Category: Sports watch

Hands-on – Seiko Prospex Diver 300m SLA019 Limited Edition – the Middle Child of the 1968 Commemorative Collection

Celebrating the 50thanniversary of the 1968 hi-beat diver Ref. 6159-7001, the first diver’s watch with a hi-beat automatic caliber, Seiko introduced three modern divers that pay homage to this horological icon. The limited edition Prospex Diver 300m Hi-Beat SLA025 with caliber 8L55 (36,000vph/5Hz) sits at the top and is a faithful recreation of the original. Retailing for EUR 5,500, it’s unfortunately not for the casual enthusiast. On the other end is the Prospex Diver 200m SPB077, which isn’t a limited edition and retails for as little as EUR 900 (depending on silicon or steel bracelet). It’s more of a reinterpretation as the caliber 6R15 beats at only 21,600vph (3Hz) with a 200m water resistant case. The one I’m looking at sits in the middle, with the caliber 8L35 beating at 28,800vph (4Hz) and a 300m water resistance. Let’s take a closer look at this new limited edition commemorative diver.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantième Annuel

Today we’re taking a closer look at the new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantième Annuel. This year, the well-known dive watch debuts an unexpected twist, with the inclusion of an annual calendar complication. The result is a quirky watch with a quirky display, and yet, it somehow works. (Arguably it’s not the quirkiest watch in Blancpain’s line-up this year – that honour goes to the Bathyscaphe Day Date 70s). Hardcore dive enthusiasts and elitist complication collectors alike will no doubt shun this ‘cross-over’ timepiece. The dive-watch obsessed broader market, however, might just have a different opinion.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Anonimo Brings New Summer Editions of the Nautilo With Blue Dials

It’s been 12 years since the first Nautilo dive watch was developed by Dino Zei, naval engineer and former 25-year head of Panerai, and a couple of new editions have arrived for the summer. The theme this year is blue, which is fitting for a naval-inspired dive watch, and they follow the design refresh we saw last year in conjunction with Anonimo’s 20th Anniversary. The Italian brand has been fairly consistent with their cushion case designs for the Nautilo line with crowns at 4 o’clock, but the dials have evolved over time. The summer editions bring color changes to the dials with new ceramic bezels but maintain the no-nonsense diver’s tool aesthetic from previous generations.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Zenith Defy Classic – Redefining the Brand’s Sports Watch

Today we take a second look at the Zenith Defy collection, and more specifically the Zenith Defy Classic. After the revolutionary chronograph that is the Zenith Defy El Primero 21 and the stunning Zenith Defy Lab and Zenith Defy Zero G, this is a simplified watch but nonetheless a very interesting one. Modern and architectural design combined with elements that make up a great luxury sports watch, the Zenith Defy Classic is definitely a strong contender!

7 years ago

Hands-on – Chronoswiss Flying Grand Regulator Skeleton Limited Edition

There are certain watch brands that are unmistakable at first sight. Panerai and Richard Mille come to mind. Chronoswiss is another such brand with its signature regulator displays, side knurled cases and large onion crowns. Since 1987, Chronoswiss has celebrated this regulator design and built a brand identity around it. Following up on recent regulator models, such as the Flying Regulator Open Gear and Flying Regulator Night and Day, the relatively young brand of 35 years has introduced a limited edition Flying Grand Regulator Skeleton in steel. The dial has been scaled back to the bare essentials and provides an almost unfettered view of the skeletonized movement. It’s a bold and modern addition to the series.

7 years ago

Introducing – Hamilton Khaki Field Day-Date 42mm “Camouflage” Automatic

Following up on the affordable Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm, Hamilton is introducing the Khaki Field Camouflage collection with larger cases and automatic movements. Back in the 1940’s, Hamilton (then an American brand) received the US Army-Navy ‘E’ Award for their ability to deliver one million reliable, accurate watches to the US military. Although Hamilton is now a Swiss brand, the company is proud of its US military roots and continues to produce models that are faithful to that era and the American spirit. The new Khaki Field Day-Date Camouflage watches are more contemporary than their hand-wound 38mm counterparts but still fall within this military aesthetic.

7 years ago

A Technical Perspective – A Guide to the Depth Gauge Watches

If scuba diving is a popular recreational sports, it is a dangerous activity that needs to be properly prepared and monitored. If a diver ascends too quickly, this can lead to decompression illness that can be painful and life-threatening. As depth increases the physiological effects become greater. A reliable dive watch and a depth gauge are essential pieces of a diving gear to monitor depth and track the duration of an underwater adventure. Both are needed for using decompression tables. Traditionally, divers were using a dive watch and a depth gauge, to calculate decompression time at given depths. Today, many divers today choose to dive with a computer but some still use a mechanical depth gauge, even if used only as a backup.

7 years ago

Introducing – Panerai’s New Entry-Level Watches – Radiomir Logo 3 Days PAM00753 & Radiomir Black Seal Logo 3 Days PAM00754

A couple of years ago, when the idea of buying a Panerai crossed your mind, you knew that a minimum of 6K would be required. Quite a hefty price for what were, after all, simple tool watches. Yet, it seems that a new strategy is on its way at the “Officine”. After introducing new and affordable Luminor Base and Marina at the SIHH 2018, the brand is applying the same concept on the Radiomir watches, creating its new entry-level offer: the Radiomir Logo 3 Days PAM00753 and the Radiomir Black Seal Logo 3 Days PAM00754. Back to basics and back to realistic prices – indeed, you can now have a new Panerai for less than EUR 4,000.

7 years ago

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