Buying Guide: Six Titanium Watches For People Shopping On A Smaller Budget
Just last week we showed you six high-end watches that utilised all the benefits of titanium; lightweight, a tactile feel, robust and hypoallergenic. While all that is fine, the most affordable watch on that list cost CHF 7,700 and the most expensive one has a price that’s on request which needs little explaining in this industry. That’s money not all of us can or want to spend on a watch, really. To give you some friendlier priced alternatives, this week’s Buying Guide once again looks at titanium watches but this time ranging from EUR 650 to just under EUR 2,000 that deliver boat-loads of character and all the pleasurable attributes titanium has to offer!Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver 200M “Fujitsubo” NB6021-17ELast year, Citizen impressed us with the retro-cool Promaster Mechanical Diver 200M “Fujitsubo NB6021-17E. Quite the mouthful, so we just call it the Fujitsubo. This absolute performance bargain of a watch comes with a Super Titanium cas

Introducing: The IWC Portugieser Chronograph Year of the Dragon
With watch brands across the board riding the Chinese New Year wave, there are no prizes for guessing which of the twelve animals represented in the Chinese Zodiac will be in the limelight this year. Admittedly one of the more attractive beasts to depict on a watch, the dragon replaces the rabbit of 2023 and will reign supreme until he is replaced by the snake in 2025. One month ahead of the Lunar New Year, IWC releases a limited edition of its Portugieser Chronograph. Flaunting a rich burgundy-coloured dial – associated with good luck, celebrations and prosperity in Asia – the brand has adopted the same prudent approach as last year’s celebratory Chinese New Year Portugieser model and hidden the mascot from prying eyes.Last year, which starred the Year of the Rabbit, IWC produced a special version of its Portugieser Automatic time-only model with a burgundy dial with gold-plated appliques and a rabbit engraved on the rotor. This year, the more complicated Portugieser

Editorial - Vegan Straps & Eco-Friendly Recycled Materials in Watchmaking
A new trend is simmering in the distance. Or maybe not so far away. Now the Glasgow Climate summit has been concluded with a final declaration that leaves a lot to be desired; perhaps it is time to turn to ourselves as watch collectors to make a difference. We are not asking you to walk to the next Geneva Watch Days, eat vegan ‘Bratwursten’ or only buy Fairmined gold watches, we are just interested to know how you feel about making a small contribution by, let’s say, choosing a non-animal watch strap for your next acquisition.This article has been written by Melinda Braaksma for MONOCHROME.?First, let’s establish the definitions used in this article. Genuine leather is the term used for material made from animal skin, used to create fashion items such as handbags, shoes, belts, watch straps and jackets, but also furniture and car interiors. Whereas it can be argued that leather is a by-product of the dairy and meat industry and that if the leather is not bought

Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon, Blue dial and Steel bracelet (Price)
Unexpected yet at the same time quite relevant given the background of Mr Ferrier, the Grand Sport Tourbillon was introduced a year ago as Laurent Ferrier’s vision of an (ultra-high-end) luxury sports watch. Mixing a more common case material with a delicate, hand-finished tourbillon movement, it was the Haute Horlogerie version of what is today the most coveted of all watch categories. First presented in brown with a rubber strap, the Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon comes back this year on a congruent steel bracelet with a gradient blue dial.While widely known for its classic, elegant and restrained watches, all with smooth curves and delicate dials, Laurent Ferrier himself has an interesting background that helps to understand why this Grand Sport watch was created. First of all, the man has spent over 35 years at Patek Philippe, and in 1974, just before the launch of the Nautilus, he was in charge of the bureau technique d'habillage, a department in charge of the extern

Jaeger-LeCoultre Unveils Three New and Complex Rendez-Vous Watches - Monochrome Watches
It was six years ago that Jaeger-LeCoultre unveiled its first new collection for women in decades: Rendez-Vous. Launched with Diane Kruger as the face behind the line, the collection was designed expressly for women and was all about romance, femininity and allure – indicative of its name. Since then, the line has evolved to include complications and artistic versions and has become globally beloved. Now, the brand unveils three new Metiers d'Arts Rendez-Vous watches, including the Rendez-Vous Tourbillon and Celestial that round out the line using artistic watchmaking crafts. The new Rendez-Vous watches are a deft blend of Jaeger-LeCoultre's watchmaking prowess and its command of the arts, including high-jewellery gem setting and artistic dial work. In fact, in the brand's state-of-the-art workshops in Le Sentier, there is an entire floor dedicated to Rare Handcrafts Metiers Rares. Bathed in light thanks to the high windows all around, this workshop