Category: Sports watch

Introducing – 3 new Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 GMT, including one limited edition (Ref. SBGJ021, SBGJ017, SBGJ019)

The Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 GMT is already known from collectors, and praised for its superior quality, its design mixing elegant and casual attitude and its highly technical movement. It is a watch that was already available in both standard editions and in one colorful edition (the SBGJ005, with its green dial and highly decorated rotor). Already at that time, we had two regular watches and one limited. Well, the same scenario is about to happen, with 3 new versions of the Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 GMT: 2 elegant regular pieces (SBGJ017 and SBGJ019) and one limited edition with deep red dial and a rotor depicting the sunrise on Mount Iwate (SBGJ021). Overview.

8 years ago

Hands-on – The Speake-Marin Spirit Seafire Chronograph Titanium Red

When first introduced at Baselworld 2014, the Speake-Marin Spirit Seafire was the first chronograph of the brand (introduced alongside the Spirit Wing Commander, creating a new collection of sports watches). You’ll have to admit, coming from a man like Peter Speake Marin, more used to highly complicated watches and well known for his superior watchmaking skills, this was rather surprising. A more commercial-oriented piece for sure, plus also being a sportier development of a growing brand, the Spirit Seafire Chronograph is however still (very much) a Speake-Marin watch… just with a different perspective. Let’s look in details what a Speake-Marin for a larger audience can offer.

8 years ago

My Summer with the Ressence Type 5 (and does it really have zero reflection under water)

If you remember, back in December 2015, when Benoît Mintiens (the founder of Ressence) showed me the Ressence Type 5 for the first time, I actually ended my article with a wish to have this watch as my summer watch. The team of Ressence heard my wish and granted it so here we are, with my review of this great, sort of unique watch, which I’ve been wearing for an entire summer. Usually I tend to be rather technical and factual in my reviews, but here I’m going to be slightly more focused on the wearability and on the feelings, trying to position myself as the owner of this watch. Here are my thoughts after my summer with the Ressence Type 5 on the wrist.

8 years ago

Historical Perspective – The Doxa Sub 300, The Dive Watch Personified

Back in Baselworld 2016, Doxa introduced its 50th Anniversary Sub model, a great dive watch with unquestionable pedigree. We will discover why this dive watch is so important by looking back at an early Doxa Sub 300, belonging to one of the preeminent Doxa collectors – and a great friend of Monochrome and me, personally – Mr. Marco Thier. By examining the story behind its creation, I hope to shed the light on the importance of the Doxa Sub in the history and the evolutionary course of the dive watch in general.

8 years ago

Hands-on with the TAG Heuer Aquaracer 300m Black Titanium

Built for the extreme, dive watches were born from an utilitarian purpose: diving is all about time and depth. Yet, their most important promise might very well be that strapping a rugged dive watch around your wrist, gets you ready for the next adventure or adrenaline fix. The perfect option if you want to test your ability “not to crack under pressure”. Celebrating the brand’s tagline, Aquaracer collection is complemented by new attractive colored models. Monochrome goes hands-on with the TAG Heuer Aquaracer 300m Black Titanium Sand’ and Blue.

8 years ago

Introducing – Bell & Ross BR01 Burning Skull “Tattoo” (hands-on)

A skull in a pilot / instrument watch? Seems like a weird combination. However, it’s something that Bell & Ross have done for quite some years now. And in fact, this motif is somewhat linked to the world of aviation (and no, this BR01 is not a pirate watch). Yes, these Skull B&R (the first one was introduced in 2009) pay tribute to legendary parachutists of the Second World War, who’s logo was a skull with “Death from Above” written inside. The new Bell & Ross BR01 Burning Skull uses this same DNA and even tattooed it directly onto its case.

8 years ago

“Dutch Pride” embodied by the new TAG Heuer Formula 1 Max Verstappen Special Edition

Dutch citizens and their pride, all wrapped in orange… That’s something few can understand but I have to say, I do. Indeed, I am surrounded with Dutch guys, as two of our contributors are Dutch and even our dear founder Frank is. While the Netherlands aren’t known to be the greatest country for sports, they have one man to rely on, one man that is known to be the youngest Formula One Grand Prix winner of all time. To celebrate “Dutch Pride” and this great champion, TAG Heuer unveiled yesterday night in Amsterdam the new Max Verstappen Special Edition, a watch only available for his fans and co-citizens in the Netherlands.

8 years ago

Hands-on with the Hyper-Technical Angelus U30 Tourbillon Rattrapante (and how can it be, relatively speaking, so affordable)

Listen to that: double column-wheel, flyback, split-seconds, automatic chronograph skeletonized with tourbillon… Sounds like something we’re all dreaming off. It’s like the Lamborghini you had on your walls when teenager. Something too good to be true, or just way too expensive to be accessible, even for someone in a good professional position. Well, it seems that Angelus Watches does not agree with that, as they have such a watch in their catalogue. It is named the Angelus U30 Tourbillon Rattrapante and we’re going to look closely at it – and try to understand how it can be, relatively speaking, so affordable.

8 years ago

Introducing – Giuliano Mazzuoli Manometro with green and blue dials and still the same super-cool design

If you think about Giuliano Mazzuoli – in case you know it, and if not, now you know – you might have in mind a minimalistic but recognizable design as well as the use of fancy materials, rarely to never seen in watchmaking, like for instance marble or cement – yes, the case is made with these materials! Well if you think this is going a bot too far for, there might a solution in-between these and a traditional black or white dial, with the new Giuliano Mazzuoli Manometro with green and blue dials.

8 years ago

2016 TAG Heuer Mikrograph 100th Anniversary – The TAG that goes vintage and fast

You thought that TAG Heuer was only about to do normal watches, with a more entry-level objective – and we thought that too, especially after what we told you here. Well, it seems that it’s not going to be the case and that concept watches, even if rare, are still part of the new strategy implemented by Mister Biver. As a proof, TAG Heuer will launch a new limited and exclusive watch, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Mikrograph, the first stopwatch able to time events to the 1/100th of a second. Here is the highly desirable 2016 TAG Heuer Mikrograph 100th Anniversary, the TAG that goes vintage and fast, as still to the 1/100th of a second.

8 years ago