First Look – The New and Affordable Certina DS-1 Day-Date

Certina’s robust and affordably priced DS-1 is a descendant of the brand’s pioneering DS (Double Security) concept introduced in 1959. Back then, much like a turtle’s protective shell, the DS concept was engineered to enhance the resilience, reliability, and water resistance of watches against external threats by incorporating O-ring seals. This versatile and straightforward timepiece […]

5 months ago

Introducing – The New Ace Jewelers x Nivada Grenchen F77 Amsterdam

Ace Jewelers, the family-owned Dutch jewellery and watch retailer, has been a prominent name in the industry for almost half a century. The company’s reputation has made limited-edition collaborations with watch brands possible, such as special Amsterdam editions of Ace together with Frederique Constant and Nomos; there was also an Amsterdam-themed “Ace” watch with Cedric […]

6 months ago

First Look – The new Baltic MR Roulette Collection, Bringing Vintage Calatrava Vibes

Founded in 2017 by Etienne Malec and friends, Baltic continues its rapid expansion to the point of not being able to use the term micro-brand anymore… Now an established watch brand with a comprehensive collection, ranging from racing chronographs to dive watches and adventure-themed models, Baltic also ventured into the world of dress watches with […]

6 months ago

First Look – The New, Compact and Slim Mido Ocean Star 39

With its Ocean Star collection, Swatch Group-owned brand Mido has long demonstrated its ability to combine cool designs, great quality, proper diving credentials and fair prices. Take a look at the Ocean Star 600 Chronometer or the Decompression Timer 1961, you’ll see what I mean… It should be remembered that the Ocean Star collection is […]

6 months ago

Hands-on – The New MeisterSinger Neo Collection Exemplifies the Beauty of Simplicity

For obvious reasons, the watch world tends to glorify complexity and the accumulation of functions into a single watch. We, at MONOCHROME, are no better than the rest of the crowd and we can spend days contemplating a Grande Complication watch, or a timepiece with a novel, ultra-complex escapment. However, we also tend to forget […]

6 months ago

First Look – The Accessible Yet Powerful Certina DS Super PH1000M STC Edition

In recent years, Swatch Group-owned brand Certina has demonstrated its capability of creating powerful, capable and nicely designed dive watches at fair prices. Take the example of the DS Super PH500M, the DS PH200M, or the DS Action Diver to understand my point. Last year, the brand pushed things even further with a watch drawing inspiration from […]

6 months ago

First Look – New Colours for Hamilton’s Accessible Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm

Released in 2018, the Khaki Field Mechanical quickly became a hit for Hamilton. And when you wear this watch, you quickly understand why. The essence of a military/field watch with a vintage-inspired design, it is rugged, simple, legible, well proportioned and comes with a genuinely accessible price tag. And it sure looks good! Following the […]

6 months ago

First Look – The Amazing Value-for-Money Seiko Presage Style60s SRPL07 & SRPL09

The Seiko Presage Style60’s collection is both popular, growing fast and a nice throwback to a bygone decade (yes, the 1960s, obviously). The latest pair of watches, ref. SRPL07 and SRPL09, don’t reinvent the wheel, but add classy touches with a slightly smaller case, a very nice new bracelet and a fixed bezel. Dial colours […]

6 months ago

Introducing – The Code 41 UNIFY Calls For Tolerance, Equality and Diversity.

Since founding Code41 in 2016, Lausanne-based designer Claudio D’Amore has set his brand apart through transparency, community engagement, and fair pricing. From a product perspective, Code41 has developed a unique portfolio of watches with distinct aesthetics, sporty vibes, and often featuring openworked dials. The brand’s latest collection, UNIFY, is somewhat more approachable and consensual. However, […]

6 months ago

First Look – The Retter Mistral, An Accessible Thin Dress Watch with Style

Retter isn’t a brand that many are familiar with as its first watch launched only a couple of years ago, the 22 Automatic. It was a solid first effort with the always popular integrated sports watch aesthetic, but the follow-up Mistral is a more mature and elegant dress watch, with a truly ultra-thin case (a […]

6 months ago