Sunday Rewind: The Basics Of Buying Vintage Rolex
A thoughtful primer to help you better understand just how bad you might need that vintage Rolex.
RECOMMENDED READING: How watches became financial assets
The topic of watches and their worth has been the talk of 2019. With never-ending threads of comments on social media, expressing frustration at the current prices of some pieces, retailers attempting to negotiate the challenge of managing wait-lists, and the growth of The Flipper in the world of watch buyers, it seems that 2019 was the year that watches became financial assets. While most of this commentary is essentially regret-filled grumbles about passing on a Patrizzi dial Rolex Daytona for four figures half a decade ago, there are some examples of well-considered and articulately structured thought on the topic. I recently read one such piece on The Open Caseback, which looked at three contributing factors for the bullish vintage sports watch market: auction houses, marketplaces and Instagram. Basically, a socially driven groundswell of interest in the depreciation a watch might experience once it leave the boutique has produced an example of Narrative Economics. While narrative is one of the most liberally employed words in current social science, Narrative Economics goes a long way to explaining the important role that storytelling plays in building interest around the long-term value of vintage wristwatches. Through the different narratives that are pushed by…
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VIDEO: Distinctive design with the Louis Vuitton Tambour Damier Cobalt
One of the most appealing elements of a Louis Vuitton watch is just how unabashedly bold they are in their design, as well as their wrist presence. The new Louis Vuitton Tambour Damier Cobalt is an excellent example, with its amply portioned 46mm stainless steel case, vivid dial graphics and branded rubber strap. The dial is styled with the iconic Damier canvas pattern that offers a chess board of black and navy, which is then overlaid with striking slashes of red and white to form the brand’s V. There aren’t many companies producing watches in the world with such visual strength in their brand that diagonal stripes over a chequered mosaic can offer enough optical cues to be instantly recognised across the room, but Louis Vuitton have done exactly that. The Louis Vuitton Tambour Damier Cobalt is confidently offering an aesthetic that does not look like every other steel sports watch on the market, of which there are many that could be mistaken for one another. And, in addition to its distinctive design, it boasts an automatic movement with 42 hours of power reserve, 100m of water resistance, and one of the most easily adjustable straps on the market that…
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Big and blue: the Grand Seiko Blue Ceramic Hi-Beat GMT "Special"
Editor’s note: If you’re after a sports watch with a GMT complication, the world is your oyster … err, well, you get what I mean. Almost every serious watchmaker on the planet makes a hardy, go-anywhere timepiece with a dual time zone function, and because of this, the subgenre has become somewhat homogenous – there just aren’t that many timepieces out there that look markedly different. One watch that does break the mould, however, is the limited edition Grand Seiko Blue Ceramic Hi-Beat GMT “Special”. Thanks to its inimitable dial, case construction and size – 46.4mm – this is a wristwatch like no other. And, chances are, you’ll never see more than one being worn in the same place, because just 350 examples exist. In the wonderful world of Grand Seiko, if it’s not using a quartz crystal – and, yes, that includes the Spring Drive – then inside is a Caliber 9S movement. Introduced in 1998, the Caliber 9S is the staple of all mechanical Grand Seikos and forms the base for everything from humble three-handers to hi-beats and GMTs. This year, Grand Seiko are celebrating the 20th birthday of the 9S with – in addition to quite a…
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Buying Guide – Best of 2019 – Our Top 5 Accessible Watches
As 2019 is coming to an end, we’ve gathered the MONOCHROME redaction team and started to think about the watches that most impressed us this year. After a look at the best chronographs, the best dive watches and the best traveller’s watches, it is time to think value propositions… And in 2019, we’ve seen some pretty cool […]
Weekend Round-Up: True Hobbies, Earth Mothers, And Vulf Takes MSG
Love stories, the best photos of the year, and funk to spare.
Germanic genius: the Nomos Tangente neomatik 41 Update
Editor’s note: It may surprise the uninitiated to read this, but creating a completely new calibre, in-house, from scratch, is a very, very costly exercise. And there’s a reason that most boutique and micro watchmakers stick to third-party movements from the likes of ETA and Sellita, because to make their own movements is financially unviable. That’s why this Nomos Tangente is so impressive, because the German marque has spent millions upon millions of euros to create their own calibre – DUW 6101. At the end of last year, we were lucky enough to go hands-on with this impressive timepiece and see the movement in action, and these were our initial thoughts. Surely there is no more contentious complication in the world of watchmaking than a seemingly humble date display? It’s hard to believe that something so useful, and seemingly ubiquitous, can be so divisive. One way to end the date/no date feud is to include it, but with a twist. And a twist is certainly what the Tangente neomatik 41 Update offers. The date is shown in the radial fashion, at the outermost extremity of the dial — already alleviating the issue of a dial-disfiguring date window, and working with…
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VIDEO: Is this the most important TAG Heuer Monaco?
It’s been a big year for the TAG Heuer Monaco as it celebrated 50 years of production from when it was first released in 1969. The brand has released a number of limited editions this year in celebration; however, they arguably saved the most important release till last with the new TAG Heuer Monaco Heuer 02. The reason it is so significant lies beneath the dial, with the newly added Caliber 02 offering the first ever Monaco with an in-house movement. The TAG Heuer Monaco Heuer 02 uses the same case dimensions as other references from the Monaco family at 39mm, but includes a number of details that make it a genuinely good-looking watch. The sunray brushed dial is a rich royal blue that contrasts well with the crisp white sub-dials, and the sapphire crystal, which covers the dial, sits prominently on the case and is ever so slightly curved across a lateral axis. The new TAG Heuer Monaco Heuer 02 is not limited in production numbers, and is currently available in boutiques. Made in partnership with TAG Heuer. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.
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The Petrolhead Corner – The Alpine A110 Edition – A French National Treasure
Pour une fois, cet épisode de “The Petrolhead Corner” sera en français… Ok sorry, switching back to our usual English. But I could have gone French all the way, as today’s topic is bleu, very bleu. As some of you might know, I’m French, I love cars and I love sports and vintage engines – […]
Introducing: Three New Ralph Lauren Polo Bear Watches
A trio of new pieces featuring a true RL icon.