You'd be hard pressed to find a more mature and unique watch company in the world of microbrands than London-based Farer Universal. Their production is predictably limited in number for a small brand, offering a maximum of 300 individual watches within most series (many are limited to 100) and they often sell out in a matter of months. They're know.................. 2018-09-08 More

The Bvlgari Bvlgari has been one of the brand's most emblematic watches for over 40 years. The model was born in 1975 when the Bulgari brothers decided to create a watch as an exclusive gift for their 100 best clients. What started as a gift became an enduring Bvlgari design, reinventing itself over the years. Inspired by ancient Roman coins, the w.................. 2018-09-07 More

As a watch manufacturer, Oris has been associated with the world of aviation pretty much since the inception of the brand. The company made its first pilot's pocket watch in the early 1910s, followed by?its first pilot's wristwatch in 1917 and hasn't looked back since. It seems fitting then that Oris has been named as the Official Timepiece Sponsor.................. 2018-09-06 More

In our previous guide, we’ve been looking at?Sub-5K sports watches but an elegant, well-chosen dress watch will take you through the day and into the night. Distinguished yet subtle, a refined three-hander should look good in any context and be able to complement your look without dominating your wrist. The kind of watch that will endure chan.................. 2018-09-05 More

For a few years now, Zandvoort has been hosting one of the best Historic Grand Prix races, a fantastic event with international historic race cars from a wide range of categories. Think Historic Formula 1, vintage touring cars, Le Mans legends, one-of-a-kind demos and lots of racing legends behind the wheel. All staged at the Zandvoort Internationa.................. 2018-09-05 More

Had you been walking past Hampton Court this weekend, no doubt you would you have heard the roar from the dozens of fine vintage specimens manoeuvring around the palace for the Concours of Elegance. This year was the first time A. Lange & Sohne had supported the event – though, you would be forgiven for confusing this Concourse of Eleganc.................. 2018-09-04 More

Move over ceramic, here comes carbon. Carbon fibre is the flavour of the day in the material world giving watches a high-tech stealth look associated with the world of F1 and competitive sailing. Following in the wake of the highly successful Carbon Monaco customized by Bamford, TAG Heuer presents three Aquaracer models decked out with carbon fibre.................. 2018-09-03 More

As every year, the watchmaking industry is celebrating creativity and ingenuity with the?Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve?(GPHG) or the so-called Oscars of the Watchmaking Industry – see the report for the 2017 edition here. The most advanced, the most innovative or the most creative timepieces will be awarded prizes at the GPHG 2018. Before.................. 2018-09-03 More

The chronograph is one of the most popular complications today. It is even more than a complication and has become a watch category in itself. It is stylish, practical and boasts a serious amount of technical complexity. For watch connoisseurs, there aren't many experiences that are as rewarding as pressing the pushers of a stopwatch or admiring th.................. 2018-09-02 More

There is good news for women today: wearing an oversized men's sports watch is a thing of the past, and we are finally getting some of the coolest sports watches on the market in sizes designed to fit our wrists. Watch brands have understood that there are women out there who want the performance and dynamic look of sports watches, but do not want .................. 2018-08-31 More

At Baselworld 2018, Bvlgari continued the expansion of its award-winning Octo Finissimo collection – and in the nicest possible way, with the world’s thinnest automatic and tourbillon watch, as well as a trilogy of automatic watches in sandblasted titanium, steel or gold. The latter – which we described in details here – cle.................. 2018-08-30 More

This “chronograph vs. chronometer” question is an important?one. Certainly, most of our recurring readers at MONOCHROME?have the answer to this question. But what about the others, the ones who want to start their horological journey and are coming to terms with the jargon? As we still get asked this question quite often, we thought tha.................. 2018-08-30 More

While the previous version of the?Ulysse Nardin Executive Tourbillon Skeleton wasn’t exactly what you would call a ‘shy watch’, Ulysse Nardin has decided to take it to a whole new level. Still based on a modern and aerial design, still featuring several impressive technical solutions (something dear to UN), Ulysse Nardin brings an.................. 2018-08-29 More

It's not hard to find vintage-inspired military watches as the market is now flooded with them. If you want something affordable and authentic, Hamilton has you covered. Want to go high-end, IWC and Panerai?have a lot to offer, among many others. Longines even has a wide variety in its Heritage collection. Most are excellent examples of a given tim.................. 2018-08-28 More

As IWC celebrates its 150th anniversary, the brand has inaugurated its all-new production facility, a milestone in its longstanding industrial tradition. Optimal working conditions, cutting-edge technologies and aerial design in order to optimize production and, in the end, the quality of IWC watches.This important step for the brand provides a mod.................. 2018-08-27 More

Beautiful beaches, barbecues, mojitos and sunshine… We don’t want to bring you down, but let’s face reality: summer is ending and very soon we’ll all be back at work. This doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the beauty of a watch anymore, however, it’s time to put your colourful dive watch back in the safe and to t.................. 2018-08-26 More

Rado, for the large majority of us, is known for its ceramic watches – and obviously, the brand is good at it. However, Rado also wanted to remind us that there were other watches in its collection before the advent of ceramic cases and that the company has a (much richer) past. To this end, the brand introduced several vintage-inspired dive .................. 2018-08-24 More

We at MONOCHROME, just like you, love beautiful watches. And by that, we mean all kinds of watches: modern, sporty, iconic, elegant, dressy, vintage or simply classic. For this very reason, when we decided to introduce straps in the MONOCHROME shop, we had to make a choice based on what we’d like to see on our own watches. The result is the?M.................. 2018-08-23 More

Yesterday we took a close look at the history behind the modern icon that is the Overseas, today it’s time to understand everything behind the creation of the current, third-generation Vacheron Constantin Overseas. Launched in 2016, it was more an evolution than a revolution characterised by luxurious finishes, a simplified yet strong design,.................. 2018-08-23 More

In 1977, Vacheron Constantin, the oldest watch manufacturer in continuous operation, celebrated its 222nd anniversary. For this reason, the brand?decided to create a special watch, right in the middle of what was known as the “quartz crisis”. Swiss brands needed to reinvent themselves, making necessary and often, disruptive changes. Thi.................. 2018-08-22 More

Roman numerals are one of the most classic designs found on clocks and watches. As far as we can go back in history, there have always been clocks, pocket watches and wristwatches with Roman numerals on the dials. However, owners of watches with Roman numerals might have noticed something weird, something rather unusual. While the numeral 4 is comm.................. 2018-08-21 More

There are many reasons we love watches. For some it's their design, for others it's their historical significance. What really caught my imagination, when I received my grandfather's 1960s Omega Constellation on my 21st birthday, was that somebody had actually sat at a workbench and assembled this micro-machine by hand. It blew my mind. Since then .................. 2018-08-21 More

Following Antonio Calce's departure a few weeks ago, French luxury group Kering has announced the appointment of Patrick Pruniaux as CEO of its Swiss watchmaking Maisons. Therefore, the current CEO of Ulysse Nardin will now also manage Girard-Perregaux, one of the most prestigious names of Swiss Haute Horlogerie and in turn guide the brand to meet .................. 2018-08-21 More

Imagine Enzo Ferrari leaving his company after its reputation was well established, only to reemerge a year later with a new car brand offering affordable, compact sedans. As crazy as that scenario sounds, it's kind of analogous to the current situation we have with Peter Speake-Marin. It wasn't long ago that his name was associated with expensive,.................. 2018-08-19 More

At the SIHH 2018, Parmigiani Fleurier re-introduced one of its most emblematic models, the Kalpa. A shaped watch, it was originally introduced back in 2001 and, thanks to its bold and unique design, guided by ergonomics, it became a signature model in the collection. After three inaugural refreshed watches in January, the brand expands the range wi.................. 2018-08-17 More

When Vacheron Constantin announced the introduction of a new collection, the?FiftySix, just ahead of the SIHH 2018, we were (in all honesty) rather sceptical. I can recall discussions with Frank about the design, the way the brand communicated the model, the “entry-level” approach or the millennial?target. But as they say, first impress.................. 2018-08-16 More

When you think Jaeger-LeCoultre, you immediately think Reverso. Thin, elegant, discreet and with the iconic reversible case. There had been some highly complex versions though in the collection, just like the?Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon for the 85th anniversary of the model or minute repeaters. Today, La Grande Maison is bringing back complexity.................. 2018-08-16 More

The world's thinnest minute repeater is revisited in 2018 in a high-tech carbon case and bracelet. Upholding the record-breaking title of its 2016 titanium predecessor, this carbon model goes one step further in breaking with the aesthetics of traditional luxury minute repeaters proposing an edgy industrial look. Chosen as much for its stealth aest.................. 2018-08-15 More

Laurent Ferrier watches are often defined as “simple”.? Well, at least when it comes to the design. But when a 3-hand watch is fitted with a tourbillon double hairspring or a natural escapement (direct double impulse) and a micro-rotor, you can’t be labelled “simple” anymore. With its latest creation, the most complex .................. 2018-08-14 More

In January this year, Europe’s largest watch retailer announced the acquisition of US-based group Tourneau?from Green Equity Investors IV LP,?an investor group that owned Tourneau for decades. While this represented a first (and major) step in the American strategy of the Swiss retailer, the group didn’t stop there and yesterday,?Tourne.................. 2018-08-14 More

Fitted with a refurbished Valjoux 92 Calibre from the 1960s, Speake-Marin's London Chronograph pays tribute to the English soul of the brand and flaunts some dandy design tweaks on the dial. Originally released in 2016 in a hyper-limited edition of just 3 pieces, Speake-Marin revisits the London Chronograph in 2018 in another limited edition of 15 .................. 2018-08-12 More

The combination of a chronograph and a perpetual calendar is the epitome of what Patek Philippe does best. This year we were regaled with not one but two 5270 references, one in platinum with a much-praised salmon-coloured dial and this rose gold model with an ebony dial. Dripping in 18k rose gold from head to toe, Patek's Ref. 5270/1R is as differ.................. 2018-08-09 More

Chopard celebrates its 30-year anniversary as the partner and official timekeeper of the Mille Miglia race with two limited edition chronographs designed to bring the spirit of this classic car rally to the wrist. Fitted with COSC-certified movements, both the stainless steel and the two-tone steel and rose gold model of the Mille Miglia 2018 Race .................. 2018-08-08 More

Collecting watches is hardly a full-contact sport, but there are perils for hapless buyers. As collectors we are victims of desire: we see pieces out in the wild or here on MONOCHROME and lust sets in. Getting new models is simple enough; you go directly to the boutiques that line the shopping districts of most major cities. What if your desire tak.................. 2018-08-05 More

The popularity of microbrands is rapidly spreading and unique mechanical watches are being sold at cut-throat prices. An interesting piece can be had for well under USD 500, but odds are you'll be getting a Chinese movement and parts that are far removed from Switzerland. That doesn't mean that many of these watches are bad products, but from both .................. 2018-08-05 More

The segment of luxury sports watches remains an interesting and intriguing category in the world of watches. Since the very first luxury sports watch was introduced in 1972 – the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 5402ST – many brands have tried to enter this segment, most of them without the success they had envisioned. The watch we will b.................. 2018-08-03 More

Less than a week after Swatch Group announced it would not be participating in? Baselworld 2019, MCH Group (the company operating Baselworld) has issued a press release announcing that the “Board of Directors of MCH Group and CEO Rene Kamm have reached the joint and mutual conclusion that the time has come for a change in the operational lead.................. 2018-08-03 More

Renowned for its technical, modern and robust-looking watches, Oris started to introduce some vintage-inspired designs in its collections a few years ago, notably with the Divers Sixty Five collection. While the pilot’s watches hark back to the 1940s and the diving pieces play on the 1960s trend, the motorsport collection?recreates the spirit.................. 2018-08-02 More

No need to hide the truth, the?Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic was one of the highlights of 2017 – if not the most impressive watch (ultra-complicated ones excluded) of the year. Not only it is ultra-thin, but it is also ultra-bold, modernly designed, inspired and innovative. Certainly, some other brands created even thinner models (like thi.................. 2018-08-01 More

Over the past few years, TAG Heuer has established a series of partnerships in the world of football/soccer: brand ambassadors (Mats Hummels), championships (Premier League, LFP, LaLiga, Bundesliga, Major League Soccer…) and several clubs, including Manchester United, one of the most popular and successful sports teams in the world. Born 140 .................. 2018-07-31 More