The Collector's Series - Our new contributing editor, Peter and his elegant A. Lange & Sohne 1815 - Monochrome Watches
Today, the collector's Series is about Monochrome's?new contributing editor, Peter. Most likely you’ve already read some of his stories;?Peter will mainly focus on review and events. He has a special talent for event reports as he knows how to make you feel if you were with him at the event he’s covering for Monochrome. After a long and fruitful career, Peter now has more time to focus on his passions for photography and watches and we’re proud that he does joined our team. Today?he's going to tell us when and where his journey into the world of watches started… and it’s with the highly desirable A. Lange & Sohne 1815 that he bought in 2001.For starters, Peter, can you tell us a bit more about yourself??I was born and grown in Leiden, Netherlands. I lived in various cities, including Princeton, NJ (USA). My education is in Information Technology and Business Economics. Currently I assist organisations and people in increasing performance by sharing kno

IWC Big Pilot's Watch Heritage Bronze IW501005 - Review (Specs & Price)
Few watches can claim to be real icons. The IWC?Big Pilot's Watch is definitely one of them. This WWII-inspired pilot’s watch needs no introduction anymore. Of course, the one that everybody knows is the classic black dial version with white indices (Ref. IW500912). But there are more editions offered by the brand – including my favourite, the “Le Petit Prince” ref. IW500916 – with or without complications. Recently, the brand added a new, vintage-like subcollection in the Big Pilot line dubbed “Heritage”, which includes the watch we’re about to review, the?IWC Big Pilot's Watch Heritage Bronze IW501005. Patina is about to hit the sky!BackgroundIn 2002, IWC launched a watch that would later become a true cornerstone in the collection, a watch that many praised and loved, a watch that would define IWC as a true pilot’s watch manufacture: the Big Pilot. The first edition – the standard black dial version, Ref.?IW5002 – was

Squale Squalematic 60 Atmos - Dive Watch Review (Specs & Price)
The vintage-inspired trend that overshadows the watch market these past few years is still evolving, with most companies more or less digging in their archives, trying to find vintage designs, to bring them back in life. Although this may show the difficult position of the Swiss watch industry as a whole, it can be argued that it has some benefits. Perhaps the most important one is that the market is full of great new watches. One of these is arguably the new Squale Squalematic 60 Atmos, a vintage-inspired dive watch that comes from a company with great pedigree. So we placed it under the Monochrome microscope and here are our thoughts.History and Origins of SqualeOutsourcing was a popular practice among Swiss watch brands in the past. The big names in the industry used an extensive network of small companies that were specialized in manufacturing specific components. Movements came from one place, dials and hands from another, cases and crystals from again another. For instance, most

Introducing: Quiet Club QC01 Fading Hours
Imagine yourself being completely immersed in something of the utmost importance. Every single fibre is zoned in on the task at hand, whatever that may be. The outside world has ceased to exist for you in that moment of complete concentration. And then…. an alarm goes off, rudely breaking your concentration and bursting your zen-bubble. That very sensation is something we’re probably all familiar with, and it takes a lot of time to find your mojo again after it’s happened. Interruptions are something we have to deal with for sure, especially in this day and age. And in all honesty, it’s needed sometimes, to not forget about other responsibilities. But there are ways to make that break a bit more gently, less abrupt and smoother. That’s what Quiet Club aims to do with their first-ever watch, the QC01 Fading Hours.The whole idea behind the Quiet Club QC01 Fading Hours comes from the very notion of trying to be laser-focused in work or something your deeply p

Baume et Mercier Clifton Baumatic (non-COSC version, Ref. 10400, Steel Bracelet) - Specs & Price
Baume & Mercier has changed tack radically after introducing its first proprietary movement – Baumatic?-? during the SIHH in January 2018. Greeted with positive reactions, the Baumatic? has been housed in the Clifton line of watches, Baume & Mercier's all-rounder collection that includes the sporty Clifton Club series, clearly targeted at younger men. But above all, the Clifton Baumatic marks a new direction for the brand with its high-performance chronometer-grade movement, a diligent and admirable step up from third-party sourced movements that were the mainstay of the brand. Presented in a COSC-certified version – the Clifton Baumatic Chronometer – and three non-COSC versions with the same engine under the bonnet, this model on a steel bracelet is a casual verging on elegant watch, a perfect watch to introduce young men into the world of mechanical movements. Unassuming but handsome, well-endowed mechanically but not bulky, the Clifton Baumatic is Baume &am