As the end of the year is fast approaching, we continue with our?“best of 2018” buying guides. After the top 10 watches below EUR 2,000, followed by 10 watches?between EUR 2,000 and 5,000, and finally, our pick of the best watches of 2018 priced between EUR 5,000 to EUR 10,000, we now move to true luxury watches (or even the start of the high-end category for some) with our 10 favourit...
While a growing number of microbrands are producing well designed, high-quality watches that are nipping at the heels of brands like Hamilton, Tissot and Seiko, they don't have the marketing or mass production prowess of those established brands. Some of the watches themselves, however, are bonafide contenders. Martenero is a young microbrand based in New York that already has a handful of intrigu...
The?Laureato, since its introduction at the SIHH 2017, has been a great success for?Girard-Perregaux and had allowed it to get?back into the ultra-competitive and oh-so-trendy market of the luxury sports watch. Already existing in an array of models (3-hand, chronograph, tourbillon, skeleton, full ceramic), the brand continues the expansion of this collection by now looking at traditional complica...
With the SIHH 2019 only a month away, brands are pre-releasing selected models to whet our appetite. Among them is Jaeger-LeCoultre, which has unveiled a superb new version of one of its classics. Meet the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin Moon Enamel, a showcase for the artistic crafts of the Grande Maison.This year Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrates the Art of Precision – which, in the brand's o...
When talking about contemporary watches, companies generally use either in-house or off-the-shelf movements, the latter supplied by various manufacturers. Many high-end brands like Patek Philippe, Piaget, and Breguet can produce in-house movements that are optimized for their portfolios. A watch company is considered complete when it can produce its own movement, but many still rely on outsource...
The Tonneau Watch by Cartier always had a special place amongst collectors. Certainly less famous than other shaped watches designed by the Parisian Maison (Tortue, Crash, Tank, Santos, Drive, Ballon Bleu, and many more), it remains one of the most original and certainly one of the most elegant creations ever executed by Cartier. Thanks to the Revival of the “Prive” branding, with the ...
It might be hard to believe but we're already into December, which means it’s nearly January. Incredible as it sounds, the first major watch fair of the New Year is just a few weeks away. That means it's preview time, before the major watch fairs start. We've already shown you several models from the likes of IWC, Piaget, HYT and Laurent Ferrier and?now it's Montblanc's turn. First up are tw...
Two years ago at the SIHH 2017, Montblanc completely redesigned its TimeWalker collection, presenting its vision of what a sports watch should look like. This represented the fulfilment of a key objective for Davide Cerrato, Managing Director of the Watch Division. In 2019, the brand looks to build on this success with the introduction of two additional models to the collection. Both feature Rever...
Just like we did on previous weekends with our Top 10 watches below EUR 2,000 and between EUR 2,000 and 5,000, it is now time to look at the best watches introduced this year in the hyper-strategic EUR 5,000 – EUR 10,000 price range – it is certainly where the competition is the fiercest, where most of the “luxury brands” situate their core collections ( , IWC, Cartier, Pan...
This year, TAG Heuer is celebrating the 55th anniversary of its most iconic watch, the Carrera. Born in 1963, designed by Jack Heuer himself to answer the needs of motorsports pilots, named after one of the most legendary races (the Carrera Panamericana), the recipe was simple: a clean, uncluttered, ultra-legible and reliable instrument to measure time and average speed during races. The gentleman...
At the London event Patek Philippe hosted at the end of October, I was able to see the latest interpretation of the Twenty~4 in person and get a feel for what this new watch is all about. Much has changed from the original rectangular Twenty~4 collection, in fact, the only element that has survived the transition is the elegant articulated bracelet. With its round case and overdue upgrade to a mec...
Defying the restraint and moderation that has settled over the watchmaking scene of late, it is refreshing to see such a magnificent display of mechanical luxury and grandiose craftsmanship. Unleashing a menagerie of majestic wild animals, Vacheron Constantin gives a riveting display of its inexhaustible creativity and mechanical expertise. Mecaniques Sauvages is a bespoke collection of unique pie...
Last but not least, of the four pilot watch ‘teasers’ that IWC has released ahead of the SIHH 2019, is this well-proportioned, vintage-inspired, bronze-cased, no-nonsense chronograph upgraded with a manufacture movement. All of that might sound like music to the ears of many collectors. At least, it does to us. Meet the?IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph Spitfire Bronze ref.?IW387902.Earlie...
One of the four ‘teaser’ watches that IWC has unveiled ahead of the SIHH 2019, the Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Spitfire Edition ‘The Longest Flight’ introduces an unprecedented?display/movement. Based on the Timezoner?unveiled at SIHH 2016, this new version gets rid of the chronograph function to show a more balanced and legible dial focused on a world time complication &...
Among the four watches that IWC introduces for its pre-SIHH 2019 collection are three ‘standard’?pieces – a chronograph, a double-chronograph and a world time – and one very exclusive, complicated piece; the?IWC Big Pilot's Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “Le Petit Prince” IW590303?(yes, quite a name…) Nevertheless, if some will point to a lack of ...
It’s official… 2019 will be the year of the Pilot’s Watch at IWC. Don’t expect to see a remodelling of the entire range – that was already done in 2016, with a new Big Pilot and the Mark XVIII, for instance. However, do expect to see some nice new editions, some good old designs brought back to life, and some mechanical improvements. But before the real fireworks star...
A few years ago, we published a story named “The Cheapest High-End Watch“. We searched for the?most affordable high-end watch, comprising a mechanical movement, in-house manufactured of course, from a brand with an undisputed pedigree, preferably family-owned, and the watch should be (relatively) small and elegant. And guess who won the title… not Patek, not Vacheron, not even ...
As the end of the year is fast approaching, it is time for us at MONOCHROME to take a look back at the main novelties of 2018 and to decide what were the best watches we’ve seen. As we did with our best watches below EUR 2,000, here’s our second buying guide, this time with the best watches of 2018 priced between EUR 2,000 and EUR 5,000. This has been a tough selection, as this categor...
Today is the third and last instalment in our series of videos entitled “The?Seamaster Chronicles”. Following our two previous movies –?the first one focusing on the history of the legendary Seamaster, and the second one looking at how Omega managed to maintain the iconic status of this watch, even after 70 years of loyal service to sporty gents – it is now time to close th...
Bucherer certainly has some impact on brands and is powerful enough to have them creating some purpose-designed watches, exclusive to its stores. These watches are named the “Bucherer Blue Editions” and many watch brands already participated (Tudor, IWC, Blancpain and?more). All of them share a unique colour for the dial; blue. While H. Moser already participated in this concept, this ...
Just a few weeks ago, on the occasion of the Monaco Yacht Show, Ulysse Nardin unveiled its?new Diver Chronometer, a streamlined and cleaner take on the emblematic model. This collection is now complemented with a smaller 42mm model (vs. 44mm for the Diver Chronometer). Most importantly, not only does the diameter change, but this watch will be the new entry-level piece of the brand. For those look...
Sleek, lightweight and innovative, carbon is ‘in’ at TAG Heuer with several limited edition watches crafted in this material recently – for instance, the Bamford Carbon Monaco or the Carbon Aquaracer models. As the end of the year quickly approaches, there’s still time for TAG Heuer to celebrate the 55th?anniversary of the Carrera with three Carbon limited edition watches. ...
If Breguet is renowned?for its Classique collection and its pilot's watch range (Type XX and others), the catalogue also comprises another important collection named La Marine. Not only does it represents the sport(ier) side of the brand - don't expect bold Hublotesque touches, we're at Breguet - but it is also a link to a lesser-known aspect of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s history, when he was t...
As part of the pre-SIHH 2019 introductions, Panerai is presenting a new version of its Submersible Chrono, which lays?the foundations for?a new collaboration with French free-diving champion Guillaume Nery. Knowing what this man does for a living, a professional dive watch makes a lot of sense. This new piece is aptly named the Panerai Submersible Chrono Guillaume Nery edition or, in more technica...
Let’s make things clear! When Frank founded MONOCHROME over 12 years ago, the main objective was to create “an online magazine dedicated to fine watches”. This meant the celebration of traditional, high-end watchmaking. However, we are fully aware that not everyone (including us) can afford such pieces and that accessible, down-to-earth, good price/quality watches are important. ...
Philippe Dufour is a living legend. The independent watchmaker is one of most (if not the most) revered craftsmen in the industry and his watches are regarded as the ultimate in traditional hand-finishing. We visited the 70-year-old master in the small village of Le Solliat, in the Vallee de Joux. There, Philippe Dufour crafts his watches entirely by hand, elevating the art of watchmaking to the h...
Last week, we launched our new video project in association with Omega, “The Seamaster Chronicles“, which you’ve probably guessed, takes a deep dive into the world of the Omega Seamaster. This follows our other project focussed on the Moonwatch,?the Speedmaster Chronicles. In our first instalment of the “The Seamaster Chronicles”, we took a close look at the history o...
Oris launched a significant pilot's watch back in 1938 and it has become one of the brand's iconic pieces. The original Big Crown Pointer Date had an oversized crown to allow easy adjustments for airmen with gloves. It also had the original date complication (patented in 1915 by A. Hammerly) that used a central pointer hand instead of the familiar date window (also patented by A. Hammerly). The wa...
Today, Zenith, in creative partnership with Land Rover, introduces the Defy Classic Skeleton Range Rover Edition. Created specifically to celebrate the new Range Rover Evoque, it offers the distinctive, bold style of the Defy collection with some subtle design cues inspired directly by the car. Produced as a limited edition of just 200 pieces, we were fortunate to get our hands on one for a sneak ...
Since 2010, Chopard has released a menagerie of beautifully crafted Urushi dials to celebrate the animals of the Chinese zodiac. At the end of 2017, Chopard decided to regale collectors with a superlative one-off piece. Not only did it congregate all 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac, hand-engraved on the sides of the case, but?the L.U.C Perpetual T Spirit was also equipped with a perpetual calenda...