Fratello On Air is back with another rollicking episode. This time, we cover dress watches and ask, in the face of all the hoopla, if dress watches are making a comeback. We think not, but there are a few caveats. Stick around — we recorded this one on a Friday night after a long week, so it's bound to be good! Dress watches are all over the media landscape these days and we decide to take on the topic. We both own at least a couple of collared shirts, so we feel that we're qualified to make a d...
Mar 07, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Daan, Ignacio, and RJ talk about traveling with their watches in this podcast. Being watch journalists, we travel a lot, and often want to bring more than one watch. But with Switzerland as the main destination, it's not as easy as you think. You need to be mindful of Customs and the fact that they can stop you to ask if you're "importing" any valuable goods. In this podcast, we talk about the risks of traveling with multiple watches.
Mar 02, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 14
We've been away for a few weeks, but Fratello On Air is back again! We're talking about the newly announced Sinn T50 lineup and then dipping into some travel talk. Balazs attended the recent NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, Utah, and we talk about the festivities. Yes, we've been on the road for quite some time now. England, Switzerland, Austria, and America — we're beginning to sound like a Johnny Cash song around here! We apologize for missing the last couple of weeks, but we should be aro...
Feb 28, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Lex, Nacho, and RJ talk about Swatch and its upcoming 40th birthday! One of the coolest brands of the 1980s celebrates 4 decades of amazing and colorful watches. Last year put this brand back on the horological map with the MoonSwatch, but there's so much more to the brand that saved the entire Swiss watch industry in the 1980s. In this episode, Lex, Nacho, and RJ show the plastic watch a lot of love, not only because of the MoonSwatch but also for many other Swatch variations.
Feb 23, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 13
In this episode of Fratello Talks, Daan, Timo, and RJ talk about the fanatic fans of watch brands. The comments on articles where we discuss Rolex, Tudor, or Omega, are sometimes quite unforgiving towards one of the brands. But often also entertaining (and educational). We discuss why fans are so important for brands, why fans feel the need to defend their favorite brand with all they got, and why some brands have louder fans than others.
Feb 16, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Welcome to this week's episode of the Fratello Talks podcast. Today, Nacho, Lex, and Daan sit together once again. Today's topic of discussion? It's all about the money! More specifically, about luxury watch prices. In other words, the money that we (meant in the broadest sense possible) are asked to pay, by watch brands, for their products. Call it what you will, RRP, price tag, cost of horological indulgence... anyway you spin it — in Swiss Francs, Euros, Dollars, with or without tax — as watc...
Feb 09, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Fratello On Air comes at you with another brand-focused episode. This week, we’re talking about DOXA and the picks are a bit less diver-centric than you might think. Have a listen and hear about watches that, surprisingly, don’t have a dive bezel. Yes, with the recent Synchron news, we’ve had our eyes on the brand that inspired the watch. DOXA is in play this week and it’s a company we both genuinely enjoy. If you’re a fan, perhaps you’ll already know our picks. If not, at least one of these mig...
Feb 07, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Today, Nacho, Lex, and Daan sit together to discuss watch brands selling their own stock of vintage watches. Lex joins the podcast after a week away visiting Jaeger-LeCoultre, the latest brand to jump on the bandwagon. Armed with knowledge, vintage-buying experience, and plenty of opinions, this week's trio is ready to delve into the details. Who are these premium vintage pieces, painstakingly restored by the brand itself, meant to be for? It may not be us, but perhaps it's a perfect introductio...
Feb 02, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Fratello On Air returns with a moving episode — pun intended! We're on the Autobahn late at night talking about the newest releases from Synchron, Omega, and Grand Seiko. Enjoy the ride! That's right, Balazs and Mike are on the move across Germany and the Netherlands. They've decided to bring along some wireless mics and record while driving because, honestly, they're talking about watches anyhow. It just so happens that the episode falls during a period when there's some real news from Synchron...
Jan 31, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Daan, Laurits, and RJ talk about the watches they would like to see introduced by brands in 2023. Daan is hoping Vacheron to come up with a smaller-sized Overseas, while Laurits likes to see a new Milgauss from Rolex. RJ is in for a "proper" re-edition of a gold Piaget Polo, with engraved lines on the case and bracelet. What are the watches you want to see appearing this year? Let us know!
Jan 26, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Fratello On Air has returned and we cover several subjects this week. However, we spend the most time on a topic initiated by one of our readers about retro watches. Namely, are they at the end of their rope? We're back a day later than usual this week with our episode, but we've made it! In this episode, we discuss a number of topics including some of the TV shows and movies we've seen lately. It's not overly watch-related, but it's cold and gray outside, so perhaps this will help pass the time...
Jan 25, 2023•1 hr 8 min
The Omega Speedmaster Professional will be priced at €7,500 as per February 1st (it was €7,100). The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Duoface? It is now €13,100 instead of €9,100 not even a year ago. That's a price increase of nearly 44%. It almost sounds like Rolex is keeping it sane for their sports models, with increases of approx. 2%, the catch here is that you can't buy them anyway. Ignacio, Lex, and RJ talk about the price increases of watch brands in 2023.
Jan 19, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Fratello On Air returns with Balazs and Mike in the same room! In this episode, Balazs travels to Frankfurt and amongst some surprise topics, the duo decides to engage in a collection spotlight. Hear about four attractive watches from each. Enjoy it! Yes, Balazs has made his way north from Karlsruhe to Mainhattan. Both decided to check out the local Seiko boutique and dine on the Fratello favorite: schnitzel. Then, it was time to record an episode where it was time for a collection spotlight. Ha...
Jan 17, 2023•56 min
Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air. In this installment, Balazs and Mike hit on two topics. We start with the fact that Swatch Group has no intentions of following Rolex into the CPO market. Next, we talk about a recent article highlighting concerns about a questionable auction that took place in 2018. Sit back and relax while we work the mics. Yes, it's another week and that means another podcast. This time we're talking more about CPO programs and a questionable auction. Balazs is t...
Jan 10, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Lex, Nacho, and RJ talk about their New Year's resolutions regarding watches. We look back at the watches we purchased in 2022, and what we have on our wishlists for 2023. Nacho already made his first purchase in 2023, to celebrate his upcoming 30th birthday. Bonus material: A small contribution from Sinara.
Jan 05, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Happy New Year! Yes, 2023 is here, and we're bringing you the latest episode of Fratello On Air! Balazs and Mike are ready for another rip-roaring year, and they start with a bang. The modern Rolex secondary market and the CPO program are back in focus. We're back — sort of. Balazs has returned to Germany from Hungary while Mike is still hanging out with the iguanas in sunny South Florida. They reminisce about the holidays and strike up some banter about other topics. The Rolex CPO program and t...
Jan 03, 2023•1 hr 11 min
Daan, Thomas, and Lex talk about the definition of dress watches. In a recent article on Fratello, Thomas wrote about his vintage Seamaster being a dress watch. It upset Lex tremendously, and it ultimately led to a fight. Time to straighten it out, and what better way to do it in a podcast?
Dec 29, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Lex, Daan, and RJ discuss the pros and cons of buying pre-owned watches versus new. We're not all on the same page, but agree that the pre-owned watch market does have something interesting to offer, aside from (often) more attractive prices. If you want to go worry-free, buying your watch new is the way to go. But you might miss out on some very nice offers out there.
Dec 22, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Fratello On Air comes at you with a new episode. This time, we're talking about our horological hopes for 2023. Of course, there's some typical banter along with some pre-holiday cheer. Settle in by the fireplace (or at the beach, perhaps) and enjoy our last episode before Christmas. 2022 absolutely blew by and we're now less than two weeks from entering a new year. With that, we have hopes for 2023 and we get into some of our prognostications and questions. The economy looks a tad shaky and tha...
Dec 20, 2022•1 hr 19 min
Fratello editors Gerard, Lex, and RJ talk about one of the most coveted watches: the Patek Philippe Nautilus. With the first reference in front of them, the 3700/1A, they talk about the history of the Nautilus, how it went from virtually no demand to an incredibly high demand in the past few years, and which version they like best. Enjoy our Fratello Talks series and let us know via Fratello.com what you think of the Nautilus.
Dec 15, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Fratello On Air is getting ready for the holidays! In this episode, Balazs and Mike talk about holiday watches and gifts sure to please almost any watch lover. Enjoy! Yes, we are firmly in the season of giving, receiving, or buying for one's self! As such, we're here to discuss some of our favorite watches that debuted in 2022. Alongside these holiday watches, we've also decided to mention some watch-adjacent gifts that will delight you. Stick around and tune in for another fun episode of Fratel...
Dec 14, 2022•54 min•Season 4Ep. 125
This weekly "Fratello Talks..." podcast talks about the Rolex Certified Pre-Owned program that was introduced on December 1st. Thomas, Daan, and I are discussing the new Certified Pre-Owned program that Rolex introduced. Authorized Dealer Bucherer is the first partner offering Rolex watches with this certification. But what is it exactly, and how does it work? We also received some comments and questions about the consequences of this certification process, and we try to answer them in our podca...
Dec 08, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Fratello On Air returns with Balazs and Mike in their respective saddles to discuss a number of topics. The new Rolex pre-owned program is a focal point along with new offerings from Nivada-Grenchen and Audemars Piguet. What do we think of all these new items? Have a listen and find out for yourself! Balazs and Mike are back after a couple of weeks away and they've got plenty to discuss. Shoes, the gray weather in Germany, and watches are on tap with the latest episode. Of course, there's the Ha...
Dec 07, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 123
Ignacio talks with Sofia and Sinara about making that first big purchase! Buying your first serious (luxury) watch can be a nerve-racking process. How did Fratello's Ignacio, Sinara and Sofia dealt with it? They're all young (below 30), and spending that much money on your first watch can be stressful. What choices did they make, and why? Listen to our Fratello Talks — Buying your first serious watch podcast to hear about their stories.
Dec 01, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Fratello Talks is a new series next to the Fratello On Air podcast. In Fratello Talks, your hosts Ignacio and RJ discuss various horological topics. Ignacio, RJ, and Laurits talk about dress watches in this first episode. What is a dress watch exactly, and why would you need one? We also discuss our favorite dress watches.
Nov 24, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Fratello On Air is here and Balazs and Mike are back together between extensive travels. This week, we talk about a number of random subjects and then move on to the main topics. New Excelsior Park is in focus as well as the massive Rolex Deepsea Challenge. We have been keeping the road hot! Mike has just returned from a two-week trip to the USA where he was all over the place and Balazs is getting ready to leave for another visit to Japan. Luggage enters the discussion yet again and Mike is cur...
Nov 22, 2022•59 min•Season 4Ep. 120
For the second week in a row, Balazs has a guest on the podcast, another member of the Fratello family. After last week’s discussion with Dave about space watches this week, we have our one and only Lex on Fratello On Air. The man known for refined taste in clothing and timepieces is also somewhat of a Breguet fan. His impressive knowledge of the brand was a delight to listen to whenever it came up in a conversation. So it was logical for Balazs to sit down with Lex and chat about the Swatch Gro...
Nov 15, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Well, hello folks! After a one-week respite, we're back with another episode of Fratello on Air! This time, we talk about Seiko and each discusses a couple of our favorite pieces. We must warn you, this is only the beginning... Seiko is an absolute favorite here at Fratello, which makes picking favorites a daunting endeavor! Still, we've managed to start down the path in what will likely be the first of many episodes covering this storied brand. Of course, there's plenty of banter before getting...
Nov 01, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Season 4Ep. 118
As Mike is on a business trip in the US Balazs pulls Dave out of retirement.
Oct 31, 2022•59 min
Fratello On Air is back with a new episode and this time, we discuss the watch market. In the background, we bring up a couple of reports that have recently been published. There are some interesting numbers, but the market hasn't fallen apart to the extent where secondary prices are reaching retail. Will they? The watch market is in a bit of turmoil lately as prices for hype watches have been on a 6-month downtrend. We discuss the recent third-quarter watch market report published by Morgan Sta...
Oct 18, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 4Ep. 117
