The Fratello Watch List: Thomas’s Pre-Owned And Vintage Favorites From Lange, Rolex, And Cartier

Welcome to our new series, the Fratello Watch List! I get to kick off this short series of articles exposing some of our writers’ watch hit lists. We all have a (not-so-)little list of references we plan on owning or maybe just dream of acquiring someday, don’t we? In my case, it is a list of “Followed Watches” on Chrono24. This, then, is a very personal little sneak peek into my deepest desires when it comes to horology.

I am perhaps the odd one out in the Fratello team because I am no longer actively buying watches. Starting my watch company demands all my money, and the fruits of it claim all my wrist time. Therefore, my list is probably more hypothetical than, say, Mike’s because he is actively ticking collection boxes all the time. I can see myself buying watches in the future, but they would have to bring something that my VPC designs cannot — something historic, for instance, or something Haute Horlogerie, and maybe the odd design classic. In short, the following watches are unlikely to find their way to my forearm anytime soon, but I don’t remove them from my Followed Watches either. Call it a latent desire.

The first on my watch list: A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph

I plan on developing a chronograph for my brand at some point, but that will be intended for carefree everyday use. It will most certainly not be a precious-metal Haute Horlogerie masterpiece with weeks of manual finishing under the hood. That leaves something of a void in the exact shape of an A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronogaph!

My pick would be the reference 414.028 in white gold with a black dial. This is a 39.5mm by 10.8mm watch, which is a good size for a chronograph. It could be a hair smaller in diameter, but all is forgiven after a single glance at the dial or the movement. Aesthetically, this watch is perfect in my eyes. The balance, the typography, and the stern case all go together so extremely well. And then there is the view through the case back. You are greeted by what I believe to be one of the absolute prettiest calibers out there. From the warm hue of the German silver to the curvaceous plates and levers and the ridiculous finishing…I want it!

It is not happening anytime soon, though. I would have to part ways with around €60,000 to find a good one, like this. Still, a man can dream, right?

Rolex Submariner ref. 5513 — Image: Bulang & Sons

Entry #2: Rolex Submariner ref. 5513 Gilt

The Rolex Submariner ref. 14060(M) is one of my all-time favorite watches, even though I’ve never owned one. However, with my concrete plans to develop a subtle, under-the-radar, GADA-appropriate diver very soon, the overlap would be too great. Therefore, I can let the 14060 go in favor of its granddad, the 5513. After all, my VPC diver will not be vintage for another few decades, so this fills another void neatly. I know, I know; these voids only exist in my head, but they are very real to me, okay? Get off my case, will ya? This is my watch list!

A Rolex Submariner 5513 with a gilt dial from 1966 — Image: Wind Vintage

Before, I would have picked the Submariner 14060M for its more modern movement and sapphire crystal. Now that I no longer intend to wear it every day, I can move to the older reference, which I find prettier, especially in a 1960s Gilt execution. No, I don’t mean the gold-tone paint that passes for gilt nowadays but an actual gilt dial. In case the doesn’t mean anything to you, have a look at this article I wrote about it some time ago.

The Submariner 5513 measures 40mm in diameter in houses caliber 1520. My priorities would be dial condition, a nicely faded gray bezel insert, and the correctness of the parts. That last point takes quite a bit of studying, but that’s half the fun, right? I would expect to pay around €25,000 for an example like this one. Note: I did not study this example for correct parts, authenticity, etc. It is merely an example.

Entry #3: Cartier Santos Galbée XL

The next timepiece on my watch list is one I would pick from a design perspective. The Cartier aesthetic is iconic and a great source of inspiration to me, not from a style or specific aesthetics point of view but, rather, from the perspective of how it is applied, evolved, and adapted to different applications. In this sense, it does not compete with the VPC watches in my watch box. I would love to add a Tank or a Santos to my little collection. The Santos Galbée XL ref. 2823 has been on my watch list for years now. I am sure I will get one some day.

This specific reference is my favorite. It blends the elegance of Cartier with an industrial, brutalist element. It reminds me of early 20th-century Paris and even the Eiffel Tower in this sense. The 32mm by 45mm size is spot on for my 17.5cm wrist and taste. My one gripe is the oddly positioned date window, but I can live with that.

Interestingly, this watch seems to have crept up in price over the past few months. It seems I will have to budget around €6,000 for one now. My priorities would be the condition of the case and bezel as well as the screws on the bracelet. These are very often refinished, and it is no easy feat to polish the screws again. You will often spot brushed screws as a result, which I find hideous. Here is a pricey example in Sweden that looks very good.

Image: Bulang & Sons

Honorable mentions

There are several other timepieces on my watch list that don’t make the cut here. A Rolex Explorer ref. 1016 with a gilt dial, for instance, is one. Still, as much as I love that watch, I think I would get the Submariner instead, and I don’t aspire to own both.

I have also become infatuated with Ferdinand Berthoud, having been up close and personal with several watches from the brand. The precision with which they are made blows my mind. I have likened inspecting the case back of a Berthoud to watching a 4K film for the first time. Everything seems to be in higher resolution. I also love the originality of the Ferdinand Berthoud design language, as visible on the FB1, for instance. However, I don’t foresee a financial situation in my future in which I happily drop hundreds of thousands on a watch. So this will remain the stuff of dreams, which is absolutely fine with me.

Lastly, I find a 37mm Audemars Piguet Royal Oak with the classical dark blue dial on my watch list too. I see that in the same vein as the Cartier, as a design icon that is so characteristic that it will never get in the way of my brand’s efforts. That said, I am not quite convinced I would love owning that watch. Something about what it has come to symbolize makes me not want one, so I don’t see myself scratching that itch anytime soon.

Image: Bulang & Sons

Closing thoughts

There you have it — my three-watch watch list and some honorable mentions! If you follow my writing, you will not be surprised by these three. I have mentioned them several times before, and they have topped my list for a long time now. However, as mentioned, they will live in my dreams for the foreseeable future. With my priorities having shifted, this has become a hypothetical watch list. That is a load off my shoulders, actually. When you get to handle as many watches as we do, it is very tempting to try to buy all you can. My life is much calmer now that I have a single point of focus and I got off the treadmill.

Luckily, I have plenty of colleagues who are collecting at full throttle! They will share their watch lists with you all over the coming weeks!

For now, I would love to hear what is on your watch list. Please do share your watch goals in the comments section below!