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• Fratello Talks: Are Watch Brands Doing Too Much?

  Every other week, we're bombarded with an onslaught of new watches. And though we're not too upset about it in principle, the incessant pace at which the majority of watch brands pump out new products has recently had us asking, "Are watch brands doing too much?" Today, on Fratello Talks, Nacho, Thomas, and Gerard join forces to discuss the topic. Of the three, Thomas has the unique perspective of owning and managing a watch brand. Gerard can provide some perspective as a former retailer and from his longtime involvement in watch media. Though we're usually thrilled to see new watches, we can't help but feel that things seem to be on a precipitous crescendo. Today, we dive into the topic and look at what underlying factors might be leading to this trend and what we think will come of it.

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• Fratello On Air: Imagining Current Brands As Independent Watchmakers

  Welcome to the latest episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we imagine certain current brands as independent watchmakers. The topic was a lot of fun to discuss and came as a suggestion from two of our listeners. Enjoy the show!Most of today's watch brands belong to large groups. Undoubtedly, this helped many survive the Quartz Crisis during the '70s. However, what if some brands went independent? In today's episode, we envision several companies on their own and what it would look like.HandgelenkskontrolleWe start our show with a bit of DIY talk. Then, Balazs mentions a recent auction of Kobe Bryant's debut jersey. It sold for US$7 million! For the Handgelenkskontrolle, Mike is wearing a watch that can survive all the yardwork. It's the Citizen Promaster Tough "Ray Mears." Balazs met with a mutual friend from Swatch Group Germany and is sporting his Omega Speedmaster Professional Speedy Tuesday "Ultraman."Current brands going independentFor our main topic, we respond to the request from two of our listeners who asked if some brands could benefit by going independent. We do our best to tackle the subject and mention five marques. Cartier is a huge brand and could likely survive on its own, but we're not sure if there's a benefit to being alone. Longines is a brand that made world-class movements long ago, and we'd love to see some of the classic chronograph movements again. Omega, like Cartier, could likely survive as an independent, and we play out the possible scenarios. Finally, Vacheron Constantin and Panerai make the list as possible spin-offs.We hope you enjoy the show, and thanks to our listeners for the suggestion! If you have ideas for future episodes, please let us know!

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• Fratello Talks: Our Favorite Rolex Watches Of All Time

  Regardless of your opinion on the brand, there’s bound to be a Rolex out there for just about anyone. The brand’s back catalog is vast and full of brilliant references. On today’s episode of Fratello Talks, we’re each picking three of our all-time favorites. Nacho, Thomas, and Lex have done some research, but little to no alignment ahead of this impromptu episode, so there’s bound to be plenty of deep cuts, some overlap, and on-the-fly changes. In the end, each of the guys ends up pretty pleased with his picks. And in this quest for favorites, we certainly get into some of the best Rolex watches ever made. Tune in, and be sure to comment your favorites below.

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• Fratello On Air: The Latest News Including Breguet And Rolex

  Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air. This week, we cover the latest news on watches and other subjects. We discuss the 250th Anniversary of Breguet and several other high-end brands.It was a relatively quiet week on the watch front, but there were still releases and news. Breguet released its first anniversary model, and it's worth some words. This leads to our thoughts on other higher-end brands. Also, we discuss Rolex, but not in the way you'd expect.HandgelenkskontrolleWe kick off the episode with a discussion about a vintage mesh JB Champion bracelet Mike purchased on eBay. It's a nice accompaniment to a Speedmaster, but the current Forstner is a fantastically accurate reissue. Then we discuss several TV shows, including You, Daredevil, and Dope Thief. Balazs has bought new New Balance sneakers, which leads to a discussion on some of the brand's other releases. For the Handgelenkskontrolle, Mike is wearing a 14K Movado "Ellipse" he recently received from his father. Balazs is also wearing a recently acquired family piece, the Girard-Perregaux Scuderia Ferrari Foudroyante Rattrapante.Breguet, Rolex, and other newsWe talk about Rolex because Balazs is potentially in the market for a new model. The Datejust has become quite expensive, especially with the white gold fluted bezel. This has Balazs considering an Oyster Perpetual with a dark green dial. We'll report back once he visits the local AD's to see if there is a waiting list. Breguet released the Classique Souscription 2025, a 40mm gold watch with an enamel dial and one hand. This spawns a longer discussion about the brand and how we hope great releases are coming during this important year. Blancpain and, ultimately, Vacheron get pulled into the episode as we long for iconic classic dress watches.We hope you enjoyed today's show. As always, if you have future topics, please feel free to let us know.

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• Fratello On Air: Useful And Useless Complications

  Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we discuss two popular complications and their usefulness. It's the type of nerdy talk we hope you enjoy!Watch complications are a big part of why many of us collect timepieces. Dive watches, chronographs, alarms, and others form the cornerstone of some collections. Today, though, we focus on two types of watches that couldn't be any more different if they tried! The GMT and perpetual calendar genres were popular at Watches and Wonders 2025, so we discuss the utility of each.HandgelenkskontrolleBefore tackling two very different complications, we engage in some banter. This week, we keep it relatively brief and discuss a few TV shows. Silo, 3 Body Problem, Dope Thief, Stranger Things, and You all come up in our chat. Balazs also quickly mentions some New Balance 990V6 Miusa Action Bronson Untitled shoes he will purchase. For the Handgelenkskontrolle, Mike is wearing his Ming 18.01 H41 with a newly received mango rubber strap. It's a great color! Balazs is enjoying his Omega Speedmaster 145.022 transitional from 1968. He has it on a perforated strap from Joseph Bonnie.Complications — useful or useless?For some reason, there were a lot of GMT and perpetual calendar complications at Watches and Wonders 2025. Seeing GMTs wasn't a surprise, but the flood of new perpetual calendars gave us pause. In this episode, we talk about whether anyone is actually using these functions. Simply put, we see a GMT as useful and a perpetual calendar as relatively useless. A GMT is potentially practical, but we bring up that it might be better behind a desk in a global job. A perpetual calendar is interesting and expensive, but does anyone keep them running consecutively to ensure they stay on track? Plus, is this type of complication a way to show off for the wearer and/or the brand? Have a listen, and tell us what you think. Do you or would you use either of these complications?Thanks for listening! If you have ideas for future shows, please let us know.

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