Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we discuss underrated vintage brands that are worth a long look. We’ve had these types of chats before, but it’s always nice to see what we’ve missed. You’ll hear some familiar names today, but also some smaller companies that could...
If there’s one thing to be said about Tissot over the past couple of years, it’s the fact that they have a keen sense of what the community wants. Sure, the size reduction of the brilliant PRX Powermatic 80 might have taken a bit too long for our liking, but we now have it in […]
Our times aren’t ideally characterized by the term “gentlemanliness.” It seems most of us are more concerned with fighting for what we think the world owes us than with standing for dignified, gentlemanly conduct. This week, I am proposing a return of the gentleman in us all. I secretly,...
Born in 2005 as the reference 7027 (a compact 37mm model with power reserve indicator and hand-wound movement), the Breguet Tradition has since become a classic of the brand and one of its most recognisable watches. It’s also one with possibly the strongest connection to the past. It’s not a...
The trajectory of the Ferdinand Berthoud brand has been quite remarkable since its revival in 2015 by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele of Chopard and his teams. Its inaugural model won the prestigious Aiguille d’Or at GPHG, followed by numerous other awards. Beyond industry recognition, collectors...
Last year was Breguet’s 250th anniversary, and the brand treated us to many beautiful new watches to mark the occasion. However, it also made me think about how its new leadership would handle the regular collection of Breguet watches. We see the first results today, with the new Breguet...
One of my favorite things to review is the very first watch a company makes. That can take two forms. In most instances, the first watch is also the brand’s very first product. Most companies that make wristwatches tend to specialize (or start) with those products. Things get more interesting...
Independent watchmaking brand Bianchet, founded by Rodolfo and Emmanuelle Festa Bianchet in the Neuchâtel Canton, has built an identity around skeleton tourbillon watches and a design language that merges technicality with modern aesthetics. Until now, the brand has expressed its vision...
A round case is hardly a radical idea in watchmaking. For Bianchet, though, it absolutely is. At Watches and Wonders 2026, the brand will present the UltraFino Rotondo, and while it clearly belongs to the same family as the watch we’ve previously known as the UltraFino, this isn’t just a simple...
It’s hard to believe, but Holthinrichs celebrates their tenth anniversary this year. It was ten years ago when brand founder Michiel Holthinrichs was completing his graduation project in architecture, that soon-to-be client found him online and requested a watch commission for his upcoming...
David Candaux, a native of the Vallée de Joux with experience at Jaeger-LeCoultre and collaborations as a concepteur horloger for renowned brands, launched his own brand in 2017 with the DC1. The watch that followed, the DC6, established his signature: a bassinet-shaped case, a 30° inclined...
