Let’s play a little game of “spot the difference”… And before we allow you to turn the watches over and look at the caseback, it’s going to be a tough one. Indeed, there’s a new IWC Portugieser Chronograph, under the reference 3716, a watch that replaces a 22-year-old icon, the classic Portugieser Chronograph 3714. And looking at the opening photo of this articl...
It certainly is way too early to claim that we’re in front of some of the best watches of the year, and even though the industry isn’t in the best mood (sales aren’t expected on the rise, China’s situation could affect exports), we expect to see some great news to be launched. Still, and even if it’s only early February 2020, we’ve already seen some pretty impre...
Creating your start-up watch company off the ground is not an easy task. Still, this is what 32-year old Ben Kuffer did with Norqain. Created in 2018 in Nidau, Switzerland, the brand crafts functional and versatile watches offered at an accessible price. Contemporary and with a clear identity, Norqain is already present at some of the world's leading retailers such as Bucherer, Tourneau, Westime, ...
As a regular reader of MONOCHROME, you will know already that each year, Swiss watch manufacturer IWC focuses on a specific collection. Last year, it was the brand's legendary Pilot's Watch series, with a number of cool variations introduced to the market. Here's a video overview of the highlights from IWC's CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr shot at SIHH 2019. With so many new models being launched - an...
For many fans of the IWC Portugieser Chronograph, today's news is big news: not only is this iconic chronograph now equipped with an in-house calibre, you can finally see the movement through the transparent caseback. To be precise, this is not the first time this manufacture movement has appeared inside a Portugieser Chronograph. In 2018, calibre 69335 was used on board the special 150th-annivers...
If the value of Swiss watch exports has slightly increased in 2019, the industry has been facing numerous challenges over the past years. Although high-end Swiss watches remain attractive, the low/mid-end segments have been under pressure as the smartwatch expansion seems to have come at the expense of the lower-priced Swiss timepieces.Most watch brands are traditionally secretive about their sale...
Who knew that being a Flight Officer in 1938 could be so exciting? This watch, the Flying Officer, was produced by Gallet for the United States Army Air Corps and worn by Harry S. Truman, Senator for Missouri, a Reserve Field Artillery Officer and the eventual 33rd President of the United States. Truman’s 34mm stainless steel Gallet Flying Officer Chronograph accompanied the president throug...
If you’ve followed the watch news in the past weeks, you should be familiar with the fact that the four brands owned by French luxury group LVMH were hosting their own “watch fair” in Dubai, the so-called LVMH Watch Week. Part of the show was devoted to Hublot, the flamboyant brand which is never short of surprises and bold designs. To understand a bit more what’s coming th...
Following the announcements by the Swiss Watch Federation with slightly growing export numbers and record results by LVMH for the year ended December 31st, Swatch Group has just announced its 2019 results, which aren’t as positive as its competitors and the whole market.?At CHF 8,243 million, the group net sales are down 1.8% at constant exchange rates and down 2.7% at current rates. The ope...
Back at the SIHH 2019 last year, Montblanc introduced “Heritage”, a brand new collection of classic, slightly retro watches. Elegant, well-designed, available with desirable salmon dials, it was available from a simple 3-hander, to a surprising (and well-priced) Monopusher Chrono… And two limited but really attractive versions, a perpetual calendar or a Minerva chronograph. Now t...
When you think about the brand Oris, you might picture a robust dive watch, functional and utilitarian, with a nice no-nonsense design and a relatively accessible price tag. You might also think of actions to save the planet, as this has become a recurring theme for the brand. What you couldn’t expect is a full gold dive watch with a GMT function… Until now! Meet the new Oris Carysfort...
The 2020 Australian Open is well underway in Melbourne and we have seen some major upsets in the first week of the tournament. Serena Williams was knocked out in three sets to China's Qiang Wang. This leaves Williams still chasing a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title. Fifteen-year-old American teenage sensation Coco Gauff knocked out Japanese defending champion Naomi Osaka, in straight sets. I...
The Octo Finissimo Automatic needs no introduction. Since its launch in 2017, it has established its place on the market and became an indubitable member of the Luxury Sports Watch category. Modern, bold, monochromatic, ultra-ultra-thin, mechanically impressive and with its very own identity (something rare in this category). Now that this watch is well established, it is time for the brand to mov...
Year after year, the publication of the annual results of LVMH is no more a surprise… Growth has become the norm for the world’s largest luxury group, which operates in multiple businesses such as fashion, wine, perfumes, selective retailing and, of course, watches and jewellery – the group is the owner of Bvlgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer, Zenith and, a recent deal, the integration of ...
For once, a watch is given a name that makes sense! The Laureato Absolute is a study in light: thanks to the titanium structural elements of the case, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Light is lightweight, and thanks to its sapphire crystal case, light penetrates and illuminates the skeletonised movement. A limited-edition of 88 pieces, this latest iteration transforms the technical componen...
Certainly, EUR 5K or more will buy you superlative finishing, innovation, modern materials, superior precision… And status. Luxury watchmaking doesn’t come cheap – most of the time for obvious reasons – but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the desirable ticking sound of a mechanical watch with a much tighter budget. In fact, there are dozens of options availabl...
This will create a debate, no doubt about that… Every “petrolhead” will have his own opinion to the question: “What is the ultimate modern supercar?” There are multiple names that could be quoted here, such as the Ferrari F40, the Countach, the Veyron and many more of them that have a special place in the heart of car aficionados. Still, there’s one car that can...
This watch, the Universal Geneve Space Compax, is one of the classics of 1960s design, with all of the great elements needed to make a fairly complicated wristwatch seem practical and attractive at the same time. In the 1950s, the final DNA Chain double helix was discovered and influenced furniture designers with their coat stands and hat racks. Later, the 1960s were all about racing cars and ulti...
The elegant asymmetrical Arceau watch by Hermes reveals its openworked mechanical heart through a smoky sapphire crystal on the dial. Following in the footsteps of the former 41mm Arceau Squelette watches, this new model shrinks slightly in size to 40mm and features an intriguing smoked sapphire crystal that gets darker as it reaches the chapter ring. Let’s look at the new Hermes Arceau Sque...
The 2020 World Economic Forum (WEF) is currently underway in Davos, Switzerland. Davos has hosted the WEF since its inception in 1971. The mission of the WEF is “committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas“. Guests at the event include economists, heads of major cor...
When you think about Breguet, you probably picture a classic watch with elegant proportions, a guilloche dial and a beautifully executed movement. This is partially true, but there’s more to be said about the brand. Certainly, it is one of (if not the) most historically important brands, mainly because its founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet, is behind most of the innovations of the 18th/19th cen...
If you're looking for the modern equivalent of the Royal Oak, your search should start and finish with the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic. There, I said it. That might be a bitter pill to swallow for some watch collectors. After all, Bvlgari is (sadly and unjustifiably) still seen as a “jewellery” brand by some – but recent developments should prove them wrong. Regardless, the ...
If you follow watch industry news on a regular basis, you will have seen that last week the watchmaking division of the LVMH Group – TAG Heuer, Zenith and Hublot – as well as Bvlgari, were hosting their very own watch fair in Dubai, the LVMH Watch Week. We’ve presented most of the novelties to you, such as the new Serpenti Seduttori Tourbillon or new versions of the Octo Finissim...
Today we have a very special story… A story that I’m both sad and happy to write. Sad, for the main reason that it is all due to one of the world’s worse ecological events, the current Australian bushfire crisis. Yet, I’m also happy to write these words as multiple actors within the watch community – watch manufacturers and watch media – have decided to join a c...
Earlier this week, French luxury powerhouse LVMH staged its first Watch Week in Dubai to showcase the novelties of its four brands, Bvlgari, Hublot, Zenith and TAG Heuer (even though the latter had no new watches on display), which we’ve covered on MONOCHROME. But to end this rather intense week, let’s take a look at the three best watches that were introduced at the LVMH Watch Week in...
Hublot has always been disruptive. No debate, boldness is a motto there. It's the very essence of the brand to make you either love or hate it. But all that noise overshadows the real power of the Fusion concept: its creative versatility. Let's take a closer look at two very different watches that are actually the same, both based on the Classic Fusion Chronograph.Every year, Dutch retailer Schaap...
The Jardur Company of 874 Broadway, New York was a manufacture of “Navigation Instruments” as well as an importer of the Jardur Bezelmeter and Super FlightMaster aviation wristwatches and chronographs. In the early days of commercial flight, someone had to provide the navigational instruments, logbooks, charts, navigational aids and elapsed time recorders to make long-distance flight p...
The ever-evolving Constellation family introduces its fifth-generation collection for men. Omega's answer to the luxury sports watch category, all 26 models in the new Constellation collection measure 39mm, feature numerous aesthetic upgrades and are now running on Omega's Master Chronometer movement. Let’s have a first look at this new-gen Omega Constellation.Showing its clawsThe Omega Cons...
Among the multiple icons in watchmaking, when it comes to chronographs, TAG Heuer holds a special place in collector’s hearts, with models such as the Autavia, the Monaco, the Camaro and, of course, the Carrera. Following TAG Heuer’s strategy of reintroducing limited-edition vintage models, alongside modern iterations of its watches, the brand presents a superb edition of its cult chro...
Louis Erard's Excellence collection is populated with regulators, a historic display that had fallen into disuse but that is becoming more and more prevalent in watchmaking today. Usually reinterpreted in classic design codes, Louis Erard is determined to show the regulator in a new light and has invited external designers to jazz things up. We've already seen Alain Silberstein's zany colourful Ba...