Collector's Corner - The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Perpetual 1990s
For our new installment of The Collector's Corner, we are returning to a Richemont brand, one that is known as “La Grande Maison”, or the watchmaker of watchmakers. That's right, this week we are looking at Jaeger-LeCoultre, specifically, a 1990s hit that lives on in the current collection. We love complications here at MONOCHROME, and we are switching things up a bit and are going with the Master Control Perpetual Calendar, a watch that I love to name the forebear of the Dr. Strange watch. Let's have a look at a typical complicated youngtimer.?After the quartz crisis led to a culling of the herd in the Swiss watch industry, the 1980s and 1990s were a time of rebirth and re-discovery. In French-speaking Switzerland, in Le Sentier, Jaeger-LeCoultre embarked on a journey to relearn mechanical complications by developing a series of six limited-edition Reversos in rose gold, each made in 500 pieces: power reserve and date, tourbillon, minute repeater, retrograde chronograph, d

Hands-On - The Blue IWC Pilots Watch Automatic Laureus IWC328101
Last year IWC Schaffhausen unveiled its 15th special edition for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation with a watch taken from its popular Pilot's watch collection. The straightforward time-and-date pilot's model marked the occasion by flying the colours of the charitable organisation, which advocates sport as a means of transforming children and young people's lives. Following in the footsteps of watches like the Portugieser Monopusher Chronograph and the Portofino Automatic Moon Phase, the Pilot's Watch of 2021 is decked out in the trademark dark blue colour of the foundation. However, instead of just producing a blue dial, the brand went one step further and produced the first blue ceramic case for its Laureus special editions. With its relatively compact dimensions, resilient ceramic shell, instrumental and legible pilot’s dial coupled with a five-day power reserve, the IWC Pilot's Watch Automatic Laureus Sport for Good IW328101?is a perfect daily beater with IWC's bona fide

In Review: The Porsche Design Monobloc Actuator 24H-Chronotimer - Monochrome Watches
Over the last few years, Porsche Design has come out with several interesting new models, like the stealth-looking Chronotimer Series 1 and the classically understated 1919 Globetimer. Both demonstrate Porsche Design's ongoing commitment to high-quality engineering, combined with pared back technical design. This trend continues in 2017, with the launch of the Monobloc Actuator 24H-Chronotimer, officially unveiled at Baselworld earlier this year. Join us as we review this remarkable new watch in-depth. ?When it comes to longevity in the luxury watch industry, innovation is the name of the game. It's not enough just to create nice looking watches, you must innovate to stay relevant, whether it be improvements to the internal mechanics, using new and exotic materials in the case and dial construction, or simply coming up with entirely new ways of doing things. Porsche Design has always understood this concept, which is why the company created the world's first ever titanium chronograph w

In-Depth - The Future Of Silicon Hairspring & The Expired Patent
Barely one centimetre in diameter, the hairspring is the beating heart of a watch movement. It is a strategic component in several respects. Manufacturing hairsprings is a complex process mastered only by a few companies. Conventional hairsprings are made of iron-nickel alloys, such as Nivarox. For several years now, silicon has been revolutionizing traditional watchmaking. Borrowed from the semiconductor industry, silicon presents remarkable properties to manufacture hairsprings outperforming those made from conventional metal alloys. But until very recently, silicon hairsprings have been used by a limited number of companies, which patented the technology Things might change as their patent has now expired. We could well enter the silicon age.?The silicon-based Spiromax hairspring of Patek PhilippeThe benefits of the silicon hairspringNot everyone is a fan of the modern silicon hairspring. Some wonder whether silicon has its place in a traditional mechanical watch. Others question th

Jean-Marc Pontroue, CEO of Panerai, about Paneristi, Challenges and the Future - Monochrome Watches
Panerai is, without a doubt, one of the most followed brands in the industry - think Paneristi - and one of the watch manufactures with the clearest identity; remember that the Radiomir and Luminor lines found their roots in the 1930s. Being the CEO of such a company isn't an easy task and change is the main enemy, even though necessary. In order to understand more about the future of the brand, we sat down with its recently appointed CEO, Jean-Marc Pontroue (who can be seen here) to discuss all things Panerai.Frank Geelen – When did you get interested in watches? Was there a watch in the family that started things or anything like this?Jean-Marc Pontroue –?I have been working all my life in the luxury industry, mainly in fashion before moving to leather goods and accessories. Watches came rather late in my career path and I got to work on the development of the watch department for Montblanc in 2000. Then I moved to Roger Dubuis in 2011 and now I'm at Panerai. So, I'd say