Value Proposition – The Metropolitan Watch from Ayers Watches

What does an engineer do when his career path has taken him far from his original field of study and love of graphics and design? Well, if you’re Glenn Lim, you set out to create high-quality, yet accessible mechanical wristwatches. Founded in 2016 with his wife, Sally Lim, Ayers Watches is a new Australian micro brand that focuses on creating exclusive designs using premium materials. The company’s first watch collection, the Metropolitan, has just launched on Kickstarter, so we thought we’d take a closer look.

8 years ago

HANDS-ON: The Hublot Big Bang Unico Titanium Chronograph 42mm – a more compact bang

Amidst the pile of big and bold Hublot offerings at Baselworld 2018, it was a pleasant surprise to see a rare level of conservatism land on the table in the form of a more compact Big Bang Unico Chronograph — four references measuring 42mm in diameter, offered in King Gold, King Gold and ceramic, titanium and ceramic, and the titanium and ceramic model seen here. For some, one of the biggest gripes about the Big Bang is its significant presence on the wrist, and after closer examination, this slightly reduced variant puts the chronograph on just enough of a diet. Vital statistics Visually speaking, the new 42mm Big Bang Unico looks like it is simply a scaled-down version of its 45mm sibling, but that isn’t exactly the case. A close examination of its self-winding flyback chronograph calibre reveals at least some slight modification, explaining why though its specs are the same, the new derivative movement is called the HUB1280 rather than the HUB1242 listed on Hublot’s website. We do know that the new calibre is also thinner, allowing Hublot to trim away some excess case thickness in the process. Of the four variants, this titanium version is perhaps the most…

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8 years ago

News – It’s a wrap, that was Baselworld 2018

Last week on Tuesday afternoon the MONOCHROME team arrived in Basel and, as per usual, we came from various directions. Brice drove all the way from Tours, France, to Switzerland and picked up Xavier in Neuchatel on the way to Basel. Rebecca took a flight from Spain and Roberta flew in from the US to …

8 years ago

HANDS-ON: The Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight, with thinner, smaller case and brand-new movement

Tudor have added another – smaller – member to the Black Bay family at Baselworld 2018. It’s inspired by the “Big Crown” (reference 7924) Submariner, and named after the year it was released. The Black Bay Fifty-Eight faithfully re-creates the smaller case size of the 7924, complete with oversized crown and introducing a brand-new calibre into the Tudor collection. Vital statistics This is the first time we’ve seen the original Black Bay design downsized. The case of the Black Bay Fifty-Eight measures a very friendly 39mm across. However, the real story is how much slimmer it now is – at just under 12mm, as opposed to almost 15mm for the 41mm model. It’s also now powered by a brand-new Tudor manufacture movement, the calibre MT5402. With its smaller dimensions allowing for the diminished case size, while still maintaining a power reserve of 70 hours, a silicon balance spring, and COSC accuracy. There’s also a familiar gilt dial – sans the date – which matches the unidirectional bezel, with gilded markings and numerals. The crown has been reworked, with the familiar Tudor rose now embossed and the crown tube now satin-brushed in steel. On the wrist It’s not so much the smaller diameter that is…

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8 years ago