Breguet 2516 Possibly First Purpose-Built Perpetual Calendar Wristwatch
As we explained yesterday in a more technical/historical article, this year is special, being a leap year. As such, this is the perfect time to talk perpetual calendars, watches specifically designed to take into account this specificity of the Gregorian calendar, when February lasts 29 days instead of its usual 28 days. And today’s perpetual calendar watch is special… Not only because it looks absolutely stunning, but because it is one of the most historically important wristwatches, from one of the most important watchmakers (if not the most important of them all). This is the story of the Breguet no. 2516, possibly the first-ever, purpose-built perpetual calendar wristwatch.A succinct history of the Perpetual CalendarMan’s struggle to create a rational system that accurately reflects Earth's rotations around the Sun and fixed astronomical events led to the creation of a rather complex calendar in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, later named the Gregorian calendar –

Hublot Sports a New Shop in Shanghai - Monochrome Watches
Hublot, a brand always closely associated with sporting culture has opened a new store in the heart of Shanghai's watch and luxury goods epicenter. Let's take a look inside their new West Nanjing Road Boutique to see the latest additions to their starting line-up!Right from the company's inception in 1980, Hublot watches, featuring their distinctive natural rubber straps, have been on the wrists of the world's sporting crowd. By being the first company to mount robust looking cases of steel and gold directly onto natural rubber straps, Hublot became an alternative for active people seeking something with more style than a tool-watch with luxurious tinsel and more substance than an oversized dress watch. Ad - Scroll to continue with article Hublot watches soon found a following with Europe's elite (Hublot became a favorite of Juan Carlos - King of Spain!) Hublot

IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition SFTI IW389104
Today, IWC Schaffhausen releases its Pilot's Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition SFTI. The watch – an extension to the company's Pilot's Chronograph TOP GUN model – is also the civilian version of a timepiece created in honour of the US Naval Aviation Community back in 2018. The Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor watch, which was exclusive to the wrists of TOPGUN graduates, was produced as a collaborative effort between the Swiss watch manufacturer and Naval Air Station Lemoore-based instructors in California. It equipped graduates of the Navy Fighter Weapons School with a reliable tool for soaring through the skies in supersonic jets whilst subject to extreme G-forces. Limited to 1,500 pieces worldwide, the new Pilot's Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition SFTI faithfully follows many design codes of the TOP GUN series. The robust instrument is geared towards flying officers responsible for handling tortuous manoeuvres whilst seated at the cockpit of aircraft like the F/A-18 Supe

Porsche Design Chronotimer Series 1 - Full Review of The Stealth Chronograph (live photos, specs & price) - Monochrome-Watches
The Porsche Design Studio in Zell-am-See, Austria, is identified with clear, timeless, and unmistakable design that is the trademark of all Porsche Design Group products. One of the most important and influential series of products born there are the timepieces. Traditionally, creations that originated from this studio encompassed a clear vision of how to create a pure and timeless precision instrument. From the choice of materials to the overall design, Butzi Porsche managed to steer with precision between functionality and luxury. This design ethos is ever present in the new chronograph series presented this year. Today on Monochrome, we review the Porsche Design Chronotimer Series 1 in matte black.Background With the Chronotimer Series 1, Porsche Design presents chronograph timepieces influenced by legendary Porsche Design icons produced in 1972 and 1978; in essence we are dealing with a fusion of these timepieces constructed from the best materials with the highest standards. First

Opinion: Our take on the Swatch x Blancpain Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms
A few months ago, Swatch and Blancpain introduced the Swatch x Blancpain Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms. Yup, quite a mouthful. It's effectively the follow-up of the Moonswatch, which can be seen as Swatch's take on the Omega Speedmaster. We didn't cover it on MONOCHROME for obvious reasons (it's a quartz watch) despite being a huge commercial success and possibly a stroke of marketing genius. Of course, rumours are already circling of what might be the next collab from Swatch Group, where Swatch gives its own take on an emblematic watch from another Swatch Group brand. Since the Swatch x Blancpain Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms comes with a mechanical Sistem51 movement, it meets our standards, and we were all looking forward to getting our hands on these watches!?In the Netherlands, Robin and I received one Antarctic Ocean (white Bioceramic and grey bezel) for review and in France, Brice received the Arctic Ocean (beige Bioceramic and orange bezel). So, time to get our hands on the wa