You can’t determine where you’re going without knowing where you’ve been, right? And as watchmaking companies regularly look in the rear-view mirror for inspiration for future collections and references, we’re going to do the same. In a change from our regular weekly Buying Guide where we group watches around a common theme, we’re revisiting the watches of Watches &am...
Today, we're back with our Collector's Series column, where we leave the stage to a collector, sharing his views on one of his watches. And what a watch this is! The ultimate customization partners, this is how we could summarize this piece that results from the collaboration between BCHH and Andersen Geneve. Today's collector, Jonathan Quayle Higgins III, is a 58-year-old watch enthusiast from Ge...
In just a couple of years, it seems Tissot has stepped up its game immensely, by introducing new and very handsome collections across the board. The brand has always been a strong performer in the more accessible market, but today the value for money in its watches often seems off the charts. Just think of watches like the Gentlemen, the new Le Locle or the Telemeter 1938. And of course, everybody...
Sometimes, small changes can make a huge difference, and create great enthusiasm. Yes, I know that the topic of the day will just be about a new dial colour. But in all fairness, that was a highly-anticipated one, an addition to an already very popular collection that will only make it more desirable. Tissot, with the PRX collection, seems to have found the sweet spot. Cool, well-made, well-equipp...
Norqain might only be five years old, but it has managed to establish itself as a promising independent brand producing rugged, functional watches with enough personality to stand out from the crowd. Norqain's latest watch is the result of a collaboration with wildlife ambassador Dean Schneider and flaunts a trendy leopard-print pattern on the dial and strap. As part of the Independence collection...
The watchmaking industry can be a daunting and dizzying environment, both from a mechanical and financial perspective. Every day we are bombarded with watches costing tens of thousands of dollars and uber-complex movements. And to be honest, considering the fact it is our passion and profession, we’re not often surprised by price tags well into the six figures (whether they’re justifie...
There is nothing as hype these days as the 1970s steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet. To make it short, they are everywhere and at every imaginable price point. The style is so popular that even high-end indie watchmakers and micro-brands are jumping on the bandwagon. Can we blame them? Surely not, as it’s just a response to what the market wants. Looking at the accessible segment...
Today, we’re starting a new video series on MONOCHROME. I guess you know that we’ve done a lot of videos recently, both in-depth movies and our video reviews, mostly of brand-new models, and you can see them all on our YouTube channel here. But now, it will be more personal! The concept is named “My 3 Favourites”, and it’s pretty simple… The title speaks for its...
The chronograph remains one of the most beloved complications in the watchmaking world, and it can be found in anything from relatively affordable to ultra-high-end. You can divide them into two groups basically, with automatic chronographs on one end and manual wound ones on the other end. Within either of the two sub-families, you can find a whole range of very desirable chronographs at various ...
The Ollech & Wajs 1967 Astrochron was one of the first chronographs suited for professional divers thanks to its 200m water-resistant case. Equipped with a Valjoux 72 movement, a movement it shared with models like the original Daytona, the Astrochron has been selected by Ollech & Wajs for a remake this year. While the Astrochron borrows some design cues from its 1967 ancestor and is pow...
Anything that Omega can launch within the Speedmaster collection will be immediately compared to the one and only Moonwatch. It’s just the way it is… The original, classic Speedmaster Professional has such a formidable cult status that it has become a benchmark model for everything else Omega creates. And the comparison is hardly objective. But we have to keep in mind that the Speedmas...
The PRX Collection, Tissot’s take on the 1970s-inspired sporty-chic watch with an integrated bracelet, seems to be a never-ending story. Last week, we broke the news about the imminent launch of a highly anticipated version, the Ice Blue edition of the Powermatic 80 – a colour first seen on the 35mm quartz version. But there’s more… The Ice Blue PRX was only one of the new ...
As the new year is well underway by now, we’re gearing up for another season in Formula 1 racing, the highest echelon in motorsports. Will Max Verstappen continue his dominant form to clinch a third consecutive title? Will Ferrari show immense speed again? Can Mercedes bounce back or continue bouncing like last year? That’s all too early to tell, but with the pre-season testing in Bahr...
If you’re into independent watchmaking, the name Daniel Roth should immediately speak to you. One of the most sought-after independent watchmakers, and a man who was instrumental in the return of high-end mechanical watchmaking in the 1980s and 1990s (including his work on the resurgence of Breguet), the brand Daniel Roth has known many lives… And some that were perhaps not worthy of t...
For some time now, Longines has skillfully mastered the art of reissues, paying tribute to historical models, all to the great satisfaction of collectors and those with a good eye for classic timepieces. One of the vintage-inspired watches that caught our attention a few years back was the Longines Heritage 1935, a modern interpretation of the Longines Czech Pilot watch developed in the 1920s and ...
If anything has become clear when reviewing all the novelties presented by Audemars Piguet earlier this month, it is the simple fact that it has gone all-in in terms of complexity. Sure, there are some new time-and-date models for the Royal Oak and the Code 11.59 collections, but (ultra)complicated watchmaking by AP is in the spotlight this year. Not only did we get to see the most complex wristwa...
It appears that it’s an increasingly common tactic to launch a new watch and not communicate about it whatsoever. We’ve seen it with the Tissot PRX from yesterday, but in the past also with watches like the Omega CK 859 or the IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XX. Today we bring you another one that’s quietly released and immediately available, this time from TAG Heuer. Following the ...
The Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 has been a smashing success for about two years now. Ever since it was first launched, people embraced it with open arms. Here was a luxury stainless steel sports watch with very good looks, solid mechanics, a very decent price tag, and above all; it was and still is widely available! And although Tissot doesn’t always deliver what we want or expect, the PRX coll...
As we’re coming up to the end of February, our nerdy watchmaking minds always tend to stray in the direction of Perpetual Calendar watches. And even though this year is not a leap year, the fact that a watch can switch from the 28th or the 29th of February to the 1st of March without any corrections is absolutely fascinating to us. But calendar watches, in general, not just QP’s, serve...
What do you do when you want to launch a new collection alongside a truly legendary range that once redefined what luxury watchmaking was? Do you tweak a design and pray it doesn’t get any banter because it looks too much like your precious icon? Or take off in a completely different direction altogether, to find new inspiration and break new grounds in terms of design? Either way, it’...
If luxury stainless steel sports watches are a hot commodity on the market today, Vacheron Constantin‘s Overseas Chronograph Panda has just raised the bar from hot to hotter. Just ahead of Watches & Wonders 2023, Vacheron Constantin pulls a splendid white rabbit out of its top hat with the release of the latest stainless steel Overseas Chronograph with a panda dial. The brand’s lat...
Some watches are so emblematic that they alone define a brand: the Omega Speedmaster, the AP Royal Oak, or the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. When I think about Nomos, my mind can’t skip it; it always returns to the Tangente. A classic among the classics, it was actually one of four watches launched at the time of the brand’s inception. And while the other three are surely having their own f...
Two years ago, Ulysse Nardin unveiled a series of supercharged Blast models fusing design cues from the Skeleton Tourbillon and the Skeleton X. Exposing every last mechanical detail of the skeletonised flying tourbillon movement, the distinctive feature of this family is the powerful double X traversing both sides of the dial. The Ulysse Nardin Blast Tourbillon stages its return in a two-tone rose...
The Multifort collection dates back to 1934 when Mido presented a self-winding, anti-magnetic, waterproof and shock-resistant Multifort watch that quickly became a bestseller. Mido’s modern assortment under the Multifort umbrella shares essential characteristics. The new Mido Multifort M Chronometer is here to win many fans. Well-made, fully equipped, nicely designed and accessible, this new...
The Beast… Probably the second most emblematic watch of Audemars Piguet. A watch that, like its Genta-designed 1972 ancestor, broke the rules and created an entirely new segment of watches. Extravagant, oversized and polarising at the time of its introduction 30 years ago, it defined the ultra-robust luxury sports watch genre. The first Royal Oak Offshore, a.k.a The Beast, truly was a beast ...
At MONOCHROME, we are always delighted to discover and present new watchmaking projects. So, when we learnt about the crew getting involved in the creation of a fresh high-end independent brand, it naturally caught our attention. Artime is the brainchild of a team of watchmaking experts in design, management, engineering, manufacturing and sales, bringing together a rather impressive wealth of exp...
The clothes we wear, the way we do our hair, the music we listen to, and the food we eat are all a reflection of our personality. Heck, even the watches we wear are a reflection of our demeanour and interests or even passion. But what if you want to reveal more than just one side of your personality and, as an extension, your watch as well? Most wristwatches need to be swapped out to give you a di...
The Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT was just presented by Audemars Piguet in the pool of other new Royal Oaks, distinguished by an even more aggressive design than its Concept predecessors and an exceptional automatic rattrapante chronograph calibre 4407 with the date and 24-hour GMT functions. This watch is a rightful heir to the Royal Oak Concept Laptimer Michael Schumacher and a...
If you’re a recurring reader of MONOCHROME, you should know by now that we have a soft spot for salmon-coloured dials. So much so that it was the main theme of our very first Montre de Souscription. Salmon is original, warm, and luxurious, and despite the outpouring of love from the watch-collecting community, these dials remain quite rare… An exclusive treat for connoisseurs. Now, it&...
Since its launch during the mid-1980s (with the stunning, oversized reference 5251 and its moon-phase display), the Portofino has been the most classic offering of IWC. Even more than the Portugieser, it has to be seen as the brand’s dress watch and evokes pocket watches of the past. Recently revamped, with the 39mm Chronograph model as a flagship watch, IWC has decided to give this watch wh...