The captivating new Andersen Geneve Tempus Terrae Baguettes
With more than 40 years of independent watchmaking experience, it's fair to say Svend Andersen is one of the most seasoned watchmakers and a leading character in the industry. After working at Patek Philippe in the 1970s, he founded Andersen Geneve in 1980 and since has been at the forefront of the indie scene. He's a founding member of the AHCI for instance, in which he has always aimed to share knowledge and help others where possible. One of the cornerstone models in Andersen Geneve's arsenal is the Tempus Terrae, a wonderful world timer inspired by the complication as developed by Louis Cottier for Patek in the 1930s. For 2022, Andersen Geneve presents a pair of captivating new Tempus Terrae with Sapphire or Aquamarine baguette set bezels.The Sapphire baguette-set version of the Andersen Geneve Tempus Terrae.Technically there's nothing new regarding this pair of Tempus Terrae models, as the differences from previous renditions are purely aesthetical. Yet, the duo combines the wonde

Introducing The New Hamilton Jazzmaster Face-2-Face III
Introduced in 2013, the Jazzmaster Face-2-Face brings Hamilton’s innovative watchmaking expertise and flair for unconventional design to the fore. Today,?Hamilton introduces the third chapter in its fascinating Face-2-Face saga with a swivelling case and two dials with chronograph functions on one and measurement scales and an openworked movement on the other. ?In a departure from the large oval-shaped cases of the preceding models, the new?Hamilton Jazzmaster Face-2-Face III?comes in a more compact 44mm round case at an even more accessible price. An out-of-the-ordinary watch, the double-faced Jazzmaster is a limited edition of 999 watches.Quirky designsHamilton, the American watch brand that became a Swiss subsidiary of Swatch Group in 2003, revolutionised the watch scene by producing the world’s first electrical battery-operated watch in 1957, the Ventura. That might have been enough to secure its place in the annals of watch history, but it also stood out with its odd s

Our Favourite Watches of "Time To Move" Swatch Group Event - Monochrome Watches
The news broke last summer – Nick Hayek announced that from 2019 onwards, Swatch Group and its brands would no longer be present at Baselworld. As a consequence, the luxury powerhouse decided to organise its own product presentation “Time To Move” for its most luxurious brands: Breguet, Blancpain, Glashutte Original, Harry Winston, Jaquet Droz and Omega. First for retailers in Zurich in March, and then for the press in each of the brand's Manufactures (except for Glashutte Original). Held mid-May, the unveiling of these novelties came later than usual and we were very curious to see what surprises the Swatch Group high-end brands had in store for us. Here are our favourite watches from “Time To Move” - which we have limited to just one watch per brand.Note: this selection is based on a consensus among the MONOCHROME team. It reflects our preferences of the watches unveiled during “Time To Move”. If there are other watches you'd love to mention,

The Art of Openworked Movements - A Case Study with Vaucher
Recently we brought you a detailed look at Vaucher, one of the most prominent high-grade mechanical makers for third parties in the watch industry (read our article here).?We went back to the Val-de-Travers to take a look at how the movement manufacturer produces openworked movements, including their own calibre 5401.The creation of openworked or skeleton watches, the art of playing with transparency aims at revealing the quintessence of the movement, allowing its wearer to admire its intricacies. When crafting an openworked/skeleton movement, the plate, bridges and other components such as the barrel cover are hollowed out and then carved to the bare essentials to reveal the inner workings that make it tick. It then requires complementary skills, those of master craftsmen to sublimate the movement with time-consuming finishing and decoration operations. Ad - Scroll to continue with article

The Handsome De Bethune DB27 Titan Hawk JPS
The stylish black & gold John Player Special livery, made famous by the Lotus F1 team in the 1970s, is enjoying a revival with offerings from brands like Hamilton, Bell & Ross and TAG Heuer, all the way up the ladder to niche indie brands like De Bethune. Earlier this year, De Bethune unveiled a JPS version of its sporty DB28GS kitted out in black with gold accents. Paying tribute to the golden age of competitive motorsports in the 1970s, De Bethune revisits its DB27 Titan Hawk in pure JPS livery with a black zirconium high-tech case body and yellow titanium accents. Like the souped-up engines powering F1 cars to the finish line, the DB27 Titan Hawk is equipped with De Bethune’s potent 60-hour AUTOV2 engine.The classic edition of the DB27 Titan HawkReleased in 2012 and refreshed in 2018, the DB27 was positioned as the brand’s most straightforward, sportiest entry-level collection. Nevertheless, as a true DB child, it is incredibly crafted and packed with in-house te