It’s now time for our Year-End buying guides to gather 8 of the toughest watches launched in 2017. We have picked tool watches of various types, not excessively priced, but designed to hold up to outdoor activities, or constructed to tolerances for specific purposes. Perfect gifts for adventure seekers or simply for a rugged cool look for an afternoon trip into town.
As you’ve probably seen through the live feed we provided to you, today was the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, also known as the Oscars of the Watchmaking Industry, celebrating the best watches (via 12 different categories, for 16 different prizes) of the year. While in 2016 the “Aiguille d’Or” (the prize for the best watch of the year) went to Ferdinand Berthoud and their superb FB1 watch. Well, if a brand can’t win twice in rough the GPHG, the “Aiguille d’Or” will, however, remain in the hands of the Scheufele family, as the winner of the GPHG 2017 is Chopard and the impressive Full Strike.
The chronograph is without a doubt one of the most popular and sought-after types of watches. While it’s a pretty useful complication, the chronograph is also among the most complex mechanisms to design and manufacture. We have picked 5 time-stoppers of 2017 that will be perfect for both daily wear and special occasions – and that won’t kill your savings because they are all priced under 10,000 Euros!
Tudor did it again… When introduced at Baselworld 2017, their latest addition to the Heritage Black Bay collection, a chronograph, immediately became a talking piece, bringing contentious or heated discussions around the table and passionate arguments – and not only on collectors’ forums or social media but also internally here, at the Monochrome redaction. Yet, even if we all are watch-lovers, we also have the duty of being objective in our reviews. This is why we’ve been waiting to bring you this test of the Tudor Heritage Black Bay Chrono, just to make sure that passion-driven feelings have cooled-down.
Steel and gold, or often referred to as “Two-Tone” has been a no-go for a long time. I was very surprised when Tudor presented us with a two-tone version of their much praised Black Bay, at the Baselworld watch fair earlier this year. The Black Bay is one of the most popular watches of the last 5 years, ever since it was introduced in 2012. The first model featured a burgundy red bezel insert and since then we’ve seen several versions with different colours for the bezel insert. Last year the Geneva based brand introduced a full black edition, and that one also hit the right note among watch enthusiasts. This year a two-tone version has been added to the collection, and again it seems to become a favourite
Let’s be honest, the unique Patek and F.P.Journe for Only Watch 2017 we just introduced to you are massive pieces… But let’s not forget the brand that created the surprise in 2015, with a watch that sold for way above its estimate: Tudor. For the 7th Edition of the charity auction, they are back, with a unique left handed and Khaki Green Bronzo, the Tudor Black Bay Bronze One.
David Beckham, one of the World’s most famous football players (for our American readers: that’s what you guys would call soccer) and style icons, will be Tudor’s new brand ambassador and ambassador for the #Borntodare campaign. Now that’s something we didn’t expect. The man who has everything, who married Posh Spice, who’s nickname is DB7 and who has won prizes for best male body, and best dressed man, chooses to work with Tudor.
You may or may not be planning a deep dive over the summer. It does not really matter. You do not need to be a diver to love these high-performing, utilitarian dive watches. They make great daily wearers too and as summer is fast approaching, we have picked 10 new dive watches of 2017, with choices to suit every pocket and every taste. In short, the best watches to look cool on the beach, on a boat and with your favorite summer cocktail.
Please welcome the BBBBB… Yes, 5 B’s for a new model that will definitely create some noise again. Three of these B’s are known, as referring to the the Black Bay Bronze. Add to that a fourth B, for Blue, the color used by a certain maison for its special editions, a maison with a fifth B, as in Bucherer. So you have it, following the tradition of special editions dressed in blue, Bucherer and Tudor are now unveiling the brand new and exclusive to the retailer’s stores Tudor Heritage Black Bay Bronze Blue.
When prior to Baselworld 2017, at their annual pre-Basel event, Tudor unveiled the new Black Bay Chronograph, the crowd of journalists present there immediately thought “in-house chronograph movement” (us included). The excitement lasted for less than 5 minutes, as soon as the official disclaimer was launched. Indeed, despite the “MT” nomenclature, this movement is not produced by Tudor, but by Breitling – which soon after announced the launch of a new 3-hand movement, based on a… Tudor calibre. Good thing or not? This is what we’re going to see with the new Tudor / Breitling alliance.