Fratello Talks: Watch Brands With Untapped Potential

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-intentioned feedback. These are brands that they are rooting for to do better and that they know, with some finesse and adjustment, could be genuinely excellent. Before we get into it, though, it’s time for a wrist check!

Wrist check

Lex kicks off the wrist check with his trusty Oris Divers Sixty-Five Momotaro edition on its matching denim strap. He’s not wearing the jeans to match today, but it’s the shirt that we’re more caught off guard by. This Filson flannel is certainly not for the faint of heart. However, it’s also a subtle match with the bronze and aged-lume accents of the watch. We’ll call it what it is — a next-level watch-styling move.

It’s 5:00 somewhere, and Daan knows it! That’s why he’s enjoying the zesty, refreshing cocktail for the wrist that is the new Studio Underd0g × Fears collaboration, The Gimlet. The two British brands have come together to mix a delightful drink, taking the Fears Brunswick 38mm case and filling it to the brim with Studio Underd0g’s sapphire dial of the 02Series. The result is this thirst-quenching lume-dialed horological beverage. If you want to read all about it, you can do so here.

And last but certainly not least, Nacho is getting sketchy with his beloved Breitling Aerospace. After a prolonged absence, he has access to his watches once again, and he’s been working his way through them. The latest fond reunion has been with this brilliant analog-digital do-it-all watch from the early 2000s. And judging by the fact that it’s been on his wrist all week, it seems we’ll be waiting a while for the next one.

Fratello Talks: Watch Brands With Untapped Potential

This episode of Fratello Talks is precisely what it says on the label — a discussion of brands that could be amazing but that we feel are leaving a lot on the table. We won’t get into it in too much detail here, so if you want to know the specifics, you’ll have to tune in, but here’s the long and short of it: Daan, Lex, and Nacho have selected a couple of brands that they love but feel are coming up short. In this episode, they highlight why this is the case and suggest how these brands could get on the track to greatness. It’s all about untapped potential.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic. What are some watch brands you feel have a lot of potential but aren’t quite at their sweet spot? Drop your take in the comments section below.