Hands-On - Chopard Alpine Eagle 33 Automatic (Specs & Price)
Fast on the heels of the Alpine Eagle Pine Green model, Chopard is also releasing six references in a new 33mm case size. When the Alpine Eagle luxury sports watch collection was introduced in 2019, the first time-and-date models were offered in 41mm and 36mm case sizes, moving up to 44mm cases for the chronograph models The new, smaller case size is evidently targeting women and comes in ethical rose gold or Lucent Steel – and combinations of both materials- with or without diamonds on the bezel. Like all members of the Alpine Eagle family, the watch and the chronometer-certified movement are developed and manufactured in-house. And perhaps the best news of all, the date window featured on larger 41mm non-jewellery models has been suppressed.Downsizing a watch while retaining its personality might seem to be an easy task, but it requires a comprehensive study of proportions and balance to ensure the genetic traits of the collection don’t get lost. Although there have alway

Baselworld 2015 also means another Edition of Schnitzel Dinner - lots of photos - Monochrome Watches
One of my personal highlights of the year is the annual schnitzel dinner, that is always on the Saturday during Baselworld. It’s a gathering of long-time friends and new friends in the watch industry and the idea is simple: schnitzel, beer, a good conversations. This dinner has been the platform for new collaborations, ?friendships and was the place where the Gronefeld’s received their Timezone Watch of the Year Award. This year’s conversation topics?of course covered the new Patek Calatrava Pilot Travel Time?–?we’ve yet have to meet someone who’s impartial towards it –?and much more. It was a blast again, or as some guests friends call it, the best evening of the fair. I won’t ramble on, here are the photos (including a properly awesome table shot.) Above are some wrist shot, and although what you see here doesn’t cover every watch that was presen

Frank and his MIH Watch developed by Ludwig Oechslin and Paul Gerber - Monochrome Watches
Fly under the radar: this could be the motto of the first generation MIH Watch that was developed by none other than Ludwig Oechslin and Paul Gerber. Christian Gafner, an industrial designer who never before designed a watch, has to be credited for the ‘fly-under-the-radar’ design that goes together so well with what’s under the ‘hood’. The MIH Watch served as a fundraiser for the Musee International d’Horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, where Ludwig Oechslin was the conservator and was sold in a newspaper!?Ludwig Oechslin signed the newspaper before he handed it over to me.Today I'm interviewing Frank Geelen, the founder and editor-in-chief of MONOCHROME, and we talk about his MIH Watch that he bought ten years ago. Although we’ve talked about many of his watches, the MIH Watch recently popped up in conversation and since it’s such a unique watch, that was born from a unique motivation and executed in such a unique way, we both

A Closer Look At The Time-Only Models Of The Tissot Heritage 1938 Collection
Delving into one’s archives to find inspiration for new models is common practice in the watchmaking world. It’s been done for years and will likely remain a go-to strategy in the future. And while simply regurgitating past designs might be boring to some, it can be extremely satisfying, when done right. In recent years Tissot has been quite successful in capturing the essence of historic watches and giving them a modern makeover. Just think of the immensely popular PRX collection, or the colourful Sideral for instance. A little over a year ago Tissot released the rather handsome Telemeter 1938. Now, the brand introduces smaller and simpler versions with the Heritage 1938 Chronometre, expanding the 1938 line into a full collection.?This new addition is available in three distinct styles, with either a time-only or a time-and-date configuration. We are taking a closer look at the two central seconds models specifically. The style is typical of the pre-WWII era of watchmaking

Seiko 1970 Divers Re-Creation SLA033 (Specs & Price)
The new Seiko SLA033 has been one of the most anticipated and talked about watches of Baselworld 2019, up there with the Tudor Black Bay P01. It is undeniable that Seiko has more memorable divers per square metre – and price segment – than any other company (just head to the Seiko microsite on MONOCHROME to confirm my assertion). And not as a result of a well-planned marketing campaign but thanks to word to mouth, which is how fame is truly consolidated. At Baselworld 2019, Seiko took the decision to create yet another famous dive watches (after the SLA017 and the SLA025), with the 1970 Diver's Re-Creation SLA033.Among these iconic watches is the Captain Willard, the Seiko 6105, which occupies the highest echelon of Seiko divers, and of dive watches in general. Produced from 1968 onwards, with a water-resistance of 150 metres, what caught everybody’s eye was the crown positioned at 4 o’clock (which was, in fact, used for the first time in the 1961 Seiko Silver W