Fratello Talks: Affordable Watches That Punch Above Their Weight

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!

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.