swordsman

 Following the unveiling of its innovative lab-grown diamond technology in 2022, TAG Heuer is adding another Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde model to its catalog as part of its novelties for LVMH Watch Week 2024. This TAG Heuer Carrera Date 36mm Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde watch with yellow diamonds follows last year’s pink diamond variant and marks the second colored diamond created by the watchmaker. This is not just your run-of-the-mill gem-set watch; TAG Heuer’s use of diamonds within its Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde line is purposefully inventive — avant-garde, if you will. For instance, the winding crown, replique montre attached to a 36mm white gold case, is masterfully cut from a single, 1.3-carat, yellow lab-grown diamond. Furthermore, the dial, which TAG Heuer calls a poly-crystalline dial, was created by growing a large number of diamond crystals as one piece, resulting in a myriad of reflections and light effects. There’s also another large lab-grown yellow diamond on th...

 When St. Louis, Missouri-based Monta (a sister brand of Everest Bands) burst into the watch scene in 2016, it challenged the industry’s perception of microbrands and what they can offer. Monta quickly became somewhat of a gold standard of quality in the microbrand space, with yearly releases that defined the brand’s design language and reaffirmed its presence each time. Seven years later, it continues to raise the bar, leading me to question where we draw the line between “micro” and “independent” brands. As design language develops and catalogs expand, when do we change how we define brands? If Monta wasn’t already considered an independent brand then the direction it is heading will certainly take it there. The Monta Skyquest has received its most significant update after five years in production and is a step outside of the brand’s established comfort zone. The new generation of Monta Skyquest is decidedly aggressive, in contrast to the brand’s other offerings that take a more ...