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This weekly "Fratello Talks..." podcast talks about the Rolex Certified Pre-Owned program that was introduced on December 1st. 

Thomas, Daan, and I are discussing the new Certified Pre-Owned program that Rolex introduced. Authorized Dealer Bucherer is the first partner offering Rolex watches with this certification. But what is it exactly, and how does it work? We also received some comments and questions about the consequences of this certification process, and we try to answer them in our podcast. Additionally, we are discussing the effect on the market prices of pre-owned Rolex watches.

Fratello On Air returns with Balazs and Mike in their respective saddles to discuss a number of topics. The new Rolex pre-owned program is a focal point along with new offerings from Nivada-Grenchen and Audemars Piguet. What do we think of all these new items? Have a listen and find out for yourself!

Balazs and Mike are back after a couple of weeks away and they've got plenty to discuss. Shoes, the gray weather in Germany, and watches are on tap with the latest episode. Of course, there's the Handgelenks Kontrolle...

Handgelenks Kontrolle

After a bit of chatter, it's time for the Handgelenks Kontrolle. Mike kicks things off with his white gold Rolex Day-Date 1803, a surprisingly subtle piece on his wrist for nearly two weeks. Keeping on theme, Balazs is wearing his lovely GMT-Master 1675. He currently has it on the Oyster, but will soon switch to his Jubilee for the festive season.

The Rolex Pre-owned program and more

After some more talk, it's time to get into the meatier subjects. The Rolex pre-owned program is here and, wow, is it exciting! Or is it? We'll discuss it, but we aren't so sure. We also mention the new Nivada Grenchen x Undone and, frankly, we dig it. Finally, we discuss the return of the Audemars Piguet Starwheel and declare it to be the best Code 11.59 yet and the best AP in donkey's years.

We hope you enjoy today's episode. Feel free to let us know if there's anything you'd like us to discuss on a future show.

Ignacio talks with Sofia and Sinara about making that first big purchase! Buying your first serious (luxury) watch can be a nerve-racking process. How did Fratello's Ignacio, Sinara and Sofia dealt with it? They're all young (below 30), and spending that much money on your first watch can be stressful. What choices did they make, and why? Listen to our Fratello Talks — Buying your first serious watch podcast to hear about their stories.

Fratello Talks is a new series next to the Fratello On Air podcast. In Fratello Talks, your hosts Ignacio and RJ discuss various horological topics. Ignacio, RJ, and Laurits talk about dress watches in this first episode. What is a dress watch exactly, and why would you need one? We also discuss our favorite dress watches.

Fratello On Air is here and Balazs and Mike are back together between extensive travels. This week, we talk about a  number of random subjects and then move on to the main topics. New Excelsior Park is in focus as well as the massive Rolex Deepsea Challenge.

We have been keeping the road hot! Mike has just returned from a two-week trip to the USA where he was all over the place and Balazs is getting ready to leave for another visit to Japan. Luggage enters the discussion yet again and Mike is curious if Rimowa's service department will live up to his expectations (update: sadly not so far). As mentioned, we spend most of our time on new releases from Excelsior Park and the Rolex Deepsea Challenge.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

First things first, though, and that's the Handgelenks Kontrolle. After wearing his Explorer 14270 for two weeks in a row, Mike has swapped to his vintage Heuer Monaco 73633. Balazs has two new Excelsior Park pieces in hand - a limited piece released in conjunction with watch dealer "Shuck the Oyster" and a collab with Seconde/Seconde.

Excelsior Park and the Rolex Deepsea Challenge

For the main part of our show, we talk about modern Excelsior Park and how the Sellita-based movement feels in hand. Hint: it's no Excelsior Park caliber, but we love that the watches are manual wind and kissing cousins to the originals. We especially like how they've gotten the details right such as the dial fonts and case dimensions. Finally, for the money, they seem to be good value. When it comes to the Rolex Deepsea Challenge, it's a good thing that we let this one breathe for a week before discussing it. There's no doubt that this watch is ridiculous in almost every way, whether it be price, specs, or size. However, both of us appreciate it for what it is — an insane accomplishment from Rolex. It's an absolutely unnecessary watch, but we dig it.

We hope you enjoyed today's episode and we look forward to bringing you more. If you have any thoughts on future topics, please let us know!

For the second week in a row, Balazs has a guest on the podcast, another member of the Fratello family. After last week’s discussion with Dave about space watches this week, we have our one and only Lex on Fratello On Air. The man known for refined taste in clothing and timepieces is also somewhat of a Breguet fan. His impressive knowledge of the brand was a delight to listen to whenever it came up in a conversation. 

So it was logical for Balazs to sit down with Lex and chat about the Swatch Group’s crown jewel.

Wrist check

We do not see Lex without something denim, so it was no surprise that he was sporting a piece that’s the love child of a watch company and a denim brand: the Oris Diver 65 Momotaro edition. The watch is the perfect blend of material and colors. A steel case with a bronze bezel, green dial, and indigo-blue denim strap. Such a fine eclectic ensemble. Not to mention that the watch is readily available on most used watch sites and for a very competitive price too. Great choice, Lex!

Balazs wore a loaner for the show, but boy, what a timepiece it was. He happened to have a Breguet with him that belonged to a friend. So Balazs chose that particular piece, the Breguet Classique 5157, as his wrist companion for the episode. It is an elegant and simple take on a dress watch with a beautifully decorated movement and display case back. Yet the magic of the 5157 lies in its breathtaking guilloché dial. And don’t forget those lovely Breguet hands, either.

Breguet

Finally, the boys arrive at the topic of this episode and the mighty Maison of Breguet. A brand that started in 1775 and, over the centuries, has had an incredibly intriguing history, just like its denominator and founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet. Lex and Balazs walk through the past and talk about some of the inventions still used in today’s watchmaking. Lex visited the atelier a few weeks ago, and we are lucky enough to hear his thought about that trip before we move to the final stage of the episode; watches.

Well, hello folks! After a one-week respite, we're back with another episode of Fratello on Air! This time, we talk about Seiko and each discusses a couple of our favorite pieces. We must warn you, this is only the beginning...

Seiko is an absolute favorite here at Fratello, which makes picking favorites a daunting endeavor! Still, we've managed to start down the path in what will likely be the first of many episodes covering this storied brand. Of course, there's plenty of banter before getting into the main subject.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Before moving to the Handgelenks Kontrolle and Seiko, the dynamic duo hit upon a few topics. Firstly, Mike is on the way to the Big Easy for the first time and Balazs is prepping for a seriously hectic schedule. Mike mentions his ho-hum experience at the "new" Berlin airport and a humorous tour of Szczecin, Poland. Both are excited to watch the newly released All Quiet On The Western Front film on Netflix and in theaters. As far as watches, Mike has on the new Monta Skyquest and is truly impressed by the fit and finish (review soon!). Balazs is wearing yet another lovely Excelsior Park — this time with the three-register EP40 movement.

Seiko

When it comes to Seiko, there are just so many models to consider. Somehow, we've each picked two to discuss, and hopefully, you'll appreciate just how much we enjoy these watches. We walk through the following pieces:

• Seiko 6139-7070 "Baby Jumbo," an early automatic chronograph that Balazs has in his collection and truly loves wearing
• 6215-7000, which is Mike's all-time favorite Seiko diver that deserves more credit as a highly important watch
• The Seiko 6117-8000 Navigator Timer, a late '60s "GMT" with a mesmerizing gray dial
• Champion Alpinist J13043, which has a dial and handset that rank as unbeatable

We hope you enjoyed listening to this episode. Feel free to let us know if there's anything you'd like us to discuss in the future!

As Mike is on a business trip in the US Balazs pulls Dave out of retirement. 

Fratello On Air is back with a new episode and this time, we discuss the watch market. In the background, we bring up a couple of reports that have recently been published. There are some interesting numbers, but the market hasn't fallen apart to the extent where secondary prices are reaching retail. Will they?

The watch market is in a bit of turmoil lately as prices for hype watches have been on a 6-month downtrend. We discuss the recent third-quarter watch market report published by Morgan Stanley and go through some interesting and telling figures. The recent Chrono24 watch report contains some interesting figures as well. It collectively blows our minds how popular Rolex is versus all other brands.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

The Handgelnks Kontrolle this episode is on point! Balazs is sporting the new Doxa Army with green ceramic and bronze bezel. He declares it a winner and it seems that most people like the surprising color combination! Mike is wearing his Omega Speedmaster X-33 1st generation on an Artem strap. It has just returned from a €30 battery change and Mike vows to wear it more frequently. 

The Watch Market

Let's start by saying that neither of us is predicting that the watch market is going to crash and burn to the point where Rolex Daytona models will be below retail. However, we do think that there are some serious macro headwinds that will continue to put pressure on the typical speculative watches. In the end, if it means that people will stand a chance to buy watches at retail, we're all for it and think it's actually more healthy than an overheated scenario. Funnily enough, if all of the hype watches were more available, neither of us would run out to buy something. If we did, though, the GMT-Master II with Pepsi Bezel ranks as the most likely candidate.

Thanks again for listening! We hope you enjoyed the show and as always, feel free to let us know if there's a topic you'd like us to discuss!

Fratello on Air returns with an episode about one of our favorite brands: Grand Seiko! That's right, it's an hour of back and forth about a premium line that got its start during the '60s. What are the favorite models from our hosts? Tune in and find out...

You've listened to our brand-focused episodes before and while we've taken on some big brands, Grand Seiko has so many great models that it was tough to pick our favorites. Whether we're talking about today or yesteryear, Grand Seiko is a treasure trove. Here's a hint: we've both decided to go vintage. With that, we've also decided to return to this brand in future episodes to focus on more vintage and modern pieces.

Handgelenks Kontrolle

Before getting to our Handgelenks Kontrolle, we discussed a recent trip to Washington D.C. where Mike had the chance to visit the National Air & Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. It's an incredible place that's only five minutes away from Dulles. Mike also mentions a run along the National Mall. which is a great way to sightsee while grabbing a workout. As far as watches, Mike is wearing his Grand Seiko SBGW047, a 44GS reissue from 2013. Balazs is wearing his newest Excelsior Park-powered piece, a chrome-cased Varix.

Grand Seiko

Things go awry from the get-go because Balazs picks the same Grand Seiko model line that Mike had in mind. Trust us, we don't pre-review and like to keep things spontaneous! All is well, though, because we spend some serious time talking about the true heavyweights from this storied marque: the VFA models. These watches were and still are incredible! Mike goes on to discuss the 4520, aka "45GS" models and focuses on the -7000 and -8000 models. Finally, Balazs closes us out with the 5646 models that feature day and date complications.

Thank you again for listening. We hope you enjoyed this episode. As always, feel free to let us know if you have any ideas for future shows.