Christmas Shopping Guide - The Best Ultra-Complicated Watches of 2016
After going through some of?2016's best sport watches and 2016's best dress watches, it is now time for our Christmas shopping guide to gather some of the most striking complicated watches released in 2016. Be ready to break the piggy bank open as we'll go at the cutting edge of watchmaking, with some of the most inventive, complex and intricate mechanisms unveiled in 2016. We sat down with the team aiming at picking 5 and we ended up with 8 watches (it has been a tough choice and we do what we want), and a few special mentions.Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute repeaterJust after breaking the record of the thinnest Tourbillon (read our review of the Octo Finissimo collection here), Bulgari impressed again presenting a watch that was one of the highlights of Baselworld in 2016. The concept is one of powerful design and brutal simplicity – yet utterly complex. Made out of Titanium (for the lightness and the sound, because titanium sounds great), the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater is sl

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked 37mm Frosted Gold (Specs & Price)
Earlier this year at SIHH, Audemars Piguet unveiled a watch that is the epitome of top-notch craftsmanship both inside and out: the Royal Oak Frosted Double Balance Wheel Openworked. For this watch, Audemars Piguet pulled out all the stops, combining one of the brand's most beautiful and technically advanced calibres with a remarkable Frosted gold finish.Before we delve into all of the details on this watch, we want to mention one key point: it is 37mm in diameter - making it a perfect size for women. However, for men who enjoy a reasonably sized watch and a lot of shimmer, it could also work (Managing Editor's note: yes, it does work for men too!) Ad - Scroll to continue with article Inside the Royal Oak Frosted Double Balance Wheel OpenworkedAs mentioned, this watch is an amalgamation of several things Audemars Piguet does right. The first of which is watchmak

On the Road to SIHH 2018 - What You'll See on MONOCHROME (And there's a lot...) - Monochrome Watches
The SIHH 2018, the first watch fair of the year, kicks off on?Monday, 15 January. And we will be there with the “big guns”…?For five days, 18 of the most prestigious and established brands, as well as 17 independent watchmakers, will unveil their new collections and we, at MONOCHROME, are committed to bring you all the important?novelties and make sure that you don’t miss anything from the show. Here’s what you can expect to see.Coming Monday, 15 January, at 9:00 exactly (GMT+1) the SIHH 2018 will open its doors to a public composed of watch specialists, retailers and journalists. Eighteen established brands (A. Lange & Sohne, Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, Girard-Perregaux, Greubel Forsey, Hermes, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Parmigiani, Piaget, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, Ulysse Nardin, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels) and seventeen independent watchmakers (Armin Strom, Claret, DeWitt, F.P. Journe, Ferdinand

Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater Carbon (Specs & Price)
The world's thinnest minute repeater is revisited in 2018 in a high-tech carbon case and bracelet. Upholding the record-breaking title of its 2016 titanium predecessor, this carbon model goes one step further in breaking with the aesthetics of traditional luxury minute repeaters proposing an edgy industrial look. Chosen as much for its stealth aesthetics as for its physical properties, the Carbon Thin Ply case offers surprising acoustic properties and weighs even less than the original. Lean as a coin but capable of producing such a rich, warm sound, minimalist styling but bristling with technology, rough on the surface but smooth to the touch, imposing and sculptural but feather-light… this watch challenges just about every expectation of a classic minute repeater with Bvlgari's hallmark Italian flair.The genesis of the Octo and Octo Finissimo legionsWhen Bulgari's Octo legion first marched on the watchmaking arena in 2012 it conquered the world with its virile octagonal aesthet

Hands-On - Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic Perpetual Calendar (Specs & Price)
One of the big surprises of the 2018 edition of the SIHH came from Baume & Mercier with its new Baumatic collection. In case you need to refresh your memory, the Baumatics were equipped with a new calibre – called BM12-1975A – made by ValFleurier, a factory that also belongs to the Richemont Group. We already reviewed the non-COSC version here, as well as the certified model, with live pics, of course. At the SIHH 2019, B&M presented the first complication of the watch: a perpetual calendar with a red gold suit to boot.Let me say that I've always found the Clifton a great product for Baume & Mercier. The right mix of contemporary looks and a wide variety of complications to please both those who want their first good watch at a relatively affordable price, as well as those who like a bit more things happening on their wrist but without having to give their first child in exchange.The Baumatic presented at the SIHH 2018, in its COSC version.After the initial succ