The Collector Series - A Man & His Breitling Premier Split-Seconds
We're back today with a new instalment of our Collector's Series column, where we leave the stage to an owner and his beloved watch. For a relatively unknown reason, Breitling has rarely been seen in the series, but we're about to change this And with a pretty impressive model. Today, we'll be talking with Timerider27, as this 54yo watch collector is known on Instagram. He is a true Breitling fan. He thought it was time to explain why his Breitling Duograph Premier Split-Seconds chronograph is his favourite one. And to ask people to stop complaining so muchFrank Geelen, MONOCHROME – How did you personally get to know the brand in the first place??Timerider27 – I started collecting in 2004. Reading various magazines and forums, the first Breitling that caught my interest was a variation of the Transocean Unitime without a chronograph. I also liked the ubiquitous Navitimer but thought I would never use the calculator bezel and I still hold to that. I also enjoy 24-hour dials

Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Chronograph SRQ039J1 Blue Dial Hands-On
Seiko expands its Prospex Speedtimer chronograph series with a new blue panda-style dial with contrasting black sub-dials. Introduced in 2021, the Prospex Speedtimer celebrates Seiko's contribution to sports timing with a fusion of design details and mechanical features of stopwatches and wristwatch chronographs produced in the 1960s. The case and dial, for example, pick up on specific design features and the impeccable legibility of Seiko's handheld stopwatches and its manual-winding Crown Chronograph 5179 wristwatch of 1964. Honouring the sophisticated automatic chronograph movement of Seiko's legendary calibre 6139 of 1969, the Prospex Speedtimers are powered by the calibre 8R46 with a vertical clutch and column wheel. Here’s the new Seiko Prospex Speedtimer SRQ039J1.The race against timeAlthough we tend to remember 1969 as the year when America won the space race and landed a man on the Moon, there was another race between Swiss watch manufactures to develop the first automat

First Look: The Europe-Only Platinum Tank Louis Cartier Limited Edition
While the name Santos often comes to mind when speaking about Cartier watches, it would be more precise in this instance to talk about the brand’s first wristwatch – and most probably one of the earliest purpose-built wristwatches. In fact, when talking about watches in general, the first (pocket)watches by Cartier appeared as early as 1853, only six years after the creation of the atelier by Louis-Fran?ois Cartier. To celebrate 170 years of watchmaking, today, the brand is releasing an appealing new limited edition based on the hand-wound Tank Louis Cartier LM, exclusive to the European market, combining a platinum case with an Art Deco blue dial.?Despite being named LM or Large Model, what we’re looking at today is a truly modest watch, at least regarding its proportions. Is this a bad thing? Not at all. It’s sometimes rather refreshing to strap such a compact watch on the wrist, specifically when we’re talking about one with the sheer elegance of the Ta

Introducing: The new Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope Paris 2024
Released in 2021, the Chronoscope was a surprising take on the classic Speedmaster, combining a large case, a two-counter dial (usually found in larger versions and racing-oriented models) with a vintage-inspired dial bearing no fewer than three snailed-shaped tracks. Untouched since its presentation, which included steel and bronze-gold versions, the Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope collection now expands to celebrate the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics – Omega being, once again, the official timekeeper of the event. And we now have appealing new models with charm and luxury, including references in Moonshine gold.What we’re looking at today are new variations around an existing collection, in order to celebrate the upcoming Olympic Games of Paris 2024, which are set to begin in just 100 days. In short, these new Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope models are identical to the classic versions we have reviewed here, only bringing new colours and materials. But as we’ve told on mu

Oris Big Crown Bronze Pointer Date 40mm Bronze Dial / Introducing, Price
If you’re into watches, the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date should be no stranger to you. In a few years, this watch has become the signature element of the pilot-oriented Big Crown collection, with its nice vintage design and practical function. Still, this apparently simple watch has a lot to tell, as it is far from a new design, and second, it actually helped to make Oris what it is today. After multiple editions in steel or in bronze, Oris presents a new Big Crown Bronze Pointer Date 40mm, with its typically patinated case and now a matching bronze dial. Overview.History of the Big Crown Pointer DateOris has a well-documented history in the world of aviation, having made its first pilot's pocket watch in the early 1910s. This was followed by the company's first pilot's wristwatch in 1917, a watch that?could only?be adjusted when a button above the crown was activated – something featured on the 2017 re-edition. Eventually came the creation of the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date