Recently we had the chance to get up close and personal with the new Patrimony Traditionnelle Small Seconds in platinum, that Vacheron Constantin introduced earlier this year at the SIHH. This new model has all the looks and attributes of a classic dress watch, and it’s one of the most attractive classic dress watches that we have seen in a long time.?Part of its great looks, is that it is n...
Chopard donates a unique version of the L.U.C Tourbillon to Only Watch 2013. In order to create this unique version, they went for that extra mile and added very special decorations to the dial and movement. The result is a extraordinary version of the L.U.C Triple Certification Tourbillon in platinum. The one-of-a-kind platinum tourbillon comes in a generously sized 43 mm-diameter platinum case, ...
While we’ve been showing you many of the unique piece for Only Watch 2013, Omega and golf player Rory McIlroy give you the chance to bid (and win) a unique version of the Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M “Golf”. This auction is much different from what you’re probably used to, because everyone can email their highest bid to [email protected] until 6 p.m. (EDT) on 17 August. T...
This week we’ll start with some rather unusual watch photos, or should I say pieces of art. The photos that we present you today are made by A. Lange & Sohne’s forum moderator at Timezone.com, Edwin. A few weeks ago we used some of his photos of the A. LAnge & Sohne Richard Lange Pour le Merite and today we’ll show you some 16th and 17th century style still lifes featurin...
For the first time, Roger Dubuis integrated their automatic flying tourbillon movement, caliber RD520, in the La Monegasque collection. In a piece unique for the Only Watch 2013 auction that will be held on September 28 in Monaco. How befitting! Compared to the Monegasque Flying Tourbillon with large date – with a manually wound movement – this adds a micro-rotor, one of Roger Dubuis&#...
When it comes to extremely beautiful photos of beautiful watches, it is like with almost everything else in the world. Someone started, another person liked the idea and started doing something similar and slowly more and more starting doing the same. Not exactly the same of course and that’s a good thing, because every photographer – professional or talented amateur – has his/he...
Our friends over at Fratellowatches celebrate their affection for Omega’s Speedmaster every Tuesday with ‘Speedy Tuesday’. It’s their homage of one of their favorite watches and they come up with another rare limited edition every week. To celebrate the 44th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s first step on the moon – on 21 July 1969 at 2:56 UTC time – they or...
Back in February of this year we already showed you, what is probably the most simple yet smart mechanical depth gauge in a dive watch. Ever. Period. The Oris Aquis Depth Gauge features a brilliantly simple glass tube with one opening that allows water to enter. How far the water penetrates in the tube, depends on the pressure and thus on the depth. Simple as that, but does it really work?ThatR...
Over the past years Longines has released quite a few historically inspired timepieces like the Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch and the Weems Second-Setting Watch, which both featured in our History of the Pilot’s Watch part IV. But Longines didn’t stop there. They do have a very rich and long history, meaning many important timepieces from the past that easily qualify for a re-issue. Today...
Give us a book steeped in horological history, featuring names like Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin, filled with tales of watch collecting one-upmanship, and available on Kindle, and we have the perfect summer read. A Grand Complication by Stacy Perman transports us to the worlds of James Ward Packard and Henry Graves Jr. Ward and Graves went head-to-head in a phantom duel to reach the summ...
Roughly six months after the SIHH, the ‘usual’ moment for introducing new watches for brands of the Richemont stable, Panerai introduces an entirely new caliber and two new watches. The new movement, caliber P.5000, is a manually wound movement with 8 days of power reserve. It will be positioned as most affordable in-house movement, with a price level that’s just a tad above the ...
Another week, another Weekly Watch Photo here at Monochrome. A while ago Alex Ghotbi, community manager of Vacheron Constantin’s “in-house” forum, started the Friday “what’s on your wrist” post by showing the Overseas Chronograph with blue dial (click here for our hands-on report) on his wrist. I liked that photo a lot and yesterday I browsed through the Hour Lo...
There are some watch designs that not only stand the test of time, but in the case of war, also transcend their original context to become a classic. Such a watch, the B-Uhr, the offspring of Germany and Switzerland's leading watchmakers, has a noted history of design and production, but was employed for an infamous cause. The B-Uhren watches guided German bombers in their terrible campaigns of Wo...
I recently visited the Epsom Downs Racecourse for the very first time following an invitation, through the post, to attend the Investec Derby. The iconic horse race dates back to 1780 and is regarded by many as the world's greatest flat race. Moreover, it has become a pillar of polite society. Irrespective of whatever troubles or economic woes befall the nation, a fine summer's day provides the pe...
In the world of watches and especially the world of Haute Horlogerie, there are several quality signs. The COSC chronometer test the most well known and many timepieces from many brands are certified by the?Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute. Another proof of quality, one that goes much further than ‘just’ the timepiece’s accuracy, is the Hallmark of Geneva or also refe...
Most likely you have heard of the brand Ikepod. It was a joint venture between Oliver Ike and designer Marc Newson, who also designed an Atmos for Jaeger-LeCoultre (a gorgeous blue glass sphere with a perpetual clock inside). Now both aren’t involved in Ikepod anymore and Oliver Ike had some ideas for a new watch: the Canopus Weekplanner. This mechanical wristwatch features a full calender d...
Our Weekly Watch Photo has evolved from showing one photo to a set of photos, all showing the same or similar watches. Of course the watch(es) are beautiful and the photos are of such quality that they increase your desire to add this watch to your collection. Of course I cannot help myself and have to tell more about the watch in question, so the WWP is usually accompanied with background informa...
Few watch-nuts can deny that the thought of starting, owning or working for a watch company has crossed their minds. Being part of an ongoing legacy, or just a highly innovative company that caters to the wishes of the crowds is something very appealing. Now a project is kicking into high-gear that offered just that: being part of a watch brand.I intentionally say offered, in the past tense, becau...
Like every week, we’ll show you Monochrome’s selection of stunning photos of equally stunning timepieces, for a smooth start of the week. This week A. Lange & Sohne caters a set of brilliant black & white photos. The timepieces are different models with a black dial and white metal (white gold or platinum) from the collection. A. Lange & Sohne’s Black Magic…Star...
Cartier introduced the new Tank MC , which is according to Cartier themselves, the most masculine version of the Tank ever. The new Tank MC comes in two version: as an automatic version with Cartier’s in-house caliber 1904 MC and as a manually wound, fully skeletonized version in Palladium. While we’re sure the Tank MC Automatic will be a hit in the boutiques, we love to focus on the l...
Although IWC dedicated this year entirely to re-engineering the Ingenieur collection (check our extensive coverage here, here and here), they still had time to launch three boutique editions of the Pilot Watch collection. A?Big Pilot's Watch Top Gun, a Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar?Top Gun?and a Pilot's Watch Chronograph Top Gun?are preparing to take off and bring more colour into the fleet...
I’ve just returned from Switzerland, where I visited both Montblanc watch manufactures together with the winner of the sweepstake that we did recently (see here). Soon you can read all about our three-day trip to Montblanc’s manufactures in Le Locle and in Villeret, but today I’d like to share some exclusive photos of Montblanc’s watch for the Only Watch auction. While we w...
When it comes to classic and extremely desirable timepieces, Kari Voutilainen’s Observatoire is on the short list of many collectors. In today’s Weekly Watch Photo we show you an Observatoire and tell more about its (base) movement, the competition chronometer Peseux 260. The stunning photos are from Gary, the proud owner of this magnificent beauty.?Before we turn to the chronometry co...
Another timepiece for the Only Watch auction is a unique approach to the X-TREM-1 that Christophe Claret introduced last year. Of course we shared that brilliant timepiece with you (click here) because it was the very first timepiece to indicate time by means of magnetism! Yes indeed, magnetism usually is something you’d like to avoid in or around your mechanical watch, however Christophe Cl...
When Vacheron Constantin introduced the Patrimony Traditionnelle WorldTime in 2011, it was the first mechanical watch that tells the time in all 37 timezones of our world. To this date it is still the most complete mechanical worldtimer for the wrist and for the upcoming Only Watch Auction they created a unique piece. This unique Patrimony Traditionnelle WorldTime comes in platinum and features a ...
This week’s Weekly Watch Photos (WWP) is dedicated to extraordinary Tank models from Cartier. All photos are made by well-known Cartier expert and fine watches connoisseur GEO, whom you might remember from previous WWP’s showing his?Cartier Santos 100 Carbon?or timepeices from the Collection Privee Cartier Paris:?the?extremely rare Tank Cintree?and the Rotonde Day & Night. Other ph...
This year at Basel, we saw something truly remarkable from the seminal Japanese brand, Seiko. A piece that we so boldly labeled to be an instant classic - the Grand Seiko 44GS reissue. 100 Years of watchmaking was the occasion, and with the Grand Seiko's success in international waters, it was only fitting for Seiko to put a GS as its symbol for yet another hallmark but is the Grand Seiko all ther...
Affordable luxury… An oxymoron? Probably so, but we here at Monochrome know very well that such things exist.?Seiko has become the champion of this supposedly “made-up” category. Capability-wise, we all know the folks at Seikosha can easily rival their Swiss counterparts, and the Grand Seiko is a testament to that. But to make a timepiece equally good, without the price premium t...
Do you remember that website from many watch brands started with a warning against buying watches online? By now?internet isn’t new for people who’re looking to buy a watch, whether it is for seeking information, specifications, retail prices or even purchase online. Hey, otherwise Monochrome wouldn’t see so many readers every month. And while some brands – the smaller, nic...
There are actually just a few serious high-end sports chronographs, which are very comfortable on the wrist and that can easily matched with suit and tie or any kind of casual outfit. Of course there’s the Patek Nautilus Chronograph ref. 5980, the AP Royal Oak Chronograph and Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas Chronograph. Last year Vacheron introduced a new model of the Overseas Chronogra...