Bvlgari Octo Roma Monete Skeleton Tourbillon, with 2000-Year-Old Coin (Live Pics) - Monochrome Watches
Last week, during an event on the island of Capri, watchmaker/jeweller Bvlgari unveiled a collection of impressive high-end jewellery watches, including an extraordinary and unique Serpenti Romani secret cuff watch. ?A glamorous exhibition of the brand’s incredible designs and savoir-faire, there were some other watches that caught MONOCHROME’s eye. As part of the “High-End Watches” sub-collection was a pair of Monete men’s watches.?Coin watches…The watch industry is, as you know, quite conservative and traditional. But it also has its quirks, its eccentricities that many don’t understand but which some collectors love. Among them are erotic watches and automata (or both combined in one). And then there are “coin watches”, a niche species that appeals to a niche market, once a speciality of Corum. Bvlgari is no newcomer to “coin” jewellery and Nicola Bvlgari, great-grandson of founder Sotirios Bvlgari, began mounting anc

Introducing: The new Omega Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified
While the Speedmaster started its life as a racing chronograph destined to measure average speeds (hence its name), it quickly changed vocation when, during the 1960s, it became the watch of choice for US Air Force pilots and, of course, NASA astronauts. From there, the Speedmaster became one of the most famous pilot’s chronographs and this Omega watch enjoyed a long history in the skies. Now, there is a new model in the collection that will somehow look familiar, not only due to its resemblance with the vintage Flightmaster?but also because some might have seen a US military-issued model on Instagram and forums. It’s time to discover the new Omega Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified.?This new Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified doesn’t come out of the blue. As said, it is clearly inspired by the Flightmaster, a watch launched in 1969 as a variant of the Speedmaster line, yet engineered and marketed towards pilots exclusively, with its easily identifiable sections and a

In-Depth - The Merging of Pocket Watches and Wristwatches
Upgrading expensive mechanical devices is a centuries-old concept that prevents premature obsolescence as times change. In the American Wild West of the 19th century, black powder revolvers were commonly converted to shoot modern cartridges, forgoing the need to replace a vital necessity. Cameras are another example, such as early 20th-century screw-mount Leica rangefinders. The original fixed-lens Model A was often converted to interchangeable lens models, such as the I C/O Standard Mount or model IIIa. Products like these were designed to last decades or even a century, so modification at a fraction of the cost of replacement made perfect sense, not to mention the preservation of coveted possessions. The same applies to timepieces and pocket watches that have merged with wristwatches in many interesting ways. Following our previous post, answering the difficult question “Is there still a place for pocket watches in the 21st century?“, we now look at the more modern side o

Introducing: The Biver Automatique Yellow Gold & Atelier Series Carbon Edition
In 2023, Jean-Claude Biver, an industry veteran who requires no introduction, returned to the spotlight after retiring from his latest position at LVMH when, with his son Pierre, he unveiled the Biver Carillon Tourbillon, the debut timepiece from the newly minted family-name brand. True to form, expectations were sky-high, with the launch setting a tone in technical complexity and price points. In 2024, Biver father and son surprised enthusiasts with something a little more understated but no less refined: the time-only Automatique, an elegant yet not-so-classic model available in platinum and rose gold with matching dials and powered by a micro-rotor calibre developed by Dubois-Depraz. It debuted alongside the Atelier Series, featuring stone dials.Now, the collection continues to expand. Biver is introducing yellow gold editions of the Automatique, including a version with a yellow gold dial and a new Atelier Series Carbon Edition, with a dial crafted from, you guessed it, carbon fibr

Weekly Watch Photo - Panerai 1950 makes me thirsty - Monochrome Watches
Last week the Weekly Watch Photo was introduced, so here is a new one. Seeing this beautiful photo made my thirsty! Martin Wilmsen is a photographer and Panerai enthusiast. He combines both passion and shares this through his blog called?Panerai Wristwatch Photo. By the photos you can tell Martin is a great photographer and is seriously infected with the Panerai bug. Do check out his blog for the beautiful Panerai photos and for some excellent tips on watch photography! Ad - Scroll to continue with article Here is the photo that made a huge impression on me and is the Monochrome Weekly Watch Photo!Panerai Wristwatch Photo blog by Martin Wilmsen