The end of the year is near, so it’s time for the MONOCHROME team to sit down and look back at everything that happened during what was objectively a rich year for new models… With so many new launches, there was a lot to pick from in all categories and all price ranges. Today, we […]
Gone are the days when dive watches truly challenged watchmakers. The Submariner and Fifty Fathoms battled it out in the 1950s, pushing for just 100 metres of water resistance. Modern tech allows microbrands to hit triple that depth today, so small watchmakers like Peren need to focus on design to really stand out. They’ve done […]
Retro and vintage remain hot topics within the watch industry, as there are tons of good-looking watches available based on popular designs from bygone eras. Within this highly competitive segment of the market, Belgian brand Méraud has slowly but surely found steady ground. Méraud, founded by Stijn Busschaert, strives to find the horological sweet spot […]
For a large part of the world, the cold season is setting in. Temperatures are dropping, daylight gets pushed back by darkness, snow and ice are grinding cities and towns to a halt and so on. To turn things around and embrace the cold, why not opt for a cool white watch for the winter […]
A few months ago, Swatch and Blancpain introduced the Swatch x Blancpain Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms. Yup, quite a mouthful. It’s effectively the follow-up of the Moonswatch, which can be seen as Swatch’s take on the Omega Speedmaster. We didn’t cover it on MONOCHROME for obvious reasons (it’s a quartz watch…) despite being a huge […]
The 1950s and 1960s have been a groundbreaking era for watches when it comes to water resistance. Although the concept of a watertight case wasn’t new at that point, technological and material advancements allowed for great strides to be made in creating waterproof watches. Names such as Submariner, Fifty Fathoms, SUB 300, Seamaster and many […]
When released in 2020, the 42mm Formex Reef Automatic Chronometer 300M impressed enthusiasts, demonstrating a fusion of innovation and design sophistication in a highly functional tool watch. Fresh and unique, the watch offered a compelling array of features and extensive customization options. Today, just like it did with the Essence collection a few years ago, […]
A highly respected yet niche name in the field of dive watches, Squale is a brand that should not be overlooked thanks to its historical impact, the coolness of its watches and the accessible price at which these are offered. Typical no-nonsense aquatic instruments, the brand combines vintage designs with robust construction and reliable movements, […]
German watchmaker Union Glashütte expands its Noramis collection by introducing three chronograph references tailored for aquatic adventures. The Noramis Date Sport (2021) marked the inception of the sporty retro-inspired series, featuring a unidirectionally rotating bezel and boasting 200m water resistance with distinctive gradient dials. Drawing inspiration from the success of this model and existing Noramis […]
It can be notoriously difficult to pin down the exact release date of watches from the 1970s and before. In a time before the internet, things were released slowly, sometimes at trade shows, sometimes not, and since all records were kept on paper, if at all, many have been lost to the sands of time. […]