De Bethune DB28 Black Matte - Reviewing an Unusual Masterpiece (Photos, Specs and Price) - Monochrome Watches
In the past years we have reviewed some quite impressive timepieces. We showed you classic styled Haute Horlogerie, like for instance the JLC master ultra-thin 1907 and the iconic Lange 1 from A. Lange & Sohne. The good things about Haute Horlogerie is that it is not bound by certain style codes, and is rather defined by the quality. Recently we've worn a thoroughbred Haute Horlogerie piece that, in its looks, does not share much with the aforementioned watches, except that it indicates the time with an hour and minute hand. Upon closer inspection however, there are much more similarities than expected based on a first glance. We're talking about the De Bethune DB28 Black Matte.For those unknown with De Bethune, I think it's best to say that all their timepieces feature a rather unusual look/style, although most come in a round case, feature two hands to indicate the time, and are attached to the wrist with a strap. It's mainly details that are just different. For instance the crow

Hands-On Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin
The epitome of technical complexity and restrained elegance, the?Vacheron Constantin?Patrimony Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin was first presented in 2011. Appearing with a blue dial (2019) and a slate grey dial (2017), the most classical interpretation is the present pink gold model with a silvery opaline dial. Retaining the essential styling of the Patrimony collection that references VC’s minimalist 1950s watch designs, the watch is equipped with the legendary ultra-thin automatic calibre 1120 QP. Let’s have a closer look at this supremely elegant model.Vacheron Constantin produced its first perpetual calendar in 1884 (inventory no. 10155), a double-sided gold pocket watch that automatically recognised months with 28, 29, 30 or 31 days. The main dial indicated the time, while the hinged caseback opened to reveal four elegant counters with phases and age of the moon, the day of the week, months and leap year indicator and the date. By 1905, Vacheron had upped the complexity

The Sound of Time - An introduction to alarm, hour-strike, repeater, musical and other chiming watches - Monochrome Watches
You wish to see; listen. Hearing is a step towards vision Bernard de ClairvauxThe word clock comes from Middle Dutch clocke, itself deriving from late Latin clocca, meaning bell. The first mechanical clocks did not have faces but were solely striking timekeepers. The days were divided considering the chime of these bells, as mechanized timekeeping spread through Medieval Europe, during the 14th century. As timepieces became portable, the watch was born, at first carried in the pocket, then strapped to the wrist. The French word for watch montre also means to show. Our watches show the time on their dial. But beyond the regular tick-tock orchestrating their sophisticated mechanisms, some watches still make time audible. In this new?installment of A Technical Perspective, we’re going to look at?alarm, hour-strike, repeater, musical and other chiming watches, in other words, The Sound of Time.Alarm watches Modern versions of two of the most iconic alarm wristw

Best Of 2019 - Our Top 5 Chronograph Watches / Buying Guide
The end of the year is fast approaching, so it’s time for us to look back at the best watches 2019 brought to the watch community. And there were a lot of interesting novelties. So, we reunited the MONOCHROME team, debated and we today we start our “Best of 2019” series, looking at the five best chronographs of the year – in our opinion, that is… meaning that you’re allowed to disagree and to share your favourite 2019 chronograph watches with us in the comment section.Blancpain Air Command Chronograph Re-EditionWhy this one? SImple… Look at it. This watch is simply the coolest Blancpain in recent years. While most of the watches produced by the brand are elegant, classic pieces of vintage-inspired divers, this new watch feels different. Blancpain might not be the best-known brand for pilot’s watches (sister-brand Breguet has more pedigree, obviously) but still, the brand, back in the late-1950s produced an elusive watch intended to be wor

Value Proposition Marloe Haskell Hand-Wound ETA (Specs & Price)
Marloe Watch Company is a brand of only a few years, but already has a nice portfolio of affordable, mechanical watches. It has chosen to use hand-wound movements in all four of its lines and I'm a big fan of this decision. I like the daily interaction that comes with winding a watch and the view from an exhibition caseback is more detailed without the interference of a rotor. Most of its watches use either Seagull or Miyota movements, but its flagship Haskell now has a Swiss ETA beating inside. I hesitate to claim that an ETA movement is superior to a comparable Miyota - is a Ferrari superior to an Acura NSX or Lexus LFA? - but the perception surrounding Swiss movements is real and I applaud Marloe for a well-executed piece with Swiss technology. Let's take a closer look at the Marloe Haskell.BACKGROUNDMarloe Watch Company is based in Oxfordshire, England and was founded in 2015 by two watch enthusiasts and friends, Oliver and Gordon. They have a shared passion for hand-wound watches