Since late 2019, the Monaco, the square icon of motorsport watchmaking by TAG Heuer, isn’t only one watch but a more complete collection based on two inspirations. First is the Calibre 11, a watch with strong 1970s and Steve McQueen inspiration, with an outsourced movement, the crown at 9 o’clock and a dial that recalls original models. Then there is the new Monaco Heuer 02, a more mod...
Rado launched the iconic square Ceramica in 1990, an all-ceramic watch with an integrated bracelet that ushered in the brand's extensive use of the material. In 1993, the Sintra introduced cermet, a stronger and more advanced titanium-based ceramic. High-tech ceramics have become a mainstay for Rado and really differentiate the brand, while square cases are a signature design element introduced a ...
Most of the new watches for 2020 have been launched online. That's pretty different from any other year when Baselworld and SIHH (now Watches & Wonders) were THE places for new launches. For watch sales, the digital world has played a role for a longer period. Some brands already have e-commerce, some are testing it in selected markets. A rather big global player in this field might just be an...
Bangalore Watch Company is a burgeoning Indian brand that celebrates its country with watches that capture its history and spirit. Following the successful MACH 1 series and later MACH 1 Officer's Blue editions, both of which celebrated India's first supersonic jet fighter, the MiG 21 Type 77, the brand is back to honour the game of cricket. Cricket was introduced in India during the British occup...
Even though the brand is still young, Norqain is a brand to follow. Created in 2018 in Nidau, Switzerland, the brand has unveiled many models to create a comprehensive and coherent collection of functional and adventure-inspired watches. And in terms of production and strategy, the roadmap is pretty clear and includes a strategic partnership with Kenissi to provide manufacture movements. Today the...
Among the countless retro-styled watches created by Longines – yes, there are a lot, and some are very desirable – one holds a special place in the heart of vintage dive watch enthusiasts, a watch that has been around for more than a decade now: the Legend Diver. Inspired by a 1960s compressor-style model, it returned to the market in 2007 with a no-date display… until it was (sa...
With an ultra-thin perpetual calendar, an openworked tourbillon, a minute repeater Supersonnerie and more recently, a flying tourbillon chronograph, the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet wasn’t short of complications… But the latest addition in the range goes a step further with a movement that features what’s probably the highest complication of them all, a grande sonnerie – s...
Cuervo y Sobrinos creates wristwatches that combine Swiss craftsmanship with a style that nods to the brand's Latin heritage. Today they revive one of their historical models and they do this by using the exact same movement as the original timepiece, a hand-wound Landeron chronograph calibre 248 that has been completely refinished and refurbished. Let's take a closer look at the Cuervo y Sobrinos...
Often misquoted but never forgotten, Jack Swigert’s terse communication with the NASA Mission Control Center, “Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here”, is the stuff of legend. Following the explosion of an oxygen tank and the consequent drop in voltage in the command and service modules, the space odyssey of Apollo 13 could have very well ended in tragedy. Thanks to multiple pie...
At first, this might raise some questions… What can the link be between a comic character, a chronograph watch and a space agency? While the connection between the last two should be quite familiar to most of you, watch enthusiasts (obviously), the presence of Snoopy in this 3-way equation is more questionable. Sure, Snoopy is cute and has become a cult character over the years, but why woul...
If you think about the Seamaster Diver 300M Chronograph, apart from the classic steel and blue dial version, the one model that should immediately come to mind is the tri-metal edition, a bold statement created in 1993, being one of the rare watches to use tantalum, combined with titanium and gold. The result, often nicknamed “The Beast”, was clearly something demonstrative that became...
The Polaris collection, Jaeger-LeCoultre's take on the sporty-elegant watch, welcomes two new references, the Polaris Mariner Memovox and Polaris Mariner Date. Based on the 2018 watches and designed to sit alongside but not replace these earlier models, the latest Polaris references come with a host of upgrades that consolidate their mission as genuine dive watches compliant with ISO 6425 specific...
Tudor may be well known for its range of robust diver's watches – the Black Bay, Pelagos and vintage Submariner models, to name just a few examples – but 's sister brand is recalling the style of its Prince Date-Day models with the launch of the new Tudor Royal collection. Available in four size variants, several dial colours to choose from, and a steel or bi-colour case material, the...
For some years now, Oris has committed to becoming a watchmaker that can “Change for the Better” (the brand’s new motto). In addition to create some rather cool and fairly-priced watches, the brand is also greatly involved in charity, with multiple non-profit organisations and foundations to help save the planet and the oceans (among other things). Think Carysfort Reef Limited Ed...
We’ve said it already and we’ll probably say it again, but Longines is on fire when it comes to its “Heritage” collection, with many handsome, highly desirable vintage-inspired watches launched in the past couple of years. Think about the Heritage Classic Sector Dial, the recently revamped Avigation Watch Type A-7 1935 or the Heritage Military RAF. Among these modern models...
The attraction, the reasons that drive us towards a certain kind of watch, the lack of rationale behind the love for a timepiece and then the hunt for THAT special one. Behind most watch acquisitions there's a story, a motivation to go for one particular version and not another, subjective factors that explain why one is drawn to a specific brand, and very often contradictions come into the equati...
When you talk classics, icons of watchmaking, emblematic models, TAG Heuer has more than one model that fits the bill. There are, of course, the Carrera and the Autavia. Still, the most recognisable watch, the watch with the most character is the Monaco thanks to its unusual yet signature square-shaped case. Even though it was not really a hit in the early 1970s, it became far more appreciated whe...
Oris is proving to be one of the most prolific watch brands in terms of novelties during this complicated year. Despite the cancellation of the Reno Air Races, Oris ploughs on with the release of its 57th Reno Air Races Limited Edition, a grey PVD-coated Big Crown ProPilot model, now with GMT functionality and pointer date. Let’s have a closer look.Aviation linksOris has been associated with...
Perhaps one of the most significant milestones in Montblanc's 114-year long history is its decision to take over the former Minerva production facilities in 2007. Based in Villeret, it has become Montblanc's inventing room for high horology watches, like the Montblanc Star Legacy Exo Tourbillon Skeleton LE8 watch. The timepiece boasts an 18k rose gold case, a skeletonised manual-winding movement t...
Chopard has partnered with the famous luxury Neapolitan tailor Kiton to create a limited edition of its ultra-thin L.U.C XP II models. The partnership between a watchmaker and a tailor is not as far-fetched as it sounds; both rely on highly skilled artisans, both have a profound respect for tradition, and both pursue refined finishes, comfort and longevity in their products. For the new L.U.C XP I...
Following our visit to Geneva Watch Days, the only main watch-related event organised this year in Europe, we had the chance to finally discover in the metal some of the newest timepieces introduced earlier this year, as well as all-new models from more than 15 brands. Besides the large, established brands (such as Bvlgari, Ulysse Nardin or Girard-Perregaux), multiple creative and high-end indepen...
The summer is almost over. Amid the virus-fuelled uncertainty, new watch launches have been massively disrupted, but September remains a strategic time of year to introduce new products The past weeks have seen a slew of new watches and we have picked up five, eye-catching sports watches presented recently. Let's dive right in hoping you find something you love.Dive Watch – Submariner 41mm...
When it first came on the market in 2015, the Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time 5524G clearly made some noise. It was simply miles away from your classic Calatrava watch and marked the first production Pilot’s watch created by Patek (there were some prototypes in the past, though). But the watch found its place in the collection, as a sportier yet still luxurious offer. It was then ...
Since its introduction in 2016, I have a soft spot for the latest generation of Vacheron Constantin Overseas, whether the classic time-and-date model or more complex editions like the Dual-Time. Even though slightly less coveted than its direct competitors (the Royal Oak and the Nautilus), it remains one of the best options in the luxury sports watch category, with a superb execution. But then cam...
We’ve said it in the past, similarities between cars and watches are endless, whether we’re talking about mechanics, design or the passion they incite. Both sides of the industry are fully aware of this and of the fact that collectors of one are often enthusiastic about the other – which explains why MONOCHROME has The Petrolhead Corner column. This is also something that Tissot ...
Watch legends are tough acts to follow. The groundbreaking Royal Oak of 1972, Gerald Genta's luxury steel sports watch that founded an entirely new genre, was revisited in 1993 with the Royal Oak Offshore provoking as disparate reactions as the original. Thirty years later, in 2002, another collection known as the Royal Oak Concept saw the light. This powerful collection with its deconstructed arc...
TAG Heuer's 160th-anniversary festivities are still in full swing, and the iconic Carrera collection is regaled with four new classic' chronographs that mix design cues of the historic models with a dash of modern flair. Recently, we reviewed the new sporty 44mm Carrera chronographs marking the 2020 roadmap for this legendary model. Today the brand proposes another batch of Carrera chronographs bu...
Dutch watch enthusiast Tom van Wijlick has a weak spot for vintage watches. Combine this with a keen sense of entrepreneurship, and you can expect nice things to happen. After running off with an old but still attractive Lebois & Co. model, Van Wijlick rebooted Lebois with the introduction of two new watches, the Avantgarde and the Venturist. Yet, this man turns out to be a bit of a dreamer an...
Every year, the watchmaking industry celebrates creativity and ingenuity with the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve?(GPHG) or the so-called “Oscars of the Watchmaking Industry” –?see the report for the 2019 edition here. The most advanced, the most innovative and the most creative timepieces will be awarded prizes at the GPHG 2020. Before the ceremony takes place (November 12, 20...
Although Delma isn't the most familiar brand, it's one we've covered several times on MONOCHROME because of its excellent quality/price ratio. The recent vintage-inspired Continental Chronographs are solid examples, offering well-executed and diverse models for under EUR 3,000. This latest Cayman Worldtimer Automatic follows the simpler Cayman Automatic diver line with an added GMT hand and world ...