Watches NEWS
Buying Guide - 10 Great Dive Watches Of 2017, For Every Pocket
You may or may not be planning a deep dive over the summer. It doesn’t really matter. You do not need to be a diver to love these high-performing, utilitarian dive watches. They make great daily wearers too and as summer is fast approaching, we have picked 10 new dive watches for 2017, with choices to suit every pocket and taste. In short, the best watches to look cool on the beach, on a boat and with your favorite summer cocktail.Seiko Prospex Diver SPB051 and SPB053Introduced at Baselworld 2017, the newest Seiko Prospex are offered in 42.6mm steel cases and rated water resistant to 200m. The unidirectional bezel insert to keep track of diving time features dots and numerals. The movement is the in-house 6R15 calibre with automatic winding. The SPB051 comes with a black dial and bezel insert and is complemented by a steel bracelet. The SPB053 features a blue dial and bezel and is worn on an accordion-style rubber strap. And as always with Seiko, at EUR900 and EUR 1'100, these ne
IWC Portugieser Chronograph Rattrapante Edition Boutique Munich / Paris
Following its?launch in 1995, the IWC Portugieser Chrono-graph Rattrapante (Ref. 3712) quickly gained?the status of icon. For a start it was?a?Portugieser (which alone makes this watch totally emblematic of the?Schaffhausen-based manufacture) plus it?also featured?quite a special split-second chronograph complication. Yes, it is a rattrapante but that’s not what made it special per se. It’s special because at the time it was a?simple and accessible rattrapante, which?was very cool. Unfortunately, this watch was discontinued in?2006… Until earlier this year that, when it was revived?in a gold limited edition for Milano. Today that model is joined?by two siblings, this time in stainless steel?– which?is really cool. Presenting?the “new” Portugieser Chronograph Rattrapante Boutique Editions, one for Munich and the other for the Rue de la Paix / Paris.The original, the 1995 IWC Portugieser Chrono-graph Rattrapante (Ref. 3712) Ad - Scroll to co
In-Depth - The Merging of Pocket Watches and Wristwatches
Upgrading expensive mechanical devices is a centuries-old concept that prevents premature obsolescence as times change. In the American Wild West of the 19th century, black powder revolvers were commonly converted to shoot modern cartridges, forgoing the need to replace a vital necessity. Cameras are another example, such as early 20th-century screw-mount Leica rangefinders. The original fixed-lens Model A was often converted to interchangeable lens models, such as the I C/O Standard Mount or model IIIa. Products like these were designed to last decades or even a century, so modification at a fraction of the cost of replacement made perfect sense, not to mention the preservation of coveted possessions. The same applies to timepieces and pocket watches that have merged with wristwatches in many interesting ways. Following our previous post, answering the difficult question “Is there still a place for pocket watches in the 21st century?“, we now look at the more modern side o
Recap - The Best Watches Introduced by PATEK PHILIPPE in 2021
With the end of the year fast approaching, we’ve decided to look at the best models launched by the most productive manufacturers in 2021. Not all brands were equal this year, with most of them playing conservative, either by releasing only evolutions of existing collections or new colours/materials, either by releasing a very limited amount of watches. This wasn’t the case for Patek Philippe, as the brand managed to create the buzz (yes, that Tiffany stamped dial… and more), but also amazed by creating entirely new models or by having some major technical innovations. Pandemic and crisis… These aren’t words found in Patek’s dictionary and the brand has been highly productive this year. And here are, according to MONOCHROME, the 5 most important models presented by the brand in 2021.?Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-014 Green DialThe first… and maybe the most notable model that Patek Philippe presented in 2021. Sure, there are some other importa
First Look: The Lightweight Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic in Titanium
Integrated sports watches have been a hit since the 1970s when the Royal Oak and Nautilus changed everything, and affordable options are all the rage today. Look no further than Tissot's PRX Powermatic 80 as an example. Maurice Lacroix's Aikon Automatic perhaps does it best with a masterful combination of luxury and attainability. Usually comprised of stainless steel, the collection has strayed into bronze on rare occasions and also titanium for an Automatic Chronograph, but the latest titanium Aikon Automatic models are a first for the series and a logical, lightweight addition.The Aikon was introduced in 2016, but the mechanical automatic launched two years later in 2018 (and you know we're all about mechanical watches at MONOCHROME). It's certainly a diverse collection with many dial variants, complications, case sizes and materials, but the classic time and date models are the core of the collection. It has a distinctive style that's easily recognizable as a Maurice Lacroix and is
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