Historical Perspective - The Doxa Sub 300, The Dive Watch Personified - Monochrome Watches
Back in Baselworld 2016, Doxa introduced its 50th Anniversary Sub model, a great dive watch with unquestionable pedigree. We will discover why this dive watch is so important by looking back at an early Doxa Sub 300, belonging to one of the preeminent Doxa collectors – and a great friend of Monochrome and me, personally – Mr. Marco Thier. By examining the story behind its creation, I hope to shed the light on the importance of the Doxa Sub in the history and the evolutionary course of the dive watch in general.When discussing iconic dive watches, there are plenty of models that come in mind and almost anyone has his own list to exhibit. Leaving aside personal preferences for a moment, there are some models that defined the concept of dive watch (or were so radical that virtually changed the game). Quite simply, they encompassed the proper formula of technical and design elements, which made them primus inter pares in this segment of the industry. Besides the heavyweights, u

The Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Meisterstuck 100 Years
Montblanc celebrates the 100th anniversary of the iconic Meisterstuck - a fine writing instrument synonymous with the brand. Interestingly, initially, the cigar-shaped pen with the handcrafted nib was created by Montblanc artisans exclusively for their use before being made available to the public in 1924. To mark the milestone, Montblanc released a special edition of the Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Meisterstuck 100 Years, incorporating design elements inspired by the iconic Meisterstuck fountain pen; we share our impressions after a hands-on experience.Founded in 1906, Montblanc gained widespread recognition as a maker of fountain pens before expanding its offerings to include luxury leather goods, perfumes, and, since 1997, watches. Popular at the time jokes about Montblanc watches needing ink to run, quickly gave way to appreciation of how fast the brand mastered the watchmaking craft. Ad - Scroll to continue with article

Petrolhead Corner - Brawn GP, the Unlikeliest of Formula 1 Champions
Formula 1 eats up cash like there's no tomorrow, even to compete, let alone have a shot at winning the title. Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team have dominated the sport for years now, yet this year's title race seems closer than ever. Close rivals Red Bull Racing have the German team in their crosshairs and are pushing hard with Dutchman Max Verstappen currently in the championship lead. It seems ages ago that shock race wins (and champions) were possible, but one season in modern history proves it is still very much possible. It just needs all the pieces of the puzzle to fall into the right place, as it did for the Brawn GP racing team in the 2009 Formula 1 season.Straight out the gates: Brawn GP is the ONLY Formula 1 constructor that has been around for one season only and crowned champion at the end of 17 races. No team before it, and no team since have been able to do that. And I must say that I expect no team ever to be able to repeat that. While the team's origins can be tra

Buying Guide: Six Cool, Practical And Accessible Summer Watches
With summer just around the corner, it’s that time of the year again when we start planning our much-awaited sunkissed break from work. Part of the joy for many is figuring out where to go, what to do and, as the watch lovers we are, what to wear on your wrist! And with that in the back of our minds, we have gone through our recent archives to select some perfect summer-ready options! We’ve grouped six models; the first up are two downright performance bargains, followed by two pure divers and two travel-ready watches. All this at prices well below EUR 1,500!Citizen Tsuyosa Automatic – eur 299We start the list with one of the most surprising and genuinely affordable watches in recent times, the very cool Citizen Tsuyosa Automatic. Available in a number of colours, it radiates a luxury sports watch vibe at a bargain price. Coming in at just EUR 299, it offers incredible value for money. You can opt for a?classical black dial, which is a no-brainer choice, or go bold an

Bespoke Vacheron Constantin up for auction at the Louvre Museum
Over the last few years, Vacheron Constantin has extended on its tradition for combining horological complications with one-of-a-kind designs by way of its Les Cabinotiers. The special workshop is home to some of the world's most complex (thus most expensive) timepieces – each one made to measure by a very time-consuming and painstaking process. In this way, the Swiss watchmaker can demonstrate its mastery and expertise in various fields. In addition to creating watches that distil the essence of Les Cabinotiers, Vacheron Constantin has been holding an event for the last three years where it invites its clients from around the world to view some of its most exquisite Les Cabinotiers watches in a bid to showcase a very unique approach to watchmaking. This year is a little different, however.The Louvre, Paris, the world’s largest art museum.Organised at a time when the financial challenges associated with the arts and recreation industry are unprecedented, Vacheron Constantin