The Best of Independent Watchmaking 2018 - Part 2 - Monochrome Watches
Yesterday, we started to look at the best watches created by independent watchmakers in 2018, with more “classical” watches (if ever the indie scene could be labelled classical). Today, in the second part of this guide, we move to the most creative, daring, highly technical of them all. Sci-fi designs, unusual displays of the time, ultra-complex movements. The boldest and the craziest models in the watch industry are right here.?The ingenuity, vision, diversity – or simply the smaller size – of indie watchmakers give watchmaking fans a wealth of unique creations in 2018.Andreas Strehler Transaxle TourbillonThis highly-engineered creation by Andreas Strehler combines a tourbillon with a 1-second remontoir d'egalite constructed around the same axle. The remontoir allows the transfer of constant energy to the regulator and to drive a dead-beat second. The twin-barrel movement also displays the remaining power reserve using a small differential gear. Overall, the sk

Hands-On - Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral 43mm (Specs & Price)
The Manero Peripheral certainly represents Carl F. Bucherer at its best. Not the most technical watch in the collection (the Tourbillon Double Peripheral holds the title) yet probably the most balanced one. Elegant, sophisticated, technically interesting and well-priced, it is a watch we've been regularly praising on MONOCHROME. Aware of the demand for larger watches in certain regions (the US market first, and since Bucherer acquired Tourneau, new opportunities opened to Carl F. Bucherer in this market), the brand introduces a larger version of its Manero Peripheral, now with a 43mm case. If they remain a rare breed, peripheral rotors are very much in vogue today. This smart technical solution offers an unhindered view of the movement together with the comfort and practicality of automatic winding. It also allows for extra-flat designs - as the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Automatic 910P or the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic attest.?The concept is not

Hands-On - Bvlgari Serpenti Misteriosi with Ultra-Small Piccolissimo Movement
If you are a fan of Bvlgari’s Serpenti watch and passionate about mechanical movements, we have news for you. The Italian brand renowned for its ultra-thin movements is shifting gear and using the formidable know-how obtained with its Octo Finissimo collection to create the new Piccolissimo watch movement, a teeny-weeny micro-mechanical calibre designed to fit inside the head of its legendary Serpenti watch. Marrying the two most resplendent facets of Bvlgari as a celebrated contemporary watchmaker and a lifelong master of high jewellery, four new Serpenti Misteriosi secret high jewellery watches snake their way into the limelight beating to the new Piccolissimo calibre?BVL 100. Just ahead of the launch, MONOCHROME interviewed Bvlgari’s gifted creative director, Fabrizio Buonamassa, to understand why the brand considered it was high time to dedicate the same “attention and obsession” to women’s watches as it has lavished on its men’s Octo Finissimo c

Omegas High-Tech Olympic Timekeeping Instruments at PyeongChang 2018 - Monochrome Watches
Omega deploys an arsenal of sophisticated timekeeping instruments to decide the fate of athletes at the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. Carting 230 tonnes of timekeeping equipment from Switzerland to Korea, Omega's cutting-edge technology will be the ultimate judge of the Olympic victors, where split-second differences can make the difference between a gold and a silver medal.Naturally, with a captive crowd of sports fans and Omega branding as omnipresent as the athletes, the Swiss brand has launched a dedicated Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m Pyeongchang Limited Edition decked out in the colours of the South Korean flag, a line of colourful Seamaster watches inspired by the five rings of the Olympic flag, and a more upmarket trilogy of Seamaster models in gold to celebrate the confirmation of Omega's official role as timekeeper of the Games until 2032. Ad - Scroll to continue with article

Tudor Royal Collection Watches (Specs & Price)
Tudor may be well known for its range of robust diver's watches – the Black Bay, Pelagos and vintage Submariner models, to name just a few examples – but 's sister brand is recalling the style of its Prince Date-Day models with the launch of the new Tudor Royal collection. Available in four size variants, several dial colours to choose from, and a steel or bi-colour case material, the Royal name has been used by Tudor once before, but now takes on a sportier, bolder personality for 2020.Tudor's Born to Dare MissionGesturing towards some design elements shared by its sibling brand, the Tudor Royal Collection has a crenellated bezel similar to the fluted bezel of the famous Oyster case, as well as an integrated five-link bracelet. Sitting somewhere between a classic and sporty watch, Tudor has made the Royal watch available globally having been exclusive to parts of the Asian market earlier this year.?Unapologetically, Tudor borrows from in the same way that it has done