Hands-on - The brutally honest Laco Kiel.2 Chronograph
Despite the fact that mechanical watches today are very much a luxury item and far from a necessity, there was a time when proper timing instrument watches were the difference between life and death. Watches served a true purpose and were used to time extremely important events. This need for precision also arose with the threat of war building in Europe in the 1930s, which lead to the creation of the Beobachtungsuhr, or B-Uhr. These watches became legendary for various reasons, and today, most Flieger watches take after these original timepieces. Some of the brands which produced B-Uhr watches back then still do that today, to an extent. One such brand is Laco, which has been around since 1925. And Laco recently presented the brutally honest, no-nonsense Kiel.2 Chronograph that takes after the historic design of the Flieger Uhr.A brief history of lacoThe German watchmaking brand of Laco was originally founded in 1925 as Lacher & Co. by Frieda Lacher and Ludwig Hummel. After initia

The Hublot Big Bang Integral Minute Repeater, Presented as the First Minute Repeater in Full Ceramic - Monochrome Watches
In cosmology, the Big Bang marks the beginning of time; in the watchmaking universe, it is associated with Hublot's flagship watch. Launched in 2005, the Big Bang exploded on the scene with its unusual combination of materials and bold design. Today, Hublot presents a watch it claims to be the world's first full-ceramic minute repeater. It is true that ceramic has almost never been used to create minute repeaters, yet there have been a few examples in the past, such as the AP Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication in white or black ceramic, which includes a minute repeater function but is worn on a rubber strap. Produced in limited editions of 18 pieces in white ceramic and 18 pieces in black and available exclusively in Japan, here’s the Hublot Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Cathedral Minute Repeater.A FusionWe've seen plenty of skeletonised and transparent tourbillons in the Big Bang line-up, including the latest groovy purple model and even colourful full-ceramic models in the B

Interview: Cyrille Vigneron, CEO of Cartier, At Watches & Wonders 2023
Cyrille Vigneron has had a long career with Cartier and has been the brand’s CEO since 2015, a period during which Cartier has enjoyed remarkable growth. Watches & Wonders provided the perfect venue to chat with Vigneron and learn how Cartier is adapting to the times. From a closer look at all the new watches that have been released this year, to more complex topics such as the second-hand market and the tensions on the supply of parts, we cover all aspects of Cartier as a brand.Xavier Markl, MONOCHROME – There are many Cartier novelties at this edition of Watches & Wonders. What is the common thread for Cartier watches, and what makes them singular? Ad - Scroll to continue with article Cyrille Vigneron, CEO of Cartier – First of all, compared to 2015, we are presenting much fewer novelties. Many consider that the watch market is driven

First-Half 2018 Results of LVMH Watches and Jewelry Division On The Rise - Monochrome Watches
Today, just after the closing of the Paris Stock Exchange, luxury powerhouse LVMH (Louis Vuitton?Mo?t Hennessy) announced its?First-Half 2018 results. After showing strong results at the end of the year 2017, the group continues its progression, both in terms of sales and profitability. As for the Watches and Jewelry Division, the brands under portfolio follow the same trend, with a strong growth again for sales and profits.Overall LVMH, the leading luxury group in the world, continues to impress with a substantial increase of its sales – over €21 billion and a +10% increase compared to the same period in 2017 – and of its profits – with over 27% of growth compared to the first half of 2017. While its position is far from being rivaled by its competitors, LVMH once again proves that luxury isn’t dead and that sales are on the rise all over the world, and for most segments of the luxury market – wines, fashion, leather goods, watches and jewellery and selec

Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris 2018 Collection (SIHH 2018) Live Photos, Specs & Price
Jaeger-LeCoultre is well-known by watch enthusiasts, especially when it comes to dress watches or elegant timepieces – think Reverso or Master Ultra-Thin. Yet, in terms of sports watches, the situation is rather different. JLC never really succeeded in creating the definitive collection – now more than ever, as the Master Compressor collection is discontinued. For the SIHH however, things are changing with the introduction of the?Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris 2018 Collection… A sports watch collection, which is JLC all the way.History… The Polaris,?first of its namePolaris… A name that should resonate in many collectors’ minds as a legendary model indeed. But that’s not where the story started. Rather, it was back in 1959, with the creation of the first dive watch with an alarm, the Memovox?Deep Sea. The mechanical alarm function (a signature complication of all Memovox watches) was used to remind?the diver when to return to the surface. The watch w