Welcome to WASP 5.0, the fifth edition of the Fratello On Air Pod-column, Watching Sports and Sporting Watches. This week, Rob and Balazs celebrate reaching their fifth episode by sharing some of their favorite players from around the four major North American sports leagues. R&B had planned to pick one player each and assign each superstar an on-field/court/rink watch and one off-field/court/rink ticker. Apparently, this was Rob's idea. Unsurprisingly, Rob got confused and just picked ...
Mar 26, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Season 2Ep. 46
Omega introduced the new and upgraded Seamaster 300, a new Seamaster 300M Black Black in ceramic, and new De Ville Trésor watches with small seconds and power reserve indicator. Mike and RJ discuss the novelties and give you an insight into how brands work with media titles for new releases.
Mar 24, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 45
Rob and Balazs scoot through five major sports leagues (and touch on a sixth) as they seek out the very best on-field threads available right now. Pairing each jersey/team with a watch model or brand, is, of course, their secondary task. We've got lots of Rolex, wild creations like Hublot and HYT, fun stuff like Neff and Casio, and loads more watchmaking wonders to discuss. Jump in and enjoy, and let us know your favorite jerseys in the comments section on Fratellowatches.com....
Mar 20, 2021•1 hr 19 min•Season 2Ep. 44
The third time's a charm, or so they say. R&B take to the ice in an effort to help the NHL rename its four woefully-monikered divisions while attaching watch sponsors that reflect each lineup's unique character for good measure. We briefly touch on NFL free agency, with some big moves deserving a mention, which resulted in us slipping into a weird "would you rather" bit that pitted the career (thus far) of Carson Wentz against that of Dolphins legend Dan Marino. The recen...
Mar 13, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 43
Giles Ellis joins Rob on this latest edition of Fratello on Air, as the pair discuss the trials and tribulations of independent brand-ownership, the thrill and responsibility of opening a mono-brand store, and how Giles got into watchmaking in the first place. As always with the owner, founder, chief designer, logistics manager, and coffee maker extraordinaire of Schofield Watch Company, the chat is a fascinating meander that touches on many different subjects linked to starting up on your own i...
Mar 09, 2021•42 min•Season 2Ep. 42
Ranting Robbie enters the "smooth booth" and unloads about the recent controversy surrounding Bill Belichick's legacy. It's a brutal monolog, but the riposte is worth waiting for so hang tight. This week, we're talking about great coaches and great locations to play pro sports. Inspired by the recent outdoor NHL games at Lake Tahoe, we're choosing our dream locales for the NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, and PLL, and discussing which watch brands should sponsor and outfit the t...
Mar 06, 2021•55 min•Season 2Ep. 41
On an earlier episode, we discussed our most cherished chronographs. It's hard to say which watch genre is our favorite, but there's no doubt that vintage dive watches vie for top spot. There are just so many great models out there. Super Compressors, Submariners, Seamasters, oh my! You'll hear about which models we chose and why. Then, we touch on a couple modern stand-ins and even throw out some budget friendly vintage options. You won't want to miss this week's salty ...
Mar 05, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 40
Welcome one and all to our new Sunday afternoon Pod-Column, Watching Sports (Or WASP, for short). To celebrate this new Fratello feature, host Rob Nudds welcomes fellow sports fanatic Balazs to the virtual booth. This week, the despicable duo look back on Super Bowl LV and the remarkable achievements of 43-year old Tom Brady, as he guided the Buccs to their second championship while picking up his seventh ( seventh ) in the process. We talk about team building, Brady's place in both NFL and...
Feb 27, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Season 2Ep. 39
Rob dials in Maurice Lacroix HQ to speak with Thiébaut Bentz, International Product and Marketing Director of the brand to discuss Friday's release of the Aikon Venturer GMT. A short and snappy episode, tune in to stay on top of this week's watch news.
Feb 27, 2021•15 min•Season 2Ep. 38
We touch on a topic that's top of mind for many watch collectors and that's this idea of rare and exclusive watches. We have so many questions! Is it foolish when we call a watch such as the Submariner "rare"? Would we snap up a steel Rollie at retail? Do we think this current trend of finding scores of supposedly unobtainable watches on the grey market is a bit ridiculous? What do we think about burgeoning brands like MING or Unimatic that purposely limit production? And fin...
Feb 20, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 37
This (somewhat raucous) episode sees Arcanaut co-founder and chief designer Anders Brandt join Rob and a particularly feisty Black Badger (James Thompson) in the virtual studio. This trio of horophiles discusses the background of Arcanaut, why everybody loves Canada, and whether or not creating a watch that tells the time on Neptune is of any use to anybody at all...
Feb 12, 2021•50 min•Season 2Ep. 36
Rob invites James Thompson, AKA Black Badger, into his Dresden-based den for lockdown laughs. The pair chat about James's experiences in the industry, what he's got on his plate right now, their failed gridiron careers, and a whole host of other nonsense.
Feb 05, 2021•41 min•Season 2Ep. 35
That's right, vintage chronographs are in focus yet again, but this time we talk about the pieces on our wish list with some cool anecdotes thrown in for good measure. We don't own these, but would love to acquire them if funds allow. Before hitting the main topic on vintage chronographs, we roll through our customary "Handgelenk Kontrolle". Mike comes prepared in his vintage 38mm Excelsior Park " Tuxedo Dial ." Balazs turns back the clock with his fetching Eterna C...
Jan 30, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Season 2Ep. 34
Balazs & Mike return with a new episode and we talk vintage Chronographs! First, it's a "Handgelenk Kontrolle" where Balazs is sporting a '70s Seiko 6139-7070. Mike is donning a 1960 Gruen Ocean Chief. News-wise, the gents discuss the new Omega Speedmaster Professionals , the recently announced 2021 European L.E. Seiko Alpinist SPB201J1 , and the MING 27.02 and Mike reveals a guilty confession.. Our main topic focuses on vintage Chronographs — the favorite style of watch ...
Jan 17, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Season 2Ep. 33
Alon Ben Joseph has been a Bvlgari dealer for six years. He's been a Bvlgari owner, however, for three. He finally decided to pull the trigger on a model from the famous Italien brand when the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic (in titanium and on a titanium bracelet) was released at Baselworld 2017. Now, three years on, Rob wants to know what he makes of it.
Jan 06, 2021•39 min•Season 2Ep. 32
Yesterday was the big day for Speedmaster fans all around the world! The introduction of the new Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Master Chronometer. Four new models basically, two steel variations and two in gold. You can read all about the new Moonwatch here . Rob and I decided to host a podcast on the new Moonwatch and answer some of the hottest questions we've read in the comments and on social media....
Jan 06, 2021•50 min•Season 2Ep. 31
In this podcast, Balazs and Mike sit down on the very last day of 2020 and hit upon a couple key topics. Collaboration watches and rerelease hope for 2021 are in store in this latest episode. The Handgelenk Kontrolle Mike kicks things off with this newly received MING 18.01 H41 Diver. Balazs goes vintage cool with his funky and unusual Omega Genève Dynamic . News Update We then hit the news and talk about the Speedmaster World Cup and our favorite Speedmaster models from the competition. Balazs ...
Jan 01, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 30
In this podcast, I talk with OMEGA's Mr. Andreas Hobmeier, Vice President of Production and Procurement, about Master Chronometer and the role of METAS. We speak about all the facets of Master Chronometer, and why precision and anti-magnetism is such an important topic.
Dec 21, 2020•45 min•Season 2Ep. 29
Balazs and Mike make good on their promise to come back with frequency! On this episode we give recommendations for the upcoming Holiday Season and then we talk about our favorite bracelets. First, it's a "Handgelenk Kontrolle" and Mike is wearing a vintage Meylan Chronograph while Balazs is sporting his Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical with a Kill Hubris NATO. We then talk about the "Fratelloris" Fratello x Oris Big Crown Bronze Pointer Date that's now in our shop !...
Dec 12, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Season 2Ep. 28
Rob and RJ received a number of watches from Glashütte Original this week, and discuss the green dialed PanoMaticLunar watch. And a lot of other things. Enjoy this episode!
Dec 11, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 27
In a surprisingly structured fashion, Alon and Rob blitz through their favorite (and least favorite) novelties of 2020 from the Breitling, Tudor, and Bvlgari brands. Swatch gets a brief mention and so does team member Mike Stockton, who, after a joyous week of watching his brainchild (the Fratelloris) wend its way to readers' homes, seems to be on everyone's mind...
Dec 09, 2020•58 min•Season 2Ep. 26
It's episode 25 and Balazs & Mike come together to talk about their favorite divers of 2020. This one was recorded a few weeks back and we jabber about lockdowns, border crossings, quarantines, and uncomfortable boots. Then, it's time for a "Handgelenk Kontrolle" and Balazs is sporting a DIY Casio G-Shock GW-B5600 with a fresh DIY metal body kit from eBay . Mike is wearing his modified Oris Big Crown Bronze Pointer Date . Consider it a day of mods! We talk about our favor...
Dec 04, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 25
Today, in Episode "definitely-not-22-but-we're-calling-it-22-for-now", Alon and Rob talk about the future of retail. Alon lays down his background and interests and why he loves retail.
Nov 19, 2020•40 min•Season 2Ep. 24
This week, on Fratello On Air, Rob and Alon chat about many things. They touch on different retail strategies. The (now-released) Oris movement gets a mention. Terrifying teddy bears make a surprise appearance. And, finally, the new Snoopy goes under the microscope. Crucially, Alon attempts to make sense of Rob's strange, "moderately ridiculous" feelings towards it...
Nov 12, 2020•37 min•Season 2Ep. 23
If you are an Haute Horlogerie and/or car enthusiast, the name Singer Reimagined should definitely ring a bell. Although the brand is still relatively new to the watch scene, it already has a dedicated fan base comprising both petrol heads and watch guys. The brand's new model, the Flytrack, looks a bit like its big brother, the Track 1. It is, however, a simpler but equally fun timepiece. On this occasion, we thought it would be fun to sit down with Marco Borraccino, the man behind Singer ...
Nov 04, 2020•58 min•Season 2Ep. 22
RJ talks to the Head of Product Development of Longines, Xavier Ligero, to talk about the new Longines Spirit collection. Get some insights on how the watch came to life, what challenges Longines experienced, and about the exclusive Longines calibers by ETA. We talk about how such an exclusivity actually works between Longines and ETA.
Oct 15, 2020•30 min•Season 2Ep. 21
In this 20th episode of Fratello on Air, RJ and Rob discuss their favorite Seiko watches. Their favorite Seiko of all time, but also their favorite watch of the releases in 2020. They discuss these watches in detail and tell them why they love these references so much, or what makes them so special. Head over to Fratello.com to see all show notes for this episode, including pictures of the Seiko watches discussed.
Sep 30, 2020•57 min•Season 2Ep. 4
All in one big episode, Mike and RJ pick their Top 3 from the novelties of the Geneva Watch Days and discuss the new Rolex watches that were just released last week.
Sep 07, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 3
This year, Omega introduced the new Constellation 39mm and 41mm. Time for us to sit down with Petros Protopapas (Brand Heritage Manager at Omega) and talk about Constellations, vintage and new.
Aug 10, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In this Fratello on Air episode, RJ talks to Jean-Marc Pontroué , the Officine Panerai CEO. We talk about how Panerai is doing today, Jean-Marc's views on the status of today's watch industry, and about PAMCast.
Aug 07, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 1
