A couple of weeks ago we did a rundown of what we felt are some of the best dress watches for the festive season. A time when we get together with our loved ones to celebrate, enjoy, and take a little break from our daily concerns. While a dress watch certainly seems like a fitting choice for celebrations, there is another way to do things. Why not.................. 2024-12-15 More

As you know, we rarely talk about auctions on MONOCHROME. We prefer to focus on what we know best: independent watchmaking, explaining fine mechanics and talking about new watches. Yet, from time to time, something sparks our interest – and in the present case, it did on a personal level, maybe due to a certain chauvinism of mine as a Frenchm.................. 2024-12-13 More

It has become a pretty recurring thing for Omega to release new models, or at least new editions of existing watches, with very little or no fanfare. While this has happened in the Planet Ocean and Speedmaster collections, it’s mostly the Aqua Terra family that sees these discreet releases dropping regularly. Following the addition of a green.................. 2024-12-12 More

Recently, we’ve introduced a rather promising all-rounder watch coming from the North, the Windseeker made by a young Swedish micro-brand named Tuseno Watches. On paper, everything seemed good: nice design, an extensive list of specs, a pleasant blend of casualness and refinement, a Swiss movement and a truly attractive price. But that was on.................. 2024-12-12 More

For its latest collaboration watch, NYC-based design studio Massena LAB is teaming up with venerable, alarm-specialist watchmaker Vulcain, bringing its own take on an emblematic model, the Cricket Nautical. This watch, which relied on the brand’s signature chiming complication, was one of the first of its kind, merging diving credentials with.................. 2024-12-11 More

If you’re reading this article and MONOCHROME on a regular basis, you should certainly all about the tourbillon, this device where the regulating organ is placed in a constantly rotating cage, counteracting the negative effect of gravity. But we have to keep in mind that the tourbillon, conceived and patented by Breguet in 1801, was designed .................. 2024-12-11 More

While the Speedmaster started its life as a racing chronograph destined to measure average speeds (hence its name), it quickly changed vocation when, during the 1960s, it became the watch of choice for US Air Force pilots and, of course, NASA astronauts. From there, the Speedmaster became one of the most famous pilot’s chronographs and this O.................. 2024-12-10 More

The Unitas, known under the names ETA 6498 and 6497 (depending on its configuration, Lepine or Savonette), is without a doubt one of the most important and most long-lasting movements of the Swiss industry. This simple, no-nonsense but reliable hand-wound movement has been produced since the 1950s, yet originates from classic pocket watch calibres................... 2024-12-10 More

In the world of watches, the crystal is one of the most crucial yet often overlooked components of a timepiece. This thin transparent cover protects the dial from dust, moisture, and external damage while allowing clear visibility of the watch’s timekeeping functions – and, in many modern watches, its movement, too. Over the years, watc.................. 2024-12-09 More

In our fascinating little bubble of mechanical watchmaking, attention often goes to high-dollar watches, and most of the time, that’s for a perfectly logical reason. The arms race in complexity is partly to blame, as brands try to outdo one another for the sake of winning over the public. But adding a complication on top of telling basic time.................. 2024-12-08 More

When it was first presented in 2017, the Black Bay Chrono?generated mixed emotions. The good ones came from the overall performance and fairly reasonable price (considering the whole package), as well as the unexpected industrial alliance with Breitling. Others pointed out the rather uninspired design of the inaugural edition as well as the strange.................. 2024-12-06 More

Artist and designer Samuel Ross is back at work with Hublot. A tradition for the brand over its 44 years of existence, Hublot has collaborated with many contemporary artists like Richard Orlinski, Maxime-Plescia-Buchi, Murakami and Daniel Arsham. Marking the third time the Swiss brand has worked with Samuel Ross, both parties bring back the bold, s.................. 2024-12-06 More

David Candaux, an independent watchmaker and member of the Academie Horlogere des Createurs Independants (AHCI) since 2019, is regarded as one of the most talented creators in contemporary horology. To understand and appreciate his work, it is important to remember his professional journey and the philosophy that infuses his timepieces with unique .................. 2024-12-05 More

It was only two weeks ago that Omega finally released the long-awaited watch spotted on the wrist of Daniel Craig during the Paris 2024 Olympics, the no-date edition of the emblematic Seamaster Diver 300M. While keeping the technical formula of the classic date Seamaster Diver 300M alive, these new editions – there were two, the classic black.................. 2024-12-05 More

Young collaborative project/brand SpaceOne continues its exploration of watchmaking through a parallel galaxy… Last year, the bold and modern SpaceOne Jumping Hour emerged from the visionary mind of Theo Auffret, a Parisian independent watchmaker crafting intricate timepieces like the Tourbillon Grand Sport?and Guillaume Laidet, the man spear.................. 2024-12-05 More

Hublot and Arturo Fuente, renowned for its premium cigars, have had a fruitful partnership since 2012. Together, they have launched several watch editions and supported charitable initiatives in the Dominican Republic through the Fuente Family Foundation. Today, at the Arturo Fuente Cigar Factory, Hublot unveiled its latest collaborative piece, the.................. 2024-12-03 More

Born in the mid-1950s as a watch designed for people working in magnetic environments (hence its name), the IWC Ingenieur is mostly remembered in its 1976 shape when IWC released the SL Jumbo reference 1832, designed by Gerald Genta using his classic integrated luxury sports watch concept. It took some years for IWC to finally come back with a mode.................. 2024-12-02 More

It’s almost upon us, the most festive time of the year. Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa and plenty of others all kick off this month. And with it, there will be plenty of parties, dinners, social gatherings and other events filling up our agendas and keeping us occupied. To keep track of time in the most pleasurable way, a dress watch seems like.................. 2024-12-01 More

Calendar indications are a classic of watchmaking. But not all calendar watches are born equal. As our own Xavier Markl explained in this Technical Perspective article, calendar watches range from basic date displays to the ultra-rare and highly complex secular calendar mechanism and everything in between. Next to the highly praised perpetual calen.................. 2024-11-29 More

Swiss luxury powerhouse Richemont has just announced yet another round of shifts in top management positions, with new direction for two of its most prestigious watchmaking brands, Vacheron Constantin and Jaeger-Lecoultre. Effective January 1st, 2025, the nominations of Jer?me Lambert and Laurent Perves follow the appointments announced earlier thi.................. 2024-11-29 More

Titoni is an independent family-owned watch brand founded in 1919 by Fritz Schluep in Grenchen, Switzerland, now in the hands of great-grandsons Marc and Olivier Schluep. With a variety of contemporary collections and even an in-house automatic powering its Line 1919 dress watch collection, the genuine interest in this brand resides in its remakes .................. 2024-11-28 More

Hublot has always been associated with the fusion of disparate materials, starting with Carlo Crocco's surprising cocktail of a gold case and rubber strap on board the flagship Classic Original. Hublot's latest watch dedicated to tennis legend Novak Djokovic takes the “art of fusion” to unimaginable levels and even slips in the much-des.................. 2024-11-27 More

Brands today are enthusiastically revisiting the watch designs of the 1970s, riding a wave of nostalgia that has struck a chord with consumers. These retro-inspired pieces often feature updated characteristics, adding modern functionality to vintage aesthetics. Among the standout designs of that era is the driver’s watch¡ªa timepiece with a di.................. 2024-11-27 More

About a year ago, Georges Kern, also known as the CEO of Breitling, made a resounding announcement for the watch community; the acquisition of historic brand Universal Geneve and its planned return as a watchmaker in 2026. A brand known for its innovative designs and movements, benefitting from a certain aura in the collecting community, the so-cal.................. 2024-11-26 More

Dial textures can make or break a watch, but if done right they elevate the display of time into something gripping, something very impactful. One of the more common but always interesting textures, especially in aquatic (-inspired) watches, is the wave pattern. Sure, Clous de Paris or vertical or horizontal grooves are often very nice, but there&#.................. 2024-11-24 More

Circula might be a relatively new brand to some, as it was only revived in 2018. However, it was originally founded in 1955 by Heinz Huber, but what makes this different from most reboots is Cornelius Huber, the grandson of Heinz, who's behind the brand today. So, Circula is truly a family business and already has an extensive portfolio, but the ne.................. 2024-11-23 More

After months of speculation and anticipation, and enviously seeing Daniel Craig flaunting one, Omega has finally brought us the Seamaster Diver 300M No Date. In my initial article, I wanted to get the news out quickly, so I kept things a touch factual. Now though, after getting my hands on the two watches that are introduced, plus some time to dige.................. 2024-11-22 More

In over 100 years of wristwatch making, almost everything has been done.? And well done for most of it. Reinventing yourself in a crowded market isn’t easy, even for a young brand like Serica. For five years – its entire life – the brand has been focusing on producing (quite appealing) retro-styled instrument watches. Imagine snow.................. 2024-11-21 More

The secret is finally out with this one, although it wasn’t the very best-kept secret to begin with. Over the past few months, starting at this year’s Summer Olympics, former James Bond actor and Omega ambassador Daniel Craig was already spotted wearing a black dial No-Date version of the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M, the brand’s ic.................. 2024-11-21 More

In the world of tennis, Novak Djokovic stands as a true icon, a powerful player with a winning mindset, boasting an unmatched 24 Grand Slam singles titles and a reputation as one of the greatest athletes in history. A Hublot ambassador since 2021, Djokovic has been seen sporting a variety of the brand’s timepieces, including the vibrant and e.................. 2024-11-20 More

TAG Heuer is synonymous with the racetrack, and Jack Heuer's legendary motorsport-inspired chronographs have not lost an iota of popularity. Following fast on the heels of the 1963 Carrera chronograph, in 1969, Heuer produced a bold, square chronograph with a blue dial and a crown on the left side and named it after the Monaco Grand Prix. Immortali.................. 2024-11-20 More

Among Switzerland's elite Haute Horlogerie brands, Audemars Piguet often stands out for doing things differently and exploring different territories. In particular, the brand is not shy to connect watchmaking to a broader culture as we have seen with recent collabs with Marvel (Spiderman, Black Panther) or with the cool Travis Scott x AP Royal Oak .................. 2024-11-19 More

Since its inception in 2018, Collective Horology, a “proudly headquartered in Ventura, California” club for watch enthusiasts, has become quite famous through the Collective Series, which involves collaborations and limited editions with watch brands like IWC, H. Moser & Cie., Armin Strom, Czapek and Oris, to name a few and the Port.................. 2024-11-19 More

Following the previous 4 editions - The Millennium Watch Book, Tourbillon Watches, Divers Watches and Chronographs - GMT Publishing now releases a fifth opus in their The Millenium book series. This 2024 edition is dedicated to travel watches (displaying additional time zones), a highly practical and purposeful function for globetrotters, frequent .................. 2024-11-18 More

We often talk about trends in watches, as designs, materials and colours regularly follow the preferences of the public. Sometimes, though, these trends phase out very slowly or not at all. And when it comes to colour, that’s always a very enjoyable topic of debate. Take blue, for instance, which was at one point ‘the new black’. .................. 2024-11-17 More

Jaguar is one of the great British car manufacturers, perhaps only rivalled by Aston Martin when it comes to style, class, and heritage. It started out as the Swallow Sidecar Company in 1922, making motorcycle sidecars before moving into the production of cars in the mid-1930s, with the first-ever car being the SS Jaguar 2.5L Saloon. For obvious re.................. 2024-11-16 More

The Polerouter is, without a doubt, one of the most emblematic watches ever created by Universal Geneve. Not only was it designed by young Gerald Genta, but it was powered by an important micro-rotor movement and was a purpose-built watch created by request of SAS, asking Universal Geneve to create a watch that could support pilots flying over the .................. 2024-11-15 More

While I’m no expert on the subject of Mil-Spec watches, or military-related timing instruments in general, I do know instantly if I like a watch or not. And every now and then a watch comes along that wins me over with its first impression, only to be disappointed when I see it in real life for the first time. Luckily, it also happens the oth.................. 2024-11-15 More

In 2022, TAG Heuer introduced the Aquaracer Professional Solargraph, the brand’s first-ever solar-powered quartz model. This debut followed the release of the revamped Aquaracer Professional 200 series, featuring 40mm steel cases. The Solargraph retained the aesthetic and functional hallmarks of the Aquaracer line, quickly winning over TAG He.................. 2024-11-14 More

The 2024 edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve has just unveiled the grand winner of this year’s awards ceremony! Often regarded as the Oscars of Watchmaking, the GPHG stands for a celebration of all things surrounding mechanical watchmaking. A specially selected jury, which included our founder and editor-in-chief Frank Geel.................. 2024-11-13 More