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Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we return after more travel and a birthday celebration to discuss the Japanese watch market. While the topic may sound quizzical, the Land of the Rising Sun presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities. We talk about this and more!

As watch collectors, many of us visit various online marketplaces when looking for our next purchase. Often, we find the best opportunities in Japan. In fact, the sheer quantity of watches available in the faraway nation boggles the mind. Then, there are often "JDM-only" pieces...

Watch fairs offer something online releases and product announcements can't replicate — the chance to see watches in person, handle them, and talk directly to the people behind the brands. For enthusiasts, they can also be a great way to discover independent watchmakers and meet others who share the hobby. In this special on-location episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho and RJ are joined by Daniela Pusch, unit and editorial director of WatchTime. Recorded live at WatchTime Düsseldorf, the conversation explores the role of watch fairs today, how they have evolved, and what makes events like this valuable to both bra...

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, Balazs is alone in the driver's seat while Mike enjoys his much-deserved birthday time off. Join us in wishing a happy (belated) birthday to "Mike Stockton from London, England." Instead, we invited our friend Sébastien Chaulmontet, Sellita’s head of innovation and the man behind the brand Albishorn, for a chat. We will cover a wide range of topics, from vintage to modern and in-house movements.

Sébastien and Balazs have been talking about having him on the podcast for a long time. His professional jour...

James Bond has worn some memorable watches over the years, but what about the people standing in his way? A villain's watch needs to do more than tell the time. It can hint at character, signal status, or offer a subtle clue about the wearer. So, which watches would suit the villains of the Bond universe? In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho, RJ, and Jorg turn their attention to the other side of 007's world. They pick watches for Bond villains, considering the characters' personalities and the details that might make a particular watch a good fit. We...

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we have an open chat about what it might take to turn the vintage Speedmaster market around. Let's face it: it has been quiet for a long time. We'd love nothing more than to see the enthusiasm return and hear your thoughts on what could help. Enjoy the show!

Oof, it's been a hot minute since the vintage Speedmaster was all the rage. Then again, we could say that about the vintage market as a whole. But when it comes to our favorite Omega, we long...

For many watch enthusiasts, the Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch is untouchable. But there’s another model that has earned its rightful place in the collection — the Speedmaster Reduced. Smaller, automatic, and often more accessible on the pre-owned market, it offers a different take on one of Omega’s best-known chronographs. In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho, RJ, and Gerard look back at the origins of the Speedmaster Reduced and its place in the wider Speedmaster story. They discuss what made it appealing, the quirks and technical issues that prospective owners should know about, and how it compares with the mo...

Today, in a special episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho and Lex are in Geneva for a chat with independent watch designer and entrepreneur Sylvain Berneron. The conversation kicks off with Berneron’s career in design, his time at major watch companies, and his decision to establish a brand of his own. Berneron’s background is somewhat unusual for an independent watchmaker. Trained in fine arts and industrial design, he began his career at BMW before spending five years with Richemont and another five as chief product officer and board member at Breitling. In September 2022, he decided to leave this comf...

Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air. We're back from the road with your latest dose of watch talk. Today, we're entertaining a topic from one of our favorite listeners, Roy! No, we're not talking about Speedos by the pool, but we're trying to answer whether it's safe to discuss our hobby online. Enjoy the show!

Is it safe to discuss watches online? Well, we think the answer is challenging, but as we'll see, it depends. Today, we touch on several points regarding Roy's topic and even share some of the advice we follow. No, this...

Brand ambassadors have long been part of the watch industry. From actors and athletes to musicians and explorers, these familiar faces help bring brands' watches to a wider audience. But can that visibility do more than sell watches? Can it spark interest in horology among people who might never have given the hobby a second thought?

In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho, RJ, and Daan discuss the role of brand ambassadors and their potential to introduce watches to a new generation of enthusiasts. We look at what makes an ambassador effective, whether a celebrity connection can...

Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air. We're back after a couple of weeks under the weather and ready to talk watches. But we're not just talking about them; we're also asking whether watch financing has helped or hurt the hobby we all enjoy. Perhaps that's an easy question, but the tougher one is whether we'd do it! We hope you enjoy the episode.

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last several years, it's impossible not to notice the easy offers of watch financing on every retailer's website. In fact, paying in installments...

What if you had to choose just one watch from your entire collection and let everything else go? No backups, no rotation, and no keeping that one watch you rarely wear “just in case.” In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho, RJ, and Daan take on that particularly difficult hypothetical. The interesting part is that choosing one watch isn't necessarily about picking the most expensive, technically impressive, or historically significant piece. A collection can contain watches that serve very different purposes, and personal attachment can matter just as much as specifications. So what happens when all those factors have to c...

When it comes to vintage watches, few brands have as much depth as Rolex. Over more than a century, the company has produced an enormous range of models, references, and variations that have become firmly established among collectors. From tool watches built for specific purposes to understated everyday models, there's plenty to explore beyond the obvious choices. In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho, Jorg, and Max discuss their favorite vintage Rolex models. Each has selected two watches that stand out due to their design, history, collectibility, and simply how much they enjoy them. The vintage Rolex catalog has...

Vintage watches can seem intimidating when you first start looking. There are unfamiliar references, decades of production changes, questions about originality, and the ever-present possibility of an expensive service bill. But you don't necessarily need a huge budget to get into vintage watches. In fact, €5,000 opens up a surprisingly broad selection. In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho is joined by Daan and Max, the latter of whom usually spends his time behind the camera but joins the podcast for this episode. The three discuss the vintage watches they would consider buying with a €5,000 budget. Each participant has selected thre...

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we're both back home. Balazs has returned from Geneva, and Mike has come in after three weeks of being on the road. In this episode, we review the overarching trends at Geneva Watch Days 2026 along with the top releases. Enjoy the show!

Well, another month has gone by, and the year's final big show in Geneva has passed. Geneva Watch Days is now in the rearview mirror, but were there any common trends among the many participating brands? We discuss that and more today.

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We're already well into 2026, and the watch industry has given us plenty to talk about. From major releases by established manufacturers to smaller brands introducing watches that caught our attention, there has been no shortage of new things to discover. But which watches actually stand out? In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho is joined by Daan and Jorg to look back at the first part of 2026 and discuss some of their favorite watches released so far. Rather than trying to create a definitive ranking, the conversation focuses on the watches that made an impression and why they stood...

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we're both back in our respective homes before traveling again. Our show is about modern watches destined to become classics. Now, before you accuse us of focusing on money, erase those thoughts! We don't care about value. No, we are talking about watches that will be interesting several decades from now.

Predicting the future is difficult, but we're here to try! This week, we're focused on modern watches that will command respect in the coming decades. As you'll see, we have some caveats. We chose relatively...

Microbrands have come a long way. What were once largely associated with inexpensive, enthusiast-driven watches have developed into a much broader part of the industry. Today, small brands are experimenting with materials, movements, manufacturing techniques, and design in ways that can make them serious alternatives to more established names. In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho, Daan, and Jorg discuss how microbrands have changed the game. The conversation looks at how quality has improved, how ambitious design has become a defining characteristic of the segment, and why the price of entry has also changed considerably. The result is a...

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! We've been away for a couple of weeks, but we're now back (sort of) and have taken the time to record. This week, we're talking about the watches that got away. Yes, this is a sad episode, but not really. The fact is that both of us have been very lucky while collecting, but that doesn't mean that there weren't moments of heartbreak and regret. Enjoy the show!

Since we last spoke, Mike has been in Brazil, back in America, and on a long weekend in Surrey to...

Two watches should be enough — at least in theory. If you had no budget limitations and could own only two watches, which would you choose? The challenge isn't simply to pick two favorites. With only two spots available, both watches need to earn their place. In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho is joined by Lex and RJ for a hypothetical collecting exercise. They each have to build a two-watch collection from scratch, without a budget limit, while keeping versatility in mind. That means considering everything from daily wearability and different occasions to the types of watches that complement ea...

The case back is easy to overlook. After all, it spends most of its time pressed against your wrist, hidden from view. But turn a watch over, and the case back can reveal a completely different side of the design. For some collectors, a beautifully finished movement behind a sapphire crystal is one of the best parts of owning a mechanical watch. For others, a solid case back is the only appropriate choice, particularly for a tool watch. In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho is joined by Timo and RJ to discuss one of those seemingly minor details...

First impressions matter, but they aren't always the last word. In the watch world, some of the most enduring designs are also among the most divisive. A watch that initially seems too large, too unconventional, or simply not to your taste can slowly grow on you as your experience develops. In many cases, understanding a watch's history and purpose or simply spending time with it on the wrist can completely change your perspective. In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho is joined by RJ and first-time podcast guest Jorg to discuss the watches they learned to like over the...

Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, Mike is in Florida, and Balazs is in Hungary. But we're here for you! In today's discussion, we tackle a listener suggestion. We're talking about entry-level watches and how brands approach this. Hint: it's very different today, with greater expectations from the buyer.

Jumping into watches 15 to 20 years ago was a much different affair than now. Social media was barely present, prices were lower, and microbrands were almost non-existent. Our listener, Cezary, asked us to consider the brands representing the new entry-level category. We do that, but...

Ask any seasoned collector what his or her grail watch was upon first entering the hobby, and chances are the answer will be very different from what it is today. As our knowledge grows and our tastes mature, so too do the watches we aspire to own. Sometimes the grail gets bigger, sometimes it gets smaller, and occasionally, it turns out we already owned it without realizing. In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho is joined by RJ and Thomas to reflect on how their grail watches have changed over the years. They discuss the influence of experience, changing...

Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we discuss sleeper watches from the '90s and '00s. It was an interesting period for timepieces, representing a transition from smaller, often quartz-powered models to mechanical ones. Let's just say that watchmakers were finding their collective feet again with interesting results. Still, there were gems, and we mention a handful.

While Balazs was still a wee lad, Mike was checking out watch shops during the '90s and beginning to spend some of his hard-earned wages by the early '00s. One of the sleeper...

All watch collectors' journeys are different. Some focus on a single brand, while others enjoy exploring as many corners of the hobby as possible. Still, there are certain watches (or even categories of watches) that many enthusiasts seem to encounter sooner or later. They may not become permanent fixtures in every collection, but they often leave a lasting impression and help shape a collector's tastes. In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho is joined by RJ and Thomas to discuss the watches they believe every enthusiast should own at least once. The idea isn't to create a definitive checklist...

Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we discuss watch brands, models, and styles that we like but would probably never buy. To be clear, this episode isn't about picking on anyone or anything. Instead, there are other reasons these pieces aren't on our wrists and may never be.

Like any other hobby, watch collecting has its trends, its darlings, and its go-to models. We're aligned with many of these, but there are aberrations. In this episode, we touch upon some of those favorites and why we would likely never buy them. Funds, personal...

Few watches have inspired as many variations, stories, and passionate debates as the Omega Speedmaster. Over nearly seven decades, it has evolved from a racing chronograph into one of the most celebrated watches in horology, with countless references that appeal to a wide range of collectors. Ask three enthusiasts to name their favorite Speedmasters, and you're likely to get three very different answers. In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho is joined by RJ and Gerard to discuss the Speedmasters that have left the biggest impression on them over the years. Rather than compiling a list of the rarest...

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! Apologies for the late publishing time, but a baby and the World Cup have us keeping odd hours. This week, we target a humorous but potentially dangerous subject. Misleading words when describing a watch, especially a vintage one, are rife within our hobby, so we attempt to shed light on them. Enjoy the show!

Most of us have taken an English or social studies course and were required to read a newspaper article and cross out the non-factual content. Once all the fluff was gone, the paragraph was...

In all four seasons of the Fratello Talks podcast, we never dedicated an episode to watch dials. We thought it was about time to change that. The dial is one of the most important parts of a watch, as it's the "face" that gets the most attention when checking the time. It often draws the most attention and can be the reason for you to fall in love with a specific watch.

Watch dials have never been more interesting. Whether you prefer classic enamel, traditional guilloché, intricate textures, eye-catching motifs, or even stone dials, today's market offers s...

Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we ponder what would be different if we started collecting watches today. We're not allowing ourselves to roll in with all of the wisdom and hard knocks we've encountered. It would be a fresh start. Of course, we start with some other topics, per our custom.

Is collecting watches different now than it was 10 or 20 years ago? You bet it is! In this episode, we consider life anew as a collector. Just imagine it! As you'll hear, our chat is more about where we think we'd begin...

On the 225th anniversary of the tourbillon patent, we sit down with Breguet CEO Gregory Kissling. Before taking the helm at Breguet on October 1st, 2024, Kissling served as Vice President of Product at Omega. Having known him for many years and collaborated on memorable projects such as the Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday editions of 2017 and 2018, we were especially excited to see him take on the role of CEO at Breguet. In this episode of Fratello Talks, Kissling walks us through the newest Breguet Tradition Tourbillon 7047, reflects on the company's remarkable history, and shares his vision for its future.

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we talk about car watches, a curious subgenre within our hobby. Sure, the automobile industry is massive and has an equally huge fan base, but collaborations between watch and car brands often misfire. This draws us into a conversation about what we think of when pairing our vehicles with a watch. Whether it's for driving or attending a related event, what works best?

Yes, in this episode, we tackle a challenging topic. Or, for some of our readers and listeners, perhaps it isn't a consideration at...

For many collectors, buying a watch is about far more than the watch itself. The experience of discovering, trying on, and ultimately purchasing a watch can shape how we feel about it long after it leaves the boutique. Yet not all retail experiences are created equal. Some leave a lasting impression for all the right reasons, while others can sour the excitement of a purchase before it even happens. In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho is joined by RJ and Thomas to discuss the watch retail experience. From traditional authorized dealers and brand boutiques to online purchases and...

Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we talk about how hype can help or hurt brands. Naturally, there are plenty of other topics on the docket, including television, German culture, and more!

Hype is a funny thing. Nearly everyone or every company wants it, but at some point, enough can be enough. From one-hit wonders to oversaturation, there is no shortage of examples of when a once-popular topic becomes played out or hackneyed. While we aren't here to predict which brands could fall prey to such a situation, we do talk about some...

All watch collectors have one watch that they will never part with. It might not be the most expensive piece in the collection, the rarest, or even the one that gets the most wrist time. Sometimes, a watch becomes irreplaceable for reasons that have very little to do with specifications, market value, or prestige. In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho is joined by Daan and Thomas to discuss the watches they simply couldn't imagine selling. Along the way, the conversation touches on sentimentality, personal milestones, and how our relationships with watches can evolve. While many collectors talk about...

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! As promised, we've returned after a week with more banter and plenty of watch talk. This time around, we discuss the oft-mentioned summer watch and how we feel about it in 2026. Of course, we cover plenty of other subjects. Enjoy the show!

Ah, the summer watch. If given little thought, it's easy to call it a diver and walk away, but we find that definition limiting. We eventually come to the topic but hit upon more than a handful of other watches. Settle in for a lengthy chat...

For years, the assumption was that the world would only become more digital — more connected, more automated, more dependent on screens. And yet, in recent years, there seems to have been a subtle shift in the opposite direction. Vinyl records are thriving, physical books remain popular, wired headphones and MP3 players are back, and younger generations increasingly talk about wanting more intentional, less connected experiences. So, where do mechanical watches fit into all of this? In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho is joined by Daan and Thomas to discuss whether this broader craving for the analog could point to...

Welcome to a long-awaited episode of Fratello On Air! Well, at least we're excited to be back. It's been a while, meaning we'll cover some recent news from the watch industry, sneaker landscape, television, and even our personal lives. We look forward to catching up with you!

It's been nearly two months since we last published an episode of Fratello On Air. Yes, that's too long, but life has gotten in the way. It's mainly Mike who has had a crazy travel schedule, with just 36 hours spent in the UK in April. Balazs has been at the...