Revivals: old designs and brand new delight - Monochrome Watches
Our contributor Time2tic shares his views on re-editions. And in the mean time he shares something we at Monochrome really like a lot as well… gorgeous photos of his Longines Legend Diver. Watch brands either have designers working full time for them or regularly use the services of designers to come up with suggestions for the designs of new products for the next year(s). This is an established cycle just like in the fashion industry, although in the watchmaking industry, we don’t have seasonal collections, at least not yet. Ad - Scroll to continue with article The new models will be presented to press and public in Geneva or Basel at the start of the new year year , but passionate watch enthusiasts?haunting internet forums and blogs, can enjoy sneak previews a few weeks or days before the official launch. Many new models come to market every?year,

Hands-On - Delma Cayman Worldtimer Automatic (Specs & Price)
Although Delma isn't the most familiar brand, it's one we've covered several times on MONOCHROME because of its excellent quality/price ratio. The recent vintage-inspired Continental Chronographs are solid examples, offering well-executed and diverse models for under EUR 3,000. This latest Cayman Worldtimer Automatic follows the simpler Cayman Automatic diver line with an added GMT hand and world cities on the external rotating bezel. Not a true world timer from the likes of Vacheron Constantin or Patek Philippe (with internal rotating 24-hour ring), but it gets the job done for a fraction of the price.BACKGROUNDDelma isn't a relatively new microbrand or the like (if you're unfamiliar with the brand), but an almost century-old, independent Swiss watchmaker that's family owned. It's known for sporty dive watches and chronographs with dress and ladies’ models as well. The new Cayman Worldtimer is a GMT watch with 24 world cities engraved on a rotating bezel, requiring a quick manua

Oris El Hierro Limited Edition (live photos, specs & price) - Monochrome Watches
If there’s one thing Oris is good at, it’s to create interesting and nicely designed limited editions, especially of dive watches. Well, it’s not that difficult when your base for these editions is the reliable, rugged, efficient but pretty affordable Aquis Date. We’ve seen for instance the Great Barrier Reef edition or the Carlos Coste version. This time, Oris teams up with the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, to create a volcano-inspired version, the (of-course) black and red?Oris El Hierro Limited Edition.El Hierro? A Spanish?Institute of Oceanography? A volcano? And a dive watch…? Ok, before going into the details of the?Oris El Hierro Limited Edition, first a short story, explaining the reasons behind this watch. In October 2011, strange activity was observed off the coast of El Hierro, the most south-western of the Spanish-owned Canary Islands. Patches of pale-coloured water began appearing, dead fish floated on the ocean surface, and locals noted

Hands-On 2021 Norqain Freedom 60 GMT Editions - Specs & Price
Founded in 2018, the family-run brand Norqain might be a fledgeling brand on the Swiss watchmaking scene, but in just three years, it has consolidated a respectable collection of watches designed for rugged outdoor activities. What is even more surprising for such a young brand is that since 2020 Norqain avails itself of COSC-certified movements made by Kenissi, manufacture jointly owned by Chanel and Tudor/ . The two Norqain Freedom 60 GMT launching today are fitted with robust Kenissi manufacture calibres. The reference to 60' in the name of the watch alludes to the overall 1960s vibe of the design. Last year, the first Freedom 60 GMT models were launched; in steel with a black dial and a 300-piece limited edition in bronze with a brown dial. As part of the Freedom family with its line-up of retro/sporty models, Ben Kuffer, the brand's CEO, listened closely to customer feedback and decided to produce the GMT models with a 40mm case size.Dual TimeThe latest Freedom 60 GMTs come in a c

First Look: The Piaget Polo 79, now in White Gold (Incl. Video)
Last year, Piaget made a bold move, resurrecting one of its most emblematic watches and designs… The Polo watch was back to its original shape and opulent full gold attire, with a case, bracelet and dial adorned with horizontal gadroons, highlighting Piaget's unique legacy when it comes to creating fascinating shaped watches. The Piaget Polo 79 marked the return of the brand to the integrated elegant sports watch category, with a unique style and bold flair. Following the yellow gold version of last year, Piaget now releases a (slightly) more discreet version of the Polo 79 in white gold, and we’re having a closer look at it.?The Piaget Polo 79 as launched in 2024, with its full yellow gold attireWhen it was relaunched with a modernized and sleeker design in 2016, the Piaget Polo adopted the design cues of luxury sports watches, slightly changing the face of the collection to become a cushion-shaped watch, actually much closer to the Emperador collection in terms of design.