The Collector's Series - Diving deep with Mark's Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Chronographe Flyback Quantieme Complet - Monochrome Watches
When you think iconic dive watches', what comes to mind?… Submariner? Sea-Dweller? Omega Seamaster? Panerai Radiomir?… Well, the good news is you would be absolutely correct. However, you would have overlooked one heavy hitter of the watch world: the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, a watch seen by many hard-core divers as an essential tool in their armoury and by many collectors as their pride and joy. It is not just a functional watch, but a historically important one. And today we're happy to show you a very nice example,?together?with Mark and his Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Chronographe Flyback Quantieme Complet.It was back in 1953 the first commercial Fifty Fathoms was released. The watch was developed by Jacques Fiechter, Blancpain CEO at the time and an early scuba diving fan. It was later refined for French combat divers with the addition of magnetic shielding. The story begins when Captain Robert Bob Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaud, both commanders at the French C

The Byrne GyroDial changes faces day by day with four rotating cubes
Versatility is what brings a certain degree of joy to us all. At least, that’s what I’d like to believe when it comes to life and watches. Each and every one of us is unique, with different feelings, emotions, preferences and likes and dislikes. Just compare collectors and their watches, and you’ll note there are no two alike. But in watchmaking, designs are mostly fixed, with zero versatility. Sure, you can opt for a different case material or a dial colour, but once the purchase is made, the versatility ends there. Some mix it up with different straps, but the watch itself remains the same as when you bought it. Every now and then, watches come along that tend to break that cycle and offer real, bona fide versatility. Two-faced watches like the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso or the Bovet Monsieur Bovet already provide several designs in a single watch. Newcomer Byrne Watches taps into that same sensation with its inaugural GyroDial.Byrne Watches is founded by John Byrne,

Hands-On with the very Monochrome Hublot Big Bang Unico Sapphire All Black - Monochrome Watches
Monochrome and exposing intricate mechanics definitely sounds like something we love here, at Monochrome-Watches! Living up to the promise and presented at Baselworld 2016, the Hublot Big Bang Unico Sapphire All Black features a smoked transparent case crafted out of sapphire, based on the already introduced clear version. Time to go hands-on with a time-stopper not to be left in the dark.Light and ShadowsWhen Hublot presented the Big Bang in 2005, innovation in materials was the central idea. Its sandwiched' case construction was designed to work with different metals or composites, and was the platform to build exploration expertise in innovative materials: scratchproof gold (the Magic Gold, Hublot's own alloy, a porous ceramic filled with 24k gold), hi-tech ceramics, magnesium or carbon fiber to name a few - and even some high-end Berluti leather. Ad - Scroll to continue with article

Hands-On - Longines Spirit 40mm Black Dial (Specs & Price)
Introduced earlier this year as a full range of watches, the Longines Spirit is probably one of the brand’s most important new collections in recent years. Entirely new for the winged hourglass, equipped with high-end features, clearly focused on precision and reliability, the Spirit is a classic pilot’s watch that combines old-school design cues with a contemporary execution. Available in multiple editions, with several colours, sizes and movements, today we look at what could well become the bestseller: the Longines Spirit 40mm, a time-and-date watch with a black dial.?A classic conceptLongines is one of the Swiss watch brands with the richest history. Founded in 1832 in Saint-Imier in the Swiss Jura, Longines became renowned for timing sports events thanks to its early chronograph pocket watches. This reputation for reliable and precise timing instruments would become the brand’s hallmark and with the advent of military and civilian aviation, and thus the need for

Patek Philippe The Art of Watches Grand Exhibition New York 2017
Never before has a watch brand taken over the entirety of the historic bank building that today houses Cipriani 42nd Street for an entire month, let alone build an entire two-story building inside the cavernous hall. Patek Philippe, however, did exactly that – and so much more. July 13 marked the opening of the 10-day long exhibition called Patek Philippe – The Art of Watches Grand Exhibition. Open to the public free of charge until of July 23, this is one exhibition you will not want to miss.Not only did Patek Philippe bring in hundreds of watches from its museum and other museums, but also - among the more than 450 timepieces on display - brought in some of the most coveted historic pieces - including watches owned by President John F. Kennedy and American baseball legend, Joe DiMaggio, among others. Additionally, the brand showcases its high complications and its rare handcrafts¡ªunveiling many one-of-a-kind pieces. To celebrate its legacy and its relationship with Americ