Hands-On: The Tudor Black Bay Chrono Blue Boutique Edition
When it was first presented in 2017, the Black Bay Chrono?generated mixed emotions. The good ones came from the overall performance and fairly reasonable price (considering the whole package), as well as the unexpected industrial alliance with Breitling. Others pointed out the rather uninspired design of the inaugural edition as well as the strange mix between racing elements and dive watch features. But we’re now seven years down the line, and the Tudor Black Bay Chrono isn’t what it was back then. It has evolved gradually to become a better-looking, more appealing watch. It even made headlines in a surprisingly cool Pink edition. Is the latest model in the collection, the Black Bay Chrono Blue, elevating this watch again? Let’s find out.?ContextWhether in its past or present, Tudor is no stranger to the chronograph function. Yet, contrary to mother brand and its competitors, Tudor entered the race much later, as its first chronograph only appeared in 1970, with th

Ulysse Nardin Freak X Silicium Marquetry (Specs & Price)
In 2001, Ulysse Nardin introduced a watch – the Freak – that was a complete shock for the industry, not only in terms of design and display but mainly because it was the first timepiece commercialised with silicium parts – a controversial material back then, which has now found its place in dozens of watches. Today, as a sort of tribute to that pioneering use of silicium in a watch, Ulysse Nardin equips its recent Freak X (see more here) with a dial that is actually?made of this material, displayed as marquetry.Reminder. In 2001, Ulysse Nardin introduced the Freak, a true concept piece with several striking features. Its display, consisting of a?flying carousel module holding the regulating organ and rotating around the dial once per hour (acting as a minute hand) was impressive. The way the watch was wound (by rotating the caseback) and the way the time was adjusted (by rotating the bezel) was also quite novel. But mainly, the Freak was the first watch equipped?with

News: IWC Ceralume, The First Fully Luminous Ceramic Watch
The use of luminescent materials on watches is far from new… Soon after the discovery of radium and its properties (and dangers…) by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898, watch dials – markers, numerals and hands – have been coated with radium and then different substances (tritium, Super-LumiNova) to produce light in the dark. Fully luminous watch dials are a far more recent trend, and fully luminous watch cases are still a rarity that we only covered twice in this magazine – with Bell & Ross and Tockr. IWC, which has already shown its appeal for lume, now unveils Ceralume, a proprietary luminous ceramic technology and the first fully luminous ceramic watch… But don’t get crazy too soon, it is still a concept and isn’t commercialized.While the idea of a fully luminous watch case isn’t new, the difference with IWC is that the brand’s engineering division XPL has developed an unprecedented luminous ceramic compound – Bell &

A Panerai for all ocassions - the Radiomir Black Seal 3-Day Automatic - Monochrome Watches
It always has been a love-hate relationship among collectors with regard to Panerai timepieces: the use of Unitas and ETA movements had been frowned upon by many. Yet Panerai enthusiasts, or Paneristi as we like to call them, praise the brand for its uniqueness, heritage and no nonsense look. As such, there is only one direction for a brand that is so revered and reviled at the same time, and that direction is up, here's why.Panerai timepieces were always built like a tank, built in such a way that it is supposed to be worn outdoors by adventurers and thrill seekers alike. With all the fuss of its Luminor as the quintessential Panerai that every Paneristi should have, people tend to forget that Panerai's first ever piece was not a Luminor, but rather a Radiomir. Ad - Scroll to continue with article The Radiomir was a true classic of a piece that remained unchang

Video The New 2020 Fortis Flieger Collection
“There is no function without design and there is no design without function…” This is how Fortis, a brand?best-known for crafting rugged, functional pilot’s watches, set the tone when introducing its new, fully reimagined Flieger collection last year. Since 1987, the Fortis?Flieger collection has been a reference for pilot watches. Instrumental, no-nonsense watches with durability and legibility in mind, the brand launched a whole new collection last year, focussing on the essentials. Comprising a chronograph, two automatic models and a GMT, these new Fliegers have been well received by the pilot’s watch community. And today, we give it a closer look, by reviewing all the models at once. Fortis’ references speak for themselves. The brand doesn’t rely on story-telling of built-up stories… Its watches have a proven track record. Take for instance the B-42 Official Cosmonauts Chronograph. This watch is the dire