Audemars Piguet Royal Oak RD#2, The Worlds Thinnest Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar (SIHH 2018)
As with all industries, the watchmaking world is subject to trends. One that we’re not unhappy to see resurfacing is ultra-thin watches. Piaget kicked things off?in December with the thinnest automatic watch, followed at the SIHH 2018 by?the thinnest mechanical watch ever created (2mm thick, no less). It is now time for Audemars Piguet to?come on board and demonstrate, if it’s even necessary, that they know a bit about watchmaking. Here is the?Royal Oak RD#2, which at a staggering 6.30mm thick is the thinnest self-winding perpetual calendar on the market today.Reminder 1… Audemars Piguet has always had a soft spot for ultra-thin watches. Forget about the massive Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon/Grande Complication/Diver Chronograph. Instead, take a look at the watch that created the modern side of Audemars, the 1972 Royal Oak 5402ST. It was and still is one very thin watch, with an automatic movement that was thinner than most hand-wound calibres. Its modern iteration, t

X-perimental: Bell & Ross BR-X1 Skeleton Chronograph Carbon Forge - Monochrome Watches
The breaking of new ground in haute horlogerie is imminent for Bell & Ross. The introduction of the BR-X1, whose name is no doubt a nod back to the Bell X-1 supersonic experimental aircraft, is the first tangible evidence of Bell & Ross' new direction within their family of aeronautical-inspired timepieces. The Parisian brand has some formidable foes in its crosshairs: the Royal Oak and the King Power. This is beginning to sound like a legendary dog-fight in the skies!We've introduced the steel version of the Bell & Ross Br-X1 Skeleton Chronograph a couple of months ago, but for this year's Baselworld fair, a new version is being launched. The new iteration of the BR-X1 platform features a forged carbon case. The material is extremely light, but at the same time offers a high tensile strength. Ad - Scroll to continue with article The process of creat

A guide to the Certifications and Quality Seals - Monochrome Watches
COSC, Geneva Seal, Fleurier Quality Foundation, ISO standards Watchmakers endorse their products with various certification marks to demonstrate their commitment to quality. These certifications address to multiple aspects of quality, relating to criteria as different as precision, durability, robustness, aesthetic or even provenance. This installment of A Technical Perspective provides a guide to quality and chronometric certifications seals.A bit of historyVery early, and well-before marketing or advertising were theorized, watchmakers worked on building a reputation of quality around their products and their name. The concept of chronometry really developed during the 18th century, when long-haul travellers needed sharp timekeepers to enable them to determine their position at sea reliably. Manufacturing precise watches became a subject of competition between watchmakers, specifically at observatories, which were founded as guardians of accurate time. There was fierce rivalry at obs

Only Watch 2019 - Tudor Black Bay Ceramic One Unique Piece M7921
The Tudor Black Bay collection is a never-ending success. This model has already appeared in multiple materials – steel, PVD-coated steel, bronze, two-tone – without talking about the multiple designs, complications and size options. One concept that Tudor hasn’t explored yet is ceramic. Things are about to change, as for Only Watch 2019?the brand introduces the Tudor Black Bay Ceramic One, the first BB in this modern material.This new piece – keep calm, because at the moment it is a one-off prototype? – is the first of the Black Bays (and there are a lot already) to be designed in lightweight, scratch-resistant ceramic. Being a tool watch first and foremost, the Tudor Black Bay Ceramic One is presented in matte black ceramic, with a bead-blasted finish. The case retains the classic BB proportions, meaning a 41mm diameter. Ad - Scroll to continue with article

Weekly Watch Photo - Ma?tres du Temps Chapter Two TRC in titanium - Monochrome Watches
Today’s Weekly Watch Photo features photos of the Ma?tres du Temps Chapter Two TRC, again. Back in September I already showed you some photos of the new Chapter Two TRC, photographed by Ming Thein. A few weeks ago, at SalonQP in London, I ran into Steven Holzman, founder and CEO of Ma?tres du Temps, and he told me that he had more of these beautiful photos. Since the Weekly Watch Photo is mainly about enjoying the beauty of a exquisite timepiece, photographed in a very attractive way, these photos are perfect for Monochrome’s WWP. This time we focus on the (non-DLC) titanium version of Chapter Two TRC (Triple Calendar Round). Ad - Scroll to continue with article Let’s take a step back and have a look at the beginning of Ma?tres du temps. It was 2007 when Steven Holzman founded Ma?tres du Temps, which is not so much a new watch company, but more