Why Are Four of The Greatest Icons of Watchmaking Suddenly Being Revamped? - Monochrome Watches
Is this pure coincidence? Indeed, four of the most iconic watches on the market currently are all being revamped within a few months. While it is certainly not new to see brands digging up pieces from their archives for new releases, what's more surprising is to see products with notorious desirability or even waiting lists being discontinued. These highly successful watches are reimagined, while they certainly didn't need to be revamped in order to ensure commercial success. Surely, emblematic models have always evolved to stay relevant. But there is more. Managing availability and exclusivity is key to fuel envy and to create desirability.Managing the life cycle and the availability of such products is fundamental. Scarcity is the foundation of the very notion of luxury. Being – or staying – out of reach is exactly what has made the Patek Philippe Nautilus or 's professional steel watches at the top of the watch food chain for years. “It’s not enough to make

The Petrolhead Corner - Spotted Damon Hill and His Race-Worn Omega Speedmaster
Damon Hill is the son of the late British racing driver Graham Hill, who twice won the Formula 1 drivers' championship and is the only driver to win the Triple Crown of Motorsport comprising the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix.Father and Son – Graham Hill overseeing his son Damon in the driving seat – Photo by Express/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesIn 1996, Damon Hill became Formula 1 World Champion driving for the Williams team and in doing so, Hill and his father became the first family to have a father and son both become Formula 1 World champions.I noticed while browsing for photos on racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart, that Hill was wearing an Omega Speedmaster chronograph.?I have never heard of anyone mentioning Hill sporting a Speedmaster, so I decided to do start searching. Ad - Scroll to continue with article Go

Pre Baselworld 2014: Introducing the Bvlgari Octo Chrono - Monochrome Watches
Fifteen years ago, in 1999, luxury brand Bvlgari bought Gerald Genta’s watch company and until this day they manufacture watches and introduce new watches, which are (heavily) inspired on Genta’s designs. Just like the Octo Automatic, which was introduced last year, and so is the new Octo Chrono that we can introduce to you today. A bold and rugged design – typical Genta – and it features a magnificent El Primero column-wheel chronograph movement.The press release calls the new Octo a combination of Italian genius and Swiss perfection. All we can say, is that Bvlgari did a good job in merging Genta’s design into a contemporary chic sports chronograph. With a movement like the El Primero, you simply can’t go wrong. The strong characteristic lines of the Octo Chronograph’s design on the other hand, will probably be more polarizing, but that’s exactly what Genta’s design often did. Ad - Scroll to continue with article

Swatch Group Reports 2019 Sales Down -1.8% at Constant Exchange Rates - Monochrome Watches
Following the announcements by the Swiss Watch Federation with slightly growing export numbers and record results by LVMH for the year ended December 31st, Swatch Group has just announced its 2019 results, which aren’t as positive as its competitors and the whole market.?At CHF 8,243 million, the group net sales are down 1.8% at constant exchange rates and down 2.7% at current rates. The operating result is down 11.4% at CHF 1,023 million.?Luxury brands have felt the impact of the complex situation in Hong Kong. The Chinese Special Administrative Region is the largest market for Swiss watch exports – about 12% of the total exports in 2019. Swatch Group comments that its performance was particularly affected by the situation. The drop in sales in Hong Kong for the second semester alone was approximately CHF 200 million. As a result, the profitability of the Swatch Group is down, with a net income of CHF 748 million, -13.7% to the previous year. Excluding Hong Kong, sales inc

Horage Tourbillon 1 Sub-10k Swiss In-House Tourbillon Explained
The tourbillon… You've no doubt heard of it (you are a MONOCHROME reader after all), and perhaps you own a few, but why is it such an expensive feature? French for whirlwind, it's actually among the oldest of technical innovations, patented by Breguet in 1801 – although developed several years earlier, around 1795. It's simple in concept, with the balance wheel and escapement mounted inside a rotating cage to counter the forces of gravity. If you're in the market for a Swiss tourbillon (or any outside of the Asian market), you're well into five figures until now. We introduced the accessible Horage Tourbillon 1 last year during development and now have one on the wrist for a proper review. And to understand how the brand managed to make this watch at that price.BackgroundHorage is a relative newcomer to Swiss watchmaking, originating in 2007 when husband and wife founders Andreas Felsl and Tzuyu Huang began discussing their future in Biel/Bienne. Horage (the H is silent) is