Seiko special and limited editions. How (Grand) Seiko changed their strategy over the last few years and what the effects are of these changes. For starters, we see more variations of existing watches and limited editions popping up. A good thing, or does it dilute the brand a bit? Michael and RJ share their thoughts on this topic.

In this 10th episode, Michael Stockton and Robert-Jan Broer talk about the recent LvmH Watch Week that took place in Dubai and that we visited. News from Bvlgari, Zenith and Hublot in early January, when normally we'd be visiting the SIHH (Watches & Wonders). We dive into the highlights of the LvmH Watch Week, especially the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo seems to receive a lot of love. But, we kick off with a wrist check, of course. Mike is wearing a Seiko 6159-7000 from 1968 (the predecessor of the Marinemaster 300) and RJ wears his Omega Constellation'95 1202.30.

Then, our friends of Time and Tide in Australia organize a watch auction called 'Watch & Act' and all proceeds will go to the recovery of Australia and its wildlife. Fratello donated a Frederique Constant Moonhase from our shop with all proceeds going to this good cause. Mike mentions an initiative on Instagram where Seiko watches are being auctioned for the same good cause.

Next, we talk about the downside of Instagram. The ongoing rants and comments on the market resale value of watches seem to be more important than watches that are showing something truly unique. If it isn't a Nautilus, Royal Oak, or Daytona, a lot of people don't seem to be interested. Is it lack of interest, is it about purchasing for investment reasons only, or what is it? You should buy the watch that sings to you, no matter what brand name is on the dial or what price tag is on there. Mike and RJ discuss this topic at length.

Follow us on Instagram:

Fratello Magazine: @fratellowatches
Mike Stockton: @mikeinfrankfurt
Robert-Jan Broer: @rjbroer

Visit our website: www.fratellowatches.com

RJ and Mike discuss their 5 most favorite watches that were introduced in 2019. It was quite difficult to choose from all the releases, but they picked 5 that they liked best, for various reasons. Listen to our 9th episode of Fratello on Air.

In this 8th episode of Fratello on Air, Balazs and RJ report from the Dubai Watch Week. It's a relatively short episode without any listener's questions but instead, focus on the initiative from the Seddiqi family in Dubai. This family, a large and important retailer for the middle east region, organized its 4th Dubai Watch Week event, the third in Dubai. In 2018, Dubai Watch Week had a smaller event in London, in close cooperation with Christie's.

During the Dubai Watch Week, it isn't so much about novelties (which makes this event less time-critical than Baselworld and SIHH/Watches&Wonders for example), but about creating a platform where watch manufacturers, watch journalists and watch collectors can meet and discuss. However, some brands did come up with a novelty especially for the Dubai Watch Week (7 in total) and mainly focused on the middle-east market with them. A few examples are the Ressence Type 1 DXB Dubai edition, the Singer Reimagined rack1 Emirates edition and the Bvlgari Octo with green dial (non-limited, but only marketed in the middle east).

Follow us on:

Instagram: @fratellowatches @ferenczibazs @rjbroer
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/fratellomagazine/

In this 7th episode of Fratello on Air, Michael Stockton and Robert-Jan Broer try to answer two questions from our listeners. One is about watches from microbrands (and independent watchmakers) and the other is about getting a discount on watches. The first question is asked because it seems like we are mainly interested in watches from the big brands, and perhaps it gives the impression that we also own only watches from these brands. But Mike and RJ explain what they love (and dislike) about microbrands and independent watchmakers, and which brands they like (and own) themselves.

With regard to the question about getting a discount on watches, we discuss why discounts are given to customers and what the impact is on the brand's image (and value) when watches are heavily discounted. With brands that are closing authorized dealers and focus on their own boutique sales and on-line sales, it will become more difficult for customers to find a good discount. Michael and RJ explain the pros and cons of direct selling by watch brands and what the effect is on discount. And whether a discount is necessary.

In every episode of Fratello on Air, we also discuss the watches that we are wearing during the podcast recording. For Mike, it is this special Oris Bigcrown Pilot and for RJ, his beloved Omega Constellation Globemaster in Sedna gold. We both explain why we like these watches so much.

Follow us on:

Instagram: @fratellowatches @mikeinfrankfurt @rjbroer
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/fratellomagazine/
Website: https://www.fratellowatches.com

Michael Stockton and Robert-Jan Broer talk about the new Breitling Avenger, SuperOcean and Aviator 8 Mosquito watches that were introduced last week in Zurich, Switzerland. But first, the wrist check (as always). RJ is wearing a Grand Seiko Mt Iwate (SBGJ201) and Michael is boosting his brand new Omega Speedmaster Professional Apollo XI in Moonshine gold. And talking about that, Mike and RJ are discussing whether it would make sense if Omega would re-introduce a Speedmaster Professional in 18-ct gold in the regular collection. It was in the collection previously but discontinued in 2012. With the recent demand for (vintage) gold Speedmasters, it might make sense to have it back into the collection. We also share thoughts on the new Seiko Presage Chronograph and Seiko Prospex Chronograph, for the 50th anniversary of Seiko's automatic chronograph movements. Michael isn't blown away by them, to say the least. The Grand Seiko Godzilla that was introduced last week also gets discussed. RJ likes the colors and Grand Seiko case design but has no link with Godzilla. The price of €12.700,- is being discussed as well, as it is definitely putting certain things in a different perspective. Last but not least, Mike and RJ answer a reader's question: What watches are your wives wearing? Admitted, they have been heavily influenced by us, but what are the watches they are wearing and were these really their choice?

Follow us on:

Instagram: @fratellowatches @mikeinfrankfurt @rjbroer
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/fratellomagazine/
Website: https://www.fratellowatches.com

Michael and RJ talk about Longines and our partnership with them on finding the oldest Longines watch in The Netherlands. This contest came to an end a few weeks ago and the winners (and us) travelled to the Longines headquarters in St-Imier, Switzerland, to have a look at their production facility and their impressive museum. RJ shares some of the highlights of this contest and the trip to St-Imier.

Another topic in episode 5 is an anonymous reader's question, concerning keeping your watches (and jewellery) safe. She asked us if we would advise her to purchase a safe or use a safe deposit box instead. There are pros and cons to both, RJ elaborates on both but has slight favour for keeping the watches in a safe deposit box. We all know this scary story on safe deposit boxes, so make sure to read the contracts before you sign. Mike uses the opportunity to explain how things work in the USA and that the use of a safe (at home) is quite common.

Our mandatory wrist check is about three watches because one of us is wearing two watches. Two Seikos and a Hamilton. Mike is wearing a Seiko SBDC079 Ginza Edition and RJ has the Seiko SNJ028 on his wrist, the new 'Arnie', as you wish. So, who's wearing the Hamilton?

Last but not least, the hosts of this Fratello on Air Episode 5 podcast discuss their favourite quartz watches. Amongst others, you'll hear us talk about the Breitling Aerospace, Rolex Oysterquartz, Omega Speedmaster X-33, Grand Seiko 9F, but also about this little niche Citizen Promaster Tough, which is only available in the UK (shameless plug here).

All images that go with this podcast can be found here.

In this episode 4, Michael talks with Daniel (as RJ was on holiday during the recording) about the Top 3 watches in their collections that get most wrist time, about Daniel joining Fratello and about his role (Head of Operations) and answering a listener's question about their favourite sub-40mm sports watch. Below, an overview of some of the mentioned watches, and all the links to articles/websites and people mentioned in this episode.

Enjoy and thanks for listening!

Links for show notes:

About Daniel
https://www.fratellowatches.com/author/daniel

How Daniel got to his first Fratello event
https://www.fratellowatches.com/subscribe-newsletter

Photo challenge posse @RewatchTeam
https://www.instagram.com/rewatchteam

@my.wrist Tim with modded First Omega in Space
https://www.instagram.com/my.wrist

@luk.ast Lukas, Speedy modder
https://www.instagram.com/luk.ast

Jason Heaton
https://www.instagram.com/jasonheaton/

TwoBrokeWatchSnobs
https://www.instagram.com/twobrokewatchsnobs/

Story of Daniel's dad's world trip (in German)
https://www.spiegel.de/geschichte/weltreise-mit-einem-citroen-2cv-a-947703.html

https://www.instagram.com/dugena_watches

G.Shock articles from Gerard on Fratello:
https://www.fratellowatches.com/you-asked-us-g-shock-square-which-one-to-choose/
https://www.fratellowatches.com/casio-g-shock-gw-5000-52mondayz-week-34/
https://www.fratellowatches.com/casio-gshock-gpw-1000raf-52mondayz-week-16/

Seiko013 pic from the Seiko013 @seikoskxoftheworld https://www.instagram.com/p/BtTnHbdn2d4/

Mike's write-up on the trilogy Seamaster
https://www.fratellowatches.com/omega-seamaster-300-60th-anniversary-2/

This third episode has been recorded in the week that the Rolex GMT-Master 1675 from Marlon Brando was in the news via the New York Times. This watch will be auctioned for the good cause, and we share a few thoughts and emotions about it. Also, we do our usual wrist check (see below) and elaborate a bit on these watches. For Mike, it's a vintage Omega De Ville chronograph and RJ went with a digital Seiko from 1982. We also answer one of your questions. After RJ called his modern Submariner 114060 a boring watch in our previous podcast, listener Maciek asked us about our most un-boring watch. For Mike, this is a Seiko Rally Diver and for RJ it is his recently acquired Seamaster PloProf 1200M in steel (now discontinued). This third episode of Fratello on Air is also about limited editions and collaborations: what do we think of them? What are the positives and what are the things we don't like?

Robert-Jan just got back from the Speedy Tuesday events in Singapore and Hong Kong and gives a little feedback on those, as well as the final dates for the upcoming events in New York and Tokyo. Michael talks about the recent trips he did with Breitling and Omega.  Of course, we start with a quick wrist check, on what’s on the wrists of Mike and RJ during the podcast. Michael is wearing a Rolex Submariner 5512 and RJ sports a modern Submariner ref. 114060. The main topic of this episode though is the lack of availability of Rolex sports watches. We did an article on this topic here, but we get so many questions about this topic that Mike decided to touch it once more. Furthermore, Mike and RJ answer the question of a listener of the first episode, about the watches that mean the most to them.

Mike's Instagram account is @mikeinfrankfurt. RJ's Instagram account is @rjbroer.

Welcome to our first episode of Fratello on Air. A bi-weekly podcast on watches, the watch industry, collecting watches and random watch talk by the editors of Fratello Watches (online watch magazine since 2004). In this episode, we cover the new Omega Speedmaster Apollo XI 50th anniversary watches, the watches on our wrists during the podcast recording and which watches we'd buy when there would be no financial limit.

We refer to a number of watches and articles:

- Speedmaster Apollo XI in stainless steel
- Speedmaster Apollo XI in Moonshine gold
- Rolex GMT-Master in gold
- A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1
- This Week in Watches June 16th

Mike's Instagram account is @mikeinfrankfurt. RJ's Instagram account is @rjbroer.