Discovering The Work Of Rune Bakkendorff, A Young And Upcoming Danish Watchmaker
In our exploratory trip around the world to uncover some of the most interesting independent watchmaking stories, we make a stop in Denmark this time around. The work of Rune Bakkendorff, a young and upcoming watchmaker from Denmark has recently been brought to our attention through our friends of The Limited Edition. Curious to learn what Rune has been doing so far, and is going to do into the future, we reached out to him and asked him a series of questions. As it turns out, we get some insight into Danish watchmaking history, as well as the very interesting ideas Rune has when it comes to the craft.Danish independent watchmaker Rune Bakkendorff.Robin, MONOCHROME Watches - Rune, you're a new name to our readers, can you briefly introduce yourself?My name is Rune Hjorth Bakkendorff, and I am a watch- and clockmaker from Denmark. I do a lot of conservation and restoration of historical and important timepieces, for both private and public collections, and for a while now I have been ma

IWC Pilot's Watch "Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport" / Introducing
Manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has dedicated two limited-edition Pilot's watches to Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, the renowned constructor of Formula One cars based in the UK. As the team's official engineering partner since 2013, IWC exploits the many parallels that exist between motor sport's premier competition and high-end watchmaking. Kitted out with the black and turquoise livery of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, two limited-edition Pilot's watches - a perpetual calendar and a chronograph - join IWC's line-up of aviator models.Editor’s note: Yes, indeed, at IWC a Pilot’s watch doesn’t only mean “flying tool” but refers to pilots in general, of the airborne and track kind. Previously reserved to the Ingenieur line, with the integrated bracelet and shaped case, the new AMG editions are no longer based on this collection – the Ingenieur of today is dedicated to classic motor racing, not to technical, modern F1. This is the role of the Pilot&

Introducing: The Habring2 Josef Regulator With Dead-Beat Seconds
Twenty years ago, Austrian couple Maria and Richard Habring (the latter being famous already for his previous work at IWC, including developing the 7750-based Doppel Chronograph, among other clever mechanisms) started their own journey, an independent watchmaking brand known as Habring2. Now one of the most respected indie watchmakers in their segment, one of the few brands to actually make watches and movements in Austria, Habring2 has decided to celebrate two decades of passion-fueled timepieces with two new models: a moon phase model that we’ll cover in a later article, and this new Josef watch, a regulator that does more than just display the time in split sub-dials.While some independent watchmakers are all about ultra-high-end finishing or record-breaking complications, Habring2 went another route. Far more pragmatic, slightly original but still very usable on a daily basis. This combination of originality, cleverness of construction and search for true reliability and serv

TAG Heuer honours Senna with a new Special Edition of the Formula 1
The 1st of May 1994 will forever be remembered as one of the darkest days in Formula 1 racing. A day in a racing weekend that was already looking pretty grim, as the sport lost not one but two drivers. Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger both fatally crashed at the (in)famous Imola race track. With Ayrton Senna's status as one of the greatest drivers ever to grace a racetrack, it's only natural that he still serves as an inspiration to many of us today. Collaborations and endorsements are also part of the game, even back in the 1980s. And for TAG Heuer and Ayrton Senna this started in 1988, the year he became world champion. Now, close to 35 years later, TAG Heuer honours the legend once again with the new Formula 1 Senna Special Edition. This 2022 edition of the Senna watch by TAG Heuer is a homage to the company’s first Ayrton Senna-branded watch. As the driver continues to inspire generations of race car drivers and fans the world over, it's no surprise

Singer Track 1 Damascus Only Watch 2019, a collaboration with GoS Watches - Monochrome Watches
The bi-annual Only Watch charity auction is upon us once again. We've shared the entire list of entries for this year's auction, and covered a few pieces separately so far. Next up from the ever-impressive list of unique pieces is a surprising collaboration between Singer Reimagined and GoS Watches. A collaboration that was sparked during our traditional Baselworld Schnitzel Dinner. This is the Singer Track 1 Only Watch Edition.First off, the Only Watch charity auction is focussed on raising funds to do research and eventually benefit a solution to Duchene Muscular Dystrophy. This devastating myopathy slowly but progressively destroys muscle tissue and affects one in three to six thousand males. Every other year the Only Watch event relies on the support of a large number of watchmaking brands to create unique pieces to be auctioned. Over 40 million Swiss Francs have been raised during the 7 previous events.The Singer Track 1 Only Watch Edition, a unique collaboration on multiple level