Hands-on with the 2016 edition of the A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia Thin, with new face (live pics, specs & price) - Monochrome Watches
This 2016 edition of the SIHH has been very productive for A. Lange & Sohne (again…). We’ve seen the stunning (yes, that’s an understatement) Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon, the poetical and kind of magical Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase Lumen, the very elegant and balanced Saxonia Moon Phase or the highly technical Richard Lange Jumping Seconds. Clearly, the Saxonian Manufacture didn’t disappoint this year. Besides these proper novelties, there was also an update of an existing watch introduced, a watch that may not be the most coveted creation of Lange but one that really has charm and a discrete elegance, the?A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia Thin, which?now features a new face.As said in the introduction, the?A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia Thin isn’t a proper novelty, as the previous edition of this watch was?introduced at the SIHH 2011, as you can see here, in our dedicated article. However, we have to remind now the 2015 edition of the SIHH, where A. Lange &a

Introducing The New TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Racing Blue Calibre 11
More than 50 years after its presentation, TAG Heuer continues to produce and promote the Monaco as one of its flagship models, preserving the heritage of the iconic chronograph while continuously updating it with design elements to ensure its enduring appeal. The new Monaco Racing Blue edition retains the allure of the original yet looks captivatingly fresh. And contrary to most modern versions, it features the classic crown on the left side, paired with a calibre 11 movement and a titanium case.Before introducing any new Monaco timepiece, it is worth quickly going over the model’s history, if only to remind of its importance, not just to TAG Heuer. The Heuer Monaco was first introduced in March of 1969, with a simultaneous launch in Geneva and New York. It was revolutionary at the time because it was the first square-shaped, waterproof automatic chronograph in watchmaking history. All of the initial Monaco models were powered by the groundbreaking Chronomatic Calibre 11, co-dev

It was 40 years ago... the first automatic chronograph - Monochrome Watches
40 Years ago, on 3 March 1969, the first automatic chronograph movement was introduced. This movement,?nick-named Chronomatic, was developed by a joint venture of Heuer, Breitling, Buren and Dubois-Depraz. The Chronomatic was used by Heuer, Breitling and Buren under the name of caliber 11.Cover of Swiss Watch and Jewelry Journal – nr.2 1969It actually started with the development of a HMS (hours, minutes, seconds) movement that got it’s power from a micro-rotor! Buren patented a micro-rotor winding system, that was called planetary rotor, in 1954. However it took them untill 1957 before it saw production and later, in 1962, the design was refined into caliber 1280.The new caliber 1280 had a slightly larger swinging mass than the earlier caliber and the swinging mass now swung over the center of the movement. This caliber, also called Intramatic, won the Prix d’Honneur at the 1964 Swiss National Exposition in Lausanne. A year later the micro-rotor was further refined i

Cartier, Shaping Elegance - The History of Cartier through Shaped Watches - Monochrome Watches
Jeweller-watchmaker or watchmaker-jeweller, Cartier excels in both. From this rich tradition, and as evidenced again recently with the introduction of the Drive, the Parisian Maison has drawn an unrivalled legacy in creating fascinating shaped watches. MONOCHROME brings together some of the most iconic Cartier masterpieces born from a unique perception of masculine elegance: sheer dandyism and the mastery of shapes.The first mention of a watch in the Cartier records dates back to 1853. The creation of pocket watches, chatelaines, table clocks, mystery clocks and other horological objets de vertu quickly became one of the most important activities for Cartier. At the beginning of the 20th century, watches started to be worn on the wrist – first for military use, before fashion spread, in particular after the Boer war and even more after WWI. Cartier is intimately associated with the migration of the watch from the pocket to the wrist. The first wristwatch created by Cartier, in 19

The Speedmaster Chronicles #4 - Aurel Bacs, Auctioneer at Phillips Watches
The Former NASA Program Manager and Aerospace Engineer who certified the Speedmaster, the journalist turned watch-designer who initiated “Speedy Tuesday”, a seasoned Speedy collector… What could have been the next step when it comes to the Omega Speedmaster? At a certain point, when you look at such an iconic watch, you have to talk auctions and markets. So no shortcuts, we asked renowned auctioneer Aurel Bacs from Phillips Watches to join us and talk about the Speedmaster. And the best surprise was that not only he talked about his professional view on this piece of history, but this movie ended up to be much more personal than expected. Please meet Aurel and his personal Omega Speedmaster.If Aurel Bacs and Phillips Watches are in the spotlights these days, it’s not by surprise. Aurel and his team members are all, without exception, watch enthusiasts. They love watches, they know watches, they have true confidence in the watches they sell. This knowledge is cru