A Personal Take on the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Sandblasted Steel - Monochrome Watches
No need to hide the truth, the?Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic was one of the highlights of 2017 – if not the most impressive watch (ultra-complicated ones excluded) of the year. Not only it is ultra-thin, but it is also ultra-bold, modernly designed, inspired and innovative. Certainly, some other brands created even thinner models (like this one) but not with the same stylistic?audacity. First presented in titanium, I thought I had found my perfect watch. But that was before Baselworld 2018 and the new?Sandblasted Steel version. Does it change much? Well, the answer is yes… and no.?Pink gold, titanium, steel – make your choice!I have to confess that when it comes to watches, my favourites are sports watches, modern watches and iconic watches (or let’s say classics). I’m not fond of vintage watches, not because I don’t find them appealing but mainly because I wear my watches intensively. I’m not the kind of guy to take great care. For this rea

Hamilton Intra-Matic Automatic Chronograph - Tapping into the Retro Vibe - Monochrome Watches
When I think of Hamilton, either a Ventura or Khaki Field Mechanical immediately come to mind. The Swiss brand is much more than that, of course, with a wide collection of models that are among the best value propositions in the industry. Hamilton is also no stranger to quirky designs as the Ventura line attests, and fun ones like the Jazzmaster Regulator Cinema and Khaki Field Murph keep things interesting. I've never really associated the brand with chronographs, despite its solid history with them, but its recent Hamilton Intra-Matic 68 Chronograph definitely changed my mind.?Inspired by chronographs from their 1960s and 1970s portfolio, specifically the 1968 Chronograph A and B models with reversed panda dials (and 1970 Hamilton Chrono-Matic), the Intra-Matic 68 was a cool and mature throwback but unfortunately limited to 1,968 pieces (and they all sold out). The new Hamilton Intra-Matic Automatic Chronograph is a direct follow-up and maintains a lot of what made its predecessor sp

Opinion - Why the Captain Willard SPB153 is The Coolest Seiko of 2020?
Earlier this year, Seiko brought back one of its legendary designs, a watch that not only marked the brand’s history and became an incredible commercial success in the 1970s, but a watch that gained fame after being worn on Captain Willard's (Martin Sheen) wrist in Apocalypse Now. Available in black and in green, and despite the fact that the green version is not historically relevant, I immediately fell in love with this olive-coloured, military-inspired edition… and I bought it. So, let’s make it clear, this article is not going to be objective. It’s not going to be factual. But it will simply reflect why I think (why I’m sure, actually) the Captain Willard SPB153 is the coolest Seiko of 2020.BackgroundBefore we move on with this article, it’s important to remember where the Seiko ‘Captain Willard’ Reissue comes from. This isn’t the first time that Seiko brings back a reissue of the so-called Turtle watch. There’s already a

Report - 5 Unusual Things I Discovered When Visiting Raketa in Russia
Not so long ago we talked to you about Raketa and a pretty cool watch the brand launched, a tribute to the famous Polar exploration watches done in the early 1970s. But that wasn’t all. With a flight ticket in my hand and Back in the U.S.SR. from The Beatles in my headphones (I know, total cliche), I flew to Saint Petersburg and visited the Raketa movement manufacture. I’ve visited well over 40 watch manufactures in my career, mostly in Switzerland and Germany… But nothing that can compare to what I saw in Russia. A truly unique experience, an eye-opener, fascinating, unusual, emotional, nostalgic, touching, sometimes slightly melancholic but always human.?Raketa…The Raketa Watch Factory, founded by Emperor Peter the Great in 1721, is the oldest factory still active today in Russia. Created first to cut semi-precious stones to adorn the Royal family’s palaces (and then known as the Imperial Lapidary Factory), it was, under the Soviet era, transformed into

Introducing: Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m Boutique-Exclusive Collection
First released in 2005 as a more powerful version of the Omega Seamaster, the Planet Ocean 600m has now become an entire collection with various complications, sizes and colours/materials?– without even mentioning its bigger brother, the mighty PO 6000m. Discreetly released by Omega, six new references join the collection – three time-and-date 43.5mm and three chronographs 45.5mm – available exclusively from the brand’s boutiques. Executed in subdued earthy tones, these new Boutique-only Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m add elegance to this solid collection.?While the PO 600m collection is often characterised by its hallmark orange accents – the orange-coloured aluminium bezel was the signature element of the launch model in 2005 – Omega has recently decided to give it a more discreet attire, with various editions playing on monochromatic schemes or more subtle colours. Think, for instance, about the Deep Black collection or the recent Dark Grey GMT model