Hands-on – Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 Calibre 9S 20th-Anniversary SBGH267

Grand Seiko’s history dates back to 1960 when Japanese brand Seiko decided to up the game and introduced a gold chronometer watch – a watch that has been reissued in 2017. Another important date in the brand’s history is 1998. That year, Grand Seiko introduced Calibre 9S, an entirely new movement designed to become the base for most mechanical watches we know today. 20 years later, it is time to celebrate, which has been done with a trilogy of commemorative watches, including the desirable and perfectly executed Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 Calibre 9S 20th-Anniversary SBGH267 we’re about to look at.

7 years ago

Introducing – The (Very Cool) Panerai Luminor California 8 Days DLC 44mm PAM00779

Let’s get straight to the point: the new Panerai Luminor California 8 Days DLC 44mm PAM00779 is packing all the possible cool things Panerai can do in a single watch to an almost gimmick-like level… But honestly, it simply works! It has a strong, distinctive and masculine look, which results in a completely original combination of classic Panerai elements. This PAM00779 is, to us here at MONOCHROME, one the most interesting new watches the brand has recently launched – and even its price is rather competitive. Overview.

7 years ago

Introducing – The Omega Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday 2 “Ultraman” (But It’s Sold-Out Already)

Back in January 2017, Omega teamed up with our good friends and fellow watch journalist FratelloWatches to create the Speedy Tuesday limited edition – a watch that was intended for true Speedmaster collectors who gather under the #SpeedyTuesday community. This first edition was based on the Alaska Project watch, with a radial/panda dial. Now, it is time for the Omega Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday 2 and this time, the “Ultraman” Speedmaster is back. Again a 2,012-piece limited edition sold online (and apparently sold-out).

7 years ago

Hands-on – Speake-Marin One & Two Academic – Elegantly Eccentric

Many Speake-Marin aficionados were wondering – and were rather legitimate in being worried – about the future of this independent watch brand since the departure of its founder. Well, the good news is that the models unveiled at SIHH 2018 are well thought-out and more than convincing. Among these, the One & Two Academic is quintessentially Speake-Marin but with some discreet and worthy updates. Overview of these discreetly eccentric watches.

7 years ago

Review – The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Heritage Bronze IW501005

Few watches can claim to be real icons. The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch is definitely one of them. This WWII-inspired pilot’s watch needs no introduction anymore. Of course, the one that everybody knows is the classic black dial version with white indices (Ref. IW500912). But there are more editions offered by the brand – including my favourite, the “Le Petit Prince” ref. IW500916 – with or without complications. Recently, the brand added a new, vintage-like subcollection in the Big Pilot line dubbed “Heritage”, which includes the watch we’re about to review, the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Heritage Bronze IW501005. Patina is about to hit the sky!

7 years ago

Behind-The-Scenes – Inside Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier – How Exactly are Watch Parts Manufactured?

Things used to be better in the good old days? Well, not necessarily. Watchmaking has always relied on technology and it has evolved together with the machinery, tools and techniques that make watch production possible, simply to keep in tune with the times. For this reason, we’re bringing you “behind the scenes”, at Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, to see how watch parts are made.

7 years ago

Buying Guide – 8 Cool 3-Hander Watches with Sports-Elegant Look

Now that summer is firmly installed in most regions of the world (Northern Hemisphere at least), you might have the temptation to opt for a dive watch of a colourful sports watch. Sure, these watches will be perfectly suitable on the beach, but what if you want to keep things elegant – or what if you’re about to spend your summer behind the desk, working while your ungrateful colleagues enjoy their vacations. For this reason, here are 8 of the coolest sports elegant watches recently introduced. Robust but still discreet, as good for a “weekend-jump-in-the-pool” as for a “boring-Monday-morning-meeting”.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Tutima M2 Coastline – A New Entry-Level Offer from the German Brand

Tutima, a Saxon manufacture based in Germany’s heart of watchmaking, Glashütte, is known for having a wide range of watches, from ultra-resistant military-inspired chronographs to complex, in-house produced elegant watches. After showing its watchmaking expertise with the Patria collection, the brand now moves to the other side of the range, with a new entry-level watch, the Tutima M2 Coastline. Simpler and more affordable but still showing military inspiration and built to resist to rough conditions.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Blancpain Villeret Grande Date Jour Retrograde

Blancpain’s Villeret collection welcomes the 40mm Grande Date Jour Retrograde on board. Very much in line with the understated, classic tone of the Villeret family, this new Villeret watch features a novel retrograde day of the week indication paired with a big date displayed in two windows. Unveiled at Baselworld 2018, along with a Villeret […]

7 years ago

Hands-on – The MeisterSinger Black Line – A Darker and Sportier Take on the Single-Hand Concept

Many brands struggle to stand out from the crowd and to define what makes them unique. Not with MeisterSinger. This brand makes mechanical watches with one single hand for people who just want to keep track of time, with a certain poetry in the display. This has always been the defining point of the brand. While usually rather classical (even though sometimes colourful), the brand recently started to offer bolder pieces, and that includes a brand new collection of black, instrumental watches introduced at Baselworld 2018. Meet the four watches of the MeisterSinger Black Line – including the Circularis Power Reserve, the Salthora Meta, the Perigraph and the No.03.

7 years ago