Well-executed dials, decorated with classic Grand Feu enamel or elaborate guilloché, can add thousands to the price and define the character of a piece; however, there are times when the sheer absence of a dial can result in the most intriguing aesthetic. André-Charles Caron, legendary clockmaker for Louis XV of France in the mid-18th century, […]
Hamilton introduced the updated Khaki Field Mechanical in early 2018, which complemented the original hand-wound model without replacing it. The dial dropped the 3 o’clock date and adopted a vintage military aesthetic from its mid-20th century archives (the Hamilton “Hacked”). Back then, the now-Swiss brand was American and produced robust, reliable watches for the military […]
Certainly, EUR 5K or more will buy you superlative finishing, innovation, modern materials, superior precision… And status. Luxury watchmaking doesn’t come cheap – most of the time for obvious reasons – but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the desirable ticking sound of a mechanical watch with a much tighter budget. In fact, there are […]
Last week, we published an in-depth technical article on the ETA C07.811 movement, also known as the Powermatic. This time, we’ll show how versatile this movement and its evolutions really are. In this guide, we’ll take a look at three watches from Hamilton, Tissot and Certina with totally different concepts – dressy, diver or military […]
As 2019 is coming to an end, we’ve gathered the MONOCHROME redaction team and started to think about the watches that most impressed us this year. After a look at the best chronographs, the best dive watches and the best traveller’s watches, it is time to think value propositions… And in 2019, we’ve seen some pretty cool […]
1969 was a revolutionary year for watchmaking with the advent of the automatic chronograph with three distinct projects presented almost simultaneously. Fifty years down the line, Zenith has been celebrating the 50th anniversary of the El Primero with great fanfare, Seiko commemorates 50 years of automatic chronographs, and TAG Heuer pays tribute to its 50-year […]
It seems that Hamilton is on fire recently, with multiple well-received vintage-inspired releases, such as the Khaki Pilot Pioneer, the Khaki Field Mechanical or the Intra-Matic. As we’re still in 2019 and this still celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Chrono-Matic/Calibre 11 movement, the brand introduces another watch modelled after a glorious watch – and this time, it won’t be for the faint-hearted. Meet the new Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50 Auto Chrono “Count-down”.
The concept of tool watches isn’t clearly defined. It can be a diver, it can be a chronograph, it can be a pilot’s watch. But what we’ll look at today are instrument pieces for adventure, watches that can perform in most situations: on land, in the air or below the sea level. Tools in their purest […]
Despite what the masses think, there’s no need to fetch an incredible budget to enjoy the “tic-tac” of a mechanical watch on the wrist. In fact, the past years have been great for watch lovers, even those with a tight budget. The rise of crowd-funded projects (most of them not worthy of being mentioned though) and the effort of some brands to offer entry-level pieces allow young generations or enthusiasts with a lower budget entering the world of mechanical watches. For our latest buying guide, we’ve gathered 5 cool, well-made and original mechanical watches priced below EUR 1,000. More money, more pleasure? Not sure!
Despite what the masses think, there’s no need to fetch an incredible budget to enjoy the “tic-tac” of a mechanical watch on the wrist. In fact, the past years have been great for watch lovers, even those with a tight budget. The rise of crowd-funded projects (most of them not worthy of being mentioned though) and the effort of some brands to offer entry-level pieces allow young generations or enthusiasts with a lower budget entering the world of mechanical watches. For our latest buying guide, we’ve gathered 5 cool, well-made and original mechanical watches priced below EUR 1,000. More money, more pleasure? Not sure!