Two years back our friends at Fratello launched a collaborative watch with the then relatively unknown Straum. A brushed stainless steel field watch with the kind of colourful, textured dial that the microbrand’s now renowned for in a cool volcanic red, there was a lot to love there. And now, it’s back – and with some solid improvements that stop the Straum x Fratello Jan Mayen Titanium Edition from being a repeat.
The focal point of every Jan Mayen is it’s dial and that’s no different here. Fratello and Straum have recreated the same black and Fratello red volcanic dial that looks like a Nordic lava flow and why not? It’s a supremely cool dial. Would it have been nice to see some sort of evolution of the concept? Sure, but given I didn’t get one of the initial run, this version’s worryingly tempting.
The main difference here is material. And by that I mean that the 39mm case has switched from brushed stainless steel to lightweight Grade 5 titanium. The metal’s signature dark grey colouring actually works fantastically with the red dial. It’s a bit more contrast that helps the bright, textured beauty pop even more than the first edition.
It’s not just titanium as the previous steel bracelet has been replaced with black FKM rubber. This is actually a bigger shift than moving to titanium and makes much more of an impact. I love a good, supple bit of rubber and here it turns a metiers d’art field watch into something genuinely sporty, complete with 100m water resistance. Again, the contrast between dial and dark strap helps the former pop, never a bad thing, but more than that it completely changes the wrist dynamic.
Inside is the La Joux-Perret G101, a more-than-solid movement with a weekend-proof 70-hour power reserve. It’s a fair few rungs above the usual Miyota stuff you find in most microbrand offerings.
So yes, the new Straum x Fratello Jan Mayen Titanium Edition doesn’t reinvent the wheel. But it does throw on some sportier tyres and rev a reliable engine. And in a world of increasingly weird and wonderful collabs, going back and improving a winning formula is no bad thing.
So, if you want to get your hands on this edition before it inevitably sails off into the sunset, it’ll set you back £1,590. You’ll need to be quick though as it’s only on sale until 6PM on July 3rd.
Price and Specs:
More details at Straum.
