Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Smoked Dial & Two-Tone Case Hands-On
One year ago, Audemars Piguet launched what is probably its most important watch in the last 25 years: the two other major launches were the 1972 Royal Oak and the 1993 Royal Oak Offshore. An entirely new collection, a watch that we described as “the discreet Audemars Piguet, made for accomplished collectors” in our review, a watch with important new movements… and a watch that also generated frenzied discussions! Maybe Code 11.59 wasn’t bold enough. Maybe it was too discreet. Certainly, it has been misunderstood. A week ago, Audemars Piguet revealed a spiced-up, bolder take on the watch with new smoked lacquered dials and two-tone cases.The inaugural version of the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet, with a monochromatic lacquered dial with a polished surface.While we’ve already introduced this new sub-collection of no fewer than 10 references, we had the opportunity to have a hands-on session with most of the models. As you know, press images rarely do justic

My first love... Heuer - Monochrome Watches
I think every watch collector remembers that first watch that made an incredible impression. The watch was so beautiful and intriguing, you kept thinking about it. But why was it so expensive? Over the years i’ve had quite a few watches. Sometimes when i look at the photos of the watches that came and went away, i see how my taste for watches changed. It also makes me remember watches that used to be on my wish-list, that never made it to be part of my collection. With some of them i wonder what attracted me in these watches. But not with my first ‘real’ watch… my Heuer Autavia. Ad - Scroll to continue with article It was before my vacation to Vietnam. I planned to do a scuba dive course, stay some days in the jungle, 6 weeks traveling from south to north and back south again. And i really needed a watch that would be up for such a task.

The Collector's Series - The Horophile and his glowing Sarpaneva Northern Lights - Monochrome Watches
This is not the first time that the Indy brand, Sarpaneva has featured on the Collector’s Series. We covered our Executive Editor Frank Geelen's here. Sarpaneva watches are all designed in-house, by Finnish watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva himself. He creates bold watches in small numbers. He is generally known for his stunning moonphase (weather the face is happy or sad is up for debate, but that's beside the point!) and his pinion-shaped case with multi-layer dials. This week, we have Mister The Horophile (the Instagram addicts will know who we're talking about) that introduces to us his own, brand new Sarpaneva Northern Lights.This week our guest comes from a family of watch enthusiasts. Given that he lives and works in the home of watchmaking, Switzerland, which?should be no surprise. Amr Sindi is the young Saudi Arabian gentleman behind the Horophile page (@thehorophile on Instagram and here on the web). Before we got into the nitty gritty of the interview itself, Amr mentioned t

Baselworld 2012 - OMEGA Seamaster Aqua Terra GMT and the Co-Axial movement explained - Monochrome Watches
Three years after Omega launched the Seamaster Aqua Terra Co-Axial GMT Chronograph, Omega now launches the Seamaster Aqua Terra GMT. Visually many similarities, however without the chronograph and now with Omega’s proprietary co-axial caliber 8605/8615 GMT movement.?In terms of function it still does the same as any movement based on an ETA 2893; hour, minutes, seconds, date and a central 24 hour (GMT) hand. Technically however, the movement is much nicer. But let’s first look at its appearance. Ad - Scroll to continue with article With a diameter of 43 mm, the case is 1 mm smaller than the Aqua Terra GMT Chronograph. It is available in red gold, stainless steel or in a TwoTone version of 18 Ct red gold and stainless steel, and it comes on either a bracelet or on a black, brown or blue leather strap.“The dial is distinguished by the teak patter

Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Gravity - Full Review with live photos, specs and price - Monochrome-Watches
It's not often we cover Maurice Lacroix on Monochrome, but over the past few years we've seen a number of interesting watches being introduced by this manufacture. We showed you the Masterpiece Gravity as a Baselworld 2014 introduction, but now we bring share our extensive review just prior to Baselworld 2015, in anticipation of the novelties to come.Founded in 1976, the Swiss brand of Maurice Lacroix is upping their game since 2006 by bringing in-house developed components and movements to their line-up. The introduction of a square and clover-leaf wheel, intriguingly placed on the dial-side of the watch and doubling as an indicator for the seconds or a seemingly floating seconds hand are two of the noteworthy visible characteristics of their work. For the Gravity, an in-house silicon escapement receives a prominent place on the front of the watch. I'd say on the dial but there really isn't one except for the small, off-center one. Ad - Scroll to continue with article