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Hello, and welcome to Fratello Talks! Today, Nacho, RJ, and Thomas share their vintage watch wishlists. As you can imagine, these guys spend a lot of time thinking about watches. But when they're not writing about the latest releases, they're often lusting after (and hunting down) vintage watches online. It's a hazard of the job. Today, inspired by RJ's latest object of desire, the guys lend you insight into the timepieces on their current list of vintage (and neo-vintage) favorites.

Fratello On Air returns with an episode discussing how we service a watch collection. It's another listener suggestion and it's a good one! You'll hear about how and when we choose to service a watch and where. Then, we end the episode with some suggestions on the tools we have on hand. For our listeners, the watch content starts after approximately eight minutes.

Servicing a watch collection sounds daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Your friendly hosts have a decent number of pieces and haven't let maintenance get them down. Still, there are times when a watch needs to visit a watchmaker. Today, you'll hear us discuss how often we service our timepieces and what tools we keep at home to do some minor work.

Handgelenkskontrolle

We're relatively short on banter in this episode (rejoice, some of you!), so we quickly move to the Handgelenkskontrolle. Balazs is heading to Italy for a short week of vacation and is bringing two watches. The watch he's wearing during our recording has made the cut and it's the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical. He's wearing it on a nylon strap for that easy, carefree summer feeling. Mike has returned to Japanese watches and is sporting his Citizen 51-2273 diver. This is an early '80s automatic that rivaled the original Seiko Turtle.

Servicing a watch collection

A hearty thanks goes out to one of our listeners in sunny Portugal for providing today's show topic. How do we service a sizable watch collection? It's a great question and one with a complex answer. Firstly, because our collections focus heavily on vintage, we service our watches as needed. We also keep records of watches that have been serviced or the pieces that need work. Regarding newer watches, we rarely service them until necessary. However, we do recommend having your dive watches pressure tested after the warranty period expires. Is quartz the answer? Not necessarily because some of these watches require servicing and routine battery changes.

We also mention the tools that we keep on hand for smaller jobs like battery changes and bracelet adjustments. Loupes, rubber case back opening balls, screwdrivers, tweezers, and pin pushers are some of our recommendations. Of course, the name "Bergeon" comes up several times.

We hope you enjoyed today's topic and thanks to our listener for the suggestion. If you have further ideas for show topics, let us know!

Hello, and welcome to Fratello Talks! If you're listening to this latest episode on the day it was released, then Geneva Watch Days 2024 is just a week away. Today, Nacho, Lex, and Thomas gather around the mics to discuss the event and make some wishes and predictions about what they'd like to see from brands at the show. There's plenty to look forward to, as more brands than ever will take part in this year's edition of the event. Be sure to stay tuned here on Fratello for all the latest. But, for now, it's just some wishes, predictions, and wild guesses.

Fratello On Air returns with our favorite watches from the '90s and early '00s. It's hard to believe that this period is nearly 30 years old! This was a key period for watches and brought pieces that exist today or are highly revered. Join us as we take a trip down memory lane. For our listeners, the watch content begins after approximately 14 minutes.

The '90s and early '00s gave us some truly memorable watches. We're thankful that our listener, Richard, asked us to discuss some of our favorite pieces from the era. Today, we'll mention dress watches, divers, aviators, and chronographs. Some may think of this as a malaise period, but we'll do our best to change your mind!

Handgelenkskontrolle

We kick off the episode with some discussions about TV shows with watches. Bosch and Lost both feature Rolex watches and Balazs discusses them in more detail. Regarding the Handgelenkskontrolle, Balazs starts us off with his first Swiss watch, the Tissot PRC200 Chronograph. Mike is wearing an 18-carat gold Movado Curviplan with a new strap.

Our favorite watches from the late '90s and early '00s

The main topic begins with an overview of four iconic watches that debuted during the '90s. These pieces are still in production today with similar designs. However, each of us mentions three more watches we love from this timeframe. Scratch that, Balazs mentions four! We talk about the following pieces:

• Omega Speedmaster Professional 3192.30, a limited edition Apollo XI commemorative made of white gold
• Patek Philippe 5014G, a Gondolo with an art deco dial
• Patek Philippe 3970EP-21, an amazing perpetual calendar
• IWC Mark XII, a JLC-powered 36mm pilot watch with a glorious bracelet
• Cartier Tank Basculante 2390, the large manual wind classic with a folding case
• Panerai PAM00127, the "Fiddy" from 2002 that went viral
• Seiko 7T27, an RAF-issued chronograph

We hope you enjoyed today's episode and thanks again to Richard for the topic suggestion! If you have suggestions for future shows, please let us know.

Welcome, dear Fratelli, to this latest episode of Fratello Talks. Today, Nacho, Lex, and Thomas spotlight some of their guilty pleasure watches. Everyone has at least one; most of us can list at least a handful. These are watches that, though we like them, we aren't too quick to admit it. This can be due to a number of reasons, whether it's a brand's (arguably undeserved) reputation, an eye-watering price tag, or even just a case of off-the-wall design. And though we often highlight carefully curated lists of favorites, we rarely reach into the back of the shelf for these oddball picks.

Fratello On Air is back with another rip-roaring episode! This week, our topic comes from one of our dear listeners and we talk about what like and dislike about working in the watch industry. It's a candid take on some of our favorite aspects with some that don't rate as highly. For those who wish to skip the banter, begin your journey after approximately 16 minutes.

The watch industry is a business like many others except that it entails one of our favorite subjects! While the good far outweighs the bad, there are some pestery facets. Today's episode focuses on what we like and dislike. Our faithful listener and commenter Richard inspired this show, so I hope we do his request justice!

Handgelenkskontrolle

Before discussing our relationship with working in the watch industry, we recap Balazs' recent visit to the 2024 Paris Olympics. He went up and back on a recent Sunday to watch handball. You'll hear about his experiences in Paris and at the match. He also visited the Omega House, but he missed Daniel Craig! For the Handgelenskontrolle, Balazs is wearing his Seiko 6100-8000 Skyliner, a gift from one of our mutual friends, James. Mike is wearing a new acquisition. It's an 18-carat gold Tavannes chronograph from 1935 made by Breitling.

Likes and dislikes about working in the watch industry

There's no doubt about it, we enjoy working in the watch industry. The early access to unreleased watches still gives us a thrill. More importantly, aside from meeting each other, we've met some amazing friends globally because of our collective ties to watches. There are also some challenging bits regarding employment in this field. Writing about watches with too few press pictures is a challenge. Then, unsurprisingly, egos persist in this area. Overall, though, we love the camaraderie within this slice of commerce. As you listen, if you have additional questions about what it's like to work with watches or even at a publishing title, feel free to ask. Perhaps we will consolidate the questions and make a show of it!

Finally, Balazs received a question about when we will release "Handgelenkskontrolle" t-shirts. It's a great question, but we need some help with the design. If you have ideas, we'd love to see them!

Thank you for listening to today's episode. If you have any future show topics, please let us know.

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we ask what the hell is so special about Rolex anyhow. Sure, the brand has been discussed heavily, but both hosts have had recent Submariner experiences and hash out what makes these watches so fantastic. For our faithful listeners, the watch content begins at approximately 23 minutes.

What is the secret to the success of Rolex and why are they so special? Before you Rolex-haters bring venom to the comments section, give us a listen. We won’t try to change your mind if you dislike the brand, but we will share why we think the company is so successful.

Handgelenkskontrolle

We kick off our episode with some banter about the Olympics as Balazs is headed to a special event the day after recording. Mike is still in Spain and discusses the new Inter Miami Adidas Gazelles that have arrived. Then, we mention Kobe Bryant’s Staples Center locker that auctioned for $2.9m. Regarding our watch choices, Mike is wearing his trusty Rolex Submariner 14060M and discusses again why it’s his favorite modern model. Balazs has swapped out his Submariner 5513, giving his GMT-Master 1675 a workout.

What is so special about Rolex?

For our main topic, we hit on several key points. First, Rolex has done a thorough job of buying its suppliers. We review some of the key acquisitions from the past 30 years. Advertising is another area where the brand differs from others by choosing champions and discussing the technical features of their watches. The look and feel of a Rolex is also something special, especially for such a mass-produced item. Finally, design consistency and a slow evolution have helped bolster the brand’s reputation over time.

We hope you enjoyed today’s episode! If you have any future topics, please let us know!

Hello, welcome! You're listening to Fratello Talks. This week's episode features RJ, Daan, and Nacho: three members of the Fratello team who join forces this week to wax poetic about some of their favorite affordable watches. This is the first volume of what will almost certainly become a recurring topic for the podcast. There are simply too many great watches with reasonable price tags to cover them all in one episode. But over the next twenty-six minutes and nine seconds, you'll hear all about a handful of them, with the primary focus placed upon three of them. These are the same watches you'll find on the guys' wrists this week. So, without further ado, let's jump into a wrist check.

Welcome back to Fratello On Air! This week, we discuss thinning out our watch collections. It's a tough topic because only one of us has ever sold a watch! We're happy to take on the subject, though, because it's easy to pile up watches that see very little wrist time. For our listeners, the watch content begins approximately 23 minutes into the episode.

Thinning out the watch collection is an idea that Balazs is comfortable with because he's done it! On the other hand, Mike has never sold or traded a watch and is finally thinking about doing so. Today, we discuss weaning down the collection, how to do it, and what to do with the funds. But first...

Handgelenkskontrolle

We kick off our episode with a return to one of our favorite subjects, sneakers. Adidas has released a new collection of shoes and jerseys for Inter Miami 2024 and they're hot! Balazs made the mistake of sharing the news with Mike and now pastel Miami Dolphins-hued Gazelles are on the way to Mike's feet alongside a sweet retro-themed jersey. You can take the boy out of South Florida, but... Balazs also mentions the upcoming Nike: Form Follows Motion exhibit at the Vitra Design Museum in Germany. If you're visiting this exhibition, it's worth stopping at the Musée National de l'Automobile in Mulhouse, France. For the Handgelenkskontrolle, Balazs is wearing the new Nivada Grenchen Chronosport that Lex briefly covered when it debuted. Expect a hands-on review soon! Meanwhile, Mike is enjoying his trusty Citizen BN0220 in the Spanish heat, making good on his Best Summer Watches at Three Different Price Points recommendation.

Thinning out the watch collection

Today, we thank our dedicated listener, Tristan, for his suggestion for an episode on thinning out the watch collection. We modified the topic slightly to discuss how to pick the watches ready for a new home and what to do with the funds. Balazs has more experience in this area and discusses how he recently sold a pair of two-tone Rolex Datejust models to help fund a watch he desired, the Submariner 5513. Mike has never sold a watch and is considering it. He has a target watch in mind and will begin stacking up watches in his collection for trade. We promise to report back on any progress!

We hope you enjoyed today's show and thank you for the suggestion, Tristan! If you have any ideas for future episodes, please let us know!