Hands-On - Dominique Renaud Concept DR01 With Innovative Escapement (Live Photos & Video)
Innovation in the field of escapements and oscillators is the new frontier in technological breakthrough of mechanical watches, as evidenced by revolutionary concepts by Ulysse Nardin, Girard-Perregaux, Parmigiani Fleurier or more recently the Zenith Defy Lab and its mind-blowing oscillator. Among these, Dominique Renaud presented an impressive concept dubbed DR01, the first of twelve just before Baselworld 2016. His idea is to manufacture 12 watches (each to be commissioned, personalized and priced at CHF 1,000,000), 12 evolutions of the concept to reach a fully developed version. It is now time for the horologist to unveil the progress made with this development and introduce the first watch in this series of twelve. Monochrome reports from Geneva where Dominique Renaud is exhibiting his project and the first watch in the series of 12.A veteran of the Swiss watch industry, Dominique Renaud is known for founding some 40 years ago Renaud & Papi (now Audemars Piguet Renaud Papi R

Hands-On - IWC Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition Rodeo Drive IW503001 (Specs & Price)
2019 has been earmarked as?the year of Pilot’s Watches at IWC. ?This has not translated into a complete overhaul of the collection (something that we applaud, as we think it is important to?keep the classical models intact) but with the introduction of new models in sub-collections – mainly?TOP GUN and Spitfire. Apart from all the watches we have presented recently, there was an additional model that caught our attention. Based on the super-cool Black-and-Blue scheme introduced in 2015 on the time-only Big Pilot’s, this year IWC adds a new model: Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Rodeo Drive”.In early December 2015, IWC opened a new boutique in?Beverly Hills, on Rodeo Drive. To celebrate the opening, a limited edition model, the reference IW502003 Big Pilot's Watch Edition Boutique “Rodeo Drive”, was released. Limited to 250 pieces and available at the Rodeo Drive boutique and other IWC stores around the world, this watch intr

Exclusive: the truth about the real Armstrong's and Aldrin's Speedmaster references and how the Omega Speedmaster became the Moonwatch - Monochrome-Watches
We got it! The real story about how the Omega Speedmaster became the Moonwatch and all references of the watches worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin during Apollo 11 Mission. Until now there has never been complete, nor fully confirmed information about these matters. Together with the Omega Museum, Monochrome brings for the first time ever the full story, and sheds light on what has been hidden in the vaults.?When we set out to write our three-part History of the Omega Speedmaster articles, we reached out to Omega – the Omega Museum to be precise – for help to verify some historical and technical details. The museum went over all details (everything is approved now) and we started talking about how the Moonwatch became the NASA's official watch, about the difference in reference numbers of the astronaut's watches, as mentioned in various articles and books, and more. Today we bring you the exclusive story that should end all speculations and urban legends. We hope you'l

Hands-On - Patek Philippe Chronograph Annual Calendar 5905R-001 Brown Dial (Specs & Price)
The watch we’re looking at today certainly wasn’t Patek Philippe‘s main novelty of 2019. If you want some fresh, truly unprecedented pieces, you’ll have to look at the Calatrava Weekly Calendar 5212A, the Alarm Travel Time 5520P or the (superb) Chronograph 5172G. And so what?… Can’t we just enjoy a new edition of an existing watch, especially when it’s a Chronograph Annual Calendar and that now comes in one hell of a beautiful colour combination? Well, we can and here’s a look at the pink gold/brown dial Patek Philippe Chronograph Annual Calendar 5905R.BackgroundTo understand where the Chronograph Annual Calendar 5905R comes from, a bit of history is required. This watch is the last evolution of a model that sums up what Patek does best: calendar chronographs! Certainly, most of us will have in mind the ultimate combo, the QP-Chrono, a lineage started in 1941 with the reference 1518, followed by the references 2499, 3970, 5970 and 5270. S

MB&F LM Thunderdome Triple Axis Regulator / Review, Price
Max Busser and Friends, or simply MB&F, was created as an avant-garde horological lab with a vision: gathering talents to create radical mechanical art pieces. For its latest creation, Busser got two of his long-time friends to collaborate for the first time; the discreet Finnish master Kari Voutilainen and the inventive Eric Coudray. The result of this collaboration is spectacular, to say the least. Meet the MB&F Legacy Machine Thunderdome – and for the record, it features a fast triple-axis regulator a very fast one! Max Busser and Eric Coudray met some 20 years ago when they were both working at Jaeger-LeCoultre. In 2004, Coudray made a name for himself when the “Grande Maison” presented the cult Gyrotourbillon. Coudray and multi-axis tourbillons share a long history and the MB&F Legacy Machine Thunderdome does not fail to surprise and amaze. This triple-axis regulator watch is packed with intriguing features. And Kari Voutilainen