Hand-On - Chopard L.U.C XP Esprit de Fleurier Peony (Specs & Price)
For the last three years, Chopard has adopted the graceful peony flower to decorate its?L.U.C XP Esprit de Fleurier 35mm limited editions for women. This year is no exception and Chopard unveiled a beautiful 18k rose gold edition of eight watches decorated with the silhouette of black paper-cut peonies on the dial and exquisite Fleurisanne engraving on the bridges of the movement. As the female representative of the L.U.C XP family, the watch is fitted with a Chopard manufacture ultra-thin automatic movement.The art of paper cuttingChopard has recurred to the art of paper cutting to create the delicate black peonies on the dial, a technique that highlights the sensual shape of the ruffled petals of the peony flower and captures its fleeting bloom. ?Developed in many corners of the globe, the art of paper cutting probably originated in Ancient China following the invention of paper. Jianzhi, Chinese paper cutting, came to the fore in the sixth century AD and ten centuries later made its

History of the Patek Philippe Nautilus, Part 1 - The Birth of an Icon, the 3700 (1976/1990) - Monochrome Watches
Stating that the Patek Philippe Nautilus is an icon is probably too easy… but there is no way to evade this. The Nautilus is an icon. No debate. Introduced?in 1976, and designed by one of the most famous watch-designers, who can be seen as the creator of a new species of timepieces – the luxury sports watch. The Nautilus?is praised by all sorts of collectors, and it?is now celebrating its 40th anniversary. Last week we explained the 40th anniversary editions? to you, and now it is time to look at the entire timeline of this watch. The first part of the history of the Patek Philippe Nautilus is of course dedicated to the very first version, the Ref. 3700.BackgroundBefore exploring the history of the Patek Philippe Nautilus, we have to look at a bit of background, to understand the market this watch entered into – simply because we are talking about a game changer. Ad - Scroll to continue with article

The Most Sought-After Patek Philippe Models in Collection - And the Sad Reality of the Market
Last week, we published an article that we believed was a “necessary evil”. We listed the 5 most sought-after watches currently in production and looked at their “real” market value, the reasons behind the trend and the premium you actually have to pay if you want to get your hands on these watches today. This article has been a hot topic of discussion, with many comments – most of them very interesting. For this reason, we’ve decided to also look at another brand, which is now under the same speculative bubble: Patek Philippe. So here are the hottest Patek Philippe watches now in the collection and guess what, all of them are Nautilus and Aquanaut models. Here’s what you'll have to pay if you want to skip the (sometimes even 10-year) waiting list.The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 is one of the most desirable watches on the market today, if not THE most desirable one.The fame of the Nautilus, especially the time-and-date steel/blue dial versio

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Chrono reviewed - Monochrome Watches
When Omega introduced the new Seamaster Planet Ocean with the new in-house caliber 9300 last year, this was something that really interested me. Omega was so kind to let me review this dive watch with impressive specifications and impressive dimensions. ?It takes a few days or weeks to get a good idea what a watch is really like and how it’s on the wrist. Is it really that big or heavy, does wear comfortable, how is it in different circumstances, is it easy to read the time and how does it perform? I strapped the Seamaster Planet Ocean Chrono on the wrist for six weeks and wrote a review. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotto do it… Ad - Scroll to continue with article When I became interested in watches, the Omega Seamaster ‘James Bond’ was one of the first watches that caught my attention. Together with the Submariner and

Naoya Hida & Co. Type 3A Moon Phase (Specs & Price)
The fascinating world of watches stretches all around the world and thankfully, it doesn't only focus on Switzerland. Until now, we haven't featured that many brands from Japan on MONOCHROME, to the exception of the usual mainstream brands and a few rising brands, and it is about time we do something about that. Today's destination is the Land of the Rising Sun as we take a closer look at Naoya Hida & Co., an independent watchmaker based in Tokyo, Japan, doing things with impressive attention to details. And the topic of choice is the recently introduced Naoya Hida & Co. Type 3A Moon Phase.BackgroundIt's no secret that we, at MONOCHROME, have love for independent watchmaking. People that do things on their own, with creativity and above all, devotion to craftsmanship. Time and time again we're surprised with the virtual limitless industry we love. Youngtimer-brand Naoya Hida & Co. is one of those brands that to us, came out of nowhere and took us by surprise. The brand uses