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Time+Tide
Andrew gets hands-on with Maurice de Mauriac's third tennis-inspired watch with Racquet Magazine.The post The Maurice de Mauriac Rallymaster III offers a grass court dial inspired by Wimbledon (live unboxing) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
IWC gives its exceptionally shock resistant – and strikingly expensive – aviator’s watch a new look. The Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff is dressed in the black and green livery of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team that’s sponsored by IWC and led by Austrian auto entrepreneur Toto Wolff. Although largely unchanged from the original version, the Toto Wolff edition features a stamped, grained dial with a cleaner aesthetic and open-worked hands. And the BMG shock-absorbing spring that rings the movement is coated in Petronas green Super-LumiNova for maximum visual effect. Initial thoughts Despite its (very) limited commercial success, the original Big Pilot XPL is an interesting example of horological engineering. While its considerable price tag was debatable, the technology inside was novel and exemplifies IWC’s historical focus on engineering. The new iteration is hardly revolutionary since it’s merely a cosmetic makeover, but it does bring a new aesthetics that might give the watch a bigger audience, especially with the high profile of Formula 1 and Toto Wolff himself thanks to the Netflix series about the sport. The new Toto Wolff edition is priced at US$102,000, comparable to the first version and steep for a time-only watch, especially so for an IWC. However, seen another way, the price is perhaps competitive since the another brand that has long emphasised shock resistance and Formula 1 is Richard Mille, and any of its watches is...
Fratello
Back to Basics is our series aimed at newcomers to our lovely watch hobby. In this installment, we will delve into bracelet sizing. Maybe you just got a brand-new watch as a gift, or perhaps you ordered one online. In any case, you now have an oversized watch bracelet in your hands and are wondering […] Visit Back To Basics: How To Size Your Watch Bracelet to read the full article.
Fratello
Working at Fratello has its perks. One of them is that, on rare occasions, we get access to our absolute grail watches. I had such an experience just a few months ago when I spent time with a Rolex Submariner ref. 5508. Today, I get yet another such opportunity. It’s my pleasure to go hands-on […] Visit Meeting My Grail: The A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph to read the full article.
Monochrome
Gerald Charles, the watch brand founded by the late watch designer Gérald Genta in 2000 and now in the hands of Federico Zivani, celebrates its 25th anniversary with two special editions of its flagship Maestro watch. As a brand that relies on one case design alone, it is surprising how much variety it has introduced […]
WatchAdvice
It’s LVMH Watch Week and TAG Heuer has dropped a new Carrera Chronosprint – the Porsche Rallye in black. We went hands-on with it prior to the launch to see how the new variant handles. What We Love Good size for most wrists and wears slightly smaller than the specs suggest The unique chronograph movement is a bit of fun Vintage styling is a nice touch What We Don’t The bracelet could use more of a taper as well as a quick change option Still no screw-down crown on a 100m sports watch Setting an accurate reference time isn’t as easy due to the small minute track Overall Score 8.6 / 10 Value for Money: 8.5/10 Wearability: 8/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9/10 It’s no secret that TAG Heuer and Porsche share a long history, both in a shared name, the Carrera, stemming from the Carrera Panamericana race, as well as an association with each other. There have been numerous TAG Heuer x Porsche pieces over the years, but one of the more unique pieces was the Carrera Chronosprint x Porsche TAG Heuer, which was developed and launched in late 2023. We didn’t do a hands-on review on this piece at the time, more like a pseudo-review as we did have the watch for the day prior to launch and were able to play with it and see how it looked and wore on the wrist. We also showcased the strange, but cool way it tracks the time on the chronograph, mimicking the original Porsche 911’s time of 0-100km/h in 9.1 seconds using a specially designed snail gear in the chronograph mec...
Quill & Pad
2025 is MB&F;’s 20th Anniversary and their celebrations kick off with two 20-piece Limited Edition “Longhorns” in stainless steel with rhodium-plated base plates, glossy black lacquer dials, and blued hands.
Time+Tide
Who needs hands anyway?The post 9 of the best digital watches from $20 to $5,000 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Ordinarily a faithful vintage remake with an old-school aesthetic, the Conquest Heritage gets a makeover for the Chinese Lunar New Year. The Conquest Heritage Year of the Snake stands out with a striking red gradient dial featuring gold-plated hands and indices. And for the occasion, the back bears an engraved snake motif penned by Chinese contemporary artist Wu Jian’an, who drew inspiration from the ancient Chinese fable, “Legend of the White Snake”. Initial thoughts The Conquest Heritage Year of the Snake offers something more modern and striking, instead of the conservative look of the standard model that has a silver or black dial. I particularly like the fact that the snake motif is limited to an engraving on the case back, as having it on the dial would have been overly ornate. It’s priced at US$3,150, almost exactly the same as the regular production model, which makes it a decent value proposition. It has a workmanlike quality appropriate for the price, while the high-spec ETA movement inside is one of its strengths. And like other zodiac-theme watches, this would have resonance for those born in the Year of the Snake a meaningful way to commemorate the occasion, not unlike wearing a birthstone. Vintage inspired The snake edition is identical to the standard model save for the dial and case back engraving. Water resistant to 50 m, the stainless steel case is 40 mm in diameter, 10.7 mm in thickness, and entirely polished. It’s slightly larger than the ori...
WatchAdvice
In this revisited article we originally published early in 2024, we take a look at the (then) new Raymond Weil Millesime with Mario going hands on with the Challenge Watch Award Winning piece from 2023’s GPHG. Originally published April 22nd, 2024 What We Love: Every design element feels exceptionally thought-out Appears larger than on paper, but wears comfortably and true to size A spec & design monster for the price point What We Don’t: Some design elements feel slightly unnecessary Lack of a date can bug some people Would have liked a more finished movement Overall Rating: 8.75/10 Value for Money: 8/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9/10 After the Piaget Polo Date Review, Chamath opened the floor to me, asking what other watches I wanted to review. Unlike last time, I didn’t jump straight into the annals of priceless and inaccessible haute horlogerie. With my newfound experience in reviewing timepieces, it felt right not to give him a heart attack this time. So, instead of asking for an MB&F; or an Urwerk, I gleefully drafted a shortlist of five timepieces to review. There wasn’t a real theme, rhyme or reason with the pieces I requested. I chose pieces not based on brand, price or reputation, but on what intrigued me the most horologically. It was hard to restrict myself to five, (There are so many I love!) but my feeble mind would have exploded before I managed to compile everything I wanted to see. Enter Geneva brand Raymond Weil – a relat...
Time+Tide
Zach's 3 most worn watches of 2024 are a Breguet, TAG Heuer, and Credor, but you will have to watch the video to find out the exact models.The post The three watches Zach wore most in 2024 are… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
I had the opportunity to meet Zakir Miah, the founder of Chicago-based Haim Watch Co., at a timepiece-related event in Canada this past September. Before that, I had only admired his watches online, and I was especially drawn to the L2 Chronograph, which features a pink gold dial with blued hands and numerals. Zakir was gracious and patient enough to walk me through his entire lineup despite the line of people waiting to chat with him. It took nearly all my willpower to walk away without purchasing one. One of their most popular collections is the Legacy Automatic, a custom-built timepiece designed to order. This model marks several milestones for the brand, including its first custom-designed HWC-1 automatic movement based on ETA architecture assembled in the United States. Each watch is crafted specifically for the buyer. The Legacy Automatic has a hand-finished titanium TA2 (commercially pure grade 2) case with a coin-edge bezel and exhibition case back. Today, Haim is launching a new limited edition Legacy to celebrate their second collaboration with WatchesArabized x OPTO WATCH CO. This edition, named the Arabized (Al-Nimer), which translates to “The Tiger,” will feature a dial made of Tiger’s Eye stone. Tiger’s Eye is a chatoyant gemstone, typically classified as a metamorphic rock, recognized for its golden to red-brown color and silky luster. As part of the quartz group, its distinctive appearance is created through the intergrowth of quartz crystals and al...
Monochrome
In an age where the world is literally in the palm of our hands, it seems like the far corners of our planet are closer than ever. Yet, if we want to go there physically, we still face the challenges of adjusting to different time zones when travelling abroad. Not to worry, as there are […]
Monochrome
Towards the end of the year, the MONOCHROME editorial team gets into Santa Claus mode by “making a list and checking it twice, and gonna find out who’s naughty and nice”, referring to watches, of course, As we all have our individual preferences and don’t get our hands on every single watch, some get all […]
Quill & Pad
The Omega x Swatch Speedmaster MoonWatch was one of the biggest product launches of the decade. Raman Kalra eventually managed to get his hands on one and shares his thoughts here.
Monochrome
Chronoswiss, founded by Gerd R. Lang in 1983, gained a reputation for its classical regulator-style displays and was one of the first brands to manufacture this distinctive dial arrangement in a wristwatch. In the hands of the Ebstein family since 2012, Chronoswiss has maintained the regulator and other traditional displays but injected new life into […]
SJX Watches
Over the last decade, metal alloy hairsprings seem to fallen out of favour across watchmaking, with even conservative, haute horlogerie brands like Breguet and Patek Philippe turning to silicon balance springs. Not to mention large-scale makers of sporty watches like Omega and Tudor, which already transitioned to silicon balance springs. Rolex, however, stands out. The Geneva marque continues to employ a hairspring fabricated of its proprietary blue alloy – the Parachrom hairspring. The Parachrom hairspring inside the cal. 4131 of the Cosmograph Daytona The advantages of alloy The use of blue Parachrom is rooted in the simple fact that the right metal alloy boasts performance that is at least on par with its silicon counterpart – while offering some distinct advantages missing in silicon. Alloy hairsprings are traditionally made of Nivarox (and its family of related alloys), a special alloy that neither oxidises nor change its dimensions with variations in temperature. Invented in 1933 and almost a century old, Nivarox is a mix of nickel and iron, making it a ferromagnetic alloy, thus susceptible to influence from magnetic fields. The cal. 3255 of the Day-Date 40 is equipped with a Parachrom hairspring. Image – Rolex In order to make its hairsprings more resistant to magnetism and to bypass the Swatch-imposed monopoly on Nivarox hairsprings (Nivarox-FAR being one of the key companies of Swatch Group), Rolex set out to develop its own hairspring alloy in the early 2...
Monochrome
If you’re reading this article and MONOCHROME on a regular basis, you should certainly all about the tourbillon, this device where the regulating organ is placed in a constantly rotating cage, counteracting the negative effect of gravity. But we have to keep in mind that the tourbillon, conceived and patented by Breguet in 1801, was […]
Worn & Wound
I’m a pandemic-era watch enthusiast. Stuck inside along with the rest of the world, I found myself with an unusual amount of time on my hands in the spring of 2020. My interest in watches had been passing at best, reflected in my recent purchase of a quartz Citizen dress watch that, looking back, was likely the most generic version of a bland 3 handed watch available on the entire internet. It was this office-inspired watch (which I was not even allowed to wear to the now-shuttered office) that probably led YouTube’s algorithm to throw a watch review into the mix as it attempted to entertain me for hours on end. Imagine my surprise when my former coworker and Worn and Wound’s own Zach Kazan was on my screen, talking about the water resistance and case diameter of a Seiko. And just like that, I stumbled into an engaged group of local collectors that were more than happy to get a newbie like me up to speed. Sure, it felt like the world was on fire, but at least I had a new hobby and community to distract me as it burned. Stories similar to mine were playing out all over the world as a new wave of enthusiasts used an influx of time (and sometimes money) to give themselves self-curated crash courses in horology. For those of this cohort that still spend their free time reading watch blogs, it’s been a wild ride. We witnessed (and perhaps fueled) the rise of hype culture, the skyrocketing of prices, the divisive power of a plastic Speedmaster and the advent of not one...
Monochrome
Titoni is an independent family-owned watch brand founded in 1919 by Fritz Schluep in Grenchen, Switzerland, now in the hands of great-grandsons Marc and Olivier Schluep. With a variety of contemporary collections and even an in-house automatic powering its Line 1919 dress watch collection, the genuine interest in this brand resides in its remakes of […]
Worn & Wound
When you think of Ressence, the first things that come to mind are likely the brand’s forward thinking, non traditional design language, and their completely unique mechanical solution for telling time via a series of rotating circles as opposed to traditional hands. You probably don’t think of traditional craft – given the hyper-modern aesthetic of the brand, most of their signature designs forego the tenets of classical watchmaking. There are exceptions to be found, of course, in the Ressence’s library of one-offs and limited editions, but classifying their approach, on the whole, as somewhat “industrial” isn’t too far off the mark. That’s what makes a watch like the Type 8 Indigo so interesting. It’s one of those exceptions, and in it we can see the many different things a Ressence watch can be. The Type 8 Indigo is Ressence’s contribution to the The Indigo Project, led by Shellman, the brand’s Tokyo based Japanese retail partner. The design of the dial incorporates a single indigo dyed silk thread, placed in a spiral pattern by a skilled artisan. Indigo dyeing is part of a craft tradition in Japan spanning centuries, and the watch is a tribute to both Japanese tradition and an impressive design object on its own. Because of the dye and the nature of the thread itself, a range of blue tones are visible on the dial. According to Ressence, the total length of the thread is 2.5 meters, and it measures just 0.2mm in diameter, which underscores the in...
Deployant
We took a close look at our friend Brighty's Christopher Ward Bel Canto Viola, and bring you this comprehensive hands-on review.
Monochrome
Founded by Belgian industrial designer Benoît Mintiens in 2010, Ressence is renowned for its ingenious no-hands display of the time. Sleek, minimalist, futuristic watches with innovative mechanical solutions, Ressence tells the time with revolving sub-dials powered by the brand’s patented Orbital Convex System (ROCS). Like planets orbiting the Sun, the time indications circle the dial […]
Monochrome
After months of speculation and anticipation, and enviously seeing Daniel Craig flaunting one, Omega has finally brought us the Seamaster Diver 300M No Date. In my initial article, I wanted to get the news out quickly, so I kept things a touch factual. Now though, after getting my hands on the two watches that are […]
Fratello
You know what they say: “Don’t meet your heroes. It will only disappoint you. The curtain will lift on your enamored illusions, and you will come out sadder and wiser, maybe even cynical.” So when Nacho asked me if I would be interested in doing a hands-on with a 65-year-old Rolex Submariner, I was apprehensive. […] Visit Grail Material: Spending Time With A 1959 Rolex Submariner Ref. 5508 to read the full article.
Monochrome
Chronoswiss, founded in 1983 in Munich by the late Gerd Lang, acquired renown for the celebrated watchmaker’s regulator models and distinctive design language. Now in the hands of Oliver Ebstein, with headquarters in Lucerne, the brand’s traditional regulators have been given a 21st-century visual punch and reinterpreted with vivid colours and textures. Pushing the envelope, […]
Monochrome
It’s a given that the vast majority of mechanical watches rely on round or circular cases to portray the passing of time. After all, it makes the most sense, right? Hands rotate in a circular motion, which leads to circular dials and cases. But what if you’re looking for a different vibe in a more […]
Fratello
The new Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface Small Seconds defines watch charisma. The proportions, material, and colors work wonders - and not just for me. Everyone in the Fratello office wanted to get their hands on this particular Reverso. In the introduction article, I expressed how I couldn’t wait to try on this watch. It didn’t […] Visit The New Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface Small Seconds In Pink Gold And Blue Makes My Head Spin to read the full article.
Monochrome
Hermès is often called the “Maison that speaks with its hands,” and for good reason. With a focus on handmade luxury products and a team of highly skilled artisans, Hermès never ceases to delight. To keep the creative juices flowing and its products fresh, Hermès often invites artists from outside. The latest Arceau Robe Légère […]
Monochrome
In 2019, Ulysse Nardin introduced the Freak X, an entry-level to the innovative and convention-breaking Freak series, maintaining the brand’s “no-dial, no-hands” design, showcasing its signature flying carousel construction within the newly developed UN 230 movement. Though simpler than the original Freak and featuring a crown, the Freak X retained the DNA of its iconic […]
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