Interview - KF Scheufele on 25th anniversary of the Chopard Manufacture
Developed and produced by the manufacture established in Fleurier in 1996, the first Chopard L.U.C Haute Horlogerie watches were released in the late 1990s. Over the following twenty years, the manufacture created a dozen or so calibres with countless variations and, most importantly, a collection of refined watches with a distinctive flair. As the Chopard manufacture celebrates its 25th anniversary, we sat down with Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Co-President of the brand, to talk about their journey to independent movement production.Karl-Friedrich Scheufele holding Louis-Ulysse Chopard’s first pocket watch & wearing the first L.U.C wristwatchXavier Markl, MONOCHROME – You are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Chopard manufacture. How did it all start?Karl Friedrich Scheufele, Co-President of Chopard – The Chopard Manufacture was created in 1996 and the L.U.C collection in 1997. It all started with a movement. In about 1993, I had the strong conviction that we

Hands-On Van Der Gang Original Calendar Chronograph Ref. 20052 (Specs & Price)
Making a name in the watch industry when you’re not Swiss and don’t have a 150-year pedigree isn’t an easy task. Apart from the usual quality and price aspects, the key is differentiation – which can lead to making things in an exaggerated way. Finding the balance between this need for being different and beautiful, elegant and timeless design will be salvation. Has Dutch brand Van Der Gang found this balance? We’ll try to find out with one of their classic offerings, the Original Calendar Chronograph Ref. 20052. (Spoiler… They did)Van Der Gang backgroundVan Der Gang watches was created by Wybe van de Gang, a Dutch entrepreneur. After finishing his education at the precision engineer school in Leiden in 1990, he established his own company: Exakt Fijnmechanika – an international player in the field of production techniques for the smallest possible parts, supplying products to the aviation, aerospace and medical industries. Ad - Scro

First Look: The new Louis Erard Regulateur Grave Noir
Sector dials, with their unique segmented layouts designed over a century ago for improved readability, have a lasting appeal that continues to inspire modern watchmakers. Today, many brands incorporate sector dial watches into their collections, and Louis Erard – founded in 1929 during the peak of this design’s popularity – is no exception. Its Excellence Petite Seconde series offers a variety of colourful models, including the lovely Petite Seconde Terracotta, as a fresh interpretation of this classic style. Louis Erard’s latest release, Le Regulateur Grave Noir, builds on the sector dial’s clarity and legibility, blending it with the brand’s signature regulator layout for a new look.The new Louis Erard Regulateur Grave joins the brand’s Noirmont Metiers d’Art collection as a permanent addition alongside the Regulator with the Grand Feu Enamel dial introduced earlier this year as a limited edition; the two watches share the same case de

SwatchPAY! Will Make Watches Useful Again - Opinion
Here, at MONOCHROME, we adore watches. Mechanical, high-end watches, hand-finished. We're not really the right platform to write about smartwatches, or even quartz watches – this is our editorial choice, and we'll stick to that. But last week, Swatch introduced SwatchPAY!, and that is a big innovation. I actually believe that this new introduction could, in fact, change how a new generation looks at watches. Do you agree?About two and a half years ago, I spoke to Peter Stas, CEO of Frederique Constant. They had just released their Horological Smartwatch and we talked about the usability of smartwatches. I argued that smartwatches needed more functionalities that would make everyday life easier. Like adding an NFC – or Near Field Communication – chip for contactless payments. This chip is about a square millimetre small and is also implemented in your bank card, allowing you to do contactless payments. Stas nodded, and had his answer ready, as he always has: “I k

First Look: The Tissot PR 516 Automatic Chronograph
Lately, it seems that Tissot can do little wrong. Release after release shows an impressive sense of style, historical inspiration and solid mechanics, all the while remaining true to the brand’s relatively affordable pricing strategy. Following the immense success of the PRX Powermatic 80 and subsequent PRX Chronograph collections, Tissot is now pushing the PR 516 into the spotlight. Things started with a handsome manually wound PR 516 Chronograph, followed by the equally cool PR 516 Powermatic 80. While the expansion of the range might not be as fast and widespread as its PRX counterpart, next up is an automatic version of the PR 516 Chronograph, in sporty white and blue trim.?A little under a year ago, the PR 516 Chronograph Mechanical made its debut, based on a historic racing chronograph from the 1970s. It featured a larger yet similarly proportioned architecture with a predominantly black colour scheme, just like the original. That specific watch even gained big screen fame