Introducing The Fascinating Narbel & Co Skel-1
The name of Philippe Narbel might not be on everyone’s radar, but that’s about to change. If you happen to already be familiar with his work, however, I’m positive his latest creation will get you quite excited! Making his debut with the Roots watch last year, Narbel and his team are working under the Narbel & Co name, this is only the second model to be introduced, but what a model it is! Where the Roots was a cushion-shaped watch with a closed dial and a beautifully finished movement, the new Skel-1 pulls back the curtains to reveal the intricate work the Narbel & Co team is capable of. And don’t think this is just someone putting a team to work, as Philippe is very much a hands-on guy! In fact, he has years of experience working for Audemars Piquet and now Manufactor SA, Philippe’s own company specialising in finishing techniques.Narbel & Co used the Roots watch as a canvas for the Skel-1. That means you get the same 40mm by 40mm TV- or cush

Introducing the new Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT with Master Chronometer movement - Live photos, specs and price - Monochrome Watches
In 2013 Omega introduced the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m GMT and that was the first Seamaster Planet Ocean with a second time zone. That’s eight years after the introduction of the Seamaster Planet Ocean collection. This could well be your perfect traveller watch as is has the additional function of the second time zone; something that comes in handy while travelling. Today Omega introduces the Master Co-Axial movement with is stellar anti-magnetic properties into this watch, and too highlight this the design got a nice “monochrome” touch! Here’s the new Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT.When we reviewed the Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT (back than named Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m GMT) we just loved it and considered it to be a?perfect travel / dive watch.?The Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT comes in a different size (43.5 mm) than the two ‘normal’ Planet Ocean models (42 mm or 45.5 mm) and this new edition with Co-Axial movement sports the same 43.5 mm case

Introducing the Omega Seamaster Ploprof 1200m now with Co-Axial Master Chronometer and in Titanium - live photos & price - Monochrome-Watches
“There are tools and there are jewels or as we call them the desk divers. Some of them though are so important because upon their inception they transformed the way the industry perceived the construction of the proper divers watch.” This is how our?contributor Ilias defined the Omega?Seamaster Ploprof 1200m, a proper tool watch made to be used by professional divers together with being an important watch for the industry. For baselworld 2015, Omega offers an update to “The Kraken of Diving Watches” by casing the new?Co-Axial Master Chronometer movement into a titanium case and mesh bracelet.What is the Ploprof? To summarize, it is one of the most iconic diving tools ever created, a watch so easily recognizable, a timepiece not made to be elegant but just to perform as best as possible.?It was after all a tool, created by professional divers in order to be used by professional divers – as its name tells: Plo-Prof for Plongeur Profesionnel (professional div

Hands-on - Montblanc 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter, in steel with a blue dial (live photos, specs & price) - Monochrome Watches
Let’s rewind the tape… In late 2015, Montblanc introduced to us a watch (a superb, exquisite, fascinating watch… sometimes words are hard to find) that we simply loved: the?Montblanc 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter, with Villeret monopusher movement. Seriously, having a watch of this quality, with a movement comping from?vintage chronographs, with finishing to die for, with such a great design for a price of €30k, that was a bargain. Well, there’s even better now, as the?Montblanc 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter is also available in steel, with a great blue dial and for a price even lower. The best possible deal for a high-end chronograph? Possibly.When Montblanc showed us this?1858 Chronograph Tachymeter in pink gold with a dark grey dial, we’ve been quite enthusiastic, to say the least. As watch journalists, we always tend to keep things objective and, well, professional. However, before being watch journalists, we were all watch collectors and aficionados. We c

SIHH 2015 - Hands-on with the Vacheron Constantin Metiers dArt Mecaniques Gravees (live photos & specs) - Monochrome Watches
The Swiss maison of Vacheron Constatin celebrates its 260th anniversary, and already brought us the all-new Harmony Collection. Bearing the hallmarks of their Metiers d'Art collections, the Mecaniques Gravees 14 day Tourbillon and a hand wound non-tourbillon model feature fully hand-engraved movements inside classically styled cases, harking back to the very beginning of the brand, originally founded in 1755.The inspirations of the hand-engraved patterns on the Caliber 2260 and 4400 movements can be traced back to the 5th century. Originating from Greek pillars and columns, the decorations portray acanthus leafs and arabesque swirls. These recognizable shapes are painstakingly carved into the movement by skilled craftsmen. The depiction of acanthus leaves saw a surge during the Renaissance and the Baroque period, as it evolved into a symbol of victory and glory. Hand engraving calibers have always been a strong focus for Vacheron Constatin, including the acanthus leaves. Ad