We're back with another episode of Fratello On Air . This week, we're in myth-busting mode. We've seen some silly things on social media, and it's time to shed light on them. For our listeners, the watch content begins after 25 minutes. On one hand, we're pleased that so much watch-related content now exists. On the other, the flood of influencers brings a wide array of commentary. Social media is entertaining, but it's also important to keep a clear head while consuming it. In this episode, we ...
Feb 25, 2025•1 hr 15 min
In this week's episode of Fratello Talks , we're making a public service announcement: don't let money stop you from enjoying watches! This topic is close to our hearts and has come up more than once at Fratello HQ lately. So today Nacho, Lex, and Thomas gather around the microphones and hash out their thoughts on the matter. Ultimately, it's something we can recommend to you all: don't limit your appreciation. Ownership is a small (and somewhat arguably overrated) part of the equation. We belie...
Feb 20, 2025•25 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Welcome back to Fratello On Air ! This week, we tackle the second half of our discussion on vintage chronographs. We get into the weeds in this episode, so we hope you like it nerdy! Last week, we kicked off this discussion on vintage chronographs with our thoughts on why we find these watches so alluring. We mentioned racing, the space race, and other daring feats, along with how chronographs were present during many of these activities. Now we're ready to go into detail. Handgelenkskontrolle B...
Feb 18, 2025•1 hr 5 min
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 hypothetical exercise and meant to be just a bit of fun, but ultimately, it's still a challenge trying to leverage the budget to get the most bang for their buck. So, if...
Feb 13, 2025•35 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air . This week, we begin a two-part series on vintage chronographs. Apparently, our listeners like hearing about these complicated watches that measure elapsed time. Note that the watch content starts after approximately 25 minutes. Vintage chronographs are a special category of watches. They're complex, often fragile, and strangely addictive! In this episode, we'll begin exploring what makes them so alluring. In our next installment, we'll get specific...
Feb 11, 2025•55 min
Welcome back to Fratello Talks . It's time for some tough love! Today, Nacho, Lex, and Daan are talking about a handful of watch brands with untapped potential. These are big names in the watch world that they deeply respect and admire but feel are not currently delivering to the full extent of their capability. This can relate to a brand's history and legacy, its technical expertise, or even aspects of watchmaking on which a brand has fallen behind. Some of it may sound harsh, but it's all well...
Feb 06, 2025•41 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air ! This week, we stick to Rolex under €8K and pick our favorites. The entire history of the brand is up for grabs as long as the price is right. Enjoy the episode, and tune in to the watch content after approximately 19 minutes. Getting a sweet Rolex under €8K is not only doable but pretty darn easy! There are loads of models available, including steel sports pieces and dress models in precious metals. Vintage or modern, we've got you covered! Ha...
Feb 04, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Last week, LVMH Watch Week took place. This week, Nacho, RJ, and Lex are looking at all the watches released by Zenith, TAG Heuer, Louis Vuitton, and Daniel Roth (to name a few). We review all the releases and share our thoughts on those we found worth highlighting. With Watches and Wonders just a couple of months away, you might not have expected the deluge of novelties, but it seems LVMH and its brands have more than one ace up their sleeve. It's a strong start to the year for watches, setting...
Jan 30, 2025•33 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air ! This week, we discuss a popular request from our listeners about traveling with watches. We've discussed this topic before, but it's been a while since we last did so. For our listeners, we begin the watch content after 32 minutes. Traveling with watches is a typical topic on forums and boards. Some may think it's a tired subject, but with new collectors always entering the fray, the theme deserves more attention. Plus, with new schemes arisin...
Jan 28, 2025•1 hr 26 min
Welcome back to Fratello Talks , folks! What's the best way to spend your hard-earned cash as a watch collector? Should you splurge on many or save for one special piece? One method satisfies curiosity and is fulfilling for some, but it can also leave you with your head spinning, a full watch box, and an empty wallet. The other limits you to fewer watches, but those can, in turn, be more expensive, rare, and "special." This is the topic of discussion for today's podcast. Nacho is joined by Daan ...
Jan 23, 2025•27 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air . This week, we discuss our favorite divers from the '60s, '70s, and '80s. We also offer more affordable alternatives. Enjoy this lengthy episode! For our listeners, the watch content begins after 27 minutes. We're receiving some great show ideas from our listeners. For example, today's show on our favorite divers from the '60s, '70s, and '80s came from our chat group. We aim to please with this discussion, and it's one of our longest recordings yet!...
Jan 21, 2025•1 hr 31 min
Welcome to this week's episode of Fratello Talks . How much should you spend on your first watch? It's a valid question we've all faced at some point. However, there are plenty of different ways to answer it. Today, Nacho, RJ, and Daan delve into the topic and discuss their approaches to budgeting for a first watch. It's worth mentioning that we aren't talking about a "first-ever" watch but, rather, a first "nicer" watch. Whether you ultimately decide to go all out or cleverly invest a smaller a...
Jan 16, 2025•25 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air ! This week, we discuss the watch community and how to find a group of like-minded (or differently minded) people within it. Whether you seek to meet people in person or online, there's even a great option if you don't live in a major city. For our listeners, the watch content begins after 25 minutes. At times, it feels like the watch community is an exclusive place. Flashy Instagram photos in New York show groups of people having fun around wat...
Jan 14, 2025•1 hr 14 min
What better way to venture into another trip around the Sun than by setting yourself up with a solid set of New Year's watch resolutions? In today's episode, Nacho, Daan, and Lex discuss theirs for 2025. They include everything from pondering potential future purchases to considering consolidating comprehensive collections. The guys also reflect on some of last year's resolutions and report on how they managed to (or didn't) stick to them. Finally, they also share a handful of non-watch-related ...
Jan 09, 2025•24 min•Season 3Ep. 2
We're finally back with another episode of Fratello On Air after a lengthy break from the holidays, illness, and travel! This week, we're reflecting on 2024 and some key events that shaped the year. Enjoy the episode, and we look forward to 2025! For our listeners, the watch content begins after 27 minutes. Whew, it's been a few weeks since we last recorded. The holiday period was fantastic, but we had a bout of the flu. Finally, illnesses have subsided, and we're reflecting on 2024. In many way...
Jan 07, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Welcome all to a new year and a new season of Fratello Talks , your favorite watch podcast in the whole wide world. What should we expect from the world of watches in 2025? Nacho, RJ, and Lex share their predictions on today's show. Some of these are wishful thinking, but others are educated guesses based on anniversaries, notable dates, and insider secrets we swore blood oaths not to break. Okay, maybe nothing that secret will be revealed. But it's still worth tuning in because some of these pr...
Jan 02, 2025•36 min•Season 3Ep. 1
As we come to the end of the year, we’ll be looking back at some of the best watches of 2024. Nacho is joined by RJ and Lex, who have come prepared with a list of favorites under six pre-determined categories. And though they’ll discuss some of what they consider to be the best watches of the year, you can decide which of said timepieces will earn the title of Fratello reader’s choice for best watch of 2024. Be sure to vote for your favorite on the website (link below)! The winner will be reveal...
Dec 26, 2024•47 min•Season 2Ep. 46
Welcome back to Fratello Talks. Everyone knows Switzerland is home to some of the world's greatest and most renowned watch brands. But plenty of brands outside the Alpine region—and even outside Europe—produce high-end mechanical timepieces that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their Swiss contemporaries. Some of these non-Swiss brands have even garnered the fervent interest of collectors, who have formed communities around them. Some even rival Swiss manufacturers that have long held their p...
Dec 18, 2024•27 min•Season 2Ep. 45
Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air . In this episode, we stray from our original topic and discuss questionable vintage watches. Lately, too many questionable watches have received universal praise from "noted experts." We get on topic after approximately 15 minutes. Sorry for the aberration. We both love watches from brands that are non-mainstream. This means that shady activity is often afoot from unscrupulous vintage dealers. Ingrain yourself within a community and quickly fin...
Dec 17, 2024•58 min
Hi there, and welcome to Fratello Talks . Would you rather buy a watch from a microbrand or an entry-level legacy brand? That's the question Nacho, Thomas, and Lex ask themselves today. As we've begun to see microbrands develop and offer better quality and undeniable value while entry-level big-name brands stand relatively still, this has certainly become a valid thing to ponder. But do specs and value always trump a household name? And what about the difference in post-sales support? A legacy b...
Dec 12, 2024•29 min•Season 2Ep. 45
Welcome to another edition of Fratello On Air ! This week, we're back with a lengthy episode to see you through holiday travels or unruly guests. We received a listener suggestion to discuss our favorite watches from the '90s and '00s. We've added the '10s to the mix as a bonus. Wait 20 minutes for the watch content! One of our favorite listeners, Richard, suggested today's subject. Our favorite watches from three different decades inspired our lengthiest episode to date. We hope you enjoy it an...
Dec 10, 2024•1 hr 39 min
This week on Fratello Talks , we're talking all things Breitling with author, collector, and brand historian Fred Mandelbaum. Nacho and RJ join Herr Mandelbaum in a conversation that starts in the early 20th century with some of Breitling's earliest wrist-worn chronographs and spans the brand's development to the present day. We touch upon the evolution that led to some of the brand's most recognizable collections, most of which are still around today. From the dressy post-war Premier to the bra...
Dec 05, 2024•59 min
Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air ! This week, we discuss Japanese watches. That's a wide subject, so we attack it in different ways. Stick around to find out how we tackle one of our favorite watch genres. For our listeners, the watch content begins after approximately 17 minutes. Japanese watches rate highly in the minds of both hosts. Mike owns a large collection of pieces from the Land of the Rising Sun. Balazs has a tight collection of modern and vintage stalwarts. Still, we're ...
Dec 03, 2024•1 hr 24 min
Hello, and welcome to Fratello Talks ! Today, we are celebrating our 100th-episode milestone with a special Q&A. We asked you to send us your questions, and you delivered. We've gathered, sorted, and selected said questions over the past few weeks, and in today's episode, Nacho, RJ, and Thomas come together to answer them. We cover topics ranging from the usual hypotheticals to journalistic practices, favorite watches below a certain price point, and even lessons learned throughout recording...
Nov 28, 2024•41 min•Season 2Ep. 45
Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air ! We're a little later this week than usual because we decided to record this episode in person in London. We discuss several topics, but we end with a brief holiday gift guide. Our watch content starts after approximately 20 minutes. It's holiday gift guide season but also the last Time4APint of the year in London. Balazs has made the journey into the Big Smoke and we've decided to record in his hotel. We exchanged some gifts before the episode, are...
Nov 27, 2024•1 hr 11 min
Hello, and welcome, folks, to Fratello Talks . Germany's most prestigious watch brand has turned thirty this year! So today, in honor of their third decade of watchmaking from their seat in Glashütte, we're talking all about A. Lange & Söhne. Now, some of you may be thinking: "Wait, Lange has only been around since the 90s?" And you'd be right to question the fact, as the brand was originally founded in 1845 but closed its doors in 1948. After several decades of dormancy, Walter Lange, the g...
Nov 21, 2024•28 min•Season 2Ep. 44
After a two-week hiatus, Fratello On Air returns with an episode about how we research watches before buying. This is a listener suggestion that likely comes from the South in the USA. We know this because the message contained the word, "ya'll." Well, giddyup because it's time to discuss our top tips. For our listeners, the watch content starts after 20 minutes. Specifically, our listener Adam emailed us and asked how we research watches with little published history. He's especially interested...
Nov 19, 2024•1 hr 24 min
Could this be the next new Rolex? In today’s episode, we put ourselves in the shoes of the brand’s product developers and exchanged some pitches about what kind of watch we’d love to see Rolex release next. We fully acknowledge it’s practically impossible to guess The Crown’s next move. Still, it was a fun thought experiment to see which direction it could take. We discuss far-fetched wishful thinking, tongue-in-cheek suggestions, and potentially great ideas that genuinely got us excited.
Nov 14, 2024•27 min•Season 2Ep. 44
Today, we're bringing back the fan-favorite topic of affordable watches. Nacho, Lex, and Daan picked one favorite under €1000 from their personal collections. In this second time diving into the topic, we have a more varied lineup than last time. On our first time highlighting affordable favorites, we ended up with three divers: two from Seiko and one from Citizen. Today's selection is a bit more varied and counts among it an integrated bracelet steel sports watch, a titanium GMT, and a bio-cera...
Nov 07, 2024•25 min•Season 2Ep. 43
Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air . This week, we take on another listener topic and discuss passing down our watch collections or what might happen to our watches as we age. We're hopefully not near that time, but it's a subject worth discussing. For our listeners, the watch talk begins at approximately 17 minutes. The thought of passing down a watch collection to a family member is natural, but what if no one likes watches? Even if they do, will they like the watches we've collecte...
Nov 05, 2024•1 hr 10 min
