In-Depth - A Look at Shaped Watches by Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe through History - Monochrome Watches
When thinking about the archetype of the round Swiss watch, the first names that come to mind might very well be Patek Philippe or Vacheron Constantin. As the custodians of Geneva's watchmaking tradition, influenced by the sober protestant spirit, both brands stand for subtle, understated elegance. However, beyond the design conventions dictated by the round wristwatch, Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin have in common a long, rich legacy of shaped watches. After Cartier, Monochrome brings together a (non-exhaustive) selection of shaped watches from Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin.Hands turn in a circle. The semantic notion of what a clock should look like is round. The circle is the direct consequence of the mechanics to display the time and it is the most versatile shape in many respects. The first wristwatches were mostly pocket watches, modified later to be strapped on the wrist. However, designing shaped watches gave watchmakers an?opportunity to express their creativit

Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Annual Calendar Monaco Edition (Specs & Price)
At the SIHH 2017, Ulysse Nardin introduced a watch that perfectly sums up what it stands for: a combination of marine roots with a cleverly designed movement, with simplicity in mind. This watch was the?Ulysse Nardin Marine Annual Calendar Chronometer. This year,?in celebration of 9 years of loyal support for the prestigious Monaco Yacht Show, the brand introduces a dedicated limited edition based on this desirable watch, with a new style – and also a more attractive price.While the brand is famous for its marine chronometers, which it has manufactured since the second half of the 19th century, its recent history has been marked by technical innovations and a spirit of simplification. Understand here the work of master watchmaker Ludwig Oechslin: making some of the most complex mechanisms in watchmaking to be as simple as possible, meaning accessible to more collectors AND more reliable in the long run (the fewer parts, the fewer possible technical issues…) This was the cas

IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar Unique Edition ¡®BFI London Film Festival 2015 - hands-on with Exclusive live photos - Monochrome-Watches
IWC is used to create, amongst their various limited editions, watches related to Film Festivals. It was the case recently with a unique Portofino Hand-Wound Monopusher Chronograph dedicated to the?Tribeca Film Festival 2015. The same kind?of partnership is now applied to the?BFI London Film Festival. And as?we’re not talking about just putting a name on the wall behind the red carpet, there’s something much more interesting for us here: watches. The first one we’re about to introduce you is based on a recent but inspired creation of the brand. Here is the?IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar Unique Edition BFI London Film Festival 2015' that we had the chance to have on our wrists and in our hands.Before going deeper into this (very nice) edition, be aware that it’s not going to be easy to acquire it. This unique?timepiece will be auctioned at the BFI's unique fundraising gala?LUMINOUS?on October 6th 2015. All of the proceeds raised will go towards the?BFI?national

Technical Perspective: A Comprehensive History of the Automatic Watch
Eliminating the need for regular hand-winding, the automatic watch harnesses the energy from the natural motion of the wearer’s wrist to wind the mainspring that powers the watch. In general, it contains a rotor, a semi-circular piece of heavy metal that rotates with the motion of the wrist. As the rotor spins, it winds the mainspring. Automatic watches are appreciated for their practicality and functionality. Today, most mechanical watches are equipped with a self-winding mechanism. Over the years, these have become more and more elaborate. Like many breakthroughs that are taken for granted in watchmaking tradition, the automatic watch results from a long and complex history, which is not always clearly documented, and dozens of incremental steps that have made the self-winding mechanism what it is today. Here are some of the milestones in its development with our latest instalment of A Technical Perspective.?Late 18th century – The fathers of the first automatic watchesIt

Hands-on Review of the 2016 Patek Philippe 5170R Chronograph, now in rose gold (live pics, specs & price) - Monochrome Watches
At Patek Philippe, chronographs are something considered with an almost clerical?serious. From the extremely complex split-seconds or perpetual calendar versions – or even both – to the most simple variation, all of them are extremely desirable. One thing to note in the actual collection is a sort of back to basics, with cleaner and more elegant watches, slightly vintage inspired – something we’ve seen with the 5370 or the 5270. Launched in 2010, with a first evolution in 2013, followed by a stronger lifting in 2015, the?5170?undergoes this year its largest?cure of youth, becoming the Patek Philippe 5170R Chronograph, with 2 new references in rose gold – and one older reference being discontinued. But don’t expect a revolution. As usual, the devil is?in the details.Ok, what we’re about to show you is not the novelty of the year – even for Patek Philippe, as this title goes to the?5930g World Time Chronograph. This is not even an entirely