Category: Value Proposition

Value Proposition – Hanhart Pioneer One, a No-Frills Vintage Pilot Watch

Founded in 1882, Hanhart can look back on a long watchmaking tradition. The brand is known for crafting robust and functional watches, and, in particular by vintage fans for its pilot watches/chronographs from the 1930s to 1950s. The Pioneer collection was launched in 2011 with this long-lasting tradition in mind. The historical inspiration for this line comes more specifically from a model from the 50s, the 417 ES Flyback (Cal. 42). The Black Forest manufacturer now launches the Pioneer One, a stylish yet affordable time-only pilot watch with vintage charm.

7 years ago

Hands-on – MeisterSinger Metris collection – Young, Fresh and Affordable

Meistersinger, the brand that offers (mostly) single-handed watches and that we’ve come to love, is stepping up its game in recent years. New movements, new complications, new concepts to display time with as few hands as possible and really staying true to their less-is-more approach to timekeeping. Last year saw the introduction of the unusual but cool Meistersinger Salthora Meta X dive watch and this year Meistersinger brings a new kid to their family of watches; the young, fresh and accessible Metris.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Seiko Presage Shippo Enamel Limited Edition (ref. SPB073 & SPB075)

A well-kept Japanese secret, Seiko’s Presage collection was not shared with the rest of the world until 2016. With its winning formula of traditional Japanese craftsmanship, resilient mechanical technology and an unbeatable price, the Presage collection is almost too good to be true. The new Presage Shippo Enamel models, with their eye-catching blue dials, seduce at first sight and are proof positive that you don’t have to shell out a fortune for a beautifully handcrafted Grand Feu enamel dial. Two mechanical references, one with a date function and the second with a calendar and power reserve indicator, stand out from the crowd of ubiquitous blue dials flooding the market with their exquisite handcrafted Shippo enamel dials.

7 years ago

Value Proposition – The Metropolitan Watch from Ayers Watches

What does an engineer do when his career path has taken him far from his original field of study and love of graphics and design? Well, if you’re Glenn Lim, you set out to create high-quality, yet accessible mechanical wristwatches. Founded in 2016 with his wife, Sally Lim, Ayers Watches is a new Australian micro brand that focuses on creating exclusive designs using premium materials. The company’s first watch collection, the Metropolitan, has just launched on Kickstarter, so we thought we’d take a closer look.

7 years ago

Give-away – Dan Henry 1970 Automatic Diver 40mm

Although MONOCHROME has always been about high-end mechanical watches, we manage to find (and show to you) a nice value proposition from time to time. One brand that stands out from our ‘value proposition’ crowd is a watch that is A) very affordable and B) very cool and C) very well build. It’s the Dan …

7 years ago

Value Proposition – AVI-8 Flyboy Centenary Collection “the 1920s Edition”

AVI-8 might still be a young brand, they are not beginners anymore. Their latest watch far from being their first offence. Their collection of timepieces seeks to honour aircrafts and airmen and if the previous model, the AV-4047, was a modern Pilot Watch inspired by the Hawker Harrier II, what has just been launched (now with pre-orders, with special “early-bird” price) is far more vintage-oriented – yet still highly accessible and well-crafted. Meet the AVI-8 Flyboy Centenary Collection “the 1920s Edition”.

7 years ago

Value Proposition – Arcturus Watches, Art Deco-inspired Timepieces With Opulent Style

There are literally dozens of new micro-brands launching every week. Thanks to crowdfunding processes such as Kickstarter, anyone with a strong interest or even a passion for watches can now fulfil his dream and create his own timepiece. We, at MONOCHROME, have an eye on this, as it might represent the future and we are aware that not all our readers can afford 5-digit luxury watches. Lastest project we discovered: Arcturus Watches and their timepiece, the LC-1. Opulent, art-deco inspired, original… Let’s have a look.

7 years ago

Value Proposition – William L. 1985 Unveils one of the Most Affordable Automatic Chronographs on the Market (now on Kickstarter)

William L. 1985 was founded in 2015 by Guillaume Laidet (hence the name William L. – Guillaume is the French for William). A French entrepreneur with a passion for watchmaking, Guillaume used to work in Switzerland for high-end brands such as Zenith and Jaeger-LeCoultre. When he founded his own brand, his idea was to offer vintage-inspired timepieces that would be both functional and affordable. After the successful launch, William L. 1985 is now back on Kickstarter to unveil an automatic chronograph presented as the ‘most affordable in the market’ and priced just under EUR 500 (Kickstarter price).

7 years ago

The MING 17.03 GMT – The Third Instalment In The MING Watch Series (Live Pics)

Just over six months ago now, we introduced you to an interesting new brand and its striking first timepiece: the MING 17.01. These watches were, to put it mildly, very well received. In fact, both versions of the 17.01 sold out almost immediately. This initial collection was followed a few months later by the MING 19.01, equipped with an exclusive movement from Schwarz Etienne. In what seems like an impossibly short amount of time, the brand today unveils another new model, the MING 17.03, which is available to order immediately. As always, MONOCHROME has all the details.

7 years ago