Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Minute Repeater Supersonnerie Titanium
While the “Royal Oak” part of this watch is something that might feel familiar to most of you, there’s another part of the name of this impressive Audemars Piguet that will certainly need some more explanations, and that is the “Supersonnerie” part… The 2.0 version of the minute repeater, a watch that carries 3 patents and multiple unprecedented technical solutions, the Supersonnerie is all about remarkable acoustic performances – an idea that goes back to the 2016 Concept RD1 Acoustic Research Minute Repeater. Today, the brand is unveiling a new version of its Royal Oak Minute Repeater Supersonnerie, entirely crafted in titanium, with a smoked grey dial.The Supersonnerie conceptDeveloped by Audemars Piguet and launched in 2016 in the Royal Oak Concept collection, the Supersonnerie mechanism endows this new minute repeater model with the volume and resonance usually associated with pocket watches. This patented technology results from 8 years o

Baselworld 2019 - Tudor Black Bay Chrono S&G 79363N (Hands-On, Specs & Price)
When Tudor first introduced its Black Bay Chrono model in 2017, there was a hullabaloo about incorporating chronograph functions on board a 200m water-resistant vintage-inspired dive watch. A diver without a rotating bezel replaced by a fixed tachymeter scale for the chronograph functions? For many, the combination of functions was unwarranted but over time, the initial animosity was replaced by enthusiasm. For 2019, the Black Bay Chrono is back in a 41mm bold two-tone steel and gold model with a host of bracelet and strap choices.The Midas TouchThe steel and gold case is by no means a novelty; Frank reviewed the Black Bay S&G model two years ago and predicted the unexpected return to two-tone case combinations. Following suit, the 41mm steel case of the new Black Bay Chrono S&G model is spruced up with yellow gold pushers (screwed to ensure the 200m water-resistance) along with a fixed (non-rotating) bezel in yellow gold with a black anodised aluminium insert for the tachymetr

Industry News: Swatch Group 2023 Results Show Growth, Positive Outlook for 2024
Following the announcement in July 2023 of its half-year results showing an impressive growth of 18% in sales, Swatch Group has just issued its key figures for the entire year 2023. The Biel-based conglomerate, owner of brands such as Omega, Longines, Tissot or Breguet, reports sales up by 12.6% at constant exchange rates, or 5.2% at current rates to CHF 7,888 million. Despite a slightly slower pace during the fourth quarter of the year, which might indicate a switch in the overall state of the business and industry, the Group remains positive in its 2024 outlook and expects “excellent growth prospects” for the year to come.?While not reaching the pre-pandemic sales levels – the Group reported sales of CHF 8,475 million in 2018 – Swatch Group can report strong sales in 2023 with close to CHF 8 billion turnover. That being said, the group also indicated a huge exchange rate impact and a challenging currency environment, with a hugely negative currency impact that

Oris Big Crown Bronze Pointer Date 40mm // Review, Price
Just before Father Christmas made his rounds in 2019, Oris delivered a full bronze version of its Big Crown Pointer Date. When we say full bronze we are referring to a bronze case, a bronze bezel, a bronze crown and even a bronze dial. We reviewed the 80th anniversary models of the Big Crown in 2018 decked out in bronze (36mm and 40mm) with green dials, but this is the first time bronze makes its appearance on the face of the watch, with the new Oris Big Crown Bronze Pointer Date 40mm. And it’s in, at the MONOCHROME’s office, for a review. Ad - Scroll to continue with article Originally designed for pilots in 1938, the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date has become the backbone of the brand and is one of the most popular models today. Reintroduced by Dr Rolf Portmann in 1984 on a hunch that nostalgia for mechanical watches with a dash of aviation history mig

A Personal Insight To Why I Bought the Union Glashutte 1893 Johannes Durrstein
I’m very fortunate (and spoilt, in a way) to handle hundreds of watches every year working for MONOCHROME Watches. To the point that I almost have to admit it’s not that easy to be impressed anymore, but it does happen from time to time. Of course, it’s not that difficult to be amazed by very complex and exquisitely finished watches, but I have to take a certain budget into account when it concerns my own collecting adventures. But when I first stepped into the Union Glashutte manufacture about a year ago, I did not expect to be swept off my feet. The reason for this unexpected love-at-first-sight moment? The handsome 1893 Johannes Durrstein Edition Power Reserve, which I wrote about first in 2022. Seeing it in person made me pull the trigger on this one, which was far from planned, given I had a wedding to pay for shortly after that. Despite all this, and since I now own one, I wanted to revisit the 1893 Johannes Durrstein Edition Power Reserve for my own – and