Portrait - David Candaux, An Independent Watchmaker with the Soul of the Vallee de Joux
Independent watchmaking has been on the rise over the past 20 years, and for good reason. Independent watchmakers are guided by passion and personal perspectives, leading to authentic creations and often crafted to a level unattainable in mass production. David Candaux's motto, Le Coeur et l'Esprit (the heart and mind), perfectly captures this philosophy. Raised in a family of watchmakers, Candaux deeply appreciates the craft’s history, evident in his work. However, for him, tradition should not merely be repetition. If he is a perfect representative of the Vallee de Joux expertise – which means complicated watchmaking and refined craftsmanship, his watches are in a class of their own. We visited the watchmaker in the small village of Le Solliat Just a few meters away from Philippe Dufour's workshop.Xavier Markl, MONOCHROME – David, thank you for having us. Your approach to watchmaking is holistic, encompassing everything from movement engineering to crafting and fini

Collector's Series - @WatchWalker's Zenith Chronomaster Revival A385
Known on Instagram as @WatchWalker, the man we'll be talking with today is a globetrotter with Belgian roots. By chance, we ran into him on the internet, but haven't had the pleasure of meeting him in real life yet, due to the global pandemic. @Watchwalker has been a watch collector for many years, and although other brands lured him, his passion lies with Zenith Watches. In this episode of our Collector's Series, he highlights his Zenith Chronomaster Revival A385, and why it is a watch that was made for him Obviously, when you love cigars and Zenith, this dial was simply made for you.Frank Geelen, MONOCHROME – What was it that made you develop a passion for watches?@WatchWalker – Roughly twenty years ago, I remember doing some window shopping in Amsterdam and staring at all those beautiful Zenith watches I could not afford in those days. I loved watches since my childhood and remember playing as a 7-year-old in our attic with some mechanical watches my parents had stored t

Basel news: TAG Heuer Monaco 40th anniversary - Monochrome Watches
Dear readers,The past week i’ve been busy upgrading the software and design?of Monochrome.nl . Although the design changes are not complete yet, I hope you like the new looks of monochrome. Within a few days i’ll start posting about watches again. It’s an exiting time in this month before the start of Baselworld. Brands like Glashutte Original, TAG Heuer, Omega and many, many more?are?already pre-releasing?some of their new creations.Here are already two new releases from TAG Heuer so exiting that i have to share them. The Monaco 40th anniversary 1969 re-edition is one that i think it totally exiting. The looks are so close to the original Monaco which became famous because Steve McQueen wore one in the movie Le Mans. This re-edition has, like the original, the crown at the left side of the case. The caliber 11 movement is the same as TAG Heuer used in the Autavia re-issue that was released a few years ago. On the dial you’ll see the old name Heuer! If?you want

Montblanc Villeret Seconde Authentique and Villeret Seconde Authentique Diamonds - Monochrome Watches
Montblanc has two watch manufactures; the manufacture in Le Locle where (among others) the Nicolas Rieussec collection and its in-house movement is conceived. The other manufacture is the former Minerva manufacture, where time seems to run in a slower pace and watches are still entirely hand-made.?It is this place, the Montblanc Manufacture in Villeret, where the Collection Villeret 1858 finds its origin. This year Montblanc introduces two new models for ladies who want the best. And that is something that the watchmakers in Villeret are very familiar with. Ad - Scroll to continue with article First is a set his and hers or “pour elle & lui” which is limited to 58 pieces and is only available as a set. Secondly there is another limited edition of 58 pieces, however this is a diamond-set ladies watch. All these timepieces, both of the set and the

Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon China Limited Edition
Swiss high-end manufacturer Vacheron Constantin has a long tradition of delivering specific watches to the Middle Kingdom. For instance, every year, the brand creates Metiers d’Art watches dedicated to the Chinese zodiac signs, such as the recently launched Year of the Tiger models. Today, Vacheron releases another model exclusively made for the Chinese market, however, in a much more restrained way. Entirely dressed in Imperial Green, here’s the new Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon China Limited Edition.This exclusive model is not entirely new and is based on an existing (and very attractive) model, the automatic Traditionnelle Tourbillon with a peripheral rotor. What the brand has done here is to introduce a symbolic colour that echoes the culture of the country where these 30 pieces will be delivered. In China, the expression “a real gentleman is elegant and dignified just as the Jade” has been used since ancient times to describe a man with a no