Buying Guide - High-End Traveller's Watches of 2020
We’ve said it on many occasions at MONOCHROME. A traveller’s watch, whether a simple GMT piece or a more complex world timer, is a must-have for enthusiasts and certainly one of the most practical functions you can think of in watchmaking. We all love a nice hand-wound chronograph, we can dream in front of a minute repeater, but in the end, the traveller’s watch remains one of the truly useful functions. But what if you love complications, what if you want more than just a GMT hand or a rotating bezel? Well, we’ve selected three recently introduced traveller’s watches that go far beyond the classic GMT hand – and an additional one that can easily be qualified as a dream watch.?A. Lange & Sohne Lange 1 Time ZoneThe Lange 1 is, without a doubt, one of the most emblematic German watches ever created. Since its launch in 1994, its deliberately unusual display remains untouched and multiple variations, with all kinds of complications, have been introd

Hands-On - Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 34mm Black Ceramic 77350CE
The sleek, elegant and versatile vibe of the 34mm black ceramic Royal Oak Selfwinding could be seen as the equivalent of a little black dress or, for that matter, a smart black shirt for gentlemen who prefer smaller watches. The Royal Oak Selfwinding 34mm made its debut in 2021 and marked the first time a straightforward time-and-date RO got the full-ceramic look, a treat formerly reserved for complicated Audemars Piguet models. In light of the 50th-anniversary Royal Oak celebrations, the latest 34m Royal Oak Selfwinding 77350CE?reveals some of the subtle design updates that have been applied and will be applied to the permanent collection throughout 2022.Smaller dimensions and ceramic CaseThe first 34mm Royal Oak Selfwinding appeared in 2020 and was a breath of fresh air for women or men with small wrists who didn't want to settle for the 33m quartz-powered Royal Oak. Fitted with an automatic calibre made by Vaucher, the news that the 34mm time-and-date was going to be the first uncom

Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Grande Sonnerie Carillon Supersonnerie
With an ultra-thin perpetual calendar, an openworked tourbillon, a minute repeater Supersonnerie and more recently, a flying tourbillon chronograph, the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet wasn’t short of complications… But the latest addition in the range goes a step further with a movement that features what’s probably the highest complication of them all, a grande sonnerie – something only a handful of watchmakers are capable of. So here’s the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Grande Sonnerie Carillon Supersonnerie, which also pays tribute to the makers, featuring handcrafted enamel dials by master enameller Anita Porchet.The grande sonnerie at Audemars PiguetChiming watches, or watches that strike the time, take us back to the origins of watchmaking. Invented in the 14th century, striking clocks had no dials and announced the time with chimes. Audemars Piguet has specialised in chiming mechanisms since its establishment in 1875. Records show that more than half

Hands-on with the Hyper-Technical Angelus U30 Tourbillon Rattrapante (and how can it be, relatively speaking, so affordable) - Monochrome Watches
Listen to this: double column-wheel, flyback, split-seconds, automatic chronograph, skeletonized, and with a tourbillon… Sounds like something we’re all dreaming off. It’s like the Lamborghini you had on your wall when you were a teenager. Something that looked too good to be true? Or just way too expensive to ever be accessible, even for someone in a ‘healthy’ income? Well, it seems that Angelus Watches does not agree, as they have such a watch in their catalogue. It is named the?Angelus U30 Tourbillon Rattrapante and we’re going to look closely at it – and try to understand how?it can be, relatively speaking, so affordable.Let’s get things clear from the beginning. When you have the idea of a split-second chronograph with tourbillon in mind, the psychological price you can think of is certainly six?figures – and probably several hundred?thousands. One way or another, it’s unthinkable that the price will be below the 100,000

Buying Guide - 5 Of The Coolest Dive Watches Launched in 2020
Even though the flow of new models launched on the market is certainly less intense this year than in the past, some important watches have made their debut. And among these releases, we’ve seen numerous dive watches – a perennial of the industry that never loses its appeal. We’ve decided to list some of the new diver’s watches that made an impression on us… five serious models from five serious brands. Conservative choices? Maybe, but these are, without a doubt, some of the coolest too.?Doxa SUB 300 CollectionDespite having created some controversy in the collecting community (mainly due to the resemblance with past limited editions), we can’t hide the cool factor of a vintage-inspired, historically relevant Dox’. The new SUB 300 is simply the piece to get if you want to wear a Doxa dive watch. This new model, inspired by the original 1967 SUB 300, features the brand’s slim case, a domed sapphire crystal, original dial layout and hands,