Pre-HYT H2 Tradition - the Hydro Mechanical Horologist goes (a bit) retro (specs & price) - Monochrome Watches
After several reviews of their watches, you should know what HYT is and that the timepieces they produce are highly technical, bold and modern. Whatever we talk about the H1, the H2, the H3 or the H4, they are all very far from being called vintage-oriented, traditional or retro. Recently, we’ve seen evolutions of several editions from the?Hydro Mechanical Horologists (that’s how the folks at HYT like to call them), like the aviator-style H2 or the implementation of a lighting system (mechanically-driven) in the H4. For their first participation at the SIHH (into the “Carre des Horologers“, with 8 other independent brands), HYT makes a U-Turn, with a more traditional vision of the H2… and some tweaks on the movements and display. Let’s have a look at the?HYT H2 Tradition.Take a look at the HYT H2, the second watch created by the brand, with the typical V-shaped bellows and the entirely skeletonized movement, visible from the front. I dare anyone to c

Review: Love at First Sight, The Chopard L.U.C XPS Forest Green
Most days, you’ll catch me wearing a dive watch or a classic chronograph. This is what I most enjoy as a watch collector (yes, we are first and foremost watch fans at MONO). I like to wear watches that I don’t have to worry about, and I love a timepiece with some heft. Not necessarily a large watch (41mm would usually be my maximum), but a watch with a feeling of robustness, most of the time on a metal bracelet. With this in mind, you can imagine that the classic, thin dress watch isn’t an object that I often strap around my wrist. I enjoy seeing them worn, but not on my wrist. Except that, I might just have found the one watch that changes everything.?When: Watches and Wonders 2024, 9 April 2024. Where: Chopard’s booth, press room. What: the freshly presented Chopard L.U.C XPS Forest Green. Reaction: wow, just wow. I know it sounds like one of those lines to generate enthusiasm. Well, it’s not. What I’m relating here is a genuine moment of excitemen

2022 Editions Omega Constellation 41mm (Specs & Price)
A watch born in the early 1950s as?a precision chronometer wristwatch, the Omega Constellation is one of the most long-lasting collections of the brand, only surpassed by the Seamaster. After three decades as a classic, elegant watch, it drastically changed in the early 1980s to become the model with integrated bracelet and signature claws we know today. Since then, this bold and recognizable design has been part of the collection under the name Manhattan. Among the wide range of models, we’ve always a certain love for the modern, sporty 41mm edition, which we extensively reviewed here. Part of the 2022 collection, Omega brings new colours and two-tone options to this watch, in the same vein as they did with the Globemaster Annual Calendar.?The Omega Constellation 41mm is a rather unique model in the collection, and also next to the competition. While sharing some elements with the classic luxury sports watches with integrated bracelet, it’s not entirely in line with this s

Baselworld 2015 - Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Apollo 13 Silver Snoopy Award (specs & price) - Monochrome-Watches
That’s the one we (almost) predicted. We were 90% sure that Omega would come with a new edition of the Snoopy Speedmaster Professional. The one we imagined is however quite far from this new?Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Apollo 13 Silver Snoopy Award ref.?311.32.42.30.04.003. Using the iconic Speedy Pro base, it however brings not only a new dial but also several little details that will definitely create a proper?collectible edition.Before we go into what is new in this?Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Apollo 13 Silver Snoopy Award, let’s first look at what doesn’t change. The base of this limited edition (1.970 pieces) is THE classical Omega Speedmaster Professional a.k.a Moonwatch, meaning a 42mm chronograph made in both polished and brushed?stainless steel, with a 3-counter layout and using the Omega Calibre 1861. Technically speaking, Omega keeps here the nearly same (and totally superb) recipe since 1965. A Snoopy Award edition of the Speedmaster isn’t either a n

Smartwatch or smart watch: Frederique Constant & Alpina stumble onto the stage of smart-tech - Monochrome Watches
Ever since the dawn of the smartphones and ¨Ctablets, the discussion of smartwatches' has been looming in the dark. Over the past 12 months though, we have seen the concept solidify in the form of several smart-only watches (i.e. a watch that is fully smart and non-mechanical) and a few attempts of blending technology with tradition. For the hardcore enthusiast this is something of a concern, which seems valid when digging into the latest offering: Frederique Constant & Alpina Swiss Horological Smartwatches.We've seen the Kairos, that I am personally following closely as development moves closer to production, and we've seen the Montblanc E-Strap on the Timewalker Urban Speed. The latter of the two is perhaps the most interesting, and most unlikely to disturb the feel of a mechanical watch. You can still enjoy your TimeWalker, or any model you decide to strap it on to, while being notified in the case of an emergency or important event. True, the impact and usability of both can be