If you’re a frequent reader of MONOCHROME, you probably know that we’ve already produced more than 100 videos, mostly in-depth movies to share the secrets of the industry and to take you inside some of the best watch manufactures. Today, here and on our YouTube channel, we start a new section with detailed video reviews. […]
Earlier this year, Breguet unveiled its models for 2020 including this Classique 7337 Calendar & Moon watch. One of the main themes at Breguet for 2020 has been the introduction of blue dials in its Classique family with the 7137 Moon & Power Reserve, this 7337 Calendar & Moon and the 5377 Tourbillon Extra-Plat. Like […]
Editor’s note: Every great product has a genesis, and for this Italian-founded watch and jewellery firm it is the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic. It was the one that started it all back in 2017, leaving eyes wide open with its sharply faceted design and ultra-thin construction. In the years following, we have seen the same spirit expressed in gold, skeletonised, as a chronograph, in ceramic and most recently in gleaming steel, showing the versatility that comes with such strong design. With all of this progress, it’s important to keep the original front of mind, so let’s take another look at the first Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic. Some of the most important, exciting watches are those made by watchmakers who push the barriers of what’s possible. The deepest, the most complicated, or in the case of this Bulgari, the thinnest. Bulgari has a proven record when it comes to high-end, ultra-thin horology. They hold the record for the thinnest tourbillon and the thinnest minute repeater. Now they can add the thinnest automatic movement to the list. The movement in the new Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic is a mere 2.23mm thick, 0.7mm thinner than Piaget’s legendary 12P. On top of that, the…
The post The Octo that (really) started it all, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
A little variety in life goes a long way. Nobody wants to see roads full of the same car, or hear the same three songs over and over in shopping centres, so why shouldn’t this apply to watches? London-based modifiers Wildman are being the change they want to see in this global movement of super-custom timepieces, where no colour combination is too bold and there’s no shame in having your own initials on the dial. Whether a custom order, or part of their collection full of limited editions, the smallest changes can have the biggest impacts on watches that may otherwise drown in bland ubiquity. Submariner Date Pink Edition There’s pink, and then there’s pink. Wildman’s latest project is definitely the latter, and if you can’t imagine yourself rolling Miami’s summer streets wearing one of these, then it is clearly never going to be on your list. Gaudiness is one of the most easily detestable traits a watch can have these days, after decades of iced-out bling pieces being used as wealth-flaunting devices. There should still be room for fun, though, and a loud colour is the easiest way to get that. Rolex themselves introduced brightly coloured Day-Dates and Datejusts…
The post The Modifier’s Series: Wildman NYC by name, wild man of modding by nature appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Last year, Nirmal “Nims” Purja made headlines when he scaled all 14 of the world’s 8000m mountain peaks, in just under seven months. He did so with a Bremont on his wrist. The watch in question was a blue and white Bremont S300, proving just how robust the brand’s watches are and how well they rise to the challenge of surviving some of the harshest conditions imaginable. To commemorate this remarkable achievement, and as one of the main sponsors of the journey, Bremont has produced the Bremont Project Possible Limited Edition, which features a number of subtle nods to the incredible effort. It’s nice to know that mechanical wristwatches still form a significant part of the most awe-inspiring adventures from around the world. Even if most dive watches are only worn in a pool and the closest most pilot watches get to a cockpit is walking past one to their seat, there is a vicarious element to hearing about record-breaking efforts and the watches that were present. Most of us are unlikely to climb any 8000m peaks in our lifetimes, never mind 14 of them, but it’s a reassuring thought that if we decided to, the pride and joy on…
The post HANDS-ON: The Project Possible Limited Edition, Bremont’s first bronze watch, with a hell of a backstory appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
It was only three months ago that the latest TAG Heuer Connected watch was launched, the third generation of the luxury Swiss smartwatch that first hit the market in 2015, the same year as the first generation of the Apple Watch. One (eventful) quarter later and we see the launch of the brand new TAG Heuer Connected Golf Edition, a watch that offers the same generation-on-generation improvements as the latest TAG Heuer Connected, as well as being packed with golfing-specific features. If you aren’t across the updates found in the latest TAG Heuer Connected watch, you should check out this video where our own Andrew McUtchen spends a week with it on his wrist (including a brief athleisure cameo from myself). In a short summary, the latest generation of smartwatch from TAG Heuer offered the best of Silicon Valley with significant improvements to the operating system and battery life, as well as the best of Swiss watchmaking, with a case that better sits on the wrist, and bracelet and strap options that have serious build quality. It turns out you can have your cake and eat it too, in a move that surprised some who are used to seeing the…
The post INTRODUCING: The TAG Heuer Connected Golf Edition, pre-loaded with 40,000 golf courses appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
When I had my great-grandfather’s 1958 Omega Seamaster restored, I was convinced that I’d never wear, or need another watch again. It looked great, performed fantastically, and I had a personal connection to it that just didn’t exist for anything else. But as my interest in watches and time spent researching them grew, it was inevitable I’d realise I wasn’t a one-watch guy. Rather irresponsibly, I settled on another Seamaster for my next watch. Specifically, a 2008 Planet Ocean (PO) with the caliber 2500C co-axial movement. It was robust — I didn’t need to worry about it when washing my hands or, more importantly, getting it a bit scratched up when working in live music. It was modern — although my smaller wrists are more than comfortable wearing a 34mm watch, sometimes the 42mm big brother felt more appropriate for casual wear, and it seemed poetic to own a Seamaster exactly 50 years younger than my heirloom. It was mechanical — which was important, because my newfound appreciation for traditional timepieces also birthed a prejudice. For a time, I looked down on quartz. After some more time, this wore off, and I could appreciate the history and importance of quartz…
The post How the Swatch Casino Royale changed my collecting forever appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
First, we had the Limited Edition ‘Moonlit Night’, and now we have a brand new Limited Edition porcelain dial model inspired by Suigetsu, a Japanese tradition which celebrates the beauty of the moon reflected in water. If you needed another reason to be entranced by this stunning, liquid white porcelain dial, there it is – a poetic backstory. Seiko have pursued excellence in dial making for decades, with their skill in ceramics being widely regarded as unparalleled. Japan is a country that has been extremely well known for high-quality ceramic crockery and vases for hundreds of years, so it’s not surprising that the Seiko craftsmen excel in porcelain and enamel dial making. This is exactly what we are getting with the new limited edition Seiko SPB171, with an Arita porcelain dial. Arita is a small town in the south-western part of Japan that came to prominence when porcelain clay was discovered, something it is still known for today. Seiko has leaned on this expertise in its dial making before, specifically for another member of the Presage family, the Seiko SPB093, another example of a beautifully executed hand-finished dial. The process to produce such a dial is done over several steps, all…
The post INTRODUCING: The Seiko SPB171 Limited Edition Arita Porcelain Dial, a liquid white delight appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Hot on the heels of the launch of the latest TAG Heuer Connected watch in March, their LVMH watch sibling has launched the new Hublot Big Bang e. And while it’s not surprising in itself — Hublot already play in this space — its execution has some genuinely eccentric touches. But first, the specs, because they’re far more palatable for average-sized wrists than the first smartwatch Hublot released. This new 42mm smartwatch, 7mm smaller than the original model, is available with either a ceramic or titanium sandwich-style case, and features the same overall design as the first-ever Big Bang way back in 2005, keeping its core aesthetic consistent with the rest of the existing collection. It was two years ago, for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, that Hublot first threw its hat into the luxury smartwatch ring, when they released the Hublot Big Bang Referee to be worn by officials during the games. It was a smart advertising play, with the brand proudly displayed at every player change on the substitution board, and showed another indication of LVMH’s intention in the smartwatch business. The first Hublot smartwatch was seriously large, however, measuring a gargantuan 49mm across and 13.9mm thick. This was…
The post INTRODUCING: The Hublot Big Bang e, a truly left-field smartwatch, including the only way you can (currently) buy it appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Grand Seiko are marking the 60th anniversary of their first watch with a small collection of dress watches that are based on the first ever watches to be made with Grand Seiko on the dial. These classically styled time-only dress watches set the foundation for what Grand Seiko are becoming known for today; a knack for traditional watchmaking expressed in simple and coherent designs. We took a closer look at two of the three watches in this collection, the SBGW257 in platinum and the SBGW258 in yellow gold, which are two precious metal watches that offer different experiences of the same watch design. While the platinum is both more luxurious and subtle, it also has a coolness to it with a sharper edge. The SBGW258 in yellow gold, on the other hand, is more clearly a gold dress watch in the most classical sense, mostly due to the warmth of the coloured precious metal. The three watches in this collection are not limited in their production numbers, giving everyone the opportunity to wear a piece of Japanese watchmaking history on their wrist. Australian pricing of the Grand Seiko First in platinum and yellow gold: The Grand Seiko SBGW257 in platinum…
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