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Hello, and welcome to a rather rowdy episode of Fratello Talks. It's a Friday afternoon at Fratello HQ, and Nacho, Lex, and Thomas gather around the mics to list some of the best watches of 2024 so far. Each of them has picked three of their favorites released during this first quarter and three additional honorable mentions. But, despite their best efforts, it doesn't take long until the structure crumbles and their chat diverges into a discussion on some of their favorite (and not-so-favorite) new releases of the year so far.

Fratello On Air returns with a new episode inspired by one of our listeners. Today, we're talking about our favorite watch and strap combinations. Of course, we're allowing bracelets to enter the conversation as well. Like always, we also have several other topics on tap.

So, what are our favorite watch and strap combinations? It's a good question, but one that we seek to answer. We thank our faithful listener, Richard, for today's topics. Metal enters the fray too because some watches look better with a bit of dangle. Shoes are also in focus as this was also a request from our listener. We hope you enjoy the show!

Handgelenkskontrolle

After some television discussion, we kick off our show with the Handgelenkskontrolle and are wearing watch and strap pairings that will be mentioned during the main topic. Balazs is home in Hungary and has brought his Grand Seiko SBGA439 on a denim blue Delugs strap. Mike is wearing his 1951 Longines 14ct Park Avenue on a "Honey Wind" leather strap. We then turn our attention to our current grail sneakers. Balazs lists the Asics Gel Lite 3 Miami Beach Edition, Jordan 1 Fragment x Travis Scott, and his signed Adidas Stan Smith shoes as his favorites. Mike is still pining for one of his high school favorites to return. His all-time crush is the gray, white, black, and yellow Nike Air Trainer Max '91 worn by Bo Jackson. Finally, Mike has purchased a vintage Tissot pocket watch, which sparks a discussion about what to do with these lovely objects.

Watch and strap combinations

Asking about our favorite watch and strap combinations is a tough question. It depends on the day, the season, and the specific watch. However, we've tried to bring up some of our most frequent picks. Here are the main points we discuss:

• GLC camouflage ripstop strap
• Any saffiano or Epsom leather strap on a simple dress watch
• Switching from a bracelet to a strap that matches the dial color, such as the Delugs strap Balazs has on his Grand Seiko
• Forstner bracelets, especially the flat link and the Klip
• Vintage bracelets, including well-made pieces from Germany, the UK, and the USA
• The Honey Wind strap from Wind Vintage

We hope you enjoyed today's episode and thanks again to Richard for the great topic suggestions! If you have any additional topics for future shows, feel free to let us know.

Hi there, and welcome to a new episode of Fratello Talks. Excuses, excuses, excuses... Letting them get in the way of a good thing is a shame. So it's time to cut them out and enjoy watches. This is this week's topic of discussion, which Nacho, Lex, and RJ explore in detail. It's an interesting phenomenon that we've observed lately. A new watch is announced, and out pour the single-phrase comments providing personal justification for a lack of intention to purchase. It all results in a rather dull, nasty, and repetitive rabbit hole of cynicism. But why does this happen? Is it a FOMO-induced face-saving reaction? Does it have more to do with how information is shared online? Or is it just the nature of online comments? And can't we just cut it out and enjoy watches regardless?

Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air. This week, we discuss flying on airplanes with our vintage watches and why we avoid it. We also cover several other watch-related topics before and after the main subject. Enjoy the show!

Flying on airplanes may be a normal and safe activity, but how does it affect our vintage watches? We discuss our thoughts on the question and why we tend to wear newer pieces. For those who don't love our banter, we begin our main subject after 40 minutes. However, all but a few minutes of the first portion are watch-related. So, fast-forward at your peril!

Handgelenks Kontrolle

We kick off our show about wearing our vintage watches on airplanes with several topics. Balazs mentions a recent visit by his friend and fellow Angelus lover, Bosko. Bosko brought along a stunning Angelus Chrono-Datoluxe that has made Balazs just a tad envious. We then discuss the recent Sunday Morning Showdown where the black Speedmaster Professional easily bested the new white Speedy. The Handgelenks Kontrolle brings a story from Mike about a newly acquired vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre. The watch was purchased at auction and needed work. This led to a fun adventure in London last week. Balazs, on the other wrist, is wearing his Grand Seiko SBGA439 on a Delugs strap.

Wearing vintage watches on airplanes

Today, we respond to one of our listeners who asked why Balazs no longer wears vintage watches like his Rolex GMT-Master on airplanes. Balazs isn't the only one as Mike also tends to wear newer watches. The risk of spills, knocks, and more leads us to choose newer, more robust watches. Are we overprotective and unreasonably concerned? Who knows, but we've both flown a lot and have experienced our share of accidents. We're curious if you're also cautious when flying and keep your older, more fragile watches in a bag or at home. Feel free to let us know!

Thanks for listening to today's episode, we hope you enjoyed it! If you have ideas for future episodes, let us know.

Welcome to Fratello Talks. This week, you join your host, Nacho, alongside RJ and Lex for a discussion on the evolution of watch marketing. The idea of marketing watches has been around since selling them became a lucrative endeavor. Since then, we have seen the watch industry's efforts take many different forms, from posters to print ads, television spots to ambassadors, and the many different ways in which watch brands are involved in the world of sports. Today, the guys take a look at many of these aspects and discuss examples that they find memorable, effective, and downright cool. They also list some examples of not-so-effective marketing. Finally, they do some wishful thinking for its future.

Fratello On Air returns and this week we discuss watches from brands that everyone should own at some point on their collecting journey. Our ideas come across as more of a suggestion than an edict, though. We also touch on several other watch-related topics before the main event. Enjoy the show!

Whether we're talking watches, cars, or any other item, we're not sure that anyone likes being told what they should or shouldn't buy. That's why our main topic today on watch brands is fairly light. We also spend a decent amount of time talking about last week's Cartier episode, the new white Speedmaster, and Balazs' watch-related travel in the USA.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

We kick off our episode with a mention of one of our listeners. He asked about aluminum luggage, which fed a conversation during last week's podcast. He also happens to be a stuntman who has worked with Tom Selleck and shared some news about Tom's Rolex GMT-Master. We move on to Cartier and how it must be one of the most polarizing brands in existence. Then, we transition to the white Omega Speedmaster, a watch that Balazs saw while traveling in Miami. As far as our wristwear, both of us are doing our best Magnum P.I. impersonations. Balazs has his trusty Rolex GMT-Master 1675 and Mike is rocking his later 16750.

Brands everyone should own at least once

We move on to our main topic regarding brands that everyone should own. The idea came from one of our listeners, so thank you very much! Balazs names some brands and watches that may come across as a surprise. The Bvlgari Octo Finissimo makes an appearance along with the Zenith El Primero. Then, he mentions Omega, Grand Seiko, Tudor, and Breitling. Mike brings in Parmigiani and Moser. However, despite the venom that exists among so many people, he can't resist bringing up Rolex. Pound for pound, they make a fantastic watch and if purchased at retail price, a Rolex is hard to beat.

We hope you enjoyed today's show and thanks for listening! Feel free to let us know if you have any suggestions for future episodes!

Welcome to this week's episode of Fratello Talks. Today, you join Nacho, Morgan, and Thomas, who join forces to discuss a number of their watch pet peeves. The guys are feeling particularly grumpy today, so they decided to go on an extensive rant, listing some of the things watch brands do that rub them the wrong way. There are plenty of groan-inducing factors to consider, whether it's a lack of micro adjust, gratuitous exhibition case backs, deployant clasps, lack of AR coating, or sub-par timekeeping. We start off slow but finish feeling like we just scratched the surface, but all grievances aside, it turned out to be a fun episode.

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air. This week, we're asking what would make us buy a Cartier watch. It's a good question because neither of your co-hosts owns a timepiece from the incredibly popular brand. As we'll see, the reasons have little to do with what's currently on offer and more about our wearing habits.

What would make us buy a Cartier? It's a good question and with popularity in the famed jeweler's watches at an all-time high, it's one that probably doesn't beg for loads of discussion. Yet, here we are without one on either of our wrists. We'll explore why and if that may change in the future. Of course, there are other discussions to be had about watches and unrelated topics. Enjoy the show!

Handgelenks Kontrolle

In this episode, we stay relatively true to our ten-minute non-watch talk promise. We kick off with a chat about aluminum luggage as we received a question from one of our listeners. We then transition into a topic brought up by one of Mike's friends in Detroit. It's a series of movies starring Tom Selleck as the character Jesse Stone. He's still wearing his famed Rolex GMT-Master from Magnum P.I., which leads to a question that Mike's friend asked. Namely, is this a seriously valuable celebrity watch? As far as our wristwear, Mike is wearing a NOS Bulova Arnold from the '40s. He received this watch during high school and it's now getting some long overdue wrist time. Balazs is heading to the Big Apple and, therefore, he has on his go-to travel watch, the G-Shock GWB-5600.

What would make us buy a Cartier?

Of all the lovely watches both of us own, neither have us have ever owned a Cartier. It turns out that whenever we've thought about one, another watch jumps to the front of the queue which would likely get more time on the wrist. This is a very different scenario than past "What Would Make Us Buy Brand X" episodes where we have requested significant changes from the brands. No, we like the current Cartier lineup. We also admit that whenever we think of the brand, we cannot help but recall our dearly missed friend, George Cramer. His name is synonymous with Cartier and his articles here are classics.

We hope you enjoyed today's show and thank you for listening. As always, if you have ideas for future episodes, feel free to let us know!

Are rising watch prices getting you down? Well, we’ve got good news for you. In this week’s episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho, Timo, and RJ take a look at some horological hidden gems under €5K. These are watches you can buy either new or pre-owned that offer something truly interesting for the price. If you want to get the most for your money, these nine options are perfect ways to go. We’ve got a little bit of everything, from big-brand bangers at a fraction of their current-day equivalent prices to under-the-radar watches currently available at prices that won’t stay low for long.

In this week's episode of Fratello On Air, we ponder what's wrong with the watch industry. Before you jump to conclusions, we're not upset. We have a wish list and think that certain areas within this sector could use further thoughts or updates. Get ready for a lengthy episode!

So, what's wrong with the watch industry? Maybe "wrong" is too harsh a word, but we do see opportunities for improvement or alteration. Don't worry; we keep our suggestions above the beltline, but we do think we score a few points. We love watches and want to see brands continue to do well, so we share our highly esteemed (well, not really) opinions. As always, feel free to share your thoughts below!

Handgelenks Kontrolle

We kick things off with a short disclaimer about last week's episode about the three watches we'd save from a burning house. Once again, folks, no one was hurt in that scenario, and we felt it was more catchy to come up with such a title. When several of you suggested that taking the insurance money was a better idea, I guess we lost you! Next, there is a bit of sneaker news. The Nike Air Tech Challenge II in Lava is coming again! These were Andre Agassi's famous shoes, and there's a nice history video clip here. Before talking about the watch industry, Balazs shares a new watch he has in for review. The new Vulcain Grand Prix with a champagne dial and 39mm case is on his wrist. Mike is wearing a new arrival as well. It's the 1939 Omega reference 13322 with a sterling silver case and a 30T2 movement. More to come on that one!

Our wish list for the watch industry

Next, we discuss opportunities for the watch industry. We talk about several different topics, including:

• The industry still moves at the pace of an aircraft carrier, which makes keeping up with trends difficult at best.
• Pricing has become so high that the five-figure mark is no longer sacred. This has to stop.
• Celebrity endorsers — has the industry gone overboard with them?
• Brand-owned boutiques are often empty and can feel intimidating to enter. Plus, they're expensive and contribute to high watch prices.
• The gray market is a problem that brands should own and control by making watches that people want to buy.
• Anyone can become a watch dealer. Why do some people buy from known felons or fly-by-night hucksters?
• Overuse of artists or collaborators from outside of the industry — what was once unique becomes tired.
• Influencers — who needs them, and what is their real value?
• Finally, we love retro designs, but we'd love to see more fresh designs and new ideas. Save the reissues for truly special models.

We hope you enjoy today's lengthy episode, and thank you for listening. As always, if you have any show ideas, feel free to let us know!