A Personal Story on the Ventura V-Tec Sigma
If you follow MONOCHROME, even occasionally, you know that we're all about mechanical watches. It takes something really special to get us excited about something battery-powered, but every now and then, that something comes along. The retro Hamilton PSR is a recent example, along with the quartz Citizen Calibre 0100 that's accurate to +/-1 second per year. Also, we sometimes dig into our own collections to highlight a special piece, like Frank's vintage Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Brice's Breguet Type XX. So, in this hands-on review, I'm going to talk about my own Ventura V-Tec Sigma, an unconventional luxury digital watch that once guest-starred in a Nicolas Cage movie.BACKGROUND VenturaVentura was founded by Pierre Nobs in 1987, who left the mainstream watch industry to find something more meaningful. Disheartened by the fake nostalgia coming from well-known brands, he wanted to create unique, avant-garde watches in collaboration with renowned industrial designers. It wasn't long

Tudor Heritage Black Bay Chrono M79350 (Specs & Price)
Tudor have done it again… When introduced at Baselworld 2017, their latest addition to the Heritage?Black Bay collection, a chronograph, immediately became a talking piece, bringing?contentious or heated discussions around the table and passionate arguments – and not only on collectors’ forums or on social media but also internally here, at the Monochrome redaction. Yet, even if we all are watch-lovers, we also have the duty of being objective in our reviews. This is why we’ve waited to bring you this test of the?Tudor Heritage Black Bay Chrono, just to make sure that passion-driven feelings have cooled-down.Why so many discussions? Why such passionate comments about this watch? To understand a bit more why this Tudor Black Bay Chrono became a talking piece, we have to look back at the history of the collection itself. In 2012, Tudor introduced the?Heritage Black Bay, a vintage-inspired dive watch bearing all the traditional codes of the brand (and of the fami

First Look: The New Worlds Thinnest Mechanical Watch, The 1.70mm Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC
The competition for ultra-thin watches is more intense than ever. Watches with a thinness that would have been unimaginable a few years ago have recently been unveiled, with manufacturers squeezing complications into minimal space and tirelessly chasing microns. Bulgari's Octo Finissimo saga has garnered widespread recognition in this realm. The brand’s remarkable series of records included the world's thinnest mechanical watch in 2022, the Octo Finissimo Ultra, at a mere 1.8mm thick. However, Bulgari‘s reign was short-lived, when Richard Mille introduced the RM UP-01 a few months later, with its 1.75mm thickness. But it's time for Bulgari to reclaim its trophy and bragging rights. Meet the world's thinnest mechanical watch with the new 1.70mm Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC.The Octo Finissimo needs little introduction and has become a true icon of horology. It is a statement of style and Italian elegance. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, it is also a technical achievement as

Introducing Tudor Pelagos FXD Marine Nationale M25707B
In May this year, Tudor announced a (not so) new partnership with a lot of historical resonance Indeed, we're talking about a long-standing collaboration that dates back to the 1950s, when dive watches were instruments for combat divers. Yes, Tudor has renewed its partnership with the Marine National (of the French Navy), bringing back a military connection that gave birth to some of the most collectable vintage watches of the brand. And now, it's time for the dedicated watch to surface, based on the Pelagos, and updated with multiple tweaks. And yes, the M.N. engraving on the back is present! Here's the new Tudor Pelagos FXD Marine Nationale. Just like mothership , Tudor has long been involved with military forces. Following the creation of the Submariner in 1953, started to develop more accessible models under Tudor branding (in 1954 to be precise), which quickly caught the attention of the Marine Nationale. The French Navy started early to collaborate with

Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze M79012M Boutique
Following an array of new models for Watches & Wonders 2021, as well as the new and rather important Black Bay Ceramic, mostly noticeable because of its Master Chronometer certification, Tudor is unveiling yet another novelty and its first boutique edition watch. Based on the desirable, compact and vintage-oriented BB58 model, the brand launched a new bronze edition that is not only using this material for the case but also (and surprisingly) for the bracelet. Here is the new Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze “Boutique Edition” watch.The characteristic elements of the Black Bay Fifty- Eight Bronze watch are basically the same as the classic stainless steel editions, meaning a compact 39mm case with a reasonable height of 11.9mm. The shape is also the same, with the distinctive oversized and unprotected crown and the bevels running on the sides of the lugs – both signature elements of 1950s and 1960s dive watches of the Group. Finally, the 200m water-resistance