Latest Watch News

IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar Unique Edition BFI London Film Festival 2015 - hands-on with Exclusive live photos - Monochrome-Watches

IWC is used to create, amongst their various limited editions, watches related to Film Festivals. It was the case recently with a unique Portofino Hand-Wound Monopusher Chronograph dedicated to the?Tribeca Film Festival 2015. The same kind?of partnership is now applied to the?BFI London Film Festival. And as?we’re not talking about just putting a name on the wall behind the red carpet, there...

2015-09-02

TAG Heuer Fortifies the AQUARACER 300M with a Ceramic Bezel (specs & price) - Monochrome-Watches

In watches, Rado made Ceramic useful, Chanel made Ceramic fashionable, and now Tag Heuer employs Ceramic in its AQUARACER 300M to make the material indomitable. Given the active lifestyle of many watch owners, a dive watch might hit, bang, scrape, bump or slam against almost anything. A ceramic bezel insures a long-lasting pristine appearance, thanks not only to the visual quality of ceramic, but ...

2015-09-02

The SIHH to welcome 9 creative & Independent Manufactures - Monochrome-Watches

Until now, the SIHH, the watch fair held in January, was known to be a very luxurious exhibition that almost exclusively focuses on the Richemont Group brands. The FHH (Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie), host of the SIHH, just decided to change the format, first by bringing a new architectural concept, but mainly by adding to the list of the exhibiting maisons 9 independent watchmakers – and...

2015-09-01

The Collector's Series - Mark talks about his grail Patek Philippe 5960P - Monochrome-Watches

It is fair to say that this Collector's Series entry falls firmly in the grail watch category Mark Sinclair is a true Danish Gentleman. He is an avid watch collector, fundraiser and highly involved and respected law student (master program), soon to be a Lawyer. In his limited spare time, Mark?hosts watch events in Copenhagen as well as teaching and mentoring criminal law students. It was a joy si...

2015-09-01

The Unique Tudor Heritage Black Bay One Ref. 7923/001 For Only Watch 2015 Explained with Live Photos - Updated with results, sold for 375,000 CHF - Monochrome-Watches

We’ve been presenting you almost?all the watches that will be auctioned the?7 November 2015 in Geneva by Phillips for Only Watch 2015. We showed you magnificent and unique watches like the Patek Philippe?ref. 5016A-010, the Laurent Ferrier Galet Square with Sector dial or the?FP Journe Tourbillon Souverain Bleu in tantalum. However, there is one that you didn’t see on Monochrome-Watche...

2015-08-31

Parmigiani Tonda 1950 - Reviewing an Elegant Classic Dress Watch - Monochrome Watches

Suppose you’re looking for a dress watch. Not just a dress watch but it has to be a pure, thoroughbred dress watch and it has to be among the best that money can buy. So you focus your (online) search queries on Haute Horlogerie, or high-end watches, and dress watch and hope you will find what you’re looking for. Unfortunately Google serves you too many results that simply do not apply...

2015-08-31

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reversoa Eclipse Van Gogh Sunflowers - Monochrome Watches

This year, 2015, is the year that the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam pays tribute to the 125th anniversary of the famous Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. And Jaeger-LeCoultre joins them for this memorable event by releasing?a limited edition Reversoa Eclipse that features Van Gogh’s infamous Sunflowers painting. Since the Reversoa Eclipse has the unique feature to show or reveal a dial, the ena...

2015-08-28

The Collector's Series: the Breguet Type XX that ignited Brice's Passion for Watches - Monochrome Watches

It was an immense pleasure to sit down with our very own associate editor, Brice Goulard, and hear where his passion for watches comes from. Brice is the only Frenchman in the Monochrome lineup, so me being from the UK, we try to avoid talking about the Football or le Rugby. Luckily we have no problems talking watches, so we caught up with Brice in Paris to find out why Brequet is so close to his ...

2015-08-27

The Collector's Series: a Seasoned Collector's Vianney Halter Trio - Monochrome Watches

If you spend half as much time as I do on Instagram scrolling through wrist shots you will be familiar with our next guest on the Collector Series. He goes by the name @whatmakesmetick. What attracted me to his work was the sheer volume and variety of watches on show. With a clear respect for bespoke gentlemen’s footwear and a wealth of independent watchmaking knowledge – we simply had...

2015-08-25

Introducing the Richard Mille RM 69 Erotic Tourbillon - Monochrome-Watches

Erotic watches… A long standing tradition in watchmaking. We have showed you a few, like for instance this one. Usually, this kind of timepieces tends to show automatons depicting an erotic scene (like a couple in action…). Richard Mille is now coming with his own vision of such a watch, however with the typical modern, technical and extremely complicated style of the manufacture. No s...

2015-08-24

Introducing the Montblanc Homage to Nicolas Rieussec II Limited Edition (specs & price) - Monochrome-Watches

When you think about the Montblanc Rieussec Monopusher Chronograph, you can easily call it the most Montblanc of the Montblanc watches. The rest of the collection may have a lot of horological interest (see the recently revealed?Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum?or the splendid?Meisterstuck Heritage Pulsograph with Minerva Monopusher Chronograph – and we’re not even talking about the high...

2015-08-21

The Collector's Series: Frank's first 'Indy Watch', the Sarpaneva Korona K1 - Monochrome Watches

It's the one you have all been waiting for! It's time to sit down with our very own Executive Editor and Monochrome-Watches' founder, Frank Geelen. I love nothing more than talking watches with enthusiasts but this one was extra special. To give you a bit of background (in case you were unaware): in 2006, Frank started Monochrome-Watches as a blog. By all accounts, his friends (and family) thought...

2015-08-20

The Collectors Series: William S. Lerner and his Parmigiani Tonda Centum - Monochrome Watches

This week the Collector series moves to the Big Apple! William S. Lerner is an independent inventor (14 issued US Patents, with a primary focus on light based research, and burn prevention), an owner of Baz Persaud, Inc. Baz Persaud is a New York based?jewelry?company, that specializes in custom and couture cufflinks, and magnificent jewellery. They are vertically integrated and even re-cut their ...

2015-08-18

Pre-Watches & Wonders 2015: Vacheron Constantin Chronograph Historiques Cornes de vache 1955 (specs & price) - Monochrome-Watches

Let’s get straight down to it. This is probably one of the best looking dress-chronographs seen recently. Although we tend to keep objectivity at?the center of our articles, Vacheron’s latest?offer just looks superb. Based on a vintage watch from 1955 (that will be explained later), this new timepiece has it all: the right diameter, the right amount of Heritage, a superb movement and a...

2015-08-18

Introducing the Ulysse Nardin Hourstriker Erotica Jarretiere - A complicated erotic watch - Monochrome-Watches

One of the many long-standing traditions in the watch industry is an Erotic scene. Ulysse Nardin are?known for continuing this tradition with several references in their collection depicting classy but sexy scenes. There are also other features that Ulysse Nardin is known for, like Jaquemarts (some sort of automatons that can also be found in the ultra-complicated?Hannibal Minute Repeater Tourbill...

2015-08-17

Hands-on with the 2015 collection of the A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia (live photos, specs & price) - Monochrome-Watches

Recently, we’ve seen the evolution of the Lange 1, a watch so iconic that A. Lange & Sohne decided to update only its movement and not to touch its visual aspects (well, except?2 very little details that we’re not even going to mention now). With the Saxonia, the entry-level-understated-classical-dress-but-oh-so-nice collection of the manufacture, we’re in front of the total ...

2015-08-14

Introducing the Omega Seamaster 300 SPECTRE Limited Edition (specs & price) - Monochrome-Watches

We've knew about it for a while. We showed it to you a few months ago when we spotted Daniel Craig wearing an Omega Seamaster 300 with a NATO strap – and then the official poster for?the latest 007 James Bond movie, Spectre, definitely gave us the answer. Now it is official and here is the?Omega Seamaster 300 SPECTRE Limited Edition that Daniel Craig will be sporting on its wrist – and...

2015-08-14

The Collector's Series: Kristian Haagen and his A. Lange & Sohne Datograph Perpetual - Monochrome-Watches

In our second instalment of the Collector Series we sit down with one of the coolest guys in watches, Kristian Haagen. He’s a watch enthusiast (watchgeek), collector, author, lecturer and advisor to auctioneers (it must be tough when people ask what he does for a living at dinner parties!). However you may know him best for his mind-blowing photography and instantly recognisable fluorescent ...

2015-08-11

Introducing the Roger Dubuis Hommage Millesime project and the first edition, a unique restored pocket watch (specs & price) - Monochrome Watches

Roger Dubuis is quite a unique manufacture, with a specific approach of watchmaking and a production solely?focused on ultra-hihg-end movements, on skeletonization and (unique fact in the industry) with collections entirely adorned with the Hallmark of Geneva (Poin?on de Geneve). We’ve seen totally crazy pieces, like for example the?Pulsion Skeleton Flying Tourbillon or the?Excalibur Spider ...

2015-08-10

Vacheron-Constantin Harmony Chronograph Calibre 3300 - hands-on review and thoughts about the new movement (live photos, specs & price) - Monochrome-Watches

Recently, we’ve been impressed by Vacheron-Constantin. Not that the Geneva-based manufacture is not used to create interesting watches (really, we’re far from that), but the latest collection that they showed during SIHH 2015 was both visually and technically stunning. We first felt that only by only seeing the press photos of the entire collection (that you can see here) but?later muc...

2015-08-07

Bell & Ross WW2 Regulateur Officer - Full review (live photos, specs & price) - Monochrome-Watches

Bell & Ross introduced the WW2 collection a couple of years back with their military inspired WW2 Regulateur, known at that time as the Regulateur Bomber. They've dropped that name, for quite obvious reasons I can imagine, now they bring a new edition that is a little more sophisticated than the original: the Bell & Ross WW2 Regulateur Officer. Here is the full review after several weeks o...

2015-08-06

Introducing the Omega Seamaster Bullhead Chronograph Edition Rio 2016 (specs & price) - Monochrome-Watches

As you may know, Omega Watches has been the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games since 1932 (except a few exceptions). As one of their greatest achievement and an important partnership, which the brand is hugely proud off and shows this with several limited editions, like the?Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Sochi 2014. Recently, they came with their first watch paying tribute to the 2016 Olympic ...

2015-08-05

The Collector's Series: A Young Collector's IWC Portofino Vintage Collection 5448 in steel - Monochrome Watches

Today we start with a new series, The Collector’s Series, focusing on collectors and their watches. Well, one of their watches for starters. We will be sitting down with some of our readers and find out why they bought a watch, and what triggered them to buy that specific watch. It could be for an important life-event, or just for the fun of it. A collector can have a passion for a specific ...

2015-08-04

Hands-on with the deconstructed Cartier Crash Skeleton (live photos, specs & price) - Monochrome-Watches

A few months ago, we explained to you why Cartier should be taken seriously in terms of watchmaking. Forget about the jewelry image of the French Maison, they are now able to create both classical watches (with a deep historical background… did I say Tank?), modern collections (like the new Cle de Cartier or the diver watch Calibre de Cartier) and also?superb Haute Horlogerie timepieces (lik...

2015-08-03

Kickstarter Project: The super cool bullheads chronograph from Stuckx Watches - Monochrome-Watches

1970s… This decade?was an ode to creativity and to freedom – and sometimes also to bad tastes. At that time, Lamborghini launched the?Countach, the Bee Gees were singing Saturday Night Fever and?Georges Lucas shot Star Wars. However, we’ve also seen the arrival of psychedelic and?extremely coloured?wallpapers and?platform shoes. In terms of watches, there were some strange UFOs s...

2015-07-31

A look at the TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 01 (Specs & Price) - Monochrome-Watches

Today on Monochrome-Watches, we’re going to look at TAG Heuer’s latest addition – and we’ll have a look at it through the hublot (the meaning?of this last sentence will probably sound odd to you, but you’ll understand later). While the new strategy of TAG is to get back on track with the market of young, active and sport-oriented men (with watches like?this one) or to...

2015-07-30

Hands-on with the Zenith Pilot Type 20 Extra Special Bronze 45mm (specs & price) - Monochrome-Watches

Bronze… Not your typical material for a watch – and especially when it comes to a pilot watch. Bronze had been used several times in watchmaking but it makes more sense on a dive watch (even if, to be true, bronze remains quite an odd choice for a timepiece. We’ll get back on the reasons why later in this article). When you think bronze, you immediately?think Panerai but other br...

2015-07-30

INTERVIEW: Rebecca Struthers About Old Watches Getting a New Life - Struthers London - Monochrome Watches

This week we had the pleasure of sitting down with Rebecca Struthers, one half of Struthers London. Rebecca and her husband Craig are the master watchmakers and founders behind Struthers London. Having spent many years as vintage and antique watch restorers they launched Struthers London to re-commission high-grade antique and vintage watch movements recycled from the past. In the interview we dis...

2015-07-28

Introducing the Richard Mille RM 055 Bubba Watson All Grey Boutique Edition (Specs & price) - Monochrome-Watches

A mechanical watch to be worn while practicing golf? Isn’t that?something that everybody knows to be dangerous? Well, if you’re talking about usual mechanical watches, this statement is totally true. Don’t wear an automatic watch while playing golf! However, when it comes to Richard Mille, we’re not in front of usual timepieces… Not at all! As we’ve seen with Ra...

2015-07-28

Parmigiani Tonda 1950 Tourbillon - Worlds Thinnest Automatic Flying Tourbillon with Micro-Rotor (Specs & Price) - Monochrome Watches

Just the other week we broke the news of the (new) world’s thinnest mechanical watch, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin Squelette, which measures only 3.60 mm in height. With such thickness (thin-ness) it broke the old record of Piaget by just 0,05 mm. However it also brings skeletonisation to the table. Today we’re introducing the new Parmigiani Tonda 1950 Tourbillon, which featu...

2015-07-27