Here at Fratello, we love Casio. Some would say we love the brand too much. Those people would be wrong. Very wrong indeed... Today, Rob is talking to three of his teammates to the smooth booth to discuss their shared love and long-held obsessions with the Japanese Juggernaut that blessed the world with the G-Shock watch family.First up is G2. As the elder statesman of the team, "the G-Father" was actually an adult when G-Shock first appeared in the early eighties. This gives him a unique perspective within the team as the rest of the gang we either in their teens, nappies, or fathers&apos; eyes when Casio first unveiled the model that would go on the redefine the quartz watch industry.Design classics come along rarely. The Casio G-Shock square series has remained largely unchanged for almost 40 years now. That kind of permanence speaks volumes. But for Balazs, our second guest on the show, his Casio journey started with a much more demure (although no less interesting timepiece) that has since been stolen by his motherLastly, Rob welcomes Mike to the show. Our in-house Floridian shares a tale of global proportions and explains how his collection of Casio watches grew to four pieces and is showing no signs of stopping there. If you love Casio, this is a must-listen show. Let us know what you make of it in the comments below.

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Fratello On Air: Casio Collectors Podcast

Today on the Fratello on Air, Rob is joined by the boys from Straum watch company, way up in Norway. This emerging brand is the result of five years&apos; hard work, a huge personal investment of time and money, and the inspiration offered by Norway&apos;s myths, legends, and landscape. The brand&apos;s Opphav model ranks near the top of several Fratello team members&apos; wish lists so we thought it&apos;d be a good idea to get the lads on the show to find out more. You can buy these watches online at Straum.co. The (very) limited edition model is already sold out and the other four Oppav models (now limited to 500 pieces each to ensure Straum is able to fulfill orders in a timely manner and guarantee excellent aftercare).The watches come with vegetable-tanned travel cases and integrated leather straps available in dark brown, light brown, blue, green, and black.Follow me on @robnudds

Fratello On Air: Straum Discusses The Life Of A Small Independent Watch Brand 

WASP 9.91 sees the guys go to two decimal places for the first time, much to the confusion of everyone else. Less confusing, however, is the duo&apos;s shared love of a very special Omega Speedmaster created for the Olympics, but that&apos;s not the only Olympic watch to feature... Far from it...For the first time ever, an on-air purchase occurs as Rob stumbles across his all-time favorite Swatch available on eBay for a stunning price (box and papers included). Additionally, Fridge and Freezer discuss Balazs&apos;s recent purchases (lovers of vintage Angelus be sure to tune in) and Rob&apos;s burgeoning collection of caps that had a sudden injection of volume thanks to the chance discovery of an old forgotten sports store in Alcudia on Mallorca.The biggest conversation of the show, however, centers around a question posed by RJ in one of his recent articles: what does it take to consider oneself a watch collector? The boys pick over the nuances of their own feelings towards their own habits and collections with some interesting results. Would you believe that Balazs is not a watch collector but he is a collector of vintage Angelus watches? If that sounds crazy, you&apos;d better listen to the show to hear the reasoning behind that conclusion...Follow us on Instagram @robnudds and @ferenczibazs

Fratello On Air: WASP 9.91 — Our Favorite Olympic Watches Including Swatch, Omega, And More...

The boys are back in town after a desperately long hiatus. We&apos;ve plugged in the fridge and switched on the freezer — Balazs and I are back and this week we have our top Olympic moments and some awesome vintage Omega purchases to share with you.We decided to choose our bronze, silver, and gold performers/moments from the Olympics this year, to round off what turned out to be a pretty darn exciting edition of the greatest sporting carnival of all. Normally, I don&apos;t reveal much about the show in my notes, but for posterity, I thought it best that I note down the picks for all those that don&apos;t have time to listen to the pod but might like to offer their own suggestions in the comments below.BalazsBronze: on the third step, Balazs placed Annika Schleu of Germany. The talented pentathlete already has six world and three European golds to her name, but she was desperately seeking the Olympic title to add to her haul. In the prime of her career, she looked set to snare it when, in the last round of the modern pentathlon, her horse (an animal unfamiliar to her as per the somewhat puzzling rules) refused to do as she instructed. Distraught, Schleu fell out of contention with her British rival going on to snare gold. Balazs felt sorry for Schleu and her experience inspired a very interesting discussion on the rules of the modern pentathlon.Silver: one of the most heartwarming moments of the games was also one of the most controversial...at least in Rob&apos;s opinion. The men&apos;s high-jump competition ended with the Italian and Qatari competitors agreeing to share the gold, having achieved identical records up until that point. The world rejoiced; Rob grumbled about bloodlust or something or other... Check out his full gripe on the show.Gold: a proud Hungarian, it is somewhat unsurprising Balazs chose one of his countrymen for the gold medal position. But this was more than a patriotic nod. Áron Szilágyi became the only male fencer in Olympic history to win three golds, which he has done in the last three games. Still only 31 with just three years until the next games in Paris, it isn&apos;t impossible Szilágyi will still be around to contest a fourth Olympics. Rob (me)Bronze: My bronze position goes to national treasure, Tom Daley. Not so much for (finally) winning the gold medal Rob was thrilled to see him snare, but more for chilling out in the crowd of the women&apos;s event, knitting. We&apos;ve decided Tom Daley should knit us big purple WASP sweaters to wear while presenting (it gets cold when you&apos;re a fridge and/or freezer) and also "horse cozies" to keep annoying horses calm in the modern pentathlon.Silver: love can find us when we least expect it. My silver medal goes to one of his heroes and most muscular crushes, Lisa Carrington. The indomitable New Zealander is the finest kayaker on planet Earth right now, and her destruction of the field in no less than three separate events proves that. I happen to be a keen kayaker myself, and while I&apos;m not worthy to clean Carrington&apos;s paddle, I&apos;d gladly offer my services if she ever needed a lackey to cheer her on at races. Gold: just as Tomas recently flouted the rules in the Summer Splash and was allowed to compete regardless, I too will bend the rules here. I&apos;m giving my golden moment to one event: the 400m hurdles. The men&apos;s and the women&apos;s finals were mind-blowing. World-class performances abounded. If you want to know exactly what went down, listen to the pod. It&apos;s a lot of fun!Follow us on Instagram @robnudds and @ferenczibazs

Fratello On Air: WASP 9.9 — Olympic Highlights And Vintage Omega Flightmasters

Over in article land, my good friend Dave Sergeant has written up the new release from URWERK and Collective today, so please feel free to check that out at your leisure for a detailed look at the watch itself and Dave&apos;s hot takes, and what is his favorite base model in the URWERK catalog.On the Podcast today, however, we&apos;re diving into the background of this project with Martin Frei of URWERK fame and co-founder of Collective, Asher Rapkin. Collective is a US-based group of watch lovers that works directly with brands to create thoughtful, imaginative, and emotive special edition pieces available to the members of the movement only.We get a really genuine insight into the method of collaboration, how organically these things come about, what it&apos;s like working (and getting to know one another) digitally, and both URWERK and Collective&apos;s philosophies on collaboration.Following the truly immersive interview with Fred Buyle, Ulysse Nardin ambassador and pro freediver in WASP 9.8 (which aired on Sunday), the podcast is on a bit of a roll. If you&apos;ve not checked out that fascinating talk with an experienced submariner, do so. You won&apos;t regret it.Follow me on Instagram @robnudds

Fratello On Air: URWERK & Collective In The Studio — Martin Frei And Asher Rapkin Guest Star

Welcome watch fans, to another very special episode of Watching Sports And Sporting Watches. Today, I (Rob) am joined by Fred Buyle, Ulysse Nardin ambassador, professional free diver, passionate conservationist, and, perhaps most interestingly for our community, a real watch guy.You&apos;d probably expect a lot more ambassadors to be as into watches as Fred clearly is, but it really isn&apos;t the case. I&apos;ve encountered sports stars and celebrities that have no idea what their agent is telling them to strap to their wrist. I think that&apos;s a real shame. When I was working for NOMOS Glashütte, we discussed the possibility of hiring an ambassador —something the brand has never done — frequently. We came close to a decision several times, but we always backed away at the very last. It never felt genuine. It never felt on-brand. Oh, how wonderful would it have been to have a genuine collector in the limelight profess his or her love for NOMOS and solve the problem organically. It didn&apos;t happen then. In truth, it rarely does. But, in one of those seldom situations, it seems the very best man ended up with the right job for Ulysse Nardin.There&apos;s a bit of a running joke about how many free divers there are representing watch brands. It kind of gives the impression that 80% of the people you meet on the street can hold their breath for seven minutes or don&apos;t bat an eyelid when confronted with a Great White Shark. That isn&apos;t the case, of course. As such, I&apos;d never actually met or had the pleasure of speaking with a professional free diver. I relished the opportunity to ask all the stupid questions a sub-aquatic novice might wish to.What&apos;s the deepest you&apos;ve ever dived? Is it cold down there? Does it hurt? What&apos;s the most memorable experience you&apos;ve had beneath the waves? Surprisingly, however, Fred&apos;s interest and genuine passion for watches meant the conversation was able to stay very much within the intended wheelhouse of this pod column. I hope you enjoy listening to the show as much as I did recording it.Follow me on Instagram @robnudds

Fratello On Air: WASP 9.8 — Ulysse Nardin Ambassador And Freediver Fred Buyle Joins The Show

Fridge and Freezer return after a short break with fifty minutes of top-quality sports chat, as several competitions get down to the sharp end.In an impassioned exchange, Balazs question&apos;s Rob&apos;s right to support England in Euro 2020 given his Irish birth, while Bobbysled Bobby defends himself on the grounds of dual nationality and his upbringing having been blighted by the national woe of being so thoroughly incompetent when it comes to major tournaments.The boys lament the fate of Primož Roglič, forced to abandon the Tour de France following a brutal crash early on in the race. The Tissot ambassador and friend of the show was a great loss to a Grand Tour that looks likely to be won by last year&apos;s winner, Tadej Pogacar.Balazs enjoys poking fun at Rob&apos;s awful run of predictions (and heartbreak) in the Stanley Cup playoffs, while lording his NBA calls over the belittled little man.Follow us on Instagram @robnudds and @ferenczibazs

Fratello On Air: WASP 9.7 — The NHL Champs, NBA Finals, Euro 2020, And The Tour De France

After coming down from the interview with World Number One Primož Roglič last week, Fridge and Freezer are back in the Smooth Booth, foraging around in a bulging mailbag. This week, the boys select two very watch-centric questions for one another. This week, the terrible twosome tackle questions about dress watches (the best ones and the very definition of the genre), which watches one should buy to commemorate achieving the PADI diving certification, why they collect watches and sports memorabilia, and Rob fields the easiest watchmaking he&apos;s ever been asked: which watches would you recommend buying as a "his and her&apos;s" wedding gift?Next week, we&apos;ll be back on the boards and the ice to round up the end of both the NBA and NHL seasons. In the meantime, please feel free to send your questions to us via our Instagram profiles @ferenczibazs and @robnudds. We&apos;d love to hear from you and welcome you to the show if you&apos;d like to take part.Until next time, stay safe, and keep on ticking!

Fratello On Air: WASP 9.6 — Dress Pieces, Dive Tools, And Wedding Watches

Can you believe it? Fourteen episodes in, WASP welcomes its very first pro-athlete, and we&apos;ve kicked things off with an absolute stunner: we&apos;re welcoming Primož Roglič, the number one ranked road cyclist in the world. A two-time grand tour winner, Roglič began his career as a ski-jumper, before rapidly rising the rankings to stand at the very summit of his new sport.Following Rob&apos;s chat with Primož, Balazs returns to the studio, reuniting the Fridge & Freezer presenting duo at long last. The boys spin around the leagues, catching up with the NBA and NHL playoffs that are very much in full swing. Rob&apos;s full of the joys of Spring as his Golden Knights look to continue their fine form against the underdog Canadiens, while the Tampa Bay Lightning hope to recover against the streaking New York Islanders. On the boards, the seeds have a good chance of hilding all the way to the conference deciders, but will we see the number one seeds face off in Finals? Our analysts aren&apos;t so sure...Find and follow us on Instagram @ferenczibazs and @robnudds.

Fratello On Air: WASP 9.5 — Primož Roglič Joins The Show

With Rob "the little man" Nudds on the road, Balazs takes over the mic and welcomes Dave "down the pub" Sergeant to the smooth booth to round up the NBA action from the play-offs.How will Fridge fare without Freezer? And what on Earth is the wee man&apos;s excuse for leaving the Horntail untended? Tune in to find out.Find and follow us on Instagram at @davesergeant, @ferenczibazs, and @robnudds.

Fratello On Air: WASP 9.4 — Dave And Balazs Round Up The NBA

The last year or so has certainly been special, but now that things are reopening, it&apos;s time to get back out there. Perhaps you&apos;ve read Fratello like crazy, but have you been able to try on any of the great watches that came out over the past 12 to 18 months?Finally, the reopening is here. Sure, in places like the USA or Japan, they never truly closed. However, some folks have waited to head out until feeling comfortable. Here in Europe, stores were closed for something like six months!The trio is back! Balazs, Jorg, and Mike talk about watches from the past year that people should try in person. Balazs goes fancy and lists a Lange as one of his favorites. Jorg picks a tough find with one of the newer Rolex models. Mike takes it down a notch with a Breitling and something even less expensive from Seiko. For good measure, the OG Nike Air Jordan kicks make an appearance in relation to the GShock "Blue Phoenix" during Jorg&apos;s Handgelenks Kontrolle.

Fratello On Air: Watches To See Upon Reopening — Rolex, Lange, Breitling, And More...

A couple of weeks ago, our very own Ben Hodges enjoyed an illuminating back-and-forth with one of his musical heroes. The gracious Misha Mansoor of the metal band Periphery took some time out of his day to chat about timepieces. Today, we revisit that interview with the audio supplied by Misha, interspersed with the fearsomely inane commentary of Ben and Rob.Okay, we&apos;re not that bad. In fact, there&apos;s a good argument to be made that we might be mildly entertaining. From my perspective, the highlight of the show is definitely my spot-on impression of Ben&apos;s delicious British accent, but he would probably disagree. He might point to the first-hand testimony of one of music&apos;s most talented guitarists as the centerpiece of episode 62. Who&apos;s to say?Well, to be precise, you are! Let us know in the comments below if you enjoyed the show. If you did, and you&apos;d like more content like this, please let us know. Suggestions are always welcome. If you didn&apos;t like it, tell us why. Unless you didn&apos;t like my hilarious accents. That&apos;s just mean.Find and follow us on Instagram @benjameshodges and @robnudds.

Fratello On Air: Misha Mansoor Of Periphery Talks Watches

It&apos;s true that Fratello boasts one of the more multinational teams. One of our listeners from Finland decided to take advantage of that by asking us about watch culture around the globe. How do people come together, do they come together, and do they even like watches in some countries? We don&apos;t have all the answers, but we enjoyed the chat. This time, it&apos;s Mike, Jorg, and Balazs on the mics for a bit of banter.Wrist check and the newsThe gents roll through a "Handgelenks Kontrolle" and you&apos;ll find a lovely Rolex GMT-Master 1675 on the wrist of our main Magyar, Balazs, who happens to be in his homeland. Jorg hails from the land of wooden shoes and tulips and is there watching the pounding rain. He&apos;s sporting his beloved Omega Speedmaster Professional X-33. Mike comes from the land of the free and the home of the brave, but he&apos;s back in Germany. This time, he&apos;s wearing his Grandfather&apos;s &apos;90s Rolex Datejust 16220. Talk about watch culture! As far as news, we highlight the free hardbound 60th-anniversary catalog that everyone can, and should, order on the Sinn website.Watch cultureThe trio talks about watch culture, how "get-togethers" work (and don&apos;t work) depending on the country. The USA looms large here because people are spontaneous and seem to have few qualms about bringing expensive wares to a group of strangers. Europe, as no surprise, is a bit more conservative and privacy-focused. Neither is right nor wrong, but there are definitely differences no matter where you travel.

Fratello On Air: Watch Culture Around The Globe

 Welcome to Episode 61 of Fratello on Air, otherwise known as WASP 9.3. After spending the last three weeks rummaging around in our mailbag, we’re returning to the world of sports to provide you with a quick whizz around the American sports leagues to keep you abreast of news and developments in the NBA, NHL, MLB, and NFL. Find us on Instagram @robnudds and @ferenczibazs.

Fratello On Air: WASP 9.3 — NEWS, Featuring Breitling And Rolex Cameos

RJ chats with the guiding IWC into the next phase of its development, who, coincidentally, also happens to be the same man that designed IWC&apos;s current manufacturing headquarters...Some people have all the talent...

Fratello On Air Podcast: RJ Speaks To IWC CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr

A bi-weekly podcast about watches. Hosted by Fratello Magazine. During our podcast shows, we discuss watches, the watch industry, watch collecting, watches events and more. Make sure to subscribe!

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