What is SIHH? MONOCHROME Welcomes You To SIHH 2018 With an Insider's Video - Monochrome Watches
Well, as your Instagram feed has no doubt already informed you, SIHH 2018 is already well and truly under way. Firstly, if you're not already, click here to follow MONOCHROME for live pictures and updates from the team throughout the show. Secondly, for a quick summary of what SIHH actually involves, which brands exhibit and why it is so highly anticipated each year by watch lovers everywhere, watch this helpful introductory video by our Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Frank Geelen?and enjoy this insider’s tour of the show.This year marks the 28th edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), with the show set to run from the 15th - 19th of January. In a first for the event, the last day is actually an open day, which means members of the public can attend. So, if you're going to be in Geneva this Friday, make sure you buy a ticket online from the official SIHH site so that you can enjoy an in-person preview of what will become some of the hottest timepieces of 2

In-Depth: The History of the Zenith El Primero, The Glorious High-Frequency Automatic Chronograph
In our series on historically significant calibres, the best way to honour the El Primero calibre is by highlighting its qualities, functional characteristics, and pivotal role in shaping the watchmaking industry. While the tale of its salvation in 1976, along with that of Zenith as a company, by a courageous man defying the ill will of American owners is fascinating, the El Primero’s legendary status is primarily due to the use of advanced technology available at the time of its creation, excellent engineering and movement design, and a modern, industrial approach to production.?Still, had it not been for Charles Vermot, a Zenith workshop manager, who disobeyed orders to sell the metal presses and tools for manufacturing the El Primero as scrap and instead hid the necessary drawings and tools, watchmaking history would be missing some thrilling episodes. We will return to Vermot’s story shortly, but first, let us revisit how the El Primero came to be.Episode I – The

Only Watch 2017 - F.P.Journe Chronographe Monopoussoir Rattrapante
After the unique Patek Philippe 5208T for Only Watch 2017 we’ve just introduced to?you, you might think that you’ve seen the best of the upcoming charity auction… but you’d be wrong, as?F.P.Journe will have a unique?Chronographe Monopoussoir Rattrapante (the first split-seconds he has ever created), with the usual tantalum / blue chrome combination. And that is quite something!For Only Watch 2015, F.P.Journe previously?proffered a visually stunning watch, the Tourbillon Souverain Bleu in tantalum. However, as beautiful this watch was, and even if it did reach an impressive CHF?550,000, it was not an entirely new watch per se,?but rather a visual update of an existing model. For 2017,?F.P.Journe goes much, much?further, as not only has he introduced a new and unique watch, but notably one which also features?an entirely new movement – and?when you know the genius behind this brand, then you have good reason to be?excited! Ad - Scroll to continue

Hands-On - The Heuer Monaco Worn by Steve McQueen in 'Le Mans'
In 2017, under the hammer of star auctioneer Aurel Bacs (from Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo), Paul Newman’s?very own?Paul Newman? Daytona reference 6239 became the?most expensive wristwatch ever – the world record holder is now a unique?steel Patek Philippe Grand Master Chime for Only Watch. It is hard to pin down exactly what will make a watch a star at auctions. The brand’s name, the scarcity of the model or its specificities are essential. The fact that a watch was once owned by a celebrity or has a story related to an icon of cool can ramp up the sales price significantly People need something they can connect to. And what better way to impress by presenting a watch that was worn by the “King of Cool” himself, Steve McQueen.Steve McQueen with one of the Heuer Monaco 1133B used during the shooting, on the set of the 1971 ‘Le Mans’ movie.On Saturday, 12 December 2020, at the New York RACING PULSE auction, Phillips will offer

TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 42 Yellow Gold
Black & gold livery on the F1 racetrack was the epitome of cool in the 1970s and 1980s and, judging by the number of watches decked out in this sleek, glamorous colour scheme, is still as appealing as it was in its heyday. So, when you take a legendary racetrack watch like the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph and deck it out in John Player Special black & gold, the result is a double classic. Today, TAG Heuer unveils the latest edition of its 42mm Carrera in elegant black & yellow gold. A nod to former brand ambassador and world champion Ayrton Senna and his mythical 98T Lotus, the Carrera Chronograph sends a clear message about the collection's deep connection to motorsport.The LegendJack Heuer's 1963 Carrera is synonymous with the racetrack. Not only did he name his chronograph after the famous Carrera Panamericana race, but he would become an avid sponsor of Formula 1 events. Prizing legibility and functionality, the first generation of hand-wound Carreras (ref. 2447 produc