Watches NEWS
Petrolhead Corner - Three racing cars so good they were banned
It is sometimes stated that the very first car race happened 5 minutes after the second-ever car was built. And to an extent, that is very true. Racing has been part of the automotive industry from day 1 basically, as people try to find out who is quickest in what car. The direct result is a race for innovation as well, as one tries to outdo the other. It’s pretty much an ego game at the end and something that attracts huge crowds the world over. But what happens if an engineer or race car driver has an idea that propels a car so much ahead of the field, it becomes unfair? Should it be allowed, should others try and catch up, should the rules be changed or should the car in question be banned outright? With that in mind, it’s time for another Petrolhead Corner episode looking at cars so good, they were banned from competition.?We’ve touched on the subject of banned cars before, but more from the perspective of legality or even downright cheating. Those focused on driv
First Look: The Elegant Black-Gold Vacheron Constantin Fiftysix Self-Winding
To attract and cultivate a new generation of watch enthusiasts who are still young but may develop a passion for collecting fine mechanical timepieces, Vacheron Constantin launched a new entry-level collection in 2018. Inspired by the design of the Reference 6073 introduced by the brand in 1956, the collection was aptly named Fiftysix, capturing the mood for vintage-looking watches while blending a mid-century aesthetic with a modern, casual urban vibe. At its debut, Vacheron Constantin presented the Fiftysix in both steel and pink gold versions, offering models such as the Self-Winding time and date, a Day-Date, and a Complete Calendar. Later that same year, a Tourbillon model was also introduced. Most recently, the brand has expanded the collection by adding the Fiftysix Self-Winding model in rose gold, featuring a black dial.? The new Fiftysix Self-Winding model features a pink gold case with a distinctive Maltese cross-inspired lug shape and measures 40mm in
Industry New: Richemont Reports Sales up by 8% For Third Quarter, Jewellery Taking the Lead over Watches
Switzerland-based luxury conglomerate Richemont Group has just issued its trading update for the nine months ended 31 December 2023. The group, which includes brands such as Cartier, IWC, JLC and Vacheron, reports sales up by 8% at constant exchange rates and by 4% at actual exchange rates to EUR 5.6 billion for the last quarter of 2023. At EUR 15.8 billion, sales over the nine-month period ending December 2023 increased by 11% at constant exchange rates and by 5% at actual exchange rates.In an uncertain macro-economic and geopolitical environment, Richemont reports growth for the last quarter of 2023 in almost all regions, business areas and channels at constant exchange rates. The growth was led by Japan (+18%) and Asia Pacific (+13%), Middle East & Africa (+10%) and the Americas (+8%) but contracted by 3% in Europe. The retail network had sales up +11% versus +4% for the wholesale network while online retail had sales down -5%.By business area, Jewellery Maisons (Bucellati, Cart
The Collector's Series: Up Close and Personal with the URWERK UR-103
Readers of The Collector's Series and the Collector's Corner know that I sometimes contribute to the column - writing articles for the series is just one more way for me to get excited about vintage watches. I read a little about a specific watch, go deeper down the rabbit hole, and before I know it, I'm looking for listings on Chrono24. Sometimes, I write weird, off-kilter posts like that time in October 2022 when I visited Ond?ej Berkus' atelier (and also a couple of weeks ago) and spent the day talking about watches and life with him. For this artistic freedom, I thank the team at MONOCHROME! This piece falls in that same vein. Call it my way of becoming better acquainted with a piece I own; call it the ramblings of someone who has now well and truly lost all his marbles. In any case, I hope you enjoy the ride. Because the story of this Urwerk UR-103 is quite a complex one.Editor’s Note: @aaaaaaaaaarian should be credited for some of the photos found in this article (images wi
Oliver Ike, the Guy Who Started Ikepod, Revives a Watch Brand Through Kickstarter - Monochrome Watches
Most likely you have heard of the brand Ikepod. It was a joint venture between Oliver Ike and designer Marc Newson, who also designed an Atmos for Jaeger-LeCoultre (a gorgeous blue glass sphere with a perpetual clock inside). Now both aren’t involved in Ikepod anymore and Oliver Ike had some ideas for a new watch: the Canopus Weekplanner. This mechanical wristwatch features a full calender displaying day of the week, date, week number, month and the moon phase and comes in a very ergonomically designed case.The brand that will be producing the timepieces is A. Manzoni & Fils. They produced watches from 1888 until 1978, when it was closed. With the Canopus Weekplanner they hope to relaunch the brand from Lugano. And they are looking for funds through Kickstarter. Just last week we told you about a similar project from Du Bois & Fils that has already found enough funders. This project from A. Manzoni & Fils, Oliver Ike and Finish designer Ilkka Suppanen has just been pu
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