The 2024 Paris Olympics, which will start later this week, mark 92 years of Omega‘s legacy as the official timekeeper for the Games. Since 1932 and for the 31st time, the Omega Timing team, with its unparalleled expertise, extensive personnel, and tons of equipment, will support the competing athletes. To truly grasp the extent of Omega’s involvement and the cutting-edge technology the...
When TAG Heuer released its Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon in 2016, it created a sensation on the watch market. It was not because of its double complications or its imposing 45mm case and skeletonised dial but because it featured an in-house integrated chronograph movement with a tourbillon regulator (Heuer 02T) and a hyper-aggressive price tag of CHF 15,000. Returning to celebrate the 60th birth...
Ninety years in the making, Audi has done something extremely cool! They’ve taken a concept that was never brought to life and finally built it. It’s called the Auto Union Type 52 Schnellsportwagen, and it’s basically the wildest Autobahn cruiser you can ever imagine! It’s a bit of an exaggeration saying it was ’90 years in the making’ as they haven’t actu...
Self-winding calibres are undeniably an advancement, especially those boasting extended autonomy. Yet, there is a timeless ritual, almost archaic, the deliberate act of winding a watch by thumb and forefinger, each click of the ratchet wheel a symphony for the discerning ear. This tactile dance, this connection to the mechanics, is a pleasure some aficionados cannot forsake. As we edge closer to t...
It wasn’t so long ago when LVMH, the French luxury powerhouse, announced shifts in top management positions. In January 2024, the group announced the creation of a new entity, LVMH Watches, as well as its CEO, Frederic Arnault, the son of the Group's owner Bernard Arnault and ex-CEO of TAG Heuer. As a consequence, Julien Tornare, ex-CEO of Zenith, became CEO of TAG Heuer, to be replaced by B...
Most days, you’ll catch me wearing a dive watch or a classic chronograph. This is what I most enjoy as a watch collector (yes, we are first and foremost watch fans at MONO). I like to wear watches that I don’t have to worry about, and I love a timepiece with some heft. Not necessarily a large watch (41mm would usually be my maximum), but a watch with a feeling of robustness, most of th...
Today, for our latest in-depth video, we’re going technical. This is what MONOCHROME is all about, after all. Sharing the knowledge behind fine horology and understanding how our beloved mechanical watches actually work. Today’s topic is one dear to our hearts, as it combines everything we love in fine watchmaking: high-end finishing, mechanical ingenuity, profound historical reference...
Following the announcement yesterday of decreasing sales for the Swatch Group, particularly impacted by the industry's challenging situation in China and South East Asia, it is time today for one of its main competitors, Richemont Group, to announce its sales for the first quarter ended 30 June 2024. Contrary to expectations, global sales are to be seen as stable despite uncertainties, with sales ...
Co-founded by Swiss industrial designer Andrea Furlan and watch collector Hamad Al Marri, Furlan Marri launched on Kickstarter in 2021 with a beautifully designed vintage chronograph powered by a hybrid mecha-quartz engine. The next act, in 2022, was an equally handsome vintage black sector dial equipped with a mechanical movement that won over the MONOCHROME team. Today, Furlan Marri sticks to it...
In May of this year, we introduced Jiro Katayama, an independent watchmaker from Japan, and his brand Otsuka Lotec, which, despite its distribution being limited exclusively to his home country, has gained recognition across the continents. We had the pleasure of experiencing one of his models, the recently updated Otsuka Lotec 6, and here are our notes.Jiro Katayama, a Tokyo-based watchmaker an...
Released last year, the Tissot Heritage 1938 COSC is a watch that’s hard to not objectively find brilliant. Combining a nice retro design with modern specs and a truly fair price, it even comes equipped with a chronometer-certified movement – making it one of the most accessible Swiss chronometers on the market. This handsome, affordable vintage-styled watch was already available in tw...
At CHF 3,445 million, the sales of the Swatch Group, the Swiss powerhouse owner of Omega, Longines or Tissot, are down 14.3% at constant exchange rates and 10.7% at constant rates. The declining sales strongly impact the operating profit at CHF 204 million against CHF 686 million for the previous year. Swatch Group advises that the decline in sales was triggered by the sharp drop in demand for lux...
Nothing does more for a brand's image than having a famous name spontaneously endorse your product. Although Doxa was not the first Swiss brand to produce a professional dive watch, it was the first to introduce a dive watch with a unidirectional rotating bezel to ensure safe no-decompression ascents in 1967. Doxa's SUB 300, with its massive tonneau-shaped case, rotating unidirectional bezel and b...
Considering how time is indicated on most watches – hands rotating 360-degree around the dial – it is no surprise that the vast majority of timepieces available on the market have round cases. But there is always room for creativity, originality and audacity. Watches don’t have to be round to be either striking or elegant. Shaped watches have been around for ages and designers ha...
For the second week running, I’m going to cover the fast-paced world of Formula 1, as I was lucky enough to be invited by H. Moser & Cie and the BWT Alpine F1 team for a factory tour and a one-day visit to the 2024 Silverstone Grand Prix. For those who have been following our Petrolhead Corner, which includes personal experiences from time to time, it’s no secret I love F1 racing a...
A masterpiece of ingenuity and complexity, the GNS1 dazzled the watchmaking scene with its incredible free-moving train travelling around the two central counters on the dial like a mechanical caterpillar. Marking the indie brand's debut in 2019, the GNS1 was ten years in the making and protected by two patents. Earlier this year, Genus introduced the GNS2, a follow-up model designed to simplify t...
Introduced in the 1970s during the rise of quartz movements, which were poised to dominate the industry, threatening to eclipse and eradicate mechanical mechanisms almost entirely, the ETA 2892 has become one of the most renowned and widely used self-winding calibres produced by the Swatch Group’s giant movement maker. Like the ETA 2824, the 2892 has maintained its relevance and popularity, ...
Evolution, not revolution. It’s a well-known strategy that has been applied by so many brands, and not just in the watch industry. The idea of gradually updating/upgrading your most emblematic product without drastically changing it is at the heart of the success of icons such as the Porsche 911, the iPhone, the Nike Air Max and, of course, watches such as the Submariner or the Speedmaster. ...
Ulysse Nardin has always been associated with the sea, from its early days as a purveyor of precision marine chronometers to its current nautical-inspired collection, which includes classical references like the Marine Torpilleur or more contemporary, high-performance Divers. Offered in three case sizes, the more compact 39mm model returns with a stunning mottled neon blue and green stone dial.Rel...
This spring, Montblanc introduced the latest addition to the Unveiled Minerva series, the Unveiled Minerva Monopusher Chronograph. Like the 2022-2023 releases, the Unveiled Secret Minerva Monopusher Chronographs, it showcases the beautiful mechanics of the underlying movement in an exciting and visually captivating way. The new Unveiled Minerva Monopusher Chronograph continues the inverted calibre...
Dual regulators were invented by horology's illustrious grandfathers to improve accuracy and stability. Names like Huygens, who introduced the concept of resonance inside his movements, and others like Breguet, Berthoud and Janvier are all associated with this alignment of double regulators. Coveted by collectors, this rara avis is not extinct and reinterpreted by contemporary wizards like F.P. Jo...
Oris remains committed to its Change for the Better mission, whether by introducing a smaller, lighter, fully recyclable Sustainable Watch Box, celebrating Local Heroes who embody the watchmaker’s honourable values, or partnering with the social enterprise Bracenet. This July, in support of the Australian non-profit Reef Restoration Foundation, Oris presents the Great Barrier Reef Limited Ed...
Since its comeback in 2020, Nivada Grenchen has become one of the most active accessible brands on the scene, with a focus on reviving classic designs of the past in faithful vintage-inspired watches. After bringing back icons such as the Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver, the Depthmaster Pac-Man dive watch or the Super Antarctic, it is now time for the brand to dig even deeper into its archives. The...
Longtime Singaporean collector Benjamin Chee had a dream of creating beautiful, high-end watches. To manifest his vision, he created the BCHH (Benjamin Chee Haute Horlogerie) brand and reached out to master watchmaker Svend Andersen of Andersen Geneve to create the Celestial Voyager, a sophisticated world timer with a handcrafted enamel dial. Following the sold-out success of the 2022 Sunset over ...
Following a complete and welcomed overhaul of the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Automatic collection in 2021, last month the brand introduced its latest updated models in the series, with five new Aquaracer Professional 300 Date and three Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT versions, with captivating new dials, slightly reduced case sizes, and powered by the proprietary movements. We gladly shar...
If you’ve been paying attention to Formula 1, you might have witnessed something odd over the past 12 months or so. While officially there are 10 teams putting two cars each on the grid, an eleventh team has been spotted! And no, it’s not Mario Andretti and his Cadillac-backed Formula 1 plans making an early appearance, nor is it Audi who’s taking over the Stake F1 Team Kick Saub...
Norqain has consolidated a repertoire of watches to tackle the great outdoors. Robust, well-designed, contemporary models that can take their fair share of adversity and still look good, Norqain is back this summer with a versatile GMT travel companion and a rugged three-hander, both from the brand's Neverest collection, fitted with high-performance, chronometer-rated Kenissi manufacture automatic...
For watch enthusiasts like me and the rest of the team of MONO, the name Angelus is synonymous with splendid vintage chronographs. Yet, the modern side of the brand, which is under the umbrella of La Joux-Perret (and thus Citizen), was until recently fairly different. The resurrection of the brand in 2015, which was done alongside its sister brand Arnold & Son, gave birth to highly technical o...
With its Ocean Star collection, Swatch Group-owned brand Mido has long demonstrated its ability to combine cool designs, great quality, proper diving credentials and fair prices. Take a look at the Ocean Star 600 Chronometer or the Decompression Timer 1961, you’ll see what I mean… It should be remembered that the Ocean Star collection is a long-lasting one, as it celebrates its 80th an...
The countdown is almost over, the athletes are ready, and the timers are set to begin. In a few weeks from now, on July 26th, the Olympic Games Paris 2024 will ignite a summer of sporting action in the heart of the French capital. For the 31st time since 1932, Omega will fulfil the role of Official Timekeeper, recording times and scores in all 329 Olympic events across 32 sports. As you’d ex...