Independent Watchmaking - Tsoroev Rashid, One-Man Brand from Russia
Watch enthusiasts come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing that characterizes them all is the passion for the trade. That passion can stem from an encounter with watches getting stuck in one's mind as a fond memory. In some cases, that memory can be so persistent it eventually drives someone down the path of becoming a watchmaker. Small-time watchmakers with stories like this are sprouting left and right, and today we take look at an interesting young man from Russia; Tsoroev Rashid, who's launching his eponymous brand.Creating watches under his own name, Tsoroev Rashid is based in Ingushetia, Russia. Although the vast majority of watchmaking is done in Switzerland, you can find interesting creations scattered around the world, as long as you're willing to go beyond mainstream brands. Russia is primarily known as the birthplace of brands like Raketa, and for those with an interest in independent and highly creative watchmaking, Konstantin Chaykin might be familiar.? Ad -

The Omega Seamaster Automatic 120m Chronograph (Ref.176.004) a.k.a. the Big Blue - Monochrome Watches
In this article we will examine an instrument that is so important that the life of its operator depends on it. The operator in question is a diver, submerging in a hostile environment either to make a living, or to hunt fish. No, it is not a big dive computer with a huge lcd screen that performs countless calculations per milisecond based on complex algorithms. This is Monochrome, so we are going to investigate a very unique instrument which is strictly mechanical: a watch. A diver’s chronograph watch to be more precise – the Omega Seamaster Automatic 120m Chronograph a.k.a. Big Blue.History of the Diving WatchThe history of the diving watch is intimately coupled, right from the start, with the human attempts to master and understand life underwater. Either in war or for recreational diving, whether in spearfishing or servicing oil rigs in the North Sea, the diving watch has been a timekeeping apparatus of utmost importance to the life of the diver in question. The first e

Hands-On - Certina DS Powermatic 80 Collection 2021 (Specs & Price)
When a few weeks ago Certina presented its new DS Powermatic 80 Collection, I personally thought “OK, that looks quite cool and has some serious mechanical content.” But it also made me think about the first mechanical watch… If like me you’re a watch lover, the first mechanical watch is important. And at the same time, you think about spoiled kids on Instagram… There’s a certain balance to find. Which made me think again that this new model could well be a strong candidate for this job. And now that we’ve seen the Certina DS Powermatic 80 in the metal, it’s time to look at this question.What is the DS Powermatic 80 Collection? In short, a watch from the Heritage collection, inspired by the DS Chronograph Automatic of 2020 – a re-edition of a Certina chronograph from the 1940s – but here in a time-and-date context, with retro style, serious execution, strong movement and just a bit of fun in its design. And a price that feels

Montblanc Nicolas Rieussec for Only Watch 2013 - Monochrome Watches
I’ve just returned from Switzerland, where I visited both Montblanc watch manufactures together with the winner of the sweepstake that we did recently (see here). Soon you can read all about our three-day trip to Montblanc’s manufactures in Le Locle and in Villeret, but today I’d like to share some exclusive photos of Montblanc’s watch for the Only Watch auction. While we were there, they pulled it out the 500 hour test for a brief moment, so we could see it and of course take some photos to share with you.?Montblanc’s entry for the Only Watch auction is a unique black DLC version of the Nicolas Rieussec Rising Hours, which was introduced earlier this year, with a rose gold crown, pushers and screws in de case back. The Rotating hour disk now also comes in gold and the model name, minute markers and several other details are printed in brown/gold.?The bridge that holds the minute and seconds hand (the disks rotate) is gold plated and so are the two attache

Hands-On - Oris Waldenburgerbahn Limited Edition (Specs, Price)
There is no way to describe the Oris Waldenburgerbahn Limited Edition watch without a history lesson, so here we are. As the name suggests, there had to be a Bahn in Waldenburg, and there was a rail work indeed, a 13km low-cost and efficient one that opened in 1880 to connect the beautiful Waldenburg valley villages, including Holstein, the future home to the Oris factory. Oris founders, based in Le Locle, thought to settle their business in Holstein in 1904 and used the “lifeline of the valley” to build their watch business on the principles of “reliability, quality and innovation“, shared by the Waldenburgerbahn operators. This year, Waldenburgerbahn, or WB, will be reopened after a CHF 300 million renovation and upgrade to the latest transport technology. To “capture affection and gratitude for the role played in our story by the Waldenburgerbahn“, the brand decided to create a particular watch with a design based on the classic Big Crown Pointer