The Chopard L.U.C. saga goes back to 1996 when CEO Karl-Friedrich Scheuffele decided it was time to return to the realms of Haute Horlogerie. Named after the firm's founder, Louis Ulysse Chopard, it was to be the start of a continuous devotion to the finest watchmaking imaginable, marked by the inaugural L.U.C. XPS 1860 in 1997. After a decade of high-end watchmaking, the celebratory L.U.C. Strike...
With the new Carrera Plasma, TAG Heuer enters the sector of lab-grown diamonds. Chemically, physically and optically identical to mined diamonds, their lab-grown siblings are not new but these have been rarely used in the luxury watch industry. TAG Heuer sees a bright future for the technology that has made crucial advances in recent years. In particular, it offers unique design possibilities that...
TAG Heuer's new Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver is a big brother to the Aquaracer Professional 300 with upgrades across the board. The depth rating of 1,000 metres is suitable for the most hardcore saturation divers, while a partnership with Kenissi Manufacture SA brings an all-new movement to the brand as well. This watch follows icons from decades ago like the Heuer 1000m diver from 1982 ...
The Big Pilot is, without a doubt, one of the most emblematic watches of the entire history of IWC. An oversized watch, almost provocative in its proportions and design, it made an incredible impact on the industry and watch community when first released in 2002. For almost 20 years, it was meant to be BIG, until 2021 and the introduction of a smaller BP, the Big Pilot’s Watch 43. A slightly...
This year is the year of the TOP GUN family at IWC Schaffhausen. A concept born in 2007 with the?Pilot's Watch Double Chronograph IW379901 Black Ceramic, the TOP GUN range is all about its technical look, stealthy design and use of innovative materials for the case. For Watches & Wonders 2022, in addition to the coloured ceramic models – white Lake Tahoe and green Woodland – IWC is...
The classically styled Chronograph 5172G is one of the most beautiful chronograph watches from Patek Philippe, and perfectly showcases the Maison's capabilities in the field. It was presented in 2019 with a superb deep blue attire, but for Watches & Wonders 2022 Patek upped the ante once more with a luscious salmon-pink tone. Here's the Patek Philippe Chronograph 5172G.The hand-wound chronogra...
In recent years, Patek Philippe has injected a certain vintage vibe into some of its creations, such as the attractive perpetual calendar 5320G (which has just been released in a new salmon version). Following this rather pleasing trend, the brand has presented a new watch at Watches and Wonders that combines an annual calendar and a traveller’s function with a warm vintage design. Meet the ...
Patek Philippe unveils its novelties for 2022 at Watches & Wonders, including this attractive salmon dial version of its Perpetual Calendar 5320G. The novelty is limited to the new dial colour, and the case and movement specifications remain identical to the 2017 model. Reference 5320 made its debut in 2017 in a white gold case with a cream-coloured lacquered dial and a strong vintage aura. Al...
The launch of the Ulysse Nardin Freak in 2001 shook up the watch world. This disruptive avant-garde masterpiece smashed all conventions and pioneered the use of silicon in this industry Over the past 20 years, the model evolved in many directions. But this horological UFO has always followed the same guiding principle of being a laboratory on the wrist. Presented on the occasion of Watches and Won...
Horology is a child of astronomy. Ever since man wondered about the passage of time, the schedule of our lives has been shaped by celestial events. Time was measured by the sun, the moon and the stars On the occasion of Watches and Wonders 2022, Jaeger-LeCoultre embarks on a Stellar Odyssey. Among the watches inspired by this underlying theme, the Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948 is a spectacul...
The news broke out about a month ago as he was speaking on RTS. Jean-Claude Biver is about to launch his small family brand, for passionate people, and very exclusive watches. The 72 years old man stepped down from the head of the LVMH Watch Division in September 2018. Millions of people look forward to retirement, not Jean-Claude Biver. There is no finish line for people like JCB One of the most ...
Marking Bulgari‘s fifth record in the arena of ultra-thin models, the Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic took home the trophy as the world’s thinnest mechanical chronograph in 2019. With a 6.90mm sandblasted titanium case and a movement just 3.30mm thin, the victor upped the complications and combined its chronograph with a GMT. In 2020, Bulgari introduced a sub-collection within...
With eight world records since 2014, the Octo Finissimo legion marches forward to consolidate Bulgari's ultra-thin watch empire. Just a few days after the unveiling of the mind-bogglingly thin Octo Finissimo Ultra, the Roman Maison presents new iterations of some of its Haute Horlogerie complication models, namely the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater and Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automatic, wi...
We're only days away from travelling to Switzerland again (yes, finally!) and meeting up with our friends and colleagues from the watchmaking industry and affiliated media outlets. It will be stressful, running from appointment to appointment and seeing tons of watches (boohoo, have pity on us) and get the news out to you as soon as possible so you're all caught up on all the novelties to come. An...
Today we return with a new instalment of The Collector's Series, and with one of the most desirable dress watches you can imagine. A collector's dream, made by one of the most revered independent watchmakers. And it'll be courtesy of @vancouverwatchguy, who lives in you guessed it, Vancouver, Canada. This 63-years-old financial entrepreneur will be talking elaborately about his passion for his Kar...
Here's one for motorcycle enthusiasts and racing fans in general. Tissot has created a new race-inspired chronograph that looks fast while sitting on your wrist. It's large, a bit unconventional and certainly doesn't fly under the radar. This is a statement piece for those that crave speed and track days, and its focus is on MotoGP or Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Tissot currently has several quar...
Just a couple of weeks after the launch of what we thought was most of the collection for 2022, Omega discreetly adds yet another watch to its collection, next to the Seamaster Ultra-Deep and cool Speedmaster 57 hand-wound. But now, it’s something of a surprise that we’re about to reveal, something that clearly was not expected, but that really, really looks stunning. In short, a 39mm ...
Longines is a brand with a rich history, and in many fields. One that stands out above the others is, without doubt, the field of aviation watches Longines has drawn inspiration from this heritage to create the vintage-inspired Spirit watches, celebrating pilots, military personnel and sportsman that relied on Longines throughout its history.?Launched in 2020, the Spirit featured COSC automatic mo...
HYT Watches is a brand like no other on the independent watch scene. Launched in 2012, HYT created a buzz with their unique meca-fluidic technology, displaying time with fluids. During the pandemic in 2020, the brand announced it was going out of business Still, just a few months later, HYT is back with a new CEO and Creative Director at his helm, Davide Cerrato. A veteran of the watch industry, C...
The Bulgari Octo Finissimo collection is, without a doubt, one of the most striking watch creations of the last decade. An impressive saga turned the Roman Maison into the master of ultra-thin mechanical watchmaking. In just a few years, the brand has topped one record of thinness after the other. This remarkable streak of record-breaking ultra-thin watches was saluted with the Aiguille d'Or, the ...
Attaining iconic status in the world of watchmaking is no easy feat. Consecrated icons display a winning blend of excellent design and mechanical content that can weather the fickle nature of market trends. In a record span of just ten years, the bold contemporary Italian design and sophisticated Swiss mechanics of Bulgari‘s Octo family have secured it a pedestal in the hall of icons. Witnes...
Jacob Arabo, Founder and Chairman of Jacob & Co., has formed a vision on watchmaking that is truly unique. His watches are often polarizing designs. But the brand has also the capacity to bring to life some of the most disruptive and impressive developments in the industry. A case in point, the brand's latest creation in the frame of its partnership with Bugatti is exceptional in many respects...
As we’ve explained in this article published about 2 months ago, an important new chapter in the story of HYT Watches has just opened. After a complex period, and with a new CEO at its head – an industry veteran known as Davide Cerrato – the brand is back on track and comes with its spacecraft trunk fully loaded with new models, but with the distinctive meca-fluidic technology so...
The dive watch. The embodiment of a product that is over-engineered for what most owners will use it for yet remains ever so popular. Admittedly, even I own dive watches that never see any action close to the limits of either of them. But there is a thought of comfort to put one on and go about your business care-free, knowing your watch will do its job and does it well. And year after year, new d...
Earlier this week, news broke of the passing of Quick Vic' Victor Henry Elford, at the age of 86. Vic Elford was one of those drivers that pretty much raced anything that had four wheels, an engine and a steering wheel. With a career starting in a Triumph TR3A, he is most known for his successes at the wheel of various Porsche cars, both on and off-road. Basically, if you would have put Vic Elford...
Daniel Roth is one of the most remarkable watchmakers of all time. During his 50-year career, Roth has worked with countless high-end brands and designed dozens of intriguing timepieces with complex technical features, including a Tourbillon with an 8-day power reserve, an instantaneous Perpetual Calendar and a Westminster Grande Sonnerie Carillon with four gongs. Surprisingly, not much is known a...
When presented in mid-2020, the Longines Spirit collection made quite an impact, with its well-balanced blend of vintage design, daily versatility, refined execution, precise movements and great content/price ratio. There was, on paper, a lot to be loved in the Spirit time-and-date model. Not everything is perfect though, or at least, not everything was what I expected when seeing the watches in t...
The moment watch aficionados, retailers and journalists have been waiting for Watches and Wonders Geneva will finally open its doors on 30 March 2022, for a complete week around horology. It will be the first physical edition of the event since 2019 and since , Patek Philippe, Chopard, Chanel and Tudor decided to leave Baselworld and then join the Geneva-based show. This exodus had put the nail i...
If you read MONOCHROME on a regular basis, you should be well aware that independent watchmaking has always been one of the main topics of interest of our founder, and of most of the members of the editorial team. We’ve always been passionate about creative, soul-infused watches made by small ateliers or even one-man shows. And in this instance, we’re always keen on discovering new mem...
As most of you might know, this year the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, the most emblematic watch in the collection of the Le Brassus-based watchmaker, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. As such, the brand has been releasing multiple new models to celebrate half a century of the Genta-designed sports watch with an integrated bracelet, including a new version of the Jumbo Extra-Thin with unprecedente...