The Battle of High-End Chronographs Part 1 - Patek Philippe 5172G - Monochrome Watches
When a model is discontinued and replaced with a new reference at Patek Philippe, two things happen: the old model tends to become even juicier bait for collectors and the newcomer is subjected to intense scrutiny. In March 2019, Patek Philippe introduced the ref.5172G chronograph to replace the longstanding and much-loved ref. 5170. Fitted with the same in-house manual-winding calibre CH 29-535 PS as its predecessor, the latest member of Patek's chronograph dynasty comes in a white gold case with a de rigueur blue dial and a pronounced vintage temperament. Larger, bolder, less classic and more casual than the 5170, the 5172G is one of the contenders in our next battle of chronographs.Editor's note: this review of the Patek Philippe Chronograph 5172G is part of a series of three articles where we will compare two of the most desirable high-end, hand-wound chronographs currently on the market. Two watches with the same concept, but two different flavours. The third article, which will b

Hands-On With The New Vulcain Skindiver Nautique 38mm
When the name Vulcain comes into the conversation, your brain should (rightfully) have something very special in mind… A watch that has forged the brand’s success since 1947, a watch with a complication that is still a rare gem of the industry. I am, of course, talking about the Cricket alarm watch, the same complication that was relaunched as a flagship model to mark the brand’s recent revival. But there’s always more to a brand’s story than a single watch. Vulcain is a treasure trove of sleeping beauties. Continuing with the nostalgic vibe of the Cricket, the brand revives another vintage watch with the new Vulcain Skindiver Nautique 38mm.This new dive watch relies on a classic yet effective recipe involving the re-edition of a vintage model with minor updates to enhance use and performance. In short, a design of the past and mechanics and materials of the present. I’m not even going to start naming other brands that have used this recipe in the pa

Bamford London Popeye GMT Limited Edition - Specs & Price
Bamford London has built a reputation by customizing watches from top brands like , Zenith and Patek Philippe, and all of the work is officially authorized. The company even collaborates with outside designers like Black Badger for wild creations like the Zenith El Primero Superconductor. Bamford also has its own line of GMT watches and had a little fun in 2019 with a Popeye-themed limited edition, celebrating the cartoon character's 90th anniversary. You can't keep Popeye down and he's back for 2021, forearms and all, to claim the dial of another limited edition GMT. Character watches were all the rage when I was a kid and this latest Popeye GMT brings a mature Swiss automatic to nostalgic adults.?A few things have changed since the 2019 version, but the cushion case dimensions remain the same. Coming in at 40mm in diameter and 11.2mm in height, it's right at home on most wrists. The stainless steel has a darker matte black finish this time, a theme seen throughout the watch, with th

Introducing the TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-02T Tourbillon - a chronograph & tourbillon just under 15,000 CHF (specs & price) - Monochrome Watches
Here is the deal… TAG Heuer has just released a new Carrera watch featuring?(please, take a seat…) their?own in-house chronograph and tourbillon movement for JUST 15,000 Swiss Francs including taxes. Yes, you read it correct, there’s no typo here. We’re not talking about 150,000 Swiss Francs but really fifteen thousand Swiss Francs, including 8% Swiss taxes. Frankly, this is beyond impressive. It’s almost unbelievable. However, this new proposition by TAG Heuer leaves?us with a few?questions. And you know us, at Monochrome-Watches, we’ll try to answer them. Here’s an overview of the new?TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-02T Tourbillon – a chronograph & tourbillon for?15,000 CHF.The?TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-02T TourbillonWell, for the first paragraphs of this article about the?TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-02T Tourbillon, we’re going to hide our usual alertness and critical approach, and first focus on what we are looking at. Using the same conce

Oris introduces a trio of unisex Aquis Date 36.5mm models.
Geneva Watch Days 2022 brings us a fun trio of Oris Aquis Date models, this time with reserved, unisex cases and earthy mother-of-pearl dials. Don't let the relaxed aesthetics fool you: these are serious divers with a pro depth rating and sophistication that Aquis Date watches are known for. They follow similar yet larger models like the Aquis Date New York Harbor Limited Edition with a green mother-of-pearl dial (almost identical to one of these three), but the smaller size and steel bracelets give them distinctive personalities. Women might be a bit more drawn to these, but they're certainly suitable for anyone above or below the water.The multi-piece stainless steel case has the familiar Aquis Date look with a steel unidirectional rotating bezel and 60-minute scale in relief. At 36.5mm in diameter, it's on the smaller end of the collection but, again, universally sized for just about any wrist. A double-domed sapphire crystal with an interior anti-reflective coating protects the dia