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Results for Swiss vs Japanese Watchmaking

5,141 articles · 676 videos found · page 14 of 194

Fratello Dress Watch Season: Round 1, Match 2 - Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition Vs. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds Fratello
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Oct 31, 2025

Fratello Dress Watch Season: Round 1, Match 2 - Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition Vs. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds

Welcome to the second match in the Fratello Dress Watch Season contest, our effort to identify the best new dress watch of 2025. The series continues with a duo of proper heavy hitters. Match two in round one sees Jorg defending the Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition. Daan will make his case for […] Visit Fratello Dress Watch Season: Round 1, Match 2 - Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition Vs. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds to read the full article.

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"Are Citizen Watches Good?" In-Depth With The Japanese Brand Teddy Baldassarre
Citizen Oct 28, 2025

"Are Citizen Watches Good?" In-Depth With The Japanese Brand

How much do you really know about Citizen Watches, the tough and stylish Promaster collection, the proprietary Eco-Drive technology, and other signature innovations of the Japanese brand, like the exclusive Super Titanium and the recent series of automatic calibers in the luxurious Series 8 models? In this article, we explore the history of Citizen Watch Company from its founding to the modern day and spotlight a dozen notable watches in today’s Citizen collection that have caught the attention of the Teddy Baldassarre team. By the end, you should be much closer to answering the question of whether Citizen watches are good-quality and whether they're for you.  Citizen History and Early Milestones With its very high-tech lineup and avant-garde designs, one might be inclined to think Citizen Watch Company is a relatively new player on the worldwide watch scene. One would be mistaken, however. The company today known as Citizen traces its roots all the way back to 1918, when it was founded as the Shokosha Watch Research Institute by Kamakechi Yamazaki. The name “Citizen” first appeared on the dial of a pocket watch that Shokosha produced in 1924; it is believed to have been suggested by Yamazaki’s close friend Shinpei Goto, then the mayor of Tokyo, who believed such a watch should be universally appealing and accessible to all “citizens” of Japan. Shokosha merged with the Schmid company, a Japan-based manufacturing firm founded by expatriate Swiss watchmaker Rodo...

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Industry News – With Tariffs Now in Place, Swiss Watch Exports to the U.S. Have Dropped 56% in September 2025 Monochrome
Oct 27, 2025

Industry News – With Tariffs Now in Place, Swiss Watch Exports to the U.S. Have Dropped 56% in September 2025

This announcement shouldn’t come as a surprise and was largely anticipated by the industry. Yet, now that the 39% import taxes imposed by the U.S. administration on Swiss goods entering American soil, also known as the tariffs, are effective (since the beginning of August), we clearly see the effects. And yes, there is no other […]

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Sunday Morning Showdown: Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty Vs. Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Automatic 36mm Fratello
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Automatic 36mm Oct 26, 2025

Sunday Morning Showdown: Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty Vs. Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Automatic 36mm

It’s Sunday morning, so it’s time for another epic watch battle. In this week’s showdown, we selected two stainless steel and gold watches with integrated bracelets to go up against each other. The first is the new Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty in steel and yellow gold. Released just a few weeks ago, it’s a proper statement […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty Vs. Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Automatic 36mm to read the full article.

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First Look – New Independent Watchmaking Atelier Aubert & Ramel and their First Watch, the Ouréa Monochrome
F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition which Oct 22, 2025

First Look – New Independent Watchmaking Atelier Aubert & Ramel and their First Watch, the Ouréa

Watchmaking prizes and competitions have a remarkable virtue. Their primary vocation is to discover new talents and bring them into the spotlight. A perfect example is the F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition, which has been celebrating and supporting young independent watchmakers since 2012. For me, this award was the opportunity to discover the extraordinary talent […]

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The 57 Best Swiss Watch Brands: A Complete Guide for 2026 Teddy Baldassarre
Oct 20, 2025

The 57 Best Swiss Watch Brands: A Complete Guide for 2026

If you were to ask the average person on the street in any part of the world which nation comes to mind when they think about luxury watches, they’d likely not hesitate in naming Switzerland. While the realities of the international watch industry are more complex, and several other nations, such as Japan and Germany, are also prominent makers of excellent luxury watches, Switzerland will always, justifiably, be regarded as the world center of fine watchmaking. The country's longtime reputation for watch excellence springs not only from the sheer number of industry giants that call it home - including household names like Rolex, Omega, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet - but also from its world-renowned reputation for expertise in all the various crafts that go into fine watchmaking. The Swiss watch industry is as vast as it is complex, with different brands offering varying specialties in a wide range of price points for export around the globe.With all of that in mind, trying to boil down the Swiss watch industry to a subjective list of major players is a bit of a daunting task, as there are many dozens of brands worthy of inclusion. Here we attempt to provide a brief overview of some of the most prominent brands in the Swiss watch industry to give you a basic understanding of what makes each one special. For each brand, we'll provide a bit of history, showcase its major milestones and most important watches, and offer a bit of insight on w...

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Sunday Morning Showdown: IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Ceratanium Vs. Omega Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon “Black/Black” Fratello
Omega Speedmaster Dark Side Oct 19, 2025

Sunday Morning Showdown: IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Ceratanium Vs. Omega Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon “Black/Black”

Good morning, and welcome to another Sunday Morning Showdown. We’ve had a couple of battles between dressy watches in the previous weeks, so we thought it would be good to return to our more regular program of proper sports watches. This week, Omega launched its updated Dark Side of the Moon collection, which we couldn’t […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Ceratanium Vs. Omega Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon “Black/Black” to read the full article.

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Sunday Morning Showdown: Breguet Classique 5177 Vs. A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin Onyx Fratello
Longines Oct 12, 2025

Sunday Morning Showdown: Breguet Classique 5177 Vs. A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin Onyx

It’s Sunday morning again, so it’s time to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy another one of our showdowns. Last week, we put two dressier moonphase watches from Longines and Tudor up against each other. This week, we’re staying on the dressier end of the watch-design spectrum. However, we’ll do so with two more […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Breguet Classique 5177 Vs. A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin Onyx to read the full article.

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Rolex Batman vs. Batgirl: Two Iconic GMT-Masters Compared Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex Oct 6, 2025

Rolex Batman vs. Batgirl: Two Iconic GMT-Masters Compared

The Rolex GMT-Master II is one of the most popular timepieces in the world, and the "Batman" and "Batgirl" versions, with their alluring black-and-blue colorways, are on many a collector's wish list. But what makes a Batman a Batman, and a Batgirl a Batgirl, and what exactly differentiates these two watches, so similar at first glance, from each other? Here we explore what makes "Rolex Batman vs. Batgirl" such a compelling matchup, and why the debate on the nicknames themselves is so intriguing. Lead image by Bonhams and Sotheby's Before Batman: A Brief History of the Rolex GMT-Master When it hit the market in 1955, one year after its unveiling, the Rolex GMT-Master was both trend-setting and genre-defining in its now-iconic conception. The original GMT-Master (Ref. 6542) was the first watch capable of displaying the time in two separate time zones thanks to the clever addition of a fourth, central 24-hour hand and a bidirectional rotating 24-hour bezel. The initials in the watch’s name signify “Greenwich Mean Time,” the system of world timekeeping based on the calculation of mean solar time from the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. This dual-time functionality was an innovation devised for, and developed in cooperation with, the original watch’s intended users: pilots for Pan American Airlines, at the time one of the U.S.A.’s leading commercial carriers. In that so-called Golden Age of commercial aviation, the growth of long-haul and international flights...

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Citizen Introduces a Trio of Limited Edition Series8 Watches Inspired by Japanese Cityscapes Worn & Wound
Citizen Introduces Oct 6, 2025

Citizen Introduces a Trio of Limited Edition Series8 Watches Inspired by Japanese Cityscapes

Citizen has introduced a trio of limited edition watches in their Series8 collection, all of which are inspired by Japanese cityscapes and urban environments. It’s a bit of a departure for the Series8 collection in terms of aesthetics, or at least the point of inspiration, as these watches have typically ruminations on the natural world, or are simply stark, traditional designs that highlight the geometry of the case and integrated bracelet. These new watches all have quite a bit going on in terms of dial texture and the use of gold tones, neither of which are exactly subtle in these references.  The centerpiece of the three new LEs is a new 880 Mechanical, reference NB6035-55H, which has a gray coated case and bracelet and a textured white dial with gold tone accents. According to the Citizen, the design inspiration here is that of city lights on fallen snow against an asphalt backdrop. Of the three new watches seen here, this is the only one equipped with a GMT complication, so we also get a white and black 24 hour bezel that complements the dial quite nicely. The movement is a Citizen caliber 9054 (made by Miyota), which has local jumping hour capabilities. The case measures 41mm in diameter and 13.55mm tall, and it’s a limited edition of 1,600 pieces with a retail price of $1,695. The other two watches in Citizen’s cityscape trilogy are both 890 Mechanical references, essentially a diver with an internal rotating bezel. The NB6060-58H is likely the most straight...

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Sunday Morning Showdown: Tudor 1926 Luna Vs. Longines Flagship Heritage Moonphase Fratello
Longines Flagship Heritage Moonphase It’s Oct 5, 2025

Sunday Morning Showdown: Tudor 1926 Luna Vs. Longines Flagship Heritage Moonphase

It’s Sunday morning, so it’s time for a cup of coffee and an epic showdown between two similar timepieces. After last week’s battle of affordable divers, we now turn to a less popular genre - the classic moonphase watch. Last week, Tudor surprised us with its new 1926 Luna. The latest creation certainly had people […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Tudor 1926 Luna Vs. Longines Flagship Heritage Moonphase to read the full article.

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Introducing Kiwame Tokyo, a New Japanese Microbrand Worn & Wound
Kiwame Tokyo Oct 2, 2025

Introducing Kiwame Tokyo, a New Japanese Microbrand

The independent watch space in Japan is one of the most interesting in the world right now. There have, of course, always been a lot of great watches coming out of Japan, but the last few years have seen a real surge in enthusiast focused releases from brands at literally every price point, and they’ve been redefining what a Japanese watch looks and feels like. We recently covered the latest release from Ōtsuka Lōtec, a daring haute horology experiment with a six figure price tag, and this year also saw the unveiling of Naoya Hida’s first perpetual calendar, which, for me personally, is still one of the very best watches I’ve laid hands on in 2025. These watches, and others, make for great examples of the breadth of Japanese watchmaking, but not everything new and interesting is prohibitively expensive. Case in point, Kiwame Tokyo, an entirely new brand that recently came across our radar.  Kiwame is the brainchild of Masami Watanabe, a 30 year veteran of the watch industry who began his career importing luxury watches from European brands to his native Japan. Over time, he also became interested in the burgeoning microbrand scene, and the stated goal of Kiwame is to create a “truly Japanese” microbrand that captures the refinement and craft that is often associated with Japanese design principles.  Kiwame debuted their first two watches only a short time ago and they quickly sold out of each 99 piece limited edition (an additional run is promised for Novembe...

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The G-Shock MR-G Collection Combines Modern Timepieces With Traditional Japanese Craftsmanship Fratello
Sep 28, 2025

The G-Shock MR-G Collection Combines Modern Timepieces With Traditional Japanese Craftsmanship

We are big G-Shock fans at Fratello, but that’s probably not news. It should come as no surprise, then, that we love the brand’s flagship MR-G collection. This series of premium offerings takes familiar silhouettes and turns them into proper luxury versions of the classics. To achieve that, G-Shock combines innovative techniques with traditional Japanese […] Visit The G-Shock MR-G Collection Combines Modern Timepieces With Traditional Japanese Craftsmanship to read the full article.

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Portrait – Everything about The Cartier Prize for Watchmaking Talents of Tomorrow Monochrome
Cartier Prize Sep 24, 2025

Portrait – Everything about The Cartier Prize for Watchmaking Talents of Tomorrow

For three decades, the Cartier Prize for Watchmaking Talents of Tomorrow (or Prix des Talents Horlogers de Demain in French) has been a unique opportunity for aspiring young watchmakers, offering them both recognition and a platform to shape the future of the craft. Launched in 1995, the Prize embodies Cartier’s commitment to preserving centuries-old savoir-faire […]

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Sunday Morning Showdown: Doxa Sub 750T Vs. Oris Aquis New York Harbor Limited Edition II Fratello
Oris Aquis New York Harbor Sep 14, 2025

Sunday Morning Showdown: Doxa Sub 750T Vs. Oris Aquis New York Harbor Limited Edition II

Good morning, and welcome to another Sunday Morning Showdown! Last week’s installment was all about sleek integrated-bracelet sports watches. This week, we’ll focus on two substantial divers that came out recently. For Geneva Watch Days, Doxa relaunched its Sub 750T with the same 45mm diameter but a slimmer 11.95mm profile. We thought putting that colorful […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Doxa Sub 750T Vs. Oris Aquis New York Harbor Limited Edition II to read the full article.

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The Rebellious Watchmaking of Ondřej Berkus SJX Watches
Sep 12, 2025

The Rebellious Watchmaking of Ondřej Berkus

While the industry resumes normal operations following Geneva Watch Days, we’re taking a quick detour to the Italy to see what Ondřej Berkus has been up to. The Deadbeat Seconds 2.0 is the latest delivery from the self-taught watchmaker and is a good example of how far his watchmaking has come in recent years. As the name suggests, the DS 2.0 is the second watch Mr Berkus has made in this style, but like all of his creations, the two are remarkably different in execution. Initial thoughts There’s a reassuring degree of predictability to the luxury watch industry. It’s a conservative industry built on tradition, which reinforces unspoken norms about what counts as a high end watch. The result is conformity; most watchmakers march to a similar beat and stick to their respective niches. This uniformity helps customers understand the products, but as a consequence many of the products can be criticised as homogenous and impersonal. In contrast, the watchmaking of Ondřej Berkus is refreshingly human. He has no formal website, and conducts business via Instagram. He does not release collections, and no two pieces are entirely alike; each watch is created in dialogue with a collector. A self-taught watchmaker, Mr Berkus manages to pull this off thanks in part to his distinctive approach to finishing. While most contemporary independent watchmakers focus on simple movements executed to a high level, Mr Berkus flips the script, and strives to deliver watches that are unique...

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What Happens When Two Swiss Icons From The 1960s Collaborate? Introducing The Zenith Defy Chronograph USM Fratello
Zenith Defy Chronograph USM What Sep 4, 2025

What Happens When Two Swiss Icons From The 1960s Collaborate? Introducing The Zenith Defy Chronograph USM

What if the 1969 Defy had been outfitted with an El Primero chronograph movement? And what if its design had been inspired by the USM Haller modular furniture system that debuted four years earlier? The answer is the 2025 Zenith Defy Chronograph USM. The four watches with dials in USM shades and subtle details linking […] Visit What Happens When Two Swiss Icons From The 1960s Collaborate? Introducing The Zenith Defy Chronograph USM to read the full article.

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Sunday Morning Showdown: Rolex Submariner 16610 Vs. Omega Seamaster 2254.50 Fratello
Omega Seamaster 2254.50 Welcome back Aug 31, 2025

Sunday Morning Showdown: Rolex Submariner 16610 Vs. Omega Seamaster 2254.50

Welcome back to our weekly Sunday Morning Showdown! This week, after several battles between modern watches, we are going back in time. Daan and Thomas will pit two neo-vintage divers against each other. Daan will defend the Omega Seamaster 2254.50, while Thomas will champion the Rolex Submariner 16610. With slender cases, sapphire crystals, aluminum bezel […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Rolex Submariner 16610 Vs. Omega Seamaster 2254.50 to read the full article.

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BA111OD Introduces The Chapter 8 Collection Inspired By Mid-20th-Century Watchmaking Fratello
Aug 30, 2025

BA111OD Introduces The Chapter 8 Collection Inspired By Mid-20th-Century Watchmaking

BA111OD is a small brand that moves quickly. It released its Chapter 7 collection in February, which we extensively covered here on Fratello. The collection of sports watches with integrated bracelets presented a new direction for the brand. The smart thing that brand founder Thomas Baillod did was to create chapters for his releases. As […] Visit BA111OD Introduces The Chapter 8 Collection Inspired By Mid-20th-Century Watchmaking to read the full article.

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