Category: Watch Talk

A Day at the Races: with Tudor at the Historic Grand Prix in Zandvoort

Cars and watches, a great combination, and this combi comes with a very legitimate historical background. For the second year Tudor was sponsor of the Historic Grand Prix in Zandvoort and we got the chance to enjoy a great day with them in the Paddock Club, and of course strolling through the paddock to see so many awe-inspiring cars. From pre World War II cars, to recent Formula 1 race cars, from heavily tuned Mini Coopers, to dozens of vintage BMW 2002Ti’s and CSL’s, a marvellous Ferrari 250GT, many AC Cobras, and even a Shelby Daytona! And they all raced like the devil was chasing them. Old or not, these cars raced like crazy. We got to enjoy the best of two very interesting worlds: cars and watches!

9 years ago

An open letter to the Swiss watch industry, in reaction to “Apple being second behind Rolex”

Dear Swiss watch industry, dear Swiss brands, dear CEOs of Swiss manufactures, I love you! Yes, I do love everything the Swiss watch industry represents, everything that is behind the idea of this secular artistry – the heritage, the traditions, the attention to details, this innovation spirit linked to a strong respect to history, the devoted people who work days and days on your watches… I’m not writing you this letter as the managing editor of a watch magazine but mainly as a passionate collector. For this reason, I do care about you. However, dear Swiss watch industry, you certainly heard yesterday that Apple is the second player of the watch industry, just behind Rolex. And that’s not a detail.

9 years ago

A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Timezone – a Personal Story pt. 2

A few weeks ago we published the first part of my personal story with A. Lange & Söhne. To me, this brand has played an important role in the past one-and-a-half decade of watch collecting, learning about mechanical watches and making Monochrome into what it is today. After that memorable weekend back in 2007, there was another memorable weekend. Another weekend that was important for me, and for Monochrome, and again the Lange 1 Timezone had a prominent role.

9 years ago

Fratello Watches Top 10 Chronographs

Chronographs Before we hit it with our top 10 chronographs overview, a few words about this list. A chronograph is one of the most popular complications (besides a date), and it is actually a very complex mechanism. It is the reason why some brands still don’t have their own chronograph movement and use one from […]

9 years ago

HYT Bespoke, bold customization of already bold watches

Customization in the luxury industry is nowadays an almost regular practice (a costly one, but one that is often done). For instance, Louis Vuitton does one-off bags and Bugatti can create everything you want for your coming Chiron. In terms of watches, customization also exist but remains something more “hidden”, at least discreet. Few knows that for instance Patek does unique pieces on request of some special clients. Of course, things gets easier with independent watchmakers but once again, nothing is really organized or publicized. As strong innovators, HYT will change that and now offer a real, institutionalized customization program for their clients: HYT Bespoke.

9 years ago

Top 10 Best Watch Bracelets

Watch Bracelets I’ve been into watches since the 1990s and started Fratello in 2004. Ever since, I’ve seen a lot of different watch bracelets. It always amazed me that only a few watch brands are getting it ‘right’ with these bracelets. Some times, they look gorgeous but wear like crap. And other times, the looks […]

9 years ago

Meet Cay Broendum and his horological art work

Horological Art What happens when an artist also is a watch enthusiast? He or she hopefully creates some horological art! We have our own artist on-board, by the name of Teun van Heerebeek, who surprises you with his recurring Watches & Pencils articles here on Fratello. People – including us – love this stuff and some […]

9 years ago

Column – Red Rover… TAG Heuer to team up with China Space Agency for Mars Exploration

When I bought my Omega Speedmaster X-33 many moons ago, it was a shoe-in for the first watch to Mars – at the time it was the only watch qualified for missions to Mars. Jean-Claude Biver – the Lazarus of the watchmaking industry – has partnered up with China’s State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (CNSA) to put an end to that reign. The Red Planet for the Red Country… Seems natural! And TAG Heuer will be part of the show.

9 years ago

Boutique Edition of the Glashütte Original PanoMatic Luna (Live Pictures)

PanoMatic Luna As you can see, the PanoMatic Luna is one of Glashütte Original’s ladies’ watches. The version we have here, is the latest addition to that collection. A Boutique Edition, that will – as its name suggests – only be available through the official Glashütte Original boutiques. Like any other PanoMatic Luna watch, it […]

9 years ago

In-Depth – A Look at Shaped Watches by Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe through History

When thinking about the archetype of the round Swiss watch, the first names that come to mind might very well be Patek Philippe or Vacheron Constantin. As the custodians of Geneva’s watchmaking tradition, influenced by the sober protestant spirit, both brands stand for subtle, understated elegance. However, beyond the design conventions dictated by the round wristwatch, Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin have in common a long, rich legacy of shaped watches. After Cartier, Monochrome brings together a (non-exhaustive) selection of shaped watches from Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin.

9 years ago