For once, this won’t a product-related news – understand here, the launch of a new watch – that we will share with you. Instead, we’ll look at the other side of the industry: suppliers. Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, one of the most respected movement constructors of the Swiss industry, indeed unveils an integrated high-frequency column-wheel chronograph, the calibre Seed VM...
A somewhat surprising, yet very encouraging trend seems to be emerging in our tiny watch ecosystem. Young people from around the world, millennials who aren't supposed to even care about traditional (outdated') technology, are discovering a passion for mechanical wristwatches. And what's more, they are finding interesting ways to explore and develop their own ideas, leveraging the boom in crowdfun...
Jaeger-LeCoultre takes a decidedly elegant plunge into the sports watch arena with the 2018 Polaris Collection. Reviewed here in detail, the five new members of the Polaris family are clearly descendants of the legendary Memovox Polaris model of 1968, revisited with just the right mix of vintage styling and contemporary tweaks. The Polaris Automatic is the simplest, smallest (41mm) and most contem...
For several years, Bell & Ross was mainly known for its square, pilot-inspired watches. But not everybody wanted to wear such a large and bold 46mm watch (the BR-01) and what became a true icon of modern watchmaking could have become a trap for the brand. Bell & Ross had to evolve. This was the mission of the “Vintage Collection”. Entirely redesigned in 2017, this year the bran...
Earlier this year at SIHH, Audemars Piguet unveiled a watch that is the epitome of top-notch craftsmanship both inside and out: the Royal Oak Frosted Double Balance Wheel Openworked. For this watch, Audemars Piguet pulled out all the stops, combining one of the brand's most beautiful and technically advanced calibres with a remarkable Frosted gold finish.Before we delve into all of the details on ...
Richard Mille and McLaren have been partners for over a year now, even if this partnership was mainly focused on Formula 1 – with, for instance, the creation of the mighty?Richard Mille RM 50-03 McLaren F1. Today, at the?88th Geneva International Motor Show, both brands are announcing the?extension of this venture to road cars marking the official launch of the first?McLaren automotive-inspi...
Right in the middle of the Geneva car show, TAG Heuer has announced a global partnership deal with Gulf Oil International, one of the most legendary sponsors of motorsports. So, what happens when a brand known for its racing-car roots teams up with one of the best-known players in the automotive industry? Well, the result is the immediately recognisable blue and orange stripes applied to one of th...
For those who are familiar with Italian brand Anonimo, you will agree that if the design is easy to recognise, its watches are not what can be referred to as “subtle elegance”. Large, sporty or even military-inspired, Anonimo’s watches are on the tool-ish/instrument side. For Baselworld 2018, a hint of sporty-chic Italian lifestyle will appear in the collection, with the new?Anon...
I said it before and I’m saying it again, my?wrist is rather lucky, as it gets to wear quite some extraordinary timepieces. For the past three months, I’ve been wearing the Spirograph from master watchmaker Karsten Fr??dorf, and it has been worn as a?daily beater. And that was exactly what Karsten asked me: “Wear it as your daily watch?and do not treat it as a fragile timepiece o...
Oris is a?frequent contributor to the limited editions. The?Clipperton Limited Edition, the?Movember Edition, the?Royal Flying Doctor Service Edition… Yet, many of these special watches are linked to a good cause or a mission to bring “change for the better”.?Oris continues its mission with a new limited edition of the praised Aquis, the?‘Source of Life’ Edition, a wa...
Just like every year, IWC celebrates a good cause with the launch of a special Laureus edition. The 12th of its kind – see more models here – and the first to be based on the “Small Pilot” Mark XVIII, this watch is?part of IWC’s commitment to support Laureus Sport for Good, which uses the power of sport to end violence, discrimination and disadvantage. Featuring a str...
William L. 1985 was founded in 2015 by Guillaume Laidet (hence the name William L. – Guillaume is the French for William). A French entrepreneur with a passion for watchmaking, Guillaume used to work in Switzerland for high-end brands such as Zenith and Jaeger-LeCoultre. When he founded his own brand, his idea was to offer vintage-inspired timepieces that would be both functional and afforda...
The Audemars Piguet Millenary Frosted Gold Opal Dial is my horological fantasy come true. Appealing on an aesthetic and technical level, the Millenary Frosted Gold Opal Dial wears its beating heart on its sleeve and plays with volume, texture, and light in a contemporary key. Feminine yet assertive, this Millenary model flies in the face of traditional women’s watches. As Fran?ois-Henri Benn...
It is not the first time we talk about Reservoir Watches, a young brand that has made a name for itself with its cool, well-designed, original watches. Here, at MONOCHROME, we love the beauty of mechanics and novel ways of telling the time – and this Reservoir model, with its jumping hours and?retrograde minutes, satisfies us on both levels. But it also comes with a very attractive price tag...
Like every year,?the month of January?was mainly driven by the SIHH and all the novelties that we’ve presented to you during this hectic week. Hosting eighteen large brands (among them Richemont brands) and seventeen smaller Independents, yet, there are always several brands exposing their novelties elsewhere in the city of Geneva. One of these brands is Bvlgari and we found some time, very ...
Over the last few months, and even years, we've covered some pretty interesting start-up watch projects here on MONOCHROME. Advances in modern technology, combined with ready access to start-up capital via decentralised crowd-funding, have helped unlock the floodgates of innovation across multiple industries, injecting fresh blood and ideas. Today, we are pleased to bring you yet another one; the ...
Vacheron Constantin introduces its third iteration of the Patrimony Self-Winding 36mm, this time in white gold with an automatic movement. Designed to swing it both ways, the new model will certainly be well received by women who appreciate a mechanical movement and who prefer the timeless elegance of a classic, round case, and a simple, refined dial. Unlike so many women's watches that lure us wi...
This is a fact: Breitling is changing. Since the arrival of Georges Kern (ex-CEO of IWC Watches and ex-Richemont) and CVC Partners at the head of the brand, some drastic?changes are underway. And we all know that change is both a necessity and the most complex thing to manage. The first evidence of this new strategy is named the?Breitling Navitimer 8 collection, news that already made the headline...
When it comes to limited editions by A. Lange & Sohne, you know it’s going to be rare, you know it is not a common trick used by the brand and you know it will end up being highly collectable. If, in addition to that, the watch looks as beautiful as the one we have today, what not to love… 10 years ago, the Saxon brand opened its Ginza-based boutique, in the heart of the world̵...
Omega deploys an arsenal of sophisticated timekeeping instruments to decide the fate of athletes at the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. Carting 230 tonnes of timekeeping equipment from Switzerland to Korea, Omega's cutting-edge technology will be the ultimate judge of the Olympic victors, where split-second differences can make the difference between a gold and a silver medal.Naturally, with a c...
With IWC introducing so many limited-edition references for its 150th anniversary this year (there are 27 in total), it's been hard work picking a favourite. The blue dial Portugieser Chronograph is certainly high on the list, as of course is the Tribute to Pallweber. If I had to choose just one, however, I think it would have to be the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Edition 150 Years (IW503405). ...
Few names in the world of watchmaking?are as iconic as Jo Siffert – a well-known pilot, strongly linked to vintage chronograph watches. Referring first to the Heuer Autavia watches of the 1970s, with their Panda dials and bright blue accents, the Siffert name has been revived several times in the past, but today is takes on a special meaning. Our friend David Chalmers from Calibre11.com, a r...
Tudor has gained an incredible level of popularity over the past few years, becoming one of the coolest players in the watch game. This is the reason why we, at MONOCHROME, have placed this brand under our radar for quite some years already and,?like we did with a few days ago, it’s time for us to be creative and to try and guess what Tudor might launch in the very near future. So, here ar...
Last month, we wrote about an unexpected new timepiece from an unexpected source: the Clifton Baumatic from Baume & Mercier. Officially unveiled at SIHH 2018, we had the chance to spend some time getting hands-on with this all-rounder/dress watch and were quite impressed with what we found. The big news was, of course, the introduction of the brand's first proprietary movement, coupled with a ...
We caught up with Guillaume Tetu, COO of Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry Co (RLWJ) in Geneva a couple of weeks ahead of Watches and Wonders Miami 2018. He shares his vision for RLWJ's future as the brand will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, including a sneak preview of the new Ralph Lauren RL Automotive Skeleton Steel presented at Watches and Wonders.Before we talk about the ins-and-outs ...
If you are a regular reader of MONOCHROME, you will be familiar with the independent watchmaker Czapek. A name with a lot of history (Fran?ois Czapek was a Geneva-based Polish watchmaker whose 6-year partnership with Antoni Patek gave birth to remarkable watches before the latter founded Patek Philippe with Adrien Philippe), the brand was revived in 2015 with the launch of the Quai des Bergues. Th...
While many Omega fans are enjoying the launch of the men's Olympic-themed watches, a campaign starring Kaia Gerber is underway to attract millennials to the new De Ville Tresor Ladies Collection. Kaia, daughter of veteran Omega ambassador Cindy Crawford, was recruited in 2017 as the face of the next generation of watch fans.Kaia's Choice: De Ville TresorSurprisingly sophisticated and unabashedly f...
The Carrera is turning 55 and it never ceases to evolve… During its long life, the TAG Heuer Carrera has taken various forms and incorporated numerous innovations and movements. Yet, it was born a chronograph and remains mainly a chronograph. For Baselworld?2018, TAG will introduce a new edition of its icon, another technical, sporty version, this time with the newly developed Calibre Heuer ...
A brand of recent creation, the name Franck Dubarry may sound familiar. Franck Dubarry is a French entrepreneur and watch designer. Before launching the eponymous brand, he made his reputation in the advertising sector and in the watch industry by creating TechnoMarine in 1997. A fantastic commercial success, TechnoMarine presented truly original concepts; for instance, it was one of the first to ...
With certain brands, it is sometimes hard to define the DNA, the essence of their creations or what is the common theme linking the collections. With?Chronoswiss on the other hand, this is rather easy. Indeed, the brand has a clear segmentation, as most of its watches are based on a regulator display. The latest model in the collection doesn’t?derogate from the general rule. Please meet the?...