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Monochrome
Certina is a go-to brand for resilient, well-designed, decently-priced sports watches. The latest model to join the Certina family is the DS Action Diver Chrono, which combines the solid diving specifications of the DS Action Diver with the functionality of a chronograph. Robust enough to fathom depths of 300 metres, the stylish two-tone golden sand […]
Worn & Wound
It’s officially Space Watch Season. We just saw G-SHOCK release their latest collaborative release with NASA, and now Bulova returns with a new version of their popular Lunar Pilot, this one in a “blood moon” colorway. While the Lunar Pilot doesn’t have “first watch on the moon” pedigree like the venerable Omega Speedmaster, it does have its own legitimate spacefaring history. In 1971, Dave Scott, mission commander of Apollo 15, wore a similar Bulova Chronograph when he became the seventh man to walk on the moon. Unlike the Speedmaster, which was conceived originally as a racing chronograph, the Bulova on Scott’s wrist was designed specifically for use in space, specifically for timing related to critical life support systems. The Lunar Pilot has some aesthetic similarities to the Speedmaster (in their purest form, they are both black dialed chronographs, after all) but Bulova has shown a willingness to experiment with the Lunar Pilot recently, and it now feels very much like its own thing, existing well outside the long shadow of the Speedy. This latest iteration is a good example of how Bulova uses this platform to play with color and our expectations for a sports watch like the Lunar Pilot should be. As you can plainly see from the images in this post, what we have here is a very red version of the Lunar Pilot, with a bright red main dial and three silvered subdials at 9:00, 3:00, and 6:00. The inspiration here, according to Bulova, is a total lunar ecli...
SJX Watches
Affordable and powered by the sun, the Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph SSC947 is dressed in the blue, red, and orange synonymous with the vintage “Pogue” chronograph. It’s not, however, a vintage re-issue but a modern take on a vintage design. “Pogue” refers to the vintage ref. 6139 that gets its name from astronaut William Pogue, who wore one during the Skylab 4 mission in 1973, making it the first automatic chronograph in space. Initial thoughts Seiko is expert at vintage re-issues at practically every price point, from the Seiko 5 Sports “Kamen Rider” to the Grand Seiko “First”. This isn’t the case for the SSC947, which mimics the Pogue’s colours but is otherwise a modern-day Prospex Speedtimer. That’s a good thing for everyone tired of historical remakes, although traditionalists might say the SSC947 doesn’t do justice to the original that’s something of a cult classic amongst Seiko enthusiasts. But the bottom line is, the SSC947 is an appealing, different alternative to the mostly conservative colours in the Prospex Speedtimer line. And it’s priced identically to earlier versions of the watch, so it offers the same value proposition. Dressed in the “Pogue” colour scheme The “Pogue” Featuring a two-tone red and blue tachymeter bezel, the SSC947 has a radially-brushed orange dial with brown sub-dials, just like its vintage inspiration. The flange around the dial is in dark brown to match the sub-dials. The specs are otherwise i...
Worn & Wound
This past weekend marked the 55th anniversary of the moon landing, unquestionably one of the greatest achievements in the history of humanity. When Neil Armstrong set foot on the lunar surface, it changed the world forever. We all know the story of Omega, the Speedmaster, and how that chronograph became the “moonwatch,” but there are plenty of other brands and watches that have attempted to jump on the moon landing and NASA bandwagon in some way. Some of these are successful, some of them are not. But one series of releases that I’ve always thought of as genuinely pretty charming are G-SHOCK’s NASA themed watches, the fifth iteration of which was recently unveiled. I think one of the reasons these watches work is because you could argue that NASA and G-SHOCK are organizations that share a certain ethos of problem solving rooted in science. NASA, of course, is in the business of solving problems related to the foundations of physics. The fundamental challenge of getting to the moon, after all, is escaping the earth’s gravity. There’s no moonshot if you can’t get out of low earth orbit. G-SHOCK, on the other hand, has a far more niche interest: creating the most indestructible, shock resistant watch possible. Through materials research and a lot of trial and error, they’ve been the kings of tough watches for decades. The new GW6900-NASA241 takes design inspiration from an unusual but appropriate source: old-school Casio calculators. You can imagine that a...
Monochrome
Founded by Gautier Massonneau, French brand Trilobe abandons the conventional approach of displaying time with central hands. Instead, Trilobe inverts the formula and sets time in motion with counterclockwise rotating discs for the hours, minutes and seconds indicated by static trefoil pointers. Trilobe’s first collection, Les Matinaux, bears the name of a René Char poetry […]
Monochrome
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 […]
SJX Watches
Launched just last year, Raymond Weil’s “sector” dial is getting new livery with the Millesime Automatic Small Seconds Denim Blue. Not a vintage reissue per se but a modern take on a vintage-inspired design, the Millesime has a “sector” or “scientific” dial segmented into sections, subtly stepped on the periphery and frosted in the centre for a two-tone effect. The case is topped with a box-shaped sapphire crystal and narrow lugs for subtle retro charm. Initial thoughts Family-run Raymond Weil is a brand that might be familiar to watch enthusiasts but not top of mind – that’s because the brand had its heyday in the 1980s and 1990s when it was a major seller of affordable Swiss watches. Since then it has gradually fallen behind the competition with mostly unimaginative products; The New York Times describes the brand as a “mainstay of shopping malls”. With last year’s launch of the Millesime, a watch geared towards enthusiasts, the brand is trying to revive its offerings and reputation. It quickly found some success: the Millesime Small Seconds with a silver dial won the Challenge Prize (for watches retailing for less than CHF3,000) at last year’s Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie de Genève. Near-perfect proportions at 39.5 mm in diameter and just over 10 mm high In the hand, it’s obvious the Millesime is much, much better than most recent Raymond Weil creations. Even though the design isn’t exactly original, it shows attention was paid to the de...
Hodinkee
Talking the Porsche Design Chronograph 1 for Hodinkee, and some of the best – and most overlooked – releases halfway through 2024.
Hodinkee
Plus, a titanium diver from Blancpain and a yacht-ready chronograph from IWC.
Monochrome
Co-founded by Swiss industrial designer Andrea Furlan and watch collector Hamad Al Marri, Furlan Marri launched on Kickstarter in 2021 with a beautifully designed vintage chronograph powered by a hybrid mecha-quartz engine. The next act, in 2022, was an equally handsome vintage black sector dial equipped with a mechanical movement that won over the MONOCHROME […]
Hodinkee
From a sporty option from NOMOS Glashütte to a lightweight BVLGARI Chronograph and beyond.
Fratello
At Swedish watch brand Bravur, they’re really into cycling, and that craziness has materialized in plenty of watches with a cycling theme. The new Bravur La Grande Boucle IV is a steel chronograph in the long-running Grand Tour Chronograph collection. This chronograph subtly tries to capture the spirit of the Tour de France, nicknamed La […] Visit This Monday Is A Rest Day In The Tour De France - Time To Check Out The Bravur La Grande Boucle IV to read the full article.
SJX Watches
A new livery for one of Zenith’s most popular models, the Defy Skyline Skeleton White Ceramic shares the styling of its siblings like the Defy Skyline 36 mm but with a few notable tweaks including a white ceramic case and blue-treated skeletonised movement. And though it appears to be a simple time-only watch, the Defy Skyline features a discreet complication in the form of a “lightning” small seconds hand that completes one rotation every ten seconds. Initial thoughts Zenith has recently been playing it safe with new launches by building on current bestsellers, like the Defy Skyline. The new skeleton in white ceramic is a good looking watch, and an excellent execution of one of Zenith’s modern-day classics. The combination is also novel. Although each key element of the watch is common in itself – a skeleton movement plus the white ceramic case and bracelet – they are relatively uncommon together. The Defy Skyline Skeleton on the wrist However, the Defy Skyline arguably tries too hard to capitalise on the recent (and waning) popularity of integrated-bracelet sports watches. It is not difficult to see a resemblance to the Royal Oak, in particular the one-off Royal Oak made for Only Watch 2023, making it a bit cliché. Priced at US$17,500, the Defy Skyline Skeleton in white ceramic is a decent value proposition compared to similar watches, most of which are from pricier brands like Hublot or Audemars Piguet. Besides the ceramic case and bracelet, it stands out ...
Hodinkee
Plus, a white-dialed Luminor and a brightly blue chronograph from Zenith.
Fratello
Singer Reimagined had quite a surprise in store for us with the introduction of the Divetrack chronograph. It’s not a typical dive watch and even goes beyond the dive watches we already find unusual (okay, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms X Fathoms might be an exception to a certain extent). The Divetrack offers a dial that […] Visit A Dial For Diving - The Singer Divetrack Is One Of The Most Impressive Watches I’ve Seen In 2024 to read the full article.
Hodinkee
A look back at a deeply influential chronograph and its connection to a legendary family brand.
SJX Watches
Blancpain just unveiled an all-ceramic bracelet to match the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe models in black ceramic: the time-and-date, flyback chronograph, and Quantième Complet (or triple calendar). Positioned as the entry-level model in the Fifty Fathom collection of historically-inspired dive watches, the Bathyscaphe has long been available in ceramic, so a bracelet is long overdue. According to Blancpain, each link of the bracelet unique in shape and size, so each link has to be manufactured individually, requiring an enormous amount of skilled labour – which helps to explain the price of almost US$8,000 for the bracelet. All three are now available with a matching bracelet Initial thoughts Though it was a pioneer in the dive watch as we know it, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms has remained fairly under the radar, despite its relatively strong price-quality ratio. The ceramic bracelet for the Bathyscaphe helps it stand out, as few brands offer a matching bracelet for ceramic watches. While ceramic watch cases are common and found across the price spectrum, ceramic bracelets remain relatively uncommon, especially bracelets that are hand finished with a brushed surface like this. All links are manufactured individually, with each link differing in shape and size The ceramic bracelet is expensive – it costs just under US$8,000 extra compared to the same on a strap. That means the three-hand diver costs US$21,300, while the flyback chronograph and triple calendar are both US$...
Teddy Baldassarre
There are some watches out there that have achieved a rare sort of infamy and the Seiko Speedtimer 6139, also known as the “Pogue,” is one such watch. It is named after Colonel William R. Pogue who wore one during NASA’s Skylab missions. It was also the first automatic chronograph to travel to space. It’s become an icon because of its historical bona fides, but also because of it’s positively ridiculous (read, charming) colorway that fits so well in the ‘70s decade in which it was conceived. Key aesthetic tenets of a Pogue are the red and blue bezel insert and a certain yellowish-gold dial. It’s the sort of gold color that’ll have you conspiracy theorizing that this watch was in the Pulp Fiction briefcase. All of this backstory and preamble is to intentionally bury the lede and tell you that Seiko has, today, brought the Pogue back…sort of. Say hello to the Speedtimer Solar Chronograph, SSC947 which follows in the recently established design format of the solar Speedtimer range – the 41.5mm case size version of which the current Pepsi bezel SSC913 is a personal favorite. I remember when the line was announced and really loving the execution from the compact pushers to the great case size to the overall thinness due to the lack of a mechanical movement. And look, while the Pogue owes much of its fame to the fact that it housed an automatic caliber, we cannot just expect brands to issue 1:1 remakes of classic models. Seiko needs to innovate. It found a ...
Monochrome
Released in 2022, the Defy Skyline collection was Zenith‘s answer to the large demand for sports watches with integrated design and bracelet. Since its initial introduction, we have seen multiple new editions of this watch, including compact versions, ceramic models, a chronograph and even a high-frequency tourbillon. But one of the most impactful models was […]
Fratello
Many pilot’s watches, especially those of the Flieger variety, are designed with a specific purpose in mind: their wearers must be able to read the time in a split second. That’s why the dials feature large numerals, hands, and markers. This results in an iconic look that has many fans worldwide. On the other hand, […] Visit Introducing: The Laco Augsburg And Aachen Limited Editions In Green to read the full article.
SJX Watches
A. Lange & Söhne marks the 25th year of its landmark chronograph this year, with two commemorative editions so far – a tremendously expensive all-in-one edition and the relatively more accessible Datograph Up/Down 25th Anniversary. The first Datograph with a white gold case and also the first regular production model with a blue dial, the anniversary edition the result of a relatively modest cosmetic makeover – but unexpectedly compelling. Initial thoughts The Datograph in an imperfect watch – amongst other things it’s top heavy with a somewhat dated dial design – but it has an intrinsic appeal because its movement is outstanding. Even though it’s already 25 years old, the movement remains exceptional in terms of aesthetics. The fact that it’s 25 years old also makes the Datograph important, because Lange created such a movement long before such things became a thing. So the 25th anniversary of the Datograph is an occasion worth marking. Lange debuted two watches for the anniversary (with perhaps a third one to come): the complicated and expensive Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold Lumen, and the more accessible Datograph 25th Anniversary. On its face the Datograph Up/Down seems a bit mundane for an anniversary watch. Both the blue dial and white gold case are unique for the Datograph, but together the watch doesn’t look or feel that different. But like the Datograph as a model, the anniversary edition is imperfect yet appealing. Though it is plain...
Deployant
England based independent Garrick releases the successor to their S3 Mk1 and S2 Deadbeat seconds models with the latest S3 Mk2.
Hodinkee
With a complete calendar, chronograph, and automatic option, the Bathyscaphe gets a full ceramic bracelet.
Monochrome
Introduced just four years ago, H. Moser & Cie‘s luxury Streamliner sports watch debuted with a flyback chronograph and swiftly expanded its complications repertoire to include perpetual calendars, tourbillons and skeletonised models. The latest Streamliner ascends the complications ladder with the combination of a sophisticated minute repeater and flying tourbillon. While Moser’s resilient Streamliner case provides a […]
SJX Watches
Time Capsule: The Breitling Heritage Exhibition is coming to a Breitling boutique near you as it makes 55 stops across four continents over the course of 2024. On show are the most significant vintage timepieces – mostly chronographs naturally – from the brand’s 140-year history, including the first-ever chronograph with a pusher separate from the crown, a 1915 invention of Gaston Breitling. Many of the watches on show were the first of their kind, hence the exhibition’s tagline “140 Years of Firsts”. Amongst the other highlights is the Navitimer with its slide rule bezel that Breitling describes as the first flight computer for the wrist, and the Chrono-Matic, the first self-winding chronograph movement developed by a consortium that included Breitling. Amongst the more recent timepieces is the Emergency, the first wristwatch with a built-in distress beacon. The vintage timepieces are exhibited in streamer-trunk display cases tailored to each boutique with QR codes in the showcases that provide additional historical detail Vintage timepieces are the main highlights of the show. The exhibition is making stops in key cities in the Americas, Europe, Oceania, the Middle East, and Asia, with some stops happening concurrently. Each stop will be for one to two weeks in the local Breitling boutique. Time Capsule is open to the public. Scheduling an appointment is not mandatory but recommended. A few of the cities that will host the exhibition are as follows, for the ...
Monochrome
While the Aquis, which has been recently revised, represents the modern side of dive watches at Oris, the Divers Sixty-Five collection is, as you might have guessed by the name, its vintage-inspired counterpart. An instrumental model for the brand’s recent history, the ’65 has been presented in dozens of editions, with manufacture movement, a chronograph, […]
On episode 83 of A Week in Watches, we take a look at three new relatively affordable releases. First is a new powerhouse of a chronograph from Farer with unique functionality. Next is a new addition to Seiko’s Craftsmanship line, featuring a dial of beautiful Arita porcelain. Last, the Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch returns again with some vibrant colors. This week’s episode is brought to you by Windup Watch Fair Chicago, which is preparing to kick off on July 12th. Eindup Chicago is heading into its third year and will feature over 40 brands, including Christopher Ward, Citizen, Fortis, G-SHOCK, Oris, and many more. Located at Venue West in West Town, it’s sure to be another exciting year. Learn more at Windupwatchfair.com The post A Week in Watches Ep. 83 – Oh No, More MoonSwatches! appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Worn & Wound
So far 2024 is a year where brands have been belting out bombastic bangers of watches one after another. So, when a different take on a beloved complication is dropped, we naturally crane our necks to peek at what’s new. The first Swiss chronograph in New Zealand based Beaufort’s lineup highlights the old school idea of a doctor/medic’s watch with a pulsometer as the primary complication. It takes this complication and sets it inside a case and dial that are elegant, yet industrial, but some of the changes made to the chronograph functionality caused me to ask some questions. The Beaufort Pulsatimer, upon quick inspection, might look like your average chrono, but the longer you linger over its construction, the more you’ll start to notice its unique styling. The case is almost totally brushed, with the exception of thinly polished chamfered edges and a polished inner bezel ring. The polished ring steps up from a brushed base bezel ring like the watch is laying its own foundation. And rising once more from the step bezel is a significantly raised box sapphire crystal. All this architecture pulls your eye into a dial that dramatically drops from the crystal with the sloped pulsometer chapter ring. Then we find a beautiful, vertically brushed copper-colored dial that Beaufort calls “Salmon.” They also have an all black, DLC coated version, a reverse panda black and silver dial, and an all silver dial version of the Pulsatimer. The architectural nuances of the ca...
Deployant
De Bethune releases 2 new iterations of the DB Eight chronograph: in white gold case and royal blue dial, and in a yellow case with a chocolate dial.
Worn & Wound
TAG Heuer has unveiled their latest Carrera, another collaboration with Porsche, officially dubbed the Carrera Chronograph x Porsche 963. As watch enthusiasts know, there’s a range of how “Porschey” these collaborations get. Sometimes they simply have the German automaker’s badge slapped onto the watch somewhere, and sometimes the connection is very inside baseball, like when TAG made a new chronograph movement that accelerated at the same rate as a classic 911. This new watch is somewhere in the middle, with some clever visual winks to the car that inspired it, but nothing new under the hood. The new watch takes its specific inspiration from Porsche’s success in endurance racing. The Porsche 963, developed under Le Mans Daytona Hybrid regulations, is the current pinnacle of Porsche’s expertise in endurance, a tradition that goes back decades. This is an aggressive take on the Carrera, which is a watch that we’ve seen wear many different capes in recent years. It’s a platform that is perhaps most at home as a traditional, elegant, gentleman’s racing chronograph, but can flex into something far more contemporary with relative ease. The 44mm case is stainless steel and coated in black PVD, and has been accented with a carbon fiber bezel with a tachymetric scale. Naturally we get a complex, skeletonized dial (nothing says “modern and contemporary” like skeletonization, I guess) as well as plenty of lume. The lume is actually what most closely links t...
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