If the chronograph is one of the most revered complications, the rattrapante (or split-seconds) function takes it to a whole new level. The word rattrapante translates from the French “to catch up”. Rattrapante chronographs feature two superimposed seconds hands that time two events of different lengths simultaneously. One hand (the rattrapante) can be stopped to read an intermediate t...
Pain, passion, glory The Tour de France is widely considered the most prestigious and most difficult cycling race. 3,350 kilometres are being raced in 2022, split up over 21 days of racing. Every detail counts in this challenging competition between 176 riders, and, against time. Cycling fans all remember the 1989 Greg LeMond victory over Laurent Fignon, by just 8 seconds, the smallest ever in the...
There’s no denying that?the new TAG Heuer Monaco Purple Dial is bold and polarising. It creates strong and partial emotions. It’s far from making unanimity, it’s far from the classic codes of sports watches. It is pretty special, period. We introduced the watch about a week ago, and when our editor Erik wrote his article, he remained pretty neutral. It is indeed hard to judge a w...
The rattrapante chronograph, also known as split-seconds or Doppel chronograph, is often regarded as one of the most sophisticated horological complications, and a must-have in high-end watch collections. As a top-tier watchmaker, A. Lange & Sohne isn’t only familiar with the complication, it somehow masters it, with a double-rattrapante – the Double Split – and even a triple...
Swiss watch giant Swatch Group has just issued its 2022 half-year sales report, for the period January 1st – June 30th. At CHF 3,612 million, net sales are up 7.4% compared to the previous year at constant exchange rates, or 6.5% at current rates. The operating profit is up 25.1% at CHF 503 million.The Group reports double-digit growth for major markets, in particular Europe, America and the...
Just yesterday, Tissot introduced a lovely and affordable vintage-inspired chronograph, the Telemeter 1938. The watch’s bi-compax layout comes courtesy of a legendary chronograph calibre, one of the most widely-used movements in the industry, the ETA-Valjoux 7750. This precise, tried-and-tested workhorse was created in the early 1970s. In its 50-year history, the Valjoux calibre has naturall...
If the brand has been under everybody’s radar recently after the launch of the PRX collection (and rightfully so), Tissot is a watchmaker with a deep history. Born in 1853, the brand has long been involved in sports timing and chronograph watches. And with this in mind, the brand has released multiple accessible and attractive “Heritage” models modelled after glorious watches of ...
Rado has long been associated with ceramic watches, even before it became a staple material for bezel inserts for instance. The brand pioneered the use of highly scratch-resistant material more than 30 years ago, but Rado's dedication to the craft goes back even further than that. Labelling itself as The Master of Materials, we recently had the chance to go in-depth at one of Rado's production fac...
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo and the Patek Philippe Nautilus seem just unobtainable these days… the luxury sports watch is one of the most sought-after categories today if not the hottest. The archetype is straightforward: match a sporty but clearly expensively-crafted steel watch with an integrated bracelet and an automatic, ultra-thin calibre. Casual elegance to its maximum. In this...
While most of us might know Tudor (at least its modern side) for the countless editions of the Black Bay, the brand has far more to offer… And that, for its historical or modern collections. If you recall, in 2014 Tudor paid tribute to its involvement into exploration, by bringing back an important model, the Ranger. A robust, no-nonsense instrument made for adventure, it came back modernize...
If anybody thought the main contenders in the battle for ultra-thin mechanical watches were Bulgari and Piaget, today's news is going to come as a big surprise. Just months after Bulgari's launch of the Octo Finissimo Ultra, the previous world's thinnest mechanical watch with a 1.80mm profile, Richard Mille steps on the accelerator and steals pole position from Bulgari with its mind-blowing 1.75mm...
TAG Heuer's Monaco series needs no introduction. Among the brand's most iconic collections, it was born in 1969 and given a legendary marketing boost in 1971 when Steve McQueen wore one in the movie, Le Mans. A younger generation probably recognises it from the series Breaking Bad, where Walter White received a Monaco Calibre 12 (ref. CAW2111. FC6183) that was similar to McQueen's original. The la...
Here’s a new IWC… Well, we’re a bit exaggerating the “novelty” effect since this watch, a new and bold edition of the Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar in Ceratanium with a smoked sapphire dial revealing parts of the movement and Petronas Green accents, isn’t really available anymore. Surprisingly, IWC starts to communicate about this 100-piece limited edition while ...
Imagine the soundtrack of the Royal Oak‘s debut in 1972 as Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” and Don McLean’s “American Pie” drifted across the radio waves. Fast-forward to 1993 with the launch of the Royal Oak Offshore and folks were rapping along to the urban sounds of Snoop Dogg, et al. Watches, like music, are cultural markers, reflecting trends and o...
Some names will resonate in the minds of collectors, for their influence on watchmaking. While the industry was facing its most difficult crisis ever during the 1970s and 1980s, one man had faith in mechanical watches. In 1983, a certain Gerd-Rudiger Lang registered the name Chronoswiss, becoming a pioneer for what’s now known as contemporary watchmaking. In 2022, Mister Lang (now almost 80)...
Dive watches, pilot’s watches, automotive-inspired watches, traveller’s watches… These might well be the categories of watches we most often cover on MONOCHROME. There’s one style of watch, inspired by the antique concept of the Marine Chronometer, that is somehow a bit more niche, but nevertheless often comes with a cool, summery elegance; the nautical-inspired watch. Mean...
It might come as a surprise to newcomers to the watch scene, but the Girard-Perregaux Laureato was one of the precursors of the luxury sports watch and appeared in 1975, just three years after Audemars Piguet's trailblazing Royal Oak. With its raised octagonal bezel, sleek lines, hobnail dial and integrated bracelet, the Laureato was Girard-Perregaux's interpretation of the luxury sports watch. In...
We've all come to this point where we see a watch, like a watch, but have that little tiny detail that somehow feels a bit out of place, or that we would have imagined differently Today, it's the story of a man and his tendency to always challenge the existing, to come and ask the brands if there's a way to change that little detail, to make the watch better to his eyes, more personal, more HIS wa...
It takes a lot of pluck to establish a watch brand on one design alone. There again, if the design is by Gerald Genta, one of the most acclaimed and prolific watch designers of our time, things are a little different. Just think about Audemars Piguet's success riding on the back of Genta's indestructible 1972 design for the Royal Oak or Patek Philippe's successful run with the Nautilus. Gerald Cha...
Move over big-name watch brands, indie watchmakers are the new idols on the scene. Attracting more and more interest by the hour, indies have caught the eye of collectors' groups which are engaging with talented watchmakers to create unique pieces or limited editions for their members. The idea of owning something only a few individuals will be able to enjoy works perfectly with the limited produc...
There’s no avoiding green. While silver/white and black used to be the norm, later followed by an array of blue watches in the 2010s, green seems to be THE colour of the 2020s. It’s not a trend anymore; it’s becoming a necessity for brands to have a green edition of classic models. And we can’t blame them, because when it’s done right, a green-coloured watch can be pr...
If the real Big Pilot, the oversized 46mm watch, is still IWC’s flagship pilot’s watch, the recent introduction of the BP43 somewhat redistributed the cards. This slightly more compact, easier, simpler, more focused version is fast becoming the cornerstone of the collection. Following the initial black and blue versions in steel, we’ve seen the release of several special editions...
I know… The title is voluntarily a bit provocative. In the world of watches, it’ll be hard to forget about the Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch. It simply is one of the most emblematic and historically-important watches ever made by Omega, and by extension, the whole industry. And the latest version of the Moonwatch, the Master Chronometer Calibre 3861, is one of the best chronograph...
Stefan Kudoke, German watchmaker and founder of the eponymous independent brand Kudoke, is a name that most indie watch enthusiasts should know. In fact, he’s no longer flying under the radar anymore since his watch won the Petite Aiguille category at the GPHG in 2019. The watch in question, the Kudoke 2 (and thus his second creation), has already appeared with silver, black, Nocturne or gre...
Watchmaker Oris has been championing environmental projects around the world under its “Change for the Better” umbrella, always revolving around the theme of water. From whale and dolphin conservation to cleaning up the world's lakes?and rivers and saving coral reefs, Oris has struck upon another original project involving bivalve molluscs. This time, Oris is collaborating with the Bil...
Tool watches can be divided into three basic categories (dive watches, field watches and pilot’s watches), even though some might overlap into multiple groups. The robust, utilitarian nature of tool watches is what a lot of people look for in a daily, care-free watch. In today’s Buying Guide we take a closer look at one specific category of tool-watches, the one that takes us up in the...
In one of our earlier articles in The Collector's Corner, we dove into Breguet's illustrious history, focusing on the rebirth of the brand during the midst of the quartz crisis, by looking at the elegant and high-end hand-wound Chronographs of the Roth era. Today, we revisit Breguet, albeit at a slightly later point in the company's history, namely the Investcorp era. And also, a completely differ...
As some of you might know, A Collected Man is an online platform dedicated to curating and selling some of the most desirable watches on hand. Based in London, ACM and its founder Silas Walton have gained an impressive reputation among the collecting community, offering a selection of rare watches from high-end brands as well as superb pieces made by independent watchmakers – remember the Ph...
There is a good reason why we run the Petrolhead Corner column every Saturday on MONOCHROME. Petrolheads are very often attracted to?watches and watch aficionados usually have a thing for cars too. This is simply the result of a fascination for all things mechanical. In this respect, it comes as no surprise that automotive-inspired watches are legion. Since we are almost closing in on the first ha...
Although skeletonised watches and dive watches seem to be poles apart, Ulysse Nardin fuses these unlikely bedfellows by borrowing features from two collections. The result is an eye-catching study in technical skeletonisation with a robust, sporty presence capable of fathoming depths of 200 metres. To celebrate UN's partnership with retailer Seddiqi, visitors to the Dubai Watch Week were given a s...