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Welcome one and all to this week’s episode of Fratello On Air. As Mike is out of town, Balazs invites Nacho — who happened to be in Germany — to join him for a chat. Today’s installment brings you a loosely structured discussion. The guys talk about their current comings and goings before steering into the topics of watch news and case back engravings. They then wrap things up by running through some first impressions of classic watches from TAG Heuer, IWC, and Grand Seiko.

Fratello On Air returns with a rip-roaring episode where we ask you, dear listeners, to step away from the hype. There's a lot of it around these days and it can be overwhelming. We're here to talk about it and have a little fun along the way. Don't believe the hype! No, this isn't a discussion about Public Enemy, but a discussion about watches and some of the brands that have been making their way back into the mainstream. The hype is well orchestrated at times, a little too orchestrated as we'll see. It doesn't mean that the watches are bad, but are they the second coming? We have our doubts. Handgelenks Kontrolle We kick things off with some discussion around the recent Geneva auctions. There were some interesting lots, but the weekend felt a bit muted. The hordes of "AquaNautilus" and Royal Oaks seemed to dominate the scene, which got a bit snoozy. Vintage was there but to a relatively small degree. Mike discusses his impressions after watching some of the proceedings over the weekend and we even chat about certain lots. For the Handgelenks Kontrolle, Balazs is wearing his '70 Grand Seiko 5646-7010 which leads to a discussion on a Seiko Duotime that Mike owns with the same base movement. Mike is back to his trusty Rolex 1016 because he's in comfort mode. The Hype Machine is alive The main focus of our show today is to discuss brands that have been inundating our Instagram accounts, the web, and now the auction circuit as recently as this past weekend. Daniel Roth and Gerald Genta are LVMH brands that have received a lot of press coverage recently. In our eyes, they were niche at best and controversially designed at a minimum. Should you be as excited as the collective wants you to be? Then, we see heavy dealer activity on brands like Franck Muller and vintage Piaget. Is this where we're heading or does the push boil down to hype? We discuss and hypothesize why this is happening. The hype is real folks. We hope you enjoyed today's episode. If you have thoughts on upcoming shows, don't hesitate to let us know.

Welcome to this week's episode of Fratello Talks. This time, Nacho, Lex, and Thomas light a candle, dim the lights, and get nice and cozy as they touch on the topic of MoonSwatch. After a stunning debut, the Omega × Swatch Speedmaster MoonSwatch has struggled to follow up on its initial hype. We have been following along with the latest developments and have been left a little bit baffled. So, we ask ourselves the question: "how do we feel about the current state of the MoonSwatch?" We also look at what the future of this collaboration might look like, making some wild guesses and predictions.

Fratello On Air returns with more listener questions. This time we take on selling practices from brands and attempt to respond to yet another Speedmaster question. Enjoy the ride! Yes, we are back with more listener questions and this time we take on a two-part question that revolves around selling practices by brands. There's also some more talk about the cherished Omega Speedmaster and its fan base. It's another candid discussion where no punches are pulled, so turn it up! Handgelenks Kontrolle We kick things off with a bit of a weekend recap and then get right into watches. We talk about the upcoming Argon release and a new Nivada diver. Then, it's time for Handgelenks Kontrolle. Mike is wearing a '60s Rado Starliner that features a "water sealed" case back with seahorses just like the Captain Cook of the same era. Balazs is rocking his Speedmaster 145.022 "transitional," a lovely piece that looks like it has a caliber 321. Selling Practices We received a query from a listener regarding a small microbrand that decided to sell unsold watches from its first batch at the recent Windup show in California. The brand did this instead of fulfilling the orders of some patient customers who ordered as part of a second batch. Was this a good idea? We debate the good and the bad. Then, we discuss whether brands can take action to prevent flipping. We don't have all the answers, but we do like the selling practices of a brand like Oak & Oscar. They pledge to always offer their newest releases to their existing customers. Finally, we talk about whether Speedmaster fans are the most fanatical in the watch world. We hope you enjoyed this latest episode and thanks for listening! Feel free to let us know if you have an idea for a future episode.

Welcome to this week's episode of Fratello Talks. Today, we are rolling with the punches and discussing buying watches on impulse. Sinara, Lex, and Nacho gather around the Fratello podcast table to share their stories, have a laugh, and misquote Mike Tyson. Because there's nothing quite like having a plan for purchasing a specific watch to just getting caught off guard by an impulse buy.

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air. This week, we discuss a recent visit to the Swatch Group in the Frankfurt area. We also respond to a listener's question about the beloved Omega Speedmaster. Enjoy! Yes, Balazs and I were on the move and managed to visit the Swatch Group in their offices near Frankfurt. We've also received a number of reader questions that we'll attempt to answer over the next several episodes. Our first question is about the Speedmaster and it's a good one. Handgelenks Kontrolle We begin our episode with some sneaker talk as Balazs mentions an upcoming re-release of the Nike Huarache that Kobe once wore. Mike mentions the newly announced Yema Urban Field, a cool series of field watches with loads of optionality. Next, we get to the Handgelanks Kontrolle and Balazs is debuting his new MING 17.09 in burgundy! Mike is wearing his vintage Gruen Ocean Chief on a Forstner Klip bracelet. Visiting Swatch Group and a reader question Our visit to Swatch Group was truly a pleasure. The fine folks in Eschborn shared a number of watches with us from Rado, Hamilton, Tissot, Mido, and more! We share the highlights while remarking that it's always nice to see watches in person. Finally, we answer a listener's question about the Omega Speedmaster. The question is simple — what's the big deal about the Speedmaster anyway? Thank you for listening and as always, if you have any ideas for future shows, don't hesitate to contact us!

For this episode, the topic is hype and hype watches. Lex, Daan, and Nacho discuss their own experiences with hype and how they've navigated this tricky topic. Daan shares his unique view as a RedBar Amsterdam member, who surrounds himself with people and watches every month — a precarious position for those partial to falling for the hype. Overall, the discussion leads them back to Watches And Wonders 2023, an event with a distinct lack of hype. They also touch on the topic of watch brands manufacturing hype, as well as the hype watches they wish they had bought when they had the chance.

Fratello On Air returns with an episode that focuses on vintage watches that are great for everyday wear. We all love our pieces from yesteryear, so why not choose some that can handle the rigors of daily life? Settle in and listen while we talk for a while. The problem with most vintage watches is that they're fragile and can be hard to fix once broken. Parts are rare and the watches are often so valuable that they remain locked away for safekeeping. Well, we have some picks for you that should stand up well to daily routines while not breaking the bank (too much). Handgelenks Kontrolle After some discussion about a recent guitar auction, we jump into the Handgelenks Kontrolle. Mike is wearing his beloved MING 27.02 and has taken it along to Spain for a few days of work. Balazs is going with one of his vintage watches and is enjoying his 7750-powered Heuer Montreal with Hungarian Air Force provenance. Vintage Watches Now, we're into the main topic and discuss older watches that can accompany you on life's daily adventures. It's a mix of all sorts of genres and price tags, but most are easily found and repaired. Plus, they all have "street cred" to a large degree, which should give them staying power on anyone's wrist. Our vintage picks are: Well, there you have it! We hope you enjoyed today's episode and we look forward to coming back to you next week! Feel free to let us know if there's anything you'd like us to discuss.

Fratello On Air returns after a bit of a layoff and we discuss a number of things including the new IWC Ingenieur. We're glad to be back with you and we hope you enjoy today's candid show! Folks, we're sorry that we've been away for so long, but vacation, travel, and visitors have gotten in the way. Now, though, we're here and ready to discuss all sorts of topics. The new IWC Ingenieur is the greatest focus, but we talk about loads of other subjects. We kick it all off with some news about travel, a pair of game-worn Jordans, New Era MLB hats, and a visit to the mall in Boca Raton. Handgelenks Kontrolle The Handgelenks Kontrolle is back and Balazs goes first with the new Vulcain Chronograph 1970's. Mike is wearing his newly received MING 22.01 GMT Gilt. This leads to discussions about a possible acquisition in Balazs' future! The IWC Ingenieur and Other New Watches We start the main part of the episode with a bit of Watches and Wonders talk. Balazs was on the ground while Mike was writing about some of the new releases. We talk about the new TAG Heuer Carrera, Zenith Defy Shadow, and all the Tudor pieces. Then, it's onto the new IWC Ingenieur and there's a lot of disappointment from the team. Oh, don't get us wrong, we like the watch, but we're semi-confused by the marketing strategy. Announcing a shortage before the watches hit the street feels wrong, especially for a watch that so many have wanted. Finally, we end with some of our favorite watches from the show. Vacheron, Laurent Ferrier, and Rolex make the list! We hope you enjoyed today's episode and we look forward to recording again for next week. As always, if you have any ideas for future shows, please let us know!

Lex, Daan, and RJ discuss the watches that impressed them the most at Watches And Wonders, but also those who failed to make them enthusiastic. The Rolex Yacht-Master 42 in titanium is being discussed in detail, because it is very cool on the one hand (according to Lex), but also very far away from previous Yacht-Masters (according to RJ). Here's the hits and misses from the Watches And Wonders 2023 edition!

The Fratello boys are back in town! And as the fog of war begins to settle, we've sat together and gathered our thoughts on last week's watch fair. This is the Watches and Wonders 2023 debrief episode. In keeping with the short-form format of Fratello Talks, we don't get to cover every single one of the novelties. Instead, we discuss some of our highlights from the show. From the novelties, we knew were coming and still surprised us to those that seemingly came out of nowhere to become our favorites and everything in between. So grab your beverage of choice, put on your headphones, and click, tap, or bark the command at your smart device of choice, and have a listen to this week's episode of Fratello Talks!

This episode of Fratello On Air was recorded on the eve of Watches & Wonders. We talk about a couple of the newest releases before turning to our main topic. We choose an accessory, an article of clothing, and a watch for each other. After so many years and countless episodes, can we get it right for each other? Yep, we're picking watches for each other along with an accessory and a piece of clothing. First, though, we hit upon some of the releases at Watches & Wonders. The new IWC Ingenieur, the TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox, and even the Biver debuts pieces make our discussion. Handgelenks Kontrolle Before we start picking watches for each other, we walk through the Handgelenks Kontrolle. Balazs starts things off from Bari, Italy with the Fratello × Nivada Grenchen Racing Chronograph. He's rocking the reverse panda while enjoying the heat. Mike is wearing a watch that he bought in 1994, an automatic Omega Seamaster 120m Chronometer reference 2301.21.00. Almost thirty years later, the gold bezel has turned a bronze-like color which works well with a burgundy Horween shell cordovan strap. Choosing watches for each other We get into our main topic by starting off with some accessories. Balazs found a cool Rimowa-like AirPods holder and thinks Mike would enjoy it as well. For Balazs, Mike recommends the iconic Chris Reeve small Sebenza 31 Plain Insingo. It's a no-nonsense tool that should last several lifetimes. For clothing, Balazs stumbled upon pieces from Felco while Mike recommends Western shirts from his favorite clothier, Double RL. When it comes to the main event, Balazs digs deep and plays to Mike's love of Japanese watches with the limited-edition Citizen "The Citizen" NC0206-18E. Mike goes old-school and feels that it's high time for Balazs to add a classic Rolex Submariner 5513 Maxi-dial to his collection. We hope you enjoyed today's episode. If you have any ideas for future episodes, please feel free to let us know!

Fratello On Air is back again this week, and although we are late, we are here! This episode features several topics, including a new Vulcain chronograph, the Speedmaster bracelet, TrueDome crystals, and small watches. It's a conversation you won't want to miss! We struggled with German Wi-Fi this week and are coming to you a few days later than normal. Thankfully, this episode was largely problem free. Three more days gave us the time to add some more thoughts, and we bring you a varied discussion, highlighting the new Vulcain chronograph and some good vintage discussion in general. We hope you enjoy it! Handgelenks Kontrolle — a Rolex and a Vulcain For this episode, Mike is wearing his Rolex Datejust "Turn-o-Graph" 1625 in 18K yellow gold. The weather is starting to turn, and the light blue suede strap is fitting for the upcoming season. Balazs is wearing a watch that literally just arrived in the mail. It's the new Vulcain Chronograph 1970's, a hand-wound 38mm piece that will make for a great review. This leads to a bit of banter about a vintage Vulcain chronograph that we featured all the way back in 2015! Several topics and that Speedmaster bracelet! After discussing Vulcain, we kick things off by talking about the current Speedmaster bracelet. After the past weekend, we've now both finally tried on the new Speedmaster with its bracelet and declare it to be among the best in the business. Truly, it's that damn good! After that, we move on to talking about TrueDome crystals and whether we like them on vintage Rolex models instead of the Cyclops. We then get into smaller watches, and Balazs talks about wearing his 34mm vintage Angelus and how it truly doesn't wear like such a small piece. Mike then confesses his new crush on a vintage Patek Philippe Calatrava and wonders whether it would work as an everyday watch. As always, thank you for listening! If you have ideas for future topics, don't hesitate to let us know!

It's only a few days before Watches & Wonders '23 in Geneva, and we're getting in the right mood! Exhibiting brands have been sending over their news under embargo, with the exception of the obvious. In this podcast, Lex, Nacho, and RJ are talking about the expectations we have, and what we're looking forward to!

Daan, Dave, and RJ sit together for this podcast and talk about their most recent watch purchases. We talk about the whats, the whys, and the hows when it comes to our new watches. All three of us bought through different channels: a boutique, a colleague, and via Chrono24. Sit back, relax, and have a drink of your choice, while you listen to the soothing voices of our editorial team.

Fratello On Air is here with loads of new watches in this episode. No, it's not Watches & Wonders, but it's busy nonetheless! There's a new Fratello Collaboration and even a MoonSwatch! New watches season is definitely here! Balazs and I take some time to discuss some of the latest pieces to ensure they get coverage before the Watches & Wonders onslaught begins! Settle in and enjoy! Handgelenks Kontrolle Before getting to all the new watches, Balazs kicks things off with a decidedly old watch. In fact, this is a pretty lousy piece because it's a so-called office GMT. Yes, he's sporting a watch that no one wants, a vintage Rolex 1675! Mike kicks off the new release topic with a vintage Excelsior Park "Tuxedo Dial" chronograph. This sets our main topic in focus because Excelsior Park just announced that this watch will be their next release. Exciting! New Watches We kick things off with the newly announced Seiko Prospex GMT Divers and despite the fact that they're not "pilot's" GMT's, we really like them. That golden GMT hand is the bee's knees! Next, we mention the Mido Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer because it was pitted against the Seiko in a recent Sunday Morning Showdown. It has a fancier movement, but we're a bit concerned about everyday legibility. Next, we broach the latest MoonSwatch and declare it to be a neat, but quickly passing event. Last but not least, we roll out the Fratello × Nivada Grenchen Racing Chronograph and talk about the different variants. Thanks so much for listening! As always, if you have episode suggestions, feel free to let us know!

The anger surrounding the new Swatch MoonSwatch Mission to Moonshine Gold was very visible in the comments section on our website. It was less noticeable during the Swatch "pop-up" sales event in Zurich on March 7th. We did a report here, but we also want to discuss the watch itself a bit more in-depth. How does the story sit with us, do we like the watch as such? Listen to our Fratello Talks podcast of this week to find out.

Fratello On Air is back with another rollicking episode. This time, we cover dress watches and ask, in the face of all the hoopla, if dress watches are making a comeback. We think not, but there are a few caveats. Stick around — we recorded this one on a Friday night after a long week, so it's bound to be good! Dress watches are all over the media landscape these days and we decide to take on the topic. We both own at least a couple of collared shirts, so we feel that we're qualified to make a decision on whether these watches are making a comeback! First, though, we return to a comment on the recent Sinn T50 and even bring up the whole "caller" versus "pilot" GMT argument. The heat is on! Handgelenks Kontrolle We decide to don dress watches for this episode and both of us have picked real doozies. Balazs saunters into the ballroom with his Omega Cosmic Moonphase, a gold-plated stunner with loads of complications. He even raises a pinky when drinking tea whilst wearing this watch! Mike is strangling himself with an overtightened half-Windsor while wearing his King Seiko 4420-9990 from 1965. That kicks off a discussion about his watch and a donor that he purchased with a similar serial number — listen for more details! Dress Watches Are they really making a comeback? Will people dump their beloved sports watches for simple, three-handed dress watches with leather straps? Nah, we think this is over-baked and talk about why. We also talk about the definition of a dress watch and chuckle about this definition and discuss this one. There's also the fact that the dress watch never went away. In the end, though, we like a formal watch, but we just don't see them supplanting a more versatile, "dressier" watch. Enjoy the ride!

Daan, Ignacio, and RJ talk about traveling with their watches in this podcast. Being watch journalists, we travel a lot, and often want to bring more than one watch. But with Switzerland as the main destination, it's not as easy as you think. You need to be mindful of Customs and the fact that they can stop you to ask if you're "importing" any valuable goods. In this podcast, we talk about the risks of traveling with multiple watches.

We've been away for a few weeks, but Fratello On Air is back again! We're talking about the newly announced Sinn T50 lineup and then dipping into some travel talk. Balazs attended the recent NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, Utah, and we talk about the festivities. Yes, we've been on the road for quite some time now. England, Switzerland, Austria, and America — we're beginning to sound like a Johnny Cash song around here! We apologize for missing the last couple of weeks, but we should be around for the foreseeable now. Handgelenks Kontrolle We kick things off with our Handgelenks Kontrolle and we've both decided to go vintage. Balazs is sporting his Benrus Sky Chief with a Valjoux 72 movement. Mike is wearing the Rolex Datejust 1601 with a lavender no-lume dial that recently came from Eric Wind. Both of us have declared that we're really enjoying wearing smaller (sub 40mm) watches lately. Before moving on to the Sinn T50 and the NBA, we discuss a few things that we've watched on TV lately. Sinn T50 The Sinn T50 dropped last week and we are pretty excited about this watch. We think it looks great and should do well in the face of its titanium competition. It starts at roughly €3,000, so it isn't inexpensive, but it offers a lot of nice features in an attractive package. We then talk about our travels. Mike mentions a trip to Vienna and some of the nice watches he saw at a ball. Balazs, on the other hand, was a literal baller and attended the NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City. He talks about his trip and some of the icons he saw while there. Thanks for tuning in again and, as always, if you have show ideas, please let us know!