Concorso d'Eleganze Villa d'Este 2013 - Event Recap - Monochrome Watches
Earlier this year I was invited by A. Lange & Sohne to visit the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, in Italy. The Concorso d’Eleganza is one of the most prestigious classic car events in the world. Although I’m no total petrol head, I said yes and enjoyed a most wonderful trip and relished the sight of magnificent automobiles. I prepared for you a short and sweet event recap, with many photos of the most wonderful historic cars.The Concorso d’Eleganza is an?the elegance competition for classic and vintage cars, and it takes place in and around the beautiful Villa d’Este,?on the shores of Lake Como in Italy. It has been organized every single year, since 1929! Well, the Italians love beautiful cars. For the past ten years BMW is part of the organization and this year they introduced us on a new concept car, which was developed together with Pininfarina: the?BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupe. Ad - Scroll to continue with article

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Platinum Green Dial 15202PT Review
Before going further with this article, I want to apologize… I’m sorry because this watch will certainly create strong emotions on some of you. I’m not the one to blame here, it’s all Audemars Piguet’s fault. Yes, this new edition of the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin is simply stunning. Yes, it is the first time that the 15202 is available with a case entirely made in platinum. Indeed, it features a superb smoked green dial. And yes, as you’d expect, it will be a very rare watch. Say hello to the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Platinum and Smoked Green Dial 15202PT. And we’ve been lucky enough to spend some hands-on time with it.?Not the first Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin in full platinumBorn in 1972, the Royal Oak was a disruptive watch. A watch that defined a new genre, that of the luxury sports watch with an integrated bracelet. That of the stainless steel watch merging sportiness with hau

Hands-On - Cartier Drive de Cartier Extra Flat in Steel (Specs & Price)
In 2016, Cartier, the master of beautifully shaped cases, introduced a stylish dress watch for men; the Cartier Drive. Offered in gold or steel, it was an instant hit. Hot on the heels of this initial success, came the Drive Extra Flat in 2017, an even more refined and attractive dress watch that really turned our heads. Unlike the earlier Drive models, however, this beauty was only available in precious metals and, consequently, came with a rather hefty price tag. This year, however, we are pleased to say that Cartier has introduced the Drive Extra Flat in steel, and it is quite an attractive package at that.In the highly competitive world of ultra-thin watches - think the insane 2mm Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept or the Bulgari Octo Finissimo - the Cartier Drive Extra Flat appears comparatively thick at 6.6mm. On the wrist, however, it is superb. Perfectly proportioned with the 38mm high by 39mm wide case, with just enough weight that you know it's there without being intrusive &#

The Collector's Series: Koen's IWC Vintage Ingenieur - Monochrome-Watches
It is with great pleasure we welcome Koen?as a contributor?to the Monochrome-Watches team he is extremely active on the IWC forum and a truly passionate watch geek. When we first sat down on the Collector Series with Koen,?we discussed his stunning Vintage IWC Portofino. On this occasion, in a rather overcast London (no surprise there), his second instalment of the series, we discussed how his passion for IWC lead him to the glorious IWC Vintage Ingenieur.First off let’s take a look back. The first IWC Ingenieur was unveiled in 1955. It was equipped with the first bidirectional automatic movement and developed by the then Technical Director, Albert Pellaton. It wasn’t famous until the early 1970s, when a diver's helmet inspired freelance watch designer Gerald Genta (yes, that’s the same gentleman who designed the AP Royal Oak and Patek’s Nautilus.) His mission was to redesign the Ingenieur. Genta designed the Ingenieur SL, Reference 1832, which was launched in 1

Introducing The Ollech & Wajs OW 56 M, Upclycled From Unused Stock
Producing robust tool watches for pilots, divers and soldiers since 1959, partners Joseph Ollech and Albert Wajs relied on third parties to source movements, cases, dials and even tritium hands to ensure the best possible Swiss quality at the best price. Following its revival in 2017, Ollech & Wajs, aka OW, sticks to its utilitarian guns and still outsources Swiss movements to contain costs. The latest model – the OW 56 M – with its convincing 1940s military pilot watch vibe goes one step further and combines vintage new old stock (NOS) parts with contemporary components and a 38mm upcycled case from unused stock.?The BackstoryPartners Joseph Ollech and Albert Wajs started their adventure in watchmaking, distributing Omegas and Breitlings from their watch shop in Zurich. In 1956 they created their own brand specialising in robust tool watches, much appreciated by soldiers, divers and pilots. Wajs favoured movements with solid reputations from ETA, Dubois Depraz, and Val