Vladimir Negault debuts with the Ataelier Haute Complication Dual Time
Whenever we come across a new high-end watch project, we have several reactions. There's bewilderment, scepticism, interest, excitement, and once we've understood what we're looking at and like what we see, determination. Determination to investigate further, reach out to the people behind it, and attempt to get our hands on it so we can eventually write a story. The same reaction occurred when we learned about Ataelier Haute Complication, a new break-out independent watchmaking atelier founded by Vladimir Victor Negault. It might not be a name that rings any bells just yet, but it is bound to do in the future!On a Friday afternoon, our very own Xavier sent a message with a short video of this watch. We were all intrigued about what we saw, especially given the link to F.P. Journe. Vladimir Victor Negault, the watchmaker who started Ataelier Haute Complications is, as he describes himself,? “a disciple of Fran?ois-Paul Journe”. So the game was on to write an initial story a

Fortis sends its manufacture calibre Werk 17 into the stratosphere
Field-testing is something we talk about regularly, but we rarely test a watch beyond normal, everyday use. Sure, on occasion, we send a dive watch into the depths of the ocean on the wrist of our resident diver, but that's about it. The (sad) reality is that most testing takes place in boring, sterile laboratories under very specific conditions. Yet, there's something immensely cool about pushing a watch, or movement for that matter, to the extreme in a real-world situation. Case in point, the Werk 17 manufacture chronograph calibre developed by Fortis. Closely tied to aviation and space in its own right, the brand has now sent a batch of this new manufacture movement into the stratosphere to see how the watches hold up.November 2021, Kiruna, Sweden. This location is home to the Esrange Space Centre, a facility used by the Swedish Space Corporation. Initially dedicated to scientific research on the Aurora Borealis phenomenon, it is now also used to launch helium balloons, rockets and

Hands-On - The Heuer Monaco Worn by Steve McQueen in 'Le Mans'
In 2017, under the hammer of star auctioneer Aurel Bacs (from Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo), Paul Newman’s?very own?Paul Newman? Daytona reference 6239 became the?most expensive wristwatch ever – the world record holder is now a unique?steel Patek Philippe Grand Master Chime for Only Watch. It is hard to pin down exactly what will make a watch a star at auctions. The brand’s name, the scarcity of the model or its specificities are essential. The fact that a watch was once owned by a celebrity or has a story related to an icon of cool can ramp up the sales price significantly People need something they can connect to. And what better way to impress by presenting a watch that was worn by the “King of Cool” himself, Steve McQueen.Steve McQueen with one of the Heuer Monaco 1133B used during the shooting, on the set of the 1971 ‘Le Mans’ movie.On Saturday, 12 December 2020, at the New York RACING PULSE auction, Phillips will offer

Opinion - The 35mm PRX that Tissot refuses to give us
Tissot started out with a 40mm size PRX, and it was good. Then came more colour variants, and they were good. After that came luxurious fluted gold bezels, and they were pricey but still good. This was followed by a PRX Chronograph, which was very good! But then… nothing? Ever since Tissot launched the incredible platform that is the PRX, there has been a public outcry to introduce a smaller, more compact mechanical version, next to the smaller quartz-powered model. And it’s finally here! Albeit not exactly how any of us might have expected it to be, since it comes with a gold bezel and diamond-studded dial. So what gives Tissot? Why won’t you give us what we all want… A classic-looking PRX Automatic 35mm with a waffle-like dial.The Tissot PRX is a smash-hit for sure, as it combines that cool 1970s retro vibe with all the key elements of a really good luxury sports watch with integrated design. And it does so at an impossible-to-ignore price point, and with a pr

Vacheron Constantin FIFTYSIX Self-Winding and Complete Calendar with Blue Dials (Hands-On) - Monochrome Watches
This year, Vacheron Constantin will introduce striking blue dials to its popular FIFTYSIX collection. While it may be an obvious iteration for the brand, it is certainly not an unwelcome one, adding another element to Vacheron's entry-level offering. Today, we're taking a quick look at the new FIFTYSIX Self-Winding and FIFTYSIX Complete Calendar dressed in blue.By way of a quick refresher, Vacheron introduced the FIFTYSIX collection last year at SIHH 2018. Intended very much as an entry-level range designed to attract younger buyers to the brand, it was initially met with mixed reviews. Some - including us here at MONOCHROME - found the idea of an affordable' (relatively speaking, of course) watch a bit at odds with the brand's prestigious reputation for Haute Horlogerie. Ad - Scroll to continue with article To be fair, this opinion was mainly formed on the basi