SPOTTED: Prototype AP Royal Oak 40th Anniversary Skeleton Tourbillon in STAINLESS STEEL - Monochrome Watches
Admit it, we all do it. Trying to find out what other people have strapped to their wrist while we are on the go, or at a party of some sort. Oogling, if you will. Perhaps the place to be oogling ones wrist, without coming across like a total creep, is a watch fair! During the recent storm of novelties coming out of the SIHH, we spotted a very special one-off: a Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 40th Anniversary Skeleton Tourbillon. STEEL PROTOTYPE!Obviously, the Royal Oak family needs no introduction, but we'll run down the important bits nonetheless. Ever since the first model(ref. 5402ST), designed by Gerald Genta back in 1972, the Royal Oak has become synonymous with Audemars Piguet. It is the quintessential watch that saved the brand from bankruptcy. Its instantly recognizable shape, the octagonal bezel with hexagonal screws, the visible gasket in between, the often portrayed grande or petit tapisserie decoration on the dial and the iconic metal bracelet are just a few touches that have g

VIDEO - The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Trilogy Explained - Monochrome Watches
For quite some decades, the concept behind ultra-thin watches was focussed almost exclusively on classic, elegant and sleek designs. However, Bulgari had something else in mind. Why not house these ultra-thin movements inside a collection of modern and bold watches, inspired by the Italian sense for design, or in other words the icon that is the Octo? This is what the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Trilogy is: an iconic design with record-breaking movements – with the thinnest tourbillon movement, the thinnest minute repeater watch and the thinnest automatic movement ever (and certainly more to come) And to us, this achievement deserves a proper, in-depth video.With an expertise in watchmaking gained through the production of in-house movements and, mainly, the acquisition a few years ago of two Haute-Horlogerie manufactures (Daniel Roth and Gerald Genta), Bulgari started developing a series of ultra-thin movements. The first one sounded like a blast in the watchmaking world: the thinnes

Value Proposition Rumoe Nobel Royal Watch - Monochrome Watches
Every single day we see watches from every corner of the industry and from all areas of watchmaking. Whether it be super-complex avant-garde watches or elegance encased in a dress watch, we see it all. But, in all fairness, this comes at a price which usually runs in the thousands. That is exactly what the new Kickstarter-launching brand Rumoe has in mind to tackle: offering their luxurious-looking timepieces, but at a very affordable price. Their premiere watch is called the Nobel Royal, and we had the chance to experience it hands-on!These are tough times to start a new brand from scratch, even if you outsource (most of) the parts or movement, and it is not uncommon to seek refuge on Kickstarter in order to get your brand going. You could debate whether this is in the spirit of traditional watchmaking and historical reference, but I am one to applaud properly designed and executed products and campaigns. However, when we cover these on Monochrome, we tend to be a little bit extra cri

Orange is the New Black: the new Seamaster Planet Ocean Orange Ceramic - Monochrome Watches
Omega introduces the new Seamaster Planet Ocean Orange Ceramic. If Piper Kerman's book, Orange is the New Black, or Netflix's popular series adapted from the book, hadn't seared orange into the cultural consciousness, then Omega brings this orange world premiere of only eight pieces. After a slew of 2013 black watches from various companies, Omega's Dark Side of the Moon Speedmaster being one of them, we find an extravagant redirection.Orange has been a popular accent to the Plant Ocean model, appearing previously on the bezel, but now comes on a ceramic bezel. Ceramic is a light weight, space age material, which is highly scratch resistant and difficult to produce in color. Omega showcases its mastery of the material with an exuberant, patent pending orange ceramic bezel. Now we have a ceramic bi-directional 24-hour GMT orange bezel, orange leather strap with highlight stitching and platinum clasp, an included orange rubber strap with changing tool, orange aluminum 6 - 9 - 12 numerals

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Tourbillon Duoface (Specs & Price)
When you think Jaeger-LeCoultre, you immediately think Reverso. Thin, elegant, discreet and with the iconic reversible case. There had been some highly complex versions though in the collection, just like the?Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon for the 85th anniversary of the model or minute repeaters. Today, La Grande Maison is bringing back complexity in its emblematic watch, with a slim, visually clean and elegant tourbillon model, the?Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Tourbillon Duoface.?To mark its 185th anniversary, Jaeger-LeCoultre is taking a new step in the Reverso line, with this new?Tribute Tourbillon Duoface, combining the double-dialled concept with a complex movement. Even though dubbed as a “tribute” piece, this watch is entirely new – design, concept, movement…?Equipped with a new manually-wound calibre, this timepiece is exclusive (only a few pieces, in platinum) and, as usual with Duoface pieces, has more to show than what you might see at first sigh