From its rich jeweller-watchmaker tradition, the French Maison Cartier has built an unrivalled legacy in creating fascinating shaped watches.?Since 2017, the Cartier Prive collection highlights the design of some of the brand's legendary models. Unlike the 1998-2008 Collection Privee Cartier Paris (a.k.a CPCP), which was characterized by strict codes (uniform guilloche dials and Roman numerals, wi...
Cartier, the renowned Parisian jeweller and watchmaker, is mostly known for its “montres de formes” and has consolidated an unrivalled legacy in the creation of fascinating shaped watches. With its elegant shapes and eccentric cases, Cartier rarely approaches watch design like the rest of the industry and even a simple round watch is never ‘simple’ in terms of design. For 2...
In 2015, with the presentation of the reference 57260, Vacheron Constantin sent a message to the watchmaking industry by stealing the title of the ‘most complicated watch’ from Patek Philippe. Today, Vacheron Constantin introduces its most complicated wristwatch to date, officially fitted with 24 complications – a response to Patek’s GrandMaster Chime with 20 complications?...
Introduced in 1992, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Collection has always been the classic model of the brand, with a focus on technical rigour, certification and visual restraint. Its name comes from the fact that it was the first of Jaeger-LeCoultre's collections to benefit from its pioneering ‘1000 Hours Control’ certification. In constant evolution since its launch, today the M...
Oris teams up with cult Japanese jeans producer Momotaro for its latest collaboration watch, a special edition Divers Sixty-Five. This steel and bronze watch bears all the hallmark Oris traits but now comes with a special hard-wearing indigo Momotaro denim strap with the signature white battle stripes' of the brand. Doing things the Japanese way, Momotaro hasn't merely strived to create cool denim...
In a recent interview with MONOCHROME, Panerai's CEO, Jean-Marc Pontroue, gave us a foretaste of what to expect in 2020. The main theme for the brand would be the 70th anniversary of Luminor. To celebrate this anniversary, the Italian brand releases three boutique-exclusive limited edition watches, which make an impact with their potent visibility in the dark: meet the PAM1117, PAM1118 & PAM11...
Fly under the radar: this could be the motto of the first generation MIH Watch that was developed by none other than Ludwig Oechslin and Paul Gerber. Christian Gafner, an industrial designer who never before designed a watch, has to be credited for the ‘fly-under-the-radar’ design that goes together so well with what’s under the ‘hood’. The MIH Watch served as a fundr...
Some names might not ring a bell with a broader audience. But for tool watch enthusiasts, the name Ollech & Wajs should be familiar evoking memories of the 1960s and 1970s when the company was manufacturing respected timing instruments for professionals. Dormant for several years, it took more than 10 years to convince Albert Wajs to pass on his brand and it has been revived recently. Today we...
The Elite Classic represents Zenith's vision of the elegant dress watch. Being the less famous sibling of the El Primero movement, it was long overlooked. But earlier this year, the brand from Le Locle revealed its completely revamped take on the Elite. It was received with praise. As I happen to own the previous generation of this model, it was a great opportunity to compare both pieces. Is the n...
No other watch on Earth can boast the space credentials of the Speedmaster, the one and only watch worn on the Moon. The curious fact about the Speedmaster is that it wasn't designed to go to the Moon. Nobody at Omega could have foreseen that the Speedmaster would soon be orbiting out of the Earth's atmosphere to join man on the greatest adventure of all. Born in 1957 as part of a trilogy of instr...
Just a few years ago, TAG Heuer shocked the industry with the Carrera Heuer-02T Chronograph, the “cheapest” Swiss tourbillon at the time. Just shy of CHF 15,000, nothing outside of the Asian market could touch it. Borrowing from the Carrera Heuer-01 case, it was sporty and quite controversial. Let's say a few Swiss giants weren't too pleased by the low price. Horage, a ten-year-old bra...
There is no doubt that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic will take a heavy toll on the watch industry. Watch brands are facing a collapse in sales and this crisis will be one of the gravest in decades. Nobody knows what the exit scenario from lockdown will be and how deep and how long the crisis will last. Crises are eventually overcome but companies will emerge to face a perplexing new scenar...
Dive watches are some of the most popular timepieces around. These tool watches were originally designed to perform specific aquatic tasks, worn on the wrist of professionals. Today, they are equally ready-for-action instruments and style essentials; great companions in and out of the water. And even though it might be fully equipped, a cool dive watch doesn't necessarily have to break the bank. W...
It may have only been an exercise in style, a technical demonstration and a prototype – even though we still hope to see this watch one day in stores – the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept remains one of the most staggering timepieces we’ve seen recently. Forget about the design and the rather simple time-only display… This watch had a single, very straightforward purpose:...
After the “bomb” that was dropped by , Tudor, Patek Philippe, Chopard and Chanel earlier this week, concerning their decision to leave Baselworld, there is no longer any doubt about the (low) relevance of Baselworld for major brands. Subsequently, we have just been told that all four LVMH Brands, those from the watch Division – Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith – as well as the...
The name “Chronomat” can refer to multiple watches at Breitling and holds a significant place in the brand’s history. Of course, the first watch to bear this name was a 1940 Chronograph, which was one of the first watches with a slide-rule bezel. However, for most watch enthusiasts the name Chronomat refers to an icon of the 1980s, to one of Breitling’s most powerful design...
Today Breitling is launching its 2020 collection, which comprises, as the hero of the show, the brand new fully redesigned Chronomat range. In addition to this permanent addition to the catalogue, the brand is also presenting a so-called “capsule collection”, and while the watches aren’t numbered, they will be produced for a limited time only. Inspired by a well-known 1950s dive ...
One of the most original world time watches on the market, Montblanc's vintage-infused 1858 Geosphere appears in 2020 in colder, more contemporary climbing gear. With its original dual hemisphere layout, the 1858 Geosphere now comes in a grade 5 titanium case and features chilly blue and icy white details on the dial. A well-attired climbing companion to scale the remote Vinson Massif in Antarctic...
As a first reliable indicator of the impact of COVID-19 on the luxury industry, the French powerhouse and market leader, LVMH has just announced its results for the first quarter of 2020. A period that accounts for the first weeks of lockdown and closed shops, both for the Asian and European markets. With sales down 15% compared to the same period in 2019, there’s no denying the impact, alth...
The universe of Montblanc watches is composed of two totally different categories. First are the classic watches, with “accessible luxury” positioning, like this handsome new chronograph. And then, there are the dream machines, the watches that are produced in-house with hand-finished, historical Minerva chronograph movements, like this 1858 Monopusher. Certainly, the design codes are ...
Taking inspiration from an original Minerva monopusher chronograph of the 1930s, the 1858 Automatic Chronograph now comes with a blue dial and a new bidirectional steel bezel inset with shiny blue ceramic. The 1858 Chronograph kills two birds with one stone: it gives you the look of a 1930's Minerva chronograph?but manages to keep the price in check by not equipping the watch with one its upscale ...
Cartier unveils its latest women's jewellery watch collection, the Maillon de Cartier. Comprised of seven gold references in jewellery, high jewellery and limited editions, everything about this watch collection denotes dynamic movement. From the sculptural offset link bracelet to the hexagonal bezel, every element is twisted and contorted to create a vibrant sense of motion that is an intrinsic f...
When Chris Granger-Herr, the CEO of IWC, posted a photo of himself wearing the prototype for this updated version of the original 5002-generation Big Pilot in matte titanium while on his African Safari, collectors took notice. Shortly after, IWC announced a limited edition of 100 watches, which sold out almost instantly via Instagram (despite a six-month wait for them to be built). The watch was i...
Like them or not, appropriate or not, nicknames have to be earned. Watches are very personal objects and they reflect an enduring connection with fans. Often, these nicknames are directly inspired by the characteristics of the watch, its shape or colours. In other cases, celebrities or a special event made a watch famous and their name has remained linked to the model forever. One thing is certain...
Hamilton is no stranger to openworked watches, spreading the style across several collections with models like the Ventura Skeleton Limited Edition, Khaki Field Skeleton Auto and Jazzmaster Viewmatic Automatic Skeleton. The Hamilton Jazzmaster Skeleton simplifies the name and is the brand's latest with a multi-level dial forming the iconic spiky H logo over a decorated Swiss automatic. Although th...
Yesterday, Sir Stirling Moss passed away at the age of 90. Born 17 September 1929 in London, Moss was a legendary Formula 1 driver who won a total 212 of the 529 races he entered across various racing categories. He finished runner-up in the Formula 1 World Championship four times and third place three times all in a seven-year period from 1955 to 1961. He is considered “the greatest Formula...
What's old is new again. Gradient or “fume” (smoked) dials are back in fashion. Popular in the 1970s, forgotten for a while and brought back on the scene recently, these colourful dials stand out with lighter tones in the centre that gradually darken towards the edges. Their gradient colour gives a rich depth to the dials, creating beautiful light effects. These smoked dials are ubiqui...
The watchmaking industry is never short of innovations. Whether in the field of materials, movement architectures, displays or regulating organs, this industry never ceases to amaze with technical solutions to improve the accuracy of our beloved mechanical watches. However, when it comes to production at an industrial level, innovation is far more scarce. If you think about it, the escapement of o...
Restarting The Collector’s Series was already in the planning for quite some time. Not easy with our small team, especially since part of the team is on the road a lot, so the current situation proved to be the right moment to reach out to some friends and ask them to participate. The reason why I wanted to do this series is not just to show some remarkable watches but mainly to hear from th...
The Dutch watch scene has been growing for about a decade and has been producing quite a lot of interesting pieces. One of the most intriguing micro brands coming from the Lowlands is Pellikaan Watches. 13 years down the road, this watch company is still running steadily and producing fresh new watches. Next in our series of Dutch Creators: Hubert Pellikaan, a watchmaker by choice.You probably kno...