Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Frosted Gold Purple - Review, Price
You are all familiar with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, with its history, and its multiple manifestations but the model we have for our hands-on session today is going to elicit some very extreme reactions, good and bad. Although there is nothing novel under the hood or structurally about this Royal Oak chronograph, this is a very particular piece and as such is a limited edition of 200 pieces. What we're looking at here today - and coming to terms with - is a 41mm Royal Oak chronograph with a frosted white gold case and a loud purple dial. Hate it or love it, let's get to know it a little better.Born in the 1970s, the Royal Oak was a child of its timeLeading on from the flower power groove that marked the 1960s, the 1970s heralded a turbulent decade marked by student unrest, Vietnam, Watergate, the oil crisis, bell-bottoms, lava lamps, rock music and disco lights. However, for watch lovers, the most significant date of this decade is 1972, the year Gerald Genta's Royal Oak watch was

Hands-On: The New IWC Pilot Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Black and Oceana
The concept was launched last year by IWC… The Colours of TOP GUN, a collection of bold and monochromatic watches in coloured ceramic, with matching dials and straps. Last year, the collection started with the Lake Tahoe, a white ceramic watch, and the Woodland Green, entirely green watches – there was also a Big Pilot 43 edition. And of course, we have to remember the very cool TOP GUN Mojave watches, with their sand-coloured ceramic cases, straps and dials. This year, for Watches & Wonders, IWC expands the collection, with more compact and monochromatic models again, in new colours. We're looking at the new IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Black ceramic and Oceana ceramic. Full-black or full-blue, the choice is yours.It's a bold concept that was developed by IWC… Monochromatic ceramic watches in an array of different colours, ranging from classic black to much more daring versions in beige or green. This year, it's time for a black ceramic watch to

Patek Philippe 5370P Split-Seconds Chronograph, Now in Blue Enamel - Monochrome Watches
Patek and the chronograph complication is a long-lasting love story. The brand has been manufacturing stopwatches almost since its inception… And when it comes to chronographs, there’s one type that rules them all, the Split-Seconds or rattrapante, the King of chrono watches. This a complication that Patek masters since 1923 – surprisingly first built in a women’s watch. The current collection comprises multiple ‘splits’, one of them being seen as a collector’s grail, the Patek Philippe 5370P Split-Seconds Chronograph; which makes its comeback in 2020 with this new blue enamel version.BackgroundThe 5370P was introduced at Baselworld 2015 and was an immediate success – it is, according to many, including us here at MONOCHROME, one of the most beautiful Patek watches currently produced. The reason lies in multiple things; the execution, the movement and, let’s be honest, the design. The 5370P is greatly inspired by?1940s to 1960s spli

Ulysse Nardin DIVER NET, Concept Watch in Recycled Fishing Nets
The link between Ulysse Nardin and the sea has always been emphasised. For decades, the brand was a reputable maker of marine chronometers and timing instruments for sea explorers. The brand continues this tradition as the Official Timekeeper of the 9th edition of the Vendee Globe, the gruelling non-stop and unassisted yacht race around the world. But that’s not all… Ulysse Nardin also wants to make our planet a better, cleaner place. In this instance, the brand has turned its efforts towards researching and developing solutions for the growing plastic pollution crisis in our oceans, which led to the creation of the DIVER NET, a concept watch made from recycled fishing nets.?The sea has been part of Ulysse Nardin’s DNA for decades. The brand, as such, owes much to the oceans and there’s “a strong willingness and interest of the staff members to support initiatives to improve the brand's environmental performance. Our intention is not to be the first to inn

Hands-On Tudor Pelagos 39 25407N No-Date Dive Watch (Specs & Price)
If the Black Bay is often seen as the cornerstone model of the brand – which it is in reality – Tudor has more to offer in the field of dive watches. In fact, the real diver in the collection is named Pelagos, a robust 500m titanium watch with a 42mm case and all the necessary equipment for saturation diving. A tool that pro divers have praised for a while already. Recently, Tudor has introduced a rather specific edition of the Pelagos, made together with the French Marine Nationale, the Pelagos FXD… an even focused edition made for military divers. And now comes this, a more versatile, less rugged, more “urban” edition of this watch that doesn’t look its characteristic design, but offers a less hardcore approach. Here’s a first look at the new Tudor Pelagos 39.So what’s the idea behind this new edition, in terms of positioning? Looking at the classics, there’s basically the two original emblamatic models, the 41mm Black Bay and the