Exactly 30 years ago, on 24 October 1994, at the Dresden Royal Palace, Gunter Blumlein, Walter Lange and Hartmut Knothe unveiled the inaugural collection of the rejuvenated A. Lange & Sohne brand, consisting of the Saxonia, the Arkade, the Tourbillon Pour le Merite and, of course, the Lange 1. A watch that has been instrumental in the resurrection of the brand, of German watchmaking and of the...
ZRC (Zuccolo Rochet & Cie) isn't a household name in the dive community like , Doxa, Blancpain or Omega (or even Seiko, if we cross a few time zones), but it certainly has a place in history. Responding to the French Navy's request for deep dive watches in 1958, the brand developed the S1 diver for testing in 1959. This became ZRC's first watch after approval, the Grands Fonds 300 (ZRC focuse...
While there is plenty to be enjoyed when it comes to a finely crafted mechanical time-only watch, sometimes you want a little more than that, right? From GMT watches to chronographs, and from moon phases to perpetual calendars, there’s an absolute abundance of complexity within the watchmaking industry. But what if you’re looking for a more audible experience? Not only seeing time but ...
It seems that 2024 is the year Oris is reviving multiple collections at once, with revamped editions of the Aquis, Aquis Chronograph and now the Divers Sixty-Five. Or rather Oris Divers Date I should say, as it not only gets a new look and upgraded specs, but a new name as well. Straight out of the gate though, the charming soul of the outgoing collection has very much been retained, meaning it...
It isn’t every day that Patek Philippe introduces an entirely new collection, especially a new range of elegant sports watches. But here it is, and it is called the Patek Philippe Cubitus. Three years after discontinuing the celebrated stainless steel blue Nautilus 5711?– or two years, if we include the farewell Olive Green and Tiffany editions – collectors around the globe eager...
What if…? This simple statement could easily summarize what Albishorn‘s founder Sebastien Chaulmontet wants to achieve with the brand, or “Imaginary Vintage” watches as he likes to call it. Things started with the appealing Maxigraph, or what a modern regatta chronograph would have looked like in the 1930s. Now, Albishorn takes flight, and Chaulmontet creates another vintag...
Introduced in 2001, Ulysse Nardin's Freak watch turned many watchmaking conventions upside down. With no hands, no dial and no crown, the Freak was powered by an in-line movement pivoting on itself every 60 minutes to indicate the time. It was regulated by a dual direct escapement and introduced the watchmaking world to silicium (aka silicon). Following countless iterations over its 23-year lifesp...
Following our article about the new Josef Regulator With Dead-Beat Seconds, it’s time now to introduce the second watch released by Habring2 in the frame of the brand’s 20th-anniversary celebrations. Founded in 2004 by couple Maria and Richard Habring, Habring2 is one of the very few watchmakers to operate in Austria and, over the years, it has managed to manufacture highly appealing h...
Twenty years ago, Austrian couple Maria and Richard Habring (the latter being famous already for his previous work at IWC, including developing the 7750-based Doppel Chronograph, among other clever mechanisms) started their own journey, an independent watchmaking brand known as Habring2. Now one of the most respected indie watchmakers in their segment, one of the few brands to actually make watche...
The moon has fascinated mankind for millennia, and our neighbouring satellite has had a monumental impact on life. It has been detrimental in the early days of telling time, serving as a reference beacon in the sky for people around the globe. It’s no wonder then, that plenty of brands feature a miniature representation of the moon prominently on the dial of a watch. We’ve looked at th...
In the 1990s, the legendary McLaren F1 went up against the equally iconic Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959. In the early 2010s, the P1 took on the Ferrari LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder. Now though, for the time being at least, McLaren has the playing field all to its own, as it just launched the all-new W1, the first entry in the upcoming revamp of the hypercar-holy-trinity! Of course, there are oth...
With the PRX collection, Tissot has found a proverbial sweet spot between style, mechanics and affordability. At the height of the boom of luxury sports watches, in comes Tissot with the PRX, offering tremendous value for money! In just a couple of short years, Tissot has made the PRX the hottest-selling watch in its collection, by a country mile! It packs all the right elements; a shaped case, te...
TAG Heuer, Porsche, and the Carrera Panamericana are the names that strike a chord with many, whether they’re motorsport or watch enthusiasts. The rich history connecting these three continues to unfold, and this year brings an exciting new chapter. TAG Heuer has just revealed the limited edition Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon x Porsche Panamericana, celebrating the partnership between these...
Founded in 1934, Airain was well known for its Type 20 flyback chronographs in the mid-20th century, supplying the French military along with brands like Breguet and Mathey Tissot. These chronographs could be instantly reset to zero by pressing the 4 o'clock pusher via the flyback function and had specific requirements like a bidirectional 12-hour rotating bezel, 35-hour power reserve (minimum) an...
Vacheron Constantin celebrates the 20th anniversary of its Patrimony collection with a special edition produced in collaboration with French designer Ito Morabito, more widely known as Ora ?to. The understated soul of the Patrimony is inspired by Vacheron’s slim men’s dress watches of the 1950s, a formula applied across the board to all Patrimony references. As the epitome of technical...
Bucherer, the world’s leading watch retailer that recently made headlines when acquired it, has a history of collaborating with various brands to release exclusive editions, and one signature colour has consistently defined these partnerships – Bucherer Blue. Last year, this theme was showcased in a trio of remarkable timepieces from H. Moser & Cie and included a Tourbillon, a To...
As the year progresses, we’re all bombarded with tons of watches from countless brands and manufacturers. And I don’t know about you, but even for me, working inside the industry, it can be a real challenge keeping up with things. From affordable to very expensive, and from just a new dial colour to a complete revamp, there’s always a lot going on everywhere you look. So, I thoug...
If you’re into watches, then the name Gubelin should sound familiar –? you’ll probably first think about double-signed vintage Patek Philippe watches, once retailed by this house. Indeed, Gubelin is, first and foremost, a jeweller and watch retailer which has been in the business for over 150 years in Switzerland. Today, Gubelin returns to making watches under its own name, bring...
In 1957, the Flagship collection was advertised as a perfect alliance of technical skill and classic design. More than six decades later, Longines keeps the spirit accurate. The Longines Flagship Heritage line is part of the brand’s classic collection. It falls into the Heritage Classic category and is presented as an homage to the innovative spirit while combining the original aesthetic of ...
Without a doubt,?one of the most iconic chronographs ever produced by the Swiss watchmaking industry is the Omega Speedmaster,?born in 1957 (as part of a trilogy of Master watches). However, the Speedmaster shot to notoriety in 1969 when the watch landed on the Moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission – earning its title as the Moonwatch. However, before it became flight-qualified by NASA and b...
The current watch market is polarized and most often highlighted by the major and mainstream brands on one hand, and let’s say, all the rest on the other hand. Among the latter, on the fringes of the groups and a few independent and historical brands, a swarm of new brands has emerged in recent years to shake up what can be sometimes seen as a lethargic creative landscape. Niche brands, crea...
While rumours had circulated for some time, the confirmation has now been made. As Formula 1 gears up to celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2025, there's major news shaking up its sponsorship landscape. LVMH, the world's largest luxury conglomerate, has officially signed on as a Global Partner of Formula 1 in a groundbreaking 10-year deal, with what is certainly one of the most important sports spo...
Unquestionably one of the best-selling models at Oris, the Divers Sixty-Five resurfaced after a period of dormancy in 2015 with its vintage appeal and ancestor's traits practically intact. A year later, Oris revisited its Divers Sixty-Five in a limited edition with a larger 42mm diameter and a bronze case dedicated to Carl Brashear with a dial that would become the blueprint for the collection goi...
Named after the famous British explorer, Rado's 1962 Captain Cook was the brand's first dive watch with an impressive depth rating of 220 metres. Produced in very low numbers, the Captain Cook drifted off the map in 1968. With its consolidated reputation for high-tech streamlined ceramic watches, Rado took a surprising tack in 2017 by reintroducing the Captain Cook. Having docked in many ports sin...
When launched just a couple of short years ago, the Tissot PRX pretty much became an overnight sensation. Its sleek design, robust mechanical movement and above all its very modest sticker price skyrocketed the PRX to become one of the best-selling watches not only for Tissot but in the whole industry for years. Pretty much everywhere you go, you seem to run into a PRX of some description. With a ...
When the Big Bang exploded on the watch scene in 2005, it was the paragon of an oversized, high-octane, octagonal sports watch flaunting an unusual fusion of materials. A decade later, the Spirit of Big Bang joined the lineup of Hublot. Embracing a similar concept, the Spirit proposed a more complex case with a tonneau-shaped, cambered profile, lateral rubber bumpers, and openworked dials. One sub...
Last year, Certina ventured into the popular 1970s-inspired integrated-bracelet sports watch category. In this space, fellow Swatch Group brand Tissot has made waves with its highly successful and accessible PRX series. While the 2023 Certina DS-7 Powermatic 80 models offer a simple time-and-date functionality, they bring a more contemporary, slimmer, and less angular design, setting them apart fr...
Integrated sports watches have been a hit since the 1970s when the Royal Oak and Nautilus changed everything, and affordable options are all the rage today. Look no further than Tissot's PRX Powermatic 80 as an example. Maurice Lacroix's Aikon Automatic perhaps does it best with a masterful combination of luxury and attainability. Usually comprised of stainless steel, the collection has strayed in...
Bulgari's personality is intrinsically shaped by Rome, incorporating elements of the city's magnificent imperial architecture into its fabulous jewellery and watches. The iconic Octo family, which includes the invincible legion of ultra-thin, record-breaking Octo Finissimo models, welcomes the new Octo Roma Striking 8 Days. If the watch looks familiar, it's because the movement powering this model...
Himself a watchmaker and at one time the co-owner of Patek, Philippe & Cie, the name Edouard Koehn (1839-1908) resurfaced in the modern watchmaking scene in 2020 thanks to Bernard F. Fleury, a seasoned veteran in the industry known for his work as the CEO of Vulcain in the early 2000s. The latest Edouard Koehn watch we reviewed at MONOCHROME was the World Heritage II, a rare combination of wor...