Union Glashutte 1893 Johannes Durrstein Edition Power Reserve
The Glashutte region in South-East Germany is home to many very interesting watch manufacturers, ranging from relatively affordable to proper high-end stuff. The region is famous for a very distinct style of watchmaking, which radiates through pretty much any brand currently in operation. Clean, legible, nicely finished and often with clever and practical complications, it seems Germans simply do things differently. A brand we never covered before, for no apparent reason by the way, is Union Glashutte. With designs that tie in with the region’s aesthetical codes, Union Glashutte produces solely mechanical watches under the Swatch Group umbrella. But, as we’re about to see through the Union Glashutte 1893 Johannes Durrstein Edition Power Reserve, there’s plenty to say about this brand.The history of Union Glashutte goes back a century and a half and is intertwined with several other high-end watchmaking companies from the Glashutte region. The story starts in 1874 when

SIHH 2019 - IWC Pilots Watch Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Edition Le Petit Prince IW392202 (Live Pics, Specs & Price)
This year is all about the pilot watch for IWC. As usual, there is a mix of standard, non-limited models as well as a couple of over the top limited editions. Like this Big Pilot's Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition Le Petit Prince. The watch we're looking at today falls into this latter category, although it perhaps not quite as unorthodox. This is the Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Edition Le Petit Prince. Ad - Scroll to continue with article This new watch is, of course, not the first time that?IWC has combined a perpetual calendar with a chronograph in one of its pilot's watches. This has already existed in the past, yet often with a Valjoux-based movement and Kurt Klaus’ module on top (of course). Here, the base movement is now manufactured in-house – which, again, isn’t a novelty per se, however the QP/Chrono combo with

Grand Seiko Spring Drive 8-Days and what's so "Seiko" about the Spring Drive technology - Monochrome Watches
Here’s the start of a story that I didn’t expect to publish on Monochrome, ever! It’s about a watch with a movement that is equipped with a quartz crystal. Wait… talking about quartz? On Monochrome? Well, I wouldn’t say that I’ve turned to the dark side, however visiting Seiko in Japan last year has opened my eyes to the beauty of the Spring Drive movements, even if?the regulating organ inside features something that would usually leave some bad taste in my mouth…a quartz crystal. Today we’re going to explore to Spring Drive technology and the reason why I was so open to learning more about this technology… the stunning Grand Seiko Spring Drive 8-Days.?Last year I had the privilege to visit Seiko (and Grand Seiko) in Japan on an extensive 5-day trip. One of the things that stood out to me, was that the Japanese have a much different approach to watchmaking than the Swiss or the Germans. Although I find the German approach already so

Collector's Corner - Chopard L.U.C 16/1860 and The Calibre 96
After a brief hiatus, we return to The Collector's Corner, with an entry that is as far removed from the Omega Seamaster Professional 300M?and the Explorer II Polar 16570?we last looked at, in both form and function. At Watches & Wonders 2022 (check out our full coverage here), Chopard presented not one, but three chiming watches to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the jeweller's haute horlogerie ambitions under the L.U.C line. We thought it would thus be relevant to take a closer look at the beginnings of L.U.C and, more importantly, the groundbreaking movement powering it, the superb calibre 96.01… and of course, the ultra-desirable and elegant watches that came equipped with it.The Calibre 96.01 was launched in 1996 as Chopard's first in-house, automatic movement, and was developed over three years with a clear goal: establish Chopard as a serious contender was so forward-looking that its derivative movements still continue to power Chopard's latest cr

The 2020 Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Collection
Introduced in 1992, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Collection has always been the classic model of the brand, with a focus on technical rigour, certification and visual restraint. Its name comes from the fact that it was the first of Jaeger-LeCoultre's collections to benefit from its pioneering ‘1000 Hours Control’ certification. In constant evolution since its launch, today the Maison unveils its four proposals for 2020. So, let’s take a look at the 2020 Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Collection.This new Master Control Collection has to be seen as a subtle evolution, a modernisation of the range with a casual twist, rather than a complete overhaul. As many of you know, its name comes from JLC’s own ‘1000 Hours Control’ certification, a series of tests on the cased-up watch (not just its movement) to guarantee its perfect execution and its precision. It is one of the most stringent testing protocols in the industry today and every model in this