Recently, a select group of collectors and enthusiasts from the Hodinkee community braved New York City’s winter weather to gather with our own Ben Clymer and IWC’s Chief Design Officer Christian Knoop at the IWC Madison Avenue Flagship boutique. The main attraction was undoubtedly the deep blue dial of the new Ingenieur Automatic 40 (Ref.…

It’s taken me a while to become a Speedmaster believer. Last year, during my Week on the Wrist with the white lacquer dial Speedmaster I recapped my evolution from incredulous to inquisitive. Now, you could say I am downright obsessed. The Omega Speedmaster “First Omega in Space” (or FOiS), released last October, feels like a…

Watch Angels is a unique platform that partners with designers and brands to create special timepieces funded by angel investors. Since the projects are financially backed by the Watch Angels community, independent creatives have the opportunity to bring their visions to life without the red tape that typically accompanies watch production. This also allows the…

Buying an engagement ring for my now-wife was not a problem at all. That’s because I never intended to do so. I have often had problems with stereotypes and boxed solutions, so it’s no wonder I was looking for something different than an engagement ring. Guess what… I google a lot. I google watches a…

Quartz movements were once seen as the ticking death knell of the mechanical watch industry. Many collectors scoff at these electronic pieces and will not consider them. However, there are pockets of enthusiasts who enjoy finely crafted quartz movements in equally well-made cases. Perhaps the largest knock on quartz is that its movements lack the…

I’ve been following Lesablier since it released its debut watch, the Aviateur VQ, in 2017. Like many small brands, its first watch wasn’t its strongest and bore no resemblance to what would follow. The brand smartly pivoted after that, releasing a series of increasingly refined designs that show a clear evolution of design. The new…

The first Speedmaster to hit retail with a six-figure price is here! Well, that’s if you don’t count the complicated Speedmaster Chrono Chime. Omega introduces the platinum Speedmaster Calibre 321  with a material-matching flat-link bracelet, and at our local AD in The Hague, the price of that most prestigious Speedy is €107,500. If you’re in…

Hello, and welcome to Fratello Talks. In today’s episode, we’re taking on the challenge of building a €15,000 watch collection. Nacho, RJ, and Lex have crunched the numbers and leafed through the catalogs and each selected three modern (currently available at retail) watches that they would buy if they had a €15K budget. It’s a…