Watches NEWS
Introducing Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin 15202IP - Titanium, Smoked Blue Dial (SIHH 2018)
As the modern incarnation of the very first luxury-sports watch created in 1972, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin 15202 needs no introduction anymore. Its octagonal shape, its screwed bezel, its integrated chain-like bracelet, its extra-thin automatic movement, its finely guilloched blue dial… Everything in this watch is iconic. Well, for the SIHH 2018, there’s a new version, and don’t be fooled by the familiar look, it has many more secrets than you might first expect. Please meet the?Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin 15202IP – and yes it is titanium and it has a?superb and unprecedented smoked blue dial.While we’re not going to retell the whole story again – most already know the history behind the creation of the 1972 Royal Oak, as the first example of a luxury-sports watch – it is good to mention that the Ref. 15202 is the most faithful iteration of AP’s icon currently in the collection. It is based on the same 39mm case as the
The Collector's Series - Watch journalist Tomasz Kieltyka and his Panerai Luminor Base 8 Days PAM00560 - Monochrome-Watches
It's been three months since we started our voyage to circle the globe in search of collectors and their stories. Amazingly it is only until this week that we came across a Panerai owner. It was in Poland when we met Tomasz Kie?tyka, the founder and other half of Chronos24.pl (we first met with Luckasz and his Tudor Heritage Chrono). He's a watch insider and a fine collector – and here is the story of his Panerai Luminor Base 8 Days PAM00560 and his journey through watches.Tomasz was born the same year as Some Girls album by The Rolling Stones. He was destined to be an electrical engineer, but life had other plans. Following a period at a creative advertising agency, he then founded Chronos24.pl. He started the website as a means of expressing his passion for watchmaking rather than a purely commercial proposition. I believe it was the idea that by building a successful platform from which he could discuss his passion, that it would free up his spare time and allow him to find pi
Montblanc 1858 Collection now with Bronze Cases (Review & Price)
The?Montblanc 1858 Collection certainly is one of our favorites here, at Monochrome. It indeed pays tribute to the military roots of the Villeret manufacture and the 1930s pilot watches produced at that time by Minerva (now part of Montblanc). Large diameters, highly contrasted dials, cathedral hands… all sounds perfectly vintage and faithful to the Minerva heritage. To even reinforce that vintage feel, the brand is about to introduce some new models in the collection, which for the first time will use bronze elements for the case, and this includes the stunning?Montblanc 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter, that we already showed you several times.The Montblanc 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition Bronze next to a vintage 1930s Minerva military chronograph (which was the inspiration for the 1858 collection) Ad - Scroll to continue with article The?Montblan
New brand - Vortic Watch Co. mixing antique American pocket-watch movements and 3D printed cases (live pics & price) - Monochrome Watches
Brands come and go, but history remains, we all know that. And that is exactly what Vortic Watch Co. embodies as a product. Instead of designing, engineering and building an innovative new product, Vortic Watch Co. feels that we had it right the first time and decided to go from there. The American Artisan Series by Vortic Watch Co. was born, roughly a hundred years ago - well at least for the movements, as the 3D printed cases are all except vintage ones.Vortic Watch Co. is headed by three Penn State University graduates, who played around with 3d printing in steel and eventually ended up launching a watch brand. Each and every watch built by Vortic Watch Co. has a 3d printed steel case in various different finishes and dimensions. 3d printing has seen a huge increase of possible applications over the past few years, whether it being plastics, steel or other type of material. We've also seen some of these applications wander over into the watch industry, like the 3d printed dials of A
Hands-On: The Tudor Black Bay 58 Burgundy, now with METAS Movement and More Updates
Of all the new releases from Tudor at this year’s Watches and Wonders, the standout piece was undoubtedly the evolution of the Black Bay 58 line, now presented in a striking all-burgundy design, with both the dial and bezel dressed in the deep red tone. While the dial colour holds historical significance, the real game-changer lies beneath the surface: the introduction of the METAS-certified chronometer Calibre MT5400-U. Combine that with a few more subtle, under-the-radar upgrades, and you’ve got more than just a pretty face a story worth telling. But before we dive into our hands-on impressions, let’s rewind and revisit the origins of the Black Bay 58.Revisiting the Black Bay 58The Tudor Black Bay line was introduced in 2012 alongside the Pelagos. From the start, the Black Bay redefined Tudor’s identity, injecting fresh energy, modern specs, and vintage charm into the brand and ultimately putting Tudor back on the map. It was pitched as a contemporary-sized di