TAG Heuer Releases Titanium Dark Blue Monaco Chronograph Skeleton for Monaco GP; MING Returns To Divers; Serica Expands 6190 Line; echo/neutra's GMT Chronograph; And A Piece Unique Lange

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. Folks, what an incredible lineup of watches today. While the TAG will certainly not be to everyones taste, the MING and Serica, but also the echo/neutra, are just incredible examples of how good affordable microbrand watches are.

In this issue:

• TAG Heuer Releases Titanium Dark Blue Monaco Chronograph Skeleton for Monaco GP

• Ming Returns To The Diver With A Compact And Completely Different, But Also Very Ming-Like, Watch

• Serica Expands Field Watch Collection With Vintage Inspired 6190 M.S.L Chronometer

• echo/neutra’s New Cortina 1956 Chronograph GMT Marries Two Very Popular Complications At A Very Attractive Price

• A. Lange & Söhne Creates A Special 1815 Chronograph For The Winner Of The Concorso D’Eleganza Villa D’Este 2024

Today’s reading time: 9 minutes and 5 seconds

👂What’s new

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TAG Heuer Releases Titanium Dark Blue Monaco Chronograph Skeleton for Monaco GP

While sponsorships from companies like John Player Special, Marlboro and Red Bull are synonymous with Formula 1, there is no other company that is more intertwined with the sport than TAG Heuer. Be it through sponsorships while the company was still Heuer or TAG’s ownership in the McLaren team and their work with engine and turbo development, TAG Heuer is Formula 1. So, it’s no wonder that they would release a special edition of a watch just ahead of the most iconic F1 race in the calendar, the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix. And the watch they released is looks equally towards the past - with its motorsport connection - as it does towards the future - with its high tech materials. This is the new black DLC titanium dark blue TAG Heuer Monaco Skeleton Chronograph.

If all this sounds familiar, I get it. Because it was exactly a year ago ahead of the ‘23 Monaco race that TAG Heuer introduced the first Monaco Skeleton Chronograph. For this years edition, TAG Makes some significant upgrades, but the case remains pretty much the same, measuring 39mm wide, 15mm thick and with an overall lug-to-lug of 47.4mm. With that thickness it might seem like a hefty watch, and it surely is, but the titanium case helps a lot. This new edition gets the case coated in black DLC, while the familiar bevelled sapphire crystal still sits on top. Water resistance is 100 meters.

Major changes are seen on the dial. While skeletonized, what’s left of the dial gets a really nice tone of blue with a sandblasted finish, contrasted with yellow chronograph hands. You can see parts of the movement through the dial, while the indexes are filled with Super-LumiNova. There’s also a date function that’s shown via an openworked date disc underneath a smoked crystal.

Inside is the in-house automatic Calibre Heuer 02 with a column-wheel and vertical clutch architecture. It beats at 4Hz and has a very decent 80 hour power reserve. Decoratoins include rhodium-plated bridges, a blackened rotor and yellow details. The watch comes on a dark blue embossed calfskin and rubber strap with a black DLC titanium folding clasp.

The TAG Heuer Monaco Skeleton Chronograph is available now as part of the permanent collection and priced at €11,400. See more on the TAG Heuer website. 

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MING Returns To The Diver With A Compact And Completely Different, But Also Very Ming-Like, Watch

We haven’t heard from MING in months. But that’s no surprise considering the year they had in 2023. They introduced the lightest watch ever made, released their first gold watch and a couple of desert-themed watches for Dubai Watch Week. Oh, and all of this happened just in November of last year. So, they took a deserved break. Or so it seemed. In actuality, they were working on their third dive watch ever. And it’s really a worthy successor to Ming’s previous, and very impressive, divers. This is the new MING 37.09 Bluefin.

It should be noted that their previous diver, the 18.01 H41, was already an impressive watch that had a 1,000 meter water resistance. MING initially wanted to iterate on that watch but after several prototypes opted for something more compact and built on the 37 Series of their watches. But compact doesn’t mean flimsy. You still get 600 meters of water resistance but in a much more wearable case - 38mm wide and 12.8mm thick. But that thickness is deceptive, as the case is actually just 10mm thick and 2.8mm is used up with the heavily domed sapphire crystal on top. That thinness, along with the 44.5mm lug-to-lug and beautifully sculpted lugs, makes this a very attractive watch. And while the 18.01 H41 was made out of titanium, the new Bluefin comes in steel with brushed and polished surfaces and with no external rotating bezel.

The bezel moves underneath the crystal and is operated by the second crown. Like most MING watches, the underside of the crystal gets etched with the hour markers that filled in with Super-LumiNova. Underneath that is a metalized deep blue sapphire dial and MING uses that to situate the internal bezel. A sealed crown at 4 ’o clock rotates the entire sapphire dial via a 60-click, unidirectional mechanism secured by sprung bearings. The crown does not pull out or screw down, has luminous fill to be easily located, and may be operated underwater. The diving scale is made of three distinct 20-minute lume-coated segments. It’s all incredibly strange - and will likely take some time to get used to, especially if you take it diving - but it’s also incredibly cool. The hands are skeletonized and also coated in SNL X1, making the entire watch glow intensely.

And again, like most MING watches you won’t find a bespoke movement inside. They opt for off-the-shelf movements to keep cost low and focus on the rest of the watch, at which they are among the best in the world. The movement is a customised Sellita SW300-1, with anthracite openworked bridges and rotor. It beats at 4Hz and has a 50 hour power reserve. The watch comes with a blue moulded FKM rubber strap that is closed with a ‘flying blade’ tuck buckle with micro adjustment.

Also, MING hints that they might be solving their biggest issue - availability. They point out that 500 pieces will be made in 2024, allowing for the possibility of more being made in the future. The MING 37.09 Bluefin is priced at CHF 4,950, with deliveries starting in October of this year. See more on the MING website.

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Serica Expands Field Watch Collection With Vintage Inspired 6190 M.S.L Chronometer

You will not believe me when I say this, but Serica watches has only been around for five years. This sounds so strange because their fantastic releases and vintage-inspired aesthetic make it seem like the brand has been around for decades. But it’s also been five years since they launched with their version vintage-inspired field watch, which means it’s high time for an update. And this is it, a trio of new Serica 6190 Chronomètre M.S.L. watches.

A lot has changed for Serica in five years. They refined their design, improved quality and are now making great watches. But they still are anchored in mid-century military and exploration watches, which exactly what the M.S.L is a reference to - Mean Sea Level. And this is part of the 6190 DNA. The stainless steel case measures 37.7mm wide, 10.4mm thick - and that’s with the crystal included - and has a pretty decent lug-to-lug of 46.5mm. The case has a brushed finish, polished bevels, a stepped bezel and beautiful twisted lugs. Despite the thinness of the watch, the crystal is prominently domed and water resistance is 200 meters.

The dials are all new on the 6190. While the original 6190 only came in black, the new one comes in black, white and a really, really nice color they call Tempest grey but looks like taupe. They all have an enamel-like finish with new applied makers. There’s a triangle at 12, rectangles at the cardinal positions (the 6 o’clock marker remains horizontal and is very cool), while the rest are dots. The hands are broad and arrow shaped, with a lollipop seconds hand. Everything is filled with lume.

Inside is the Soprod M100 movement which beats at 28,800vph and has a 42 hour power reserve. And as the name suggests, it has COSC certification which means it’s accurate to -4/+6 seconds/day. The watch comes on a bracelet that just perpetuates the vintage look - a stainless steel Bonklip bracelet.

The Serica 6190 Chronomètre M.S.L is available now, not limited and priced at €1,090. On the higher end of similar microbrands, but not crazy expensive. See more on the Serica website.

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echo/neutra’s New Cortina 1956 Chronograph GMT Marries Two Very Popular Complications At A Very Attractive Price

A lot can be said about microbrands, good and bad, but despite all criticism one thing is certain - they have changed the pricing of watches forever. Suddenly watches that would set you back many, many thousands from major brands could be had - often with the same movements inside - for under four figures. And while this is not the goal that echo/neutra has set out to conquer - I believe their mission is to show us how amazing simple design can get… really, go look at their watches - with their latest release, the Cortina 1956 Chrono GMT, they did exactly this - offer very attractive complications for a price that is unbeatable.

echo/neutra is an Italian brand that has so far wowed me with their designs, most striking of which are the Cortina 1956 GMT and the Averau Big Moon. For their latest creation, they seem to be building on the Cortina 1956 GMT, but in actuality it looks like a brand new watch. One, they say, they’ve worked on for more than 2 years. It’s a hefty watch, as you would expect from a chronograph, especially one with a GMT. The stainless steel case measures 40mm wide and a whopping 14.8mm thick, but only 12.7mm without the ultra domed sapphire crystal. The lug-to-lug brings the watch back to wearable territory as it only measures 46mm long. The finishing on the case is a combination of satin and polished, and on top is a fixed bezel with a black ceramic insert that has a telemeter scale on it.

There are two versions of the watch, differentiated by their colorway. Both dials get a sunray brushed finish, one in all black with cream markings and hands and the other in a bronze colored dial with black sub-dials and markings. On both the GMT hand is bright red with a lumed arrow. The tri-compax orientation gives you a 30-minute chronograph totalizer at 12 o’clock, chronograph hours at 6 o’clock and small seconds at 9 o’clock. The 9 o’clock sub-dial also functions as a day/night indicator for the second time zone and echo/neutra displays this with a beautiful illustration of the night/day sky. There’s not a lot of lume on the watch - just the hour and minute hand tips and the telemeter scale on the bezel - but this makes for a really unique look, go check it out on their website.

Inside the watch is the Sellita SW532M b movemen in its elaboré setup. It’s a relatively new Sellita movement that has a cam-operated chronograph mechanism and an anti-magnetic Nivaflex barrel spring. It beats at 28,800 vph and has a 62 hour power reserve. The watch comes on the brands Cortina stainless steel bracelet and you get a handcrafted leather strap made in Italy.

The Cortina 1956 Chronograph GMT is available for sale starting today and priced at €1,970. That’s quite a deal for a chronograph with a GMT. See more on the echo/neutra website.

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A. Lange & Söhne Creates A Special 1815 Chronograph For The Winner Of The Concorso D’Eleganza Villa D’Este 2024

Today, hundreds of incredibly rich people will gather around their priceless cars parked on the lawn of the legendary Villa d’Este. Judges of the Concorso d’Eleganza will examine every microscopic detail of the cars to judge their condition, restoration and overall state, including all the additional tools that came with the car when it was delivered new. On Sunday, they will crown several winners, but the most prestigious award is surely the Best of Show category. This will go to the best car displayed at the show, and competition will be crazy, with multi dozen million dollar worth cars at every step. Along with a nice plaque, the winner will also get a watch from a longtime Concorso d’Eleganza partner, A. Lange & Söhne. For this year, Lange has created an incredible special edition of the 1815 Chronograph with a stunning movement inside.

The watch comes in a polished white gold hunter-style case. This means that the back gets a specially hand-engraved hinged cuvette, marked with the year 2024 and inscribed with Concorso d’Eleganza around the periphery. The caseback can also be opened to reveal a transparent crystal sapphire. On top is a solid 18K pink gold dial that has a salmon finish with sunray brown chronograph sub-dials.

Through the caseback you can see the L951.5 Manufacture caliber which has a flyback function, jumping minute counter, column-wheel control as well as a 60-hour power reserve. The watch comes on a beautiful brown alligator strap.

There is no price on this watch, as there is only one way to get it. Enter the best car into the 2024 Concorso d’Eleganza. Considering the fact that last year’s winner, a Duesenberg SJ is valued at around €4 million, it might be quite a task. See more on the Concorso d’Eleganza website.

🫳On hand

Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon

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A review of the new Tudor Black Bay Master Chronometer

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Diving with the 18k red-gold Blancpain Fifty Fathoms

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A review of the Alpina Seastrong Diver Extreme GMT

⚙️Watch Worthy

A look at an off beat, less known watch you might actually like

The Raymond Weil Millesime is the perfect example of evolved design

Adding a moonphase complication to the Millesime makes a ton of sense. For starters, it suits this style like a charm. Additionally, the dial was already perfectly balanced for a sub-dial at 6 o’clock because the original model had a sub-seconds layout. The “Automatic” line remains under a subdued moonphase display with a face drawn on the moon.

Read the whole review on Fratello

⏲️Wait a minute

A bunch of links that might or might not have something to do with watches. One thing’s for sure - they’re interesting

• Sure, newspapers still have columnists. But the era of the city newspaper columnist has become a particularly artifact-y artifact of when newspaper journalism held real power. (No shots at Maureen Dowd and Paul Krugman, but do they really feel like they’re writing as or for New Yorkers?) For The Point, Ross Barkan wrestles with Jimmy Breslin’s long shadow—and paints the portrait of a complicated man whose prose was as sharp as his views.

  In this Slate story, Luke Winkie reports on the black market for poop—specifically the HumanMicrobes website, which matches fecal donors with people looking to buy healthy, premium poop for a fecal microbiota transplant (FMT). Winkie’s piece has the context on why anyone would want to do this. The story might make you squeamish, but it’s still a fascinating look at why poop is so important.

• Lewis Hamilton is Changing Lanes. He’s got one last season with Mercedes, and then F1's winningest driver will join Ferrari. But he’s looking far beyond that, toward the moves he’ll make when his racing career ends.

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

Tell me that buying a restored Land Rover Series IIA is a bad idea. Right? It’s the worst idea of all time… I love bad ideas.

💵Pre-loved precision

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• LOOKING TO BUY: Here’s a crazy request. One of you is looking to buy the Ōtsuka Lotēc No. 7.5. Sure, it’s a big ask, but if any of you have one and want to sell, reach out to and I’ll put you in touch

• SOLD: Well, not really new. It’s a great looking mid-90s Tudor Submariner 75090, offered for sale by a member of the It’s About Time reader crew. I love the way it looks and seems to be in great condition. Check it out over on Chrono24.

• LOOKING TO BUY: One of our readers is looking to purchase three very specific watches: an Islander ISL-133 Mother of Pearl, a Sinn 556 Mother of Pearl or a Zelos 300m GMT Mosaic Mother of Pearl. If you’re selling any of these, reach out to us and we’ll put you in touch

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-Vuk