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Thank you for tuning in to this week's episode of Fratello Talks. You join RJ, Timo, and your host Nacho, who are going to be covering a rather broad topic. That's right, this week it's all about watches in cinema. In this episode we'll cover anything from memorable sightings, to examples of marketing gone too far. How much can brands get away with when it comes to blatant product placement? And does it actually have its desired effect? We also cover movie-themed watches and touch upon some of our favorites featured on film. 

After a three-week hiatus, Fratello On Air is back with a new episode. This week, we're talking about our collections, what we are currently wearing, and what's on our radar. As always, it's a recording with plenty of diverse topics. We invite you to kick back and enjoy the show.

We've been on the road for the past several weeks and we apologize for the lack of new episodes. However, we're back and talking about our collections. That's a large topic, so we're focusing on what we've purchased recently, what we're wearing more than ever, and where we're looking to bring in new pieces. But first...

Handgelenks Kontrolle

I won't kid you, we kick off our episode with about 15 minutes of random chatter. After all, we haven't spoken in quite some time! Ultimately, we decided to bring back the Handgelenks Kontrolle in favor of the Kettle Kite. Balazs kicks things off with his Omega 2451 from 1949 with its 27CHRO. This is a fantastic chronograph with loads of radium that has acted upon the dial. Mike, on the other hand, is wearing his blue Ming 17.09 on a Jean Roussea Alcantara strap.

The state of our collections

We move on to our collections and spend some time talking about why both of us have slowed down our purchases. We've become more selective on what should enter the fold. If we consider recent interests, we've gone in slightly different directions. Balazs has been wearing larger, more modern watches. Mike continues his return to the 36mm and below realm. As far as future interests, Balazs still has a Submariner 5513 or 14060 on his mind along with the Grand Seiko 44GS. As far as future additions, Mike will continue to focus on the '40s and '50s while seeing what randomly comes his way.

We hope you enjoyed our return to the airwaves. As always, if you have future ideas for the show, feel free to let us know!

Welcome to the 43rd episode of Fratello Talks. Today, we are feeling retrospective, so we decided to look back at some highlights released throughout this year so far. You join RJ, Lex, and Nacho, who will run through what, to them, are the best watches of 2023. Each has been tasked with picking their five favorites from the year. They kept these picks to themselves, but as you’ll see, there was no overlap. But before we check out their highlights of the year so far, it’s time for a wrist check.

It's time to crank up your Bluetooth speaker, whip out your AirPods, or put your headphones on! A fresh episode of Fratello Talks is here. This week, Daan and Laurits join your host, Nacho, to chat about wearing classically-sized watches. That's right! We're talking 36mm maximum and a minimum of 32mm, with a sweet spot of 34mm. These numbers read a bit on the smaller side, but once upon a time, 34mm was the standard. Anything bigger would be considered "jumbo" or "oversized." Today, the standard has shifted upwards, with 36–38mm being a reasonable size for a watch and 39–42mm covering the lion's share of all releases we see hit the market today. So, is 34mm a bold choice? A return to form? Or simply a welcome breath of fresh air in a world dominated by larger timepieces? Tune in to find out!

Welcome to this week's episode of Fratello Talks. Today, Lex, Morgan, and Nacho discuss the Tudor Pelagos FXD. They have all four models, from the original Marine Nationale version from 2021 to the latest USN model. Even the two carbon-cased Alinghi Red Bull Racing models are present. So, if you want to know more about how these guys feel about a watch that has dominated Tudor's lineup of releases this year, make sure to tune in!

Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air where we discuss our recent picks of the best watches under €5,000. We apologize for the late publishing of this week's episode, but travel is back in season. Get ready for another candid episode with our usual pre-topic banter!

Recently, Balazs and I contributed to a running topic on Fratello about the best watches under €5,000. Articles like this always generate a fair amount of feedback which we greatly appreciate. We discuss our picks, some of the feedback, and how the industry has changed. In particular, some of our favorite brands are now priced out of this all-important spending cap. Still, there are some fantastic new and used watches out there.

Kettle Kite

This week, we are coming to you from the Big Apple and the Big Smoke! Before getting to the kettle kite and our main topic of watches under €5,000, we talk about a recent Longines meetup in London. We also discuss how important face-to-face gatherings are to keep interest alive in vintage watches. Balazs is currently in the USA and will be for the next week. He's wearing his faithful G-Shock (similar to, but not exactly the model above). Mike is wearing a watch he has in for review, the Ollech & Wajs OW M-110 AS. It's a great watch that we will feature soon enough on the site.

Our picks under €5,000

Next, we come to the main topic of our favorite watches under €5,000. Mike published his article first and chose pieces from Seiko, Breitling, Nomos, and Breguet. Balazs came with his article a couple of weeks later and chose entries from Grand Seiko, Ming, and Omega. He also threw in various vintage chronograph options. We discuss why we chose these models along with some of the comments we received. Finally, we discuss how brands like Omega and Rolex no longer play in this market if we are looking at retail prices. A lot has changed within the past several years indeed!

As always, thank you for listening! If you have any ideas for future shows, please feel free to let us know!

Welcome, one and all, to this week's episode of Fratello Talks. Today, RJ, Morgan, and your host Nacho gather around the mics to discuss gold and two-tone watches. Each has a different level of experience and many opinions regarding the topic. RJ is a bit of a gold-watch connoisseur, owning more than a couple of 18K heavy hitters. Nacho has dabbled in gold but has never dared to go two-tone (yet). And Morgan has not yet owned a watch with precious metal at all. However, he certainly seems ready to enter the world of gold and two-tone watches.

Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air. This week, we have a discussion about time-only watches from the '40s and '50s. It's a subject that Balazs knows well and Mike is keen to pick his brain on the subject. This is a slightly different topic for us, so don't expect the usual brands to surface. We hope you enjoy it.

Time-only watches from the '40s and '50s are a fascinating subject. These pieces came before the '60s models that we so frequently discuss and catalog in our articles. The post-war decades are filled with absolute gems, but the scholarship is often lacking. This is especially true when it comes to certain smaller brands. We'll cover a number of aspects regarding this period and what to consider if you're thinking about wading into this very deep pool of amazing timepieces.

Kettle Kite

Before the Kettle Kite, we mention a recent vintage show in London and meeting up with friends. Then it's onto our episode-appropriate wristwear. Mike is wearing a new pickup from the aforementioned show. It's an IWC Cal 89 reference 309, a time-only steel watch that resembles a Patek Philippe Calatrava. Balazs is sporting his Omega CK 2657, a steel watch with a bumper automatic and a fine dose of patina.

Time-only watches from the '40s and '50s

Next, we hit our main topic on time-only watches from the '40s and '50s. Here, Balazs's knowledge is on display along with Mike's curiosity. We mention brands such as Omega, Longines, Eterna, Cyma, Tavannes, and more. We talk about redials, how to treat these watches, and even pricing. Research on these watches can be scarce, but forums, Instagram, and watch friends are there to help. It's a show that covers a lot of ground and possibly opens the door for a new avenue of collecting.

As always, thanks for listening! If you have ideas for future topics, please feel free to share them with us!

This week on Fratello Talks, RJ, Lex, and Nacho discuss their parallel passions beyond watches. Because, believe it or not, it’s not just watches that these guys spend every waking hour of their lives on. However, the approach and nature of their passions are no different. It has been an ongoing discussion here at HQ, so today we share with you our parallel passions (or PPs, as Lex so elegantly put it).

Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air. This time, we talk about replacements for three of the most popular watches in existence: the Submariner, Speedmaster, and Calatrava. These watches aren't one-for-one options but are either meant to give off similar feelings or serve a similar purpose. Enjoy the ride!

Sometimes, it's difficult to justify spending so much money on a watch. Pieces like the Rolex Submariner, Omega Speedmaster, and Patek Philippe Calatrava are pricey selections indeed. In this episode, we offer up some alternatives and talk about why we think they would work. There are some surprising choices here, so feel free to give us your thoughts on suitable replacements in the comments section.

Kettle Kite

Yes folks, before we get onto the main topic of finding a Submariner pro-tem, we have a chat. We must warn you that the first 12 minutes or so contain a lot of shoe content. Then, we mention the recent Certina DS-7, a watch that Mike reviewed in a recent post. As far as the Kettle Kite, Mike is wearing his vintage Hamilton Military Chronograph as he celebrates two months of living in England. Balazs is sporting his Grand Seiko 5646-7010 with a Hi-Beat movement.

Replacements for the Calatrava and more

Now, it's time for the main event. Essentially, both of us offer an alternative to a much-beloved, dare I say, iconic model. In order, we present the following options.

Rolex Submariner:

• Squale Sub-39
• Rado Captain Cook 42mm in Stainless Steel with a black dial

Omega Speedmaster

• Fortis Official Cosmonauts Chronograph
• Longines Avigation Chrono

Patek Philippe Calatrava

• IWC Cal. 89
• Grand Seiko SBGW253

That's all for now folks! As always, thank you for listening and if you have any show ideas, feel free to let us know.