Retrospective: What are The World's Thinnest Watches Per Category?
Ultra-thin watchmaking is a fascinating topic, one of our favourite areas of expertise here, at MONOCHROME. Ultra-thin watchmaking is horology at its purest, a no-compromise search for the slenderest movement that has to be considered a true complication. While high-watchmaking often seeks to bring as many complications as possible in a single movement, ultra-thinness is all about miniaturisation. We’ve recently published a video retracing the battle for the world’s thinnest mechanical watch, a race that implied Bulgari, Piaget and Richard Mille, ending up with a record thin watch of 1.70mm, the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC. But let’s dive deeper into the topic, by looking at the world’s thinnest watches per category. The thinnest mechanical watch? The thinnest chronograph? The thinnest watch ever? We have them all here.?Note: this article is meant to become one of MONOCHROME’s classics and will be updated according to the state of the industry, depending on

Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Sandblasted Trilogy of Metals (Titanium, Steel and Pink Gold) Baselworld 2018 - Specs & Price
Exactly a year ago, Bvlgari stunned the watchmaking world by launching what was then the thinnest automatic watch on the market, the?Octo Finissimo Automatic. The best thing about this watch was that it had nothing to do with a shy, demure timepiece. Instead,?Bvlgari came out with what we think is a true example of a luxury sports watch (see it face to face with the mother of them all, the RO). For Baselworld 2018, what was a single watch becomes a trilogy and a fully-fledged collection, with the introduction of the?Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Sandblasted in steel and 18k rose gold.Impressive. This is the word that first came to mind when we discovered the?Octo Finissimo Automatic at Baselworld 2017. Not only in terms of mechanics. Not only in terms of styling. The mix of the two was an utterly impressive performance. Bvlgari already had the thinnest tourbillon and the thinnest minute repeater on the market. Then it launched the world’s thinnest automatic movement, placing i

Hands-On - TAG Heuer Monaco 1989-1999 Edition 50th Anniversary CAW211X.FC6468 (Specs & Price)
Today in New York, TAG Heuer just presented the third of five limited-edition timepieces to mark the Heuer Monaco’s 50th anniversary. We could have expected the brand to come with faithful vintage re-editions, but instead, TAG Heuer will create 5 watches inspired by 5 different decades. After a funky 1970s Green version and a bold, fiery red racing-inspired model for the 1980s, it is time to look at the 1990s, a decade driven by industrial-design and street-style fashion. Meet the TAG Heuer Monaco 1989-1999 Limited Edition and its unprecedented grey-blue design.50th Anniversary – 5 decades – 5 TAG Heuer MonacoThe Heuer Monaco was presented in 1969. Back then, it was one impressively modern watch, for two reasons. First, the square shape of its case was bold, unprecedented and was matched with an equally bold, brushed blue dial. Second, inside the case was Calibre 11; a movement known as the Chrono-Matic, which was the result of a joint-venture uniting Heuer, Breitling

Hands-On - IWC Big Pilots Watch Perpetual Calendar Steel IW503605
Long the flagship model of IWC's collection of Flieger watches, the Big Pilot's Watch was first paired with the perpetual calendar complication in 2006 as small limited edition runs for two retail partners. Since then, more than 37 versions of this model have been released. Fifteen years after its introduction, the Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar in steel again enters IWC's permanent collection, with the new reference IW503605 and its deep blue dial.The Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar is a striking piece, measuring 46.2 mm in diameter and 15.4mm in thickness. Big is indeed the style here, but far from being an affectation, it is in keeping with the 1940 original, which was oversized due to the pocket watch calibre inside. Legibility was of the utmost import in the original and, even though it is slightly compromised by the perpetual calendar indications, the large dial of the Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar lends itself especially well to the complication. Ad

A look at the 2015 TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 11 "Steve McQueen" ref. CAW211P (live pics & price) - Monochrome Watches
This year was busy for?TAG Heuer, that changed its strategy, changed its CEO (welcoming Mister Jean-Claude Biver), introduced rather impressive pieces like this?Carrera Calibre Heuer 01 but also played on the vintage trend with this?Carrera Calibre 18 Chronograph Telemeter (that really is vintage looking, with a small diameter and bombe dial). In fact, the Carrera isn’t the only collection to receive a vintage-inspired piece, as the mighty Monaco (you know, the share watch worn by Steve McQueen) is also concerned. But instead of looking at it on its own, we’ll have a look at this new?TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 11 “Steve McQueen” ref. CAW211P next?to its vintage, previous?and actual siblings.In order to have a deeper look at this novelty, there are 3 other?editions?that must?be considered. The first one is of course the?real?Heuer Monaco, the one worn by Steve McQueen in the movie “Le Mans”, the one with the real Calibre 11, with the blue dial and the r