All of you here might know the story behind the creation of the “Luxury-Sports Watch”, a long-lasting trend that started back in 1972 when a certain Gerald Genta designed the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. The idea began with a thin, integrated watch in stainless steel, featuring attributes from haute-Horlogerie and sports watches, and priced over most of the gold watches at that time̷...
My wrist is a lucky one as I get to test a lot of seriously brilliant wrist watches. Whether it’s the understated Galet Square Tourbillon Double Spiral from Laurent Ferrier, the magnificent?Datograph from A. Lange & Sohne, the ultra-thin and uber-clean Piaget Altiplano in white gold, or even the 60.000 Euro impressive Grand Seiko Spring Drive 8-Days, I get to test (and enjoy) some of t...
It's getting towards the end of the year and starting to get very cold (or very hot, depending on which hemisphere you live in). The Christmas decorations have already been up for weeks, and the office parties are about to get in full swing. To a watch lover, all of this can only mean one thing: it's time for some SIHH 2018 previews! Never one to disappoint, MONOCHROME has everything you need to k...
In January 2017, one of the greatest and humblest men I had the chance to meet, Mister Walter Lange (1924-2017), founder of A. Lange & Sohne, sadly passed away. In honour of its founder, the Saxon manufacture is enlarging its 1815 collection with the?1815 Homage to Walter Lange. Inside this watch is a surprising and unexpected complication: a?stoppable jumping seconds hand that dates back to a...
As you've no doubt seen or heard already, IWC Schaffhausen is turning 150 next year and we're told the Swiss watch manufacturer has some pretty major celebrations planned. These include the unveiling of a special Jubilee collection at SIHH 2018, comprising an astonishing 27 limited-edition models. Among them will be this beautifully refined IWC Da Vinci Automatic Edition 150 Years we're looking at...
As part of the new “150 Years” collection, which already includes two superb watches, the re-edition of the Pallweber and the Portugieser Tourbillon Constant Force, IWC treats us with an unprecedented combination of complications, integrated inside the iconic Portugieser case. Using the classical nautical look of this model with the addition of the new lacquered dials, here is the?IWC ...
With the SIHH 2018 only a few weeks away, brands are pre-releasing selected models to whet our appetite. Among them is Montblanc, which has unveiled a new version of their iconic Nicolas Rieussec Monopusher Chronograph. Meet the Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph, bringing a classic and elegant take on this watch that has always been a favourite here, at MONOCHROME.BackgroundIn 200...
For a few years now, Oris has been utilising its dive-watch production to highlight the protection of oceanic ecosystems that under threat, by sponsoring expeditions and fundraisers. Of course, it does make a lot of sense, as if there are no more diving areas to explore, what is the point of manufacturing dive watches? The latest example of such partnerships is linked to the?Clipperton Island, the...
It seems that the online world is really taking over the luxury market, which apparently also includes the watchmaking industry. Indeed,?Jaeger-LeCoultre is about to propose a limited edition exclusive to its online boutique – meaning that you won’t find it in stores. Based on the surprising?Geophysic True Second, a “Seconde Morte” watch introduced in 2015, we now have a li...
Last year, at the SIHH 2017, Montblanc introduced their own vision of the sports watch, with a completely redesigned TimeWalker collection – guided by Mister Davide Cerrato, known for being quite good in designing such watches. Presented in several editions, from 3-hand to UTC chronograph, the collection is again evolving, not with new complications, but with an interesting movement and desi...
Calendar watches come in a wide variety. Most of them are based on 31-day cycles and require a regular adjustment (5 times a year) to ensure that the correct date is displayed. An annual calendar automatically adjusts the indicated date, mechanically configured to display the different lengths of the months, and they require to be corrected manually only once a year (in the worst case depending on...
Today is the opening of the Pre-SIHH season for IWC, meaning that some novelties are to be expected. The theme for this year will be the 150th anniversary of the Schaffhausen-based brand. A very special year indeed, which will be celebrated with no less than 27 limited-edition models. Among the 4 watches to be unveiled prior to the Geneva show is a completely original watch, a vintage reedition, n...
IWC is turning 150 next year. To mark the occasion, the Schaffhausen-based manufacturer is set to unveil a special Jubilee collection at SIHH, comprising 27 limitedCedition watches from different collections. Among these and a bit prior to the Geneva-Watch-Fair, the new Portugieser Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition 150 Years is the first IWC to combine a constant-force tourbillon with a single moo...
If there’s one thing I love about my job is to discover new watch brands. I’m always stunned by the level of creativity infused by independent watchmakers, from the Sci-Fi creations of Urwerk or the ultra-classic propositions of Laurent Ferrier (who can do nice things together…) One brand we recently discovered at MONOCHROME cumulates quite some intriguing specificities. It isn&#...
At Baselworld this year, Patek Philippe once again introduced a surprising watch, a piece with a unique look and a clear vintage inspiration – without mentioning a case to die for. For a few years now, Patek?has accustomed us with a certain creativity, with watches that go out of the brand’s comfort zone (see for instance the controversial Calatrava Pilot 5524 or the Annual Calendar 59...
A few weeks ago, Ulysse Nardin announced its Pre-SIHH 2018 watches, which include 2 very classical watches – the Marine Tourbillon Blue Enamel and the Classico Grand Feu – with all the DNA of the brand: enamel dial, nice in-house movement, Marine inspiration, elegance with a twist and relatively affordable price. A third watch was presented, however a much more original one: the?Ulysse...
Last weekend, just before the start of the final race of this year’s F1 season, IWC introduced a special edition Ingenieur Chronograph, to honour last year’s World Champion Nico Rosberg. While the available 23 pieces were probably sold out instantly, we love to share this with you for two reasons. First, this is the best looking new Ingenieur Chronograph version, and secondly, we inclu...
After welcoming David Beckham and Lady Gaga?as brand ambassadors and members of the #BornToDare campaign, followed by a partnership with world-famous rugby team the “All Blacks”, Tudor continues to expand its association in this direction, and today, in Monaco, the brand?announced a new agreement, this time with World Rugby, which includes a partnership with Rugby World Cups (and more)...
Officine Panerai will shortly be opening its first stand-alone boutique in the UK and to celebrate, the company has created a unique bronze timepiece to be auctioned online by Sotheby's. All proceeds from the sale of the special Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronzo 47mm PAM00907 will be donated to the Royal Yachting Association to support its charitable sailing programme, OnBoard. We'v...
With their softly rounded square cases and inner round opening, cushion-shaped watches are a sure way to stylishly stand out from the crowd. Masculine and refined, here are 6 high-end cushion shaped watches released in 2017, for those who want to look original, yet stylish.Vacheron Constantin Historiques Americaine 1921 mid-sizeInspired by a model from 1921 (itself based on a 1919 production for t...
The vast majority of people are comfortable with watches displaying hours and minutes. But for those on the move or doing business around the world, multiple time zone watches might just make a better wrist companion. A case in point is the luxurious yet functional Carl F. Bucherer Patravi TravelTec II, which displays not one, not two, but three time zones simultaneously. Moreover, I have had a bi...
A few months ago, we told you about a young brand from Poland called Balticus. At the time, they were raising funds on Indiegogo for two new automatic bronze watches; the Big Wave and the Grey Seal. Today, we're getting hands-on with another two models from this young company, the descriptively named Star Dust and Black Dust. At once familiar and unusual, both models come in at under EUR 600 and o...
Innovation in the field of escapements and oscillators is the new frontier in technological breakthrough of mechanical watches, as evidenced by revolutionary concepts by Ulysse Nardin, Girard-Perregaux, Parmigiani Fleurier or more recently the Zenith Defy Lab and its mind-blowing oscillator. Among these, Dominique Renaud presented an impressive concept dubbed DR01, the first of twelve just before ...
At Baselworld this year, Tudor introduced a new version of the Black Bay, dubbed Steel – or more precisely, the reference 79730. Immediately during the official presentation, I wondered to myself about the real purpose of this watch, which admittedly is a Tudor Black Bay. No question about it, this new version perfectly blends into the rest of the collection. The real question was more about...
As we told you in a recent article, next year will be the 25th anniversary of a modern icon, a watch that simply created the trend for bold sports-luxury watches: the?Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore. In 1993, the brand impressed (or shocked) the industry with this watch, and to celebrate this, AP has some commemorative pieces to mark the occasion. The first one looks at the past, being a re-edi...
Last year, for their first attendance at the Geneva watch fair (a.k.a. the SIHH), Ulysse Nardin surprised?guests and collectors with an impressive collection, which aimed to merge the classical style of the brand, with refined crafting techniques and very decent prices. One of the best examples of this strategy was the?Ulysse Nardin Marine Tourbillon, a steel watch with white enamel dial and very ...
One of the earliest metals known to man - bronze – refers to a wide range of copper alloys, usually with tin as the main additive. Because it is strong and tough, bronze is mostly used to craft tool watches. It was used in boat fittings – prior to stainless steel – because of its resistance to saltwater corrosion. It oxidizes but only on its outer layer, and that greenish layer p...
It seems that Vacheron Constantin’s current favorite complication might well be the triple calendar (or full calendar, or complete calendar… which all refer to the same complication). Brought back to center stage with the stunning?Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942 in steel and its gold sibling, the?Triple Calendrier 1948, two superbly vintage-inspired pieces, the elegant calendar disp...
This week, Vacheron Constantin is previewing one of the new additions it will be making to its popular Overseas collection in 2018, aptly named the Overseas Dual Time. Due to be officially launched at SIHH 2018, the Manufacture took the opportunity to get its new model in front of serious collectors from the Middle East (and further abroad) who attend the Dubai Watch Week event each year. Inside i...
Ferdinand Berthoud strips down its spectacular Chronometre FB1. After the recently introduced platinum edition, it's now the movement that evolves. Indeed, sapphire bridges now offer an unimpeded view on its killer inner workings, and this mechanical beauty is now housed in a titanium case (with 2 different dials available). Meet the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronometre FB1.4, available in two different...