Watches NEWS
Introducing: Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept Midnight Blue Edition
Presented in 2018, the Altiplano Ultimate Concept?earned the record for the thinnest watch in the world with its incredibly thin 2mm profile, making it Piaget’s (a brand known for its mastery of ultra-thin) slenderest mechanical watch ever. Since then, Bulgari and Richard Mille have even made thinner watches, but Piaget’s AUC remains a spectacular technical achievement. On the occasion of Watches and Wonders Shanghai 2023, the brand now presents a new midnight blue edition, which brings back a style made once for a unique piece.?The Altiplano Ultimate Concept was made possible by a radical re-engineering of the architecture of a watch, fusing the case, movement and bezel into one 2mm thin component. It is fashioned in an ultra-resistant cobalt alloy to ensure sufficient rigidity and its development resulted in the filing of no fewer than five patents. Piaget's remarkable Altiplano Ultimate Concept, once the thinnest mechanical watch in the world, made headlines when it was
Hands-On Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time 7234R Lady (Specs & Price)
The turbulence generated by Patek Philippe's Calatrava Pilot Travel Time Ref.5524 seems to have abated and the model has landed as a stable member of the Calatrava family. In addition to a fresh iteration of the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time for men in warm rose gold, Patek unveiled its first self-winding Travel Time model for women just ahead of Baselworld in an unprecedented move for the brand via an Instagram campaign. There have been choice pickings in the complications arena for women at Patek Philippe in 2018 with the launch of the?manual-winding ladies' chronograph in a round case and this pilot's watch for women. Equipped with a useful dual time function, Ref. 7234R is housed in refined 37.5mm rose gold case with a glossy chocolate-brown dial decorated with vintage touches. The tasteful combination of rose gold and brown is quintessential Patek making this an excellent choice for globetrotting women, while the sporty, slightly manly charisma of a pilot’s watch will appeal t
Interview - Independent Watchmaker Aaron Becsei Of Bexei Watches
There’s watchmaking…. and there’s Watchmaking. To me it becomes Watchmaking with a capital when we’re talking about watchmakers who have the knowledge, the ability and the patience, to create a timepiece entirely by hand. I’m not talking about redesigning a few plates or bridges of an existing movement. Although we all love Dufour’s Simplicity (based on a JLC calibre) or Voutlainen’s Observatoire (based on a Peseux calibre), to me these watches are drop-dead gorgeous, uber-desirable, but maybe not so much watchmaking with a capital W. When talking about Watchmaking with a capital W, think along the lines of George Daniels or Roger Smith. Hand-made is key, and a movement entirely developed by the watchmaker, without ‘borrowing’ the escapement, the keyless works. Today, we’re talking with non-other than a proper independent Watchmaker. We’re talking with Aaron Becsei, the namesake of Bexei Watches. Oh… And a small PS
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai Amida Falls
In Japanese art and culture, few names resonate as much as Katsushika Hokusai. This 19th-century master artist is well-known beyond Japan’s borders as his fame extends into the Western world as well. Hokusai was one of the rare Japanese craftsmen who elevated woodblock printing, considered a simpler form of art at the time, to a high-end artform. His series of 8 woodblock prints created in 1833 and 1834, all depicting waterfalls found across Japan, is considered to be one of the finest representations of landscapes ever produced. Among this series is The Great Wave off Kanagawa, but also the Amida Falls, which is the topic of choice in Jaeger-LeCoultre’s latest Reverso Tribute.?Using the iconic Reverso concept, JLC has taken the caseback of the Reverso Monoface and turned it into a miniature canvas yet again. This time a miniature reproduction of Hokusai’s woodblock print of the Amida Falls is hand-applied on the closed back side of the reversible case with Grand Feu
Introducing the TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-02T Tourbillon - a chronograph & tourbillon just under 15,000 CHF (specs & price) - Monochrome Watches
Here is the deal… TAG Heuer has just released a new Carrera watch featuring?(please, take a seat…) their?own in-house chronograph and tourbillon movement for JUST 15,000 Swiss Francs including taxes. Yes, you read it correct, there’s no typo here. We’re not talking about 150,000 Swiss Francs but really fifteen thousand Swiss Francs, including 8% Swiss taxes. Frankly, this is beyond impressive. It’s almost unbelievable. However, this new proposition by TAG Heuer leaves?us with a few?questions. And you know us, at Monochrome-Watches, we’ll try to answer them. Here’s an overview of the new?TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-02T Tourbillon – a chronograph & tourbillon for?15,000 CHF.The?TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-02T TourbillonWell, for the first paragraphs of this article about the?TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-02T Tourbillon, we’re going to hide our usual alertness and critical approach, and first focus on what we are looking at. Using the same conce