The Collector's Corner: The Youngtimer Appeal of the TAG Heuer Monza Calibre 36
When you hear the name TAG Heuer, which watches come to mind? The Monaco, the Carrera, or perhaps the Autavia? Maybe the Aquaracer? But what about the Monza? The Monza can be considered the dark horse of TAG Heuer's lineup, occasionally popping up over the years but never having quite the staying power as other, more famous, TAG Heuer models. 2023 saw TAG Heuer relaunch the Monza yet again, this time clad in carbon fibre and powered by an in-house flyback chronograph. We thought it would be a good idea to feature the Monza on The Collector's Corner and take a closer look at an iteration of the model that was released in 2001, the Monza Calibre 36, which is, in our books, the best iteration of this watch to date And here's why.The Monza LineageThe first watch to be mentioned in the Monza lineage was a cushion-cased monopusher chronograph produced in the 1930s. You have to remember that round watches were not as ubiquitous in the first half of the 20th century as they are today. Watchmak

Cartier Time Art - Mechanics of Passion opens its door in Zurich - Monochrome Watches
Cartier just opened the Cartier Time Art exhibition in Zurich, Switzerland. A beautifully designed exhibition with an huge number of very rare vintage Cartiers. If you have the opportunity to visit… do so!?Cartier shows 156 of its historical timepieces, selected from the treasures of the Cartier Collection. Some timepieces are among the first wristwatches Cartier made and this is even more special if you consider that Cartier’s Santos Dumont is said to be the first real wrist watch. Besides the oldest Santos Dumont timepieces, there are also early models of the Tank Cintree and a Cartier Crash. Ad - Scroll to continue with article Many of the timepieces have quite a story to them, however the story of the Cartier Crash is really remarkable. The Crash was?originally designed and launched by Cartier London in 1967.?Until a few decades ago Cartier was c

Hands-On: The Polo-and-Racquet-made Hublot Big Bang Unico Novak Djokovic
Hublot has always been associated with the fusion of disparate materials, starting with Carlo Crocco's surprising cocktail of a gold case and rubber strap on board the flagship Classic Original. Hublot's latest watch dedicated to tennis legend Novak Djokovic takes the “art of fusion” to unimaginable levels and even slips in the much-desired sustainability card. The new Big Bang Unico is literally made from the very materials that have accompanied the Serbian ace on his warpath to secure 24 Grand Slam titles. Introducing the Big Bang Unico Novak Djokovic, the world's first watch made from the tennis player's used (and recycled) Lacoste polos and Head tennis racquets.Novak Djokovic, an Olympic gold medalist, tennis GOAT (Greatest of All Time) and holder of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, is one of the most exciting players today. Now working together, Hublot and Djokovic (who was associated with Seiko before) decided the watch had to have a sustainable component and be incredib

Sarpaneva Korona K1 - Monochrome Watches
It’s been roughly 9 months since I bought my ‘grail-watch’, the Korona K1 from the Finnish watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva. So enough experience to sit down and write about this watch that’s been on my wrist almost permanently for almost 9 months. My Sarpaneva Korona K1 was my first watch from an independent watchmaker and also my most luxurious/expensive watch ever. When Stepan Sarpaneva told me the watch that I ordered was ready, I booked a ticket to Helsinki to pick it up myself. Here you can read the report of my trip to Helsinki. Now it’s time for a review to share my experiences of owning and wearing a Sarpaneva Korona K1. In May of last year it was finally time. The months before had been an intense period. Of course a decision like this was not made overnight, so long lists of potential watches had to be narrowed down. Or maybe the decision was not so difficult, it was just me having difficulty with spending so much money on a watch.?When my decision w

Vacheron Constantin Historiques Aronde 1954 Migrating to warmer climates - Monochrome Watches
Our guest contributor Angus Davies gets all poetic today. That’s what a mix of cold and rainy autumn weather and the sight of the beautiful and elegant Vacheron Constantin Historiques Aronde 1954 does…I am sitting at my desk looking through a rain soaked window. My heart is tinged with melancholy. The prospect of winter is somewhat foreboding. I know the cold weather is coming, prolonged dark nights encourage hibernation beneath a duvet with double digit tog rating. Ad - Scroll to continue with article A swallow has the right idea. A brief sojourn to the British Isles in temperate summer months, April or May, and then a speedy return to warmer climes in September or October before hostile, inclement weather arrives.?There is a rationale to the swallow's itinerary. I have empathy with their logic.Small and beautifully formed, they fly with grace. Thei