On the occasion of the 260th anniversary of its founding, the Manufacture Vacheron Constantin unveils the first models of an entirely new collection called Harmony. Issued in limited editions, these both contemporary and vintage-inspired timepieces feature a new cushion shape and a design inspired by one of the brand's first wristwatch chronographs introduced in 1928. New in-house movements, new d...
With such a long and illustrious history of watchmaking at the very highest end of the scale behind it, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication a few years back, and with it set out to capture the presence of its most exotic pocket watches, which were the reserve of the elite in the 19th century. The fruit of this effort appeared in the form of this veritable sh...
Montblanc keep surprising friend and foe, both with spectacular timepieces, like the ExoTourbillon that we showed you this morning, and with very useful timepieces like the Montblanc Heritage Chronometrie Dual Time. Last year Montblanc already surprised every one with a perpetual calendar at the price of 10k Euro and now they present the Dual Time for below 4k Euro. Again a very competitive pri...
Today, 19 January 2015, is the first day of the 25th edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, or short SIHH. In the coming week?we’re going to show you a plentitude of new timepiece, including some of the finest high-end timepieces on the market. In this first article of the week we’ll focus on what we see as one of the most promising watch brands of the moment, and o...
2015 is here and so are the watch fairs. From January to the end of March, our lives will be guided by novelties, photo shoots, interviews and trips to Geneva and Basel. First meeting of the year: the Geneva fair, known as the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie. In order to keep you aware of everything that will be presented by the exhibiting brands, we are on the road to SIHH 2015.30,000s...
Oris is known for its rugged, sporty tool-watches. The Aquis is famous into?the community?of divers – a collection that includes some interesting, technical, well finished but affordable tools to be used under the deep salty waters.?One is?particularly noticeable because it includes a clever mechanical depth gauge. Here is the?updated edition of the Oris Aquis Depth Gauge.The Oris Aquis Dept...
The game of musical chairs is not over. For the past months, the watch industry was the field of?multiple departures and appointments, including at the giants like and?TAG Heuer. It is now time for Sowind, the mother company of Girard-Perregaux and JeanRichard, to finally appoint a new CEO. Just before Baselworld, the arrival of Antonio Calce should be seen as a?deliverance for the brands, which...
Patek Philippe is known for its multiple (infinite) complications: perpetual calendars, split-second chronographs, some of the best minute repeaters ever made (and tested by the CEO himself) or a crazy watch that combines 20 of the complications in a single case, the GrandMaster Chime. However, amongst?the collection of watches manufactured by Patek, a series of timepieces has a special place in t...
Porsche Design is not only making leather goods and sunglasses. That’s not our material here at Monochrome-Watches. In our own name, there is watches and if we have to talk?about Porsche Design, it’s for their undoubtedly interesting timepieces. Black theme and chronographs had always been part of Porsche’s DNA. In order to keep the spirit alive, here are two new faithful edition...
Of course Monochrome is not the only website dedicated to bring you the latest news about the world of watchmaking. However we’re unique in bringing you news, reviews and historical stories about the absolute high-end of the spectrum of watchmaking, with a strong focus on explaining every nitty gritty detail about the beauty of hand-made watches. As of this week you can read all our stories ...
Downsizing is a trend that is clearly growing in the industry since the previous?editions of the SIHH and Baselworld. After years of watches sized over 42mm and more, large brands are coming back to more reasonable cases’ dimensions. Following this trend, Cartier updates its?Rotonde de Cartier Annual Calendar and introduces a 40mm edition, alongside the already existing 45mm version. Further...
For 2015 Montblanc will be revamping?the design of the TimeWalker, beginning with three new models: the Montblanc TimeWalker Urban Speed Chronograph, TimeWalker Urban Speed automatic and TimeWalker Urban Speed UTC. The changes are minimal, so the recognizable TimeWalker style will remain intact. These new TimeWalker models will be launched with Montblanc’s new e-Strap, making Montblanc the f...
In 2015 IWC will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Portuguese. The first Portuguese was developed at the end of the 1930’s and featured the clean design, that we know the Portuguese for today. In the past 75 year it has grown?to become an entire collection, or family of watches as IWC calls it. There will be several ‘celebratory’ models and ‘updates’, and there...
Here at Monochrome-Watches, we define our job not only as journalists but also as testers. We love watches, all sorts of watches (although we have a strong preference for anything that is made with passion and by skilled hands!) In order to let you know how it these watches actually are in their natural habitat (i.e. on the wrist), we write lengthy watch reviews in which we share our experience an...
The Aurora Borealis, AKA the Northern Lights' are a natural display of light found on the northern hemisphere. If you've had the chance to witness them first-hand you'll know, they are nothing short of spectacular. Streaks of blue, green, purple and yellow light shooting across the sky in mesmerizing fashion. The same effect is achieved with the Gustafson & Sjogren's watches due to its Damascu...
The world of diving watches has a very unique place in the industry. There are very cheap divers and very expensive ones, there are watches that can be used as a backup for the dive computers, because they calculate the depth as well other parameters as ascend/descend rate, water temperature etc, and there are watches that are very minimal. There are automatic, quartz, kinetic or solar driven. The...
In January of this year Montblanc introduced an entirely new collection, called the Montblanc Meisterstuck Heritage collection. This collection, with its classic design codes, is the first to incorporate everything that Montblanc as a watch brand has to offer. From very affordable and classically styled time-only, to the most affordable perpetual calendar on the market, to the Pulsograph with its ...
When you think about Roger Dubuis, some marvelous features come to your mind. Together with a spectacular design, massive and easily recognizable, all the creations of the brand are imprinted with a superb finishing level. Every single watch produced by Roger Dubuis is stamped with the rigorous Geneva Seal (Poin?on de Geneve). Another of these multiple features might be skeletonized movements. For...
What do you do when you pass by the new boutique of a beautiful watch brand? Of course, you ring the bell and wait until they open the door. I happened to be in Amsterdam the other day, and passed by the recently opened Jaeger-LeCoultre boutique. To my surprise they had two Master Minute Repeaters present - that's a rare occasion - and I took at out the camera to show you one of the best sounding ...
Since founding their unique watch company ten years ago in 2004, Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey have created an indelible footprint, instantly recognisable and firmly imprinted on the world of watchmaking. In the space of just one decade Greubel Forsey have become a benchmark watchmaker, and every move they make is followed keenly by collectors and other watchmakers alike. One of their most fam...
Recently, Breguet sent a reminder to the world: the manufacture had always been involved into innovation and will always be. This reminder came in early November 2014, as Breguet won the much cherished top prize at the?Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve, a.k.a. the GPHG, with a superb and truly modern watch, the Classique Chronometrie 7727. Another Breguet?was nominated?(in the tourbillon?cat...
The SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, based in Geneva) will take place very soon and almost every day, pre-show?novelties continue to arrive on our desk. After revealing a very special edition of the Master Calendar, with a meteorite dial, Jaeger-LeCoultre is coming now with a masterpiece. Not only is this watch absolutely beautiful to look at, but it also comes with a very complic...
Shortly before Christmas, and also shortly before the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie starts. This means that we get to show you more novelties, and today we get to show you the newest IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Pure Classic: a?classically styled, hand-wound, dress watch. Although that might sound boring for some, we suggest to take a closer look because it’s an IWC, and there some ...
The new Omega Seamaster 300 Master Co-Axial… THE star of Baselworld 2014, a truly inspired watch with its superb vintage design, a great horological content, and the introduction of a fully?anti-magnetic movement! We’ve covered it multiple times already on Monochrome (here and here). After all the noise created around this timepiece, it was clearly time for us to use it, to feel it, to...
Montblanc introduced the new Meisterstuck Heritage collection at the 2014 edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, that was held in January of this year. A very interesting new collection that includes the most affordable perpetual calendar on the market, and with the Meisterstuck Heritage Pulsograph they introduced the first “Villeret” movement (calibre MB M13.21) in...
To many collectors, the Perpetual Calendar / Quantieme Perpetuel is the complete timepiece; yes of course there are a few more complex mechanisms, but in terms of the practical, day-to-day functionality of a time and date watch, the perpetual calendar covers all bases. In simplistic terms, it is a watch which, if kept wound, will never need manual intervention and will record time, day, date, mont...
Recently, we showed you the novelties?you should really consider to buy in 2014. It included all the new models presented this year and that were for us, at Monochrome-Watches, already classics. Now, we would like to turn out to the real classics, the watches that could have been on your wrist 10 years ago and that will adorn it in the next 10 years too. The members of the Monochrome team sat down...
Chopard might not be the first brand to come to your mind when thinking about Haute Horlogerie and dress watches. You might first?think of?Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin or Breguet. However, when having a closer look at?the wide range of watches produced by Chopard, there is a collection worthy of (horological) interest, a collection with in-house movements, with superb finishes and with time...
In news which will come as a surprise to few, considering the rumblings which have been coming from the Swiss Manufacturer in recent times, after 21 years with the company, CEO Stephan Linder?has just announced his resignation from TAG Heuer, with immediate effect. So, what does this mean for this giant among watch brands?BackgroundThe story began during Baselworld 2014 with the introduction of a ...
Omega has just announced this morning that they will certify their Master Co-Axial chronometers with a new partner, being METAS, the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology. As of mid-2015 Omega will test all the Master Co-Axial movements. These tests will be performed in-house (!!) and on encased movements. That also means that good ol’ COSC (Contr?le Officiel Suisse des Chronometres) won̵...