The Oris Aquis Date needs no introduction anymore. It is one of those relatively affordable automatic watches that we often cover, here at MONOCHROME. Performing both at the office or at the beach, the recent facelift operated by Oris gave this watch an even more desirable look, without jeopardising its diving capacities. Usually spotted in […]
At first, Blancpain’s Bathyscaphe watches are clearly seen as tool/dive pieces. But in fact, there’s more. The new Fifty Fathoms BathyscapheQuantième Complet Phase de Lune advances the idea of adding civilian-friendly features with both a complete calendar and moon-phase display. Typically found in their luxury Villeret collection, the complications add a classic, dressy vibe to the otherwise tool watch aesthetic. With previous models like the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantième Annuel, it’s not the first time Blancpain has dressed up a Bathyscaphe diver with complications, but this is the boldest model yet. Let’s take a closer look at this interesting tool/dress hybrid.
The Seamaster Diver 300M is one of the most beloved watches of Omega fans, and one of the best-sellers of the company. Part of this success is due to the link with James Bond, to the point that despite the long “Omega Seamaster 300M Professional” name, the watch is very often simply referred to as “the James Bond watch”. After a tasteful facelift done last year on the time-and-date version, we have this year an additional model dressed in black ceramic and titanium – see here – that has more than just different materials to offer. Here’s our early hands-on with the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Ceramic and Titanium (ref. 210.92.44.20.01.001).
There’s certainly no shortage of dive watches on the market, with popular icons from Rolex, Omega, Seiko and other heavyweights in retailers worldwide. Unique offerings from lesser known brands like H20 Watch and Farer provide intriguing alternatives, and there was a boom of relatively unknown, first-class divers thriving in the 1960s and 1970s. Although never a household name, Aquadive was well respected among water enthusiasts in those earlier decades with high depth ratings, no-nonsense designs and advanced technology for the time. Similar in spirit to the revived Jenny Caribbean 300 diver, the new Aquadive Bathyscaphe 100 GMT brings retro styling with modern engineering for divers seeking to relive the past or simply sport a unique piece. With both German and Swiss design, the watch is first and foremost a submersible tool, but a stylish option for terrestrial fans as well. Let’s take a closer look at this modern take on a sea-dwelling blast from the past.
A brand built on the ashes of the Italian branch of Panerai, founded by a naval engineer and former head of the aforementioned watchmaker, is obligated to have a dive watch in the collection. For over 12 years now, the Nautilo has been part of the Anonimo line-up in various guises – see here, here or here. New for 2019 and launched as a preview to Baselworld is a more retro – or vintage-inspired – take on their cool Nautilo, with the Anonimo Nautilo Vintage. And good news for a lot of people: it’s smaller!
Following the publication a few days ago of our Rolex 2019 Predictions, we keep the tradition alive and now take a closer look at sister company Tudor. We’ve done it already in the past, with our predictions in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and in 2018. – some being pretty accurate, some not so much. This year, however, we had (unintentional) help from Tudor itself, thanks to a teaser on their Instagram feed – and, you know us, that gave us some ideas about what is to come for Tudor at Baselworld 2019… Did we hear OysterDate Submariner 79090 revival?
Few are the microbrands that have genuinely convinced us, but E.C.Andersson is definitely one of them. This Scandinavian watch company has created several interesting, well-executed sports/tool watches, including North Sea II and Calypso, which combined a cool design, solid cases and overall accessible prices. Today, the brand is releasing a new model named Denise, a watch that they see as an “all-season tool watch”, or a dive watch that can be brought onshore for exploration.
With the new Aquis Date Relief, Oris continues a thing that has become sort of a tradition, a special edition watch attached to a good cause. Certainly, there is a lot to love in this new edition – it is, after all, an Aquis with a cool new colour scheme – but the most important […]
Last year, Omega took a deep breath and plunged into one of its most iconic collections, the Seamaster Diver 300M – a 25-year-old icon, worn by none other than 007 himself (hence its nickname, the “James Bond Watch“) positioned as the entry-level watch to Omega’s divers. The 2018 model was an instant hit, which offered […]
In our latest video coverage of SIHH 2019, Jean-Marc Pontroué of Panerai explains why the Submersible has become a stand-alone line and why offering ‘experiences’ to owners of new Submersible watches is the way forward for the brand. It’s the year of the Submersible watch at Panerai. Having long been a successful sub-segment of the […]