The Elections... for the Watch of the Year and the GPHG that is! - Monochrome Watches
While the race for presidency in the USA is going on until the last minute, we’ll of course focus… on watches! And in the world of watches, we also have elections. Just two weeks ago I attended the gala award ceremony for the election of the Watch of the Year, organised by our friends of Chronos24 in Poland. And this Thursday, when we finally know who’s going to?be the new?tenant of?the White House, is the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve – a.k.a the 2016 Edition of the GPHG. While the first becomes a bit international due to several international jury members – including yours truly –?the latter can best be compared to the Oscars in the world of movies.In Warsaw, Poland, the good folks of Chronos24 hosted the Watch of the Year 2016 gala event together with partners like Esquire Poland, Porsche,?the Polish Business Roundtable Club, Manager MBA Magazine, and the Polish Watch and Clocks Collectors Club. In the months before the event, the jury,

Buying Guide - 5 of the Best Recently-Launched Black Watches (Price)
Black has a weird attraction. Black is timeless and classic. Black can be discreet or bold. And the watchmaking industry knows it as blacked-out watches are highly popular and widely available today, but not all models wear black as well as others. Today, we've listed some of the best recently launched black watches, versatile pieces that look great with anything and are ideal for dressing up or down. Ready to move into stealth mode? Here are five great options.Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Black Sandblast-Polished CeramicThe Bvlgari Octo Finissimo has proven itself as one of the defining new luxury sports watches. One of the characteristics that set the Finissimo apart is its distinctive matte monochromatic appearance, with an almost industrial look. But the new Black Sandblast-Polished Ceramic plays with light like no other Octo model before.?A sleek black design isn't the only thing that it offers. The way it feels and sits on the wrist is unique. The watch is powered by the ultr

The Battle of High-End Chronographs Part 1 - Patek Philippe 5172G - Monochrome Watches
When a model is discontinued and replaced with a new reference at Patek Philippe, two things happen: the old model tends to become even juicier bait for collectors and the newcomer is subjected to intense scrutiny. In March 2019, Patek Philippe introduced the ref.5172G chronograph to replace the longstanding and much-loved ref. 5170. Fitted with the same in-house manual-winding calibre CH 29-535 PS as its predecessor, the latest member of Patek's chronograph dynasty comes in a white gold case with a de rigueur blue dial and a pronounced vintage temperament. Larger, bolder, less classic and more casual than the 5170, the 5172G is one of the contenders in our next battle of chronographs.Editor's note: this review of the Patek Philippe Chronograph 5172G is part of a series of three articles where we will compare two of the most desirable high-end, hand-wound chronographs currently on the market. Two watches with the same concept, but two different flavours. The third article, which will b

First Look: The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Glassbox goes Precious
TAG Heuer's Carrera has been basking in the limelight for 62 years now, a timeless racing-inspired chronograph designed by Jack Heuer in 1963, named after the Carrera Panamericana Road race. Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2023, TAG Heuer introduced a compact 39mm edition of the Carrera with a pronounced domed sapphire crystal, imitating the look of the curved acrylic crystals used on Carreras in the 1960s and 1970s. As part of the LVMH Watch Week 2025 novelties, TAG Heuer releases two Carrera Chronograph Glassbox editions embellished with diamonds.A smash hit, the Carrera Glassbox, like the original Carrera, comes with a tricompax or bicompax layout and classic pump-style pushers. The new precious models have a 30-minute chronograph counter at 3 o'clock and a 12-hour totaliser at 9 o'clock, with silver frames and circular snailed interiors. The running seconds sub-dial at 6 o'clock doesn't have a counter per se but is discreetly relayed by printed markings.

Seiko Spring Drive Golden Tuna - SBDB008 - Monochrome Watches
This year at Basel, we saw something truly remarkable from the seminal Japanese brand, Seiko. A piece that we so boldly labeled to be an instant classic - the Grand Seiko 44GS reissue. 100 Years of watchmaking was the occasion, and with the Grand Seiko's success in international waters, it was only fitting for Seiko to put a GS as its symbol for yet another hallmark but is the Grand Seiko all there is to it? Monochrome investigatesLike a third-eye or the sixth-sense or whatever you want to call it, we knew something was up with the Japanese brand. It cannot be this simple, the 44GS was fantastic, but the GS was JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) no more. There is something amiss from their anniversary collection. And then we saw it, right at the very last section of the Japanese catalog (click here), a behemoth of a piece that Seiko hid so well. We stood silent staring into the photograph, and only three words were uttered - Spring Drive Tuna! Ad - Scroll to continue with articl