Hands on: The Refreshing Ice Blue Dials Of The Zenith Defy Skyline
It's official; the summer season kicked off over a week ago, and if any of our readers live in Spain, you will have experienced the dramatic surge in temperature. In Andalucia, temperatures have reached 44.4¡ãC, and here in Madrid, we are dealing with 38¡ãC today. Excuse the odd meteorological introduction, but with such searing temperatures, the antidote, horologically speaking, is a watch with a chilled icy blue dial that conjures visions of cool pools of water. Like fashion collections, many watch brands have jumped on the seasonal bandwagon, and ice blue is fast positioning itself as the colour of summer for 2023. Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak, Bell & Ross' BR 05 GMT, Omega's Aqua Terra and Tissot's PRX have taken the plunge with very pleasing results, and now Zenith dives into icy blue waters with three new renditions of its Defy Skyline.RecapThe origins of the Defy Skyline date back to 1902 when Zenith introduced a robust line of pocket watches known as Defi. In 1969, Zenith's re

All you want to know about Finishing in Haute Horlogerie - Monochrome Watches
The avant-garde mind needed to design the complex inner workings of a watch fascinates all but a selective few of us, mere mortals. The Promethean ambition to master time has inspired inventive minds for centuries; with the hands of talented craftsmen bringing exquisite horological art to life. Beyond the intricacies of the mechanics of time, the relentless search for perfection in their manufacturing is the hallmark which we call Haute Horlogerie. Here is an in-depth guide to the different techniques used to finish a movement, according to the concept of high-end watchmaking.The term “finishing” encompasses the vast array of techniques performed on watch components, once they have been produced by machines. All the traces of machining are erased, parts are polished and decorated with extreme care by hand. Raw metal is turned into works of art - horological alchemy.The intricacies L951.6 calibre of the A. Lange und Sohne Datograph. As always with the Saxon manufacture, the

VIDEO - The Seamaster Chronicles - Part 1, The History of the Omega Seamaster
Last year, we introduced one of our largest projects ever, the Speedmaster Chronicles. Five videos with five men, including James Ragan (the man who turned the Speedmaster into the Moonwatch), Omega’s CEO, a well-known auctioneer, Mr?Speedy Tuesday and an?anonymous?collector, who all shed their light on one of the most iconic watches ever created, the Omega Speedmaster a.k.a. Moonwatch.?Today we’re starting with another big video project, namely “The Seamaster Chronicles” – and you probably guessed it… we will have an in-depth look at Omega’s diving icon, the Seamaster.In a series of three videos, we will explain how a watch that sprouted from the watches that Omega delivered to the Royal Air Force during WWII, has become so much more. The very first Seamaster was introduced by Omega 70 years ago, in 1948. It has grown to become a large collection, where you can find not one iconic watch but a host of iconic pieces – with elegant dress wa

Monochrome visits Belles Montres 2013 - Monochrome Watches
Apart from Baselworld and SIHH, watch enthusiasts around the world also have the opportunity to admire nice timepieces in smaller, more intimate exhibitions, such as QP in London or Belles Montres in Paris. As you know, we from Monochrome, we never miss the chance to present you with nice photos, great watches and fascinating stories. To begin a series of captivating articles, let's see what Belles Montres 2013 has for us.Belles Montres is the meeting of the year in Paris to contemplate timepieces. This show is far away from the madness of Baselworld and gives visitors a warm atmosphere and a closer look into an incredible selection of brands. 2013 is a transitional year for the exhibition - the French press group Le Point bought it in June 2013. This year, we have seen fewer exhibitors, slightly fewer visitors, but the quality of both, in our opinion, improved. Most of them are enthusiasts, connoisseurs that can meet directly with the owners of brands, discover exclusive models or unc

Event Recap: An Exclusive Evening with the Montblanc SIHH 2016 Novelties and 3 Favourites - Monochrome Watches
Recently we co-hosted an evening together with Montblanc, and our readers got to see, touch, and try on the wrist, the latest SIHH 2016 Montblanc timepieces. The Montblanc Black & White Week event, as it is dubbed, was held in the esteemed hotel New York, in Rotterdam, Netherlands. A century ago, this was the place where passengers embarked on a journey to the new world, in an era when many people, often?complete families, were about to start a new life on the other side of the ocean.?The ‘turn-of-the century” atmosphere?was the setting for the Black & White Week event, and the presentation of Montblanc’s 4810 collection. Montblanc asked me to highlight three timepieces in presentation; one ideal first watch, one typical collector’s piece and one high-end complication. Here’s an event recap and my three recommendations, however first a quick overview…?The Annual Watch FairsTo some extend you could compare the watch industry, or at least the i