Michael Clerizo

1 week ago | watchonista.com | Michael Clerizo

By Michael Clerizo Mr. Chin owns a watch and clock repair shop in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, a town bisected by the River Kwai. Yes, there is a River Kwai, and during World War II, Allied POWs built a bridge across it. However, it is not the majestic structure that spans the river in the 1957 film The Bridge on the River Kwai that (SPOILER ALERT!) ultimately collapses after an operatic act of sabotage.

2 months ago | fratellowatches.com | Armin Strom |Michael Clerizo |Thomas Van Straaten |Lex Stolk

If you like the odd thematic special edition, Hublot is the brand to follow. Today, we get an interesting new watch from the Nyon-based outfit. This is the Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph Boutique Lucerne. You quite literally get a piece of Lucerne if you purchase this watch, so if the Swiss city carries meaning to you, read on!The new Hublot Lucerne edition costs CHF 15,900 / €18,200 / US$17,500 and comes with a black rubber and vintage brown calf strap. Let’s take a closer look.

2 months ago | fratellowatches.com | Armin Strom |Michael Clerizo |Lex Stolk |Robert-Jan Broer

Here’s a question that might surprise you: who’s your favorite Bruce Wayne? Your answer doesn’t necessarily also mean he’s your favorite Batman. So, who is it? Is it George Clooney because of his undebatable good looks? Perhaps it’s Robert Pattinson, although, in The Batman, there are just a few scenes in which he plays the orphaned billionaire. Christian Bale is my favorite because of how he plays the role of a selfish, mega-wealthy playboy to give himself a credible cover as Batman.

2 months ago | fratellowatches.com | Armin Strom |Michael Clerizo |Robert-Jan Broer |Thomas Van Straaten

Of course, you are familiar with Omega and, most probably, Armin Strom as well. But did you know that Armin Strom, founder of the eponymous brand, was once the artisan doing all the skeleton work for Omega in the 1990s? Skeleton watchesThe art of movement skeletonization is old, and we still see it today in various watches. Not all skeleton watches are the same, though, as some just remove part of the dial to allow a glimpse of the movement.

2 months ago | fratellowatches.com | Michael Clerizo |Thomas Van Straaten |Lex Stolk |Michael Stockton

How did this book land on my desk? “Thomas, you wrote a watch book; why don’t you review this one?” — that’s how. To be fair, I am woefully unqualified to do so both because I cannot stand in author Michael Clerizo’s shadow and because I usually review watches. I feel I must start with the specifications making up Greubel Forsey: The Art of Invention. The book has a 300mm diameter and a 32mm cover-to-cover thickness. It is out-house manufactured, and it wears rather uncomfortably.