In Conversation with Dan Henry Watches // Interview
Some stories are more fascinating than others. With most microbrands that are (successfully or not) launching, there's very often the same pitch; at the beginning, a passion for watches and later the wish to create something that couldn't be found on the market. We've heard that many times, true story or not. But with Dan Henry, things are more genuine, more tangible. If you wonder if Dan has a passion for watches, the answer is a big YES. And that can clearly be felt in the watches that this avid collector (of some of the finest vintage watches) produces under the brand Dan Henry Watches. And today, we talk with the man to understand why and how things started – and how it continued.Erik Slaven, MONOCHROME – You’re an avid collector and enthusiast, starting an Instagram account and then a website (timeline.watch) dedicated to your collections. What sparked this interest in watches and horology? Was it the Roskopf pocket watch you received on your 10th birthday? What

The Zenith El Primero - Revisiting One of The Most Iconic Movements Ever - Monochrome Watches
Icons stand the test of time. Born in 1969, El Primero (the first in Spanish) is still regarded as one of the best and most accurate chronograph movements ever created. Part of a trilogy of automatic chronograph calibres that hit the market in 1969, it is the only one that is still produced to date. As Zenith prepares to celebrate the 50th?anniversary of this legendary calibre next year, MONOCHROME takes a look back at its history and design. Ad - Scroll to continue with article The originsChronograph wristwatches have existed since the beginning of the 20th?century (around 1912 or 1913 for the earliest examples) but all of them were fitted with hand-wound movements. In the 1960s, it was time for the chronograph to modernise itself, by adding the practicality and comfort of automatic winding. Watchmakers embarked on a genuine race to develop the first self-windi

Video Review Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Steel Satin-Polished
If you’re a frequent reader of MONOCHROME, you probably know that we’ve already produced more than 100 videos, mostly in-depth movies to share the secrets of the industry and to take you inside some of the best watch manufactures. Today, here and on our YouTube channel, we start a new section with detailed video reviews. Guided by Leo, one of our video editors, you’ll discover watches in the best possible way, from every angle and with the product, and just the product. So let’s start this new video column with a review of one of the most respected luxury sports watches, the ultra-thin Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Steel Satin-Polished.This watch, a new iteration of what was for a couple of months the thinnest automatic watch in the world, should be no stranger to you. This year, Bvlgari decided to update its Octo Finissimo Automatic on many levels. Novelties include new contrasting satin-finished and polished surfaces for the stainless steel case, a slightly

IWC Aquatimer Chronograph Edition Expedition Jacques-Yves Cousteau - REVIEW with exclusive photos, specs and price - Monochrome Watches
This year IWC introduced an entirely renewed Aquatimer collection. That literary means that ALL Aquatimer models have been redesigned and now feature the same design cues, and, more importantly, functional feats like the new Dive-Safe system; an externally operational internal dive-time bezel (still with us?) We tried the IWC Aquatimer Chronograph Edition ?Expedition Jacques-Yves Cousteau for some weeks for this review and liked it more and more during the test period. The IWC Aquatimer Chronograph Edition Expedition Jacques-Yves Cousteau (a mouthful) is a special edition, based on the Aquatimer Chronograph. It features a?recognizable blue dial that previous ?Expedition Jacques-Yves Cousteau also had. It commemorates Cousteau's fantastic voyages and films that made millions aware of the beauty of the underwater world. His movies educated people around the world, about the underwater world, in times that most people didn’t have a clue about what was going on under that blue surfac

Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Westminster Sonnerie Vermeer
With Les Cabinotiers, its special-order department, Vacheron Constantin keeps the tradition of offering clients the opportunity to create made-to-measure watches alive. While confidentiality surrounds the majority of these special requests, we managed to get permission from the client to take a look at a recent, major bespoke creation. And at a time when pocket watches may seem obsolete to many, at a time of mass-produced everything, it is pleasing to see that a brand and a watch enthusiast can still embark on a project spanning more than eight years and counting on highly skilled professionals and craftsmen to give birth to such a watch Of course, you can tell the time by glancing at your phone or your smartwatch, but Les Cabinotiers Westminster Sonnerie “Tribute to Johannes Vermeer” Pocket Watch tells more than just time.?Indeed, this spectacular pocket watch is a testimony of human ingenuity, art and creativity. Commissioned by a collector whose “passion consists i