MONOCHROME’s 10 Most Read Articles Of The Year… With Plenty Of Accessible Watches

The end of the year 2022 is nigh. And once again, at MONOCHROME, we’ve seen a lot of new watches (in all fairness, it was more evolutionary than revolutionary), and we reviewed more models than ever before. We’ve also published an incredible amount of articles – close to 1,200 this year, a record that will be hard to beat, but we’ll keep on trying. It is now time to look at your favourite articles of the year… And I’ve been slightly surprised by the results. Contrary to past years, it’s not only about Rolex, Patek and Omega occupying top places on the charts. In 2022, you’ve also praised accessible watches from brands such as Citizen, Tissot or Seiko. Here are our Top 10 Articles of 2022.

10 – Going Deep into the Green Rolex Submariner

Alright, I was lying a bit in the introduction… There are some Rolex articles in our top-read reviews of 2022, but it’s not even one of the new Rolex watches released this year. Instead, it’s a watch that was launched in 2020. In this article, we explain everything there is to know about the most classic dive watch by the Crown, the Submariner… Except we’re taking a look at the slightly more original and highly coveted green bezel Submariner 126610LV, with its date under a cyclops. Over 3,000 words of in-depth analysis that will tell you everything about the current generation of Sub.

You can read the article Review of The Rolex Submariner Date 126610LV here.

9 – Diving with the Seamaster 300

There’s something fascinating about the articles written by our editor Derek. A seasoned recreational diver, he doesn’t review watches like the rest of the team; he lives with them in their natural habitat. Most of his articles are pretty straightforward; take any dive watch, strap it around his wetsuit and report his experience wearing this watch underwater. And among the diving reviews he wrote for us this year – which include diving with the mighty Blancpain Fifty Fathoms X Fathoms or the very accessible Seiko Prospex PADI King Samurai – the one you’ve enjoyed the most is his diving report about the classic Omega Seamaster Diver 300M. How did it perform underwater? Well, check it out here.

You can read the article Diving With the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M here.

8 – Meet the Revamped Tudor Ranger

I must admit that I was a bit surprised to find this watch in our top-read articles list… I didn’t feel much enthusiasm when it was released; however, it seems that it has garnered attention following its presentation. This new take on the Tudor Ranger is, nevertheless, a watch in typical Tudor style: solidly executed, fully loaded, competitively priced and equipped with a manufacture chronometer movement. This year, it has been redesigned with a more vintage dial and more compact proportions, which once again reinforces the trend for smaller watches (so does the 39mm Pelagos).

You can read the article The Tudor Ranger Is Back, More Compact and Now With COSC Manufacture Calibre here.

7 – The Cool Tissot PRX Chronograph

The success of the Tissot PRX is clearly not decreasing and is probably the most notable release of the brand in years. Following the classic time-and-date models, in multiple colours and combinations of materials, the brand launched a bolder, bigger and sportier edition with a chronograph movement. And once again the recipe is perfect: cool 1970s design, integrated bracelet, sporty-chic look, robust automatic movement and a price tag that is hard to beat. And that is something you clearly enjoyed, seeing the impact of this watch in our statistics (which is also true on socials).

You can read the article Tissot Adds A Valjoux-Powered Automatic Chronograph To The Popular PRX Collection here.

6 – The Vintage-Inspired Tissot Telemeter

Another Tissot, another chronograph, the same base movement inside… but a completely different interpretation. The Telemeter 1938 is the complete opposite of the PRX above, and yet these two share a lot of similarities. The quality is unquestionable, the design is quite stunning (except for the size of the case), the dial is lovely and full of charm, and the price is just right. Once again, Tissot knows how to win over the crowds.

You can read the article The Handsome New Tissot Telemeter 1938 here.

5 – The Accessible Sporty-Chic Watch by Citizen

If the Swiss industry has managed to provide an accessible take on the luxury sports watch with the Tissot PRX, Japanese watchmakers have also been at work on this concept. And Citizen came up with a very compelling watch at an incredibly accessible price. The Citizen Tsuyosa Automatic, a watch that retails for less than EUR 300 (yes, that low), comes with everything you’d expect: style, quality, robustness and even a bit of fanciness and flair. Although it can’t compete with the Swiss in terms of features and luxury, it also plays in a completely different field when it comes to its price.

You can read the article Review – The Amazingly Accessible Citizen Tsuyosa Automatic here.

4 – Tom Cruise and His Porsche Design in Top Gun

A slightly different type of article… Two years ago, when we thought the sequel to what is undeniably the best pilot movie of all time was about to be released, our resident watch spotter Nick Gould gave us a hint about the watch worn by Naval Aviator Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick… Even though the launch of the movie had to be postponed, Top Gun 2 made it to the silver screen, which confirmed our thoughts; once again, Tom Cruise was wearing a black-coated Porsche Design Chronograph in the 2022 sequel, just like he did in the 1986 movie Top Gun. And objectively, it doesn’t get cooler than this!

You can read the article Now Confirmed, Tom Cruise Brings Back the PVD Porsche Design Chronograph in “Top Gun: Maverick” here.

3 – The Europe-Only Seiko Alpinist

Of course, there has to be a Seiko in our best-read articles of the year. The Japanese brand is amongst the most popular on MONOCHROME. However, we’re slightly surprised by the model in question. No dive watch here, no vintage re-edition either, but a limited-edition Alpinist reserved for the European market, the SPB355J1 Rock Face. That being said, our editor Robin named this watch “the best-looking modern Alpinist to date” in his article. And it seems that the reactions from the crowd, at least judging by the statistics, confirm some love for this cool grey-blue edition.

You can read the article The European-Only Seiko Prospex Alpinist “Rock Face” SPB355J1 here.

2 – The All-Inclusive Citizen Promaster Fujitsubo

To our great surprise, the 2022-released watch that made the most noise this year on MONOCHROME isn’t a high-end, ultra-collectable or unattainable piece, but a no-nonsense and accessible dive watch with a classic look, the Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver 200M NB6021 a.k.a the Fujitsubo. That being said, this watch has a lot of arguments in its favour: fairly priced, well designed, made from robust materials and bearing a respectful name on its dial. It is a no-brainer, a watch that won’t disappoint, and we’re actually happy to see such a pragmatic offering on the second step of our podium.

You can read the article The Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver 200M NB6021 here.

1 – The Rolex Predictions… Still our most-read article of the year!

Another year, another Rolex Predictions article topping the charts. This article (and its predecessors) has become a signature story on MONOCHROME, an article that many of you are waiting for and one that we certainly take a lot of pleasure to create. Have we managed to guess what Rolex actually released in 2022? Not really, if I must be honest. But it doesn’t mean we’re not proud of the potential watches we’ve created… (I certainly prefer our own take on the Air King, compared to the actual new Air King).

You can read the article Rolex Predictions 2022 – The New Models Rolex Might Launch During Watches & Wonders 2022 here.