INTRODUCING: The TAG Heuer Monaco 1979 – 1989 Limited Edition – a tribute to Le Mans
As we found out at the Monaco Grand Prix, TAG Heuer is celebrating the 50th birthday of the genuinely iconic Monaco with five limited editions, one for each decade of its life. The second instalment has just been announced in Le Mans, a tribute to the 1971 film of the same name, a film responsible for some enduring (and genuinely iconic) images of the Monaco on the wrist of the one and only Steve McQueen. The colourway for the first edition was muted: earthy brown and dark green. This Monaco 1979 – 1989 is a polar opposite, in rich, vibrant red. The dial, with a sunburst finish, is — depending on your perspective — the red of rich French wine, or the archetypal image of a race car. Regardless of the evocation, you cannot deny that this is a visually arresting watch, with the square steel case, rhodium-plated markers and that bright dial all packing a punch. The strap is black calf, with rally-style holes allowing for the occasional glimpse of the red lining. The watch is limited to 169 pieces and comes with a snazzy presentation box. TAG Heuer Monaco 1979 – 1989 Limited Edition price TAG Heuer Monaco 1979 –…
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Brand ambassadors are an indelible part of the watch landscape. Fundamentally, an ambassador is someone — typically with a profile — who has a relationship with a watch brand, and endorses them. That’s the broad brush stroke picture, but the reality is much more diverse. An ambassador could be a Hollywood A-lister who wore a watch for the billboard photoshoot and a contractually mandated number of public appearances, never to be seen again. Or it could be something much more targeted, where the relationship is less about getting the watch in front of the largest number of eyeballs but rather the right eyeballs. Bremont’s relationship with Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja is an example of the latter. You’d struggle to find a man who embodies the value and mythos of Bremont more than Nirmal Purja. The 35-year-old was the first Gurkha to join the elite Special Boat Service. These days, Nims is spending more time at altitude than at sea, as he’s now a record-breaking speed climber, who earlier this year embarked on Project Possible — aiming to climb 14 of the world’s highest peaks (all 8000+ metres) in a single season, or seven months (the previous record is seven years). And of…
Smart watches are here to stay. But that doesn’t mean we have to be OK with it in a mechanical watch-fancying world. But it’s hard to deny that self-quantification and easy, breezy notifications on the wrist address certain functionality that the Submariner and its ilk struggle with. Never fear, Sony has a solution. The Wena strap, which can fit a conventional 18mm, 20mm or 22mm watch, is water resistant to 50 metres, and offers some tracking, notification and NFC functionality. All that is good. More importantly, it doesn’t look too much like a smart strap. This is very good. Read more about it over at Wired UK. 
Editor’s note: Nomos is a habitual entrant on our ‘best in budget’ lists, and there’s a very good reason for that. Strong looks, great style and serious credibility all add up to a package that punches hard for its price tag. Case in point, the Nomos Club Campus, which was released at Baselworld a few seasons ago … If you’re an avid follower of our Instagram stories, you might have overheard my candid thoughts on the new entry-level Nomos as we captured some scenic pre-Basel scene-setting. As Andrew live-panned a view of the Rhine, I could be heard distinctly in the background saying, “Ooh, new Nomos … huh, not sure about that.” The reason for my reticence (I’m typically effervescent about my favourite German watch brand) was the dial, particularly those two Roman numerals on the bottom half. First, some background on the Club. This round, slightly less classical Nomos has been a stalwart of their line-up for years. It’s always been billed as a watch for younger people, or your first ‘good’ watch. The Club Campus is, in many ways, the extension of this concept. The proposition of the Campus is that it’s explicitly aimed at students, whether as…
Editor’s note: To paraphrase Sandra’s excellent review of the Montblanc Heritage Pulsograph — the brand nailed it. Case, movement, dial and all the details are what we want from a heritage style piece in 2019. Pro – it’s expected to be hitting the market quite soon. Con – it’s limited to 100 pieces globally. When Montblanc gave us a privileged preview of its new Heritage collection in Miami back in October, our gut told us that they had a winner in the salmon-dialled Heritage Pulsograph. Forward three months to SIHH: 36 exhibiting brands and I-don’t-know-how-many-hundreds of new watches later, our opinion is, if anything, stronger than ever. With the Heritage Pulsograph’s immaculately judged balance of good looks, technical content, quality of execution and price, Montblanc has hit the nail on the head. First, let’s talk aesthetics: vintage-inspired watches have been a thing for some years now – and thanks to its head of watches, Davide Cerrato, Montblanc is a shining example of how to do it right. (Cerrato has previous form, as you may know, having harnessed Tudor’s archives to transform it from also-ran to super-cool brand half a decade ago.) At Montblanc, he has the rich archives of Minerva to…