Certina DS1 Big Date 60th Anniversary - Introducing (Specs & Price)
The DS Concept put Certina on the map and was a big step forward in making Swiss watches more reliable and water-resistant while maintaining affordable prices. Now that the system is celebrating its 60th birthday, a commemorative watch is launched. Meet the new Certina DS1 Big Date 60th Anniversary and its combination of style, good mechanics and affordability.BackgroundNowadays, a shock and water-resistant watch doesn't really sound like anything exceptional. In our age of high-tech hardened bezels, helium escape valves, thermo-compensated movements, 1000-hour-tests, anti-magnetic escape wheels, soft iron inner cases and 10,000 Vickers toughness, overengineering has become a rule rather than an exception.An early, pre-pending, Certina DS model, from the first production batch – image by wristchronology.comBut things were very different sixty years ago, when Incabloc was practically the only good shock absorber on the market, and still relatively scarce. Water-resistance was an e

The Breitling 765 AVI / Co-Pilot Series of Watches - Part III - Monochrome Watches
The introduction of the automatic chronograph movement was a cataclysmic event for the Swiss watch industry. Up to this point there were only two kinds of watches: the self-winding watch, and the chronograph. In 1969 however this discord passed into history. A fusion of these two became a new reality. In this third and final part of the history of the Breitling 765 AVI / Co-Pilot we are going to examine the impact that the automatic chronograph had for the Avi-Co-Pilot family of chronographs up to their demise in the late 1970's.Returning to the AVI/Co-Pilot series we must stress that initially, the introduction of the automatic chronograph did not have any major impact?in the lineup. However, the year 1969 marked a radical departure. The watches grew up a little bit, from 41mm bezel diameter to a 42.4 mm diameter, however were still powered by the manually wound chronograph calibres. There were three ‘new’ references, plus one. First of all the ref.7650, which was basicall

Introducing the Oris Carl Brashear Limited Edition - specs and price - Monochrome Watches
I bet you still remember the Oris Divers Sixty-Five, the?charming vintage-inspired diver’s watch that the brand introduced early last year. Today we’re introducing a watch that was inspired on the Divers Sixty-Five: the same shaped case, crown, domed sapphire crystal, however it’s 2 mm larger! And instead of a steel case with ceramic black bezel, now the case and bezel are completely made of bronze. The new timepiece?–?limited to only 2,000 pieces –?is dedicated to the first?African-American who became a US Navy Master Diver. Here’s the stunning Oris Carl Brashear Limited Edition.?The Oris Carl Brashear is actually the very first bronze watch that Oris has made since its inception in 1904! Bronze is a naturally aging material, and an interesting tidbit is that those huge diving helmets in the 1950’s were made of copper – hang in there for the relation with copper. As we already said, the design of this new watch has many parallels with?th

Buying Guide - Best Of Dive Watches Baselworld 2019 Top 10
Dive watches are one of the most popular categories in the watch world and, without surprises, Baselworld wrapped up with plenty of new models to sate aficionados If these comply with strict standards, you do not need to be a diver to love these utilitarian tools. They make great daily wearers on dry land too. Here are the 10 best dive watches that caught our eye at Baselworld 2019.Note: this selection, ordered from low to high prices, is based on a consensus among the MONOCHROME team. It reflects our preferences among the watches unveiled at Baselworld 2019. If you want to add some watches to this selection, feel free to share them in the comment section at the end of this article.Delma Blue Shark III 4000mAt Baselworld 2019, Delma released a new version of its deep diver, the Blue Shark. The model incorporates several updates, including water-resistance beefed up from 3,000m to 4,000m. The 47mm steel case features a 120-click unidirectional bezel, a screw-down crown, and a helium rel

Introducing: The New TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper Gold
Last year, TAG Heuer launched the Skipper, a watch design inspired by one of the brand’s historic designs. Heuer created the original Skipper after the yacht Intrepid’s victory in the 1967 America’s Cup, where the crew used Heuer’s yachting timers and Aquastar wristwatches. The new Skipper, made of stainless steel, paid tribute to this heritage. This year’s Skipper is even more special, with a precious metal casing that preserves its vintage inspiration.The new TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper has a 39mm case made of 18K 5N rose gold, measuring 13.9mm in thickness with a lug-to-lug distance of 46mm. It features a blend of fine-brushed and polished finishes and classic rose gold chronograph pushers at 2 and 4 o’clock, alongside a rose gold crown at 3 o’clock. The case has a screw-down caseback made of solid rose gold sapphire, ensuring a water resistance of up to 100m. Ad - Scroll to continue with article