Norqain and mountain climbing adventures go hand in hand. Founded just three years ago, the logo of this successful independent ?Swiss brand is a mountain peak. Today, Norqain releases the Adventure Neverest Line, a sub-collection in the Adventure family that marks the brand's charitable partnership with the Butterfly Help Project to support school.................. 2021-08-19 More

Longines has secured a solid reputation in the field of chronographs and elegant, vintage-inspired watches these days. Yet, we should not forget that the brand also has a sizeable collection of sports watches, including one competent, quite accessible diver’s watch named HydroConquest. First launched in 2007, the model has since made its way .................. 2021-08-19 More

Oris is no stranger to collaborations with environmental organisations of all sorts, as well as air rescue teams. The brand has also recently introduced special editions inspired by nature, playing on colours and textures to reflect the underlying partnership or the cause the brand is supporting with these limited editions. And the brand’s la.................. 2021-08-18 More

For a while, the pandemic put on hold any thoughts we might have had of covering traveller’s watches. Thankfully, the very idea of travelling, as well as crossing borders and time zones, isn’t dead, and we can’t start wearing our GMT, dual-time or world time watches again. And, talking about this, there’s a new Porsche Desig.................. 2021-08-18 More

If you’ve been reading MONOCHROME for some time now, you might be aware of something about me; I have a long-lasting love affair with the Type XX and Type 20 watches. It is something I’ve shared over the years on many occasions since the Breguet Type XX is the watch that really started my journey as a collector. So when we received the .................. 2021-08-17 More

Monsieur Dufour, as I like to call him, is one of the most revered watchmakers of Switzerland. Sort of a legend of the independent watchmaking scene, a person who’s capable of manufacturing some of the most refined movements you’ll ever come to see… And a man with very limited production. Of course, this combination of desirabilit.................. 2021-08-16 More

Junghans, the German watch company, celebrates the 60th anniversary of Bauhaus artist Max Bill's first line of mechanical watches for the brand in 1961. Instead of commemorating the date with one watch, Junghans is releasing a collector's set of three watches limited to 1,060 units worldwide. The Junghans Max Bill Edition 60?is comprised of an auto.................. 2021-08-16 More

What’s old is new again. Trends come and go, and come back again. And this is also true for watchmaking.?As the trend for vintage-inspired watches doesn’t seem to stop consolidating, brands continue to dig into their archives to find inspiration and breathe new life into past glories. Here are 5 of the best vintage reissues presented re.................. 2021-08-15 More

Yema is arguably one of the best-known French watchmakers with a rich history. Younger French brands such as Baltic have been getting a lot of attention lately, but Yema dates back to 1948 with several historic watches. The Superman model is its crown jewel, which debuted in 1963 and became a favourite of French Air Force pilots and professional di.................. 2021-08-12 More

Bvlgari will be participating for the first time in the Only Watch auction in Geneva on Saturday, 6 November 2021. Held every two years, Only Watch auctions unique timepieces to fund research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The watch Bvlgari will be donating is an exceptional version of its Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar. Released earlier this.................. 2021-08-10 More

Looking at these extraordinary handcrafted pieces by indie Dutch master engraver Kees Engelbarts, the first person you can imagine wearing one of these artworks is Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones as she rides astride her fire-wielding dragons. ?And I'm sure Engelbarts would enjoy our choice given his lively fantasy, his passion for mythical c.................. 2021-08-10 More

Citizen is not a name you often hear at MONOCHROME. We focus almost exclusively on mechanical watches, and most fall into the luxury category. That doesn't mean a brand with the history and scope of Citizen escapes our attention, but the company's bread and butter products generally reside outside of what we cover. However, the most recent Caliber .................. 2021-08-09 More

Creativity in watchmaking is key, with the business side of things sometimes taking a back seat. At least that's what we like to think every now and then. Regardless, there are some watchmakers out there, often independent ones, willing to push the envelope of how time is perceived and observed. Some of these literally put a face on time or pull of.................. 2021-08-08 More

What would the Olympic Games timed by Omega be without a release of thematic Olympic watches? As the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – an honour the brand has enjoyed 29 times since 1932 – Omega has released five Seamasters to celebrate the games. However, some of you might remember that in 2018, well before the arri.................. 2021-08-06 More

However restrained the designs for Nomos might be, that doesn't mean the watches are any less interesting from a technical perspective. While it might not be to everyone's liking, the clean, Bauhaus-inspired watches are simple, elegant and more often than not, quite handsome to look at. And combining the design skills to determine when enough is en.................. 2021-08-06 More

The tourbillon is often regarded as one of the most prestigious complications and a demonstration of the skill and craftsmanship of the watchmakers capable of manufacturing this captivating mechanism. Invented by Breguet in 1801, its aim is to negate the influence of gravity on the regulating organ of watches. Changes in position have significant e.................. 2021-08-05 More

In the United Kingdom, the summer months in journalism are often referred to as the silly season’, a period generating very little newsworthy material, with journalists relying on more frivolous news stories to fill the pages. Well, 2021 seems to have reversed that trend. With the 2020 Olympics and a flurry of novelties from watchmakers who w.................. 2021-08-05 More

It's been touch and go since the outset of the pandemic, but the Tokyo 2020 Olympics finally reached the starting line on 23 July 2021, albeit a year late. Marking Omega's 29th time as Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games, 400 tonnes of state-of-the-art equipment, 200km of cables and optical wire, 530 timekeepers and on-site professionals have .................. 2021-08-04 More

Two years ago, we sat down with one of Armin Strom's owners, Serge Michel, and as we all know, a lot has happened since. So now, midway through 2021, we felt it was time to have another chat with Serge and see what is going on. How is the brand doing amidst the pandemic, how have the recently launched novelties been received, and what does the (nea.................. 2021-08-04 More

Working closely with the world's most famous spy in cinematic history, currently portrayed by Daniel Craig, Omega has created a rather unique Seamaster Diver 300M. The new 007 Edition – which is non-limited by the way – looks and feels completely different from the regular Seamaster Professional series. And that is a good thing because .................. 2021-08-03 More

The name BCHH might not be familiar to you, but it is the result of a dream, that of a longtime seasoned collector to create his high-end watchmaking brand. The acronym of Benjamin Chee Haute Horlogerie, the brand was founded in 2019, the man behind Celadon (created in 2012) and Mille?chron (created in 2018), to put his country, Singapore, on the m.................. 2021-08-03 More

First introduced in 1984, the Portofino has been one of IWC's most popular collections, catering to both men and women. The design is timeless with an elegant round case and discreet dials. Available in several styles, from a classic three-hander to a complex monopusher chronograph, the Portofino came in several sizes. And today, seemingly out of n.................. 2021-08-02 More

When it comes to classical watches with complications, Rado is probably not your first port of call. However, if you are in the market for a trendy design-led watch, made of cutting-edge materials, Rado is an attractive option. Couple that with famous designer names, and you might well be looking at a contemporary piece of wristwear art. Renowned f.................. 2021-08-02 More

Bronze as a material in watchmaking is here to stay; that much is certain. What started as a trendy material about a decade ago turned into a regular thing nowadays. Every year we get to see new adaptations of the corrosion-resistant material, with brands experimenting with bronze across the board. It wasn't until recently, however, that the phenom.................. 2021-08-01 More

Tissot is one of the oldest brands in the portfolio of Swatch Group. Founded in 1853 by Charles-Felicien Tissot and his son, Charles-emile Tissot, it was acquired by Swatch Group in 1998 and positioned as a manufacturer of robust yet affordable watches with a sporting soul. Hugely benefitting from the Group’s resources, Tissot relies on its e.................. 2021-07-30 More

Only a few weeks ago, we shared the latest watch by Ochs & Junior, the Calendario Cent’Anni (CCA) with all of you. Once again, it illustrates the simplistic approach to mechanical watchmaking perfected by Ludwig Oechslin and his team. The philosophy in watchmaking displayed by Dr Oechslin is all about simplicity, and it shows in the mecha.................. 2021-07-29 More

Audemars Piguet expands its Frosted Royal Oak collection with a new 34mm model shimmering with its hammered white gold case and refreshing light blue dial. Five years ago, Audemars Piguet released a frosted gold version of the iconic Royal Oak; not the iconic Royal Oak designed by Gerald Genta in 1972, but an equally iconic Royal Oak revisited by J.................. 2021-07-28 More

In recent times Longines has been on a bit of a roll when it comes to rather cool yet affordable vintage-inspired watches. That's not a real surprise considering the extensive history of the brand. After all, it dates back to 1832 so there's plenty of historically relevant pieces to choose from. And even though the DolceVita has perhaps not been th.................. 2021-07-28 More

When the Odysseus by A. Lange & Sohne was announced in 2019, a lot of people took notice. It was to be the first ever sports watch, in steel, with a bracelet by the German haute horlogerie brand. It was unexpected and bold, but a proper A. Lange & Sohne nevertheless. It featured all the hallmarks we love by AL&S, such as ample amounts o.................. 2021-07-27 More

We've covered a lot of small, independent luxury brands here at MONOCHROME. Naoya Hida & Co. and De Bethune are a couple of examples, yet both come from countries known for fine watchmaking (Japan and Switzerland, respectively). RGM Watches is an independent American brand with four in-house movements since its founding in 1992, including a tou.................. 2021-07-27 More

It’s been seven years in the making so far, but we're pretty sure it won’t end where it is right now. This year marked the seventh record-breaking release by Bvlgari, with the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar, the world's thinnest QP. But where did it actually start? We take a little trip down memory lane and go through all the groundb.................. 2021-07-25 More

Elise, Esprit, Elan, Exige, Europa and of course Evija. Just a list of some of the cars produced by Lotus, all starting with the letter E. And now there's a new one to be added to that lineage, the Lotus Emira. At first glance, it looks properly exciting, with a striking blue paintjob and, on paper, a classical recipe for a two-seater sports car. L.................. 2021-07-24 More

Most watch enthusiasts are certainly aware of the current situation in the luxury sports watch field, with the most emblematic models of the category – namely the Nautilus and the Royal Oak Jumbo – reaching incredibly high prices on the second-hand market. As for the topic of the day, we’ll be talking about a unicorn, the recently.................. 2021-07-21 More

Delma is a relatively discreet brand, not necessarily known by a wider audience, but that still impresses us with its combination of high-quality watches and fair prices. Something that we don’t see that often these days… The brand has long been involved in the field of dive watches, starting in 1969 with the so-called Periscope, follow.................. 2021-07-21 More

When you think Panerai, you’ll probably have in mind a cushion-shaped watch with diving capacities, an oversized case, a sandwich dial and a relatively simple yet powerful movement, with barely any complications to display. And rightfully so, as this is the basic concept of the brand, found under the classic Luminor or Radiomir collections. Y.................. 2021-07-20 More

Every watch enthusiast inevitably reaches a point of overload once or twice in their horological journey, when they look at their watch box and feel more apathy than excitement. A feeling of “Do I really need this many watches?” And “Wouldn't life be simpler if I had only one” Granted, that feeling usually passes and we get .................. 2021-07-19 More

I have a big huge crush on the old Daniel Roth Papillon. Ever since I first saw it, the Papillon has become one of my favourite watches of all time. Despite being exposed to so many watches as I am seeing, handling and discussing on a daily basis, this relatively simple looking watch managed to tick a lot of boxes. It’s different, yet without.................. 2021-07-16 More

If Richard Mille has been around for just a couple of decades, it is unquestionably one of the greatest successes in the watch industry. Founded in 2001, the brand is now one of the largest independent watchmakers with a production that remains highly exclusive and an entry price of over CHF 100,000. Mille has had a marked influence on the industry.................. 2021-07-16 More

Here, at MONOCHROME, we are always pleased to present young watchmakers and their work, not only because they do represent the future of the independent watchmaking scene, but also because what these young talents can achieve is often highly surprising. Today we are taking a look at the Montre d'ecole of Antonin Falk. If you are a regular reader of.................. 2021-07-15 More

The Big Pilot… If you think about an emblematic, unmistakable watch by IWC, you hardly can do better than this. It is, at least to me, a watch that has defined the brand’s collection for years, a proper statement watch that is, and remains after close to 20 years of production, one of the best known modern watches. Having said that, you.................. 2021-07-15 More