Preliminary Note: Until now, very little has been communicated about the production procedures of Panerai watches. We had the opportunity to visit the brand's state-of-the-art manufacture and were impressed by the time and effort invested in quality management.The Panerai manufacture was completed in 2014 and is currently headed by Jean-Marc Pontro.................. 2018-11-21 More

Today, TAG Heuer announces a new partnership with one of the most influential?personalities in the world of streetwear:?Japanese designer Hiroshi Fujiwara, the face behind the brand?Fragment. While some might find a certain interest in this venture, this is clearly not what gets us excited here at MONOCHROME. However, there is something very specia.................. 2018-11-20 More

By the early 1940s, Emile Gagnan and Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s Aqualung - the first commercially successful self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (a.k.a Scuba)-? had become a worldwide phenomenon. Along with the growing popularity of recreational diving, the needs of military and professional divers underscored the paramount importance .................. 2018-11-18 More

Last year, we introduced one of our largest projects ever, the Speedmaster Chronicles. Five videos with five men, including James Ragan (the man who turned the Speedmaster into the Moonwatch), Omega’s CEO, a well-known auctioneer, Mr?Speedy Tuesday and an?anonymous?collector, who all shed their light on one of the most iconic watches ever cre.................. 2018-11-16 More

William Massena is one of those inescapable names in the watch industry. A former head of an auction house, Managing Director of one of the largest watch forums, he is first and foremost an avid watch collector and a true connoisseur.? Habring2 is a small, independent watchmaker from Austria with superb craftsmanship and interesting (but not overpr.................. 2018-11-15 More

Following the controversial outcome of the Brazilian Grand Prix, we had the chance to sit down with the hottest ticket on the grid right now as TAG Heuer releases a new watch dedicated to Max Verstappen. Third in line, after the orange and red strap versions from 2016 and 2017, we now get a metal bracelet. It’s still a quartz movement though,.................. 2018-11-14 More

When the name Tudor is mentioned, models such as “Black Bay” or “Pelagos” spring to mind. For sure, the brand communicated (and created) a lot on these products – which are admittedly?great watches. However, there are more watches in the collection than these sporty, vintage-inspired pieces – and that includes, f.................. 2018-11-14 More

With its new Lab collection, Corum aims at taking risks and experimenting. The timepieces of this collection eschew traditional codes and instead provide an off-beat take on watchmaking where mechanics take precedence. Meet the Heritage Corum Lab 01, a shaped watch with a bold design and an openworked, micro-rotor movement.The first two Labs' are b.................. 2018-11-14 More

This year Omega celebrated the 70th anniversary of one of its two emblematic collections, the Seamaster. Born in 1948, made waterproof thanks to the experience acquired with military watches but in a civilian and rather elegant way, the early Seamasters were still gentlemen’s watches – and not the robust, professional tools that most of.................. 2018-11-12 More

Marloe Watch Company is a brand of only a few years, but already has a nice portfolio of affordable, mechanical watches. It has chosen to use hand-wound movements in all four of its lines and I'm a big fan of this decision. I like the daily interaction that comes with winding a watch and the view from an exhibition caseback is more detailed without.................. 2018-11-12 More

Panerai dedicates a model from its Luminor 1950 Regatta family to celebrate the Regatta Transat Classique, the most extreme and exciting race for classic yachts covering 3,000 miles and departing next 8 January 2019 from Lanzarote. The new limited edition 47mm Luminor Regatta Transat Classique PAM00956?is a flyback chronograph fitted with a regatta.................. 2018-11-10 More

This is it, the 2018 edition of the GPHG, known as the “Oscars of the watchmaking industry”, has come to a close and the prize for the best watch of the year, also known as the?“Aiguille d'Or”, has been awarded. Once again this year, complications, creativity and Haute Horlogerie have been rewarded. Meet the best watch of 20.................. 2018-11-09 More

Tonight, as every year, is the celebration of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve (or GPHG 2018) – the Oscars of the watchmaking industry. Several categories are represented (ladies, men, complicated and even affordable) and the best watches of the year will be awarded the coveted Golden Hand prize – and of course, the prize we&.................. 2018-11-09 More

Recently, Audemars Piguet has had a lot of hot news headlines – unprecedented revenues, quitting the SIHH, new technological partnerships. We decided that it was time for us to move to Le Brassus and have a good talk with the one person to answer our questions: Fran?ois-Henry Bennahmias, CEO of Audemars Piguet. It isn’t the first time w.................. 2018-11-08 More

MeisterSinger is following up on last year's No. 01 City Edition, which represented 45 different cities in an equal number of limited edition watches. The company is known for having single hand dials that actually make up its entire portfolio, which is unique among watch brands. It’s now bringing 58 City Edition pieces for 2018 to represent .................. 2018-11-08 More

Mercer Watch Co. is an American microbrand that I've been following for a couple of years now. I recently reviewed its?Lexington Chronograph and was impressed by the aesthetics and overall quality for the price. Although it has a Seagull ST1901 hand-wound movement from China, Mercer assembles, regulates and tests each one in-house and this particul.................. 2018-11-06 More

Emphasising key traits of Tutima's historic pilot chronograph of 1941, the 43mm Grand Flieger Classic Chronograph is a solidly built, top quality companion for life's everyday missions.?The first flyback chronograph to be produced in Glashutte, Germany for the Luftwaffe, the distinctive credentials of the original Tutima Flieger Chronograph –.................. 2018-11-05 More

Since 2009 and the introduction of the Carl F. Bucherer Calibre A1000, peripheral rotors are becoming more and more fashionable. With this smart and stylish solution, the winding mass is an annular segment mounted and swinging around the movement, instead of a centrally mounted oscillating weight rotating over the movement. This offers an unobstruc.................. 2018-11-04 More

Following the trend for more services, more clarity and more security, Omega just announced it will now offer a 5-year warranty on all newly purchased watches – with immediate effect. Until now, the Omega warranty was different depending on the type of products – up to 4 years on Master Chronometer watches, compared to a traditional 2-y.................. 2018-11-03 More

There is an inextricable link between cars and watches. It isn't as simple as saying that People who love watches also love cars or the other way around, there is something more to it. Something deeper. Perhaps it is the immediate sense of belonging that a fine watch or fine car brings out in its owners? You fall in love with one brand and that's i.................. 2018-11-02 More

SalonQP is once again getting ready to open its doors in London later this month (22nd - 24th of November). With a new owner at the helm and a revised format planned, it seems the iconic location - London's Saatchi Gallery - is the only thing set to stay the same this year. Many familiar faces will be exhibiting at the event, along with a number of.................. 2018-11-02 More

It's not easy designing a watch that really differentiates itself from the crowd. Obviously, there's more to a watch than an outward appearance and I'm generalizing, but I've always liked brands that have a distinct style that's easily recognized. You know a Panerai, or Roger Dubuis when you see it, for example. You can also spot a Chronoswiss in.................. 2018-11-02 More

The other day A. Lange & Sohne sent us two watches for review and not one, as is normal procedure. The two watches were the new blue dial Lange 1 and Lange 1 Daymatic. While the new blue dials are stunning (really they are!), we already covered them and well, without being blase about it, it’s a dial colour and we cannot say much more abo.................. 2018-10-31 More

A bezel is a simple but extremely effective tool letting you perform all sorts of tasks: from timing a dive to calculating the average speed of a motorbike, from gauging your fuel supply or the distance of incoming fire to consulting the time in Japan, a bezel gets the job done and jacks up the functionality of your watch. The trick is deciphering .................. 2018-10-30 More

Just like every other industry, the watchmaking world is driven by trends. A few years back, blue became a must-have for brands. “Blue is the new black,” they said. Literally?every watch brand came out with with a blue version of one of their bestsellers. Well, trends?come and go and it seems that green is slowly becoming the thing. Fol.................. 2018-10-30 More

With its asymmetric dials and large date windows, the Pano Collection has become a beacon of Glashutte Original's solid Saxon identity – the PanoMaticLunar and the PanoReserve are the best-known examples of this utterly Saxon sense of design and mechanics. First released in 2002, the PanoGraph stood out from the crowd with its novel chronogra.................. 2018-10-29 More

In Chinese astrology, each year is related to a Chinese zodiac animal according to the 12-year cycle. February 5th, 2019 marks the beginning of the year of the pig and in preparation, Vacheron Constantin is unveiling its latest addition to its Metiers d'Art The Legend Of The Chinese Zodiac series - Year Of The Pig. Available in either a Platinum or.................. 2018-10-29 More

A watch is an essential item while travelling. An essential item on your “things to pack” list. We've said it already several times here on MONOCHROME, but multiple time zone watches are certainly amongst the most practical you can find. Not only when travelling (obviously) but also for those working in an international environment - an.................. 2018-10-28 More

German brand MeisterSinger has carved a niche in the market with its single-handed watches. The Perigraph, MeisterSinger's automatic watch with an open date ring is revisited in this handsome, 43mm bronze case. A winning combination of industrial German design with the warm vintage appeal of bronze, this new take on the Perigraph is a limited editi.................. 2018-10-27 More

In the world of watches, we often use the word “icon”. No need to name those watches, you probably know them as well as we do. But are you sure? When it comes to such emblematic pieces, the vast majority are men’s creations. But what about ladies’ watches? While today the Octo is the main topic of discussion when it comes to.................. 2018-10-26 More

It's an interesting time to be a watch enthusiast. Fuelled by sites like Kickstarter, a phenomenon of?inexpensive, quality movements and parts is unfolding, available with the immediateness only online media outlets can offer. Small startups (or microbrands) are producing compelling watches with capital raised via crowdfunding and online-only store.................. 2018-10-26 More

The A. Lange & Sohne Datograph needs little introduction. Presented in 1999 and updated in 2012, it is one of the most iconic chronographs on the market. The Dato features a flyback chronograph with a precisely jumping minutes counter, two sub-dials recognizable because of their unusual positioning, a quick-set oversized date and a power reserv.................. 2018-10-24 More

Sold in just six minutes, Chopard's L.U.C T Spirit of La Santa Muerte is an opulent tribute to the festive spirit of Mexico's Day of the Dead celebrations. Unveiled during the 12th edition of the Salon Internacional de Alta Relojer¨ªa (SIAR) – the most prestigious watch show in Latin America showcasing 40 plus brands – Chopard's unique t.................. 2018-10-24 More

The new Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Tourbillon Sky Chart is the second unique piece unveiled by the Geneva-based brand in the frame of its pre-SIHH 2019 presentations. Just like the Grande Complication Phoenix we unveiled a few hours ago, the Minute Repeater Tourbillon Sky chart is exceptional in every respect, combining thr.................. 2018-10-23 More

With SIHH 2019 fast approaching, brands are pre-releasing selected models to whet our appetites. Vacheron Constantin has?released the first images of two unique pieces, Les Cabinotiers Grande Complication Phoenix and Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Tourbillon Sky chart, which we will introduce in a separate article. But for now, let's look at the f.................. 2018-10-23 More

Customized, special editions sold only through a single (branch of) boutiques is a common thing, but few do it as regularly as Bucherer. The Swiss watch retail house has introduced several striking collaborations – no less than 25 in total with 14 different brands. To name just a few, the Tudor Black Bay Bronze, the IWC ?Portugieser Chronogra.................. 2018-10-22 More

Brand ambassadors aren’t new. Thirty years ago, TAG Heuer already had several of them as part of the brand’s marketing strategy. One was, however, more important than others: a true idol named Ayrton Senna. He is the one that made TAG Heuer cool again, back in the 1980s and 1990s, by wearing an admittedly not-so-discreet, steel and gold.................. 2018-10-22 More

Yesterday, we started to look at the best watches created by independent watchmakers in 2018, with more “classical” watches (if ever the indie scene could be labelled classical). Today, in the second part of this guide, we move to the most creative, daring, highly technical of them all. Sci-fi designs, unusual displays of the time, ultr.................. 2018-10-21 More

The Omega Point is a theory - not a retail location. It is succinctly postulated by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin by the notion that everything that rises must converge.? Those of us old enough to remember the way that mechanical watchmaking had to pull itself up out of the wreckage of the quartz-age are also well aware of how mechanical watchmaking h.................. 2018-10-21 More

Yes, the Italians did it again… Breaking one record after another, Bvlgari’s signature ultra-thin collection, the Octo Finissimo, continues its victorious onward march. Almost every year, the Roman brand comes out with something even more staggering, even thinner and still, highly contemporary in design. Bvlgari has not only managed to .................. 2018-10-19 More