Buying Guide - 5 Perpetual Calendar Watches for February 29th
In less than a week from now, it will be February 29th… Not a big deal, for sure. Unless you’re into watchmaking and want to see something mechanically fascinating. Indeed, watchmakers are sometimes a bit nerdy and imagined a complication that takes into account all the weird things of the Gregorian calendar. This means months with 30 or 31 days or even a month with 28 days. And, even rarer, once every 4 years, a longer version of February with 29 days. And as this specificity of our calendar will happen in a few days from now, we’ve listed 5 perpetual calendar watches for most tastes, from rather accessible to elegant, sporty or mechanically impressive.The Accessible – Frederique Constant Slimline Perpetual CalendarBeing the most complex version of the calendar complication found in a mechanical watch, you would obviously expect a perpetual calendar to be expensive. Certainly, most of the QPs will require a nice 5-digit bank cheque – without any additiona

Hands-On - Claude Meylan Legende 69 (with vintage Valjoux 69 movement) with Vintage Chronograph Movement (Specs & Price)
A visit to Les Ateliers (editor's note, the place where most independent watchmakers exhibit) at Baselworld 2018 can sometimes bring very nice surprises - especially if you have a love for old-school chronograph watches. The Claude Meylan Legende 69 is a clean, simple, elegant stopwatch. As its name suggests, it is powered by a vintage Valjoux 69 chronograph movement, entirely refurbished and redecorated by Claude Meylan, an independent watchmaker based in the Vallee de Joux, specialised in crafting skeletonised watches. The hand-wound column wheel chronograph found in this elegant and clean watch is a refinished old-stock Valjoux 69 calibre, a movement introduced in the late 1930s (more precisely, we talk about new movements created with old-stock parts). The origins of the legendary chronograph maker Valjoux go as far back as the late 19th century when the Reymond brothers set up their movement manufacture in the Vallee de Joux. Reymond Freres SA would b

Introducing The New TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Racing Blue Calibre 11
More than 50 years after its presentation, TAG Heuer continues to produce and promote the Monaco as one of its flagship models, preserving the heritage of the iconic chronograph while continuously updating it with design elements to ensure its enduring appeal. The new Monaco Racing Blue edition retains the allure of the original yet looks captivatingly fresh. And contrary to most modern versions, it features the classic crown on the left side, paired with a calibre 11 movement and a titanium case.Before introducing any new Monaco timepiece, it is worth quickly going over the model’s history, if only to remind of its importance, not just to TAG Heuer. The Heuer Monaco was first introduced in March of 1969, with a simultaneous launch in Geneva and New York. It was revolutionary at the time because it was the first square-shaped, waterproof automatic chronograph in watchmaking history. All of the initial Monaco models were powered by the groundbreaking Chronomatic Calibre 11, co-dev

Bamford London Commando GMT and Predator GMT - Introducing, Price
George Bamford is best known for customizing (officially authorized) watches from heavyweights like Zenith, and Patek Philippe via his company, Bamford Watch Department. His latest watch brand, Bamford London, has been building watches from scratch for a couple of years now and had an unusual start. There are now two main collections with several variants and collaborations, and they exist alongside his famous customizations of outside brands. The Commando GMT and Predator GMT add new colourways to the existing GMT line, but the changes are visually striking. Let's take a closer look.?A customizer firstIt all started with a Daytona George received on his 18th birthday. A bit dismayed that many at a dinner party had the same watch, he decided to customize his Daytona with a DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) coating via the family business. The silver steel was now stark black and became an instant attention-getter. While vacationing in the south of France, he ended up with 25 orders before

Introducing: The New Dial Texture Of The Piaget Polo Field
The Polo is Piaget’s answer to the luxury sports watch. A remake of Yves Piaget’s 1979 sporty-chic quartz-powered model, the Polo resurfaced in 2016 with mechanical steel models initially positioned as entry-level candidates. The versatile nature of the Polo is attested by the wide variety of models available, ranging from time-and-date?all the way up to ultra-thin perpetual calendars and complex skeletonised models. The most straightforward, entry-level model is the Polo Date which returns in June under a slightly different name: Piaget Polo Field. At first glance, it looks like another steel Polo model with a green dial. However, the Polo Field has a subtle design trick up its sleeve, making the dial more dynamic.Despite the initial constant comparison with “other” luxury sports watch icons, the Polo is really a close descendant of Piaget’s Emperador, and the two families sit side-by-side on the brand’s website. Like the Emperador, the case of the