Ever since Jean-Claude Biver took over as CEO at the end of 2014, it seems TAG Heuer has a new lease of life. From the vintage re-issue Heuer Autavia, to its sponsorship of the Red Bull Racing Formula One team, the avant-garde watch manufacturer continues to find new ways to stay in the spotlight. This trend?looks set to continue with the unveiling.................. 2017-09-15 More

It's now time to lift the veil on the big and truly exciting news we had anticipated further to Jean-Claude Biver's (President of the LVMH watch division) and Julien Tornare's (CEO of?Zenith) press conference last May: a groundbreaking development in the field of chronometry, exploring unchartered territories and challenging the basic operating pri.................. 2017-09-14 More

While times have been difficult for the industry in the last 2 to 3 years (see the 2016/2017 results of Richemont Group), signs of recovery are now more and more apparent. Indeed, Swatch Group’s?Half-Year Report 2017 showed growth (with increase of sales and better profitability). It’s now time for the other?luxury powerhouse, the Swiss.................. 2017-09-13 More

This couldn’t really be more of an Italian affair… Since 2012, the two Italian brands Bulgari and Maserati have worked in partnership for the creation of dedicated watches, inspired by the world of luxury and sports cars. The first two editions, a complex Octo Quadri-Retro in 2012 and a bold?Octo Velocissimo?in 2014, were equipped with .................. 2017-09-12 More

While it is commonly?accepted that watches are mainly round – a shape guided by the way time is indicated by hands – exceptions exist. Shaped-watches are not that usual and if some tried, only a few endured. Mastering shapes is something complex, which requires a bit of talent. This year, Chopard is enlarging its L.U.C Collection (the h.................. 2017-09-12 More

Watches are not always about fancy design, complex movements or stacking dozens of features in a single piece of wrist-accessory. Don’t forget that most customers are looking for THE watch that will be strapped to their wrist on a daily basis, and not the tenth watch in their collection. Sometimes, it’s also good to look at more essenti.................. 2017-09-11 More

Every single day we see watches from every corner of the industry and from all areas of watchmaking. Whether it be super-complex avant-garde watches or elegance encased in a dress watch, we see it all. But, in all fairness, this comes at a price which usually runs in the thousands. That is exactly what the new Kickstarter-launching brand Rumoe has .................. 2017-09-10 More

Today, we are going hands-on with an interesting new watch from a brand we first wrote about in 2016. Back then, Swedish brand E.C. Andersson was running a Kickstarter campaign to fund its first model, the military/marine inspired North Sea. As you may recall, the campaign was ultimately successful, and the first collection sold out. Now, the team .................. 2017-09-09 More

While the brand A. Lange & Sohne was revived in 1994 (with the launch of an entire collection, including the iconic Lange 1), the first brand boutique only opened in September 2007. This means that this Dresden-based store now celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, and in order to pay tribute to 10 years of presence in the superb city of D.................. 2017-09-08 More

Last week, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Cartier Tank, we brought you part.1 of our in-depth look at this modern-day icon. Our focus was on the Tank Normale, the very first Tank ever created, which made its debut in 1917 (or 1919, depending on who you ask). This early model would lay the foundation for what has gone on to become on.................. 2017-09-08 More

When the Piaget Polo S Chronograph (and time-and-date too) was unveiled last year in New York, the response was divisive to say the least. Many thought it paid too close a homage to certain other iconic steel sports watches, whilst others welcomed this bold move by Piaget to offer some more accessible models. Now, more than a year on, the dust has .................. 2017-09-08 More

Today, we are going hands on with a special edition of possibly one of the most legendary pilot's watches of all time, or at the very least, one of the latest versions of it. Officially unveiled a few months ago, the IWC Pilot's Watch MARK XVIII Edition Antoine De Saint Exupery marks another addition to a long-line of military inspired models. It's.................. 2017-09-07 More

Today we conclude our three-part series on the Patek Philippe Calatrava with a look at the present-day models currently available from the brand. After reading Part. 1 (focussing on the very first model of the collection, the reference 96) and Part. 2 (the most important vintage models), I'm sure you will agree that the humble Calatrava is one of t.................. 2017-09-07 More

Yesterday, we brought you Part. 1 of our History of the Patek Philippe Calatrava, looking back at where it all began: the Reference 96. That original 1932 model has become a design icon, not to mention the basis on which every other Calatrava reference has been modelled. Emphasising the Bauhaus concept of form follows function, the original Ref. 96.................. 2017-09-06 More

Chopard is unveiling a subtle facelift of the dapper, comfortable and incredibly well-engineered L.U.C XPS. The good news is that it comes in different versions which will suit all tastes and pockets: from the unapologetically smart blued-dialed platinum version to the more affordable steel version, a great opportunity if you are looking for a high.................. 2017-09-05 More

Patek Philippe is a brand that needs little to no introduction. In the watch world, it is known for making high quality, highly sought after timepieces of exceptional complexity. In the real world, it is known as one of the most prestigious brands on the planet, an instant indicator of wealth, stature and, of course, good taste. Pioneers of numerou.................. 2017-09-05 More

The first thing Taiwanese watchmaker elegantsis (the name is intentionally un-capitalized) wants you to know about the new JSK Series is that it is a joint project with US-based JSK Moto, a custom motorcycle design company. JSK makes some outlandishly cool custom motorcycles, so it's no wonder why elegantsis chose them as inspiration for these high.................. 2017-09-04 More

The name Czapek, once famed as a partner of what would become Patek Philippe, came back to the forefront of the scene late 2015 with the elegant and well-thought out Quai des Bergues. The watch was awarded the public prize at GPHG 2016, one of the most (if not the most) meaningful industry award ceremony, which is no small achievement. The collecti.................. 2017-09-04 More

As we approach the end of each year, the GPHG (Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve) ceremony takes place in Geneva. The so-called Oscars of the Watchmaking Industry, the gala event celebrates the best watches of the year – the most advanced, the most innovative, and the most creative timepieces – as well as the outright best in show.................. 2017-09-01 More

If you were to ask your fellow watch-lovers what they thought was the ultimate, chic dress watch for men (or women), I would be confident in saying that the Cartier Tank – in one of its many variations – would feature very high on the list. Versatile, distinctive and instantly recognisable on the wrist, the Tank is, without doubt, one o.................. 2017-09-01 More

For the past few years, Longines has been quite active in the field of vintage reissues?and vintage-inspired watches. In fact, there’s an entire collection named “Heritage”, full of watches that pay tribute to the rich past of the 185 years old brand. Some were just fine, some were highly desirable and some were rather disappointi.................. 2017-08-31 More

For the average automatic or hand-wound watch, a power reserve longer than 3 days is already quite comfortable. Yet, some watches can do more… A week? Easy. Over 10 days? It exists. But what if your watch was able to run for a full month, without the need for you to wind it? Clearly, this would be massive – and it would be the same kind.................. 2017-08-29 More

Let’s agree on one fact: in the world of watches, 10,000 USD/Euro is a perfect median budget. It allows access to most of the luxury brands, including the most coveted ones, to benefit from proper Swiss quality (and by that I mean watches that really are Swiss Made) and finally, you can even access what drives the passion for watches: in-hous.................. 2017-08-26 More

Ulysse Nardin’s history is deeply linked to Marine chronometers, yet there’s another speciality, rather forgotten, that the manufacture masters (and which is not that far from Marine watches), the astronomical watches. Some may recall the mid-1980s Trilogy –?Astrolabium Galileo Galilei (introduced in 1985), Planetarium Copernicus .................. 2017-08-25 More

Figure that: the Swiss and Italian Alps, in the middle of August, 7 mountain passes (including the mighty?Passo Dello Stelvio), over 70 classic Italian cars, and a roadbook detailing some 250km of mountain roads… This was the program of “Passione Engadina”, a highly coveted classic cars rally, which is, since this year, sponsored .................. 2017-08-24 More

Before you burn me on the stakes, yes, I am well aware this is a quartz watch and we very rarely cover these. This time I am being chauvinistic and taking a break from our self-implied guidelines to bring you a watch for the simple reason it is linked to a young Dutch hero to many of my fellow countrymen, and a rising Formula 1 star; Max Verstappen.................. 2017-08-24 More

Few brands can claim to have watches that are so iconic that they are actually known after monikers. and Omega are amongst them – think “Paul Newman”, “Bart Simpson” or “Deep Blue” – but Seiko is also on par in this “nickname game”. Many of their watches have been dubbed with funky sobri.................. 2017-08-23 More

Over the past few years, Oris have wowed us with several practical, innovative timepieces that harness a utilitarian look, feel and features, with competitive prices. Think about the Oris Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter for instance: a highly practical watch with a hard to ignore bang-for-buck attitude, or the 2013 Oris Aquis Depth Gauge, a simple yet.................. 2017-08-16 More

This year marks the 15th anniversary of one of the most discreet yet desirable collections in the Omega portfolio, the?Seamaster Aqua Terra. In order to celebrate the occasion, Omega have slightly refreshed the classical model (3-hand and date version), by giving it some more modern details, with new Master Chronometer movements as well as new dial.................. 2017-08-15 More

Bell & Ross has been knocking them out of the park lately, with several vintage-inspired watches that really hit the spot, like the new Vintage Collection and some derivatives, such as the Vintage V2-92 & V2-94 Garde-Cotes and the commemorative BR126 Renault Sport 40th Anniversary. Today, however, we're shifting gears and getting hands on w.................. 2017-08-10 More

Today we are taking a closer look at one of the most refined and streamlined Perpetual Calendars on the market, the Ulysse Nardin Classic Perpetual Ludwig. Named after the man largely responsible for the original watch some 20 years ago, Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, this modern-day tribute is nothing short of exceptional. Easy to set and even easier to rea.................. 2017-08-09 More

Color - it is essence of life and Earth, and for many, it offers inspiration and makes a keen statement of individuality. Such is the case with the newest women's Classico Lady Grand Feu watches from Ulysse Nardin unveiled earlier this year and in stores now.A brand renowned for its marine heritage, its dive and water watches, as well as for its co.................. 2017-08-09 More

Mechanical innovation is often regarded as the epitome of fine watchmaking. For whatever reason, I had been under the impression that we had not seen many new developments over the past few months. Well, looking back at some of the latest introductions, some impressive pieces of ingenuity have been presented. We take a look at with some of the most.................. 2017-08-08 More

In the past years Vacheron Constantin has been harmonizing their collections, yet within the new line-up they kept some room for one very special collection, comprising only platinum watches. This is the Collection Platine Excellence and the newest piece within that collection is the Patrimony Collection Platine Excellence. Like the other models in.................. 2017-08-08 More

Dress watch dials rarely venture beyond white, silver or black. A classic dress watch with a white dial and black leather strap is as formal as it gets (and it is most often a man's first dress watch). Blue is also a fairly safe option that can be worn in nearly every circumstance. But, these do not have to be the only colors - especially if you ar.................. 2017-08-06 More

There are many ways to tell the time: digital watches show us the time using numbers, whereas the first mechanical clocks did not even have faces, and indicated time by chiming it. Hourglasses, candle clocks or clepsydras are other examples. And there’s a segment that we here at Monochrome, refer to as ‘Other Display‘, which inclu.................. 2017-08-04 More

Over the last few years, Porsche Design has come out with several interesting new models, like the stealth-looking Chronotimer Series 1 and the classically understated 1919 Globetimer. Both demonstrate Porsche Design's ongoing commitment to high-quality engineering, combined with pared back technical design. This trend continues in 2017, with the l.................. 2017-08-02 More

Much of the history of the Omega Speedmaster surrounds its part in the Moon landing and its status as official NASA watch for their astronauts. Thanks to this heritage, the Speedy?became the perfect play field for the Biel-based brand to create multiple limited editions, as tribute to Apollo missions or even to Snoopy Awards. While many watch enthu.................. 2017-08-01 More

Laurent Ferrier is first and foremost a watch passionate and watch designer (he has spent 37 years at Patek Philippe,?ending his?career as creative director). He's not one to show off or boast about his achievements, preferring instead to let his exceptional work speak for itself. Even then, he likes to keep things understated, at least on the dial.................. 2017-07-28 More

The Only Watch charity auction has been responsible for many of the coolest one-off watches from the great and the good of the industry – and we’ve already introduced you to several pretty incredible pieces in the past weeks. So when we received the memo from Montblanc, with the news that they were creating a unique version of the Super.................. 2017-07-27 More