In-Depth – Zenith DEFY LAB, 3 Centuries of Regulation & Chronometry Revolutionized with a Radically New Oscillator (Technical Insights & Video)

It’s now time to lift the veil on the big and truly exciting news we had anticipated further to Jean-Claude Biver’s (President of the LVMH watch division) and Julien Tornare’s (CEO of Zenith) press conference last May: a groundbreaking development in the field of chronometry, exploring unchartered territories and challenging the basic operating principle of the mechanical watch regulation, invented in 1675 by Christiaan Huygens – a principle that has remained basically unchanged since its creation. The name of this watch is the Zenith DEFY LAB, and it comes with a revolutionary, yet technically quite simple, type of oscillator.

9 years ago

HANDS-ON: The Bell & Ross BR V2-94 Garde Cotes

For most brands a round 41mm steel chronograph would be unremarkable, but this Bell & Ross stands out precisely because of these features – it’s not an oversize square watch crafted from ceramic or some other highly technical material, which is what we’ve come to expect from Bell & Ross. Even though the BR V2-94 Garde Cotes is a far more ‘conventional’ design, don’t fall into the trap of assuming that it doesn’t stand out. There’s a lot here to please the eye – a well-balanced twin-register dial, glossy black bezel and a soft-grey and washed-out orange colour scheme to die for. While you could be forgiven for thinking that the orange hand and chapter ring on a matte-grey background are a nod to the funky sports watches of the ’70s, the truth is a little more on-brand for Bell & Ross. The aviation-focused brand has taken inspiration from the helicopters of of the French Coast Guard – or Garde Cotes – for this chronograph, which explains the choice of pulsometer scale. With it’s well-made bracelet, screw-down pushers, crown guard, 100 metres of water resistance and ever-reliable BR-CAL.302 (based on a Sellita SW300-1), the BR V2-94 Garde Cotes is an excellent…

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9 years ago

Hands-On – Urban Jürgensen Adds Handsome Grenage Dials to the Reference 1142

While mass-luxury can sometimes be loud and exuberant, proper high-end, exclusive and hand-made watches don’t need such profusion. As we always tend to demonstrate here, at Monochrome-Watches: “the devil is in the details”. A garde-temps can be apparently simple, almost minimalistic, and however, it can reveal splendid, yet almost invisible, details that make it far more precious than a diamond-paved, full gold watch. As we already reported, Urban Jürgensen timepieces are to be placed in such a category, and the new Reference 1142 with Grenage dials might even push the idea one step further.

9 years ago

Women’s Watch Wednesday – GoS Watches Unveils All-New Sarek Ladies Line for 10th Anniversary

Having covered the watch and jewelry world as a journalist for more than three decades, I have had the great fortune of watching many start-up brands continue on to success. GoS Watches is one such brand. Highly unusual in its offerings, GoS Watches celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and in honor of that anniversary, the brand unveils its first timepiece dedicated to women: the GoS Sarek Lady.

9 years ago

EVENT: Cocktail Time! Seiko opens Melbourne boutique (and 4 watches you can buy there right now)

It’s a wonder I remember last night with any clarity, given the strength of the cocktails served in honour of – and matched to – the latest member of Seiko’s burgeoning Presage collection: the Cocktail Time. Thankfully, the ability to accurately recall technical details with a reasonable degree of accuracy after three Manhattans is an essential skill in watch journalism, which means that I can not only remember that the drinks in question included the Skydiving (for the SRPB43), Manhattan (a perfect match with the rich brown dial of the SRPB46) and the aggressively hued Blue Moon (an on-point pairing with the SRPB41) but I can also remember details of MC Andrew Daddo’s introductory speech, where he recalled the story of his father’s Seiko, unexpectedly gifted to Daddo snr after he remarked on its beauty during a business meeting in Japan. As you might expect, this story left an impression on Andrew, and when he purchased a watch on holidays, he ended up with a Seiko diver on his wrist. While the Cocktail Time collection and the fine company were enjoyable, the real star of the show was across the road, at Seiko’s new Melbourne boutique, which was officially opened on…

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9 years ago