Just like every year, IWC celebrates a good cause with the launch of a special Laureus edition. The 12th of its kind – see more models here – and the first to be based on the “Small Pilot” Mark XVIII, this watch is?part of IWC’s commitment to support Laureus Sport for Good, which uses the power of sport to end violence.................. 2018-03-01 More

William L. 1985 was founded in 2015 by Guillaume Laidet (hence the name William L. – Guillaume is the French for William). A French entrepreneur with a passion for watchmaking, Guillaume used to work in Switzerland for high-end brands such as Zenith and Jaeger-LeCoultre. When he founded his own brand, his idea was to offer vintage-inspired ti.................. 2018-03-01 More

The Audemars Piguet Millenary Frosted Gold Opal Dial is my horological fantasy come true. Appealing on an aesthetic and technical level, the Millenary Frosted Gold Opal Dial wears its beating heart on its sleeve and plays with volume, texture, and light in a contemporary key. Feminine yet assertive, this Millenary model flies in the face of traditi.................. 2018-02-28 More

It is not the first time we talk about Reservoir Watches, a young brand that has made a name for itself with its cool, well-designed, original watches. Here, at MONOCHROME, we love the beauty of mechanics and novel ways of telling the time – and this Reservoir model, with its jumping hours and?retrograde minutes, satisfies us on both levels. .................. 2018-02-28 More

Like every year,?the month of January?was mainly driven by the SIHH and all the novelties that we’ve presented to you during this hectic week. Hosting eighteen large brands (among them Richemont brands) and seventeen smaller Independents, yet, there are always several brands exposing their novelties elsewhere in the city of Geneva. One of the.................. 2018-02-27 More

Over the last few months, and even years, we've covered some pretty interesting start-up watch projects here on MONOCHROME. Advances in modern technology, combined with ready access to start-up capital via decentralised crowd-funding, have helped unlock the floodgates of innovation across multiple industries, injecting fresh blood and ideas. Today,.................. 2018-02-27 More

Vacheron Constantin introduces its third iteration of the Patrimony Self-Winding 36mm, this time in white gold with an automatic movement. Designed to swing it both ways, the new model will certainly be well received by women who appreciate a mechanical movement and who prefer the timeless elegance of a classic, round case, and a simple, refined di.................. 2018-02-27 More

This is a fact: Breitling is changing. Since the arrival of Georges Kern (ex-CEO of IWC Watches and ex-Richemont) and CVC Partners at the head of the brand, some drastic?changes are underway. And we all know that change is both a necessity and the most complex thing to manage. The first evidence of this new strategy is named the?Breitling Navitimer.................. 2018-02-26 More

When it comes to limited editions by A. Lange & Sohne, you know it’s going to be rare, you know it is not a common trick used by the brand and you know it will end up being highly collectable. If, in addition to that, the watch looks as beautiful as the one we have today, what not to love… 10 years ago, the Saxon brand opened its Gi.................. 2018-02-23 More

Omega deploys an arsenal of sophisticated timekeeping instruments to decide the fate of athletes at the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. Carting 230 tonnes of timekeeping equipment from Switzerland to Korea, Omega's cutting-edge technology will be the ultimate judge of the Olympic victors, where split-second differences can make the difference bet.................. 2018-02-23 More

With IWC introducing so many limited-edition references for its 150th anniversary this year (there are 27 in total), it's been hard work picking a favourite. The blue dial Portugieser Chronograph is certainly high on the list, as of course is the Tribute to Pallweber. If I had to choose just one, however, I think it would have to be the Portugieser.................. 2018-02-21 More

Few names in the world of watchmaking?are as iconic as Jo Siffert – a well-known pilot, strongly linked to vintage chronograph watches. Referring first to the Heuer Autavia watches of the 1970s, with their Panda dials and bright blue accents, the Siffert name has been revived several times in the past, but today is takes on a special meaning................... 2018-02-21 More

Tudor has gained an incredible level of popularity over the past few years, becoming one of the coolest players in the watch game. This is the reason why we, at MONOCHROME, have placed this brand under our radar for quite some years already and,?like we did with a few days ago, it’s time for us to be creative and to try and guess what Tudor.................. 2018-02-17 More

Last month, we wrote about an unexpected new timepiece from an unexpected source: the Clifton Baumatic from Baume & Mercier. Officially unveiled at SIHH 2018, we had the chance to spend some time getting hands-on with this all-rounder/dress watch and were quite impressed with what we found. The big news was, of course, the introduction of the b.................. 2018-02-16 More

We caught up with Guillaume Tetu, COO of Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry Co (RLWJ) in Geneva a couple of weeks ahead of Watches and Wonders Miami 2018. He shares his vision for RLWJ's future as the brand will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, including a sneak preview of the new Ralph Lauren RL Automotive Skeleton Steel presented at Watches .................. 2018-02-16 More

If you are a regular reader of MONOCHROME, you will be familiar with the independent watchmaker Czapek. A name with a lot of history (Fran?ois Czapek was a Geneva-based Polish watchmaker whose 6-year partnership with Antoni Patek gave birth to remarkable watches before the latter founded Patek Philippe with Adrien Philippe), the brand was revived i.................. 2018-02-15 More

While many Omega fans are enjoying the launch of the men's Olympic-themed watches, a campaign starring Kaia Gerber is underway to attract millennials to the new De Ville Tresor Ladies Collection. Kaia, daughter of veteran Omega ambassador Cindy Crawford, was recruited in 2017 as the face of the next generation of watch fans.Kaia's Choice: De Ville .................. 2018-02-14 More

The Carrera is turning 55 and it never ceases to evolve… During its long life, the TAG Heuer Carrera has taken various forms and incorporated numerous innovations and movements. Yet, it was born a chronograph and remains mainly a chronograph. For Baselworld?2018, TAG will introduce a new edition of its icon, another technical, sporty version,.................. 2018-02-14 More

A brand of recent creation, the name Franck Dubarry may sound familiar. Franck Dubarry is a French entrepreneur and watch designer. Before launching the eponymous brand, he made his reputation in the advertising sector and in the watch industry by creating TechnoMarine in 1997. A fantastic commercial success, TechnoMarine presented truly original c.................. 2018-02-13 More

With certain brands, it is sometimes hard to define the DNA, the essence of their creations or what is the common theme linking the collections. With?Chronoswiss on the other hand, this is rather easy. Indeed, the brand has a clear segmentation, as most of its watches are based on a regulator display. The latest model in the collection doesn’.................. 2018-02-13 More

The?A. Lange & Sohne 1815 Chronograph is far from being a new watch. Indeed, even if it was updated in 2015?with a new dial that actually?goes back to (almost) the original design of this watch, it is a well-known and well-established member of the collection. New animations were introduced at the SIHH 2018 and the?1815 Chronograph is now avail.................. 2018-02-12 More

Customisation is the name of game in the watch world today and the fastest way to change the personality of your watch is to change the strap. As the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games since 1932, and coinciding with the start of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games, Omega taps into the trend for customisation with its timely proposal of NATO st.................. 2018-02-10 More

The?2018 Winter Olympics are about to start and Omega celebrates its 86th year as the official timekeeper of the Games. What’s more, the brand has announced that it will hold this position at least until 2032 – meaning an entire century of? Olympic timing. After the gold collection introduced earlier this week, it is time to look at the.................. 2018-02-09 More

In 2016, Cartier, the master of beautifully shaped cases, introduced a stylish dress watch for men; the Cartier Drive. Offered in gold or steel, it was an instant hit. Hot on the heels of this initial success, came the Drive Extra Flat in 2017, an even more refined and attractive dress watch that really turned our heads. Unlike the earlier Drive mo.................. 2018-02-08 More

In late 2015, Montblanc introduced the first version of the 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter. Fitted with a Minerva/Villeret monopusher movement, we were instantly smitten. The initial 18k red gold edition was soon followed by a version in steel, and then a gorgeous bronze number with a champagne dial. This year, Montblanc continues the bronze theme wit.................. 2018-02-06 More

In the collective psyche of watch enthusiasts, Panerai is synonymous with large, robust, instrument dive watches. After all, that’s how the brand was conceived back in the 1930s. The brand wasn’t shy about making a 45mm watch its standard offer, and even to introduce 50mm pieces (or more). However, that was the 2000s and demand has chan.................. 2018-02-06 More

Since 1932, Omega has been the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games, a role the brand will be playing until at least 2032 (even if we don’t know yet where the Games will be located). Easy to count… The Biel-based brand will be present at the Olympics for a full 100 years. To celebrate this centennial legacy, Omega presents a new pod.................. 2018-02-05 More

Back in 2017, Seiko treated us to a nice surprise by reintroducing one of its most iconic watches: the Samurai. Praised by many enthusiasts, tested and certified as a reliable dive watch, updated for 2017 with slight evolutions and new colours, there was not much to complain about… Except maybe for the lack of a PADI edition. Well, the brand .................. 2018-02-05 More

To me, one of the true marks of a great watch manufacturer is the ability to make interesting and desirable timepieces across a range of price points. Unfortunately, few brands seem to be able to achieve this with any consistency. There are exceptions of course, and A. Lange & Sohne is most certainly one of them. Proving my point is the new Sax.................. 2018-02-02 More

In the watchmaking world, there is the chronograph complication – in itself a complex type of movement that is hard to develop and to assemble. Then, there is the flyback chronograph, allowing for an instant reset-start of the timing session. And for years, right at the top of the food chain was the Split Seconds or rattrapante chronograph &#.................. 2018-02-01 More

Bulgari made quite an impact last year when it unveiled its record-breaking, ultra-thin Octo Finissimo Automatic. In total, the sand-blasted titanium case measured just 5.15mm thick, an incredible achievement and one that in my opinion, looks absolutely superb on the wrist. Others, however, found it either too thin or too expensive. Fortunately for.................. 2018-02-01 More

As journalists crowded around the viewing table to admire the technical fireworks of A. Lange & Sohne's Triple Split at the SIHH 2018, I made my way to a less congested table and was treated to a hands-on session with the new members of the Little Lange 1 family. Like its Moon Phase sibling introduced last year, the new Little Lange 1 trilogy f.................. 2018-01-31 More

In the past years, Montblanc has treated us to lots of horological sweets. That sweetness came mainly in the shape of chronographs fitted with the old Minerva calibres 16.29 and 13.21, both showcases of how incredibly beautiful old Minerva chronographs can be. It started (again) with the arrival of CEO Jer?me Lambert (now COO of most Richemont watc.................. 2018-01-31 More

After Richemont announced strong quarterly results just before SIHH 2018 and LVMH reported double-digit?growth for 2017, it’s now Swatch Group’s turn to disclose its annual results for the year 2017. And before going into details, know that the Group is strong and that the outlook for 2018 is still very positive. Once again, the industr.................. 2018-01-30 More

After he unexpectedly?left IWC and joined Breitling as the new CEO, Georges Kern was under the radar… We were all waiting for the first novelty to come out of the Grenchen-based manufacture. And today, here THEY come. Indeed, it’s not a watch but a full collection named the?Breitling Navitimer 8, which we introduce to you today. Five di.................. 2018-01-29 More

IWC is celebrating its birthday, and boy does it know how to throw a party! The Schaffhausen-based manufacture is not just releasing one simple anniversary piece for its grand 150th birthday bash, but is launching an array of models from various collections, all sharing one common theme: lacquered dials. We've shown you the superb IWC Tribute to Pa.................. 2018-01-29 More

LVMH Mo?t Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world's leading luxury group, recorded revenues of EUR 42.6 billion in 2017, an increase of 13% over the previous year. The group also shows a sustained growth in organic revenues, with a 12% increase.?The group profit is up 18%, at EUR 8,293 million. All business divisions recorded double-digit organic growth,.................. 2018-01-25 More

Vacheron Constantin’s?Traditionelle Complete Calendar Collection Excellence Platine, released just ahead of the SIHH, was already a pleasing novelty, albeit an expensive and limited one. The platinum model, with its great calendar display, is now flanked by a model in lustrous pink gold for the SIHH 2018, as a serially produced piece in the c.................. 2018-01-24 More

When we received?the whole bunch of novelties that AP was about to launch at the SIHH 2018 (and there was a lot), one watch stood apart from the rest. Strangely enough, this watch is far from being a true revolution.?Not that the RD#2 isn’t a stunning development, but we were all, at the MONOCHROME redaction, focussed on this new?Audemars Pig.................. 2018-01-23 More

In early 2017, during the SIHH, Walter Lange, the man responsible for resuscitating the legendary A. Lange & Sohne watch brand, sadly passed away. To pay tribute to this humble and charming man, the company decided to create a homage watch, just the way he wanted (a watch that?Walter Lange had always dreamed of, but which had never materialised.................. 2018-01-22 More