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Fratello Talks: How useful are GMT watches? Sep 07, 2023

Show notes

Hello, and welcome to this week's episode of Fratello Talks. This week, we ask ourselves: how useful are GMT watches? Lex, Morgan, and Nacho join forces to take an honest look at this most popular of complications and how useful it truly is in real life. They also share some personal experiences with GMT watches, explain the difference between flyer and caller GMTs, and talk about their favorite multi-time-zone watches they've owned.

Fratello On Air: Tissot, Geneva Watch Days 2023, And More Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

Fratello On Air is back with another episode where we cover the latest release from Tissot and the highlights from Geneva Watch Days 2023. Of course, we speak about additional topics and watches as well. Oh, and one of your hosts has suffered a recent injury but has still managed to make it to the microphone to bring his voice to the world of watches.

Oof, Balazs took quite a tumble on his bicycle the day before recording and is working through a couple of sets of stitches. His voice is a bit off on account of an upper lip that is several times its normal size. But hey, he's here for YOU! This week, we discuss the controversial digital Tissot PRX and some of the key releases from Geneva Watch Days 2023. Enjoy the show!
Kettle Kite

This week, Balazs kicks off our Kettle Kite with an unexpected watch, the Union Glashütte Belisar Date Sport Pro. This 42mm diver is from a brand that we don't hear about too frequently, so be on the lookout for the upcoming review. Mike is also wearing a surprising watch. It's the Casio × PAC-MAN Collaboration Model A100WEPC from 2021. It's a fun piece that allows us to segue into our first discussion topic: the digital Tissot PRX collection. Despite the fair amount of criticism, this watch has been receiving, both like it due to its uniqueness.
Geneva Watch Days 2023

Next, we discuss Geneva Watch Days 2023 and some of the key pieces. We discuss and give our frank opinions on the following pieces:

We hope you enjoyed this week's show. As always, if you have ideas for a future episode, feel free to let us know!

Fratello Talks: The Best Of Geneva Watch Days 2023 Aug 31, 2023

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Fratello On Air: Rolex, Geneva Watch Days, And More Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

Welcome back to another riveting episode of Fratello On Air. This week, we’re back as a duo and we have much to discuss. The Rolex news looms large as well as the upcoming Geneva Watch Days. Of course, we add several additional topics for good measure.

Kettle Kite

This is the first week we bring in our “Kettle Kite” in honor of Cockney Rhyming Slang. It’s a bit awkward, so let’s see if it lasts. Regardless of our diction, Balazs bats first and shares his vintage Omega Speedmaster Mark II Racing on a black three-hole Tropic strap. Although he doesn’t wear it often, he’s convinced that this is a heavily undervalued watch. Mike shares his vintage Breitling Aerospace E56060. He has paired it with an inexpensive 20mm olive canvas strap. The combo has become a comfortable partner due to the slender and lightweight case.

As far as other topics, we discuss the recent Adidas Stan Smith “Homer Simpson” models. Both have landed a pair while Balazs has acted as a delivery depot for several friends. We also mention the most recent Time4APint gathering in London and meeting up with some mutual watch friends. Finally, the recently released Synchron Military Poseidon Black Edition is also in focus. It’s another great watch at a decent price and reminds us both of vintage Doxa SUB 300T Sharkhunter Aqualung pieces.

Rolex and Geneva Watch Days

Last week, Rolex threw a proper curveball when it announced that it had acquired Bucherer. We discussed the acquisition along with the possibilities and concerns. It’s interesting indeed and only time will tell as far as the real effects of the news. We then move on to Geneva Watch Days 2023. Balazs and many of the Fratello will attend, so look forward to more! Specifically, we discuss the new Doxa 300 “Beta” and the Bulgari Octo Finissimo novelties in black carbon. Black and gold seem to be the new darlings if we take these models as references. For our thoughts on them, you’ll have to take a listen!

Thanks as always for tuning in to the latest episode. If you have thoughts on future show topics, feel free to let us know!

Fratello Talks: Why Is Rolex Always Winning? Aug 24, 2023

Show notes

It's another week, and Fratello Talks is back! This episode is all about Rolex and, specifically, about the Crown's uncanny ability to always come out on top. RJ and Lex join Nacho to discuss Rolex's inability to lose, make mistakes, or create a bad watch. But wait, is that actually the case? Sure, Rolex tops most lists out there in terms of popularity, sales, and iconicity of its watches, but surely not all that glitters is gold. Sometimes that glitter you see from a distance is a Cellini when you get up close! All jokes aside, join the guys for a discussion on the brand's perceived invincibility and a look at why this is the case. But before that, let's take a look at what's on the wrist.

Fratello On Air: Matt From Spirit Of Time Joins The Show Aug 22, 2023

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Fratello Talks: Don't Baby Your Watches Aug 17, 2023

Show notes

The first Fratello Talks podcast that is also available to watch on video. We (Ignacio, Morgan, and RJ) discuss not babying your watches in this episode. They're made to be worn, despite the sometimes hefty price tag. Getting some of those battle scars on your watches makes it YOUR watch and perhaps even makes it stand out of the crowd. We also discuss that the watches produced today will not age that much differently from each other and will still look like they just came out of a shop 20 years from now. Get some of those scratches!

Fratello On Air: Alternative Watches To Pieces In Our Collections Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

Fratello On Air returns and this week we discuss alternative watches to those already in our collections. The idea came from a listener of the Whiskey & Watches podcast. It was then covered by the folks on Wrist Cheese Radio and the Spirit of Time podcast. We take our own spin on this idea as you'll soon hear.

We're uninvited guests to the party! A few podcasts we know and enjoy have all taken their shot at a similar theme or alternative watches to something they already own. In our case, we choose watches from each other's collections, "throw them away," and then suggest a replacement. There's a lot of watch talk here, so get ready!
Aufwiedersehen Handgelenks Kontrolle

Mike has officially relocated to London, England, and has left Balazs to watch the fort that is Germany. As a result of the move, we've decided to retire the Handgelenks Kontrolle usage unless both are back in Germany. Therefore, we need a new saying and you can help! We want something English and have discussed Cockney rhyming slang possibilities. "Kettle and Hob" is slang for a watch, so we're sticking with a "Kettle Check" for now. Again, though, feel free to bring it! Mike kicks things off with his Seiko Cronos reference J13028 from the early '60s. It's a rare black-dialed variant that many see as a precursor to the brand's first divers. Balazs, on the other wrist, is wearing the new Nivada Grenchen Chronoking "Paul Newman" Orange.
Alternative Watches

We move on to the main topic related to alternative watches. Here, we each pick three of each other's watches, dispose of them, and suggest alternatives. Most are a real surprise!

Balazs suggests the following changes to Mike's collection:

Rolex Explorer 14270 for the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m 38mm Blue
MING 37.07 for the Minase Divido VM14
Seiko 4420-9000 "44GS" for the Citizen Auto Dater 200m Skin Diver

Mike suggests the following changes to Balazs' collection:

Omega Seamaster 2627 Steel for the Omgea Seamaster 2627 14K with black dial
Certina Chronolympic Valjoux 72 Hungarian Air Force for the Longines 7981-1 Big Eye with 30CH
At least 3 Angelus models for a vintage Angelus Medical

We hope you enjoyed this latest episode. If you have ideas for a future show, please don't hesitate to let us know!

Fratello Talks: Big Watches Aug 10, 2023

Show notes

Welcome, Fratelli of all shapes and sizes, to this week's episode of Fratello Talks. Today, Tomas, Morgan, and Nacho gather around the Fratello podcast table (and light up a scented candle) to discuss a topic that's been weighing heavy on their minds (and wrists) lately—big watches. All three have recently bought new pieces; in all three cases, they've been the biggest watches of their respective collections. Naturally, this has them wondering; are we going insane? Or are bigger watches ripe for a comeback? Perhaps it's a general fatigue of smaller timepieces or even an adjustment into a state of broader appreciation for timepieces big, small, and everything in between. We don't claim to have all the answers to these questions, but we tackle the topic all the same.

Fratello On Air: Rants On Gray Market Tomfoolery And Homages Aug 08, 2023

Show notes

Fratello On Air is back with a new episode. This week, we touch on a couple of recent topics including the gray market and some associated troubles. We also discuss a newly released homage watch and the light controversy that it brought. As always, we enjoyed ourselves and hope that you'll do the same!

It's another week and that means another installment of Fratello On Air. Mike is still sweating it out in Atlanta, which explains the tinnier-than-normal sound of his voice (no fancy microphone in tow). Balazs is enjoying the rain in Germany — not really! This week, it's a bit of a rant session with a focus on some gray market high jinks and a new homage watch that has generated some critical comments.
Handgelenks Kontrolle

Before getting into our discussion on the gray market, we take care of our customary Handgelnks Kontrolle. Balazs is rocking his vintage King Seiko 45-7001 on a funky metallic purple Has No Bounds watch strap. Mike is also going vintage and is debuting a 1962 Patek Philippe Calatrava 570 that was sourced from Eric Wind. Clearly, we're both into our vintage dress watches in this episode!
The gray market and other news

During the past week, reports surfaced regarding the Los Angeles-based watch site, "The Timepiece Gentleman." Apparently, the founder recorded a recent video discussing the fact that he has spent monies owed to clients who sent their watches to him for sale on consignment. At this stage, he is attempting to pay those folks back over time. Let's see and let's also see how it affects the overall gray market. We also discuss the recent Massena LAB collaboration with Revolution. The watch generated criticism for looking almost exactly like a rare vintage Patek Philippe, but the response video caused an even larger reaction.

We hope you enjoyed today's episode. If you have any topics that you'd like for us to discuss in a future podcast, please don't hesitate to let us know.

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