Indie watchmaker Arnold & Son introduced its Ultrathin Tourbillon Escapement (UTTE) in 2013. With a height of just 2.97mm, the UTTE was one of the thinnest tourbillon movements on the market until Bvlgari smashed all records with its 1.95mm thin Octo Finissimo Tourbillon in 2014. Revisited with different dial textures and a remarkable skeletonised version in 2016, the Ultrathin Tourbillon is b...
When Gunter Blumlein and Walter Lange undertook the monumental task of reviving A. Lange & Sohne after Germany's reunification, they had to come up with a model that would represent the spirit, past and present, of a legendary Saxon watchmaking brand. Accordingly, the watch would have to embody some of the finest historical traditions associated with Glashutte’s high-end German watchmaki...
The name Memovox has been associated with Jaeger-LeCoultre for more than 70 years, being one of the most famous (and also one of the last) alarm watches on the market. The brand has established a tradition by releasing watches equipped with this function ranging from classic timepieces to sports watches. One of the most appealing recent models to surface with the buzzing alarm was the limited edit...
This year’s theme at Watches and Wonders for IWC was “The Colours of Top Gun“, translated into timepieces in coloured ceramics. From a dark grey Ceratanium model to bold editions of the Pilot’s Chronograph in green or white ceramic, there was a clear intention to bring something new and fresh to the collection, following in the footsteps of the Mojave Desert theme of? 2019....
Norqain is a new Swiss watchmaker of only a few years, but the team has a lot of industry experience. Founder Ben Kuffer worked at Breitling before launching the brand in 2018, while the son of former Breitling CEO Ted Schneider is also part of the team. Ben's father owned a Swiss private label watch manufacturer, Roventa-Henex SA. This small, family-owned brand has some serious muscle behind it, ...
Over the past few years, Cartier has been enjoying remarkable growth. The French? Maison is active across different categories and excels as a jeweller/watchmaker or watchmaker/jeweller. In line with MONOCHROME’s exclusive coverage of watches and according to a recent Morgan Stanley report, Cartier has become the second-largest watchmaker after . Watches & Wonders provided the perfect v...
Field-testing is something we talk about regularly, but we rarely test a watch beyond normal, everyday use. Sure, on occasion, we send a dive watch into the depths of the ocean on the wrist of our resident diver, but that's about it. The (sad) reality is that most testing takes place in boring, sterile laboratories under very specific conditions. Yet, there's something immensely cool about pushing...
Although many were hoping that the demise of the Nautilus 5711 was just a marketing ploy – which it wasn’t – Patek Philippe had a couple of surprises up its sleeve, including the new Annual Calendar Travel Time 5326G. And new in this context means brand new, not just a new dial colour/finishing as in the case of the Chronograph 5172G or the Worldtimers. This highly practical comb...
Since its introduction about a year ago, ?the PRX (and specifically the Powermatic 80 automatic model), Tissot’s vision of the 1970s sports watch with integrated bracelet, has been a huge hit. And rightfully so, since it offers the flair of some of the most iconic watches of this genre with a very satisfying execution and a fair price. The PRX Powermatic 80 was initially offered in black, bl...
Like everything that Hermes does, the Arceau Le Temps Voyageur is a product of impeccable mechanical quality combined with the Maison’s singular dash of poetry. Who can forget the lyrical Arceau Le Temps Suspendu with its complication that literally suspends time on demand? For 2022, the elegant asymmetrical Arceau case hosts a travelling time complication developed for the brand by talented...
While Longines has recently invested a lot of effort in its retro-styled pilot’s collection, the Spirit and all variants – which you can explore here – as well as its Heritage models, the brand also has a pretty consistent portfolio of elegant dress watches that often fly under the radar. Surely, we have a thing for these inspired and cool collections, but not everyone is looking...
Outside of Watches & Wonders 2022, there was plenty more going on in the heart of Geneva. While close to 40 brands exhibited at the Palexpo complex, several other brands were present at Time to Watches or the Masters of Horology venues in the city, or even spread around some of the lakeside hotels. With so many new watches being presented, we take a look at some of the most talked-about chrono...
Live from Watches and Wonders Geneva 2022, we talk with Chopard‘s Co-President Karl Friedrich Scheufele, who will introduce to us the impressive new L.U.C collection, with no fewer than 3 chiming watches. First is the handsome, elegant and restrained L.U.C Strike One, a Sonnerie au Passage based on the legendary automatic micro-rotor Calibre 96. Next is a far bolder expression of the chiming...
With most people's attention focused on the renaissance of the Gold Historiques 222 and even the skeletonised version of the Overseas during Watches and Wonders 2022, the presentation of Vacheron Constantin's salmon dial chrono QP was – surprisingly – bypassed by many. Fair enough, Vacheron's Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chronograph with an in-house movement has been around since ...
Live from Watches And Wonders 2022, we talk to Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange & Sohne, who will present the brand’s latest creation and the theme for the 2022 collection. There were 3 main launches this year for ALS, starting with the new, redesigned, slimmer and slightly bolder Grand Lange 1, with a grained grey dial and ultra-thin case in white or pink gold. Second is the highly surpr...
The Royal Oak 50th-anniversary party is not over yet. In January this year, Audemars Piguet feted the half-century?of its iconic Royal Oak with a host of celebratory models, including a 41mm Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon powered by a recent calibre developed for the brand's Code 11.59 collection. What we are seeing today is also a Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon but one that will excite watch purists be...
Since the introduction of two important watches within the Tudor collection, namely the Black Bay GMT and the Black Bay Fifty-Eight, the watch community has been asking for a mix of the two concepts. Basically, a Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight GMT. Tudor responded but decided to spice things up a little bit. And the result is this watch, the Tudor Black Bay Pro. Yes, it’s 39mm like the BB58. An...
Given the amount of time and skill required to handcraft a Grand Feu enamel dial, it’s not surprising that they are usually reserved for high-end watches. Louis Erard, the watch brand based in Le Noirmont, is determined to democratise traditional metiers d’art and offer them to a wider public. Last year, the independent Swiss brand produced its first Grand Feu enamel dial for a watch w...
If Patek Philippe is known for its elegant, superbly executed watches, the brand also has strong expertise in research and development, incarnated mostly by its Advance Research program. Today, just after Watches and Wonders, Patek unveils an entirely new and impressive chronograph, the first dedicated to the field of short-time measurement and precision. We talk here about a manually wound moveme...
Like most Japanese folk, Grand Seiko has always displayed a close affinity to nature. Dials inspired by the changing seasons,?the texture of tree bark, the twinkling stars of a?night sky or even the delicate colour of cherry blossom petals, are recurring themes at Grand Seiko. The setting of Grand Seiko's manufacture is intentionally studied to inspire the takumi (master artisans), and most Grand ...
Captain Cook and Rado are practically synonymous. The original model was released in 1962 as a 37mm diver with a water resistance of 200 metres. Although a stylish and very capable diver, it didn't find success like counterparts from Blancpain, and Seiko did in the mid-20th century. However, it was reintroduced in 2017 and has since become a hero collection for the brand. Although the aesthetic ...
Watches & Wonders 2022 saw the MONOCHROME team travelling to Geneva again, which was a real joy to experience. After more than two years of pretty much not being able to go anywhere, it was an absolute pleasure to meet up at the Palexpo in Geneva, visit brands, meet people and just, talk face to face again. Perhaps with this in mind, several brands catered to this very occasion and launched ne...
Certina’s turtle logo is a symbol of resilience and was inspired by the brand’s Double Security or DS Concept, first incorporated inside a shock-resistant automatic 200m water-resistant watch of 1959. The turtle logo also provided a natural bridge to Certina’s involvement with the Florida-based Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC), the world’s oldest sea turtle research and conserv...
Since its introduction in 2018, the Santos de Cartier has been the best example of a sporty/luxury watch for the brand. With its interesting mix of traditional, dare I say emblematic design with casual elements and overall robustness, it has since been seen in various editions designed to add a touch of boldness to the collection. In addition to the classic steel models, but also versions with a g...
Housed in a cylindrical glass container, JLC’s latest clock, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos Infinite, is a contemporary work of mechanical art that keeps its movement beating in perpetuity thanks to minuscule changes in the air temperature. The transparency of the container showcases the distinctive shape of its movement, from the annular balance at its base to the bellows, chains and gears. The...
To us, it seemed that a lot of brands have overcome the global pandemic that has been causing havoc over the past two-plus years, and have an air of rejuvenated creativity about them. We saw intriguing new complications, the return of an icon, very well-made travel watches, and lots, lots more. Picking Best in Show is never easy, but a few stood out from the get-go. With that in mind, let's go thr...
Vacheron Constantin can boast close to 270 years of continuously amassed watchmaking expertise. With that, it is the oldest uninterrupted Manufacture currently in operation. It regularly showcases its watchmaking prowess through true Haute Horlogerie creations with traditional finishing techniques. It has always shown great skill in creating chronograph and calendar movements, of which the new Vac...
TAG Heuer is adding a new flavour to the Aquaracer Professional 300 collection with a vibrant orange dial. Just like the latest models introduced last year, the watch was inspired by the reference 844 diver (with an orange dial in this case). The new design in 2021 was more refined than its predecessors, bringing a luxury tool watch for all occasions. The original reference 844 Orange Diver with a...
Live from Watches and Wonders Geneva 2022, we’re now moving to IWC and meet up with Chris Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC, who will present the new 2022 Collection named “The Colours of TOP GUN”. 4 new models are released, all inspired by the colours of aviation, all released in ceramic of ceramic-derived materials, starting with the new Big Pilot 43 Jet Black and its zirconium oxyde b...
Ulysse Nardin's Freak watch of 2001 was a poster child for horological innovation. With its tiered construction, its spectacular 7-day flying carrousel tourbillon revolving on its axis on the dial and the distinction of being the first watch to incorporate silicium (silicon) technology, it gained immediate cult status. After countless iterations, Ulysse Nardin followed up with the Freak X in 2019,...