Watches NEWS
Hands-On - The Garrick S1 Prototype With Skeletonized Dial (Specs & Price)
For the last few years, we've been hearing about the so-called “resurgence” of British watchmaking. Run by passionate Brits with a strong streak of defiance, these small independent brands are (very) slowly but surely gaining a foothold in the market and proving they have what it takes to stick around for a while. One such brand, which we've written about several times before on MONOCHROME, is Garrick (you can find all past coverage here.) Today, we're taking a closer look at the S1, the latest model from the brand, or rather a prototype of it.?SalonQP 2017If you attended SalonQP this year at the Saatchi Gallery, then you likely already know it was a lacklustre event in comparison to previous years. Not only was it smaller (an entire floor smaller) but it also failed to attract the major brand names like Vacheron Constantin and Jaeger-LeCoultre, which in previous years had interactive booths set up. This seems to be part of a larger trend of big brands not finding regional
Interview - Pilot Etienne Bauer & His IWC Big Pilot Shock Absorber XPL
Sometimes our watch-related jobs can lead us to meet fascinating people and to be part of extraordinary experiences. A few weeks ago, I had a phone call from IWC‘s headquarters, which could be summarized this way: “Do you remember that innovative Big Pilot's Watch Shock Absorber XPL?… Of course, I do! Well, we have one out there into the wild that is currently on the wrist of a French Aeronavale pilot, flying on Rafale, for a series of tests. Do you want to meet with him? Ps. you’ll be able to see the planes in action.” And the rest is me jumping like a kid, packing my camera gear and driving to the Landivisiau Naval Air Base in French Brittany, on my way to meet Commander Etienne Bauer, a pilot for the Aeronavale (the French naval aviation), to see how exactly the most technically-advanced (and honestly, the most badass) IWC Pilot’s Watch, the Shock Absorber XPL, was tested. And I was surprised to discover a man that is not only a trained military b
Review Tissot PRX 40 205 Powermatic 80 (Specs & Price)
The trend for 1970s-inspired sports watches with integrated bracelet doesn’t seem to slow down. In fact, multiple brands are entering the race, whether in the entry-level segment or all the way up in haute horlogerie. One of the latest contenders in this very highly prolific segment is coming from Tissot, with the PRX watch. While already presented (but not here… more on that in a few) with a quartz movement, today the Swatch Group-owned brand unveils a more desirable mechanical version. And we have a closer look at this new Tissot PRX 40 205 Powermatic 80 in the metal.If you’re a web-surfing, social-media-connected watch enthusiast, you’ve probably already seen the quartz edition of the Tissot PRX. While some fellow watch blogs/magazines jumped on the occasion, we at MONOCHROME decided to wait before having a look at the PRX. Call us posh if you want, I’d call us true to ourselves and to our love for watchmaking… Mechanical is our passion, battery-p
Panerai Luminor Marina Luminous Trilogy PAM1117, PAM1118 & PAM1119
In a recent interview with MONOCHROME, Panerai's CEO, Jean-Marc Pontroue, gave us a foretaste of what to expect in 2020. The main theme for the brand would be the 70th anniversary of Luminor. To celebrate this anniversary, the Italian brand releases three boutique-exclusive limited edition watches, which make an impact with their potent visibility in the dark: meet the PAM1117, PAM1118 & PAM1119.The Luminor trademark was registered some 70 years ago by Panerai. Luminor was the name chosen by the brand to describe the tritium-based luminous compound applied to the brands’ dials (to replace Radium as it is significantly less radioactive). Over time the word Luminor would come to describe the iconic cushion-shaped case of the dive watch. Although radioactive substances are no longer used on their watches, Panerai releases three new Luminor references that pay tribute to the original luminescence by glowing in the most unusual places. Ad - Scroll to continue with artic
Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Gravity - Full Review with live photos, specs and price - Monochrome-Watches
It's not often we cover Maurice Lacroix on Monochrome, but over the past few years we've seen a number of interesting watches being introduced by this manufacture. We showed you the Masterpiece Gravity as a Baselworld 2014 introduction, but now we bring share our extensive review just prior to Baselworld 2015, in anticipation of the novelties to come.Founded in 1976, the Swiss brand of Maurice Lacroix is upping their game since 2006 by bringing in-house developed components and movements to their line-up. The introduction of a square and clover-leaf wheel, intriguingly placed on the dial-side of the watch and doubling as an indicator for the seconds or a seemingly floating seconds hand are two of the noteworthy visible characteristics of their work. For the Gravity, an in-house silicon escapement receives a prominent place on the front of the watch. I'd say on the dial but there really isn't one except for the small, off-center one. Ad - Scroll to continue with article