Latest Watch News

Pre-SIHH 2015: Piaget Altiplano Chronograph Flyback - a new record setter (specs and price) - Monochrome-Watches

If we had to?categorize Piaget into a single subject, it would be for its ultra-slim watches. The brand is indeed not only good at it, it is the unbeatable leader. The?Altiplano has always been the preferred field for Piaget to set thickness records (well, an?absence of thickness to be precise). Last year, the brand came up with the?slimmest of the?slim watches. For the 2015 edition of the SIHH, P...

2014-12-08

Pre-SIHH 2015: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Calendar Meteorite dial (specs and price) - Monochrome-Watches

The?Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Calendar isn’t actually?a new watch?in the catalog. It first appeared?during the 2013 edition of the SIHH?(the Geneva watch fair that will take place in January). It uses a very classical display and a very restrained design. So, how to give a new attraction to an already known model and bring some freshness? By introducing new dials! And the ones that Jaeger-LeCo...

2014-12-08

Pre SIHH 2015: Three new models of the A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia collection - Monochrome Watches

Today we’re introducing three new A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia models that will be officially launched during the upcoming SIHH in January 2015. Technically all three watches will remain the same, however in terms of aesthetics and/or size the Saxonia, the Saxonia Automatic and the Saxonia Dual Time will be updated. Small, but interesting and quite notable changes.The Saxonia line represents...

2014-12-07

Horological Cyber-Warfare: Swiss Brands Targeting Piracy-Dials for Smartwatches - Monochrome Watches

Downloading movies and music without paying is illegal, and if you are caught you can be prosecuted for it. Download a Milgauss face for your gizmo? Hold on just a second! You could be next in line for the Swiss industry giants to take down a peg or two. Brands like Omega, Panerai, Mondaine and IWC are taking action against the latest phase of horo-theft: smartwatch-piracy.The global watch indus...

2014-12-05

Cool Finds: Five Perpetual Calendars in Gold under 15k - Monochrome Watches

One of the things many watch collectors have in common, is that they’re always on the hunt for a next watch. Sometimes it’s just browsing the bay (we’re referring to Ebay of course) and other times it’s a specific search. For this purpose we often go to Chrono24, like today, and search for that one timepiece that can fill the void in our collection. One of the things weR...

2014-12-04

Pre SIHH 2015: Introducing the Rotonde De Cartier Astrotourbillon Skeleton Watch Calibre 9461 MC - Monochrome Watches

Next month the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (short: SIHH) starts again and that marks one of the most important weeks in a year, for the horological industry. Today we’re already showing you?the?Rotonde de Cartier Astrotourbillon Skeleton Watch Calibre 9461MC, Cartier’s latest horological masterpiece, which will officially be introduced during the SIHH. This is one of Car...

2014-12-02

The Auction Hammer: Elvis Presleys Omega Constellation - Monochrome Watches

It's Now or Never, or it will be at the Antiquorum sale of Important Modern and Vintage Timepieces in New York on December 11. If You're Lonesome that night you might want to take yourself downtown to Madison Avenue where among the highlights will be the rare sighting of a c.1960 Omega Constellation, which was once owned and worn by a king. And not just any old king either, we're talking about The...

2014-12-02

Watches buying-guide for Christmas 2014 - Monochrome-Watches

We all faced the dilemma of buying a new watch. Because Christmas 2014 is coming, we, at Monochrome, decided?to help you and to give you a few ideas of what could be the best watches to buy, depending on your budget and your tastes. Of course, watches are expensive toys and some of them are,?for most of you (and for us too),?dream-timepieces. However,?this selection is wide and will go from 150 eu...

2014-12-01

Introducing the Bvlgari Octo Maserati Limited Edition - specs & price - Monochrome-Watches

The first of December 2014 should be a special day for anyone with an appreciative ear for a fine tune. Particularly if it comes from the chrome-tipped exhausts which ring out the music of a singing Italian V8 motor. Because on that date, a true legend of Italian automotive history will be celebrating one hundred years in business, and at Maserati they plan to mark their centennial event with a bi...

2014-11-28

Introducing the Halda Race Pilot - Monochrome Watches

What is the ultimate racing watch? What defines a racing-timepiece? Is it a necessity to be race-inspired in design or does it have to offer usability as well? It is probable that timepieces like the Chopard Mille Miglia, or TAG Heuer Monaco come to mind. Other than perhaps a chronograph, the usability during racing is limited. There is an alternative though, and it comes from Sweden, a country wi...

2014-11-27

Pre-SIHH: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Acoustic Research - Minute Repeater 2.0 - Monochrome Watches

Audemars Piguet will be introducing an entirely new sort of minute repeater at the upcoming Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, or short SIHH. They spent eight years of sound research, involving a carefully chosen community of watchmakers, artisans, technicians and academics, which lead to three pending patents and this new minute repeater that sounds much louder than any repeater watch: t...

2014-11-26

Event Recap: Sharing the Passion for Fine Watchmaking with Montblanc - Monochrome Watches

Last week we organized a very special evening, together with our friends of Montblanc. The evening was dedicated to ‘Sharing the passion for Fine Watchmaking’ and took place in the Montblanc boutique in Amsterdam. The main stars that evening were five of the magnificent creations from the Montblanc manufacture in Villeret.Montblanc’s manufacture in Villeret is to experts and know...

2014-11-25

Squared off: The Bell & Ross BR 03-90 B-Rocket - Full Review (Live photos, specs & price) - Monochrome Watches

Collaborations are not uncommon within the watch industry. We've seen projects between watch brands and charitable causes take a surge over the past years, and we've even seen brands work with artists or sculptors to create unique pieces. One branch that is often contracted for a cooperative creation is car and bike manufacturers. Bell & Ross teamed up with Shaw Harley Davidson, official deale...

2014-11-24

FOUND: a Heuer Autavia with Prototype Orange Dial - Extremely Rare, possibly Unique - Monochrome Watches

Rarer than hen’s teeth? This Orange dial Heuer Autavia is indeed extremely rare, if not unique. Experts are still debating on the exact details, however they seem to agree we’re dealing with a genuine Heuer Autavia ref. 1163, with a high-beat calibre 11 movement, a prototype orange dial, and hands from a Heuer Carrera ref. 1153. And it seems to be authentic. You want to own it? That...

2014-11-24

H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Black Edition - Full review (live photos, specs and price) - Monochrome-Watches

Making something highly complicated looking as simple as possible is certainly harder than anything else. When looking at the?H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Black Edition for the first time, you’ll probably never notice how complex is the movement inside. To resume, putting aside the inherent beauty of this watch, the main strength of the Moser QP is to keep a display extrem...

2014-11-17

The Omega Seamaster Automatic 120m Chronograph (Ref.176.004) a.k.a. the Big Blue - Monochrome Watches

In this article we will examine an instrument that is so important that the life of its operator depends on it. The operator in question is a diver, submerging in a hostile environment either to make a living, or to hunt fish. No, it is not a big dive computer with a huge lcd screen that performs countless calculations per milisecond based on complex algorithms. This is Monochrome, so we are going...

2014-11-14

Hot off the presses: Printed watches by ALB Watches - Monochrome Watches

It is time to make a confession. Even though we at Monochrome are highly passionate about fine timepieces and craftsmanship in general, we think about the future of watchmaking too. The future, whether it be smart-watches, cutting edge materials, application of never-before seen technologies or simply new and ingenious complications; we try to take everything in consideration. Even something as un...

2014-11-13

Introducing The Audemars Piguet Millenary Quadriennium - Monochrome Watches

Audemars Piguet improves the annual calendar, so it almost becomes a perpetual calendar. That might sound strange, but we’ll explain. This new calendar is now introduced in the?Audemars Piguet Millenary Quadriennium. Its name is latin for a quadrennium, which?is a four-year period. The watch also features the infamous AP escapement, so all-together a mighty interesting timepiece!?The Millena...

2014-11-12

Henry Graves Patek Philippe Supercomplication set a new record of CHF 20,600,000 at Sotheby's auction - Monochrome-Watches

This record was predictable. The price too. But even if most of us were expecting a mind-blowing price, the amount of money offered yesterday for the Henry Graves Patek Philippe?Supercomplication remains something close to?indecency, as Sotheby’s hammered the most expensive watch to date for CHF 20,600,000 (before buyer’s premium). Now that we know the price, the big question is ‘...

2014-11-12

Patek Philippe 175 auction by Christie's - Results and analysis - Monochrome-Watches

That’s it! The Christie’s auction for Patek Philippe 175th Anniversary is done and well done. With a total amount of CHF 19,367,000 (around EUR 16,100,000 or USD 20,000,000) for 100 lots, we’re in front of quite a serious amount (an average of 190,000 CHF per lot). We introduced to you the highlights of the sale a few weeks ago and we were impressed by the selection. It is now ti...

2014-11-10

24 Hours of Le Mans with Chopard Superfast Chrono Porsche 919 Edition - Monochrome Watches

Looking for a good weekend movie? We recommend Steve McQueen in the racing classic, Le Mans. Why? Not only for the stupendous lack of dialogue supplemented by engine roar, but also for the on-screen rivalry between McQueen's Porsche team and Ferrari. The real actors are a Porsche 917 and Ferrari 512. Porsche prototypes left the race in 1998, leaving a legacy of domination, and until this year, cou...

2014-11-10

Montblanc x Monochrome - Sharing the Passion for Fine Watchmaking - Monochrome Watches

Together with Montblanc we’re organizing an evening to share the passion for fine watchmaking. Sounds promising, right? Well, it’s actually even better than that because our friends of Montblanc have ensured us that there will be a lot of ‘horological sweetness‘, manufactured in Montblanc’s?manufacture in Villeret on show. That’s the old Minerva manufacture, the...

2014-11-10

Chronos24 Watch of the Year Awards A. Lange & Sohne - Monochrome Watches

Polish watch website Chronos24.pl organized a Watch of the Year election, for the fifth time already, and this year they asked me to be part of the jury. Together with Beth Doerr (Quill & Pad), Miguel Seabra (Espiral do Tempo and tennis commentator on Eurosport), Kristian Haagen (0024 Watchworld), Amr Sindi (The Horophile) and five Polish journalists we sat down and after some fierce discussio...

2014-11-07

Breguet Classique Chronometrie 7727 - detailed Hands-on (live photos, specs and price) - Monochrome-Watches

Here is the winner of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve, the prestigious contest that awards each year the best watches made by the industry. This edition of the GPHG was truly interesting and so is the?winner. The Breguet?Classique Chronometrie 7727 does really deserve its title of Watch of the Year or ‘Aiguille d’Or‘. This is not only due to the superb design. What Br...

2014-11-07

What happens at TAG Heuer? (unemployment, layoffs, repositioning) - Monochrome-Watches

The last Baselworld edition seemed to be a good one for TAG Heuer. We saw the introduction of a brand new, in-house developed and manufactured, chronograph movement, named calibre CH80 (initially introduced as calibre 1969). And there was a new, and very good looking, TAG Heuer Carrera that was equipped with this new in-house movement. Shortly after Baselworld we already heard that it would get a ...

2014-11-06

Weekly Watch Photo: Tudor Black Bay Blue - Monochrome Watches

Shortly before Baselworld started this year, we tried to predict what Tudor would be presenting at?the world’s biggest watch show. Our prediction was not spot on, however the watches presented by Tudor (the Tudor Black Bay ref. 79220B and the Tudor Ranger ref. 79910) were even better than what we imagined. Especially the Black Bay with Midnight Blue bezel. That one was ‘talk of the tow...

2014-11-06

A. Lange and Sohne Zeitwerk and Zeitwerk Striking Time - Full Review with live photos, specs and price - Monochrome-Watches

While the majority of the watches manufactured by A. Lange and Sohne are sharing that same Germanic feeling, a rigorous and meticulous attention to details with a certain warmth, some bits of originality that never fall into?ostentation (take a look at the Lange 1 and you’ll understand), a watch in the collection has to be seen as different, whether we’re talking about design or mechan...

2014-11-05

2014 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve Won by Breguet Classique Chronometrie 7727 - Monochrome Watches

And the Oscar…err, Golden Hand goes to the Breguet Classique Chronometrie. Last Friday evening it was Oscar-night. That is Oscar-night of the watch industry, which is called the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve. Winners in fifteen categories and one overall winner were announced during a gala event in Geneva. There were some remarkable winners; one of them was Gronefeld, who won the p...

2014-11-03

Testing the Oris Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter in its Natural Environment - Monochrome Watches

Chocks away, chaps! Monochrome is taking to the skies, literally! We have been testing a watch in the environment it was designed for, which surprisingly doesn't happen too often. You never see a journalist driving an F1 car to test a racing Chronograph, do you? Oris released their Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter earlier this year, and cordially invited us to appropriately test-drive the world's firs...

2014-11-03

Pre-SIHH: Introducing the Richard Mille RM 33-01 Automatic - Monochrome-Watches

The ballet of the SIHH (the Geneva watch fair) novelties just began. One of the first to come with a new timepiece is?Richard Mille, a brand that we do love here at Monochrome-Watches for its exclusivity:?unusual design and spirit, exclusive materials, astonishing finishing, distinctive complications and innovations. If most of the watches made by Richard Mille are highly?masculine, with a strong ...

2014-10-31