1,882 articles · 17 videos found · page 9 of 64
Monochrome
Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas luxury sports watch family is now in its third generation, but its roots trace back to the 222 model of 1977. A well-represented collection with complications and straightforward time-and-date models, the Overseas is widely acclaimed for its attractive design, high-end finishings, in-house movements and versatility. In 2019, a tourbillon was added to […]
Monochrome
Undeniably, recent years have seen a transformation in mechanical watchmaking, surprisingly in both directions. While traditional brands have gone up in price quite drastically, we have seen quite a change on the other side of the spectrum. What once required thousands of euros can now be had for a fraction of that: finishing, materials, in-house […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Explore our hands-on comparison of the Longines HydroConquest and Mido Ocean Star Tribute. Find the better Swiss diver under $2,000 in all-round value.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Discover how the TAG Heuer Carrera ‘Glassbox’ stacks up against the Zenith El Primero A384 in design, movement, and authenticity to find out which revival wins.
Teddy Baldassarre
If the modern success story of Tudor can be attributed to the launch of one distinct collection, it is, undoubtedly, the Black Bay. Like any intelligent watch brand, Tudor has taken that success and run with it full speed ahead, riffing and launching distinct extensions and sub-collections within the Black Bay universe that, at this point, are designed to meet the wants and needs of just about every enthusiast out there. Today, I’m going to be putting two distinct lines within the Black Bay family head-to-head that are, to the untrained eye, quite similar, but take on the vintage-revival theme in two distinct directions: the Black Bay 54 and the Black Bay 58. Down below, I’ll get into the nitty-gritty of what these two members of the larger Black Bay family have in common, and the intricacies that, together, have profound effects on what they deliver. After our short and sweet history lesson, I’ll be diving right into the key details of the Tudor Black Bay 54 vs. 58, all while interjecting my own musings and philosophies on how to approach these subtle differences. [toc-section heading="Tudor Black Bay Context"] As always, I’m going to keep the history lesson as concise here as I can, but if you have a bit more time, I’d recommend checking out this complete guide to the Tudor Black Bay. Anywho, the story of the modern Black Bay begins at Baselworld in 2012 (initially dubbed the “Heritage Black Bay”). After years of struggling in the shadows of the Crown a...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Torn between the Tudor Black Bay and Omega Seamaster? We’ve worn, tested, and lived with both and here’s how they really stack up in comfort, specs, and value.
Deployant
Angelus releases a new version of their Flying Tourbillon Skeleton, now dressed with orange accents. This is a 25 piece limited edition.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
We tested the Seamaster and the Submariner on wrist, comparing finishing, movement, strap/bracelets, and availability to name the better buy.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
After years of testing we compare Baltic and Nodus, weighing build, design, and value to help you pick the right affordable microbrand watch.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
After nearly a decade reviewing affordable watches, we ask: has the community been overlooking Bulova in favor of Seiko?
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Does Grand Seiko really clear the Rolex bar? 10 years of wrist time testing both brands shows where GS wins and where the crown still leads.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
After a decade of reviews, we compare Seiko and Orient on design, performance, durability, and value to help you choose what's right for you.
Teddy Baldassarre
If you're relatively new to the watch collecting game and are ready to graduate to your first Omega watch, you're probably pondering a question that has confronted many others before you: Speedmaster or Seamaster? Spaceworthy historical chronograph or tough but stylish diver? Buzz Aldrin or Jacques Cousteau? The official watch of NASA or the official watch of James Bond? Both of these megapopular Omega watches have rich, amazing stories to tell and both today offer a plethora of options in terms of colorways, materials, and even added complications - all while still remaining true to their heritage. In this feature, we compare and contrast the Omega Speedmaster vs Seamaster in the pursuit of helping prospective buyers make a (hopefully) more informed decision on their first - or next - Omega watch. Omega Speedmaster vs Seamaster: Far From Their Roots In terms of seniority as a product family, the Omega Seamaster has almost a decade on its chronograph sibling. The Seamaster as we know it today is one of the most iconic of dive watches, but in 1948, when Omega introduced the first model by that name, the “dive watch” as we know it in the modern sense didn’t really exist. The original Omega Seamaster was positioned in contemporary advertisements as a watch for “town, sea, and country” - a dress watch for gentlemen that was distinguished from its many competitors by its adoption of a new waterproofing system that Omega had developed for the watches it produ...
Hodinkee
Not going to lie, that invisible strap goes kind of hard.
Quill & Pad
Chronodate is a fusion of two different styles: Angelus, the historic brand and its Swiss watchmaking heritage, and Angelus, the technical, modern brand with a penchant for complications. With this colour combination, the house presents the most striking version of this chronograph collection.
Quill & Pad
Rolex Submariner or GMT Master II? This is not an easy question and veryone will have their own opinion on which of these two iconic watches is their favorite. Many considering owning a Rolex will start with these two models. Raman Kalra tries to pick his favorite.
Monochrome
In recent years, Citizen has gained incredible visibility with its ultra-accessible take on the 1980s watch with (sort of) an integrated bracelet, the Tsuyosa. With its cool design, fun colours, multiple sizes, and fair price, it brought back the brand on the cool wall (Top Gear viewers will understand the reference…) Building on the success […]
Monochrome
The One Week is, together with the impressively complex and innovative Resonance concept, one of the most important watches by the Biel-based independent watchmaker. Indeed, it was the first watch to come from Armin Strom after Serge Michel and Claude Greisler took the reins of the company in 2010. It launched the brand’s first manufacture […]
Monochrome
In 1965, Seiko entered the race for the best dive watch, much later than the Swiss did. Seiko released its first ever dive watch, known as the 62MAS, the mother of all upcoming aquatic watches of the brand. It’s a story that we’ve told many times on MONOCHROME. What matters most today is that 2025 […]
Monochrome
Rolex… Whether you like the brand or not, whether you appreciate its watches or not, whether you understand the hype or not, it is hard to objectively deny the sheer quality and aura of its timepieces. There are obvious reasons for its success, for it to be the number one Swiss watch brand. And then […]
Quill & Pad
The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic and the Rolex Explorer 36 both have automatic movements, three hands, black dials, and 100-meter water resistance. Both they couldn't be more different as Perry Heim explains.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
As I explained in my last piece, I am something of a Black Bay collector myself (picture the meme), having fallen for the 79220N Heritage Black Bay in 2015. Prior to this, however, I had already decided two years previously that I would buy a Rolex Submariner one day, somehow. Today, I want to focus on the 79220N Heritage Black Bay, the 79000N Black Bay 54 and the 124060 Submariner in my collection.
Worn & Wound
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...
Monochrome
Following its revival in 2011, Angelus has focused on building an impressive series of purpose-built movements. In 2022, Angelus introduced the Chronodate with a bi-compax chronograph and pointer date combo. While the Chronodate references the brand’s 1942 model when Angelus was enjoying its heyday as a leading manufacture of chronographs, the reinterpretation is contemporary. For […]
SJX Watches
Continuing with its series of editions made for the Swiss Air Force’s aerobatic team, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XX Patrouille Suisse is a clean, no-frills watch based on IWC’s entry-level pilot’s watch. A limited edition of 250 pieces, the Mark XX Patrouille Suisse is the fifth edition dedicated to the aerobatics team. This has two notable features that set it apart from the regular production Mark XX. First, the case is entirely in matte titanium instead of stainless steel. Secondly, the dial is sunburst-brushed slate grey rather than black or blue. Initial thoughts As one of IWC’s bestsellers, the Mark XX is a modern take on the historical IWC pilot’s watch. It’s relatively affordable and an easily wearable 40 mm. The standard Mark XX sticks to the standard template, so it isn’t that interesting. The Patrouille Suisse edition, on the other hand, is different enough to be interesting, but not so much that it loses the recognisable styling. The lightweight, low-key titanium case is particularly fitting for a pilot’s watch, both in terms of visuals and feel. And the grey dial adds a bit of nuance to an otherwise monochromatic look, though it could have been better without the date. Priced at US$6,500, the Mark XX Patrouille Suisse doesn’t cost too much more than the standard model, which makes it a compelling alternative. Admittedly the cal. 32111 inside is one of IWC’s most economical movements, but it is acceptable for the price. Shades of grey Ent...
Hodinkee
An industrial tool dive watch straight out of the land-locked hills of Switzerland.
Monochrome
Mr Roger Dubuis founded his eponymous brand in 1995, swiftly achieving success with timepieces that deftly balance traditional watchmaking craftsmanship and bold, expressive designs. Since 2003, the brand has been renowned for its expertise in tourbillon watches, starting with the calibre RD03. This fully integrated manufacture has since become a specialist in architectural skeletonised tourbillons, […]
Monochrome
Incarnating Vacheron Constantin’s sophisticated vision of a luxury sports watch, the Overseas has its roots in the 222, a 1977 model designed to celebrate the brand’s 222nd anniversary. Following a major overhaul in 2016, the brand released the third generation Overseas with a host of complications and a versatile interchangeable strap and bracelet system. The […]
Monochrome
First released in 2019, the Chopard Alpine Eagle collection was met with great success. The brand’s vision of a luxury sports watch with an integrated bracelet, it took design cues from a vintage model – the St Mortiz – and adapted it to modern tastes. Specifically, it stands apart with its fascinating textured dial, modelled […]
Revolution
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