Just ahead of the French Grand Prix last weekend, I had the chance to sit down with two of the best drivers currently racing in Formula 1, both behind the wheel of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport W09: Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. IWC is a major sponsor of team Mercedes, and both drivers wear gloves with the well-known Big Pilot’s .................. 2018-06-26 More

Ever since Porsche Design has taken matters more into its own hands, after relying for decades on other watch companies to build watches for them, I'm warming up to the collection even more than before. I've always been a bit of a fan of what these Germans, related to that eponymous car brand, have been doing in the world of watches. The very first.................. 2018-06-24 More

Dive watches are a dime a dozen these days. You can go high-end with a Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 or Omega Seamaster, or find something more affordable like a Seiko Diver's Automatic or Hamilton Khaki King Scuba. Whether spending USD 10,000 or USD 500, it's not hard to find a stylish and capable dive watch from a plethora of established brand.................. 2018-06-23 More

In 1999, German watch manufacturer A. Lange & Sohne introduced the genre-defining Datograph, an in-house mechanical chronograph that many still regard as THE best in its class. So, how does one improve on the ultimate purist chronograph? Well, if you're A. Lange & Sohne, you make it even more complicated, which is exactly what it did in 200.................. 2018-06-22 More

The unique way Louis Moinet stages complications has become something of a brand signature. Its double tourbillon with kaleidoscope (Mobilis), oversized tourbillon poised with a planet in orbit (Space Mystery), dial side chronograph (Memoris), original retrograde seconds (Tempograph) are all examples of Jean-Marie Schaller's (the brand CEO and crea.................. 2018-06-20 More

It was six years ago that Jaeger-LeCoultre unveiled its first new collection for women in decades: Rendez-Vous. Launched with Diane Kruger as the face behind the line, the collection was designed expressly for women and was all about romance, femininity and allure – indicative of its name. Since then, the line has evolved to include complicat.................. 2018-06-20 More

When you are one of the largest watch retailers in the world (and the largest in Europe), you can use this leverage to create your own limited edition watches. This is what Bucherer has been doing now for several years, with the Blue Editions – you probably guessed that all of these watches have a specific blue dial (see here for instance). T.................. 2018-06-19 More

Chronoswiss has built its reputation around an easily recognizable design first and, most importantly, on its extensive (for over 30 years now) use of a specific display: the regulator. Quite old-school for some years, the brand has been revived recently and has started to offer stronger and more modern designs, for instance with the?Flying Regulat.................. 2018-06-18 More

Summer is here and with it comes warm weather, trips to the beach and afternoons on the open water. IWC has just introduced a summer edition of their Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph series with a nod to our warmest season. This is the latest edition of the Portugieser Yacht Club Chronographs, with previous models such as the Ocean Racer dedicate.................. 2018-06-17 More

The holiday season is fast approaching and that’s the perfect time of the year to take off your suit… and the dress watch that goes along with it. Summer means seaside, boat rides, cocktails, unexpected jumps in a pool and all kinds of leisure activities. This means sports/dive watches on the wrist and for this reason, here are 5 cool p.................. 2018-06-16 More

Two limited editions of the HYT H2O – one in a black DLC-coated case with bright green fluid, the other in a silver case with blue fluid – were unveiled during the 2018 SIHH watch salon. Exposed under a large sapphire crystal dome, the H2O models – an evolution of the HYT H2 – reveal the flow of time from every possible angl.................. 2018-06-15 More

When you think about it, there aren’t many differences between one racing chronograph and the next. Of course, designs can be different but the basics are there: 2 pushers, 3 registers, a fixed bezel with tachymeter scale, black or silver dials with coloured accents! All of these features feel so familiar that it quickly became the norm….................. 2018-06-14 More

When you think about the Italian brand?Anonimo, it’s more than likely that military-inspired chronographs (the Militare collection) and dive watches (the Nautilo line), both with cushion-shaped cases, spring to mind. However, things are changing at Anonimo as the brand evolves in new directions and enlarges its scope, for example with the Epu.................. 2018-06-13 More

Recently, TAG Heuer announced the signature of a global partnership with GULF, one of the most iconic sponsors of the motorsports world – most of us can easily recall the light blue and orange racing liveries. This resulted in the creation of a special edition Monaco Calibre 11 (ref. CAW211R), which was reviewed here?– with the iconic G.................. 2018-06-12 More

Let’s be honest… The Patek Philippe?Calatrava Pilot Travel Time 5524G (the white gold version) was a hot topic of discussion when launched at Baselworld 2015. Whatever the intrinsic qualities of this watch, it has been misunderstood. Too early, too radical, too different maybe. 3 years have passed now and there’s a new version in .................. 2018-06-11 More

What happens when legends collide? Especially when those legends are in different fields. Last year, Roger Dubuis, Lamborghini and Pirelli joined forces, and their unique partnership created the racing-inspired Excalibur Spider Pirelli Double Flying Tourbillon. The skeleton timepiece was not only a technically impressive watch with twin tourbillons.................. 2018-06-11 More

The Octo is a true compendium of Bvlgari's sense of design. With its graphic shapes and pure lines, its style is powerful, modern yet elegant. Over the past few years, the Italian watchmaker turned one model into an entire men's watch collection with striking launches including the unapologetically chic Finissimo Trilogy?and its several world recor.................. 2018-06-08 More

Oris expands its highly successful retro Divers Sixty-Five family with the incorporation of two models with a bronze ring hugging the rotating bezel. Exuding strong vintage appeal with the two-tone black and warm golden and bronze touches, it is patently clear that Oris has been listening to its customers and has tapped directly into the trend for .................. 2018-06-07 More

For the last three years, Chopard has adopted the graceful peony flower to decorate its?L.U.C XP Esprit de Fleurier 35mm limited editions for women. This year is no exception and Chopard unveiled a beautiful 18k rose gold edition of eight watches decorated with the silhouette of black paper-cut peonies on the dial and exquisite Fleurisanne engravin.................. 2018-06-06 More

The Carrera turns 55 this year and TAG Heuer revisits its famous automotive chronograph with two models emblazoned with colours inspired by the world of auto racing. Available in a 41mm steel case with a vibrant blue or black dial and the distinctive 12-6-9 layout of the counters, the entry-level TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 16 captures the racing spi.................. 2018-06-05 More

Following the resounding success of the 2016 L.U.C Full Strike in rose gold with its revolutionary use of sapphire crystal gongs, Chopard presents the second version of its minute repeater in 18k white gold – ‘Fairmined’, of course. Monochromatic with subtle silvery grey details on the partially openworked dial, the white gold mod.................. 2018-06-04 More

When Jerome Lambert took over Montblanc, the idea was simple: offer a lot of product for less money. This didn’t mean that all the watches had to be affordable, but rather that watches – including ones with solid horological credentials – were lower priced than expected. This gave birth to a Sub-10k Perpetual Calendar, the?4810 Ex.................. 2018-06-04 More

This year, 2018, International Watch Company or short IWC celebrates its 150th anniversary and for that reason, it has launched a host of anniversary models (see here in our IWC section) and in the meantime there’s been a new Pilot's Watch Chronograph with creme-coloured (vintage style) markers and hands and a “Laureus Edition” bl.................. 2018-06-03 More

When thinking of yellow gold, the first thing that may come to your mind is your parents’ or grandparents’ watch. Well, if you feel yellow gold is outdated, it might be time for a change. The status symbol of the 1960s to 1980s is making a comeback. As trends come and go, it fits perfectly in the current vintage craze – just like .................. 2018-06-02 More

The restrained and discreet watches of the Classique Collection are unequivocal, unmistakable members of the Breguet family. Without even thinking about it, they are immediately recognisable as a Breguet. This is all due to what the Maison names the “unmistakable signs” or the quintessential design codes used by the brand for over two c.................. 2018-05-31 More

In 2012 Habring2 introduced the Doppel 2.0, an affordable split-seconds chronograph based on a Valjoux 7750 chronograph. This was the same recipe that Richard Habring once developed for IWC Schaffhausen, which initially incorporated this movement in the Pilot Doppel Chronograph and later in other watches. When the patent expired, in 2012, Richard H.................. 2018-05-30 More

It all started in the early 1980s with the encounter of Rolf W. Schnyder, a visionary businessman and Ludwig Oeschlin, a brilliant horologist. The two men turned Ulysse Nardin, a century-old manufacturer, into one of the most innovative watch brands around. The most striking development brought to life by the duo is, without a doubt, the Freak (200.................. 2018-05-25 More

It is not ‘breaking news’ to say that the watch industry faced hard times in 2015 and 2016. Business had been tough due to decreasing sales. The Richemont Group – the luxury powerhouse that owns Cartier, IWC, and Montblanc among others – had also been affected by this situation,?as reported by MONOCHROME here. Part of Richem.................. 2018-05-25 More

The man tasked with reshaping Baselworld to meet the current challenges is a 53-old lawyer who started his career in Private Banking. He was previously with the MHC group (the company organising Baselworld) in Lausanne. The longstanding Managing Director of Baselworld, Sylvie Ritter, has decided to step down from her position at the MCH Group after.................. 2018-05-25 More

The turbulence generated by Patek Philippe's Calatrava Pilot Travel Time Ref.5524 seems to have abated and the model has landed as a stable member of the Calatrava family. In addition to a fresh iteration of the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time for men in warm rose gold, Patek unveiled its first self-winding Travel Time model for women just ahead of Bas.................. 2018-05-23 More

The Manero Peripheral certainly represents Carl F. Bucherer at its best. Not the most technical watch in the collection (the Tourbillon Double Peripheral holds the title) yet probably the most balanced one. Elegant, sophisticated, technically interesting and well-priced, it is a watch we've been regularly praising on MONOCHROME. Aware of the demand.................. 2018-05-22 More

Fifty years ago, on Christmas Eve 1968, Apollo 8 became the first manned spacecraft to orbit the Moon and the three astronauts on board the first men to witness the far, or dark side, of our celestial neighbour. To celebrate this encounter, in 2013 Omega dedicated an entire collection of black-themed Speedmasters known as the Dark Side of the Moon................... 2018-05-22 More

Echoing its rivals in the luxury goods industry – including?LVMH, Kering or Swatch Group – Swiss luxury powerhouse Richemont just announced growth for the year ending 31 March 2018. Sales increased by 3% at actual rates and by 8% at constant rates to EUR 10,979 million. The group reports strong performance in its retail network. Operati.................. 2018-05-18 More

Replacing another Patrick (Hoffmann, CEO of the brand from 2011 to 2017), Patrick Pruniaux could easily be qualified as a luxury expert – watch expert, of course, but not only. He forms part of the new generation of CEOs who know about the watchmaking industry but who have also spent years outside of this microcosm. From the Wine and Spirit d.................. 2018-05-17 More

To celebrate 30 years of partnership between Chopard and the Mille Miglia – the famous Italian open-road endurance race for classic and vintage cars which kicks off today?– the Geneva-based manufacturer is presenting its latest version of the watch dedicated to this race from its?Mille Miglia collection. And as you can see, this new?Cho.................. 2018-05-16 More

Yesterday Richemont announced the creation of a new watch brand named Baume. That’s right, Baume, without ‘et Mercier’, is being lined up as the new Value Proposition from the Richemont Group. Over the past years, Baume et Mercier was positioned as the affordable luxury brand from the group, with pricing that did not always match .................. 2018-05-16 More

This new watch is certainly not the most discreet candidate we’ve covered this year. It is probably one of the most flamboyant models – to say the least. We also know that some of you won’t like it and will feel it is over-the-top and overdone. In all honesty, we can’t blame you. Yet, there’s something fascinating abou.................. 2018-05-15 More

I can clearly remember my very first Baselworld and meeting Peter Speake-Marin. I didn’t know the “industry” as well as I know it today and I had no real conception of the entire industry and where Peter fit in. Today, some ten years later, I’m still in touch with Peter and I feel honoured to call him a friend. Over this pas.................. 2018-05-14 More

While the Daytona Ultimatum auction and the rest of the GWA7 – Geneva Watch Auction 7 by Phillips Watches – brought several impressive results (including a CHF 5M hammer price for the ‘Unicorn’ white gold Daytona), another properly interesting result should be credited to A. Lange & Sohne, with the unique?1815 Homage To .................. 2018-05-13 More

For the past five or six years, we’ve seen a massive parade of blue watches marching across the watch scenario. All brands – really, all of them – had a blue version of an existing watch to show (with or without success). So now that blue has become the new black, it is time for our dear watchmaking brands to come up with somethin.................. 2018-05-12 More