While the time-only automatic model, the shockingly thin tourbillon automatic and the recently presented chronograph have been at centre stage in the Octo Finissimo collection, we shouldn’t forget one of the earliest watches presented in this saga of world records… The Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater. First introduced in matte titanium, and followed by a bold carbon edition, a n...
During the LVMH Watch Week in Dubai, Hublot has unveiled its Big Bang Integral collection with integrated bracelets and the third iteration of tattoo artist Maxime Buchi's Big Bang Unico Sang Bleu II chronograph. The overall design and functionality of the Sang Bleu II are identical to the two existing models, but the colour scheme for 2020 is matte blue, the same blue used by the tattoo artist fo...
Hublot is certainly most known for its luxury sports watches with shaped cases, fusion of material and integrated straps. There is, however, another collection at Hublot that we somehow tend to overlook, a collection of shaped watches, with a barrel-like case, the Spirit Of Big Bang. Part of the 2020 novelties presented in Dubai, Hublot introduced its 10-day power reserve movement in this collecti...
No watch enthusiast can overlook Bvlgari’s hegemony of the ultra-thin category. The formula is simple: 5 stunning watches, 5 world records, 1 great design. Not only is the Octo Finissimo a demonstration of mechanical savoir-faire but it is also a treaty of modern design. Until now, the “simplest” of the watches in this collection, the Automatic model, has been available in titani...
Monochromatic, full-black, stealth… What a bold watch! While the classic titanium or steel versions of the Octo Finissimo Automatic need little or no introduction anymore, fewer might know that a full black ceramic version was also introduced at Baselworld 2019 – well, it wasn’t forgotten by someone from the team who declared it as “one of the best watches of the year”...
LVMH's first round of 2020 watchmaking novelties is being unveiled in the luxurious Dubai Bvlgari Hotel today. So what could be more fitting that a quick peek at the highlight of Bvlgari's watchmaking releases: the Serpenti Seduttori Tourbillon. In keeping with Bvlgari's recent tradition of setting world records in the watchmaking arena, this new Serpenti Seduttori collection features the smallest...
It is hard to overlook the current trend for sports watches with integrated bracelets… They are simply all over the place and in all price segments. Hublot, one of the main participants in the robust luxury sports watch, has been aware of this and already had such an option in its Classic Fusion watch. But, surprisingly, the Big Bang, the sportier, bolder version (a competitor to the RO Offs...
It is now well-established that Oris has a strong commitment to protecting the seas and waters around the world. While this might not be the natural mission of a watchmaker, the brand has undertaken to create watches that will help draw attention and help raise funds to support several environmental projects. See, for instance, the Oris Ocean Trilogy, the Great Barrier Reef III or the “Clean...
The luxury sports watch is hotter than ever: just try and get your hands on an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak or a?Patek Philippe Nautilus at a retailer and you’ll see what we mean. Numerous brands have responded to this unabating trend for luxury sports watches and 2020 kicks off with a novel steel watch with all the DNA of the genre, including an integrated bracelet and a shaped case. But once ...
Just before Father Christmas made his rounds in 2019, Oris delivered a full bronze version of its Big Crown Pointer Date. When we say full bronze we are referring to a bronze case, a bronze bezel, a bronze crown and even a bronze dial. We reviewed the 80th anniversary models of the Big Crown in 2018 decked out in bronze (36mm and 40mm) with green dials, but this is the first time bronze makes its ...
New year, new decade and… new expectations too. We, at MONOCHROME, love watches and the watchmaking industry as a whole. No debate. And well, you know the drill, “spare the rod, spoil the child”. Since we enjoy watches and horology that much, we can’t help being critical, expecting more, wanting the industry to improve, to evolve and to offer more. So, as 2020 is kicking of...
Today is Tuesday so if you were expecting a new watch…it had to be a Speedmaster. And guess what, you’re about to be served. After the reintroduction of the historical chronograph Calibre 321, the same one that was in the original 1957 Speedmaster and that was tested by NASA, and the platinum watch with this movement inside, Omega surprises us with another great novelty, again with thi...
Following the wild, avant-garde Organic Time watches, microbrand Dietrich is back with a refined, more disciplined approach with the Dietrich Device 1 (DD-1). Many design elements have been carried over to continue the organic design theme, such as a rounded hexagonal case, multidimensional dial and integrated lugs beneath the case, but the overall aesthetic has changed significantly. The movement...
Panerai first introduced an equation of time complication to its Luminor family in 2015. Perhaps not the most useful complication on the market, the equation of time will certainly spark a conversation. Luckily, the watch does have other practical complications onboard its formidable 47mm titanium hull with GMT functionality, AM/PM indicator, date and month and the powerful luminescence and robust...
Have you ever bought a vintage watch and wondered what life it led before it ended up in your hands? Well, this is a partial history of one such watch, a Heuer Autavia Viceroy 1163.In 2001 I had a long conversation with a retired Iowa farmer called Jim who had a vintage Heuer Autavia for sale on eBay. I wanted to buy the watch but the seller had stated No International Shipping' so I contacted him...
Last week, we published an in-depth technical article on the ETA C07.811 movement, also known as the Powermatic. This time, we’ll show how versatile this movement and its evolutions really are. In this guide, we'll take a look at three watches from Hamilton, Tissot and Certina with totally different concepts – dressy, diver or military – all equipped with slightly different calib...
The Senator Chronometer Regulator made its debut in 2013 but can trace its layout all the way back to the 1870s when the tiny Saxon town of Glashutte was an important purveyor of precision chronometers and other timekeeping instruments like regulator clocks. Let's take a closer look at the Senator Chronometer Regulator in red gold and see how a historic precision regulator display can add a refres...
Our videos, which we’d prefer to call “in-depth movies”, are something we’re very proud of, here at MONOCHROME. We take a lot of time and energy to produce them since we believe that seeing a watch or a concept in video and not in photo dramatically helps to understand the beauty that is hidden in these timekeeping objects. This year, 2019, we’ve produced over 60 vide...
A smaller case, a more contemporary design and a chronometer-certified manufacture movement inside; there's a lot to like about the new monochromatic Chopard L.U.C Chrono One Flyback. Not to mention the fact that this model is offered in steel – albeit in a limited edition of only 250 pieces. Given that previous iterations have only been available in precious metals - and larger cases - I wo...
As a Managing Editor, I love to challenge the redaction team at MONOCHROME. So a few weeks ago, I gathered most of our editors and contributors and came with THE big question, one that seems simple at first, but in fact, isn’t. One short question: “choose your favourite watch of 2019”, with no other rule than that. No consideration of price, of availability, of manufacturer or of...
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. was not originally the urban teen clothing brand we know today Named after its founder David T Abercrombie, it was bought and incorporated in 1904 to become Abercrombie & Fitch. It was essentially an early luxury brand focusing on outdoorsy types, offering very high-quality items, shotguns, fishing rods, canoes, camping equipment, objects made for the well-heeled' t...
Have you ever wondered how Swatch Group brands like Tissot, Certina, Hamilton and Mido can make reliable, robust and accurate mechanical watches of good quality at very reasonable prices? Take a look inside the cases and you'll see the answer ticking there: the movement that seriously raises the bar for the entire industry. Its name: Powermatic. Entry-level, yes, but without being cheap.MONOCHROME...
The reassuring tick-tock of the table clock has by and large been replaced by more modern contraptions for telling the time. Sadly, table clocks, once a ubiquitous presence on the mantelpiece of many homes, have gone the way of drinks trolleys and soda siphons. However, there is one table clock that has survived the tide of changing fashions and continues to fascinate with its perpetual movement a...
As 2019 is coming to an end, we've gathered the MONOCHROME redaction team and started to think about the watches that most impressed us this year. After a look at the best chronographs, the best dive watches,?the best traveller's watches?and our favourite accessible watches, it is time to look at the stuff dreams are made of… The inaccessible, the exceptional, the watches without compromise ...
For the past 10+ years MONOCHROME has been about new watches and although the focus has pretty much always been on “new” – we always blended in a lot of history, technicalities and finishing – there was sometimes the odd story about a vintage watch. But that’s gonna change. Today we’re starting “The Vintage Corner”, our weekly rendez-vous on the topi...
Some stories are more fascinating than others. With most microbrands that are (successfully or not) launching, there's very often the same pitch; at the beginning, a passion for watches and later the wish to create something that couldn't be found on the market. We've heard that many times, true story or not. But with Dan Henry, things are more genuine, more tangible. If you wonder if Dan has a pa...
As the official partner of the famous Italian Mille Miglia Endurance race for over three decades now, Chopard celebrates its long-standing alliance with two limited-edition Mille Miglia models. Earlier this year, we reviewed the Mille Miglia Race Edition Chronograph dedicated to the historic rally from Brescia to Rome and back. Now it's time to take a closer look at the limited-edition Mille Migli...
The Luxury Sports Watch… The hottest of the categories these days, the one everybody talks about, the one everybody wants and the one that creates most premium over retail (sadly…) So, hardly surprising, there have been new brands appearing on the market, some high-end, some on the other side of the spectrum, some expected, some clearly not. Bell & Ross was in the ‘unexpected...
Last year, I had the chance to interview F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton, just before the French Grand-Prix. Part of the discussion was, of course, his impressive racing results but also something more in line with our usual topics; watches. I asked him what if he had the opportunity to design his own IWC watch. He answered “red gold is my favourite (…) I love the Big Pilot's watch, I love...
Pour une fois, cet episode de “The Petrolhead Corner” sera en fran?ais… Ok sorry, switching back to our usual English. But I could have gone French all the way, as today’s topic is bleu, very bleu. As some of you might know, I’m French, I love cars and I love sports and vintage engines – hence this weekly car-related column. As such, without surprise, I have a s...