Very few of us watch nuts are fortunate enough to hunt down and acquire tourbillons, minute repeaters or perpetual calendar watches. There’s no denying the appeal of such complex mechanical marvels, but there’s just as much fun (if not more) to be found on the lower end of the spectrum. And while we’ve compiled many lists of this .................. 2023-05-14 More

Oris has consolidated a solid reputation for its resilient, purpose-built dive, pilot and sports watches that do the job in style without breaking the bank. The Aquis family of sporty, high-performance dive watches is one of the most popular, and its 43.5mm Aquis Date was the first to be powered by the brand’s powerful manufacture automatic m.................. 2023-05-12 More

Released in 2020, the Carrera Chronograph 44mm marked the revamp of the collection, which now comprises various models ranging from classic to vintage-inspired, and sporty with this larger model. Equipped with the in-house Heuer 02 movement, it will form next to the sleeker 42mm the cornerstone of the modern Carrera line. When first presented by TA.................. 2023-05-12 More

Swiss?manufacturer?Hublot has made a name for itself experimenting with new materials through what the brand calls the Art of Fusion. Released in partnership with Nespresso, the latest limited edition Big Bang uses recycled Nespresso aluminium capsules and coffee grounds to craft its case and strap. Indeed, the Swiss coffee company is working on wa.................. 2023-05-11 More

The annual calendar chronograph is a thoroughbred Patek Philippe product, a testament to the brand's impressive talent for combining complications and inventiveness. Invented and patented by Patek, the annual calendar complication debuted in 1996 and ten years later, it was married to a flyback chronograph (with the reference 5960). More robust tha.................. 2023-05-11 More

It can be hard to get excited about “another dive watch” from “another microbrand,” but the latest Concordia Automatic Kraken from French-based Charlie Paris is not your typical offering. The stealthy aesthetics, Swiss automatic and comfortable depth rating push it above familiar Seiko or Miyota-powered divers that currently.................. 2023-05-10 More

A few weeks ago, Seiko announced the introduction of a new size within the classic 5 Sports SKX Series – understand by that dive-inspired models bringing back the flair of the emblematic SKX007 watch. And we were offered a so-called mid-size case, in line with the current downsizing trend. No need to say, we were pretty excited by this new la.................. 2023-05-09 More

If you’re a regular reader of MONOCHROME, you might remember this article from 2022. Indeed, the now-called Aqua Terra Shades Collection isn’t entirely new. It has been teased about a year ago when Omega presented 10 new models in its classic, time-and-date Seamaster collection, all adorned with colourful dials inspired by nature and ne.................. 2023-05-09 More

Announced in 2019, the partnership between Vacheron Constantin and Le Louvre in Paris now goes a step further. In 2020, the Bid for the Louvre charity offered the opportunity for a buyer to customize a watch featuring one of the museum collection's artworks on its dial – with the proceeds of the auction bid going to the museum's solidarity pr.................. 2023-05-09 More

The original Bulgari Aluminium watch was released in 1998 and caused quite a sensation. A hit-watch back in the days, it was cool, different and slightly provocative. A cult model for the brand that even made it on the side of an Alitalia Boeing 747. In 2020, Italian brand Bulgari relaunched this emblematic watch?in a design that remained faithful .................. 2023-05-08 More

Born in 1963 and named after the dangerous Carrera Panamericana race, the uncluttered, legible design of Jack Heuer’s sporty Carrera chronograph for racing drivers has contributed to its enduring success. Turning sixty this year, TAG Heuer unveiled three higher-end Carrera chronographs with an intriguing Glassbox design during Watches & W.................. 2023-05-08 More

Although we saw plenty of very cool and innovative watches, it’s hard to ignore the continuing popularity of the luxury sports watch. With iconic entries like the Royal Oak and Nautilus still being very hard to obtain – both for their premium prices and limited supply – we’re always happy to spot alternatives. From indie bra.................. 2023-05-07 More

Hublot has forged its identity on a fusion of state-of-the-art materials and extroverted watches, personified by the Big Bang collection. Similar to the differences between the original Royal Oak and the beefier, more aggressive temperament of the Royal Oak Offshore, Hublot's original Classic Fusion of 1980 was fed a steady diet of testosterone to .................. 2023-05-05 More

Roger Dubuis' Excalibur line takes inspiration from the Arthurian legend and, since 2005, has been a flagship collection for the Geneva-based brand. Appearing with a recreation of King Arthur's Round Table, complete with miniature sculpted knights, the Excalibur has always felt comfortable about stripping off and showing off its avant-garde skeleto.................. 2023-05-05 More

The words in-house and manufacture have been used and abused by the watchmaking industry for many years. Yet, the reality is somewhat different. This isn’t a bad thing, actually, because vertical integration is not an end in itself. And it has never been; watchmaking was born as a cottage industry. When it comes to movements, many brands sour.................. 2023-05-04 More

It is not a secret anymore that Frederique Constant has built its success around accessible luxury watches. The idea has long been to provide complications and in-house movements (at least within the Manufacture collection) at almost unprecedented price levels. Remember the brand’s take on the perpetual calendar? Less than 8k euros at launch .................. 2023-05-04 More

It has been eight years since Patek Philippe launched a Pilot-style watch. It was the unexpected Travel Time 5524G, a watch that caused a lot of discussions, mainly due to its controversial appearance and a confusing attachment to the Calatrava family. The inaugural reference, the variants to follow, including the now-discontinued 7234, and the 201.................. 2023-05-03 More

The Rado Captain Cook collection is a skilful blend of retro vibes and high-tech materials. Ok, it’s also available in more conventional stainless steel or bronze but the high-tech ceramic models will always be a bit extra special. It displays Rado’s industry-leading know-how of the material and the brand’s ability to apply it to .................. 2023-05-02 More

Ten years… That’s how long the partnership between Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team is… And this connection has seen the creation of multiple watches, either dedicated to the world of motorsport in general, to the pilots of the team (Lewis Hamilton first and foremost), to its boss or to .................. 2023-05-01 More

One of the best marketing tools for a watch brand is an exciting, real-life action story. Whether providing field, dive, or even marine chronometer watches for US Army and Navy servicemen or appearing in cameos on the silver screen, many of Hamilton‘s historical watches have seen their fair share of action. The Frogman, Hamilton’s tough.................. 2023-05-01 More

A. Lange & Sohne was never a company to overwhelm visitors to the SIHH (now Watches & Wonders) with countless new models and variations of the past references. The Saxon brand always sends a clear message about what the launch of the year is with a huge replica of the essential new product welcoming you right there at the entrance to the AL.................. 2023-04-28 More

While all the attention was focused (rightfully so) on the return of the Genta-inspired Ingenieur watch during the Geneva watch fair, IWC actually had more watches to present… at least discreetly. We’ve covered already the new Top Gun Chronograph 41 in black and blue, but more pilot watches have been unveiled. And one of them goes big a.................. 2023-04-27 More

Introduced in 2021, the?Tonda PF collection accomplished two missions: one was to celebrate the brand’s 25th?anniversary and the distinguished career of master watchmaker and founder Michel Parmigiani; the second was more long-term and designed to mark the new roadmap for the watch brand under CEO?Guido Terreni. Positioned as the brand’.................. 2023-04-26 More

Chopard is out to conquer the Land of the Rising Sun with an exclusive 100-piece edition of its Alpine Eagle watch. By far the darkest iteration of the brand’s luxury sports watch, the dial is inspired by a jet-black tone known in Japan as shikkoku. This intense black colour is obtained from the millenary Japanese lacquerware technique known .................. 2023-04-26 More

Let’s go straight to the point: Audemars Piguet chose its Code 11.59 to house its most complicated wristwatch, the Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4, delivering a bold statement and demonstrating the brand’s incredible technical brilliance. It’s complex yet compact, displays the indications neatly, and is simple to operate. Toda.................. 2023-04-25 More

From the brand with the loudest watch name in history comes an even mightier Spirit of Big Bang model designed by Maxime Plescia-Buchi. Renowned as one of the hippest tattoo artists today, this is his third collaboration with Hublot and one that will not fly under the radar. A confounding juxtaposition of three-dimensional geometric shapes, the imp.................. 2023-04-24 More

Black Bay, Black Bay 58 and now, Black Bay 54. Tudor continues to expand its signature dive watch collection… by reducing it again. The BB is typically a watch that lives with its times, a watch that follows the trends. When it was first presented, back in 2012, the original Black Bay Burgundy watch was in tune with the current market; vintag.................. 2023-04-24 More

Despite the fact we’re weeks on from this year’s Watches & Wonders already, there is still plenty of stuff to talk about. Whether it’s simply picking the best new watches of the entire show, or categorizing some of the finest new chronographs, we are far from done yet! And this week’s Buying Guide picks up on another fav.................. 2023-04-23 More

It’s no secret that the MONOCHROME editorial Team loves independent watchmakers, as it’s one of the very reasons we exist in the first place. Although we often gravitate towards the better-known names like Dufour, Voutilainen, Moser and MB&F, there’s a host of indies waiting to be discovered. In a quest to bring you new and ex.................. 2023-04-21 More

Not everybody likes their watches served on the rocks, and it’s evident that Piaget has been listening closely to market trends. With the return to more compact case sizes that swing it both ways, the Piaget Polo Date 36mm sheds its diamond-set indices and returns with a deep midnight blue dial and the relaxed sporty-chic charm that has alway.................. 2023-04-21 More

The name Pilot’s Watch at IWC has long meant more than just watches made for military purposes. In fact, it also stands for the long-standing connection of IWC to motorsport. After entering a partnership with Mercedes-AMG in 2004, IWC became the official engineering partner of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1?Team in 2013 and established its own .................. 2023-04-20 More

To kick things off, this will be a very personal story, and yes, it is about a mechanical watch. When I first got into watchmaking, I knew very little about the history of the industry or the different regions in the world that dominate it. My knowledge came from magazines, movies and TV shows, billboards and the early days of social media, and tha.................. 2023-04-19 More

Despite the breakthrough in materials, engineering technologies and manufacturing equipment, the new millennium has yet to produce much innovation in mechanical chronograph movement design. Still, upgrades to how chronographs function occasionally impress watchmaking enthusiasts, like the MB&F Sequential EVO or the AgenGraphe by Agenhor. Much t.................. 2023-04-18 More

The Octo Finissimo collection has been the talk of the town for the past few years at Bulgari, and for many reasons. Finissimo watches broke several thinness records and grabbed public attention and four GPHG prizes, all in a relatively short time. Still, in the segment destined for men, Bulgari offers much more than ultra-thin, technically advance.................. 2023-04-17 More

For the latest instalment of the Collector's Series, we meet with Rob. He runs a software company that he founded in Seattle, Washington, thirty years ago, called Inteum. Inteum develops software for managing intellectual property and innovations and has customers around the world in 34 countries at the last count. As he explains, “One of the.................. 2023-04-14 More

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Royal Oak Offshore a.k.a. The Beast, and we have already seen several new models launched by the brand from Le Brassus to celebrate the event, like the ROO Chronograph 43mm Black Ceramic and Yellow Gold, or the stunning Black Ceramic Beast. The latest edition of the ROO is based on this recent one but is .................. 2023-04-13 More

What started life in 1931 as a pragmatic solution developed by Jaeger-LeCoultre for British officers in India who were constantly smashing the glass on their watches during polo matches is considered a genuine icon in the watch world today. Its patented case, which was “capable of sliding in its support and being completely turned over”.................. 2023-04-13 More

If you’re into watches, you’re most certainly aware of the comeback of the IWC Ingenieur… And I mean by that, the return to the beloved integrated style designed by Gerald Genta in 1976, not the slightly disappointing collection that has been available from 2016 to earlier this year. Not only the comeback of the integrated Ingenie.................. 2023-04-12 More

Louis Moinet, the historical 19th-century watchmaker, has been officially recognised as the creator of the world's first high-frequency chronograph. Known as the Compteur de Tierces', this stopwatch – discovered in 2013 –? was designed to time the passage of stars and could measure events to 1/60th of a second, complete with start, stop.................. 2023-04-12 More

As a brand associated with pilot’s watches and the much-loved Portugieser, IWC‘s stylish yet understated unisex Portofino family is often overlooked. By the look of things, though, IWC is addressing this somewhat neglected collection by introducing new, more complicated models, including a pointer date, a complete calendar and a chronog.................. 2023-04-11 More