Following the decision of the Federation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) and the Richemont Group to cancel the 2020 Edition of the Geneva-based watch fair Watches & Wonders, all eyes were on Baselworld and the watch world was waiting for the final decision to come… This is it, the other major watch fair of the year, Baselworld 2020, has been.................. 2020-02-28 More

We’ve said it in the past already, but if you’re looking for a great daily luxury watch, which combines enough resistance for the weekend and casual elegance for business days, Omega certainly has one of the best options on the market: the Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m Master Chronometer. Sleek and discreet, robust too, it combines multiple.................. 2020-02-28 More

Watches & Wonders 2020, the new version of the Geneva-based watch fair held by the FHH, previously named SIHH, is the latest in the growing list of events cancelled, postponed or relocated across the globe amid fears of a possible COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic.The Geneva watch fair is one of the largest watch events around the world, together w.................. 2020-02-27 More

Independent, family-run Swiss watch brand Norqain was founded just two years ago by Ben Kuffer and is taking surprisingly confident strides. With three collections to date, Norqain designs everything in-house and is set to obtain greater manufacturing independence with its recently sealed deal with movement manufacturer Kenissi. The Norqain Freedom.................. 2020-02-26 More

Last December, Martijn van der Ven published the book Time For A Change, Discovering Vintage Enicar. Although he launched his book without the help of a publisher, it has turned out to be a beautiful and well-researched endeavour. Not only does it describe the rise and fall of this remarkable watch company, but it also features great adverts of the.................. 2020-02-24 More

In less than a week from now, it will be February 29th… Not a big deal, for sure. Unless you’re into watchmaking and want to see something mechanically fascinating. Indeed, watchmakers are sometimes a bit nerdy and imagined a complication that takes into account all the weird things of the Gregorian calendar. This means months with 30 o.................. 2020-02-23 More

“Poor Man's Heuer” is a term often used in the vintage collector's world. It refers to a sport or tool watch that was made in the 1960s and 1970s, with design or style cues from racing Heuer watches, but with another brand stamped on the dial. Whether it's the bright colours to accent the dial and hands, the large oversize cases with ra.................. 2020-02-21 More

Introduced earlier this year during the Festival Automobile International in Paris, this Laureato Absolute Passion is decked out in racing red and sleek black livery to celebrate the brand's partnership with the event. A limited edition of 50 watches, this chronograph joins the edgier, more contemporary Laureato Absolute watch sub-family distinguis.................. 2020-02-20 More

If you have any interest in vintage watches, and specifically military-issued pieces, the terms ‘Dirty Dozen‘ and ‘WWW’ should be familiar to you. Among the twelve brands that supplied the British MoD (Ministry of Defense) with watches during WWII was Timor Watch Company… which was re-incorporated in the United Kingdom.................. 2020-02-20 More

If there’s one watch in the Oris collection that needs no introduction, it certainly is the Aquis Date. A robust dive watch, with modern and utilitarian looks, it has been praised as a very competitive option for someone in the need of a no-nonsense diving instrument, which can also be used on land as a daily beater. Mostly available in a rel.................. 2020-02-20 More

Named after Egeria, the Roman water nymph, egerie is Vacheron Constantin's latest women's collection. No doubt chosen to evoke the classic temperament of this new collection, egerie has also taken inspiration from the world of Haute Couture with elegant, pleated designs on the dial. Available in two different case sizes, three different case materi.................. 2020-02-19 More

Combining associates' names to create a watch brand is something of a tradition in the watch industry. Illustrious examples include Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet or more recently Greubel Forsey. Ga?l Petermann and Florian Bedat are not yet part of the Swiss Haute Horlogerie clique, but the work of these young watchmaking tale.................. 2020-02-18 More

If you look back at the watches introduced back in 2019, one clearly made some noise when presented at Baselworld… And for good reasons. Its name? The Breitling Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re?Edition. The reason for its success? Being an ultra-faithful re-edition of one of Breitling’s most iconic watches. Having the ingredients for a desira.................. 2020-02-18 More

Meet the 14th watch made by IWC Schaffhausen in support of a good cause, “Laureus Sport for Good” – a charity that relies on sports to help children and young people overcome violence, discrimination and disadvantage in their lives. Following multiple blue-coloured watches, such as this special Mark XVIII or this Chronograph Yacht.................. 2020-02-17 More

Sinn’s dedication to tool, pilot and military watches is undeniable. The brand is one of the main specialists in this field, with a full range of no-nonsense, robust and effective watches at reasonable prices. References such as the 103, the 140 or the 356 need no introduction anymore. However, if there was only one to keep in mind, this woul.................. 2020-02-17 More

Well-executed dials, decorated with classic Grand Feu enamel or elaborate guilloche, can add thousands to the price and define the character of a piece; however, there are times when the sheer absence of a dial can result in the most intriguing aesthetic. Andre-Charles Caron, legendary clockmaker for Louis XV of France in the mid-18th century, deve.................. 2020-02-16 More

When it was originally launched back in the early 1960s, the Omega Seamaster 300 was, together with the Submariner, a mass-produced specialist dive watch for the burgeoning recreational diver market. There was also Blancpain and a few others like Doxa, Eterna, Favre Leuba, but none of them was on the same production scale. Today's Vintage Corner'.................. 2020-02-14 More

After a really pleasant autumnal version with rose gold/salmon dial, Laurent Ferrier now launches a special version of the Galet Annual Calendar with a warm champagne/sand/yellow gold (take your pick) dial designed to evoke the stylish vintage watches of the 1950s. Sophisticated and user-friendly, the new Laurent Ferrier Galet Annual Calendar ̶.................. 2020-02-12 More

This year will be the 20th anniversary of the Oscars of watchmaking, the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve. As such it is an exceptional year: a year of change and of celebration. This year, the GPHG is launching its international watch industry Academy. The initiative will invite several hundred stakeholders in the sector to take part in the vario.................. 2020-02-11 More

When mentioning Omega and its collections, the immediate and easy answers will be “Speedmaster” and “Seamaster”. Certainly, those two lines of watches are some of the most iconic in the entire industry. Still, Omega has (much) more to offer, including a slightly overlooked but rich collection named “Constellation”.................. 2020-02-11 More

Let’s play a little game of “spot the difference”… And before we allow you to turn the watches over and look at the caseback, it’s going to be a tough one. Indeed, there’s a new IWC Portugieser Chronograph, under the reference 3716, a watch that replaces a 22-year-old icon, the classic Portugieser Chronograph 371.................. 2020-02-10 More

It certainly is way too early to claim that we’re in front of some of the best watches of the year, and even though the industry isn’t in the best mood (sales aren’t expected on the rise, China’s situation could affect exports), we expect to see some great news to be launched. Still, and even if it’s only early Februar.................. 2020-02-09 More

Creating your start-up watch company off the ground is not an easy task. Still, this is what 32-year old Ben Kuffer did with Norqain. Created in 2018 in Nidau, Switzerland, the brand crafts functional and versatile watches offered at an accessible price. Contemporary and with a clear identity, Norqain is already present at some of the world's leadi.................. 2020-02-05 More

As a regular reader of MONOCHROME, you will know already that each year, Swiss watch manufacturer IWC focuses on a specific collection. Last year, it was the brand's legendary Pilot's Watch series, with a number of cool variations introduced to the market. Here's a video overview of the highlights from IWC's CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr shot at SIHH.................. 2020-02-04 More

For many fans of the IWC Portugieser Chronograph, today's news is big news: not only is this iconic chronograph now equipped with an in-house calibre, you can finally see the movement through the transparent caseback. To be precise, this is not the first time this manufacture movement has appeared inside a Portugieser Chronograph. In 2018, calibre .................. 2020-02-03 More

If the value of Swiss watch exports has slightly increased in 2019, the industry has been facing numerous challenges over the past years. Although high-end Swiss watches remain attractive, the low/mid-end segments have been under pressure as the smartwatch expansion seems to have come at the expense of the lower-priced Swiss timepieces.Most watch b.................. 2020-02-02 More

Who knew that being a Flight Officer in 1938 could be so exciting? This watch, the Flying Officer, was produced by Gallet for the United States Army Air Corps and worn by Harry S. Truman, Senator for Missouri, a Reserve Field Artillery Officer and the eventual 33rd President of the United States. Truman’s 34mm stainless steel Gallet Flying Of.................. 2020-01-31 More

If you’ve followed the watch news in the past weeks, you should be familiar with the fact that the four brands owned by French luxury group LVMH were hosting their own “watch fair” in Dubai, the so-called LVMH Watch Week. Part of the show was devoted to Hublot, the flamboyant brand which is never short of surprises and bold design.................. 2020-01-30 More

Following the announcements by the Swiss Watch Federation with slightly growing export numbers and record results by LVMH for the year ended December 31st, Swatch Group has just announced its 2019 results, which aren’t as positive as its competitors and the whole market.?At CHF 8,243 million, the group net sales are down 1.8% at constant exch.................. 2020-01-30 More

Back at the SIHH 2019 last year, Montblanc introduced “Heritage”, a brand new collection of classic, slightly retro watches. Elegant, well-designed, available with desirable salmon dials, it was available from a simple 3-hander, to a surprising (and well-priced) Monopusher Chrono… And two limited but really attractive versions, a .................. 2020-01-30 More

When you think about the brand Oris, you might picture a robust dive watch, functional and utilitarian, with a nice no-nonsense design and a relatively accessible price tag. You might also think of actions to save the planet, as this has become a recurring theme for the brand. What you couldn’t expect is a full gold dive watch with a GMT func.................. 2020-01-30 More

The 2020 Australian Open is well underway in Melbourne and we have seen some major upsets in the first week of the tournament. Serena Williams was knocked out in three sets to China's Qiang Wang. This leaves Williams still chasing a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title. Fifteen-year-old American teenage sensation Coco Gauff knocked out Japanese d.................. 2020-01-29 More

The Octo Finissimo Automatic needs no introduction. Since its launch in 2017, it has established its place on the market and became an indubitable member of the Luxury Sports Watch category. Modern, bold, monochromatic, ultra-ultra-thin, mechanically impressive and with its very own identity (something rare in this category). Now that this watch is.................. 2020-01-29 More

Year after year, the publication of the annual results of LVMH is no more a surprise… Growth has become the norm for the world’s largest luxury group, which operates in multiple businesses such as fashion, wine, perfumes, selective retailing and, of course, watches and jewellery – the group is the owner of Bvlgari, Hublot, TAG Heu.................. 2020-01-28 More

For once, a watch is given a name that makes sense! The Laureato Absolute is a study in light: thanks to the titanium structural elements of the case, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Light is lightweight, and thanks to its sapphire crystal case, light penetrates and illuminates the skeletonised movement. A limited-edition of 88 pieces, this .................. 2020-01-27 More

Certainly, EUR 5K or more will buy you superlative finishing, innovation, modern materials, superior precision… And status. Luxury watchmaking doesn’t come cheap – most of the time for obvious reasons – but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the desirable ticking sound of a mechanical watch with a much tighter bud.................. 2020-01-26 More

This will create a debate, no doubt about that… Every “petrolhead” will have his own opinion to the question: “What is the ultimate modern supercar?” There are multiple names that could be quoted here, such as the Ferrari F40, the Countach, the Veyron and many more of them that have a special place in the heart of car .................. 2020-01-25 More

This watch, the Universal Geneve Space Compax, is one of the classics of 1960s design, with all of the great elements needed to make a fairly complicated wristwatch seem practical and attractive at the same time. In the 1950s, the final DNA Chain double helix was discovered and influenced furniture designers with their coat stands and hat racks. La.................. 2020-01-24 More

The elegant asymmetrical Arceau watch by Hermes reveals its openworked mechanical heart through a smoky sapphire crystal on the dial. Following in the footsteps of the former 41mm Arceau Squelette watches, this new model shrinks slightly in size to 40mm and features an intriguing smoked sapphire crystal that gets darker as it reaches the chapter ri.................. 2020-01-23 More

The 2020 World Economic Forum (WEF) is currently underway in Davos, Switzerland. Davos has hosted the WEF since its inception in 1971. The mission of the WEF is “committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas“. Guests a.................. 2020-01-23 More