Introducing: The Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 GMT SBGJ227 ‘Peacock’
An award-winning watch gets refreshed with a stunning new dial.
Introducing – Jaquet Droz Tropical Bird Repeater, Sound and Motion from Métiers d’Art
For those who know their watch history, it is no secret that the singing bird has been a beloved creature adorning clocks, music boxes, snuffboxes and other objects of art for centuries. However, for years now, Jaquet Droz has been bringing the saga of the singing bird to wristwatches in alluring versions that feature sculpted birds as automatons on dials of musical watches. Now the brand brings the concept to all new heights with the unveiling of the Jaquet Droz Tropical Bird Repeater.
IN-DEPTH: Smart and stealthy – the TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 43mm in black ceramic
Story in a second: It’s one of the best modern sports chronographs of 2017. ’Nuff said. In two short years, TAG Heuer’s Carrera Heuer 01 has gone from a single statement model to a fully fledged sub-collection, with something for everyone. Having said that, this stealthy, slightly smaller 43mm in matt black ceramic might just be the most versatile model yet. The case There are two noteworthy features of the case of the CAR2090: its size and material. First of all, the size. As I’ve said before, the 43mm Heuer 01 models are much friendlier to more wrists than the (frankly, pretty massive) 45mm versions. 43mm is still a large, modern sports case size that doesn’t — especially when coupled with the height required by the integrated chrono movement — lack anything in the wrist appeal department. Secondly, the material. The matt black ceramic case construction (with a stainless steel core and caseback for water resistance) doesn’t just look mean, it also means your watch is nigh unscratchable, and substantially lighter than a comparable steel model — two factors that greatly improve the day-to-day wearability of this piece. It’ll look good for longer, and won’t weigh you down at the end…
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HANDS-ON: Smooth sailing – the Panerai Luminor 1950 PCYC 3 Days Chrono Flyback
In recent years, Panerai has changed tack — steering a little away from the purely hard-edged, masculine image that has characterised the brand’s more recent history with models like the Luminor Due and this flyback chronograph, made to celebrate Panerai’s partnership with the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, or PCYC. For a brand that was born on the wrists of Italian frogmen, the journey topside to the decks of classic yachts, and all the glamour associated with that, is a short and natural evolution, as the calm, confident and slightly retro-inspired Luminor 1950 cased watch proves. With its rich ivory-coloured dial, crisp black text and nautical tachymeter scale, the PCYC Flyback is as welcome as a fresh sea breeze on a balmy summer’s day. The good looks don’t end there though, with dot and hash hour markers — a departure from Panerai’s characteristic Arabic numerals — in warm vintage tones keeping the dial uncluttered, and the gold and blued steel hands adding a flash of colour. The slightly distressed Ponte Vecchio calf strap is a perfect stylistic match. The caseback is solid, showing a broadside view of a classic yacht, which is something of a mixed blessing. This solid caseback is…
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EDITOR’S PICK: Picking up speed with the Longines Railroad
Editor’s note: This Longines Railroad reissue manages to straddle a fine line — of being an authentic reproduction of a period piece that looks entirely contemporary and relevant in 2017. The fact that it’s also got a neat tie-in to the golden age of train travel is something to look back on nostalgically as you’re crammed like a sardine into a packed carriage on your morning commute. Ah, the romance of rail! We’re not alone in our love of Longines heritage offerings – the classic designs and smart prices make them consistently instant hits among watch enthusiasts, and every year we get some new treasure from the brand’s seemingly endless archive. We’ve had dive watches, pilot’s watches, even trench watches – but we’ve never seen a train watch, until now… The American railroads ‘General Railroad Timepiece Standards’ specified that timekeeping equipment from then on must “be open faced…use plain Arabic numbers printed bold and black on a white dial, and have bold black hands…” The Longines Railroad takes its name and design from highly precise ‘railroad grade’ mid-twentieth century Longines watches intended for use by railway workers. Before the invention of electronic safety mechanisms, accuracy on the railways wasn’t just a matter…
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Why the New Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921 Mid-Size is More Masculine Than Some Will Tell?
Recently, Vacheron Constantin unveiled a mid-size version of one of its most appealing watches, the desirable and highly original Historiques American 1921. Yet, there’s something tricky with this watch, and it’s all about its name, and the size that is implied by this “mid-size” appellation. Such watches have always been complex in terms of market segmentation… Large feminine watch, smaller masculine timepiece? It often falls between two stools, but in the case of the American 1921 Mid-Size, my decision is now clear… I needed to wear it and here’s what we (a unanimous decision from the Monochrome editorial team) think.
Hands-On: The Bravur BW003 Automatic
Swedish style, with a Swiss movement inside.
Hands-On: The Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Acciaio 42mm
It’s a Submersible, but smaller.
Introducing – The All-Black Everything Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm Ceramic
Last year, Girard-Perregaux, announced a revamped, limited edition Laureato timepiece as part of its 225th Anniversary celebrations. The response to that timepiece was very positive, and so at the beginning of this year, the Swiss manufacture followed up with an entire new Laureato collection (which we spent a bit of time getting hands-on with at SIHH.) Now, another new model is joining the line-up. Meet the very stealth-looking, all-black everything, Laureato 42 mm Ceramic.
HANDS-ON: The Rolex Sea-Dweller (ref. 126600)
In the weeks leading up to Baselworld 2017, the speculation as to what Rolex would be releasing was rife. With astute watch collectors quickly pointing out that 2017 marked 50 years of the Rolex Sea-Dweller, the community braced for an anniversary edition. We all know — and love — that Rolex celebrates iconic anniversaries, and more often than not it’s a sophisticated touch here and there. Think back to the Rolex Submariner (ref 16610LV), where we saw a green bezel, or the more recent Rolex Day-Date 40 (60th anniversary Edition), with a stunning green dial. For all that, they’re instantly recognisable: Rolex are subtle — one of their core strengths is to design and manufacture timeless wristwatches. A Submariner from 1970 looks just as good as a current production Submariner, and that’s because Rolex doesn’t do rapid change. They move to the beat of their own drum. So, when the doors to the fair opened, attendees (myself included) swarmed to the Rolex booth, fighting to get the first glimpse of exactly what this would be. Glistening in the window sat the brand new 50th Anniversary Sea-Dweller. Since that initial exciting glimpse, I’ve managed to spend a bit more time with the new Sea-Dweller reference…
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