Vanguart Black Hole Tourbillon (Specs & Price)
If you’re a recurring reader of MONOCHROME, you might know that we have a soft spot for independent and bold watchmaking. We enjoy watches made by small teams, watches that break the norm and display the creativity and soul of the people behind these timepieces. So when such a new watchmaker surfaces, we jump at the chance to look at it with a fresh mind and wide-open eyes. Today, we present Vanguart Watches, a new indie watchmaker with modern designs and complex mechanisms, and its first creation, the impressive Black Hole Tourbillon watch.The team behind Vanguart WatchesThis new brand was founded by four men: Thierry Fisher, Jeremy Frelechox, Axel Leuenberger and Mehmet Korutu?rk. Axel Leuenberger, the CEO with experience at APRP (Audemars Piguet Renaud Papi), is behind the conception of the watch. Thierry Fisher is the creative director. Jeremy Frelechox is the CTO and has 15 years of experience at APRP and six years at Girard-Perregaux. And finally, Mehmet Korutu?rk, Chairman

Hands-On - Omega Constellation Globemaster Annual Calendar 41mm
In our world driven by novelties and social media, it’s sometimes easy to forget things that have been presented only a few years ago. But today, we’ll give a look at a watch that is somehow underrated, a discreet model that, however, encompasses all the savoir-faire of Omega… and more. With its focus on precision, and the addition of one of the most practical types of calendar, the Constellation Globemaster Annual Calendar is full of arguments, but also some polarizing details. So today, we’ll give a look back at this timepiece.?A tribute to early Constellation watchesAs we explained in this in-depth historical article, the Constellation is one of the most enduring collections of Omega. It even came to life before the legendary Speedmaster. While today the name often refers to watches with integrated bracelets and bezel with signature claws, the Constellation started its life with a different objective.The first Omega Constellation, the 1952 “Pie-Pan̶

Introducing the IWC Big Pilot Watch Edition 'Le Petit Prince' - Monochrome-Watches
IWC comes back with a new limited edition, honoring?one of its favorite ambassadors (unfortunately not with us anymore), Antoine de Saint-Exupery, pilot and writer, and its most famous character, ‘le Petit Prince’. Using the same concept as several other editions of the Pilot collection, it is now the Big Pilot that is paying tribute to one of the most classical books of all time. Please welcome the?IWC Big Pilot Watch Edition ‘Le Petit Prince’.Several other watches of the Pilot collection had been used to serve as a tribute to Antoine de Saint-Exupery?and ‘Le Petit Prince’. Remember in 2013, we introduced you to the?IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar and Mark XVII Limited Special Edition ‘Le Petit Prince‘. This year we had the chance to get our hands on the chronograph edition. If you look closely at those 3 watches, they are all sharing a same scheme: pilot watches adorned with a special dial, a distinctive strap and, of course, a casebac

Spotted - The Watches Seen in Davos for the 2020 World Economic Forum
The 2020 World Economic Forum (WEF) is currently underway in Davos, Switzerland. Davos has hosted the WEF since its inception in 1971. The mission of the WEF is “committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas“. Guests at the event include economists, heads of major corporations, journalists and political leaders from around the world.?This is a target-rich environment for spotting watches, and I have compiled an assortment of timepieces seen on the wrists of notable people.First is Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock, an American investment management corporation. BlackRock is currently the largest money-management firm in the world with more than $6.5 trillion in assets under management.At Davos, Fink was sporting an A Lange & Sohne Lange 1 Tourbillon in rose gold.? The watch is clearly identifiable from the iconic oversized date and the offset c

New Indie Watchmaker Havid Nagan and the HN00 Watch
After two and a half years of solitary development, the brand Havid Nagan and its debut watch finally make their official debut. With no formal training as a watchmaker, Aren Bazerkanian founded his Havid Nagan microbrand in Los Angeles and relies on Swiss manufactures based in La Chaux-de-Fonds to bring his designs to life. Judging from the press images, the inaugural HN00 models deserve a second look. A simple time-only watch, the HN00 comes with colourful, eye-catching guilloche dials. The bold architectural cases are also noteworthy and house the customised Schwarz Etienne automatic movement.?Unusual CaseThe inspiration for the geometry of the case comes, as Aren Bazerkanian admits, from his former career in real estate in Los Angeles. The bold architecture of the HN00 is, in part, motivated by the works of architect Paul McClean whose homes are characterised by rectangular and square shapes with panoramic windows framing the cityscape. Ad - Scroll to continue with artic