Frank and his Vintage Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 'Jumbo' 5402ST - Monochrome Watches
Today, we’ll get straight to the point and speak frankly and honestly. Frank, Founder and Managing Director of MONOCHROME, whom I’ve known for more than seven years now, is probably one of the most upfront and straightforward people I’ve ever met: Frank is a man who says what he thinks. And today we’ll talk about one of his most beloved watches, one that he’s owned for years and that I’ve always wanted to feature in our ‘Collector’s Series’, his handsome Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ‘Jumbo’ 5402ST. And because this watch is such an icon, it doesn’t really need an introduction anymore. Instead, we’ll be looking at what really matters, the collecting side of things, the market, the fuzz around the watch… Today the ‘Collector’s Series’ goes wild and I’m happy to have Frank on board for this new instalment. Fasten your seatbelts and let’s get to it! Ad - Scroll to conti

Splitting Time Between Two Masters - Part II: The Omega Speedmaster Professional Moon Watch - 'Moonraker' - Monochrome Watches
“The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry” I blame those kids at Fratellowatches.com, with their ‘Speedy Tuesday‘ presentations for corrupting my latest watch ‘scheme’! Once again in a turn fitting of an Ian Flemming novel, I found myself in London on a dreary, dark, cold day – minding my own business. All of the sudden an agent of a worldwide organization bent on my (financial) destruction [Harrods] flashes a glimpse of a watch to me… 3570.50.00, aka the Speedmaster Professional, aka the Moon Watch. The next thing I know, my plan to wear the Seamaster 2535.80 for the full year without discontinuation is somehow spoilt.Splitting time between two masters indeed! For those of you not fully aware of this by now – I am a person with precious little to do and much, much less in the way of intellect. For me a MAJOR goal for the year 2013 was to simply wear ONE watch to coincide with the Chinese Lunar Calendar… Almost as I

Hands-On With The Splendid Parmigiani Tonda PF Micro-Rotor In Platinum
Introduced in 2021, the?Tonda PF collection accomplished two missions: one was to celebrate the brand’s 25th?anniversary and the distinguished career of master watchmaker and founder Michel Parmigiani; the second was more long-term and designed to mark the new roadmap for the watch brand under CEO?Guido Terreni. Positioned as the brand’s luxury sports watch with integrated bracelet, the Tonda PF is as classy as they come. During Watches & Wonders 2023, Parmigiani Fleurier unveiled its Tonda PF Micro-Rotor dressed from head to toe – case, bracelet, dial, bezel and rotor – in 950 platinum. With its sober, monochrome aesthetics, deliberate minimalism and slim profile, the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor is, in our eyes, the essence of sophistication and understatement.The BackstoryThe Tonda PF luxury sports watch collection is rooted in the classic ultra-slim Tonda dress watch collection designed by Michel Parmigiani. In a departure from many high-testosterone luxury spor

Baume HRS Limited Edition Automatic - When Richemont goes Microbrand-Like - Monochrome Watches
When you hear the word Baume, most would assume it's referring to Baume & Mercier, a popular luxury watch brand dating back to 1830 and now part of the Richemont Group. And they'd be partially correct. Baume is an offshoot of Baume & Mercier with Marie Chassot (Product Marketing Director for Baume & Mercier) coming in as the lead, along with several other executives from the parent company. Baume is, however, very much an independent company with different design philosophies and strategic guidance, and a strong focus on sustainability. Baume might be an entry-level brand among Richemont's more prestigious (and expensive) offerings, but there's a lot to like about its deep level of customization and a couple of special edition models. The one I'm reviewing today is its flagship HRS Limited Edition Automatic, a limited production regulator model with an interesting take on recycling. Baume calls it upcycling and its wooden case is made from a used skateboard deck, while the

We've compiled a list of watches sized below 40mm.
Watchmaking is very much a trend-driven industry, with, of course, a core selection of models, colours, sizes and materials standing the test of time. Colours come and go, sizes go up and down, and although new materials are regularly experimented with, the vast majority come in steel, with titanium, bronze and gold being the most popular alternatives. When it comes to the size of the watch, this is most often dictated by the movement, the intended purpose and its overall design. But, as these five watches will show you, the current trend for sizing a watch down to more compact dimensions results in some genuinely cool watches.Baltic Tricompax ChronographIn just a relatively short amount of time, Baltic has transcended the status of a microbrand and established itself as a name that’s most likely here to stay. Previously Baltic relied on Asian movements (no shame in that!) but recently upped its game as it presented the Baltic x Peter Auto Tricompax Special Edition racing set. Th