Watches NEWS
Making Sense Of The IWC Big Pilot Racing Works Edition
Everyone who is familiar with the IWC Shaffhausen’s iconic Big Pilot knows the direct consequence of such a large watch. At 46.2mm across and 15.4mm in height, and usually crafted in stainless steel or even precious metals, it is a fairly hefty beast on the wrist. To bypass this and make it a bit more wearable, IWC introduced the Big Pilot 43. While that solves the issue of size, it also comes with a couple of drawbacks Frank addressed shortly after it was released, there is another way around the daunting stature of the Big Pilot. It comes in the form of the IWC Racing Works edition, presented just a couple of months ago. And since I am slowly working my way towards owning my first IWC Big Pilot, I wanted to get my hands on this one to see if I like it or not.To get the basics out of the way, the IWC Big Pilot “IWC Racing Works” edition shares the same size as its steel or gold counterparts but has a titanium case and crown instead. This drastically cuts down the wei
Buying Guide: We Travel To France For Some More Exciting Non-Swiss Watches
A week ago, we covered?some of the best watches coming from the Netherlands for the simple reason that both our founder Frank and myself are Dutch. However, part of the team comes from France, and as such, I thought it would be fun to have a look at French watches this time around! And when I’m talking about French watchmaking, the spotlight immediately shines on the likes of Breguet, Cartier, Hermes and Louis Vuitton. But since watches by those four brands (and most of the other names that come to mind) are made in Switzerland and labelled as Swiss Made, I’ve tried to narrow it down to watches produced in France. For the most part, at least. And the result is yet again a surprising mix of playful and creative watches!Depancel allure automatic chronographDepancel is a relatively young brand from France, named after the fabled French carmakers Delage, Panhard and Facel Vega. As such, automotive inspiration is ensured in pretty much any watch coming out of their Annecy atelie
Jay-Z Spotted Wearing Patek Grandmaster Chime at the 65th Grammys
Music legend, husband of another music legend and one of the most lucrative record producers of his generation, Shawn Carter, a.k.a Jay-Z, is known for his acquired taste in many things. Let’s start with cars and his unique Rolls Royce Boat Tail (equipped with a?bespoke Bovet 1822 watch). And because you’re reading MONOCHROME, he’s got some pretty fascinating watches too. His Daytona can be seen as almost entry-level, even if its an Everose gold model. Much more intriguing, he’s the owner of the one-and-only Perpetual Calendar known, a watch modified by Franck Muller. The man knows his watches. And to prove it, he was spotted wearing Patek Philippe’s most complex watch yesterday at the 65th Grammy Awards, the $2.2 million Grandmaster Chime 6300G. Although it’s not the first time he’s been spotted wearing this black dial model, all eyes were on his wrist.?Steve Stoute, Rich Paul, Jay-Z, Juan “OG” Perez and The-Dream attend the 65
Introducing: Mike Horn's new Panerai Submersible QuarantaQuattro PAM01676
One of the most publicised adventurers and a Panerai ambassador for around two decades, Mike Horn has been known to push the limits of his gears – watch included – to levels that you and I would probably never dare to imagine. Should his polar expeditions, high-altitude climbs or even underwater explorations be considered a testimony to the resistance of Panerai’s watches to extreme conditions? Well, it should at least provide reassurance that the watches can handle rough terrains. The latest joint creation of Horn and Panerai is a new 44mm Submersible instrument designed for all terrains (land and sea) with a modern look that’s familiar to previous editions. Meet the new QuarantaQuattro PAM01676.?Horn’s latest collab is based on the well-known Submersible QuarantaQuattro – a fancy Italian word to tell you that its case measures 44mm (things always sound better in Italian…) – meaning the brand’s range of dive and exploration watches
The Collector's Series - Scott and His Unusual Behrens B023
Forget about the hype, go your own way… Look beyond the mainstream, seek new brands, look for the unusual and go for what you truly love! This is how you could summarize this new instalment of our collector’s interviews. Today we meet with Scott (29), a collector from Seattle, Washington in the USA. And he has a love for unusual, weird watches, preferably from brands that are not made the usual suspects. The model he highlights in today's Collector's Series is a Behrens B023, a brand he had never even heard of before a few months ago! It was the combination of design and intricate mechanics that made him fall for the brand. The reasonable pricing was a plus.Frank Geelen, MONOCHROME – Do you remember where and when you first came across this brand?Scott – A few months ago I was scrolling through random watch articles at home (as you do)?and I somehow came across the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie’s site. All the usual suspects were?there, brands like Bovet,
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