The Battle of High-End Chronographs Part 2 - A. Lange & Sohne 1815 Chronograph - Monochrome Watches
When it comes to pure, thoroughbred manual-winding chronographs, models that are devoted exclusively to capturing elapsed times and not equipped with any other paraphernalia, A. Lange & Sohne's 1815 Chronograph is up there in the pantheon of perfection. The model we are reviewing for our three-part Battle of the High-End Chronograph series is the 2018 pink gold with black dial version, similar to the Boutique Edition of 2015 with its pulsometer scale. Like all the current variations on the 1815 chronograph theme (white gold black dial, Boutique Edition), this watch is equipped with what is possibly the most beautiful hand-wound movement on the market today.?In pursuit of purityHand-wound chronographs with in-house movements and no additional complications are not as prevalent as you might think. Far more complicated to develop than a tourbillon, many watch manufacturers have depended on outsourced movements, including Patek Philippe's famous – and now discontinued – ref

SIHH 2017 - Ulysse Nardin Regatta (Hands-On, Specs & Price)
Live from SIHH 2017, where Ulysse Nardin is exhibiting for the first time, we’ve just been introduced to what could be one of the (if not the) most ingenious?Regatta watches ever.?While most regatta watches are basically reversed chronographs (which count-down instead of timing an event), this watch is able to do?both, in the most practical possible way. How? By having a bidirectional second hand that goes?counterclockwise during the count-down and once it hits zero, changes direction automatically to become a chronograph. It is impressively clever?to say the least. Check out the video below and then read on to find out more about?how the?Ulysse Nardin Regatta works.Regatta watches: A quick refresherTo help?understand how this Ulysse Nardin Regatta works, it’s worthwhile going over a bit of the technical background with regards to?regatta watches in general. Firstly, what is the purpose of such a watch? Unlike?car racing, the start of a sailing regatta is rather complex, be

IWC Also Joins the Smart Device Race with IWC Connect - UPDATED - Monochrome Watches
When opening my mailbox this morning, a new press release from IWC just came in. After opening that press release, the one and only thought I had was “WHY?”. Well, the BIG news is that IWC is also going to join the connected / smart watch race. They choose to do that with a ‘connected device’ that has been baptized IWC Connect, which will be integrated into the straps of IWC (sports) watches. Sometime later this year IWC will announce more information, however it’s certain that they will start with the Big Pilot’s Watch. – THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN UPDATED (at the end) WITH NEW INFO FROM IWC –Let’s be clear about this, high-end watchmaking and SMART watches have nothing in common, zero, nada, niente (that’s Spanish/Portuguese and Italian). Well, except the fact that both can be worn on the wrist and indicate time, but that’s it. High-end watchmaking is all about the beauty of, well, high-end watchmaking. Think: bridges with

SIHH 2016: Introducing the Montblanc 4810 Chronograph - Live photos, Specs and Price - Monochrome Watches
Montblanc has been coming with an extremely strong offering, this year again, and during the fair they literary are the talk of the ‘town’. The high-end complication, like the ExoTourbillon Slim and the limited editions with hand-painted dials, the Tourbillon Cylindrique Pocket Watch 110 Years and the 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter?are awe-inspiring. At the same time, the ExoTourbillon and the 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter are priced rather competitively and that’s also how Montblanc sets itself apart from the crowd. Today we’re going to look at a friendly priced chronograph of the newly revamped 4810 collection, the Montblanc 4810 Chronograph.?One of the distinct features of the 4810 collection has always been the impressive guilloche dials that feature the ‘exploding Montblanc star motif’,?as the brand calls it, and big applied Roman numerals. This year the 4810 collection has been revamped, and the cases have been redesigned, and are slightly smaller a

The Orient Bambino 38 Collection offers some of the best value-for-money
It's no secret that Seiko and Citizen are the champions when it comes to affordable, in-house mechanical watches that are both stylish and reliable. Swiss counterparts like Hamilton and Tissot can't quite match the prices of these Japanese legends, and pieces like the Seiko 5 SNK809 show just how much watch you can get for under USD 100. Orient is a third Japanese watchmaker (and is part of the Seiko Epson Corporation, so under the Seiko Group umbrella) that offers affordable watches with in-house mechanical movements. It's sometimes overshadowed by Seiko and Citizen, but the latest unisex Orient Bambino 38 Collection is just as impressive as comparable offerings from those two juggernauts.?The new watches are part of the brand's Classic collection and have a vintage-inspired, timeless and elegant aesthetic. The stainless steel case is 38.4mm in diameter and 12.5mm in height (44mm lug-to-lug), so the size is certainly slightly retro. A gold (colour) plated case is an option with a whit