Hands-On - Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding 37mm 15550ST
Refreshing a watch that has marked the identity of a brand for fifty years, which saved the brand from the onslaught of quartz in the 1970s and gave birth to an entirely new genre known as the luxury sports watch, is a delicate balancing act. One too many tweaks and you risk altering its gene pool; no change at all, and you perpetuate a dinosaur. As our readers know, Gerald Genta’s 1972 luxury stainless steel sports watch, christened the Royal Oak, marked a before and after in watch design, spawning one of the most competitive segments in the watch market today. Although the stars of the 50th-anniversary celebrations of the Royal Oak were the?RO Jumbo Extra-Thin 16202 and the Openworked 16204, the brand announced that the range of permanent Royal Oaks would also be updated throughout 2022, which includes this RO Selfwinding 37mm with a new automatic movement. As you will discover, the facelift in no way alters the physiognomy of Genta’s dynamic design but refines its silhou

Hublot Sports a New Shop in Shanghai - Monochrome Watches
Hublot, a brand always closely associated with sporting culture has opened a new store in the heart of Shanghai's watch and luxury goods epicenter. Let's take a look inside their new West Nanjing Road Boutique to see the latest additions to their starting line-up!Right from the company's inception in 1980, Hublot watches, featuring their distinctive natural rubber straps, have been on the wrists of the world's sporting crowd. By being the first company to mount robust looking cases of steel and gold directly onto natural rubber straps, Hublot became an alternative for active people seeking something with more style than a tool-watch with luxurious tinsel and more substance than an oversized dress watch. Ad - Scroll to continue with article Hublot watches soon found a following with Europe's elite (Hublot became a favorite of Juan Carlos - King of Spain!) Hublot

Opinion - what to think about the new Piaget Polo S and Polo S Chronograph in steel (specs & price) - Monochrome Watches
In an event that occurred yesterday night in New York City, Piaget, the manufacture?known for ultra-thin watches, introduced a brand new version of its sports watch, the Polo. This new?Piaget Polo S is special in?several aspects, as first of all it shows an entirely new design – previous watches looked like this (click here)?and were still rather consistent since the inception of the model in 1979 – and secondly, it is made in?steel (previous series were in?gold or titanium). It becomes the new “entry-level” for the brand, and is a new proposal for the?luxury sports watch segment. With its pretty?face and in-house movements, the new Piaget Polo S?seems to be a pretty good deal, however that pretty face looks familiar….?Introducing?the?new Piaget Polo S and Polo S Chronograph in steelFor this brand new edition, the Piaget Polo undergoes a serious refreshing cure. The design of the collection, which was consistent since its inception in 1979 (a sort of cushi

Interview: An Encounter with Wizard Watchmaker Ludwig Oechslin, The Creator of the Ulysse Nardin Freak
Historian, archaeologist, mathematician, philosopher and watchmaker, Ludwig Oechslin is the perfect example of a polymath whose knowledge across different disciplines fuels his innovation and creativity. In the 1980s, his encounter with Rolf W. Schnyder turned Ulysse Nardin into one of the most innovative watch brands around. The presentation of a new Freak at Dubai Watch Week 2023 gave us the perfect opportunity to sit down with this wizard watchmaker.?Xavier Markl, MONOCHROME – What is your first horological memory, and how did you get hooked on watchmaking?Ludwig?Oechslin – When I was a kid at boarding school, the school bell used to ring every hour of the day. When I went to university, there were no more bells to let you know that a class was starting, and I figured I needed a watch to tell the time. But I was not a wristwatch fan. So, I started looking for a pocket watch. The first watch that I saw and wanted was a repeater. But it was out of my reach. I bought a less

Book Review: The Millennium Watch Book Travel Watch Edition
Following the previous 4 editions - The Millennium Watch Book, Tourbillon Watches, Divers Watches and Chronographs - GMT Publishing now releases a fifth opus in their The Millenium book series. This 2024 edition is dedicated to travel watches (displaying additional time zones), a highly practical and purposeful function for globetrotters, frequent travellers and those doing business around the world.Just like the previous volumes, this fifth sequel of The Millennium Watch Book is presented in a hard XXL coffee-table format. This 200-page opus is lavishly illustrated with some 1,000 photos. Besides essential information about travel watches and their functionalities, it brings together a selection of 50 essential travel watches produced since 2000. Gracing the cover of this year's edition is the latest evolution of one of the most iconic world timers - the Patek Philippe Universal Time 5330. Ad - Scroll to continue with article