Hands-on with the Lange & Sohne Grand Lange 1 Lumen - Monochrome Watches
Last week Lange & Sohne released a, for them, rather unusual timepiece. During a trip to the beautiful towns of Dresden and Glashutte, the new timepiece was revealed to the international press. Although differences with the regular Grand Lange 1 might seem minimal, the new Gand Lange 1 “Lumen” has a very different look.?The?hands, hour and minute markers, date and power reserve markers are equipped with SuperLuminova, a material that glows in the dark after being?activated by sunlight or artificial light. The new, partially transparent, dial not only has a functional reason, but?also give the Grand Lange 1 “Lumen” a much more contemporary look… stealthy! Ad - Scroll to continue with article The Lange 1 has become a true iconic timepiece, since its inception in 1994. In that year Lange & Sohne introduced their first four time

Chopard Happy Sport The First (Specs & Price)
At MONOCHROME, we tend to sparingly?use the word “icon” as it has become a marketing tool rather than a proper definition of the status of a model. There are, however, true icons of watchmaking, timepieces that are known far beyond the small circle of seasoned collectors. And most are, sadly maybe, watches created first for men. When it comes to feminine watches, fewer models have gained cult status, but the Chopard Happy Sport and its dancing diamonds is surely one of them. Created in 1993, its design has evolved years after years but in 2021, the brand introduces a revamped collection, which includes the?Chopard Happy Sport “The First,” limited-edition re-releases of the very first watch presented.The 1993 Chopard Happy SportThe first one, the 1993 Chopard Happy SportThe Happy Sport is the brainchild of Caroline Scheufele – now Co-President and Artistic Director of the brand – who was driven by the idea of creating a versatile watch, formal yet cas

Buying Guide: Six Fascinating Tourbillon Watches
One of my most memorable experiences when tumbling down the mechanical watchmaking rabbit hole is handling my very first tourbillon watch. I had already been writing for MONOCHROME for a while when it happened, and I knew about the complication and its function, but I had never handled one in person. It was at the SIHH 2014 that I happened to spot a stainless steel prototype of the Audemars Piquet Royal Oak 40th Anniversary Skeleton Tourbillon (ultimately done in platinum only). The experience of seeing one in action was absolutely mesmerizing to me, and I thought it would be fun to revisit the complication ten years on from that very moment. So with that little trip down memory lane in mind, here’s my personal selection of six of the most fascinating tourbillon watches I’ve recently come across.Chopard L.U.C. 1860 Flying TourbillonThe Chopard L.U.C. 1860 line is home to some of the finest dress watches on the market, with micro-rotor movements derived from the iconic Calib

Nivada Grenchen Antarctic Spider - Hands-On Review, Price
Nivada Grenchen is one of those hidden gems of the vintage watch scene, a brand with great history and fascinating models, such as the famous Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver or the Depthmaster. Dormant for several decades, the brand has recently been revived by French entrepreneur Guillaume Laidet, who in 2019 obtained the license to use the Nivada Grenchen copyright. Following this, Laidet started to reissue some of the brand’s most glorious past models, which also included the brand’s first waterproof automatic watch, the Antarctic. Having a thing for original, daring designs, he wasn’t shy about reproducing the ultra-cool “Pacman” dials and today it’s yet another bold and unique look that is back on stage, with the Nivada Grenchen Antarctic Spider Re-Edition.Nivada was founded in Grenchen (Granges), Switzerland in 1926 by Otto Wullimann, Hermann Schindler and Jack Schneider. The company remained under the control of the Schneider family until its 5

Hands-On Vacheron Metiers dArt Tribute to great civilisations with Le Louvre
Watchmaking is at the crossroads of art and science. Just like Da Vinci's works. This might be enough to make the partnership between Vacheron Constantin and Le Louvre a natural fit. Specifically for a brand that has always demonstrated a commitment to perpetuate and encourage the metiers d'art traditional (and often rare) skills and a deep-felt attachment to culture. When the brand announced its partnership with Le Louvre in 2019, many immediately wondered whether this could lead to the creation of watches inspired by the museum's masterpieces. In 2020, the Bid for the Louvre charity offered the opportunity for a buyer to customize a unique piece featuring one of the museum collection's artworks on its dial Today, Vacheron Constantin takes the covers off a quartet of limited edition watches paying tribute to the great civilizations of Antiquity, inspired by Masterpieces conserved in Le Louvre.The Vacheron Constantin Metiers d'Art Tribute to Great Civilisations collection?is a quartet