The A. Lange & Sohne Tourbograph Perpetual Pour le Merite
No need to beat around the bush… Some subjects don’t really need to be debated. The new?A. Lange & Sohne Tourbograph Perpetual Pour le Merite is a superlative watch, a proper?masterpiece, mixing all the technical marvels of one of the best manufactures in the world (because for once, it’s outside Switzerland), with a strong respect to traditions and a devotion to what is (to me, at least) the most important in a watch; precision. Yes, you could?say that the?Tourbograph Perpetual Pour le Merite?blows things out of proportion but still, whatever the critics will be, we all must?admit that this watch is, in every aspect, mega.The latest of a long lineageBack in 1994, 4 watches marked the resurrection of a manufacture named?A. Lange & Sohne. This early collection included?the Lange 1?(a watch that is still in the catalogue?and that can be considered?as the cornerstone of the collection) and the Tourbillon Pour le Merite, actually the first wristwatch to combine a

Hands-On Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Extra-Thin RD3
Most of you are well aware that the Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet’s emblematic and (probably) most crucial watch ever, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. An array of new models were launched for the occasion, with the star of the show being the new Jumbo Extra-Thin 16202ST. Another watch, launched a couple of months later, didn’t really get the attention it deserved… Maybe it was the overload of new RO watches at the beginning of the year? However, the Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Extra-Thin RD#3 is a watch with a lot of interest. Why? Because it’s everything we love about a classic Royal Oak Jumbo, but fitted with a tourbillon. And it also shows that AP can be discreet, elegant, and technical and still has a word or two to say when it comes to extra-thin watchmaking.?The new chapter in the RD# SeriesWhile this new Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Extra-Thin seems to be, at first, just a hole punched in the dial of a Jumbo, the brand is actu

Independent Watchmaking - Introducing Alchemists Cu29 Creative Act II
Bordering on the obscure line between science and occult, alchemy has at least sparked imagination throughout centuries. While sometimes disregarded as folklore, medieval magic or deceptive in nature, its intent is to always do better, strive for perfection. In a sense, the same thing can be said about watchmaking, haute-horlogerie in particular. Manufactures try to (re)invent and develop new techniques and adaptations of materials in order to create a better, more perfect watch. In essence, that is what Alchemists Watches aims to do while embracing alchemy as a philosophy. This is the Alchemists Cu29 Creative Act II.The documented history of alchemy can be traced back to Chinese and Greco-Roman times, about 2,000 years ago. Most people might think of alchemy as medieval wizardry trying to make gold out of common metals or find a way to extend life into immortality. While it is much more than that, we're somewhat sceptical when a watch manufacture embraces this as a concept for their w

Just Because: Artcurial to Auction Watches and Clocks Owned by Charles de Gaulle
As you know, we rarely talk about auctions on MONOCHROME. We prefer to focus on what we know best: independent watchmaking, explaining fine mechanics and talking about new watches. Yet, from time to time, something sparks our interest – and in the present case, it did on a personal level, maybe due to a certain chauvinism of mine as a Frenchman. Auctions always generate doubts regarding the originality or provenance of watches, but this time I’m going beyond these questions as the origin of the watches is undeniably special. Coming Monday, December 16th, French auction house Artcurial is hosting a sale entirely dedicated to former French President and important military figure of WWII, Charles de Gaulle, including several timepieces previously owned by the General.?Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970), known in France as General de Gaulle, was a French military officer who led the Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the

TAG Heuer honours Senna with a new Special Edition of the Formula 1
The 1st of May 1994 will forever be remembered as one of the darkest days in Formula 1 racing. A day in a racing weekend that was already looking pretty grim, as the sport lost not one but two drivers. Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger both fatally crashed at the (in)famous Imola race track. With Ayrton Senna's status as one of the greatest drivers ever to grace a racetrack, it's only natural that he still serves as an inspiration to many of us today. Collaborations and endorsements are also part of the game, even back in the 1980s. And for TAG Heuer and Ayrton Senna this started in 1988, the year he became world champion. Now, close to 35 years later, TAG Heuer honours the legend once again with the new Formula 1 Senna Special Edition. This 2022 edition of the Senna watch by TAG Heuer is a homage to the company’s first Ayrton Senna-branded watch. As the driver continues to inspire generations of race car drivers and fans the world over, it's no surprise