The Top 10 Swiss Watch Brands in 2019 // Editorial
If the value of Swiss watch exports has slightly increased in 2019, the industry has been facing numerous challenges over the past years. Although high-end Swiss watches remain attractive, the low/mid-end segments have been under pressure as the smartwatch expansion seems to have come at the expense of the lower-priced Swiss timepieces.Most watch brands are traditionally secretive about their sales figures. Independents usually do not communicate numbers – with the notable exception of Audemars Piguet. Listed groups such as Swatch, Richemont or LVMH do not provide details by brand in their financial statements.Ever wondered just how big and popular some of the largest watch brands can get? MONOCHROME has listed the top 10 Swiss watch brands based on estimated 2019 sales. This article is based only on brands. As a comparison, the main actor of the Swiss watch industry is Swatch Group, with estimated sales of CHF 8,000 million in 2019 (8bn) –? spread over 15 watch brands and

Hands-On - The 2022 Tudor Black Bay Chrono S&G Champagne Dial
It is far from an industry secret that the Black Bay collection is Tudor's cash cow. And by saying that, I am by no means implying that as a bad thing. Far from it, the Black Bay and its retro-cool vibe have become a formidable and versatile platform for different materials and colour combinations. Heck, multiple iterations of it have found their way into the collection of several MONOCHROME editors. With no fewer than seven sub-collections, stretching to an even greater number if you include all sizes and colour variations, there are many options. And while most might focus on the new Black Bay Pro or the BB58, there's one new release we certainly didn't want to keep from you. The watch in question is the sparkling (pun intended) Tudor Black Bay Chrono with champagne yellow gold dial.Black Bay BackgroundThe Black Bay saga started in 2012, which honestly feels like ages ago. Since then, we've seen it morph from a cool-looking dive watch with an outsourced movement into a ubiquitous col

Buying Guide - 5 Elegant Watches for Women under EUR 5,000
In our previous guide, we’ve been looking at?Sub-5K sports watches but an elegant, well-chosen dress watch will take you through the day and into the night. Distinguished yet subtle, a refined three-hander should look good in any context and be able to complement your look without dominating your wrist. The kind of watch that will endure changing fashions and that you can wear as a valuable everyday – and hopefully – lifetime companion. Our line-up of candidates have been chosen for their timeless good looks, solid mechanical movements and, best of all, their attractive price tags, all retailing for under EUR 5,000.Note: There are plenty of other candidates out there and we would love to hear your proposals. Please share them with us in our comment section at the end of the article!JAEGER-LECOULTRE REVERSO CLASSIC SMALL 34.2mmThe famous reversible watch designed for British polo players in India hasn't lost one iota of its popularity since its debut in 1931. With its

Hands-On - The New Chopard L.U.C Full Strike in Platinum
A compendium of innovative horological solutions, Chopard's award-winning minute repeater returns in 2021 in a gleaming platinum case with a grey-blue dial. First presented in Fairmined rose gold in 2016, the L.U.C Full Strike has also appeared in white gold, in carburised steel, as well as the recently launched D¨ªa de Los Muertos model with a skull on the dial. Endowed with the revolutionary sapphire crystal gongs that give this minute repeater its unique crystalline sound, the latest platinum edition of just 20 watches perpetuates the legend with an even bolder and colder aura.The L.U.C Full Strike, A crystal-clear soundThe apogee of the 20th-anniversary celebrations of Chopard’s Manufacture in 2016 was the unveiling of the L.U.C Full Strike. Marking Chopard's first foray into the elite domain of minute repeaters, it needed to make a striking impression – acoustically and visually. To meet the challenge, Chopard revisited the minute repeater from head to toe. After 15,000

Introducing the Frederique Constant Classic Manufacture Moonphase (specs & price) - Monochrome-Watches
When it comes to buy a serious dress watch, what will be your expectations? Whatever the money?you’re ready to spend into this so-desired watch, you’ll probably want it to look classy, to have an interesting movement, to be featured with some complications and to be naturally elegant. Having a manufacture movement would of course be a welcomed extra… Which often means that this watch you’re looking for will cost you A LOT.?Frederique Constant?might however be a refreshing alternative, especially with their latest offer. Let’s have a look at the?Frederique Constant Classic Manufacture Moonphase.Frederique Constant has been known for creating attractive, classy and elegant watches that are now featuring an element?that really talks to us here, at Monochrome-Watches: a in-house movement. In fact, they’ve been producing (since 2004, in their manufacture located near Geneva) more calibres than you could expect. In this?Frederique Constant Classic Manufact