The Omega Master Chronometer is about the pursuit of the best possible movement. Not the most complex movement, not the one with the most features, or the craziest complications. No. With the?Master Chronometer, Omega wanted to create a standard movement that will?perform to the same high level in every situation, in every environment, in every pos.................. 2017-03-10 More

Hamilton is usually not a brand we cover much on Monochrome, maybe because they are positioned a bit on the lower side of the range, with various quartz offers. Yet, from time to time, the previously American brand, now under the umbrella of the Swatch Group, can surprise us, especially when look at their rich history. This year, for the upcoming 2.................. 2017-03-09 More

When you think Faberge, you hardly think about?watches. And even more, you hardly imagine a hyper-innovative chronograph movement, which in some ways revolutionizes centuries of stop watches… However that is exactly what Faberge introduces today: a movement with a brand new display, a brand new architecture and a brand new clutch, solving man.................. 2017-03-08 More

Oris’ motto is “Real watches for real people“… and it’s not just a marketing gimmick (which happens rather often in this luxury watches industry, to say the least). Don’t be surprised to see that Oris watches are worn by ambassadors that are just a bit further away from red carpets than most brand ambassadors. Fo.................. 2017-03-03 More

If some of you might know this watch manufacture by now (thanks to a?coverage here, at Monochrome),?Ateliers deMonaco is clearly not the most famous of them all… Which, in all honesty, is rather a pity, as the brand has a lot to offer. Forget about the affiliation with the Frederique Constant Group.?Ateliers deMonaco plays in a different leag.................. 2017-03-02 More

What makes the beauty of an object? Its design… Right, that was an easy answer. But if look closely, what is hidden behind the word “design”? Like in architecture, watchmaking uses shapes, proportions, perspectives, empty and?full parts, layers and steps, in order to create a three dimensional object. This is what Louis Moinet ten.................. 2017-03-02 More

This year will be a very important year for Omega, as it will be the 60th anniversary of the iconic Speedmaster (1957 – 2017) – you know, the Moonwatch,?the watch that went on the Moon and that is flight qualified by NASA… As you can imagine, the question won’t be if?Omega will?launch?or not some dedicated watches, to commem.................. 2017-02-28 More

With Hublot, the word Fusion is not just the name of a watch. It is much more than that. it is a motto, a proper guideline for the design. Fusion refers to the concept of mixing materials, something that has always been in the DNA of the bold manufacture. Fusion of gold and ceramic, fusion of metals and rubber, fusion of gold and patinated leather,.................. 2017-02-23 More

Since its inception in 2015, the?TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-01 has quickly become the emblematic model of the brand, being also one of its best-sellers – which is surprising, first because of the look, rather in opposition with the previous creations, and because of its price positioning, as being one of the upper-range watches. While in 2016 it.................. 2017-02-22 More

Oris Hammerhead limited edition - As sharks are facing extinction, Oris unveils its robust dive watch, the Aquis, in a limited edition to help raise funds for a shark conservation project run by the NGO Pelagios Kakunj¨¢, and supported by Oris ambassador and professional diver Jer?me Delafosse. Specific Grey dial, Day-Date display, combined with the.................. 2017-02-17 More

A?common cliche is to let engineering and innovation in the hands of Germans / Swiss and design to Italians. Justified or not, you probably heard that dozens of times. Yet, for once, we’ll let Italians their chance to show their skills in terms of innovation… And to be honest, they might have something here. Indeed, the new?Panerai LAB-.................. 2017-02-16 More

The SIHH 2017 ended?already a few weeks ago, and our own Xavier an Brice already shared their favorites of this year’s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie. In the mean time I’ve been busy, among others with a trip to the far north of Finland with Porsche and Porsche Design. While drifting on ice with a host?of 911’s, I got?.................. 2017-02-14 More

For over a decade now (designed by Bulgari’s Roman design department in 2004), the Octo has become the iconic watch collection of the brand, known for its delicate and precious jewellery creations but also now for some distinctive watchmaking products (see the Finissimo collection and you’ll understand…) Yet, as desirable this wat.................. 2017-02-14 More

It has become a recurring game for us here, at Monochrome-Watches. In the same way we just shared with you our predictions for?sister-brand , we’ll show what we expect to see from Tudor?at?Baselworld?2017. Just like previous years (see here and here), this article is?pure imagination-based and is nothing official. Yet, the watches we’l.................. 2017-02-10 More

The fact that the LVMH Watch Division, led by J.C. Biver, is quite inclined in sports partnerships is no secret. There are dozens of them. Today, the Group brings back on board one of their long-time partners,?Manchester United. Indeed, the Football Club was partnering?with sister-brand Hublot in the early 2010s, before moving to another Swiss bran.................. 2017-02-09 More

In?exactly?one year from now, on February 9, 2018, the?2018 Winter Olympics will open their doors in?PyeongChang, South Korea. As it is now common, the official timekeeper of the?Olympics will again be Omega Watches. Indeed, the Biel-based brand has fulfilled the role on 27 occasions since 1932. And because it has now become a very common practice .................. 2017-02-09 More

Fran?ois-Paul Journe has always been a bit apart in the watchmaking industry. Yet, most of his watches are easily recognizable and are imbued?with a clear, distinctive DNA. However, a specific series of watches does not respect the rule; the Vagabondage watches. Entirely different case, entirely different displays, entirely different philosophyR.................. 2017-02-08 More

Since its introduction, the Oris Aquis has always been the high-performance dive watch of the brand. Sturdy, robust, strong and powerful, this watch is?all about performance and reliability. So to say, a real tool watch, which earned the status of icon in the Oris collection. Even if it remained modern, Oris has decided to bring a new take on the?A.................. 2017-02-08 More

This year was the year of the exceptional for Vacheron Constantin, a year of ultra-complex, ultra-rare and ultra-precious watches. The two main novelties were indeed the Celestia and the Symphonia. One is an astronomical watch with 23 complications, tourbillon and massive power reserve (6 barrels…!) The other one is no less than a Grande Sonn.................. 2017-02-08 More

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Skeleton - The record-breaking Octo Finissimo Tourbillon now comes in a skeleton' version. The perfect opportunity to satisfy our curiosity, taking advantage of the now unobstructed view of the inner workings of the thinnest Tourbillon ever. A testament of the Bulgari watchmaking expertise, the Octo Finissimo Tourb.................. 2017-02-07 More

We told you several times, the Word-Time complication is certainly the best answer to the issues?of current business habits. Many of us are frequent travelers or work in an international environment, switching timezones (virtually or literally) more often?than we?change shirt. The need for a watch that displays multiple time-zones has never been so.................. 2017-02-07 More

Admit it, most of us (if not ALL of us) have dreamt about it at one point; building your own watch. Whether it's our very own watch brand, or a Piece Unique. Normally, if you call it normal, this will cost you thousands if not hundreds of thousands, especially when you want to turn your concept into an actual brand. There is a solution though, and .................. 2017-02-03 More

At the SIHH 2017, Montblanc launched an entirely?redesigned TimeWalker?collection, transforming these watches from “modern-urban” to real sports timepieces, mainly chronographs and racing-car-oriented stop-watches. This is an extremely important collection for the brand, which was until now rather absent from the critical sports-watch c.................. 2017-02-03 More

No need to beat around the bush… Some subjects don’t really need to be debated. The new?A. Lange & Sohne Tourbograph Perpetual Pour le Merite is a superlative watch, a proper?masterpiece, mixing all the technical marvels of one of the best manufactures in the world (because for once, it’s outside Switzerland), with a strong re.................. 2017-02-02 More

For more than 2 years now, the watchmaking industry is facing a “crisis” or at least, sales and profits are lower than in the 2000s, the golden era of modern watchmaking. After Richemont announced massive shakeups and rather bad results, it’s now time for Swatch Group to make public the results for the year 2016… and they.................. 2017-02-02 More

As we’ve seen yesterday, the story behind the IWC Da Vinci has been eventful and longer than many thought. If the first edition dates back 1969, it’s really in 1985 that the Da Vinci?obtained the recognition we know today, with one iconic version, the Ref. 3750 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph, conceived in the mind of genius Kurt Klaus. .................. 2017-02-01 More

Over several decades?of existence, the IWC Da Vinci has drastically evolved and has seen dozens of versions and style. Yet, even if this watch is certainly not as popular as the Portugeiser or the Big Pilot’s Watch, it has been a playing?field for multiple innovations and milestones for the brand. Before we go hands-on with the latest version.................. 2017-01-31 More

First one to pull the trigger was Xavier, with his Top 10 watches of the SIHH 2017. It was not fair to leave that task to him only, so I had to do the job too. Still, picking up my 10 favorite pieces of the Geneva-based fair was not easy. Not that there was not enough material this year – we’ve seen many interesting propositions, both d.................. 2017-01-30 More

The SIHH 2017 has seen the debuts of an?entirely?new collection for Baume & Mercier, the Clifton Club, exploring new territories for the brand: sports watches. Indeed, this universe is at first rather far away from what the brand used to do for the last decade. Still, this Clifton Club is an interesting novelty. No marketing artifices?about her.................. 2017-01-30 More

In 2009, a new brand made its debut to the SIHH, the?Ralph Lauren Watch & Jewelry Co, a joint venture between the iconic lifestyle?brand and the Richemont Group, the watchmaking giant. Yet, the path?has not been simple and after several?unclear collections and hesitations in positioning the brand, the?brand was absent from the SIHH 2016. Though.................. 2017-01-30 More

This was predictable. After the announcement by Richemont of first shakeups, by?abolishing the CEO and CFO roles, by appointing Jer?me Lambert as head of operations, by appointing Georges Kern as head of watchmaking, marketing and digital and already scheduling?several drastic actions for the group, it’s now time for the big reshuffle at the .................. 2017-01-30 More

The vintage-inspired trend that overshadows the watch market these past few years is still evolving, with most companies more or less digging in their archives, trying to find vintage designs, to bring them back in life. Although this may show the difficult position of the Swiss watch industry as a whole, it can be argued that it has some benefits................... 2017-01-27 More

It will be hard to hide the fact that, since a few years, the brand Bulgari has become a major actor in the field of watchmaking. What has long been a superb jeweler and a manufacturer of jewelry-oriented watches is now recognized as a proper innovator and a respected high-end watch brand, showing to the world an great expertise in ultra-thin movem.................. 2017-01-27 More

Panerai watches are great. They look super-cool, they have that unique aura of a robust and vintage dive watch mixed with that Italian je-ne-sais-quoi.?They are icons of watchmaking. Still, there might?be one issue with these watches. Most?are sized for?lumberjacks’ wrists. If the 45mm or 47mm diameters participate to the look (and they are a.................. 2017-01-26 More

The SIHH 2017 was my 19th attendance to the Geneva-based fair. What a pleasure to tour the inescapable Geneva Haute Horlogerie rendez-vous, which has been great vintage indeed! Here's my top ten favorite watches, after over 2,000 pictures shot. These are presented without specific order, focusing on gents watches (no mention therefore of the magnif.................. 2017-01-25 More

Launched with great fanfare in the middle of last year – see our introducing article – the Piaget Polo S was both a breath of fresh air for Piaget and, at the same time (and unfortunately) the most controversial watch of the year 2016. This is the sad part of the story. This watch is great… alone. But it lives in a market full of .................. 2017-01-25 More

Last year at SIHH 2016, Cartier unveiled a?new men’s?watch, the Drive, which received a lot of?praise?and attention here on Monochrome-Watches (see our?introductory article and review) thanks to?its great elegance and the way it mastered shapes. For us this is what Cartier is all about, a master of shapes and elegance, a brand that can create.................. 2017-01-24 More

The 1770 Micromegas Revolution is a spectacular launch from the Indie watchmaking brand based in Vallorbe that we have not got a chance to review yet. Clearly, once?you can manage to?a closer look at this watch, you understand that this would have been a pity not to cover it. As the brand is introducing three exclusive limited editions, we take a l.................. 2017-01-23 More

Ulysse Nardin, a new-comer to?SIHH, is well known for its Marine roots, as the manufacture has been active in the field of Marine Chronometers (to be placed on boat decks) since its inception in 1846. You won’t be surprised therefore?to see that one of the main highlights of the 2017 collection is strongly linked to this rich past. Still, Mar.................. 2017-01-20 More

The marine world has been an integral part of Ulysse Nardin's history since 1846, when a young watchmaker named Ulysse Nardin created the first, highly-coveted marine deck chronometers. These precision navigational instruments – once prized by mariners and navies the world over – are?nowadays still the main source of inspiration for the.................. 2017-01-19 More