Category: Value Proposition

Introducing – The Accessible Pendulum Traveler from Young Dutch Brand Fromanteel

It isn’t the first that we mention Fromanteel on MONOCHROME. Still young but with already its own style, this Dutch brand offers several watches, including a couple of automatics with elegant, understated design – such as the classic Pendulum. In a recent interview with Alfredo Silva, Co-Owner/Founder of Fromanteel Watches, we teased a new watch to be soon released. And here it is! Meet the new Pendulum Traveler, a fresh, elegant and rational dual-time watch from The Netherlands – but still with Swiss roots.

6 years ago

Hands-on – Frederique Constant Classics 24H – An Unusual (and affordable) Approach to Consulting the Time

There is no stopping the steady flow of models emerging from Frederique Constant, all steeled for battle in the mid-price arena. The latest Classic Automatic 24H, equipped with a 24-hour function, joins the well-populated Classics collection and will retail for under EUR 1,000. My first take on the newcomer was that this was a practical GMT watch, designed for men on the move. But where was the additional hand to read the second time zone? FC’s new watch is a bit of a mind teaser and presents a different way of reading the hours based on a 24-hour format. Instead of the standard hour hand advancing in 12 increments of one hour twice a day, the hand is slowed down to half its regular speed to read the 24-hour disc on the dial. Once you have got your mind around the fact that the hour hand makes one rotation a day and not two, things start to make sense.

6 years ago

Hands-on – Mido Ocean Star Diver 600, A Robust and Accessible Dive Watch

If Mido is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2018, the history of the Mido Ocean Star dates back to the early 1940s. Naturally, at the time, the Ocean Star was not yet the modern mechanical dive watch it is today and had little in common with the latest model in the family, the most technical so far. Let’s take a look at this new Mido Ocean Star Diver 600.

6 years ago

Introducing – Frederique Constant Classics Index Automatic & Heart Beat, Face-Lifted but Still Accessible

Frederique Constant enlarges its Classics Index Automatic collection with three newcomers and revisits the Heart Beat in two iterations. True to its mantra of ‘accessible luxury’, the watches feature restrained proportions, classic styling, a touch of high-end guilloché-like, automatic calibres, and, here’s the catch, a price tag that sets them in a different league from most respected Swiss watchmakers. FC’s message that quality is not symptomatic with prices that compete with your mortgage is getting louder and clearer by the day.

6 years ago

Value Proposition – Review of Seiko 5 SNK809 – A Lot of a Mechanical Watch for Less than $100

A few years ago, we published a story named “The Cheapest High-End Watch“. We searched for the most affordable high-end watch, comprising a mechanical movement, in-house manufactured of course, from a brand with an undisputed pedigree, preferably family-owned, and the watch should be (relatively) small and elegant. And guess who won the title… not Patek, not Vacheron, not even Rolex or Omega. It was a Seiko 5! While pretty much everyone thinks of Switzerland when we’re talking about high-end watches, we felt that one specific brand was often missing in the discussion… Today that’s changing already and certainly since Grand Seiko has been positioned as a separate brand, this Japanese giant is taken very seriously. Japanese movement are gaining traction in general, and despite being cheap (the word affordable doesn’t even work anymore), Seiko 5 watches are true mechanical, bang-for-the-buck “high-end” pieces. Time to demonstrate this, with the not-even-100-dollar Seiko 5 Military SNK809.

6 years ago

Introducing – Alpina Launches Sporty Yet Elegant Shadow Line

Alpina, best known for its sporty pilot-style watches, is introducing a new range of smoked dials to its Startimer Pilot and Alpiner collections. In total, there are six different models to choose from in the new Shadow line: two Startimer Pilot big date quartz chronographs, three Startimer Pilot Automatic watches and an Automatic Alpiner 4 watch. All six models are already strong sellers for Alpina and the brand is looking to broaden their appeal even further with the introduction of these urban, lifestyle-oriented options.

6 years ago

Value Proposition – The Haskell from Marloe Watch Company (Review)

Marloe Watch Company is a brand of only a few years, but already has a nice portfolio of affordable, mechanical watches. It has chosen to use hand-wound movements in all four of its lines and I’m a big fan of this decision. I like the daily interaction that comes with winding a watch and the […]

6 years ago

Introducing – The HFLE 2019 Pellikaan Timing Flying Dutchman GMT

HFLE, an abbreviation few of you will probably be familiar with, is an indication quite known to Dutch watch collectors. Each year, this abbreviation is stamped on a watch, produced in limited numbers and selected through a democratic voting on the Netherland’s largest Dutch spoken watch forum: Horlogeforum.nl. After a bit of back-and-forth between the people of the forum and a watchmaker, a proposal is drawn up and scrutineered by the forum members. This process results in quite interesting collaborations, with the Pellikaan Timing Flying Dutchman GMT selected as the 2019 Limited Edition for the forum.

6 years ago

Value Proposition – Mercer Airfoil, an Affordable Pilot Watch with a Swiss Heart (Review)

Mercer Watch Co. is an American microbrand that I’ve been following for a couple of years now. I recently reviewed its Lexington Chronograph and was impressed by the aesthetics and overall quality for the price. Although it has a Seagull ST1901 hand-wound movement from China, Mercer assembles, regulates and tests each one in-house and this particular […]

6 years ago

Hands-on – Seiko Prospex “Dawn Grey” Europe-Only Limited Editions, Turtle SRPD01K1 & Samurai SRPD03K1

If you have to name two of the most recognized and acclaimed Seiko watches, chances are you will call out “Turtle” and “Samurai”. While obviously Seiko is known for a lot more than just two divers (Tuna, 62Mas, SKX, Sumo, and many more!), these two divers offer incredible value-for-the-money. Two of the best tool-watches offered by the Japanese manufacturer, Seiko now introduces a limited collection just for Europe; the Seiko Prospex SRPD01KI Turtle and SRPD03K1 Samurai “Dawn Grey”.

6 years ago