Watches NEWS
A Full Month of Power on the Wrist - Hands-On with the A. Lange & Sohne Lange 31 - Monochrome Watches
For the average automatic or hand-wound watch, a power reserve longer than 3 days is already quite comfortable. Yet, some watches can do more… A week? Easy. Over 10 days? It exists. But what if your watch was able to run for a full month, without the need for you to wind it? Clearly, this would be massive – and it would be the same kind of useless necessity that is offered by a Bugatti Chiron and its 1,500bhp engine… Such a powerful watch exists and it’s called the?A. Lange & Sohne Lange 31. And while it is not a proper novelty, the recently introduced white gold/grey dial version is the occasion for us to look back at this monument, and to all the issues that go along!The length of the power reserve on a watch can be seen at first as just another number. Yet, it has to be regarded as something a bit more important than that. While on automatic watches, the length of the power reserve might not be so important at first (as when the watch is worn, it should b
The Best of Indie Watchmaking Seen Through the Casebacks Part 2
Following Part 1 of this journey through the fascinating world of independent watchmaking, which we published last week, we continue today with the second part of this collection of superb watches… Instead of looking at the watches in the conventional way from the dial side, we’re looking at them from the reverse side.? And seeing what these independent, creative watchmakers are capable of when it comes to movement construction and decoration, we have to admit that in many cases, the view is even sexier.The selection below is a composed of small' independent watchmakers without mentioning larger brands such as Patek Philippe, A. Lange & Sohne or Audemars Piguet. Naturally, this isn't an exhaustive list, so do not hesitate to mention your favourite craftsmen or watches in the comment section below!Haldimann H11An?absence?of the?unnecessary and a focus on the essential That's what Beat Haldimann has been striving for with the timepieces that he crafts by hand. Plus a high
Introducing The Accessible Timex Marlin Sub-Dial Automatic
The watchmaking industry can be a daunting and dizzying environment, both from a mechanical and financial perspective. Every day we are bombarded with watches costing tens of thousands of dollars and uber-complex movements. And to be honest, considering the fact it is our passion and profession, we’re not often surprised by price tags well into the six figures (whether they’re justified or not is a different discussion…) But where does that leave people that are on a budget, or perhaps first-time buyers into mechanical watches? What’s out there that looks cool, yet is very affordable? That’s where watches like the new Timex Marlin Sub-Dial Automatic 39mm come in!The Marlin collection by Timex has been a long-standing range of affordable watches, with an understated design that makes it fit for the boardroom but also for more casual occasions. New to the range is this Marlin Sub-Dial Automatic 39mm, which offers a new look, and new mechanics, at roughly the
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Flying Tourbillon (Price)
Last year Parmigiani entered the hyper-competitive realm of the luxury sports watch with its Tonda PF collection, a move instigated by its new CEO, Guido Terreni. Debuting with an automatic time-and-date (micro-rotor), a chronograph, an annual calendar and an impressive split-seconds chronograph with a gold engine in 2021, Parmigiani unveils a sophisticated flying tourbillon during this 2022 edition of Watches & Wonders. Although a flying tourbillon might not be everybody's idea of a complication for a sports watch, the refinement, finishings and deliberate minimalism that characterise the Tonda PF collection work beautifully in this context. Fitted with Parmigiani's ultra-thin automatic PF517 movement with micro-rotor, the full-platinum Tonda PF Flying Tourbillon follows in the footsteps of the majestic platinum Tonda PF Split Seconds Chronograph launched in 2021.Bare essentialsSimplicity and refinement are the operative words here. The case and dial, crafted in platinum, provide
Julien Coudray 1518 - Part 1: Monochrome meets Fabien Lamarche - Monochrome Watches
Recently Monochrome had the opportunity to sit down with Fabien Lamarche, the founder of Julien Coudray 1518. The brand is relatively new in the business of ultra high-end watchmaking, as their story began in 2007. This manufacture of Haute Horlogerie can boast the incorporation of some very distinctive features, such as movements made entirely of the same metal as the case (yellow, pink or white gold or platinum). In a three-part story, we're going to introduce you to the way these people work and the timepieces they create. Good enough, you might say. Not for us. We had the chance to witness a rare and precious moment: the “birth” of a new watch.Before creating Julien Coudray 1518, Fabien Lamarche occupied virtually all jobs related to watch development and production, such as being a restorer of antique watches, Breguet's process manager, Roger Dubuis's product director and Zenith's head of the prototype department. Fabien is never in a rush. He is the reflection of his