Recap: The MONOCHROME Team's Favorites of Watches and Wonders 2025
Watches and Wonders 2025 is about to close its doors and it’s time for Team MONOCHROME to fly back home after one of the most intense weeks of the year. We’ve seen hundreds of watches, if not thousands, published way over a hundred articles, took several thousands of photos and published over a dozen videos on YouTube. But it is time now to settle a bit and simply discussed what were the watches that gave us the best impression, the watches we, on a personal level, liked the most. The brief to Frank, Xavier, Robin and Brice, the core members of the team was simple: no constraints, just select the three watches that you’d want on your wrist.?Note: this selection is based on our own preferences. We will come back with more of these selections in the coming days, covering specific topics – technical, design, affordable… So stay tuned.Brice – Patek Philippe Calatrava 6196PWhy…? Because it is the essence of the dress watch by Patek, a watch thatR

Buying Guide - 5 Superb Watches with Trendy Salmon Dials
Salmon dial watches truly stand apart. These are unusual, unconventional and classic at the same time. High-end watches rarely venture beyond white, silver, black or blue. But salmon dials are superbly stylish, specifically if you are confident in your ability to carry off colours. Often reserved to limited or special editions, they add a degree of elegance with a twist while remaining understated.The salmon dial trend has been brewing for years but it has really picked up momentum over the past few months. Here are five of the most recent examples.Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin Salmon DialIt isn't the first Extra-Thin RO Jumbo with a salmon dial (remember the Jubilee 14802St model) but it is the first time that a pink gold-toned petite tapisserie dial is matched with an 18k white gold case and bracelet. The watch is still 39mm in diameter and just 8mm thick. It houses the self-winding extra-thin 2121 calibre. This subtle and elegant take on the Jumbo is boutique exclusive

Introducing: The Hublot Classic Fusion Essential Grey (Volume III)
One of Hublot's more recent specialities has been the Essential Grey treatment of popular models, which essentially turns them into monochromatic variants for collectors. This started with the Big Bang Unico Essential Grey and continued with the Spirit of Big Bang Essential Grey, and now we have a third instalment, the Classic Fusion Essential Grey. Two Classic Fusion models, 42mm and 45mm, are included for 2024 in what's become an annual tradition and feature titanium cases for that monochrome aesthetic.?As mentioned, there's a 42mm and 45mm Essential Grey model in satin-brushed/polished titanium with all of the Classic Fusion highlights: an integrated bracelet, six external and functional screws with H-shaped heads on a satin-finished bezel and a simple time/date-only design. Unlike most manufacturers, the difference in case size goes beyond just looks, as each has its own distinctive movement designed for the case volume. Perhaps a bit superfluous, but cool nonetheless. Both come wi

The Petrolhead Corner: V4 Motorcycles That Beat To Their Own Drum
Despite increasingly strict regulations like EURO 5 emissions and decibel limits, we’re in a golden age of motorcycles. 200+ horsepower engines are no longer uncommon in bikes that an average Joe can buy, which was unthinkable until the last decade or so. Technology, engineering innovation and a bit of sorcery have allowed motorcycles to evolve into superbikes that were mere daydreams in the recent past. Among the most impressive are the V4 heavyweights, pushing out both intense power and loads of character with a symphony of growls that even the strictest regulations can’t ruin. V4 bikes have a surprisingly long history, going back almost a century and have always represented power and excess.?The 1st generation of the wild Yamaha V-Max – WikipediaYAMAHA’S MAD V-MAXLet’s start with the legend. The bike that most riders over four decades old think of when V4 madness is mentioned - Yamaha’s iconic V-Max. Released in 1985 with an emphasis on the Americ

The Ubercool Tudor Pelagos FXD Now Comes In Black
The diving heritage of Tudor can be basically split into two chapters. On one end you have the very retro-inspired Black Bay line-up, and on the other end the more professional Pelagos collection. Either of the two are fan-favourites and perform very well in most circumstances in life. But, in a surprising twist, two years ago Tudor released a very special take on the Pelagos with the Pelagos FXD. This watch paid tribute to past watches used by Combat divers and was developed with the Marine Nationale, the French Navy. It had fixed lugs and a special inverted diving scale on the bidirectional bezel. Now though, Tudor introduces a new take on the Pelagos FXD, in a black colour scheme and with a regular bezel.The case is yet again machined out of titanium and measures 42mm in diameter and 12.75mm in thickness. From lug end to lug end, you’re looking at 52mm in length. On top of the titanium case is a titanium rotating bezel, unidirectional instead of bidirectional. The black cerami