Hands-On - Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph 38mm ref. 26315 (Specs & Price)
Although the launch of?Code 11.59 and the consequent deluge of reactions pretty much eclipsed other novelties of the brand during the SIHH 2019, Audemars Piguet had some treats up its sleeve, including this 38mm Royal Oak Chronograph. Still the same watch as the existing 41mm Royal Oak Chronograph but 3mm smaller, still powered by the same automatic chronograph movement, the new 38mm Royal Oak Chronograph is out to conquer men and women's wrists alike. Three versions, one in rose gold and two in stainless steel, were presented at the SIHH 2019 – and judging by the positive reactions so far, this size might well become a regular member of the Royal Oak Chronograph family.?Designed by Gerald Genta in 1972, the Royal Oak paved the way for the rise of the luxury sports watch genre. A 39mm stainless steel watch for men costing as much or more than a gold dress watch, the Royal Oak featured a commanding octagonal bezel, exposed hexagonal screws, a guilloche “tapisserie dial”

Swatch Group Reports Sales Up For 2022 At Correct Levels
Following a couple of years drastically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the luxury industry in general and the watch industry, in particular, have been on the rise again since the end of 2021. According to consulting company Bain & Co, sales of luxury goods are anticipated to grow by over 20% in 2022, and the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry has just reported record exports of Swiss watches for 2022. It is now time for Swatch Group, one of the main actors in the industry, to release its key figures for 2022. As expected, sales are up overall, combined with a comfortable profit. However, some figures should be nuanced.?Overall, Swatch Group – which comprises brands such as Omega, Longines, Swatch, Tissot, Hamilton, Blancpain, Breguet and more – has recorded net sales of Swiss francs/CHF 7,499 million, an increase of 4.6% compared to the previous year – which has to be compared to the numbers of the FHS, reporting exports of Swiss watches up by 11.4% over t

Portrait: Lithunian Watchmaker Liudas Norkus
The watch community can be a truly great thing, as every now and then it seems to embrace new ideas, new concepts, new people and brands with open arms. We’ve seen it happen in watches where the community can get involved in the design process, or with watch clubs bringing together brands and collectors. And we see it once again with Liudas Norkus, a new name on the firmament! In just 24 hours, this young Lithuanian watchmaker managed to sell out his debut watch. And we’re not talking about five, eight, ten or even twenty-five watches, but two hundred! Naturally, such stories tend to get noticed by us and it presented a perfect opportunity to get acquainted with him and his watch!Robin, MONOCHROME Watches – Liudas, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers? Ad - Scroll to continue with article My name is Liudas Norkus, and I grew up in

HYT Hastroid Green Laser (Specs & Price)
As we’ve explained in this article published about 2 months ago, an important new chapter in the story of HYT Watches has just opened. After a complex period, and with a new CEO at its head – an industry veteran known as Davide Cerrato – the brand is back on track and comes with its spacecraft trunk fully loaded with new models, but with the distinctive meca-fluidic technology sound and safe. The name of this new opus in the HYT saga is Hastroid, and following the inaugural edition, the Green Nebula, it’s time for the second chapter to be released. Meet the new HYT Hastroid Green Laser. And indeed, it couldn’t be more green.?The HYT Hastroid Green Nebula, the edition that marked the return of the brand in early 2022.Everything we’ve explained over the past few months is still true for this new model. To make the story short, HYT has always been one of the most fascinating and original brands of the independent watchmaking scene. In addition to creati

Hands-On Tissot T-Race MotoGP Automatic Chronograph 2022 Limited
Here's one for motorcycle enthusiasts and racing fans in general. Tissot has created a new race-inspired chronograph that looks fast while sitting on your wrist. It's large, a bit unconventional and certainly doesn't fly under the radar. This is a statement piece for those that crave speed and track days, and its focus is on MotoGP or Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Tissot currently has several quartz MotoGP models, but this automatic version is the one for watch enthusiasts and at a fair price. The brand has been an official MotoGP timekeeper since 2001 and this latest piece really highlights that partnership. Let’s hit the start button of this new Tissot T-Race MotoGP Automatic Chronograph 2022 LE.MotoGP CaseThe watch definitely has a MotoGP theme, starting with the bezel that looks like a motorcycle brake disc with the calliper at 3 o'clock. The stainless steel case with black PVD accents is sizeable with a width of 45.5mm, length of 48.8mm and height of 16.6mm. Don't be shy wit