logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2023
1h 16m

Fratello On Air: Case Back Engravings

Fratello Watches
About this episode

Fratello On Air returns and this week, we discuss the wide world of case back engravings. Whether they relate to military-issued pieces or special occasions, there's a lot to potentially learn from these inscriptions. We hope you enjoy this episode and feel free to comment below about your thoughts on these adornments.

Case back engravings are a wide subject. They cover some of life's most special moments and achievements. Or, they can give us clues about a watch's origin and story. Whatever the case, they're not always to everyone's liking. We talk about our likes and dislikes around these markings while sharing plenty of other side tales. But first...

Handgelenks Kontrolle

No matter what our friends on the Spirit of Time Podcast say, the Handglenks Kontrolle is firmly back on European soil. Mike is wearing one of the first vintage chronographs that joined his collection, the Croton Skymaster. It's making a return to the wrist because it features a case back inscription related to the original owner's 21st birthday. Balazs is also on theme with his Angelus 215 L.E. Chronograph. Here, the L.E. means Légi Er which stands for the Hungarian Air Force. So, yes, we are supporting case back inscriptions.

Case back markings

Once we hit the main topic related to case back markings, we spend time on issued military pieces. Balazs even explains how it has helped to piece together the history of certain models from his favorite brand, Angelus. Mike brings up a special family heirloom Rolex that he covered earlier this year along with a recent engraved purchase. We also discussed whether or not we would have a watch engraved. It's a back-and-forth conversation that allows us to bring up a number of related subjects.

We hope you enjoyed today's episode. As always, if you have any ideas for future show topics, feel free to let us know.

Up next
Aug 21
Fratello Talks: The Experience of Visiting A Swiss Watch Manufacture
Have you ever wanted to know what it’s like to enter the space where watches are made? These very real places remain an abstract thought to most people, as passionate as they may be about the time-telling objects on their wrists. You can read about them, see images and video, and ... Show More
28m 21s
Aug 14
Fratello Talks: Does Storytelling Still Sell Watches?
This week, on Fratello Talks, RJ, Thomas, and Nacho are taking on a topic that’s as old as the watch industry itself: storytelling. For decades, brands have built emotional bridges to their customers with tales of adventure, endurance, and achievement. Think of the watches strapp ... Show More
38m 5s
Aug 12
Fratello On Air: The Watches For New Collectors Entering The Hobby
Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air. This week, we answer a listener's question about the watches new collectors should consider when entering the hobby. It's a question that has been asked many times, but, frankly, it's been a while since we've tackled it. For our ... Show More
1h 10m
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2018
Ep. 63: Listener Questions
This episode of The Worn & Wound Podcast is brought to you by Hamilton Watch. We asked for your questions, and you came through big time. Today, we’re talking “expertise” in the watch world, entry-level watches, the future of micro-brands, watches that hold their value, and so mu ... Show More
48m 34s
Jun 2023
The Worn & Wound Podcast Ep 302: How Do We Feel About Vintage Inspired Designs in 2023?
This week on the podcast, Blake welcomes Ricardo Sime and Blake Malin to show to talk about a variety of topics in a freewheeling conversation, including our tendency to flip Tudors for other Tudors, what’s keeping Blake (Buettner) from picking up a Grand Seiko, and importance of ... Show More
55 m
Apr 2025
Ep 394: Our Big Watches & Wonders Roundup
This week on the Worn & Wound podcast, Zach Weiss, Kat Shoulders, and Zach Kazan are looking back at the recently completed Watches & Wonders event. It’s been about two weeks and we’ve all had a bit of time to digest everything we saw in Geneva, and in this episode we hear about ... Show More
59m 48s
Jun 2024
The Worn & Wound Podcast Ep 352: A Conversation with Michiel Holthinrichs
This week on the podcast, Zach Kazan is joined by Michiel Holthinrichs, founder of the aptly named Holthinrichs Watches. Holthinrichs is a brand that we’ve admired at Worn & Wound for years for their sculpture-like, architectural designs that are quite unlike anything else in the ... Show More
58m 58s
Oct 2022
The Worn & Wound Podcast Ep 267: Bracelet Sizing, Humidity, and the Eternal Question of How Many Watches to Pack When Traveling
This week on the Worn & Wound podcast, Blake, Zach, Patrick, and Kat bring you a podcasting first: a live on air bracelet sizing. How did it go? You’ll have to listen to the whole episode to find out, but let’s just say Patrick’s recent acquisition (the unboxing was recorded, ano ... Show More
44m 57s
Jul 30
The Worn & Wound Podcast Ep 409: Listener Hot Takes!
This week on the podcast, we’re returning to a favorite topic: hot takes! We asked our communities on Instagram, YouTube, and our Worn & Wound+ Slack channel to send us their spiciest takes on the watch world so we could react to them and they absolutely did not disappoint. And, ... Show More
1h 2m
Dec 2024
Ep 378: Our Favorite Watches of 2024
It’s the final episode of the Worn & Wound podcast for 2024, so of course the team is talking about their favorite watches of the year. Zach Kazan, Kat Shoulders, Zach Weiss, and Devin Pennypacker are all on the mic to look at the best watches they’ve seen from the last year, and ... Show More
1h 5m
Mar 2024
The Worn & Wound Podcast Ep 339: The Importance of Watch Materials with Christopher Chew
This week, Zach welcomes Christopher Chew to the podcast. Christopher is a watch collector with a materials science background, and has experience in a variety of fields including aviation, apparel, and in the startup space, where he’s been involved in some truly cutting edge pro ... Show More
49m 30s
Mar 2023
The Worn & Wound Podcast Ep 288: Looking at Watch Trends Heading into Watches & Wonders with Tell the Time's Dana Li
Today on the podcast, Blake and Zach are joined by Dana Li, who you might know from her increasingly popular website and Instagram account, @tell.the.time, as well as a recent feature in a little publication called the New York Times. We’re thrilled to have Dana on the podcast ri ... Show More
47m 20s
Jan 2024
A Week In Watches Ep 71: A Look Back At The Watches Of 2023
Welcome to episode 71 of A Week in Watches. To make it a tradition this is a special episode, or rather, part of one of a special two-parter cleverly titled “A Year in Watches.” Yes, we’re going to take a look back at big moments and releases from 2023. As you’d expect, there’s a ... Show More
23m 5s