Introducing: The AP Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon RD#3 37mm in White Gold
Considered the precursor of the luxury sports watch category, the Royal Oak turned fifty in 2022. As expected, Audemars Piguet went to town to fete its icon with a host of celebratory models. However, the excitement grew when AP unveiled the first 39mm Jumbo to be fitted with an ultra-thin flying tourbillon (calibre 2968). Officially known as the Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Extra-Thin RD#3, the 39mm Jumbo was followed by a second steel model in a smaller 37mm case with a vibrant purple Petite Tapisserie dial. Today, AP releases a more luxurious version of its 37mm flying tourbillon in a white gold case gleaming with baguette-cut diamonds in the bezel.AP's extra-thin flying tourbillon movement – calibre 2968 – marked the brand's third Research & Development project. As a complication previously reserved for 41mm diameters, AP's technical team took five years to rethink the architecture to adapt it to the 39mm and 37mm models. Ad - Scroll to continu

ATTACK OF THE CLONES! See What Happens When a Body and Face are CLONED - But the Soul is Nowhere to be Found! - Monochrome Watches
I’m truly sorry to dredge up this subject once again – but I’ve been asked by some highly influential people to pontificate on the sordid subject of ‘so called’ clone watches.A few weeks ago I shared an exchange of messages back and forth with Monochrome-Watches.com Editor, Founder, Head-Honcho and newly-wed: Frank Geelen. This t¨ºte-¨¤-t¨ºte was initiated by a clone' watch Frank saw in the window of an Italian jewelry shop. We then played a little game of yeah – but did you know about THIS one' sending links to auctions for clone watches back and forth. By the time we were done we were both a bit shocked at how many there were and we were also a bit horrified that the companies that created these watches were not fly-by-night organizations, they were generally well-regarded brands in the industry, with serious credentials and credibility at stake! Ad - Scroll to continue with article

Richemont Announces Quarterly Results ahead of SIHH 2019 - Monochrome Watches
Just before the opening of SIHH 2019?(Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie), Switzerland-based luxury conglomerate Richemont has released its trading update for the quarter ended 31 December 2018. Richemont announced that sales in the quarter rose 25% at actual exchange rates and 24% at constant exchange rates – results that should, however, be nuanced across?the business portfolio.Organic growth in-line with expectationsRichemont’s results are mainly boosted by the consolidation of Yoox Net-A-Porter and Watchfinder (reflecting Richemont's efforts to build direct online sales channels). YNAP has been consolidated since May 1st and Watchfinder since June 1st.Excluding its recent e-commerce acquisitions, the luxury group said that sales for the period increased by 6% at actual exchange rates and 5% at constant exchange rates – an announcement?in-line with market expectations. Ad - Scroll to continue with article

In Review: The Porsche Design Monobloc Actuator 24H-Chronotimer - Monochrome Watches
Over the last few years, Porsche Design has come out with several interesting new models, like the stealth-looking Chronotimer Series 1 and the classically understated 1919 Globetimer. Both demonstrate Porsche Design's ongoing commitment to high-quality engineering, combined with pared back technical design. This trend continues in 2017, with the launch of the Monobloc Actuator 24H-Chronotimer, officially unveiled at Baselworld earlier this year. Join us as we review this remarkable new watch in-depth. ?When it comes to longevity in the luxury watch industry, innovation is the name of the game. It's not enough just to create nice looking watches, you must innovate to stay relevant, whether it be improvements to the internal mechanics, using new and exotic materials in the case and dial construction, or simply coming up with entirely new ways of doing things. Porsche Design has always understood this concept, which is why the company created the world's first ever titanium chronograph w

Vintage Meets EV revolution, with an Electrified Classic Mini - Monochrome Watches
Returning readers of MONOCHROME might have picked up on a few hints and stories that have sparked (pun intended) this one. The EV revolution in the automotive industry. Where the average Joe is accustomed to seeing electric vehicles on the road by now, with vast numbers of Tesla's whizzing around, there's one segment that has been getting more and more traction: classic car conversions. We've covered a high-dollar, extremely limited bespoke Rolls Royce Phantom V by Lunaz Design, but this time around we dive into an electric car conversion that is a) much more affordable and b) probably a lot more everyday fun!Once again, I truly hope that this trend of converting vintage cars to electric power, whether you like it or not, doesn't transcend into classic watches converted to quartz movements. Of course, the two are completely different and I highly doubt a classic Patek Philippe or Breguet will ever be retro-fitted with a quartz movement. The trend to convert vintage cars to electric pow