First Look: The AP Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked 150th Anniversary 26585XT
Last year, with the John Mayer limited edition, Audemars Piguet announced the end of its older perpetual calendar movement, the calibre 5134. And indeed, as we have seen with the launch of the next-gen Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Selfwinding, there is now a new and modern calibre 7138. But it’s not entirely the end of the old JLC-derived movement, as AP had one last trick up its sleeve to celebrate its 150th anniversary: an openworked Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar (ref. 26585XT) in a mix of titanium and BMG, using the skeletonized calibre 5135. So yes, the 5134 is gone… but it has managed to survive in a stripped-down version in this new and impressive watch.?The new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked 150th Anniversary is housed in a 41mm wide and 9.9mm thick titanium case, water-resistant to 20m – as all the older-gen RO QPs. The bezel, caseback frame, and bracelet mid-links are crafted from BMG – or Bulk Metallic Glass – an alloy con

Buying Guide - Putting The Moon On The Wrist In 5 Distinct Styles
After we’ve taken a closer look at five very cool watches that put the Earth on your wrist one way or another just last week, this time around we move over to our nearest neighbour, the Moon. This satellite of our beautiful planet has been there forever and has guided us through time on our explorations of our home planet. Instrumental in the early days of telling time, the moon has always been a major influence on watchmaking. So it makes perfect sense to compile a Buying Guide of what we think are some of the most distinct styles of moon phase watches you can get, from the very comical to the superbly complex and everything in between. So without further ado, let’s get straight into the details!The Complex One – HYT Moon RunnerWith HYT you’re never short on horological spectacle, but the complex HYT Moon Runner takes things up a notch or two. Already a stand-out watch due to the meca-fluidic retrograde hour display, the Moon Runner adds several complications t

Hublot Classic Fusion 40 Years Anniversary Collection - Review, Price
In Stephen Hawking's universe, the Big Bang signals the beginning of time; in the watchmaking world, it is a best-selling Hublot watch.?Hublot has always been a brand that likes to make noise, a lot of noise. It is loud, explosive and disruptive; a brand that you either love or hate. Although the Big Bang is very much a 21st-century creation, it owes its character to a watch released in 1980. You could say that Carlo Crocco's Hublot watch jump-started the concept of fusion, an unorthodox but refreshing combination of materials that got the brand noticed. And as this watch turns a respectable age in 2020, the brand releases the new Hublot Classic Fusion 40 Years Anniversary collection.Carlo Crocco's unconventional marriage of materialsItalian entrepreneur Carlo Crocco founded the brand MDM Geneve and, after three years of research, launched the Hublot (French for ‘porthole’) at Baselworld in 1980. An unconventional 37mm yellow gold watch with a black rubber strap, this shock

Chopard L.U.C Qualite Fleurier Chronometer - Hands-on with live photos, specs and price - Monochrome-Watches
Chopard might not be the first brand to come to your mind when thinking about Haute Horlogerie and dress watches. You might first?think of?Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin or Breguet. However, when having a closer look at?the wide range of watches produced by Chopard, there is a collection worthy of (horological) interest, a collection with in-house movements, with superb finishes and with timepieces adorned with the Geneva Seal… and with another certification called ‘Qualite Fleurier’, said to be even more rigorous. We look at?one of these watches, the Chopard L.U.C Qualite Fleurier Chronometer with Ruthenium dial.The?Chopard L.U.C Qualite Fleurier Chronometer is the essence of a dress watch. We already gave you our opinion about what we believe?such watches should be when reviewing the Girard-Perregaux 1966. It has to be a rather small timepiece, with a simple dial, a potentially conservative design and a thin case. Precious materials are of course always welcome

COOL FINDS: 3 vintage chronographs from Airain, Longines and Universal Geneve - Monochrome Watches
Searching for vintage watches is both an exciting odyssey and a dangerous, risky path. We are pretty sure you’ve been in that situation, when?the enthusiasm?of finding the right timepiece is facing the question of authenticity and trust of sellers. As we love all watches here at Monochrome, we wanted to share with you our?interest for iconic, historical, important timepieces, sometimes far from?what you are used to see in famous auctions. Today, let’s?start with 3 vintage chronographs: a underrated aviator Type 20, a 1940s classical watch with a magnificent in-house caliber and a very rare 1970s Daytona’s competitor.Airain Type 20The Type 20 is not specific?to?Breguet. As we explained in extensive oversight of Type 20 chronograph, those watches were made after a special request of?the French Air-Force and ‘Type 20 / 21’ refers to the specifications, not the model itself. Several brands were selected to build?those chronographs: Breguet (definitely the most