A Technical Perspective - The Key Features of a Pilot's Watch
If there is an official standard defining the features for a watch suitable for diving (ISO 6425), no such definition or standard exists (at least one that would be used throughout the industry) for another popular watch category: the pilot's watch. Each and every brand has its own vision of what a pilot's watch should be, depending on the needs of the wearer. However, there are some key elements that single these watches out from the crowd.Pilot’s watches are extremely popular, appreciated for their utilitarian aesthetics and sharp legibility. Positioned more as statement pieces today than the vital tool watches originally used in the air, pilot’s watches, like dive watches, were born from necessity. The first pilot's watch is often considered to be the wristwatch created by Louis Cartier for dandy aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont to time his flights. Its technical specifications were basic, far from those of military watches of the mid-20th?century, which have shaped the des

F.P. Journe Vagabondage III - Review (Video, Specs & Price)
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 philosophy… 2017 marks the arrival of a third tortue-cased watch, the?F.P. Journe Vagabondage III (which we already showed to you in video here). A splendid watch and the?first-ever mechanical watch with digital jumping-seconds. And today, we take a closer look at it.A series of three watches, as a journey through timeThe story of the Vagabondage series of watches is slightly?atypical. Never these watches have been regular products and the start of the journey itself is rather special. First of all, why this name (which might sound?quite weird for non-French speakers)? In fact, “vagabondage” is a French word that could be translated by &#

Interview - Josh Shapiro on Becoming an Integrated American Manufacture
Josh Shapiro seems like an unlikely person to help restore traditional watchmaking in the United States. He started as a pole vault coach and a school teacher before becoming the administrator of a private school. Growing up in a machine shop gave him an appreciation for metals and working with his hands, and a flashy Chronoswiss Opus poster in a local shop helped spark his interest in watchmaking. With some formal training, a lot of practice with ETA 6498 movements and a passion to work with his hands, Josh Shapiro began producing watch dials and found an industry legend as a mentor, David Walter. Now in a new atelier in Inglewood, California, Josh produces luxury, custom pieces and is putting the final touches on an in-house, hand-wound calibre with a tourbillon moon phase also in the works. His current collection is called the Infinity Series.?Josh Shapiro with an antique engine turning machineJ.N. Shapiro employs two additional watchmakers as Josh also continues his role as a schoo

The Unique Tudor Heritage Black Bay One Ref. 7923/001 For Only Watch 2015 Explained with Live Photos - Updated with results, sold for 375,000 CHF - Monochrome-Watches
We’ve been presenting you almost?all the watches that will be auctioned the?7 November 2015 in Geneva by Phillips for Only Watch 2015. We showed you magnificent and unique watches like the Patek Philippe?ref. 5016A-010, the Laurent Ferrier Galet Square with Sector dial or the?FP Journe Tourbillon Souverain Bleu in tantalum. However, there is one that you didn’t see on Monochrome-Watches despite it being one of our favorite watches. We’ve been waiting because we have some live photos and this will definitely help you to appreciate the beauty of this unique edition. Here is?Tudor Heritage Black Bay One Ref. 7923/001 For Only Watch 2015 – UPDATE: sold for 375,000 CHF.If you’re not only a reader but a follower of Monochrome-Watches on social media (and especially on our Instagram account), you certainly spotted one of us wearing the uber-cool Tudor Heritage Black Bay in Blue on a regular basis. This watch, introduced first in 2012 with a burgundy bezel and lat

Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Manufacture 2013 - Monochrome Watches
Ulysse Nardin is a visionary company. Such a declaration might seem overstated, especially when dealing with their longstanding, flagship model, the Marine Chronometer; however, remember Ulysse Nardin is the company who gave us the Freak, a genre-defying watch that was ahead of its time.Under the aegis of the late Rolf Schnyder, the company partnered with Ludwig Oechslin of now Ochs & Junior to realize the Freak in 2001. The visionary contribution of the Freak was not only its forward design, but, for our purposes here, it was the first watch to use a silicon escapement, followed by the Freak DIAMonSIL in 2007, which used a proprietary material called DIAMonSIL and silicon balance spring (see updated coverage here). When the winds of Swatch's ETA moratorium began to blow, Mr. Schnyder decided Ulysse Nardin needed its own in-house caliber. At Baselworld 2012, Current CEO Patrick Hoffman oversaw the introduction of the automatic caliber UN-118, the company's first base caliber, to th