Results for Seiko Presage Cocktail Time

Introducing the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 SLGH027 “Mount Iwate”

Introducing – The New Baltic Hermétique Dual Time Enduropale Edition

Baltic is one of the small and independent watch brands that have emerged in recent years and gained recognition for offering very reasonably priced and nicely designed watches with a vintage-inspired aesthetic. “Inspired by the past, made for the present”, to quote the brand. Whatever your sensibility, you will most likely feel good about a […]

First Look – The New Louis Vuitton Tambour Taiko Spin Time Collection (incl. Video)

Since the arrival of Jean Arnault as the head of the watchmaking division of Louis Vuitton, things have changed quickly, with the launch of the new Tambour in 2023, the Escale dress watch in 2024, and multiple automata and métiers d’art watches too. Today, we’ll be talking about what’s possibly the most recognisable high-end watch […]

Grand Seiko Presents The Limited Edition SBGJ283 Exclusive To Asia Pacific

Seiko Introduces Cherry Blossom Inspired Astron References

Cherry blossoms have long been associated with Japan – and for good reason. These delicate little blossoms contribute an astounding $2.7 billion into the economy with over 63 million people (a number that includes both tourists and those living in Japan) viewing them annually. There’s even a word for this annual custom – hanami, meaning to stroll along, enjoy the blossoms, and nature’s transience. Now, isn’t that beautiful? Though the visual appeal of cherry blossoms might just be one of Japan’s strongest soft-power exports, you have to admit it’s a little overplayed. Yes, I know what I’m saying is a little controversial, but hear me out. After a while, the same old white and pink flowers on a skinny little twig just loses any impact of its natural beauty. You see it so much on towels, keychains, and stationery, one becomes blind to the fact that cherry blossoms are beautiful. It’s a sort of visual desensitization, if you ask me. That’s why I’m quite happy to see the two new models from Seiko being released early next year as Astron GPS Solar 2025 Limited Editions, the SSH171 and SSJ029. Both references are inspired by sakura, but not in the traditional sense. Instead of focusing on spring strolls during the daytime, Seiko has produced two watches that look to the starlight as their guiding principle. In doing so, we have two tonally rich watches that aren’t so clichéd. Like all well-designed Japanese products, the watches in this limited edition s...

In Conversation With: Akio Naito, President, Seiko Watch Corporation

Nothing but love and Sambal: NOMOS Glashütte Zürich World Time Sambal for Revolution

Talking spice with NOMOS Glashütte: Zürich World Time Sambal for Revolution

[VIDEO] Hands-On Impressions of the Tudor FXD GMT “Zulu Time”

It’s been just a few weeks since the release of the Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT, and if one thing is already clear, this latest addition to the FXD lineup is a hit. I already personally know a handful of people who have picked one up, and even if I didn’t, I’ve seen enough wrist shots on Instagram to know that this is going to be an exceedingly popular watch across the board and is likely Tudor’s most successful new release of the year (no small feat considering the consistency and quality of their 2024 releases). The Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT is also probably the most surprising Tudor release of the year, not because we didn’t expect some version of this to hit the catalog eventually, but because of just how closely Tudor has hewn to the theoretical watch so many collectors have been clamoring for. It’s exceedingly rare for either Tudor or Rolex to give enthusiasts exactly what they’ve been asking for, but with the Pelagos FXD GMT, they’ve done just that. So with all that in mind, I went down to my local AD to spend some hands-on time with Tudor’s latest and greatest. I came away from that visit with two clear thoughts cemented in my mind. The first is that the Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT is, without a doubt, the objectively best GMT to come out of either Rolex or Tudor, ever. The second is that I have absolutely no interest in owning one, at least not yet. On paper, the FXD GMT is everything you could want from a Tudor GMT. Here we have an FXD (already possibly the coo...

Grand Seiko Honors Asia Pacific With The Stunning SBGJ285 Limited Edition In Fuji-Iro

First Look – Sundown In Down Under, With The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph x Time+Tide Sundowner Edition

In 2022, TAG Heuer introduced the Aquaracer Professional Solargraph, the brand’s first-ever solar-powered quartz model. This debut followed the release of the revamped Aquaracer Professional 200 series, featuring 40mm steel cases. The Solargraph retained the aesthetic and functional hallmarks of the Aquaracer line, quickly winning over TAG Heuer enthusiasts. Since its launch, several Solargraph variants […]

Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Mechanical Chronograph

Hands-On: the Longines Spirit Zulu Time Titanium

Longines, somehow, still feels slept on to me. In the hierarchy or Swatch Group brands, they sit in a place where they really should be insanely popular with enthusiasts and the mass market alike, but somehow they often feel like a brand struggling to break into the wider conversation. To be fair, I have no idea about the relative commercial success Longines has experienced over these last few years – it’s quite possible that everyone at Longines and Swatch are quite happy with their performance. Anecdotally, though, I just don’t see them on wrists very often, either at local neighborhood watch meetups, or in the wild. And that’s kind of a shame, because whenever I actually spend time with a Longines watch, I come away feeling impressed. I’ve long held that they do vintage reissues better than just about anyone. Whoever has the job of raiding the archives and picking watches to resurface from the brand’s long history has impeccable taste, and an innate understanding of the watches that hit the center of the Venn Diagram covering “aesthetically interesting” and “historically important.” They’ve done a great job of telling the brand’s story with a string of excellent heritage releases.  But Longines is too big, of course, to just release vintage inspired watches, so in a moment a few years back when it was clear that the heritage gravy train wasn’t going to run forever, they introduced the Spirit collection. An entirely new line, the Spirit watches...

Three New King Seiko models Celebrate The Beauty of Kameido

The Grand Seiko 45GS Returns with the New Hand-Wound Hi-Beat Caliber 9SA4

Inside the Armin Strom Dual Time GMT Resonance First Edition

Moving from meeting to meeting at Geneva Watch Days, it’s easy to get lost in the opulent, luxurious novelties. But when you meet with Armin Strom, you’re brought back to a kind of pure watch nerdery that transcends the luxurious surroundings of shows like this. Armin Strom, even while producing watches that I think are objectively great looking, is all about mechanical innovation. There isn’t a watch in their collection that doesn’t have a novel mechanical trick up its sleeve. The Gravity Equal Force that Zach looked at recently is a great example. It has all the aesthetic and design trappings of what we think of as today’s modern high end indie watchmaking, but the real appeal lies in the watchmaking itself. It’s an important distinction that most enthusiasts understand intrinsically – some watches and brands just have a laser focus on engineering, and that’s sort of what sets Armin Strom apart.  The brand’s big Geneva Watch Days release is, simply put, a showstopper, and perhaps the most fascinating watch of the week. It’s certainly a significant horological accomplishment. The Dual Time GMT Resonance First Edition takes Armin Strom’s already unique take on the resonance concept and shrinks it down to an almost impossible to believe size in a watch that takes a completely novel approach to timekeeping and provides a great deal of practical functionality to make it downright approachable. It also just happens to be a stunning piece of horological a...

Introducing the Grand Seiko SLGA025 “Atera Blue” Spring Drive

First Look – The New Armin Strom Dual Time GMT Resonance First Edition

If Armin Strom was initially centred around Mister Armin Strom himself, the brand underwent a significant transformation in 2006 when it was acquired by Serge Michel and Claude Greisler, who aimed to turn Armin Strom into a full-fledged manufacture. The duo presented its first in-house movement in 2009, and today, to celebrate the 15th anniversary […]

The Seiko 7559-5010: Admiring the Brand’s First Backlit Analog Movement in its Most Unique Form

In this hobby of ours, there constantly exists the urge to dive down new rabbit holes and subgenres of watch collecting, awaiting the next reason for us to open our wallets and find a reason to justify purchasing another piece. While this typically takes the form of a unique color combination or bezel insert, what about a function like backlights? Sure, Timex’s Indiglo has most certainly found mainstay within the watch industry––as has Casio’s Electro Luminesce technology and of course lume––but what others are out there? For those who haven’t had the pleasure, I now have the honor of introducing you to the fairly forgotten Seiko 7559 movement, utilized here in its most unique application: the 5010 model.  A Brief History of the Cal. 7559 and its Applications As is the story with most watches I tend to develop an interest in, little is known about the design process behind this movement or model outside of repair manuals, blog posts, and owner photographs. The information included here is based on my own research, and I invite anyone interested in this model or movement to include any additional material they may know in the comments section below. Though I’ve attempted to collect as much information on the subject as possible, I would be delighted to hear that more pictures or materials of any kind exist elsewhere.  Production of the cal. 7559 began somewhere in the summer months of 1978 and continued until the late 1980s. The quartz movement itself is a...

Introducing the Seiko Prospex SPB473, a Limited Regional Release for the European Market

A thing you discover about watch collecting after being involved in the hobby for a little while is that it’s a truly international endeavor. This manifests itself in a number of ways. The geography of the watchmaking industry is obviously something that’s discussed frequently, with Swiss, German, Japanese, and American styles of the craft all taking slightly different shapes. But even more than that, practical matters like the availability of watches to actually purchase has a lot to do with where you are in the world. Just last week, we told you about a pair of new limited edition Grand Seikos made just for the US market, and today we have a similar story about a Seiko diver for sale exclusively in Europe. Regional releases strike again. The Seiko Prospex SPB473 would have caught our eye regardless, but something about it being vaguely forbidden if you happen to live in America makes it all the more appealing. Now, realistically, this watch won’t be that hard to track down if you really put some effort into it. There are all kinds of ways an American customer can obtain a watch made for a foreign market. Proxy buyers, the pre-owned market, and simply calling up a dealer and asking if they’d consider an international sale are all viable options. But if it really is the thrill of the hunt that makes watch collecting exciting and rewarding, have those few extra hoops to jump through could actually be welcome for some.  The SPB473’s key feature is a beautiful grad...

Editorial: the Seiko SRPG17 Land Tortoise, Outliers, and Collection Coherence

Watch collectors who have been in the hobby for awhile know there’s a certain pleasure in looking in the watch box, or across the flat surfaces in your home where watches are scattered, whatever, and seeing a group of watches that make sense. If you believe a collection is a reflection of your personality and taste, it follows that the watches in the collection will be thematically linked in some way, and just kind of work together. Instead of a watch box that has exactly one watch from each key genre, you see a box of watches that defy easy categorization, but somehow are obviously the product of a core collecting philosophy. I don’t know if I’m quite there yet, but I’m getting closer. But there’s still one watch in my collection that’s a clear outlier, one that will never quite fit. It’s the runt of the litter, the redheaded step-child, and ugly duckling, all wrapped into one. My Seiko SRPG17 “Land Tortoise” just doesn’t belong.  The Land Tortoise, so named because it shares a case shape with the much-loved “Seiko Turtle” divers but is equipped with a compass bezel rather than a typical dive timer, is an outlier even among Seiko sports watches. When we think sporty Seikos, proper dive watches are the ones that inevitably come to mind for most of us, but this is a dive watch in a costume. From the outset, it’s resisting its own nature, rejecting its heritage. It refuses to wear the uniform. I like dive watches and own a few, but they don’t ope...

Seiko Makes a Splash with the New Prospex 1965 Heritage Diver’s: SPB451, SPB453 & SPB455

The King Seiko KS1969 Channels the Spirit of the 60s

The Seiko 5 SNXS Makes a Revamped Comeback

How Grand Seiko Perfectly Showcases the Growing Prominence of Japanese Watchmaking

A Closer Look: Grand Seiko SLGW002 & SLGW003 “Birch Bark” with the Hand-wound Hi-beat 9SA4

The Case for Quartz Luxury Watches: Featuring F.P. Journe, Grand Seiko and Accutron

When starting out on a watch journey, one of the first questions to consider is the choice between quartz and automatic watches, with the perception that mechanical watches are "better" and more expensive, while quartz watches are entry-level and lower quality. While this may hold some truth, luxury brands also produce high-end quartz pieces that are equally impressive from a technological standpoint. 

Grand Seiko at Watches & Wonders 2024: All the Latest Releases

Just Because – My Lost Watch, an Endless Quest to Find a Perfect Daily Beater and a Personal Tale about the Seiko Sea Horse

We, at MONOCHROME, rarely publish so-called “guest posts” and prefer to use our Collector’s Series as a platform to share our readers’ adventures with a watch. Today, we had to make an exception. The reason is simple. The story was just too good to not be shared. It tells a tale about a watch, something […]

The Case for Quartz Luxury Watches: Featuring F.P. Journe, Grand Seiko, and Accutron

When starting out on a watch journey, one of the first questions to consider is the choice between quartz and automatic watches, with the perception that mechanical watches are "better" and more expensive, while quartz watches are entry-level and lower quality. While this may hold some truth, luxury brands also produce high-end quartz pieces that are equally impressive from a technological standpoint.