Editors’ Picks: The Year’s Most Interesting Complicated Watches
Sometimes, more really is more.
Hands-on – Bell & Ross Vintage BRV2-94 Racing Bird
In 2017, Bell & Ross debuted its revamped “Vintage” collection and it instantly became my favourite range from the brand. Since then, the company has been steadily knocking them out of the park with tasteful, vintage-inspired models, ranging from the simple Vintage BR V1-92 Military to the sportier BR V2-94 Vintage Chronograph. The latest offerings to the collection come in the form of the Bell & Ross Vintage BRV1-92 & BRV2-94 Racing Bird, the latter of which we are getting hands-on with today.
Business News: Headwinds Hit Japan’s Big Three Watch Producers
After flying high for most of this decade, watches sales at Citizen, Seiko, and Casio have run into turbulence.
Women’s Watch Wednesday – Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time 7234R Lady
The turbulence generated by Patek Philippe’s Calatrava Pilot Travel Time Ref.5524 seems to have abated and the model has landed as a stable member of the Calatrava family. In addition to a fresh iteration of the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time for men in warm rose gold, Patek unveiled its first self-winding Travel Time model for women just ahead of Baselworld in an unprecedented move for the brand via an Instagram campaign. There have been choice pickings in the complications arena for women at Patek Philippe in 2018 with the launch of the manual-winding ladies’ chronograph in a round case and this pilot’s watch for women. Equipped with a useful dual time function, Ref. 7234R is housed in refined 37.5mm rose gold case with a glossy chocolate-brown dial decorated with vintage touches. The tasteful combination of rose gold and brown is quintessential Patek making this an excellent choice for globetrotting women, while the sporty, slightly manly charisma of a pilot’s watch will appeal to all those Amelia Earhart out there with a taste for high-flying adventures.
MY YEAR WITH: The TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 ‘Grey Phantom’
For those who know me and my taste in watches a little bit, the fact that I own a TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 typically comes as a bit of a surprise, as there’s a perception that I like the simpler, smaller things in watch life. For those who know me and my history in watches a little better, the fact that I’m rocking a big, bold, skeletonised chronograph raises no eyebrows at all. But personal preferences aside, if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to spend some quality time with the Heuer 01, you’ve come to the right place. My first impression was … whoa, that’s a whole lot of watch. I first saw the Heuer 01 when it was released, back in 2015. It was a watch that was presented as the face of Jean-Claude Biver’s ‘new’ TAG Heuer, and boy did it look the part. Large, modular and aggressively skeletonised. The Carrera DNA was still there, but the Heuer 01 was very much its own beast. And while my original focus was on the ceramic bezel version with red highlights, the watch I ended up strapping onto my wrist was this, the Grey Phantom, which removed any hint…
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Found: Another Crazy Patek Philippe Ref. 2526 Coming Up For Auction
Phillips Hong Kong brings us one more unusual example of this classic Calatrava.
Technical Perspective: The Split–Seconds Caliber 79230 And The Original IWC Doppelchronograph Pilot’s Watch
The Valjoux 7750 has led many lives. Here’s one that made history.
Hands-on – Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8
Fifty years ago, on Christmas Eve 1968, Apollo 8 became the first manned spacecraft to orbit the Moon and the three astronauts on board the first men to witness the far, or dark side, of our celestial neighbour. To celebrate this encounter, in 2013 Omega dedicated an entire collection of black-themed Speedmasters known as the Dark Side of the Moon. During Baselworld 2018, Omega presented the latest crew member of this collection, the new Apollo 8. A hybrid of sorts, the Apollo 8 shares the black ceramic case of the Dark Side of the Moon collection but has jettisoned its automatic co-axial engine in favour of Omega’s legendary calibre 1861, the manual-wound movement of the classic Moonwatch.
The Value Proposition: The Mido Multifort Datometer Limited Edition
This vintage-styled, gold-tone watch bring a lot of heat for under $1,500.
Hands-on – Carl F. Bucherer Expands its Manero Peripheral Collection with Larger 43mm Versions
The Manero Peripheral certainly represents Carl F. Bucherer at its best. Not the most technical watch in the collection (the Tourbillon Double Peripheral holds the title) yet probably the most balanced one. Elegant, sophisticated, technically interesting and well-priced, it is a watch we’ve been regularly praising, here on MONOCHROME. Aware of the demand for larger watches in certain regions (the US market first, and since Bucherer acquired Tourneau, new opportunities opened to Carl F. Bucherer on this market), the brand introduces a larger version of its Manero Peripheral, now with a 43mm case.