Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold 41mm & Redesigned Royal Oak Cufflinks - Monochrome Watches
Back in November 2016, as part of the pre-SIHH 2017 reveal, Audemars Piguet introduced a surprising and amazing version of its emblematic Royal Oak, the Frosted Gold version. This watch featured a?superb surface finishing known as gold hammering or frosting. And even with its 37mm case, we told you why, as men, we also liked it. However that was without knowing that the brand had something even more masculine in mind, as that same surface treatment has now been applied in a men’s version, with the?Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold 41mm… And that comes along with redesigned?Royal Oak Cufflinks (and we all know how cool they are).The?Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold 41mm?15410BCWhile I always tend to say that the 37mm edition of the Royal Oak shouldn’t be seen as a ladies-only model, as clearly it looks perfect for a man with smaller wrists, what Audemars Piguet has today makes no doubt on why?frosted gold isn’t just a feminine option. Because it is now

Pre-SIHH: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Acoustic Research - Minute Repeater 2.0 - Monochrome Watches
Audemars Piguet will be introducing an entirely new sort of minute repeater at the upcoming Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, or short SIHH. They spent eight years of sound research, involving a carefully chosen community of watchmakers, artisans, technicians and academics, which lead to three pending patents and this new minute repeater that sounds much louder than any repeater watch: the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Acoustic Research. Audemars Piguet has used a Royal Oak Concept watch before, to launch new technologies. That started with the Royal Oak Concept Watch 1 back in 2002, that was released for the 30th anniversary of the Royal Oak. The RO Concept Watch 1 was created of an entirely new alloy, comprising (for the watch industry) novel materials like cobalt, chrome, tungsten, carbon, silicon and some good old-fashioned steel. That one showcased not only the new alloy called Alacrite 602, but also a tourbillon with a unique shock protection system and a mechanism

Hands-On - TAG Heuer Monaco 1969-1979 Limited Edition 50th-Anniversary CAW211V.FC6466 (Specs & Price)
Even after a half-century of life, the TAG Heuer Monaco is still one of the most iconic chronographs on the market. The fame of the Monaco owes much to its cameo role on the wrist of Steve McQueen in the 1971 movie Le Mans. Back then, McQueen was known as The King of Cool. At the height of his popularity, his performance as racer Michael Delaney is, without doubt, one of his most cult roles. Although the Monaco shot to fame on Steve McQueen’s wrist, the genesis of this unconventional square chronograph coincided with a genuine technological revolution (and a frantic race) to launch the world’s first automatic chronograph.Steve McQueen wearing his Heuer Monaco in the movie Le Mans, 1971Short history of the Heuer MonacoThe 1960s and 1970s were a golden age for motor racing, one of the most exciting (and dangerous) sports of the time. The period was also the heyday of the mechanical chronograph with the birth of a number of horological icons. Back then, before electronic race

My traveling companions - Monochrome Watches
I’m just back –?in one piece – from a three week trip to Jordan and the Egyptian Sina? desert, and here are?some photos that I made during my trip. We planned a trip to Jordan and were considering to visit Syria and/or Egypt depending on the available time and travel possibilities. From the Jordan southern coast it was a short boat trip to Nuweiba in Egypt and the reefs in that area are just great, so time for some diving.On this?trip I had two watches with me:?the IWC Pilot Watch Chronograph (ref. 3717) that I?also had on my wrist a few weeks earlier, when I?visited New York. The other one was my all time favorite vacation watch, the Citizen Automatic Diver.?I’m gonna spare you all the travel stories, since?the?pictures will tell the story for me. I have to add that the historical city of?Petra is very, very impressive and well worth a visit. Another thing you may not miss is taking a plunge into the Dead Sea. That’s a funny experience! Jordan s

Interview: Florian Brossard, Managing Director of Schwarz Etienne, on the Brands Future
Founded in 1902 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Schwarz Etienne is an independent watchmaking brand that often flies under the radar yet holds incredible potential. In particular, it boasts a surprisingly high level of vertical integration, producing not only its own watches but also cases or movements. As Watches & Wonders 2025 and its parallel events approach, we sat down with the brand's newly appointed Managing Director, Florian Brossard, to discuss his vision for Schwarz Etienne and a few words about what to expect for the next collection of Schwarz Etienne.Xavier Markl, MONOCHROME - Florian, thanks for having us. You have been named Managing Director of Schwarz Etienne in July 2024. Can you share a bit about your background before joining the brand?Florian Brossard, Managing Director of Schwarz Etienne – While my parents were already in the watch industry, I initially took an independent path. I first studied to become a medtech engineer but soon realized I wanted something more