Off all things we could expect, this was certainly not on our short list. Panerai just introduced their first in-house movement with a micro-rotor. The new P.4000 movement will be officially launched at the Watches & Wonders fair (yes, it’s that season again) in the 45mm large Panerai Radiomir 1940 3-Days Automatic that will be available .................. 2014-09-30 More

The history of the manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre is long and rich. The first model you might think about when looking at vintage collections will certainly be the Reverso. It is clearly the most long-lasting?and deepest collection. But that would?highly reductive considering all the other interesting watches that JLC had created. One had been under .................. 2014-09-30 More

Today, at the Watches & Wonders fair in Hong Kong, A. Lange & Sohne have just introduced five different Lange 1 20th Anniversary sets. These?commemorative sets, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the A. Lange & Sohne Lange 1, comprise a Lange 1 and a Little Lange 1, each with a gorgeous hand-crafted guilloche dial. COLLECTORS, PAY ATT.................. 2014-09-29 More

At the Watches & Wonders fair that starts today in Hong Kong, IWC adds no less than 20 new models to the Portofino collection. There are seventeen new midsize models, all adorned with diamonds, and three new version of the 40mm Portofino Automatic, now in new 18K red or white gold and 72 diamonds set on the bezel. Most models come on beautiful .................. 2014-09-29 More

Auctions are always offering superb opportunities to find cool watches, but (unfortunately) mainly vintage es and Pateks. Not that we have a problem here, at Monochrome-Watches, with these two brands, but we also love the exclusivity and originality of understated watches. Tomorrow (Tuesday, September 30th, 2014), the famous auction house Antiquor.................. 2014-09-29 More

Four years ago Montblanc brought automaton-like functions to the wrist with the Metamorphosis, which was the world’s first wrist watch that comprised two different dials, and corresponding functions, in one wrist watch. To be clear, we’re talking mechanical watches here, no smart watches, no LCD screens. Upon pushing a minute-repeater-l.................. 2014-09-28 More

The Richard Lange Collection by A. Lange & Sohne represents some of the most complicated watches from the brand. Well, you’ll say the rest of the collection is quite far from being simple, considering the Langematik Perpetual?we just introduced to you or the Datograph Up/Down we recently?reviewed. But when you add the words ‘Pour le.................. 2014-09-26 More

White gold and black dial: a classical combination of the watch industry, even for A. Lange & Sohne. It reminds you, without a doubt, about the magnificent Datograph Up/Down we reviewed a few weeks ago (and, to be true, that we really enjoyed). Now, the white gold –?black?dial combo is also available in the A. Lange & Sohne Langematik.................. 2014-09-25 More

We got it! The real story about how the Omega Speedmaster became the Moonwatch and all references of the watches worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin during Apollo 11 Mission. Until now there has never been complete, nor fully confirmed information about these matters. Together with the Omega Museum, Monochrome brings for the first time ever the .................. 2014-09-25 More

At the Monochrome desks we see many impressive timepieces, and we even have the good fortune to get to wear many of them for some weeks. Each and every of them excels in its own field, however if we don’t like it, we don’t write about it. That’s our our own rule. When we had the chance to review the Lange & Sohne Datograph and.................. 2014-09-23 More

As simple as it can visually look at first glance, a watch from Laurent Ferrier is far, very far from?being simple and random. Remember, a few years ago we’ve explained you all about the Laurent Ferrier Tourbillon Double Spiral and just after, all about the specific escapement called “double direct impulse on the balance“. Clearly.................. 2014-09-23 More

Baume & Mercier is a classic brand that may not create the same enthusiasm as? or?Omega. BUT it is a brand that pleases a large audience because of its timeless elegance. For this reason, it should not be underrated and should be regarded as a luxury product with mass appeal, possessing a discreet and reasonable' appearance - it is a watch tha.................. 2014-09-22 More

A few weeks ago Lewis?Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, the two drivers of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team, had a bit of a clash, during the Belgian Grand in?Spa-Francorchamps. Now, just before?the start of the?Singapore Grand Prix, IWC launches?two limited edition Ingenieur Chronograph watches, designed by the?two rivals:?the IWC Ingenieur Chron.................. 2014-09-21 More

In this article we will not examine a rare chronograph, a long-forgotten military watch, an historic aviation piece, nor any vintage timepiece that will make a record sale at Bonhams. We will not argue about exquisite calibers, or exotic methods of construction. We will not analyze avant-garde design. We will focus on a type of watch that every per.................. 2014-09-19 More

The Lamborghini Muira MB&F Horological Machine 5 or HM5?is back on the road. If you’re not too young or if you’re fond of an era that could seem very strange to teenagers (yes, we’re talking about the 1970s) the shape of the HM5 should be familiar to you. Apart from the steampunk-inspired Legacy Machine 101 recently revealed, .................. 2014-09-18 More

When Apple introduced the highly anticipated iWatch… err… Apple Watch last week, it felt a bit like half of the watch industry was holding their breath. Would this be the death sentence for mechanical watches? I had my say about the Apple Watch last week, immediately after it was launched, and wondered what the industry leaders think of.................. 2014-09-17 More

HYT Watches is a young brand (remember that the HYT H1 was presented during Baselworld 2012) but it is also one of the most impressive developments of?the?independent watchmakers‘ industry (the Indies as we love to name them) we’ve seen lately. Not only HYT has now 19 references, spread around the H1 and the H2, but sales are massively .................. 2014-09-17 More

The Zenith El Primero is a legendary watch for several reasons. First, it was one of the first (if not the first) automatic chronographs ever. Then it was a huge technical achievement as it was a high-beat movement. Last, the first editions (especially the reference A386) were absolutely gorgeous to look at. The?Zenith El Primero Striking 10th is t.................. 2014-09-16 More

We do get our share of impressive timepieces to wear, however a watch that is, or is almost, the thinnest watch in the world, still impresses. Hugely! That’s what the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin 1907, that was introduced earlier this year during the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva. Thin as a razor, superbly legible.................. 2014-09-15 More

Tonight: Richard Hamster' Hammond wears an Omega! Captain Slow' James May wears an Omega! And, Jeremy Clarkson wears an Omega! We're going to have a look at the wrist-gear of the TOP GEAR presenters, and wonder, do they only drive in TOP GEAR or also wear TOP GEAR on the wrist? Do their watches make it to our cool wall?First of all, I have to admit.................. 2014-09-12 More

Patek Philippe?has been linked to the perpetual calendar chronographs?for some decades now. Not only was Patek the first to come up with such complications reunited in a wristwatch (with the ref. 1518), but the brand?even added in some references a?split second or a?minute repeater to an already?prestigious package. During the 2014?edition of the B.................. 2014-09-09 More

At the Baselworld watch fair, earlier this year, Blancpain introduced an new in-house chronograph movement, with a fly-back function and a silicon balance spring that vibrates at a high frequency of 5Hz or 36,000 vph. After introducing it in the Bathyscaphe Chronograph Flyback, Blancpain’s new in-house calibre F385 is now available in the cla.................. 2014-09-05 More

Again an impressive manufacture that we wanted to share with you here, on Monochrome-Watches. This Weekly Watch Photo column is for us a very pleasant way to show you amazing pictures of watches, and for this week, it is quite a piece of art: Christophe Claret. The brand represents the essence of the complicated, non-compromised horology with stron.................. 2014-09-04 More

For those who are not already aware, JeanRichard is the ‘affordable proposition’ of the Kering Group, meaning the luxury group that owns the impressive Girard-Perregaux, the jeweler Boucheron and, since a few weeks, Ulysse Nardin. With a collection focussed on sports watches with?a strong and distinctive design, the brand is growing in .................. 2014-09-02 More

Shortly before the Watches & Wonders fair in Hong Kong, Vacheron Constantin adds a new version of the beautiful calibre 2475 to the Collection Excellence Platine. Originally introduced into the collection in the legendary Jubilee 1755, in 2005, and since 2008 available in the Quai de l’Ile collection, it now returns in a lovely classicall.................. 2014-09-02 More

In 2011 Audemars Piguet introduced the first Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Tourbillon Chronograph. It was introduced in a carbon case, a daring choice from Audemars Piguet to introduce a tourbillon chronograph in the big Offshore, and even go for a carbon case instead of precious metal. For the upcoming Watches & Wonders fair, in Hong Kong, Au.................. 2014-09-01 More

Earlier this year at Baselworld, Ulysse Nardin introduced an entirely new escapement that is referred to as the Ulysse Anchor Escapement. While its name does not immediately give away what it’s all about, it can best be seen in relation to previous ground-breaking developments of the brand, who were the first to introduce a silicon escapement.................. 2014-08-28 More

What is luxury? Luxury was the topic of conversation at the lunch we had with Beat Weinmann, CEO and cofounder of the brand Ochs und Junior. The brand's technology and design maestro, Ludwig Oechslin, recently retired curator of the Musee International d'Horlogerie, was absent for our gastronomical affair, which happened in Lucerne, far, far away f.................. 2014-08-27 More

Last year we had the distinct pleasure to review the A. Lange & Sohne Double Split; arguably the most beautiful chronograph movement on the market today. As a follow-up we're reviewing its little brother, the A. Lange & Sohne Datograph Up Down, that also has a stunning movement and features an added large date. The A. Lange & Sohne Dato.................. 2014-08-26 More

Here is the last of our series about the Omega Speedmaster. For this one we’re going to show you some highly rare and limited editions of the ‘Speedy’, including a real Astronaut watch! In our two first articles, we’ve been explaining you how all about the early pre-moons and how the Speedmaster became the Moonwatch and then.................. 2014-08-22 More

In the past year?we have covered Arnold and Son quite often. And with good reason, because they have unveiled a lot of impressive novelties. In our article about the new?UTTE Tourbillon?we even started with “Yet another novelty from Arnold & Son!” and?we explained that we were rather impressed by Arnold & Son. For our Weekly Wat.................. 2014-08-21 More

The Longines Heritage collection offers a great opportunity to own an affordable timepiece, that has many of the looks of important vintage timepieces, yet the reliability of a modern one. The new Longines 24-Hours Single Pusher Chronograph is clearly inspired by Longines’ longstanding history in dedicated pilot’s watches. Many of the L.................. 2014-08-21 More

What is the goal of a tourbillon? Improving the accuracy, by?negating the effect of gravity. What is the goal of a double tourbillon? Improving twice this accuracy. As basic?as it seems to be, a double tourbillon is not a simple mechanism. And that’s what Hysek, a brand we didn’t cover yet, choose to introduce this year, in the Verdict .................. 2014-08-21 More

This year was the year of steel for Patek Philippe. Alongside the huge surprise of the sporty Annual Calendar Chronograph 5960/1, we’ve presented you with in an extensive hands-on article on the new?Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph ref. 5990/1A,?a complicated edition of the Gerald Genta designed icon. In addition to?this trend toward steel (w.................. 2014-08-19 More

Tool watches, especially divers, have a diverse and loyal following. Some models have become absolute legends of the watchworld, such as the Submariner or the Omega Seamaster. The small Swiss brand Squale may not ring as many bells as these two, but they can be considered an important historical innovator in their field of expertise. Monochrome h.................. 2014-08-18 More

Here, at Monochrome-Watches, we are used to see extreme horology and very high-end pieces. All with their own specificities, some brands as?Christophe Claret,?Greubel Forsey or Richard Mille had already impressed us with watches priced over half an million Euros / Dollars. We tried them, we played with them, we explained them to you because such a .................. 2014-08-18 More

In a previously featured article, we presented you with the premises of the Omega Speedmaster and how it became the ‘Moonwatch’. In addition to bringing us these very famous editions of the classical Speedy, the 1970s were also highly?productive in terms of research and development, with several technical improvements and distinctive?de.................. 2014-08-15 More

70 years ago Antoine de Saint-Exupery, who could have been IWC’s best ambassador for pilot watches, took off on a reconnaissance flight over France and never returned. It was the 11 August 1944. IWC,?which?always had a strong link with aviation and military-inspired watches, pays tribute once again to this great man, both a famous novelist an.................. 2014-08-12 More

Yet another novelty?from Arnold & Son! But it is without any boredom or weariness that we are presenting you these new editions from the Arnold & Son UTTE, a.k.a.?Ultra Thin Tourbillon Escapement. Manufactured by La Joux-Perret, the highly productive and qualitative manufacture that was in the center of the buzz created by the Bremont?Wrigh.................. 2014-08-11 More

In 2012 Richard Mille introduced the RM 056 Sapphire Tourbillon Split Seconds Chronograph, which was the first wrist watch with a case that was manufactured in pure sapphire. Last year they surpassed this with the RM 56-01, which has not only a sapphire case, but movement bridges and baseplate as well. An unparalleled achievement, which also reflec.................. 2014-08-11 More