The name BCHH might not be familiar to you, but it is the result of a dream, that of a longtime seasoned collector to create his high-end watchmaking brand. The acronym of Benjamin Chee Haute Horlogerie, the brand was founded in 2019, the man behind Celadon (created in 2012) and Mille?chron (created in 2018), to put his country, Singapore, on the map of traditional watchmaking. And talking about m...
First introduced in 1984, the Portofino has been one of IWC's most popular collections, catering to both men and women. The design is timeless with an elegant round case and discreet dials. Available in several styles, from a classic three-hander to a complex monopusher chronograph, the Portofino came in several sizes. And today, seemingly out of nowhere and in the middle of the summer holidays, I...
When it comes to classical watches with complications, Rado is probably not your first port of call. However, if you are in the market for a trendy design-led watch, made of cutting-edge materials, Rado is an attractive option. Couple that with famous designer names, and you might well be looking at a contemporary piece of wristwear art. Renowned for its innovative use of high-tech ceramic and min...
Bronze as a material in watchmaking is here to stay; that much is certain. What started as a trendy material about a decade ago turned into a regular thing nowadays. Every year we get to see new adaptations of the corrosion-resistant material, with brands experimenting with bronze across the board. It wasn't until recently, however, that the phenomenon of patina was addressed. To counter the produ...
Tissot is one of the oldest brands in the portfolio of Swatch Group. Founded in 1853 by Charles-Felicien Tissot and his son, Charles-emile Tissot, it was acquired by Swatch Group in 1998 and positioned as a manufacturer of robust yet affordable watches with a sporting soul. Hugely benefitting from the Group’s resources, Tissot relies on its extensive archives to create appealing watches at a...
Only a few weeks ago, we shared the latest watch by Ochs & Junior, the Calendario Cent’Anni (CCA) with all of you. Once again, it illustrates the simplistic approach to mechanical watchmaking perfected by Ludwig Oechslin and his team. The philosophy in watchmaking displayed by Dr Oechslin is all about simplicity, and it shows in the mechanical side of things. Ochs & Junior offers com...
Audemars Piguet expands its Frosted Royal Oak collection with a new 34mm model shimmering with its hammered white gold case and refreshing light blue dial. Five years ago, Audemars Piguet released a frosted gold version of the iconic Royal Oak; not the iconic Royal Oak designed by Gerald Genta in 1972, but an equally iconic Royal Oak revisited by Jacqueline Dimier in 1976 for women. To celebrate t...
In recent times Longines has been on a bit of a roll when it comes to rather cool yet affordable vintage-inspired watches. That's not a real surprise considering the extensive history of the brand. After all, it dates back to 1832 so there's plenty of historically relevant pieces to choose from. And even though the DolceVita has perhaps not been the most popular range in the Longines portfolio, ad...
When the Odysseus by A. Lange & Sohne was announced in 2019, a lot of people took notice. It was to be the first ever sports watch, in steel, with a bracelet by the German haute horlogerie brand. It was unexpected and bold, but a proper A. Lange & Sohne nevertheless. It featured all the hallmarks we love by AL&S, such as ample amounts of decoration on the movement, intriguing design el...
We've covered a lot of small, independent luxury brands here at MONOCHROME. Naoya Hida & Co. and De Bethune are a couple of examples, yet both come from countries known for fine watchmaking (Japan and Switzerland, respectively). RGM Watches is an independent American brand with four in-house movements since its founding in 1992, including a tourbillon and tonneau-shaped caliber. The watchmaker...
It’s been seven years in the making so far, but we're pretty sure it won’t end where it is right now. This year marked the seventh record-breaking release by Bvlgari, with the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar, the world's thinnest QP. But where did it actually start? We take a little trip down memory lane and go through all the groundbreaking, record-setting models, from the very firs...
Elise, Esprit, Elan, Exige, Europa and of course Evija. Just a list of some of the cars produced by Lotus, all starting with the letter E. And now there's a new one to be added to that lineage, the Lotus Emira. At first glance, it looks properly exciting, with a striking blue paintjob and, on paper, a classical recipe for a two-seater sports car. Look closer though, and this is not just any car, b...
Most watch enthusiasts are certainly aware of the current situation in the luxury sports watch field, with the most emblematic models of the category – namely the Nautilus and the Royal Oak Jumbo – reaching incredibly high prices on the second-hand market. As for the topic of the day, we’ll be talking about a unicorn, the recently introduced and already ultra-coveted Patek Philip...
Delma is a relatively discreet brand, not necessarily known by a wider audience, but that still impresses us with its combination of high-quality watches and fair prices. Something that we don’t see that often these days… The brand has long been involved in the field of dive watches, starting in 1969 with the so-called Periscope, followed in 1975 by the?Shell Star, its first pro-diver....
When you think Panerai, you’ll probably have in mind a cushion-shaped watch with diving capacities, an oversized case, a sandwich dial and a relatively simple yet powerful movement, with barely any complications to display. And rightfully so, as this is the basic concept of the brand, found under the classic Luminor or Radiomir collections. Yet, the Florentine brand has demonstrated in past ...
Every watch enthusiast inevitably reaches a point of overload once or twice in their horological journey, when they look at their watch box and feel more apathy than excitement. A feeling of “Do I really need this many watches?” And “Wouldn't life be simpler if I had only one” Granted, that feeling usually passes and we get right back to the all-encompassing madness, but it...
I have a big huge crush on the old Daniel Roth Papillon. Ever since I first saw it, the Papillon has become one of my favourite watches of all time. Despite being exposed to so many watches as I am seeing, handling and discussing on a daily basis, this relatively simple looking watch managed to tick a lot of boxes. It’s different, yet without screaming for attention. Despite its strange case...
If Richard Mille has been around for just a couple of decades, it is unquestionably one of the greatest successes in the watch industry. Founded in 2001, the brand is now one of the largest independent watchmakers with a production that remains highly exclusive and an entry price of over CHF 100,000. Mille has had a marked influence on the industry bringing watches like no other, highly technical ...
The Big Pilot… If you think about an emblematic, unmistakable watch by IWC, you hardly can do better than this. It is, at least to me, a watch that has defined the brand’s collection for years, a proper statement watch that is, and remains after close to 20 years of production, one of the best known modern watches. Having said that, you’ve probably guessed that I love the IWC Big...
Here, at MONOCHROME, we are always pleased to present young watchmakers and their work, not only because they do represent the future of the independent watchmaking scene, but also because what these young talents can achieve is often highly surprising. Today we are taking a look at the Montre d'ecole of Antonin Falk. If you are a regular reader of our magazine, you might remember his jumping hour...
Svend Andersen needs no introduction to many enthusiasts and collectors. He's the man that is responsible for (now over) forty years of highly creative watchmaking stemming from Geneva. What Svend Andersen does is a unique and eclectic mix of original and inventive watchmaking, often mixed with playful themes and unconventional designs, all made to order for clients. Celebrating his 40th-anniversa...
In 1997, A. Lange & Sohne introduced the Cabaret. A very unlikely name given the brand's august Saxon spirit, the Cabaret was also Lange's first rectangular watch since its rebirth in 1994. Not to be mistaken with the Arkade, which formed part of the quartet of watches that marked the brand’s revival, the Cabaret had a distinctive Art Deco spirit. The most spectacular and complicated ver...
In the past 27 years, A. Lange & Sohne have often been rather cold and understated, with a typical Germanic style, which was largely compensated by the demonstrativeness of the movements. Yet, in recent years, the brand has added some flair and a slight dosage of extravagance in some of its collections, creating visually more embellished watches. Case in point, the “Gold Flux” trea...
When A. Lange & Sohne unveiled the Langematik Perpetual in 2001, it was the first mechanical wristwatch to combine a perpetual calendar with Lange's signature outsize date. Revisited in different case materials over the years, the 20th anniversary of the Langematik Perpetual is celebrated with two models, one in white gold the other in pink gold, both with a striking blue dial and limited to 5...
Accessible dive watches are anything but rare. There are dozens of options to choose from, with highly respectable models all around. Most of them are more or less built around the same specifications, with 40-42mm cases and 200 to 300m water-resistance. All in all, great summer or weekend watches for recreational diving. But what if you’re looking for a real professional deep diver, at an a...
As you might know, many in our team, here are MONOCHROME, are not only passionate about watches and everything related to horology, but we’re also fans of cars and motorsport. It shows, every week, in our Petrolhead Corner column. And when it comes to mixing both worlds, we usually come forward. There’s something so natural between sports cars and watches, something almost identical in...
Loving indies is a bit like abseiling down a cliff wall, says Gary H. “Dangerous at first, but afterwards you want to do it again and again.”?Gary H., 53, works in the biopharmaceutical industry and lives in Chicago, USA. Gary (@hewitgar on Instagram) was born in London, England, which is also where Gary discovered the brand featured in this edition of our Collector's Series: De Bethun...
As a child of the 1980s, I grew up quite a few years before a little thing called the internet was widely available. Games were plaid off-line rather than online and you'd had to time yourself to watch?your favourite TV show, otherwise, you'd miss it. Growing up I had a few favourite TV cartoons and board games to play. And to my surprise, two of those things have just reared their head in an ultr...
When this watch was launched, our founder Frank wrote this “On 24 October 2019, A. Lange & Sohne introduced something entirely new, an important step for this usually rather conservative high-end watch brand; it was a sports watch, made in stainless steel, with a bracelet – three unprecedented features for ALS that made this very watch, the Odysseus, a hot topic of conversation....
In two weeks from now will start the long-awaited Tokyo 2020 Olympic games. Despite a 1-year delay due to the complex situation in the entire world, it is now sure, the Games will happen (but behind closed doors…) For the 29th time since 1932, Omega will serve as the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games. Following several Speedmaster and Seamaster models for the occasion, the Biel-based ...