Category: Sports watch

Hands-on – Breguet Marine 5517 – A Trilogy of 3-Handers With a More Contemporary Design Ethos

Breguet’s Marine family of maritime-inspired luxury sports watches welcomes three new members to the nautical club. Less conservative and grandiose than Breguet’s usual fare, the three models of the Marine 5517 – in 18k white gold, 18k rose gold and titanium cases – come with a splash of contemporary styling. A traditional three-hand watch with date functions, the 5571 trilogy plays with juxtaposing shapes, textures and materials to appeal to a broader public.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Favre-Leuba Raider Sea King – A Subtler Take On The Brand’s Design

Since its re-introduction in 2017, Favre-Leuba brought several interesting purpose-built instrument-watches on the market – for instance, the Bivouac 9000 with a mechanical altimeter or the Bathy 120 MemoDepth with a mechanical depth gauge. Yet, at 48mm in diameter, we can’t say that these watches were the easiest ones on the wrist, at least for a daily use. Combining the cool and original design of the collection with a more restrained attire, here is the new Favre-Leuba Raider Sea King 41mm.

7 years ago

Hands-on – The New Rolex Oyster Perpetual 39 Ref. 114300 with a White Dial

When launched at Baselworld 2015, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 39 ref. 114300 made no debate: it was a winning recipe. Simple, clean, utterly Rolex yet with a twist (thanks to the four inaugural coloured dials), perfectly proportioned, manufactured according to Rolex high-standards and best of all, rather accessible. While quiet for 3 years, this model made a very discreet comeback at Baselworld 2018, with the introduction of a new model with white dial – and in a way, it could be an alternative to our long-desired “Polar Explorer” (see our Rolex 2018 predictions here).

7 years ago

Introducing – Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Geographic WT – A New World-Time Limited Edition

At the SIHH 2018, Jaeger-LeCoultre re-introduced one of its most emblematic collections, the Polaris. Slightly vintage-inspired, superbly executed (the case is superb), utterly JLC in the style but with a sportier look, it has been quite a success. Already comprising multiple models, including a 3-hander, a time-and-date, a chronograph, a chronograph-world-time and, of course, an alarm version (the Memovox), today Jaeger-LeCoultre adds a world-time-only edition to the Collection, with the new Polaris Geographic WT – a limited edition, boutique exclusive.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Master Chronometer – Omega’s New Entry-Level Dive Watch

Twenty-five years ago, in 1993, Omega launched a model that would become a classic among classics, a springboard into the world of luxury watches and cinematic fame after being worn by Pierce Brosnan in Goldeneye (1995): the Seamaster Professional 300M. If the look of the new model launched at Baselworld 2018 feels rather conservative, the evolution is simply impressive and concerns every single part of the watch. And believe me, the new Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Master Chronometer gives you a lot of bang for your buck.

7 years ago

Hands-on – The new Green version of the MB&F HM7 Aquapod

When first launched in 2017, the MB&F HM7 Aquapod was quite a surprise… Imagine a jellyfish-inspired timepiece, with diving bezel, vertical movement with tourbillon, a decent water resistance and a design without a single angle, all in curves. Disruptive, provocative, unusual… A true talking piece. After the inaugural versions – red gold with black ceramic bezel and titanium with blue ceramic bezel – HM7 is back in a titanium case with a green sapphire crystal bezel, limited to 50 pieces (which makes a good occasion to look back at this very special watch).

7 years ago

Hands-on – Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Day Date 70s – a Groovy Trip Down Memory Lane

The 1950s and 1960s have been all the rage on the watchmaking scene of late inspiring models that satisfy our nostalgia for the past beating with contemporary movements. Vintage mania is at all-time high and the 1970s are inching their way onto the style radar with proposals like this groovy Blancpain Bathyscaphe Day Date 70s oozing a cool 1970s vibe. MONOCHROME fell in love with this watch and it made our Top 10 ranking of the best dive watches of Baselworld 2018. Featuring a day and date window like its forebear, the watch is a limited edition of just 500 pieces and will hit the note with vintage hunters – so track down some bell-bottoms and a tie-dye shirt and get ready to hit Studio 54 with a watch straight back from the 1970s.

7 years ago

Hands-on – The Surprising 36mm Oris Big Crown Pointer Date in Bronze

It’s no secret that smaller case sizes are back in a big way, which is something we’re pretty pleased about here at MONOCHROME. A particular favourite is the new Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Bronze (also available in steel), which was introduced at Baselworld last month and boasts a gorgeous bronze case that measures just 36mm. This model came as somewhat of a surprise to us and so we were quite keen to see how this smaller diameter would wear on the wrist. Suffice to say we were not disappointed.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Porsche Design 1919 Chronotimer Flyback Brown and Leather – New Colour and New Mechanics

As you’ve certainly come to expect, when seeing a Porsche Design watch on MONOCHROME, stuff like ergonomics, comfort, build-quality, value-for-money or understated design will be mentioned. And this article will be no exception, as Porsche Design introduces its newest sibling in the 1919 collection in a rich, brown, chocolaty hue. We go hands-on with the Porsche Design 1919 Chronotimer Flyback Brown – which is more than just a new dial, but also features a new proprietary movement.

7 years ago

Video – The Baselworld 2018 Bvlgari Octo Watches (incl. the new World Record) Fully Explained

After successively launching the thinnest tourbillon watch (the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon), the thinnest minute repeater watch (the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater) and, at that time, the thinnest automatic watch (the Octo Finissimo Automatic), we thought that the Bvlgari Watches team was about to slow things down a bit, just to let us breathe. Wrong! For Baselworld 2018, we had to be stunned, again… Here are the Baselworld 2018 Bvlgari Octo Watches, fully explained by Guido Terreni (Managing Director of Bvlgari Watches), including the new world record watch and the superb Sandblasted Trilogy.

7 years ago