Smart watches even?the name annoys me. There?are however, a league of (more profound) reasons why we do not cover such wrist ornaments on Monochrome. Of course we get questions from our readers asking why we have not reviewed the ref. 5396 Patek Annual?Calendar, and rightfully so. We should have reviewed that watch, and as soon as we find a way to do so, together with the 178 year old family-owned...
Somehow the information leaked out just before SIHH 2017 - Audemars Piguet would be presenting its first all-ceramic watch (bracelet included) during the Geneva fair, an all-black version of the iconic Perpetual Calendar Royal Oak. Not surprisingly this news immediately created a buzz of excitement amongst collectors, because clearly, this?Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Black Ceramic...
This year, Ulysse Nardin is on a tear… After the impressive collection launched at the SIHH 2017, which showed more modern and refined designs, yet still “very Ulysse” in the style, we now have a succession of several rather surprising watches, all with a vintage-inspired theme. After the Diver Le Locle, a dive watch inspired by a 1960s timepiece, here is the?Ulysse Nardin Classi...
25 years ago, the highly-respectable manufacture?Jaeger-LeCoultre innovated not with a new complication or a new material, but by implementing the “1000 Hours Control” procedure, an in-house certification comprising a series of radical tests to ensure that the watches are reliable and precise. As a tribute to this anniversary,?Jaeger-LeCoultre has created an entire new collection of?Ma...
Think about it for a?second… What is the most important feature of a dive watch? Its water resistance? Its second hand? Its bezel? Of course, it is a combination of all these elements however, and I am sure pro-divers will agree, THE ultimate?feature of a dive watch is the minute hand. For safety reasons, the minute hand is key to calculating the remaining dive time and decompression stages....
Prior to Baselworld 2017, at their annual pre-Basel event, Tudor unveiled the new Black Bay Chronograph. The first thought of?the crowd of journalists present (us included) was?“in-house chronograph movement!” The excitement lasted for less than 5 minutes however, as the announcement was quickly followed?by?the official disclaimer. Indeed, despite the?“MT” nomenclature, thi...
This year, you’ll see several very nice?watches from Ulysse Nardin, all paying?homage to the great heritage of the brand (and believe us, since its inception in 1846, the brand has done A LOT). Recently, UN launched a watch as a tribute to the great Ludwig Oeschlin (a watch that will soon be under our loupe) and now, we have something drastically different?and quite unexpected from the brand...
For one reason or another, Tutima was not part of Monochrome's team 150 meetings for Baselworld 2017. As we passed by?one of its displays however, we were captivated by a particular watch?and its movement: a bi-compax chronograph with a perfectly balanced dial?and large, optimally spaced sub-counters. We wanted to know more and we were not disappointed, as the Tutima Tempostopp deserves interest E...
Speed is equal to the distance traveled divided by the time. When you look at it that way, the link between the automotive world?and the watchmaking world becomes much more obvious.?The fascination for all things mechanical does?the rest:?gearheads are inevitably attracted to?watches. This natural fit has long inspired watchmakers?and so today, we take a look at 6 automotive-inspired watches from ...
Welcome in the heart and soul of independent watchmaking from the Vallee de Joux, yet with a modern eye A few weeks ago, we met with one of the most interesting surprises from Baselworld 2017, the 1740 The first 8 - and of course with its creator, David Candaux. See what hand-made and creative watchmaking mean!The name David Candaux could potentially sound familiar to some of you, as he has been t...
The classic elegance of L.U.C Chopard, with a contemporary twist and a hint of fair trade because yes, watchmaking can also take care of social development and environmental protection. Meet the Chopard L.U.C XPS Twist Qualite Fleurier Fairmined, a slender limited edition timepiece resonating a unique perception of elegance, powered by a superb micro-rotor movement and crafted in ethical pink gold...
After Xavier’s and Frank’s Top 10 watches of Baselworld 2017, after our list of the 10 most read articles of the fair (just to give us an indication of what collectors loved), it is time for your humble editor to come with his 10 favorite watches of Baselworld 2017. First all, before going into further details, this ranking is not about the 10 best watches of the show but it is based o...
If you are versed in the history of?watchmaking?or simply if you have ever paid attention to tourbillon pocket watches in auction catalogues, then you are probably familiar with the Pellaton name. It is connected to the makers of some of the most exceptional tourbillons in history. And now it’s brought back to life with a remarkable watch, to say the least! Here is the James C. Pellaton Roya...
Back in 1969, Zenith introduced a movement that would later become an icon, being both one of the first automatic chronograph movements, and being the 20th century’s king of precision, beating at 5Hz and being precise to a?10th of a second. Its name: the El Primero. At Baselworld, the Le Locle-based manufacture?has given this fast-beating engine a 21st century appeal: 50Hz frequency, precisi...
This is it; the star of show –?or at least the watch that received most comments and that reached the 1st place in our “most read articles of Baselworld 2017“. And believe us, surpassing in numbers during the Basel Watch Fair is?properly impressive… All of that, just to tell you how expected?this watch was and how well received it has been. Its name: the?Seiko Prospex Div...
Baselworld 2017 is over. Thus, we, at the redaction, have to come with our Top 10 watches of the show. You’ve already seen Xavier Markl’s picks and Frank Geelen’s top 10 watches, combined with a quite critical take on the fair. Don’t worry, my best of the show will come later this week. But what about you, readers? What are the 10 watches you enjoyed discovering most during...
The?Malte?has always had a special position in the Vacheron?Constantin collection, featuring?something that seems?to have largely disappeared nowadays: a?shaped case. Indeed, the Malte relies on a certain Art-Deco flair, an?outdated style that gives the watch all its charm. But this timepiece?is not just a pretty face, inside the case is an exquisitely finished (to say the least) tourbillon moveme...
As part of the newly?presented 2017 Collection, Tudor introduced one big novelty, a chronograph with a new movement (and, as of now, you should be aware of?the Breitling provenance) but it’s not the one we’ll talk about today. We’d like to take more time before going on this specific watch, as it deserves to be looked with a clear?mind. Yet, the second big news for Tudor was the ...
Back in 2008 the world faced a new challenge. The worldwide financial crisis began with the collapse of Lehman Brothers. The following year the watch industry was kind of nervous and saw a small drop in sales. And while the financial crisis went on, on a global scale (we’re still recovering from that), the big crisis in the watch industry didn’t really come through… yet. Last yea...
The 100th?anniversary edition of Baselworld has just came to an end. It has been another packed event, despite a strange overall impression and the current situation that prompted brands to be more cautious. As for each fair, the offerings are diverse but we have to come with our highlights. A tough choice but as we had to pick ten, here are the Baselworld 2017 watches that have caught my eyes ...
At Baselworld 2017, when arriving on?the Omega Watches booth, there was the 1957 Trilogy (Speedmaster, Seamaster, Railmaster). Believe us, these watches are insanely desirable, perfectly executed, highly faithful, and… sold out. We’ll have?a closer look at them in a few days. Still there was another watch full of interest, a watch that truly represent what Omega was, is and should be, ...
In early 2017, Bulgari unveiled a new addition to its emblematic Octo collection. True to the designs codes of the collection, (in particular a circle framed by an octagon), the lines of Roma have been smoothed featuring only 58 facets instead of the traditional 110 of the regular models. The Roma captures the traditional chic of the collection with urban, universal appeal. Inspired by a bold and ...
Last year, Tudor Watch surprised us (and by that I mean a very pleasant surprise) with a small, super clean and properly elegant watch: the Black Bay 36. We reviewed it, even our vintage guy tested it… and we loved it. This year, this same stunning look, clean and inspired, comes back in a more masculine diameter. Meet the?Tudor Heritage Black Bay 41 ref. 79540, same but different.Basically,...
The history of Porsche Design is intertwined with the legendary car brand that?sprouted from the same creative mind, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. Since the very beginning the link between Porsche Design watches and motorsports was there, and not just as a marketing link. No, Porsche Design’s first wrist watch, the Porsche Design Chronograph 1, was a black PVD coated watch and that was rather...
Oris’ reputation in terms of pilot watches is not to be debated anymore. Their Big Crown Pro Pilot collection is composed of reliable, well conceived and efficient watches for pilots. Still, most of them are modern iterations. But for Baselworld 2017, the brand will look back at its past, by reviving its first pilot's wristwatch with a special limited edition piece made in homage to the orig...
This is it, the big one for TAG Heuer this year, the commercial?version of that highly awaited?Autavia 2017 Reedition. Most probably, you already heard about this watch, and we, at Monochrome-Watches, covered it when we saw the prototype and its movement. But now, that’s the one you’ll find tomorrow (literally) in stores. Here is the the Final Version of the TAG Heuer Autavia 2017.Back...
Bulgari makes headlines again, this time with “the world's thinnest automatic movement“. After presenting the thinnest Tourbillon watch and movement (Baselworld 2014) and thinnest minute repeater (Baselworld 2016), we hoped Bulgari would set its sights on breaking yet another record. We were not disappointed! Presenting the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic powered by a staggering thin ...
Czapek, a brand reborn recently and founded on the roots of Patek’s ex-partner, is expanding its collection with a beautifully designed timepiece blending tradition and modernity. The Place Vend?me is the brand's first tourbillon and features dual time, power reserve and day/night indications, with a pleasant?contemporary take on watchmaking.The Czapek brand was revived at the end 2015, with...
There are icons, and there are legends… The Omega 1957 Trilogy is one of the few legends of watchmaking, a series of watches so important that it still defines the current Omega collection. These watches are capital, not only for the brand, but for the industry. The?Omega 1957 Trilogy?(Speedmaster CK2915, Seamaster 300 CK2913, Railmaster CK2914) celebrates its 60th anniversary?with the?launc...
This year, the Geneva-Based manufacture Patek Philippe is celebrating the 20th anniversary of one of its modern icons, the Aquanaut. As part of a new collection, the brand adds some color and a bit of?boldness to a model that have always been playing on the discreet side, with a 42mm and blue dial?Patek Philippe Aquanaut Jumbo 5168G.After a huge buzz?made around the 40th anniversary editions of th...