The IWC Top Gun line of watches share the excitement of jets screaming through the sky, and this video captures the inspiration. ?When IWC introduced its Top Gun line?in 2012, they introduced a bold independent collection of pilot watches. ?The newest Top Gun Miramar watches compliment the traditional Top Gun style; instead of the Top Gun contrast of white against black, they bring a new color sch...
Three years after introducing the first Grande Reverso Ultra-Thin Tribute to 1931, Jaeger-LeCoultre created a second pink gold version, now featuring a lovely chocolate brown dial. The full name of this watch – Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande Reverso Ultra Thin 1931 Pink Gold Case and Chocolate-toned Dial – is quite a mouthful. The name might be a tongue-twister, but with these looks it can ea...
Ten years ago, in 2004, Montblanc introduced the very first timepieces of the new TimeWalker ‘family’ of watches. Immediately recognizable, with its 43mm large case, the beautifully shaped lugs, its thin bezel and the and large and clean dial, the characteristic Arabic numerals and the lancet-shaped hands. Montblanc celebrates the 10th anniversary with a pitch-black new member of TimeW...
Here we are in 2014 - looking forward to SIHH and Basel. What better way to prepare for the next wave of horological masterpieces than to revisit the pieces that made us tap our feet and click our fingers (with some interpretive music thrown in!) So, sit back, draw another espresso and click your way through our tongue-in-cheek multi-media (dry cough) presentation as Monochrome-Watches.com looks b...
When it comes to watches that can indicate time in your own timezone and an additional timezone, you will find there’s a whole world of choice out there. However be aware that you choose one that suits your requirements. There are traveler GMT watches, office GMT watches and worldtimers, all with their own limitations. Except the Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Unique Travel Time, which makes it p...
Most of you have probably heard about the IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII. This is the latest incarnation of IWC’s classic line of pilots' watches with a central hour, minute, and second hand and a date function. In this presentation we are going way back in time in order to trace its bloodline, which is one of the most important in the history of horology. The Mark series of watches were ...
In the weeks before the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), which will be held in Geneva from 20-24 January, you will get to see quite some new timepieces and during the watch fair, it will be even more. Like the Frankfurt Motor Show or the Geneva Motor Show are for cars, the SIHH is a perfect moment for the watch industry to show their latest timepieces. One of Roger Dubuis’ ...
Ulysse Nardin is a visionary company. Such a declaration might seem overstated, especially when dealing with their longstanding, flagship model, the Marine Chronometer; however, remember Ulysse Nardin is the company who gave us the Freak, a genre-defying watch that was ahead of its time.Under the aegis of the late Rolf Schnyder, the company partnered with Ludwig Oechslin of now Ochs & Junior t...
Last year IWC completely revamped the Ingenieur collection, the year before that it was the Pilot’s collection, and this year the Aquatimer collection gets a fresh new look. Today we can already show you some of the new models, the rest will be ‘visually’ presented in a few weeks at the SIHH in Geneva. Now I have seen the entire new Aquatimer collection, I can already say that my...
Michael Schumacher's Formula One driving record made him a living legend. We pay a somber Speedy-Tuesday' tribute to the man for whom limited edition watches became something of a cottage industry. Let's take a look at some of the Omega Speedmasters produced to commemorate his career. At the time of publication, Racing legend and 7-time Formula 1 Champion Michael Schumacher is in critical conditio...
Yesterday we have shown you a magnificent timepiece, the 4N-MVT01 (see article here), a watch with a truly innovative display, consisting of 10 rotating discs. To continue this series of articles, we want to present you another striking way to display the time, here with drums integrated directly in the movement. The Cabestan Terra Luna offers not only a spectacular dial but also an outstanding pi...
In the small world of independent watchmaking, competition is tough. Not only do you have to compete with big names, such as Richard Mille, Greubel Forsey or MB&F, you also have to offer “that little something extra” that makes your creation extraordinary. Innovation in this realm of specialists can be found in a profusion of complications or in a strong design, like a new way to d...
This year Panerai added two entirely new models to their collection. And by “new” we really mean “new”! After many variations on the familiar Luminor models with the iconic crown protector and the stylish Radiomir cushion-shape case, Panerai is adding more variations to the collection. First there were the Radiomir 1940 models?(will be reviewed here on Monochrome soon!) and...
IWC has been one of the first brands to pioneer with an in-house forum dedicated to IWC collector’s and special news of the brand. For the third time now, they have created a special edition watch for forum members and as Michal Friedberg, the forum’s moderator, says: “it is the most exciting news in the history of our IWC Collectors' Forum“.This is the new IW387808 Pilot's...
Longines has a long and rich history, from which they can draw inspiration. The result is an ample collection called the Heritage collection, comprising for example the 180 Anniversary Watch (which we reviewed), the Wheems Second-setting Watch, the Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch (both are in our History of the Pilot Watch saga) and the Avigation A-7 Chronograph (see here). And now Longines returns to ...
Cartier has just unveiled their very first dive watch! OK some of you might argue Cartier already have a “dive watch” in their collection, the Pasha. However the Pasha is not a true dive watch, and certainly not by today’s standards. The new Calibre de Cartier Diver, which will officially be introduced at the SIHH 2014, will be Cartier’s first real dive watch!The new Diver ...
Romain Jerome can be quite a polarizing brand. Even here at the Monochrome offices – all of us die-hard watch aficionados – we don’t share the same enthusiasm about the various RJ timepieces. However Romain Jerome’s newest creation can count on many “yaes”, leaving the “nays” well behind. No dial, a fully skeletonized movement and the iconic case wit...
In January JLC pushed Piaget from their throne, when they introduced the world’s thinnest wrist watch. Now Piaget takes back, what can be considered their rightful position, by introducing the (new) world’s thinnest watch. Piaget is famous for its ultra-thin movements and wrist watches. And although fashion was “robust”, Piaget has always created extremely thin timepiece, e...
Apart from Baselworld and SIHH, watch enthusiasts around the world also have the opportunity to admire nice timepieces in smaller, more intimate exhibitions, such as QP in London or Belles Montres in Paris. As you know, we from Monochrome, we never miss the chance to present you with nice photos, great watches and fascinating stories. To begin a series of captivating articles, let's see what Belle...
When Panerai launched the PAM127 a.k.a. 1950 a.k.a. Fiddy, back in 2002, they could never have thought that this very model would cause so much. Collectors went crazy about it and three years later Angelo Bonati (Panerai's CEO) gave the green light for a left-hand version of the Fiddy (PAM 00217). Two years ago (2011) there was the PAM372 that won collector's hearts all over again, and at next yea...
When I wrote about the IWC Mark XII Saab ‘Mellow Yellow’ a few years ago, nobody could have suspected that Saab would start up production again. Well, today they started up production in the Saab factories in Trollh?ttan, Sweden. As an avid Saab driver, this makes a perfectly good reason to celebrate this with my own IWC Mark XII Saab.As an avid Saab driver – I’ve owned qui...
Earlier this year I was invited by A. Lange & Sohne to visit the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, in Italy. The Concorso d’Eleganza is one of the most prestigious classic car events in the world. Although I’m no total petrol head, I said yes and enjoyed a most wonderful trip and relished the sight of magnificent automobiles. I prepared for you a short and sweet event r...
The watch we will show you today launches a new section here at Monochrome. A section exclusively focused on vintage watches. Why exclusively, and why vintage, you might wonder? Vintage watches are the watches of days gone by since they were manufactured in an era when mechanical was the only way to go. These timepieces were designed and manufactured mainly to fulfill their specific functions. The...
In January of this year, IWC introduced an entire new Ingenieur collection. Not just one or two new models; the entire collection was ‘reinvented’. While many of the new Ingenieur models feature all kind of technical innovations, the ref. 3239 Ingenieur Automatic, goes back to its roots. Back to the classic Ingenieur SL ref. 1832 that was designed by Gerald Genta. Will this also become...
Spending so much time researching watches it is easy to misplace the forest for the trees. In the process of tracking down two more rare watches lead me into a bit of a hedge-maze. What I found at the end was surprising and disappointing…Surprisingly disappointing?Last month, while looking into the existence of, or rather lack of a Perpetual Calendar movement watch got me to thinking: &#...
Last Friday, Girard-Perregaux’s Constant Escapement L.M. was awarded with the “Aiguille d’Or” at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve (GPHG). The most coveted distinction in the watch industry for an idea that arose during a train ride, while playing with a train ticket. Last year, when we first heard about this new escapement, and broke the story to a large audience...
Heuer had a great history in chronographs, especially with the Calibre 11, and seems to be moving towards a great future. After the presentation in 2009 of its first in-house movement since decades, the calibre 1887, TAG Heuer comes back with a very interesting offer in the market of in-house, self-winding chronograph movements. After all the debates around the calibre 11, and after the discussion...
Just last month we introduced two new Pilot Watches from IWC to you, the Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Le Petit Prince and the Pilot's Watch Mark XVII Edition Le Petit Prince. After an already staggering auction result earlier today, now IWC can announce a most impressive auction result. A unique version in platinum of the Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Le Petit Prince just sold for 1...
Although it’s still a few months until the 2014 edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), where Baume & Mercier (among others) usuaully introduce their new models, they have just introduced a new chronograph in the Clifton collection. A very nice, elegant yet manly, balanced, contemporary chronograph. Judging on the looks and specs, I believe that it has everythin...
Shortly before Baselworld 2013 started, Girard-Perregaux introduced the new Traveller collection. This collection comprises the new Traveller Moon Phases and Large Date (what’s in a name) and the well-known WW.TC. The latter has been renamed to Traveler WW.TC (click here for the introduction). Maybe well-known, but the WW.TC is entirely re-designed and by that we mean not just a different di...