It is no secret that a large part of the watch industry is currently facing a rise in popularity, with a demand often surpassing the production capacity. While some have the ability to release more watches on the market, it's tempting for a few companies to benefit from this situation and to cap production and increase desirability. And for some, the situation is a bit more complex. Answering dema...
The launch of the Legacy Machine FlyingT in 2019 was something of a space oddity in the brand's trajectory, marking the first MB&F watch designed for women. True to Max Busser's mission of creating complex kinetic timepieces, the ladies' LM FlyingT features a flying tourbillon rising dramatically above the dial plate, an intriguing dial perched at an angle and a prominent sapphire crystal dome...
Long before Switzerland became the epicentre of traditional watchmaking, the Brits were leading the industry basically. Horological greats such as John Arnold, Robert Hooke, John Harrison, Thomas Mudge, and others have all contributed to the craft within the United Kingdom, and beyond. Each of these men was responsible for moving the watchmaking forward, until the downfall of the industry in the U...
There are dozens of watch-related projects launched on Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms every month, with more or less interest. Sometimes, we stumble across something cool, nicely executed and with a captivating background, something like this; Elka Watches. A new brand built on a historic, defunct name, the idea of its founder was to bring back the flair of the 1960s with modernised ...
If orange dive watches have been rather popular for their funky 1970s vibe, the colour was originally selected for visibility reasons. Doxa is often said to have been among the first to use orange, which has become a signature colour for the brand. Back in the late 1960s, Doxa tested different dial colours in Lake Neuchatel and thought it was the best tone for underwater readability. If this is in...
There's something truly fascinating and intriguing with the idea of having something unique, something that you've designed together with the manufacturer's team Bespoke watchmaking isn't such a common practice and we're always rather curious to hear the stories behind the creation of a bold, highly personal watch. Something like this Czapek, which isn't the most consensual of all. After all, this...
Released in 2021, the Hermes H08 collection has been a rather good surprise. Here, at MONOCHROME, we tend to focus on true watchmaking brands, and Hermes, a luxury powerhouse offering multiple product ranges, isn’t necessarily our primary topic. Still, the H08 watch caught our attention with its mix of fluid design, multiple textures and sporty-chic vibe. This watch and its assertive style a...
The concept of the sporty-chic watch, also named luxury sports watch – that of the integrated steel watch of the 1970s made popular by AP and Genta with the Royal Oak – is hotter than ever, with interpretations found in all segments of the industry. Recently, we’ve seen serious entry-level brands entering the race, with Tissot and its PRX stealing the show. There’s now a ne...
What was once just an unconfirmed?rumour is now official. Fran?ois-Henry?Bennahmias, the charismatic CEO of Audemars Piguet, will leave the brand at the end of 2023. The news was announced in an interview together with Jasmine Audemars, released in Le Temps?today.Fran?ois-Henry?Bennahmias joined Audemars Piguet some 30 years ago and has been at the helm of the brand for the past 10 years. He will ...
The launch of the Bulgari Aluminio in 1998 created quite a stir. Its unusual combination of black rubber and lightweight aluminium resulted in an unconventional but highly attractive, eye-catching sports watch with a slick Italian soul. In 2020, Bulgari staged a much-anticipated comeback of the Aluminium with automatic movements and an increased water-resistance of 100 metres in time-and-date, chr...
Nothing can rival Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s passion for watchmaking except for his passion for classic cars. As the Co-President of Chopard, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s genuine passion for historical watches culminated in the rebirth of Berthoud, while his passion for classic cars has resulted in the brand’s 35-consecutive-year role as sponsor and official timekeeper of the 1000 ...
Watches in space are still, at least for us at MONOCHROME, something that generates a sparkle. The idea of reaching for the stars, looking at planet Earth from a distance, and floating in a micro-gravity environment, are all part of a big dream that only a few will experience. Leaving the Earth's atmosphere is a daily duty for some brands and their utilitarian chronographs – sound familiar, ...
Oris introduced the in-house calibre 400 automatic in late 2020 that replaced Sellita counterparts in higher-end models and joined the in-house, hand-wound calibre 110 from 2014 (and subsequent variants). Major improvements like an anti-magnetic escapement and five-day power reserve overshadowed the always reliable Sellitas, but prices remained (relatively) accessible for the updated Aquis Date mo...
There are several big name brands that offer affordable divers with pro credentials. Seiko's expansive Prospex collection and Hamilton's Khaki Navy Frogman Automatic are a couple of examples. Oris is a major player in the field and last year's Aquis Date 41.5mm Cherry Red introduced an eye-catching cherry red dial that seemed to target land dwellers. Let's be honest, many dive watches never actual...
The connection between IWC Schaffhausen and Saint-Exupery's heirs and their charitable organisation, the Antoine de Saint-Exupery Youth Foundation, dates back to 2006. And since then, we've seen multiple editions dedicated to one of the most important characters of literature, Le Petit Prince. While the Saint-Exupery editions are characterised by their warm colours and tobacco brown dials, the Pet...
Having a good story to tell is a treasure trove for watch brands, and IWC secured a winning one in 2005 when it partnered with the heirs of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, aviator and author of the timeless novella, Le Petit Prince. Special editions of the Big Pilot's Watch, devoted to the author Antoine de Saint-Exupery and his legendary Prince, appeal to the hearts and minds of fans with their classic...
The brand that started life in Havana, Cuba, in 1882 and winged its way across the Atlantic to resettle in Capolago, a tiny Swiss village on the shores of Lake Lugano, proposes a double moon phase indication to reveal the cycles of the Moon in both Hemispheres. Staged against an anthracite dial with golden touches, the day, date and month are also featured on the dial. Playing on the brand's Havan...
Even though looking out the window of my office today in France the weather isn’t the most engaging, it seems that summer is around the corner. Good weather, good vibes, good times, and the moment when we tend to spend more time outside than inside. For that reason, watch lovers also tend to have the concept of a summer watch in mind. A timepiece that can follow them during their summer adve...
A 50th anniversary is a big deal, and Audemars Piguet is making hay while the sun shines. We've seen plenty of birthday treats this year, including the much-anticipated anniversary Jumbo, but nothing quite like this mesmerising full-black ceramic Royal Oak made with Italian jewellery designer Carolina Bucci. Marking her third collaboration with AP, Bucci is renowned by AP fans for her glistening F...
It is far from an industry secret that the Black Bay collection is Tudor's cash cow. And by saying that, I am by no means implying that as a bad thing. Far from it, the Black Bay and its retro-cool vibe have become a formidable and versatile platform for different materials and colour combinations. Heck, multiple iterations of it have found their way into the collection of several MONOCHROME edito...
About a week ago, Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division released its most advanced, crazily complex, powerful hypercar ever. We’ve often heard of the concept of “race car for the road” or brands applying F1 technology to sports cars. That concept has never been pushed as far as the new Mercedes-AMG One, which is powered by almost the same engine as Lewis’ F1 car, the hybrid 1....
If you take a moment to consider the Swatch Group's current state of affairs, there are a lot of good things going on. Admittedly, some brands seem a bit lost, but for the most part, we're seeing some very nice moves by brands like Tissot, Hamilton, Longines and lately also Certina. We've had the funky DS-2 revival, the very good DS Action Diver Titanium and the chunky yet retro-cool DS Chronograp...
Bvlgari's extravagant high jewellery flair meets high-end mechanical Swiss watchmaking in these absolutely sumptuous, wildly opulent and colourful high jewellery watches. The theme of this high-end 2022 watch collection is borrowed from the Garden of Eden, and nature is recreated with spellbinding creativity and dazzling gemstones. Once again, the exuberant fantasies of Bvlgari's creative director...
There's been no shortage of truly spectacular watches this year, but I doubt we have seen the end of it. Companies spread out releases across the entire 12 months, so who knows what splendour could be lurking on the horizon. Going through some of the novelties presented in 2022, we grouped together six stunning watches all fitted with a tourbillon escapement. While it may not be the only complicat...
A classic among the collection of Pilot’s Watches, almost as important as the Big Pilot (in fact, it’s a chronograph that relaunched the pilot range at IWC), the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph is the collection’s cornerstone. A staple for the brand, which has produced such a model since the mid-1990s. For long an oversized watch with a 43mm case and Valjoux-based movement, it wa...
Once again, Vacheron Constantin has demonstrated its mastery of artisanal crafts with its Metiers d’Art Tribute to great civilisations, a dazzling collaboration with the Louvre. This quartet of limited-edition watches is inspired by emblematic masterpieces conserved in the Louvre, each representative of four great civilisations: the Persian Empire under Darius the Great; Egypt of the pharaoh...
The Dutch watch scene might not have the same aura as the Swiss one, but it still is rather active knowing the size of the country… and the constant hegemony of the Jura-based brands on the industry. Alongside names such as Gronefeld or Holthinrichs, one of the Netherlands’ best kept horological secrets is named Christiaan van der Klaauw, both a man and a watch brand with a strong iden...
It feels like repeating myself, but indeed, it’s hard not to say this, Longines is one of the brands with the richest history and an incredible collection of important watches. We’ve often covered the topic of historical pilot’s timepieces in our recent coverage, mostly due to the brand’s focus on the Spirit collection. Today, it’ll be rather different, and far more t...
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Collection was introduced in 1992 and has since been the classic, slightly vintage branch of the brand. The collection combines an impressive technical rigour with a stylistic approach inspired by classic round timepieces made by JLC in the 1950s. And of course, there’s the fact that these watches undergo the brand’s 1000 Hours Control certification....
Vintage watches from the 1960s and 1970s have been all the rage for the past decade, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that some brands are pushing the fast-forward button on the timeline. We’ve seen this trend in the fashion industry, with the 1980s and 1990s proving to be a great source of inspiration for recent collections. To mark its 118th birthday, Swiss brand Oris releases a Ho...