Fratello Talks: What The First Watch Releases Of 2026 Reveal About The Year Ahead
The year is off to a flying start with some big releases from fan-favorite brands. In today’s episode of Fratello Talks, we’re taking a look at the first watch releases of 2026 and, based on patterns they present, seeing what they reveal about the year ahead. Though we haven’t had many new introductions so far, the handful of novelties is still enough to get us excited, from Seiko celebrating its 145th anniversary and bringing back the tonneau case to Oris appealing to two price segments and Omega going all in with a pair of reverse-panda Speedmasters. We’re only two weeks in, and it’s already set to be an exciting year indeed. Before we get started, let’s take a look at what the guys are wearing in this week’s wrist check.
Wrist check
RJ kicks off this week’s wrist check with a point to prove: he owns and wears watches worth less than €500. An example of one such watch is what he is wearing today, a 1977 Seiko 6139-7080. This charming vintage chronograph uses one of the first automatic chronograph calibers ever produced. It’s also one of RJ’s many watches with a sub-€500 price tag. And though he may not wear such watches often, there’s a good reason behind that, as he explains in this episode.
Thomas is rocking the Temporal Works Series A. This is the latest horological project from sartorialists Mark Cho and Elliot Hammer (the founder and the creative director of The Armoury, respectively). The red lacquer-dial model on Thomas’s wrist is known as the “Fortune” and uses the same 37mm Patek 565-inspired case as the other two black- and blue-dial models.
Nacho is wearing his Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer Jungle on a mesh bracelet. To be precise, it’s the Arroway Modular Bracelets AMB-001. His quest for the perfect strap/bracelet combination for this Nomos continues, and though there may not be one option to rule them all, this one certainly comes close.
Fratello Talks: What the First Watch Releases of 2026 Reveal About the Year Ahead
New year, new watches! And we’ve already seen more than a handful in 2026. We’ve had two new Oris watches — the Artelier Year Of The Horse edition and a new Big Crown Pointer Date. Seiko has already delighted us with five new watches, including four 145th-anniversary models and a Pressage model featuring a tonneau case. Credor has given us the Goldfeather Imari Nabeshima porcelain-dial limited edition. And just two days ago, Omega launched a pair of reverse-panda-dial Speedmasters. We’re just 15 days in, and it already feels like a lot. But those are just a few of the new watches of 2026.
The question we ask ourselves today is, what do these new releases tell us about what we should expect for the rest of the year? In today’s episode of Fratello Talks, we’re discussing just that. So join us as we read the horological tea leaves and look to the watch world’s crystal ball for answers. Feel free to leave your thoughts on these latest releases in the comments below, and tune in next week for more Fratello Talks!
