The Evolution of the Escapement and recent innovations - Monochrome Watches
250 years after Thomas Mudge invented the first lever escapement, developing escapements has once again become the new frontier in technological breakthroughs of old-fashioned mechanical watches; a crowning glory for the most innovative, skilful and daring watchmakers. Here's a review of recent prospects and advances concerning what is certainly the most important part of a watch, the escapement.With this article dedicated to the escapement, we're introducing to you a new column, entirely dedicated to technics: A Technical Perspective. We learnt from recent talks with you, our readers, that you are interested in learning more about movement?parts, about innovation and about the way some complications work. Today, we'll clarify the evolution of a crucial part of a mechanical watch, the escapement.Invented by the English Horologist Thomas Mudge in the middle of the 18th century, the Swiss lever escapement is currently used in almost all of the mechanical watches we have today. Yet, after

Introducing: The GemSet Chopard Alpine Eagle Summit 41mm Collection
Now in its sixth edition, Dubai Watch Week will be in the spotlight from 16-20 November as a stage for 60 participating watch brands to unveil their novelties. Chopard will introduce a gem-set solid gold version of its luxury sports watch, the Alpine Eagle, in four variations with different combinations of gradient-coloured stones set in the bezel.The Alpine Eagle luxury sports watch collection debuted in 2019, based on a sporty-chic Chopard model from the 1980s known as the St. Moritz. Featuring a tonneau-shaped case with a raised round bezel with eight functional screws and a radiating textured dial that recalls the iris of an eagle’s eye, the Alpine Eagle collection is home to everything from straightforward time-and-date models to chronographs, and from flying tourbillons to high-frequency models. Ad - Scroll to continue with article

Baselworld 2021 Postponed, Won't Be Held in January 2021
While Spring has come to Switzerland, the sky over the town of Basel remains cloudy and grey as the (sad) story continues. Already under pressure after the departure of Swatch Group, followed by the exodus of multiple other exhibitors and coupled with the current sanitary crisis, MCH, the owner of Baselworld, was forced to cancel its 2020 edition. This was followed by a series of announcements when some of the major exhibiting brands ( , Patek, Tudor, Chopard and LVMH among others) announced their decision to leave the show after?disagreements regarding the refund policy. This, incidentally, had to have an effect on the 2021 edition of the Basel-based fair. And indeed, it does, as MCH Group “has taken the decision not to hold Baselworld 2021” originally planned for January 2021… Postponed or cancelled? The Group still studies options.The fact is that the Geneva-based Watches & Wonders fair, held by the Federation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) with the backing of Ri

Vintage Meets EV revolution, with an Electrified Classic Mini - Monochrome Watches
Returning readers of MONOCHROME might have picked up on a few hints and stories that have sparked (pun intended) this one. The EV revolution in the automotive industry. Where the average Joe is accustomed to seeing electric vehicles on the road by now, with vast numbers of Tesla's whizzing around, there's one segment that has been getting more and more traction: classic car conversions. We've covered a high-dollar, extremely limited bespoke Rolls Royce Phantom V by Lunaz Design, but this time around we dive into an electric car conversion that is a) much more affordable and b) probably a lot more everyday fun!Once again, I truly hope that this trend of converting vintage cars to electric power, whether you like it or not, doesn't transcend into classic watches converted to quartz movements. Of course, the two are completely different and I highly doubt a classic Patek Philippe or Breguet will ever be retro-fitted with a quartz movement. The trend to convert vintage cars to electric pow

Looking For A Healthy Dose Of Class And Personality On A Budget? Look No Further!
Watches come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from very affordable to very expensive and everything in between. Throughout our weekly Buying Guide search to group together a selection of watches with a common theme, we thought it was time to take a look at some of the classiest watches you can buy at the moment. Classy watches with a healthy dose of personality of course, as we don’t want something ordinary or downright boring on the wrist, now do we? And to follow up on last week’s somewhat attainable selection, we’ve kept the budget low again. Let’s get straight into it!Raymond Weil Millesime Central SecondsThe Millesime by Raymond Weil came out of the blue and caused quite a sensation, not in the least for its elegant good looks. The contemporary take on the vintage sector dial is executed to perfection, with the salmon-coloured Central Seconds model being one of the stand-out pieces in the collection. With a 39,25mm by 9.25mm stainless steel case, it’s