Fratello.com

In this week's episode of Fratello Talks, we're pleased to welcome special guests Jérôme Burgert And Gabriel Vachette, the men behind Serica watches. They join your host and Fratello's managing editor, Nacho Conde, for a deep dive into the every-classy French microbrand ahead of its fifth anniversary. They delve into the brand's origins and evolution over the last few years and give you a small taste of things to come later this year. So, whether you're a fan of the brand, have heard about it, or are curious to learn more, make sure to tune in and listen to the entire chat, which exceptionally pushes the boundaries of the short-form podcast.

Fratello On Air is back with another listener-inspired show topic. This week, we talk about the three watches each of us would save from a burning house. Don't worry, we'll keep things light as a real fire is no joke. Of course, expect a bit of banter up front as we work up to the main theme.

A fire at home is a terrible thought, so feel free to insert an emergency that would require a near-instantaneous choice of three watches from the collection. No more or no less can be taken. Of course, the family and pets are safe, so it's fine to focus on your prized possessions. We'll set a couple of rules below to help ensure we get to our absolute favorites.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Before discussing the three watches that we would choose above all others, we turn to some brief banter. Never fear, we're going to do our best to keep it to ten minutes! Balazs mentions a great book called, "Soled Out: The Golden Age of Sneaker Advertising (A Sneaker Freaker Book)." He then mentions two television shows named, "Gangs of London," and "Godless." Mike brings up the "Mayor of Kingstown." As far as our wristwear, Mike is wearing a relatively new acquisition, the '30s Movado Curviplan. Balazs is sporting his gorgeous vintage Sinn Excelsior Park chronograph. It was the perfect watch for his recent visit to Sinn HQ.

The three watches we'd save

It's a tough topic to think about, but if we had to save three watches in our collection, what would we choose? Before we get to it, though, we are excluding any family heirloom watches if they aren't selected. The choices were tough and some familiar names made the list. A couple of surprises come along, though.

Balazs:

• Angelus 215 L.E.
• Omega Speedmaster 145.022 Transitional
• Rolex GMT-Master Ref. 1675

Mike:

• Breitling 765 CP
• Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 570
• Rolex Sea-Dweller "Great White" Ref. 1665

What watches in your collection would you grab in a pinch?

Thanks again to one of our listeners for suggesting this fun topic and thanks to everyone for listening. If you have ideas for future show topics, please feel free to let us know!

On today's episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho, RJ, and Lex take a look at and try to make sense of watch prices today. It's often a hot topic of discussion in the comments. In a world where price increases have become a bi-yearly phenomenon, it's a challenge to keep up with where value lies. But is it a mistake to expect bang-for-buck in the world of luxury? Then, the matter of brands' positioning within the world of watches comes into play. As watch enthusiasts, we are aware of the plate tectonics within the watch industry and can feel when something doesn't sit quite right. So, how do we make sense of all of this? That's the question.

Fratello On Air returns with an episode featuring a hypothetical question. This is a recurring series and this time we ask what would make us buy a new Seiko. We'll cover more than just sports watches and settle on a few key asks to one of our favorite brands. Enjoy the show!

What would make us buy a new Seiko? It's a good question and one that has many different answers. You'll be able to predict some of them while others may surprise you! We hope you enjoy the show and please feel free to comment if you have other suggestions for the Japanese powerhouse!

 Handgelenks Kontrolle

Before getting into our new Seiko topic, we kick the show off with some very light banter. This time, it's a fairly short preamble. Mike has just returned from Dublin, Ireland, and discusses a nice visit at a vintage watch shop. As far as the Handgelenks Kontrolle, Balazs is sporting his vintage Angelus 210 with a white dial and stick lugs. This generates some discussion about the watch, its variants, and its history. Mike is wearing a new acquisition. It's a '30s rectangular Cyma Watersport with a clamshell case. Yes, non-round watches are back in business!

What would make us buy a new Seiko?

Let's be clear, both of us like current Seiko models. There's a huge catalog and plenty to enjoy for all. Still, we're picky and are always pushing for more from our favorite watch brands. Plus, it's probably been four years since either of us has purchased a new Seiko. So, what is it that would have us grabbing our collective wallets? We discuss the need for a true killer diver at the high end that isn't a reissue. Then, we join the bandwagon and continue to mourn the passing of the once-mighty SKX. King Seiko has been a nice surprise, but we're looking for more variety there and better movements. As for chronographs, we feel that Seiko is missing a huge opportunity to recreate a unique 6139-like movement to help bring down the thickness and separate itself from the crowd. Of course, we have plenty of other suggestions from case finishing to strap quality.

We hope you enjoyed today's episode and thanks for listening! As always, feel free to let us know if you have any ideas for a future show topic.

In this week's episode of Fratello Talks, we're taking a look at three affordable watches that punch above their weight. Nacho, Thomas, and Morgan have set their sights on sub-€500 offerings. This is a space in which the likes of Seiko, Hamilton, and even Tissot once reigned supreme. Today, it's the battleground for many microbrands. But there are still hundreds of options available. Today, we'll take a look at three. Each of the guys has selected one of their favorite watches available at that price point, which they'll highlight in today's episode.

Fratello On Air returns after a one-week break. In this episode, we're discussing a topic suggestion from one of our listeners and readers. It's a question that likely comes into most of our minds at some point along the way. Namely, how do we enjoy watch collecting without always thinking about the next acquisition? We share our thoughts.

Our listener, "Cleon.XIII," is responsible for this week's episode where we talk about watch collecting and how to find satisfaction without moving on to the next piece. It's a tough one, especially for one of our hosts! Regardless of this, we provide some of the tactics that either work for us or seem to work for others with more self-control! Enjoy it!

Handgelenks Kontrolle

We kick off our episode on watch collecting without always thinking of collecting more with a bit of banter. Shoes make their way to the list of topics. Mike recounts his recent trip to Florida where he spent some time with Eric Wind and Charlie Dunne of Wind Vintage. He also had the chance to attend a dinner with Josh Shapiro of J.N. Shapiro Watches which was fantastic. Balazs mentions some recent podcasts and TV shows that he has enjoyed during travel. As far as the Handglenks Kontrolle, Mike is wearing his Eterna 852. Balazs is enjoying his Seiko Skyliner 6100-8000.

Watch collecting without buying

For our main topic, we discuss the idea of appreciating the watch hobby without always having to be on the hunt for another watch. Each of us brought some suggestions and while some aren't perfectly free, they likely come in well below the cost of a new timepiece. In short, here are our suggestions:

• Research your vintage watches to try and uncover new information about them.
  • Some great sites are The Watch Library and the Library of Congress where it's easy to search old newspaper advertisements
• Throw on a watch that you haven't worn in a long time and stay with it for several days. It may remind you why you purchased it in the first place. Or, it may be time to sell it.
• Search for the perfect strap or bracelet to pair with your watch. These can be surprisingly inexpensive and the right pairing makes a huge difference.
• Grab your camera or your phone and spend time photographing your watches. There are loads of free tutorial articles and videos on photography and digital editing.
• Engage with the watch community online or, better yet, in person if you're near a larger city. It's great fun to speak with others who share the same passion.

We hope you enjoyed today's episode. If you have any topics for future shows, please feel free to let us know!

Welcome to this week's episode of Fratello Talks. Today, Nacho is joined by Morgan and RJ to discuss the topic of watch servicing. More specifically, they answer common questions on the topic, including: when should you service your watch? How often should you service your watch? And how much should you expect to pay for a service? Keeping your beloved watch ship-shape is not something you should overlook. Most watch brands have a recommended service interval, but do you really need to stick to this advice? We don't think so, especially in the common case where you own/wear multiple watches. It's a topic that's not as clear-cut as it may seem. Today, the guys tackle the topic and give you their views and share their experiences with watch servicing.

Welcome to this special episode of Fratello Talks for LVMH Watch Week 2024! You join Nacho, Timo, and RJ, who run through the list of releases from Bulgari, TAG Heuer, Hublot, and Zenith. It may yet be early in the year, but we've already seen a ton of new watches. These brands have given us more than a handful of new watches to be excited about. You'll find technically impressive innovations and contemporary takes on classic designs among the novelties. From Zenith adding a classic complication to a fan favorite, TAG Heuer bringing back the Dato dial in the Glassbox formula, to Bulgari dropping a couple of new bold colorways for the Octo Finissimo, and Hublot flexing their technical chops with the MP-10 Linear Weight Tourbillon.

Welcome to this episode of Fratello Talks, where Nacho, Lex, and Laurits try to answer the question: what makes a watch brand great? It's not as obvious as one might imagine. There are as many factors to consider as parts of a watch's movement. Yet a handful of specific criteria come into play in separating the many from the few. From heritage to storytelling and, ultimately, the product itself. Make sure to tune in to this week's discussion for a nuanced dive into the topic as the guys share their opinions.

Fratello On Air is back with another rip-roaring episode. This time, we talk about what starting over would look like for our watch collections. Of course, we give ourselves all the funds that we've used in the past for watches and are armed with the knowledge we've picked up over the last decade or so. We hope you enjoy it!

One of our favorite readers, "Goldenyears," commented on our last podcast with the following:

"Sometimes I wonder what watches would I own if I could start all over again from scratch — have no watches but all the money I ever spent so far on every watch I ever owned, including the inexpensive, fashion, and junk watches and the Timex and Casio watches of my youth. It’s a tidy sum of money. I, for one, can attest that my collection would look dramatically different."

This generated today's podcast topic where Balazs and I consider starting over with our collections and what would change or stay the same. Thanks, Goldenyears! Journey with us to an alternate reality.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Before discussing starting over with our collections, we discuss several topics. We hit upon our recent travels to Germany and mention both the good and bad things that occurred along the way. Yes, the much-maligned Frankfurt Airport makes an appearance, and, spoiler alert, it does live up to its reputation. We then transition to the new Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8 and its hefty price tag. For the Handglenks Kontrolle, Mike has on a loaner Ming 29.01 Dubai Edition. It's a stunning watch with some incredible details. Balazs is going simple, yet pleasing with his O.G. Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical. Finally, before hitting our topic, the news of Arnold Schwarzenegger and his run-in with the German Zoll had just broken, so it's worth a few words.

Starting Over

When we finally hit our main topic of starting over with our collections, we set some ground rules. We have all the money that we ever spent on watches. Plus, we are armed with all the knowledge that we've picked up over time. As you'll hear, both of us head in different directions with our empty wrists and full coffers. Balazs feels that he'd keep his collection small with some key pieces. Mike would also add some key pieces, but would probably find himself down a rabbit hole and begin amassing a decent number of watches again. Of course, we also discuss the problems of starting a collection today such as being able to find some of the vintage pieces we currently own. In a way, this is like a daydream about winning the lottery and the options are endless.

Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoyed the show! If you have any future topic suggestions, feel free to let us know!