The wait is over! On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing, we now know which watch is featuring the re-edition of the iconic movement Omega 321 – a movement as legendary as the Moonwatch itself. Announced earlier this year, this movement is going to equip one of the most high-end Speedy models ever. Meet the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum.Some might have expecte...
Recently, Girard-Perregaux, which is now managed by the same man as sister-brand Ulysse Nardin, has undergone a bold evolution, with sportier designs and modernity in the construction of its movements. One of the pillars of the collection remains the elegant 1966 watch. Formerly regarded as a somewhat ‘restrained’ dress piece incorporating precious metals, the latest version of this wa...
While yesterday Swatch Group announced mild results with declining sales, it is now time for its main competitor, Richemont Group, to publish its financial results for the first quarter ended 30 June 2019 (note: Richemont’s financial year starts on April 1st). And the report is overall positive, with certain exceptions on some regions and activities.?On the first three months of its year 201...
An international multi-brand watch club aimed at anyone with an interest in luxury mechanical watches, the Fine Watch Club - which we already introduced here - just kicked off its sales activities with a Bvlgari Octo Finissimo special edition. Perfect timing to talk with the Fine Watch Club's Managing Director, Julien Haenny, and understand what is exactly the goal behind this collector's initiati...
Swatch Group has just announced its first half-year report 2019 and the results aren’t positive. Both sales and profitability have been impacted, after a positive year 2018. However, the Swatch Group anticipates full-year revenue growth.At just over CHF 4 million, the group’s net sales are down 3.7% at constant exchange rates and down 4.4% at current rates. The operating result is down...
Most people over the weekend were watching Wimbledon for the Men's and Women's championship matches in addition to the 2019 Cricket World Cup. The 2019 Formula One British Grand Prix at Silverstone was slightly overshadowed by these two events. But for those who watched it, Daniel Craig, who plays James Bond and is currently filming parts of the upcoming Bond 25 film, was in attendance for the rac...
If you are a recurring reader of MONOCHROME or simply into independent watchmaking, you are probably familiar with Armin Strom and their innovative Resonance concept. Launched with the Mirrored Force Resonance in 2016, later used to regulate a dual-time watch, the brand's first Masterpiece, the second chapter in this ultra-complex series of watches has just been presented And here, resonance is us...
Panerai watches and their military roots need no introduction anymore. The brand, founded in Florence, Italy, supplied military forces only for more than half a century. This background is part of the brand’s DNA and most of the design elements have been created with military requirements in mind. Today, the brand pays tribute to its history as the sole supplier of wristwatches to the Royal ...
July 1969 – July 2019. In?a week, the world will celebrate one of mankind’s greatest achievements: walking on the Moon. On July 20th 1969 (or July 21st depending on where you are on Earth), 3 men, onboard a not-so-safe rocket named Saturn V, travelled to our nearest satellite and?2 of them (Aldrin and Armstrong) step foot on the Moon. Strapped on their wrist was a legendary chronograph...
Sylvester Stallone, an American actor, director and producer, needs no introduction anymore. He is best known to people worldwide for creating and playing the character Rocky Balboa, the underdog boxer in the Rocky film series and portraying the fictional special forces solider, John Rambo. This year will see the release of the final film in the Rambo franchise.Stallone has been a watch guy for lo...
As Bernie Ecclestone already taught us with his infamous black-eyed Hublot-advertisements, owning very desirable watches does come with some risks. Giuliano Mazzuoli knows that better than anyone else. UnfortunatelyFrom a robbery to Crowe's and Sheeran's wristsWhen Giuliano Mazzuoli entered his workshops on the early morning on Sunday, May 12, the Italian watchmaker encountered a nightmare. I noti...
The never-ending birthday party of the Lange 1 receives its sixth celebratory watch, the Lange 1 Moon Phase 25th Anniversary. As the ambassador of the Saxon brand, the Lange 1 is being regaled with ten very special watches, unveiled one by one on a monthly basis until October 2019. Gift-wrapped in the same silver and blue colour scheme as the five preceding models, this is the second moon phase mo...
Today in New York, TAG Heuer just presented the third of five limited-edition timepieces to mark the Heuer Monaco’s 50th anniversary. We could have expected the brand to come with faithful vintage re-editions, but instead, TAG Heuer will create 5 watches inspired by 5 different decades. After a funky 1970s Green version and a bold, fiery red racing-inspired model for the 1980s, it is time to...
Do we even need to introduce the IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph anymore…? This watch certainly is amongst the most iconic pieces manufactured by the Schaffhausen-based brand and, in its modern version, sums up years of slow evolution of the Pilot’s Watch concept at IWC. Usually seen in black with a utilitarian look (under the ref. IW3777), IWC today brings a cool and unprecedented racin...
The bi-annual Only Watch charity auction is upon us once again. We've shared the entire list of entries for this year's auction, and covered a few pieces separately so far. Next up from the ever-impressive list of unique pieces is a surprising collaboration between Singer Reimagined and GoS Watches. A collaboration that was sparked during our traditional Baselworld Schnitzel Dinner. This is the Si...
Making a name in the watch industry when you’re not Swiss and don’t have a 150-year pedigree isn’t an easy task. Apart from the usual quality and price aspects, the key is differentiation – which can lead to making things in an exaggerated way. Finding the balance between this need for being different and beautiful, elegant and timeless design will be salvation. Has Dutch b...
As the largest watch retailer in Europe (if not worldwide), Bucherer has the power to ask brands to be a bit flexible and create specifically designed watches. Those are named the “Bucherer Blue Editions” and, as you’ve probably guessed (or already know), they all share the same theme: blue details. One of the latest models in this series that comprises multiple (cool) watches is...
On July 16th, 1969 started one of the most incredible journeys of mankind. Onboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft were 3 men – Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins. On July 21st, 1969, the Apollo Lunar Module landed on the Moon. A few hours later, 2 of these men will make history, as stepping onto the lunar surface. What was on the wrists of these astronauts? A black-dial sports chronograph made by Omega...
Goodwood FoS “Festival of Speed”… If you’re into cars, you probably know that this event has become one of the major car-related events of the year. But on the contrary to the cold halls of the Paris “Mondial de l’Auto” or the Geneva International Motor Show, Goodwood FoS is all about smoking tyres, noise, action and accessibility to the cars for the gener...
An icon among icons… This is how we would sum up the Doxa SUB300. Recently, the brand has revived its most legendary model in multiple editions, starting with an almost 1-to-1 re-edition for the 50th anniversary, followed by specific “Aqualung” branded models in orange, silver or black – the so-called “Sharkhunter”. However, there was one major problem with them...
As you know, our first impressions of the 2018 launch of the Fiftysix?collection were mixed. Introduced as the brand's more casual collection, with steel options and automatic movements, and choice of complications. The Fiftysix?taps into the ongoing trend for vintage-style watches by taking inspiration from a VC model of 1956 and has lightened up the mood of the dial with contemporary and more ca...
For the 2019 edition of Only Watch, the biennial fundraiser for research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Ulysse Nardin has taken inspiration from the developments of the EPFL (ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne) research group REHAssist. Meet the Ulysse Nardin Exo-Skeleton X for Only Watch 2019 with its innovative case construction.According to Dr Mohamed Bouri, head of the research group RE...
Mido is a brand that sometimes flies under the radar, at least here in the United States. Brands like Hamilton, Tissot and Longines seem to garner more attention in the USD 1,000 race, but Mido has both a storied history and portfolio that shouldn't be overlooked. The brand's Multifort line has been in production since 1934 and was the first Mido with an automatic movement. The watches were anti-m...
Black and gold or black and bronze watches are pretty hot commodities these days. Who can forget the Sea-Dweller Rolesor, the Tudor Black Bay Chrono or even the Bell & Ross BR V2-94 Belly Tanker? Oris joins the black and gold “John Player Special” gang with this Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph, a solid diver/chrono with a cool vintage vibe and a competitive price tag. Launched at B...
Following the watches we’ve already presented for the charity auction Only Watch 2019, it is now time to look at Audemars Piguet’s contribution. In 2017, the Le Brassus-based brand presented a unique blue dial version of its full ceramic Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar for the fund-raising event. This year, the brand takes its latest and controversial creation and donates a unique two-ton...
Every two years the Only Watch auction is celebrated… But what is it exactly? It is a biennial charity auction of unique timepieces created by the finest brands for research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy. With more than 40 million Swiss Francs collected since 2005 and around 50 brands represented, Only Watch is the premier international watchmaking charity event. It takes place under the pa...
Here it is… The multi-million watch, potential record-breaker as the most expensive watch to be auctioned by Only Watch – remember the 5208T from 2017 (sold for CHF 6,200,000) and the 5016A from 2015 (sold for CHF 7,300,000)? What you’re looking at here is a unique example of an extremely rare piece, Patek’s most complicated wristwatch ever, the Ref. 6300, direct descendant...
The Tudor Black Bay collection is a never-ending success. This model has already appeared in multiple materials – steel, PVD-coated steel, bronze, two-tone – without talking about the multiple designs, complications and size options. One concept that Tudor hasn’t explored yet is ceramic. Things are about to change, as for Only Watch 2019?the brand introduces the Tudor Black Bay C...
Watch dials rarely venture to red. Less formal than dark colours, red grabs your attention. But red can be very attractive and elegant, as you’ll see. Especially if you are confident in your ability to carry off colours or like to stand out from the crowd. If this is the case, we have rounded up five great red dial watches presented recently.Note: this selection is based on a consensus among...
It isn't the first time we take a look at watchmaker Urban Jurgensen. If you're frequent readers of MONOCHROME, you know how special the watches made by this manufacture of Haute Horlogerie are. On a collector's side, there is a lot to love here, from the superbly elegant designs, the insane attention to details (those hands) or the beautiful movements. But What is it like to run a company like th...