On the Road to SIHH 2018 - What You'll See on MONOCHROME (And there's a lot...) - Monochrome Watches
The SIHH 2018, the first watch fair of the year, kicks off on?Monday, 15 January. And we will be there with the “big guns”…?For five days, 18 of the most prestigious and established brands, as well as 17 independent watchmakers, will unveil their new collections and we, at MONOCHROME, are committed to bring you all the important?novelties and make sure that you don’t miss anything from the show. Here’s what you can expect to see.Coming Monday, 15 January, at 9:00 exactly (GMT+1) the SIHH 2018 will open its doors to a public composed of watch specialists, retailers and journalists. Eighteen established brands (A. Lange & Sohne, Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, Girard-Perregaux, Greubel Forsey, Hermes, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Parmigiani, Piaget, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, Ulysse Nardin, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels) and seventeen independent watchmakers (Armin Strom, Claret, DeWitt, F.P. Journe, Ferdinand

Hands-On Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Tourbillon (Specs & Price)
To celebrate the Chopard manufacture's 20th anniversary in 2016, the brand made its first foray into the complex domain of minute repeaters. Determined not to produce just another' minute repeater, Chopard invested 15,000 hours in the lab surprised us all with its revolutionary use of sapphire crystal gongs that produce a unique crystalline sound. With its bold openworked dial exposing parts of the movement and the hammers, and its user-friendly crown-operated functionality, the L.U.C Full Strike took home the top Aiguille d'Or prize at the GPGH 2017. Today, and in light of the L.U.C collection's 25th anniversary, Chopard ups the ante with this 18k ethical rose gold Full Strike model with a tourbillon secured by a transparent sapphire bridge on the dial. A new complication requires a new movement and the L.U.C Full Strike Tourbillon flaunts a new chronometer-certified calibre. For the first time in the trajectory of the L.U.C Full Strike, the dial is almost closed, relegating the two o

Introducing The New Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Summer Blue 75th Anniversary (Live Pics & Price)
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Omega Seamaster, the longest continuously produced collection of watches by Omega. For this occasion, the brand is pulling out all stops and is introducing no less than eight celebratory pieces, including a slightly updated version of the Seamaster Diver 300M, perhaps the most iconic model of the collection. Dressed in cool Summer Blue, it features all the hallmarks of the existing model, but with small and colourful visual elements to set it apart. Here’s the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Summer Blue Co-Axial Master Chronometer 42mm 75th Anniversary watch.The changes to the Seamaster Diver 300m include design details regarding the dial, bezel insert and caseback. Technically everything is identical to the existing range, so a stainless steel case of 42mm in diameter and 13.5mm in height, with a brushed and polished finish and a water resistance of 300m. It still has a screw-down crown with guards, a helium escape valve, a unidirectional r

Hands-On - Czapek Quai des Bergues Order of Malta Special Edition (with Video)
If you are a regular reader of MONOCHROME, you will be familiar with the independent watchmaker Czapek. A name with a lot of history (Fran?ois Czapek was a Geneva-based Polish watchmaker whose 6-year partnership with Antoni Patek gave birth to remarkable watches before the latter founded Patek Philippe with Adrien Philippe), the brand was revived in 2015 with the launch of the Quai des Bergues. The first modern Czapek creation was awarded the Public Prize at the prestigious Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve in 2016. At Baselworld 2017, the brand introduced the Place Vend?me tourbillon featuring a GMT indication.Over the past months, Czapek has released variations, bespoke iterations and special editions of its Quai des Bergues model showcasing traditional crafts like Grand Feu enamel or hand-guilloche dials. The latest execution of this collection presented just ahead of Baselworld features a grene - iridescent silvered dial featuring a highly-detailed Order of Malta coat of arms paint

Parmigiani Fleurier Tecnica Ombre Noir (Specs & Price)
Three of the most revered complications in Haute Horlogerie - minute repeater, tourbillon and perpetual calendar - are united in this exceptional timepiece, a unique Parmigiani Fleurier piece that retails for just under half a million Swiss Francs. The Tecnica Ombre Noire comes in a 45mm rose gold case with a splendid hand-guilloche dial. The combination of the gleaming rose gold case and the dark handsome dial is stunning, but the watch is not entirely new. In 2014, Parmigiani Fleurier launched a limited edition of five Tecnica Ombre Blanche watches – without the sumptuous guilloche dial.? The perpetual calendar functions are neatly arranged in three interconnected sub-dials with a fourth dial devoted to the one-minute tourbillon. But wait a minute, where is the slider to activate the minute repeater? Read on to find out more about this exceptional masterpiece.From the Toric to the TecnicaThe Toric holds a special place in Michel Parmigiani's heart; it was his first watch. Unvei