Results for ISO 6425 (Diver's Watch Standard)

The Best Affordable Omega Speedmasters Under €5,000

As we all know, the ever-increasing retail prices of watches have bumped some of our very favorite models to new heights. This also applies to the Omega Speedmaster (Professional). The new Speedmaster Professional “Reverse Panda” will set you back over €10k, the white-dial Speedmaster “Craig White” is €9k, and the standard version with the Hesalite […] Visit The Best Affordable Omega Speedmasters Under €5,000 to read the full article.

Introducing – The Sensible New Mido Commander Datoday

When it comes to finding a solid, accessible yet appealing watch meant to be a reliable companion for most of the moments in your life, from the office to the weekend fun, the choice is wide, to say the least. With its Commander collection, Swiss brand Mido has a strong alternative, with a modern, sleek […]

Introducing – Junghans Gets Serious About Diving with the new Aquaris Series

Junghans is better known for its Bauhaus-inspired pieces, such as the Max Bill series, but the German watchmaker has also ventured into the pilots’ and sports territories. With the new Aquaris series, the brand expands its Sport collection by adding four new references: the Aquaris Diver with green or orange accents, and the more lifestyle-oriented […]

Hands-on – Impressions about the Tudor Ranger 36mm, Including the new Dune White Dial

If you’ve been reading MONOCHROME for some time now, you might know that I have a very strong connection with the Rolex Explorer 36mm, in particular the 1990s reference 14270. Not only is it a watch that I consider to be the perfect example of what a yougntimer is, but it’s also, in my books, […]

Business News: A Push For More High Horology At Germany’s Top Jewelry Fair

One of Europe's largest jewelry shows, Inhorgenta is again a hub for watch brands seeking fresh clientele.

Hands-On: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked

The Audemars Piguet (AP) Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked 39 mm is an appealing new variant of a watch that’s already in short supply, famous as much for its scarcity as its octagonal bezel. Seen previously in white gold, the Jumbo Openworked returns at the top of its class with a case made from lightweight titanium and palladium bulk metallic glass (BMG), a material that gives the bezel its almost ethereal mirror finish. The Jumbo Openworked is not a limited edition, but its undeniable appeal will make it hard to come by, even by Royal Oak standards. Ideal configuration The Royal Oak is one of the most sought-after watches in the industry, and one of the few collections that consistently trades at a premium to retail, according to WatchCharts. With its iconic Genta design, slim form factor, and high-end calibre, it’s easy to see why. That said, some configurations are more appealing than others, and this titanium and palladium version of the Jumbo Openworked ranks highly in the Royal Oak pantheon. It’s worth exploring why it works. Starting with the sizing. In 1972, the Royal Oak was broad and flat by industry standards, but the “Jumbo” moniker now feels misleading for a 39 mm watch. Ironically, the “Extra-Thin” designation also feels misleading for the opposite reason - 8.1 mm is plenty thin, but there are now so many thinner watches that the terminology feels out of date. Setting aside AP’s historical naming conventions, the Jumbo Openworked...

Introducing: The Hanhart 417 Ti Desert Pilot Limited Editions

While Hanhart is known for its historically inspired pilot’s chronographs, today’s latest model takes its cues from a very different form of motor-powered conveyance. The 417 Ti Desert Pilot Limited Edition is rooted in desert rally racing. As we’ll see, though, this isn’t just a dial color variation. Plus, the watch is available in two […] Visit Introducing: The Hanhart 417 Ti Desert Pilot Limited Editions to read the full article.

Buying Guide – Small But Mighty – Six Versatile Watches of 36mm and Under

People often say “bigger is better”, but also “big things come in small packages”. While both statements can be very true in multiple aspects of life, it also goes for watches. In some instances, you want a bit of size and heft in a watch, while on other occasions, you want something a bit more […]

5 Best Dive Watches That Most Collectors Forget

Discover dive watches that collectors tend to forget despite strong performance. Check out the underrated pieces we tested that deserve a spot in your rotation.

Come to Windup Dallas for the Watches, Stay for the Bulova Block Party & BBQ

The countdown to Windup Watch Fair Dallas is officially on, and we’re excited to spotlight one of the main events with our pals at Bulova, helping bring this year’s show to life. As the premier gathering for watch enthusiasts, collectors, and the watch-curious alike, Windup is the best place to go hands-on with unique watches from around the world-and we’re thrilled to return to Dallas for the second year in a row. This year’s event takes place at the always lively Hickory Street Annex, a perfect setting for a weekend packed with watches, community, and a few surprises along the way. Not only are we expanding Windup Dallas to three full days this year, but we’re also introducing something new to the Windup experience. On Saturday evening, Bulova will host the Bulova Block Party & BBQ, taking place just outside the venue: The Bulova Block Party & BBQ Hickory Street Annex 501 S Second Ave #200, Dallas, TX 75226 Saturday, March 14: 4:30PM – 7PM Early registration is recommended Expect Texas-style BBQ and an outdoor bar with amazing food and beverages available for purchase, live music, and plenty of reasons to stick around after the show floor closes. Bulova will be showcasing collaborations that tap into different corners of American heritage-from the world of motorsports to the enduring style of the American West. Bulova, Shelby, and the Spirit of American Performance Bulova’s connection to racing runs deep. During the 1960s and ’70s, the brand served as...

The Seiko SNA414 Gold Flightmaster: A Gilded Take on an Enthusiast Classic

The Seiko SNA411 has been an icon of the watch industry for years. Frequently appearing on “Best Affordable Watches” lists, it’s no wonder Seiko’s other two variants would eventually catch the eye of collectors as well. The SN413 is far and away the most sought-after variant of the Flightmaster formula, but what about the often overlooked SNA414? I’ll be the first to admit that gold-tone watches are typically not in habitual rotation within my collection––aside from a few special pieces––but that doesn’t mean there’s not a lot to enjoy about this model. What makes the SNA414 a good candidate for your next acquisition? Let’s find out. The SNA414 History and Design Nailing down a definite release date for the SNA414 is difficult, but according to numerous blogs, press releases, and wristwatch websites, it appears this variant began production sometime between late 2007 and early 2008. I’m unsure whether all three variants of the lineup were released at the same time, but from sources consulted online, it appears they were at least announced and brought to market around the same time. I must note that the name “Flightmaster” may confuse a few collectors out there who may have seen another model of Seiko’s catalog nicknamed with the same moniker. In the 1990s, the first iteration of the Flightmaster was released with the 7T34 movement. The -6A09 variant is technically the first gold Flightmaster the brand produced, making the subject of this art...

Introducing – De Rijke & Co. Amalfi Series 2, Drivers’ Watches with Car-Themed Enamel Dials

Suppose you know the Dutch indie watchmaking scene, then De Rijke & Co. is the name you must be familiar with. Founded by Laurens De Rijke, the brand began almost by accident during a vintage Vespa trip, when the idea for a watch specifically designed for driving emerged. De Rijke’s concept of a driver’s watch […]

Reviewing The Zeitwerk Date From A. Lange & Söhne

A. Lange & Söhne’s Zeitwerk Date is not your normal watch, but that is exactly why we love it! We go hands-on to appreciate it in more detail. What We Love The colour combination of the pink gold and grey dial The movement! How could you not love it? The digital display makes the dial highly legible What We Don’t It is a larger version that won’t suit all wrists Being gold, it is not a daily wearer The crystal does have the ability to reflect the light against the darker dial Overall Rating: 9.1 / 10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 9.5/10 Build Quality: 9.5/10 When A. Lange  &  Söhne debuted the Zeitwerk in 2009, it didn’t just add another complication — it redefined how time could be displayed mechanically. Inspired by Dresden’s opera-house clock, the Zeitwerk fused architectural design with digital display, becoming one of modern watchmaking’s boldest statements. The movement, dial layout, and case proportions were conceived as a single, uncompromising idea. And for years, that idea remained (thankfully) almost stubbornly pure. Which is precisely why the introduction of the Zeitwerk Date marked a significant moment in the model’s evolution. Adding a date to a watch so resolved in its symmetry and identity is not as simple as just plonking a date window on the dial. It risks upsetting the balance that made the original so compelling in the first place. The solution was a peripheral date disc that rotates around the outside o...

Interview: the Convictions of James Lamb

It’s a fair assumption that if you’re the kind of enthusiast that’s interested in independent watchmaking, the allure of something a little different isn’t lost on you. The independent watch space is a wildly diverse one that’s full of outsider artisans, but even in a field of outsiders, English watchmaker James Lamb is something of an anomaly.  Lamb’s watches genuinely don’t look like anything else on the market. While they’re all time-only affairs, they feature an offset sub-dial layout that frees up the outer portion of the dial to be used as a decorative space. With his Origin Series, Lamb applies strikingly colorful enamel work to the outer dial section. With his latest release, the Linea Edition, Lamb has collaborated with one of the UK’s most respected ornamental engravers, Joanne Ryall, to create a line of watches with beautifully hand-engraved titanium and gold outer dials.  While the dials are showstopping displays of handcraft, Lamb’s watches also feature completely handmade cases (read: no CNC machines used), which he crafts out of Argentium silver. Lamb’s case designs are robust and understated; they do a fabulous job of grounding the watch’s bold dial designs, but the craftsmanship that goes into them is something serious horology enthusiasts fawn over. For Lamb, a self-proclaimed watch industry isolationist, doing things like crafting his cases entirely by hand is kind of the whole point of making watches.  Lamb deliberately avoids...

Introducing – Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Automatic 36mm Alta Rosa

Parmigiani Fleurier’s luxury sports watch collection, the Tonda PF, was introduced in 2021. A refined, minimalist interpretation of the luxury sports watch, the Tonda PF collection is home to several complications. Originally available in 40 and 42mm case sizes, the brand responded to requests for more compact, unisex case sizes and, in 2022, introduced a […]

Hands-On With The Zenith Defy Revival A3643

During LVMH Watch Week in Milan, I was especially interested in the new Zenith releases. It is no secret that I love Zenith. The brand has managed to amaze me time and again with releases that combine the best in watch design with its legendary calibers. To my surprise, for this year’s LVMH Watch Week, […] Visit Hands-On With The Zenith Defy Revival A3643 to read the full article.

Hanhart Introduces a Pair of Desert Inspired Limited Edition Chronos

Despite frequently being (in my opinion, falsely) labeled as a boring, neutral color, beige has been making a splash across the watch world recently. When paired with the right auxiliary colors, beige can appear adventurous, rugged, and even classy, in the right circumstances. Perhaps I’m biased, as my 1983 Volvo 240 DL sports a handsome Rose Beige exterior, but it really is one of the most versatile colors, especially when paired with the right contrasting shades. One of beige’s best applications is in vintage-inspired timepieces, and Hanhart has jumped on the retro field watch trend with their latest, the 417 TI Desert Pilot Limited Edition, available in 39 and 42mm case sizes.  Hanhart has long been known for their military-style sport watches, and across the German brand’s 144-year history, they’ve had no shortage of classically-styled pilot watch variants. The 417 TI Desert Pilot combines sharp legibility thanks to black details on the beige dial, with robust functionality and case construction. Both sizes sport a Grade 5 titanium case with a matte finish, giving the watch a rugged, utilitarian look; this is furthered by the crown at 3 o’clock, flanked by two pushers that control the dual chronographs on the dial, positioned at 3 and 9 respectively. The hand-wound, Sellita-based AMT 5100 caliber movement is responsible for the flyback column-wheel chronograph functionality, and is visible through an exhibition caseback, which feels unusual but not unwelcome...

Swatch Group Responds to Morgan Stanley Report in Open Letter

First Look – The March LA.B AM2 Nyctalope Carbon, the Millésime March 2026 Edition

Spring is in the air, and French brand March LA.B celebrates its favourite month with a limited edition of its flagship AM2 watch collection. Founded in 2009 by three friends, united by a passion for surfing and retro design, the LA.B part of the brand’s name does not refer to a laboratory but to the […]

Benrus Debuts a New Version of the Classic Sky Chief Chronograph

Benrus has unveiled a new version of their Sky Chief, a classic pilot’s chronograph that dates to the brand’s 1940s heyday. There are many, many vintage inspired chronographs and re-editions of classic references on the market, so it takes a certain something to stand out from the crowd in this particular watch collecting niche. It appears that Benrus, for this release, has taken the approach of creating a vintage styled chronograph that is truly in line with the proportions of the original, something a lot of brands simply don’t care about, or don’t quite go far enough in emulating.  The headline here, I think, is that the new Sky Chief measures in at a very vintage-accurate 36mm in diameter. The original Sky Chief was approximately 35mm, so this is about as close to the original as anyone has a right to expect given the need to use a modern movement. The decision to go small here has two key benefits. First, obviously, the case is going to wear great on a huge variety of wrists. The 36mm diameter is a very accommodating size, and the case height of 11.9mm and lug to lug of 42.5mm make for a watch with classic proportions, at least on paper (we haven’t seen the Sky Chief in person yet).  The other important benefit of a smaller case that people do not talk about nearly enough when it comes to watches like this, chronographs in particular, is that you wind up with a far more balanced and cohesive dial. A smaller case of course means less dial space, and for a c...

The Best Skeleton Watches For 2026

The skeleton watch or skeletonized watch is a style of timepiece that is almost exclusively the domain of watches with mechanical movements. The process of skeletonizing a watch is simple - in theory. By opening up the dial and caseback and stripping out some large areas of movement parts, the maker of a skeleton watch reveals the "bones" beneath the surface. In practical terms, skeletonizing a watch can be done minimally or it can be done to an extreme level, and in both case the result can often be polarizing. Whether you love or hate the style, skeleton watches are nearly always a reliable conversation starter among enthusiasts of mechanical wristwatches. To keep those conversations going, we've compiled this list of some of the best skeleton watches on the market today. Before diving into the list, let's clear up some of the jargon you can expect to come across. First off, there are two other terms that tend to be lumped in with the subject of skeleton watches, namely “open heart” and "openworked." "Open heart" tends to describe a type of dial aperture that reveals usually just the balance wheel beating away but very little else. ”Openworked” is a term that is commonly used as an alternative to "skeletonized" since being popularized by Audemars Piguet (more on that below). Essentially, openworked and skeletonized are interchangeable in describing the same aesthetic. So, on this list there will be skeleton(ized) and openworked watches but not open-heart w...

Introducing: The Mesmerizing Black DLC Ressence Type 9 Ikeda

Ressence is back with a limited-edition Type 9 in the brand’s Art Watch Series. Last year, Benoît Mintiens introduced a colorful pair of Type 8 models in collaboration with German painter and sculptor Daniel Engelberg. This time, the Belgian brand asked Japanese artist Terumasa Ikeda to decorate the Type 9’s dial. He’s famous for applying […] Visit Introducing: The Mesmerizing Black DLC Ressence Type 9 Ikeda to read the full article.

Hands On: Gérald Genta “Geneva” Time-Only

Like its sister brand Daniel Roth, Gérald Genta recently unveiled a model that is entirely new, rather than one based on the brand’s historical designs. The Geneva time-only is a two-hand watch with a minimalist yet distinctive design that manages to capture the spirit of 1980s and 1990s Gérald Genta without being a remake. The cushion-shaped case was debuted last year with a six-figure minute repeater, but now the brand has now applied the design to something more affordable, relatively speaking. Inside is a Zenith Elite automatic that’s been dressed up surprisingly well, above and beyond the usual presentation of the calibre. Initial thoughts The revived Gerald Genta’s debut model, the Oursin, was a reissue of sorts. The Geneva, on the other hand, is a more original creation that’s no doubt inspired by the typical Genta aesthetic, but not a like-for-like remake. It’s a testament to the design that the Geneva could pass for a 1990s Gerald Genta watch even though it is not. The Geneva almost wears like a 1990s watch as well. It’s compact by today’s standards, though these proportions would have been extra-large 30 years ago. Its slimness and narrow lugs give this a formal feel, though the colours are more vivid than usual for a dress watch. The dial is definitely more 21st century than the case, especially with the grained finish, but the gradient colour is evocative of the 1970s and suits the style of the watch. I imagine a great many more colours can be s...

Seiko Updated One of its Most Iconic Watches: The New Alpinist SPB507

Despite being one of the quirkiest watches in the Seiko catalog, the Seiko Alpinist SPB121 is one of the brand's best-selling watches; in fact, it was the single best-selling Seiko watch we saw during the holidays. As much as its strange attributes, when compiled as a list of features, sound like it could never work in

Hands-On With The Brilliant New Breitling Navitimer Chronograph Aston Martin Formula 1 Edition

The first watch to kick off the new Breitling x Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1® team partnership had to be the iconic Navitimer. So we had to review it! What We Love The carbon fibre dial with subtle green flecks The lightweight titanium case is very easy to wear The nods to Aston Martin are not over the top, making this a more versatile collaboration piece What We Don’t 43 mm case size may not be to everyone’s taste The anti-reflective coating on the domed crystal can obscure the dial view a little Like all Navitimer’s, the dial is very busy thanks to the slide rule. Overall Rating: 9 / 10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9/10 If you haven’t heard, the newest timing partner to enter the Formula One® grid is Breitling, teaming up with the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One® Team this year. Was it a surprise? Was it a surprise? Perhaps at first glance. But strategically, it makes complete sense. Precision timing and high-performance engineering define both Breitling and Aston Martin. Aligning these two icons on the Formula One® grid isn’t just logical — it’s a natural extension of their shared ethos. The collaboration isn’t just with the F1 team either. It’s a much wider collaboration between the Swiss watchmaker and the British carmaker – spanning the full Aston Martin universe, from the high-performance vehicles that are handcrafted in Gaydon and St Athan to the team’s pursuit of glory in Formula One®. Breitlin...