Hands-on – TAG Heuer Carrera Fragment – Retro-Style and Calibre Heuer 02

Today, TAG Heuer announces a new partnership with one of the most influential personalities in the world of streetwear: Japanese designer Hiroshi Fujiwara, the face behind the brand Fragment. While some might find a certain interest in this venture, this is clearly not what will get us excited here, at MONOCHROME. However, there is something very special with this new creation… It looks just stunning. Meet the TAG Heuer Carrera Fragment, a reasonably-sized, retro-inspired, back-to-basics Carrera powered by the in-house calibre Heuer 02 – and that is just plain cool.

7 years ago

LIST: Cleared for launch – 4 space watches that aren’t the classic Speedmaster

I’ve been a little spacey recently — and not just because Andrew has been reliving the glory of holding Gene Cernan’s Speedmaster, and First Man is on our must-watch list. On top of that, I’ve recently re-watched the excellent Hidden Figures and cracked the spine on Andy Weir’s The Martian, which probably means I’m part of the wider #marsorbust zeitgeist. After all, it’s an exciting time to be interested in space, as it’s a space that’s becoming increasingly global and democratised. And of course, for Time+Tide, more space means more space watches — which is something we can get behind. So, to celebrate, we’ve put together four space-proven watches that aren’t the iconic Speedy … Seiko 6139-6002 ‘Pogue’ The Pogue takes its name from Colonel William Pogue, who wore a Seiko 6139 Chronograph for 84 days on 1973’s Skylab 4 mission. Pogue bought the distinctive yellow-dialled chronograph from a PX store to use in his pre-flight training, before he was officially issued the Omega Speedmaster. So, one of the first automatic chronographs ever made also earned the honour of being the first automatic chronograph in space. Col. Pogue’s actual watch was sold by Heritage Auctions in 2008 for around $6000 USD.…

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7 years ago

Review – Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Panorama Date

When the first Senator Excellence model was unveiled in 2016, there was as much excitement about the aesthetic attributes of the watch as its brand new in-house movement. Part of Glashütte Original’s commitment to up the ante on quality and performance, the Senator Excellence line has fleshed out into a full collection, which includes the Panorama Date model that we will be looking at today. A handsome GO watch with the iconic date function, this watch is packed with contemporary design details that go a long way in dispelling the idea that this is “just another classic three-hand dress watch“.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Brellum Duobox Pandial Black-DLC

Brellum is a niche independent watch brand that was launched just two years ago by Sebastien Muller, a fourth-generation watchmaker in the Swiss Jura. His first model, the Duobox, is a no-nonsense chronograph offering excellent value for the money. Recently, the collection received a cool-looking Panda version (white dial with black sub-counters) – the “Pandial”, reviewed here – and today, this model gains boldness with a new black DLC-coated case. Meet the Brellum Duobox Pandial Black-DLC.

7 years ago

HANDS-ON: Seriously fun, the gold and steel Omega Seamaster 300M Diver

I’ve got to say, for a watch born in the middle of the ’90s, the Omega Seamaster 300M Diver is looking pretty glorious. Partially that’s down to the fresh facelift and major internal upgrade, but it goes deeper than that. The SMP — as it’s known — knows what it is, and revels in that identity. And nowhere is that dual nature of flashy meets functionality more evident than this steel and yellow gold beauty. The flashy elements are immediately apparent — it’s hard to miss that striking black and gold bezel, the golden crown and (re-worked) helium escape valve. And then there’s the glossy black dial, laser-engraved with the (in?)famous wave pattern, and it seems like every other surface has been buffed to a high gleam. But there’s substance under the showiness. Starting with the rubber strap — a (very comfortable) choice that immediately signals that this watch means business, and not the suit-and-tie kind. And then the overall build quality is legendary; the dial is super legible and fully loaded with lume. Flip the watch over and, behind the scalloped Naiad lock, the top-notch Calibre 8800 is proudly on display. Because while the oh-so-slightly upsized case size and…

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7 years ago

VIDEO: Bare bones — the Rado HyperChrome Skeleton Automatic Chronograph

For all that skeletonised watches are meant to be about reducing mass, the Rado HyperChrome Skeleton Automatic Chronograph is a watch with a lot of substance, and much of it ceramic. The case, middle, bezel and bracelet are all made from Rado’s signature material, and have been treated with a range of processes — keeping it interesting on the wrist. Though having said that, the dial also does a fine job in the ‘interesting’ department. Sure, you get a peep into the inner workings of the automatic chronograph movement, along with a quite legible handset, but what I really like is the under-the-dial printing, which is delicate and very much in keeping with Rado’s designer aesthetic. All this, combined with the 45mm case size, adds up to an unmissable watch. The Rado HyperChrome Skeleton Automatic Chronograph Limited Edition Australian pricing The Rado HyperChrome Skeleton Automatic Chronograph Limited Edition, limited to 600 pieces, $9475

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7 years ago