Horological Cyber-Warfare: Swiss Brands Targeting Piracy-Dials for Smartwatches - Monochrome Watches
Downloading movies and music without paying is illegal, and if you are caught you can be prosecuted for it. Download a Milgauss face for your gizmo? Hold on just a second! You could be next in line for the Swiss industry giants to take down a peg or two. Brands like Omega, Panerai, Mondaine and IWC are taking action against the latest phase of horo-theft: smartwatch-piracy.The global watch industry is an unusually large platform for piracy, as you probably all know. Hundreds of sites selling Bolex, Braitlin, EyeWC or Ublow have been taken down in the past, but they seem to surface again and again. Even more worrying, people are even rebadging a Cartier Rotonde to something called a Reef Tiger and try to pass it on as original designs, complete with a blue cabochon on the crown. And now we can add copyright infringing digital watch faces to the mix. Ad - Scroll to continue with article

Portrait: Gaga Laboratorio, Bold Italian Design Meets Swiss Precision
The current watch market is polarized and most often highlighted by the major and mainstream brands on one hand, and let’s say, all the rest on the other hand. Among the latter, on the fringes of the groups and a few independent and historical brands, a swarm of new brands has emerged in recent years to shake up what can be sometimes seen as a lethargic creative landscape. Niche brands, creators, and micro-brands, all have the particularity of claiming innovative creativity in form and – sometimes – in content. Some, for sure, stand out from the crowd because they have been able to forge a strong identity through the product, if not a manufacture created in the 18th century…Take Gag¨¤ Laboratorio for example. Gag¨¤ Laboratorio is a new independent brand, the second owned and run by Mr. Ruben Tomella beside Gag¨¤ Milano, which has been active for over twenty years. In 2020, Ruben Tomella decided to leverage the expertise of Manufacture Gag¨¤ SA, the Swiss company tha

Breaking News: Stephane Linder, CEO of TAG Heuer, just resigned from his position - Monochrome-Watches
In news which will come as a surprise to few, considering the rumblings which have been coming from the Swiss Manufacturer in recent times, after 21 years with the company, CEO Stephan Linder?has just announced his resignation from TAG Heuer, with immediate effect. So, what does this mean for this giant among watch brands?BackgroundThe story began during Baselworld 2014 with the introduction of a brand new in-house movement, the Calibre 80, a nicely finished and technically advanced engine. the clear intention was to elevate?the brand into higher markets, with prices from 6,000 to 8,000 euros. Together with this new movement, TAG Heuer also announced the creation of a new production plant, based in Chevenez (we explained it first here). Ad - Scroll to continue with article Then, without any clear explanation, TAG announced that this new movement was going to be

The Stunning Gronefeld 1941 Gronograaf
Despite the breakthrough in materials, engineering technologies and manufacturing equipment, the new millennium has yet to produce much innovation in mechanical chronograph movement design. Still, upgrades to how chronographs function occasionally impress watchmaking enthusiasts, like the MB&F Sequential EVO or the AgenGraphe by Agenhor. Much to our joy, one of the most beautifully executed attempts to perfect the beastly mechanism came in the form of the Gronefeld 1941 Gronograaf, presented by the “Horological Brothers” Tim and Bart Gronefeld last year. We recently spent time with the Dutch watchmakers and their creation and gladly share our thoughts.Tim and Bart Gronefeld are the Horological Brothers, well-known in mechanical watchmaking for their high-end creations. They come from a family with a long watchmaking history, and both Tim and Bart have been in the industry for many years. Together, they founded their company, Gronefeld Watches, in 2008. It is based in Ol

Watches and Formula 1 - Episode 7 - Williams F1 and Oris - Monochrome Watches
40 years, for some this feels like an eternity (I am only 33 years old) and for others it feels like next to nothing. Making it 40 years in life doesn't require too much effort if you have no serious challenges. But to make it 40 years in the grueling sport of Formula 1 takes skill, determination, luck, good judgment, a lot of money and a clear vision. One of the most illustrious names in the business is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, so it is only fitting to include it into our Watches & Formula 1 saga; Williams F1 and their long-term watch partner, Oris.Founded by Sir Frank Williams and Sir Patrick Head, the team started in an old carpet warehouse in Didcot, Oxfordshire (UK) in 1977. Prior to that Sir Frank Williams was pushing drivers in F2 and F3000 series, and he subsequently started venturing into F1 in 1969. Fielding a Brabham BT26A with the iconic Ford DFV 3.0 V8 and long-time friend Piers Courage behind the wheel, they scored two second place finishes! A year