Handwerkskunst according to A. Lange & Sohne - Interview with CEO Wilhelm Schmid - Monochrome Watches
The other day I had the distinct pleasure of spending a few days with A. Lange & Sohne in Florence, Italy. The main purpose was the launch of the Lange 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar Handwerkskunst and four new blue dial version (Lange 1, Lange 1 Daymatic, Saxonia and Saxonia handwound), all of which we already showed you last weekend. The team at Lange organized several field trips' to various handcrafts, like lithography, fabric weaving and printing, among others, and we visited one of the most prestigious winemakers from Tuscany (the region in which Florence is located.) Wilhelm Schmid, the brand's CEO, tells us more about Handwerkskunst and handcrafts, plus I'll share wrist shots of a group of Lange collectors whom I accidentally ran into. Be warned LOTS of photos! Like all its predecessors the new Handwerkskunst represents an exuberant variation on an existing model (the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar in this case) and is actually not the discrete style that we know

In-Depth: The History of the Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph
Perpetual calendar chronograph watches are remarkable in their ability to measure the fleeting seconds of the present moment and given the right conditions, the passing of days, months, and years far into the future – perhaps even into eternity. Thus, a good title for this review could be From Here to Eternity, the same as James Jones’ 1951 novel, which was later adapted into a 1953 romantic war drama starring Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr, and Donna Reed. While the content-wise connection to our topic is nil, the events in the book and the iconic Hollywood film occur in 1941, the same year Patek Philippe introduced its first series-built Perpetual Calendar Chronograph wristwatch, the reference 1518.What made it possible? Why did Patek Philippe decide to create such an extravagant timepiece, not as a custom order but in series, during the height of World War II? Perhaps it was the very troubles of the era that made such bold moves both possib

The all new IWC Portofino Chronograph 39 in Three Colours - Monochrome Watches
First introduced in 1984, the Portofino has been one of IWC's most popular collections, catering to both men and women. The design is timeless with an elegant round case and discreet dials. Available in several styles, from a classic three-hander to a complex monopusher chronograph, the Portofino came in several sizes. And today, seemingly out of nowhere and in the middle of the summer holidays, IWC launches a new diameter and new colours for the Portofino Chronograph.?The IWC Portofino collection has always revolved around clean, classically styled dress watches with uncluttered, simple yet handsome designs. The style of the Portofino has always been quite restrained. Sizes run from a petite 34mm to a quite masculine 45mm diameter, with the Portofino Hand-Wound Eight Days, for instance. Ad - Scroll to continue with article Today IWC brings a new case size to th

Hands-on with the very original De Rijke & Co x Miffy Special Edition
The use of comic book characters or cartoon personalities in watchmaking isn’t new. However, we’ve recently seen a successful?revival of the classical Character Watches. Watches incorporating Mickey Mouse, Snoopy or Popeye have become very popular lately, and we can surely expect more to come in the future. Small-time Dutch independent watchmaker De Rijke & Co. now enters this humorous field of watchmaking with something very, very cool: Nijntje, or “Miffy” for non-Dutch people. This iconic little rabbit created by Dick Bruna is known the world over and now finds its way into a mechanical watch for the very first time. And we have the exclusive world premiere of this very fun and limited De Rijke & Co. x Miffy Moonphase.Dick Bruna & Nijntje/MiffyTo explain who or what Miffy is – for those who have no clue or need their memories refreshed – Miffy is a small rabbit-like character developed by Dick Bruna, perhaps the most famous Dutch graphi

Just Because: Patek Philippe Discontinues the Nautilus Moonphase 5712A, and Some Predictions for its Future
Models come and go from brands’ portfolios. There’s nothing extraordinary in this, it’s just standard practice and lifecycle management. , for example, did it last year with the Yacht-Master II Regatta Chronograph (not necessarily a bad idea…) Patek Philippe is no stranger to this concept, as we’ve seen in the past – basically every year, the Geneva-based watchmaker cleans its collections. Yet, from time to time, some of these discontinuations make more noise than others… Remember in 2021 when Patek Philippe announced the end of the classic blue dial Nautilus 5711A…? It came as a shock. Of course, it was followed by a sought-after, short-produced green edition, later to make room for the 5811G in white gold. But still, it somehow hurt fans and collectors. Well, we’re here today with some bad news, as the other all-important steel Nautilus, the Moonphase 5712A, is reportedly discontinued (no more listed at patek.com). The end of an