Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin 16202ST - Review, Video
Kill your darlings is what they say, and around the same time last year, Patek Philippe killed the 5711, and Audemars Piguet killed the uber-popular 15202. Within a few weeks, the two most popular watches on planet Earth were discontinued, generating a good deal of turbulence in the world of watches. AP’s Royal Oak Extra-Thin, a.k.a. ‘Jumbo’, is now being replaced by the new reference 16202. Has the Jumbo changed a lot? Well, yes and no. It’s equipped with a new movement, but more importantly, the 16202 still looks very much like a Royal Oak Jumbo. Let’s take a closer look at the all-new stainless steel Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin 16202ST.As said, it has changed a LOT. Ad - Scroll to continue with article For the first time since 1972, the Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin will be equipped with a different movement, and that

Spotted - The Watches of Dutch King Willem-Alexander on Koningsdag
April 27th in the Netherlands is Koningsdag or King’s Day. It is a national holiday and celebrates the birth of King Willem-Alexander who was born on 27 April 1967 to Princess Beatrix and diplomat Claus van Amsberg. He became Prince of Orange when his mother became Queen of the Netherlands on 30 April 1980. Willem-Alexander became King in 2013 after Queen Beatrix abdicated. The King is married to M¨¢xima Zorreguieta Cerruti, who is now Queen consort and they have three daughters. And because MONOCHROME has Dutch roots (doesn’t it, Frank Geelen?), we thought it would be a good time to look at the wristwatches of the King, as he owns a few interesting pieces.The first watch spotted on King Willem-Alexander’s wrist is a stainless-steel Datejust on a jubilee bracelet, with a blue dial. A classic timepiece that works well with formal and casual attire. Willem-Alexander wore this watch when he got married in February 2002.? Ad - Scroll to continue with article

Hands-On IWC Pilot's Chronograph TOP GUN Lake Tahoe and Woodland
IWC was one of the pioneers in the use of ceramics in watchmaking, relying on this innovative material as early as 1986 with the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar 3755. The Pilot’s collection, probably the most emblematic range at IWC, is no stranger to ceramics either, which were first used in the 1994 Chronograph 3705 – which has been recently re-issued. The brand even played with colours in the 1980s, releasing small series or prototypes in white, blue, green and even pink ceramics. This trend returned in 2019 when IWC Schaffhausen presented an ultra-bold, yet highly acclaimed watch, the Mojave Desert edition and its sand-coloured case. Now, it’s time for more ceramic cases with the new Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Lake Tahoe” White (IW389105) and “Woodland” Green (IW389106).?Ceramic has always been part of the TOP GUN collection’s DNA. Indeed, a DoppelChronograph with a black zirconia ceramic case and titanium back marke

IWC Big Pilots Watch Perpetual Calendar Spitfire IW503601 // Review
As a regular reader of MONOCHROME, you will know already that each year, Swiss watch manufacturer IWC focuses on a specific collection. Last year, it was the brand's legendary Pilot's Watch series, with a number of cool variations introduced to the market. Here's a video overview of the highlights from IWC's CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr shot at SIHH 2019. With so many new models being launched - and not all from IWC, of course - there were inevitably some we did not get a chance to devote suitable attention to at the time. One such example is the limited-edition IWC Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Spitfire IW503601. So, if you can forgive us for being a year late, here's our hands-on look at this bronze-case beauty.The Spitfire CollectionAs you might have guessed, the Spitfire Collection takes its name from a plane, the Supermarine Spitfire. This was not just any plane, though. It was a veritable legend of the skies, used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, du

Hands-on with the Ulysse Nardin FreakLab, a concept turned into reality (live photos, specs & price) - Monochrome-Watches
The Freak has always been an important watch, since it was first introduced in 2001. Not only for Ulysse Nardin, but for the entire industry. You may look at it as another impressive and technically advanced watch, with a strange way to display time, however it is so much more than just that. It has to be see as a proper laboratory of research, a watch that, 15 years ago, created a massive break all conventions of how a movement should/could be?construct.?Ulysses Nardin have redesigned the Freak a bit and it looks good! We go hands-on with the Ulysse Nardin FreakLab.Ulysses Nardin might be very well known for the Marine Collection?however this brand has a very rich repertoire including ?what used to be the very first perpetual calendar that could be adjusted forward and backward. Ulysses Nardin has an impressive R&D presence and the ability to innovate, to use unknown techniques and to really implement them into working retail watches. Last year, they introduced a new Anchor Escape