I’m actually amazed, and kind of speechless now I realise this… It took the watch industry a long time, decades in fact, before there finally is a watch that can be called the ultimate football watch. In the 1960’s and 1970’s there were some chronographs with a 45-minute register, in stead of the usual 60-minute register. But that’s as far as it goes, in terms of foot...
In the world of watches there are limited editions… and there are limited editions. Today we’re going to show you a limited edition that you probably have never seen before. It’s something rare, only 25 pieces ever made, and it isn’t even featured on the brand’s website. We’re talking about an IWC Portuguese Tourbillon Hand Wound, however not just your average P...
Take a moment to allow those words to sink in: Tourbillon, Chiming, Jump Hour. Three complications joined in one single watch; two complications are rare, all three are highly unusual joined into one piece and take an extreme dexterity to do right. You cannot deny that AkriviA, the brand formed just three years ago, has ambition. You also cannot deny that Rexhep Rexhepi, the master watchmaker behi...
We’ve been reviewing what is arguably the most understated wrist watch. We’re used to explaining high prices to people when they spot something extravagant on our wrist. In this case it was more difficult to explain, until the watch was?turned over to?show?that stunning?movement, featuring a tourbillon with double spiral. While the average watch-person (is that a word?) hardly understa...
This year Montblanc introduced the entirely new Heritage Chronometrie collection, which immediately sparked interest from collectors. The collection features classic looks coupled with classic complications, and even classically sized watches. The Montblanc?Heritage Chronometrie Quantieme Complet is also part of this new collection, featuring a quantieme complet – or complete calendar in Eng...
This article wasn’t supposed to start like that. We thought we would?be in front of a?new?iteration of an ultra-thin Jaeger-LeCoultre – a nice one for sure but different just because it was featuring a?skeletonized movement. Thus, our article would have been turning around describing you the nicely opened and engraved bridges and the?enameling work done on the dial. However we, at?Mono...
The words manufacture' and in-house' linked to a?movement seem to be something we hear probably too often these days and in certain situations, not used in the proper way. It is becoming increasingly important for brands nowadays in terms of credibility. However, some?manufactures are more worthy than others at using the name manufacture for their movements and Ulysse Nardin is part of this gang. ...
How hard must it be to renew an icon, to improve on what people think to be one of the best ever created watches, one of the most recognizable timepieces of the entire industry? The A. Lange & Sohne Lange 1 is one of those icons that you don’t want to change because every single detail is just superb and so deliberate that changing would possibly ruin the entire?equilibrium of its?design...
When it comes to racing-oriented watches, Chopard has an interesting legitimacy to offer to watch lovers. Besides the Mille Miglia collection (that has been renewed this year with a quite cool design and in-house movements), the brand also has another highly masculine and robust collection, the Superfast. This chronograph has already been the base for a specific edition dedicated to Porsche and th...
The Ingenieur?is a pure icon in?the IWC collection. Its design (not the first one from 1954 but instead the one that we know now, based on 1975 Geral Genta’s idea) is recognizable amongst every other watches and seen as a very desirable sports watch. For Only Watch 2015, the charity auction to fund?research for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, IWC will offer a one-of-a-kind edition of the Ingeni...
The prestigious Only Watch charitable auction is all about unique watches, supplied by some of the most esteemed watch brands in the world. Featuring a unique Vacheron Constantin, singing Ulysse Nardin and a prototype Richard Mille which are just a few examples of the watches on offer on the 7th?of November in Geneva. On the day, all watches will be auctioned off to raise funds for the Monaco Asso...
Apart from the crazy complicated creations offered for Only Watch 2015 – like the unique Patek Philippe 5016 (with a minute repeater, a tourbillon and a QP) or the music machine by Ulysse Nardin – this charity auction held by Phillips Watches on November 7th, 2015 will also show the opportunity to bet on more?affordable?but iconic watches – but of course, in unique editions. Tudo...
Watches that actually ‘sing‘ are?something quite usual in the watchmaking industry – even if those watches that we call a repeater are usually requiring very deep pockets. These watches strike the time on demand (in order to have an indication of time without looking at the watch but only by hearing the sound of the chimes). Ulysse Nardin, which are?not known to be the worst watc...
The HM6 is, to date, the most complicated and crazy (both technically and visually) MB&F ever. When we reviewed it end of last year, we?couldn’t resist saying that this Space Pirate was a strange object. However, after a few months, it seems that this strangeness tends to disappear and that the inspirations?become clearly obvious – and really bold (something confirmed as MB&F j...
The news about unique pieces for the Only Watch auction, of which all proceeds will go to the Monaco Association Against Muscular Dystrophy, is pouring in. Vacheron Constantin has been one of the watch brands that has supported this prestigious charity auction since the very beginning, back in 2005. This year they support the good cause again, with the donation of the Vacheron Constantin Metiers d...
When it comes to owning a cool watch, easily recognizable and that will create enthusiasm for sure, a chronograph is always on the top of our buying guide. Chronographs are cool, they look usually sporty and more technical than the usual watch and they are useful (at least, that's what owners are trying to make you think). However, a chronograph is quite a complicated feature compared to a classic...
Not only the large and very sought after brands (like Patek Philippe or Richard Mille) are participating to Only Watch 2015 but also some classy and understated brands, like for instance the latest introduction we covered: the?Speake-Marin Resilience. Another brand, that even if not the most coveted one should really be regarded as full of interest, is now coming with its own unique iteration for ...
Among our favourites, here at Monochrome, are the timepieces from Speake-Marin,?which are always beautiful and ooh so stylish. Amongst the watches that will be donated by brands, to the Only Watch auction, is for the first time a Speake-Marin, and it’s a piece unique. Besides ‘household names’ like Patek Philippe?(check out the ref. 5016A-010 piece unique!) and Richard Mille R...
The concept of Only Watch is to auction unique watches in order to raise funds to help?Muscular Dystrophy research. As we’ve seen earlier this week, major brands came up with one-of-a-kind superb watches, just like FP Journe or Patek Philippe. There’s actually another way to participate in?the auction, by giving a prototype or the very first example?of a limited edition. For Only Watch...
Amongst the 43 unique watches that Only Watch 2015 will auction, we’ve already seen quite a few interesting ones (yes, that’s an understatement…). Whether it’s the superb Laurent Ferrier Sector Dial, the Voutilainen GMT-6 or the future record-breaker Patek Philippe 5016A, all the watches we’ve seen so far are stunning and highly desirable (meaning possible huge prices...
Here is?the big one! Just after Laurent Ferrier and Kari Voutilainen (and also Tudor that is coming with a unique edition of the Black Bay), it’s now time for Patek Philippe to introduce its unique watch for Only Watch 2015 – and be fully aware of one thing: THIS IS A KILLER WATCH. Based on a Ref. 5016, this one-of-a-kind edition is combining a minute repeater, a tourbillon and a perpe...
What a pleasure to feel TAG Heuer coming back to its roots: technically simple but highly cool watches with a clear racing-car orientation (see the new Nismo Limited Edition for Le Mans). The brand is sponsoring many events, pilots or races. This year, during the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed, we had the chance to get our hands on special pieces dedicated to a racing legend, one of the previous ...
Last year Oris surprised everyone with the launch of their first in-house movement (we reviewed it for you here), which was introduced for the celebration of their 110th anniversary. The caliber’s name on the other hand was anything but a surprise, as they dubbed it calibre 110.?Now Oris has created a new timepiece in the ProPilot collection – yes, that’s the collection with the ...
Yesterday we introduced?you to the history of diver watches and the crucial role that Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his team played in the development of diver watches (see here). The second installment?focussed?on?the diver watches that were actually used by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and is team in the 1960’s (click here), and now we’re going to show you the watches that they used in the 1970...
Yesterday we gave a view into the world of diving watches, and specifically the very beginning (check it here). While today’s dive watches are mainly used for ‘desk-diving’ – as collectors refer to the wrist time that their dive watches get in the office – and hardly get in contact with the salty sea water that they are designed for, this category of watches remains v...
From a very young age I remember religiously watching the Jacques Cousteau documentaries that were broadcasted on TV every Saturday afternoon. These documentaries were a window in the outside world and they allowed a young child like me to see the yellow flying saucer submarine, the divers wearing sleek yellow Spirotechnique gear, the old man himself diving and giving instructions to his comrade d...
The Analog Watch Co has just started a Kickstarter program to fund the launch of their newest timepiece. The Philadelphia-based watch company has already made a name with the Carpenter’s Watch, which is the world’s only wooden watch with a flexible wood band, and it’s a bestseller in the MoMA Design Stores. Now they’re coming with another “nature-inspired” timep...
Showing the movement has become the rule in watchmaking. Whether it’s a superbly finished haute horology or a simple entry-level engine, brands are now manufacturing the majority of their watches with a sapphire caseback – meaning having a view on the back of its movement. Although?some?3-hand watches have almost nothing to show on the dial-side of the movement, more complicated timepi...
In the past years we have reviewed some quite impressive timepieces. We showed you classic styled Haute Horlogerie, like for instance the JLC master ultra-thin 1907 and the iconic Lange 1 from A. Lange & Sohne. The good things about Haute Horlogerie is that it is not bound by certain style codes, and is rather defined by the quality. Recently we've worn a thoroughbred Haute Horlogerie piece th...
Only Watch?is certainly one of the best examples of how charity and watches can come together and create stupendous things. Twice a year, this event is firstly an occasion to support?an important cause - funding the?Monaco Association against Muscular Dystrophy - and also to discover unique pieces from the most prestigious watch brands. Several announcements this year: one concerns the auction its...