Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited Edition 310.60.42.50.99.001 (Specs & Price)
It will be hard to miss it, as this will certainly be one of the most coveted timepieces of the year – and one that many here were expecting. What remained unknown until today was the look of the Apollo 11?50th anniversary of the Speedmaster Moonwatch. We knew it had to be special. And indeed, it is special… Much, much more than what we could have expected. Not only it is a reissue of the 1969?reference BA145.022, but the new Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited Edition comes with major mechanical improvements. Ad - Scroll to continue with article Inspired by the BA145.022There’s no need to tell you… You’ve certainly immediately spotted the resemblance between the 50th-anniversary edition and another, vintage model – to be precise, the full gold Speedmaster reference BA145.022. This watch, highly desirable and

Lug-to-Lug Size and Why We Don't Rely on It - Letter from the Editor
Since I began MONOCHROME in 2006, the information that brands disclosed about their watches has improved significantly. Diameter and height are now in pretty much every press release, and so is the actual movement. However, lately, we are often asked about the lug-to-lug size. Something that brands do not communicate about and neither do we. Here’s why.A good example of a watch that is rather big on paper, the Omega Speedmaster Professional, with a 42mm diameter and a 47mm lug-to-lug size. However, once on the wrist, the watch feels much more compact (and that’s something numbers don’t express).Over the past decade, communication about watches has improved significantly. Diameter, height and honest information about the movement are now available. Until a few years ago, we were confronted with too many ‘invented’ calibre names, while the movement was often supplied by ETA, Sellita or another third party and subsequently adorned by the brand's name on the r

Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Travel Time 5326G (Price)
Although many were hoping that the demise of the Nautilus 5711 was just a marketing ploy – which it wasn’t – Patek Philippe had a couple of surprises up its sleeve, including the new Annual Calendar Travel Time 5326G. And new in this context means brand new, not just a new dial colour/finishing as in the case of the Chronograph 5172G or the Worldtimers. This highly practical combination of an annual calendar with a GMT function marks the first time these two complications appear in one watch at Patek Philippe. Powered by a movement protected by eight patents, the Annual Calendar Travel Time 5326G synchronises the date with the time zone selected. Although long-time collectors of Patek watches might have been floored by its overtly vintage vibe, unusual granular dial, modular case construction and more casual presence, we fell in love with the watch. Firstly, for its impressive level of practicality and secondly, for its refreshing design, a clear signal of the new dir

Reservoir Watches Retrograde/Jumping Display - Hands-On (Specs & Price)
There are some new kids on the block and they go by the name of Reservoir, and they happened to be one of the coolest finds at Baselword 2017. Further to their pre-launch presentation earlier this year, the brand’s first collections are now on the market. Their timepieces provide their own cool, off-beat take on watchmaking, inspired by their fascination for all things mechanical, and a nostalgia for the heyday of car culture and old measurement instruments: speedometers, tachometers, fuel, oil, temp, volt gauges, you name it!If you think that most of the cars nowadays are divested of personality? That the cool, powerful, sensual designs of the past have given up far too much of their character in the pursuit of practicality and safety? Well, if you do feel nostalgic about the golden age of car culture -iconic sports cars, racing gloves, oil gauges, the adrenaline of car racing- Reservoir might be worth a closer look. Ad - Scroll to continue with article

Introducing the White-Dial Airain Type 20 ACE
Founded in 1934, Airain was well known for its Type 20 flyback chronographs in the mid-20th century, supplying the French military along with brands like Breguet and Mathey Tissot. These chronographs could be instantly reset to zero by pressing the 4 o'clock pusher via the flyback function and had specific requirements like a bidirectional 12-hour rotating bezel, 35-hour power reserve (minimum) and lume on both the hands and Arabic numerals. Airain didn't survive the quartz crisis and loss of French military contracts, but was revived in 2020. The Airain Type 20 ACE is the latest chrono model and introduces bold and modern styling from a collaboration with Dutch retailer Ace Jewelers.The stainless steel case is 39.5mm in diameter and 10.85mm in height (without the double-domed sapphire crystal), which is close to the original at approximately 38mm in diameter. There's a bidirectional 12-hour countdown bezel with black numbers and marks, and classic chrono pushers at 2 and 4 o'clock. Th