The Academie Horlogere Des Createurs Independants (AHCI) 2012 China Tour in Shanghai - Monochrome Watches
Today is the first day of SalonQP, a true horological fest, in the Saatchi Gallery in London. That makes a perfect good reason to publish Mario’s first (of a series) story about his visit to Top Marques Luxury Fair?in Shanghai where he met with eight watchmakers of the AHCI. We hope this inspires you to visit SalonQP today or tomorrow!?Academie Horlogere Des Createurs Independants – AHCI for short – is a collection of 36 of the top independent watchmakers in the world. Founded in 1984 by Vincent Calabrese and Svend Andersen as a forum to help promote the vibrancy and depth of knowledge of the smaller and not widely know names. Ad - Scroll to continue with article By ’84 watchmaking had become an industry inextricably linked to names and companies whose founders (and innovations) were long since dead! For one weekend in October, eight AHCI

Letter from the Editor - Frank's Take On Smart Watches
Smart watches even?the name annoys me. There?are however, a league of (more profound) reasons why we do not cover such wrist ornaments on Monochrome. Of course we get questions from our readers asking why we have not reviewed the ref. 5396 Patek Annual?Calendar, and rightfully so. We should have reviewed that watch, and as soon as we find a way to do so, together with the 178 year old family-owned brand from Geneva, we will. I'm actually surprised though, that we hardly get questions about smart watches, very pleasantly surprised in fact! So let my rant about these little electronic wrist devices begin.I started Monochrome 11 years ago to share my passion for beautifully made mechanical timepieces. The history of watchmaking in general, the history of certain brands, the beauty of finishing, and specific complications were all things that I wanted to share with our?readers. And that's what we are still doing today, 11 years later, albeit with a bigger team and a much bigger audience. T

Introducing: Omega Seamaster Diver 300m America's Cup Edition
In recent news, watchmaker Omega has recently announced the renewal of its role as the Official Timekeeper of one of the the world’s most intense sailing races and the oldest trophy in international sport, the America's Cup. The brand began its partnership with Emirates Team New Zealand and legendary sailor Sir Peter Blake in 1995 and continues to be a strong provider of regatta-themed watches. Speaking about this, there’s a new family member for the America’s Cup, a dedicated Seamaster Diver 300m specifically designed for the 37th edition of the race.?Taking place between 22nd August and 27th October in Barcelona, the 2024 America’s Cup will see the Emirates Team New Zealand, the successful defender in the 36th America’s Cup, fighting against another team yet to be announced (after the qualification races). Omega will once again be the official timekeeper of the event and as such has just introduced an appealing new take on its classic dive watch, the Sea

Recap - MONOCHROME's 10 Most Read Articles Of 2022
The end of the year 2022 is nigh. And once again, at MONOCHROME, we’ve seen a lot of new watches (in all fairness, it was more evolutionary than revolutionary), and we reviewed more models than ever before. We’ve also published an incredible amount of articles – close to 1,200 this year, a record that will be hard to beat, but we’ll keep on trying. It is now time to look at your favourite articles of the year… And I’ve been slightly surprised by the results. Contrary to past years, it’s not only about ,?Patek?and Omega occupying top places on the charts. In 2022, you’ve also praised accessible watches from brands such as Citizen, Tissot or Seiko. Here are our Top 10 Articles of 2022.10 – Going Deep into the Green SubmarinerAlright, I was lying a bit in the introduction… There are some ?articles in our top-read reviews of 2022, but it’s not even one of the new watches released this year. Instead, it’s a watch

Oris Big Crown Pointer Date 80th Anniversary Edition 40mm Bronze (Specs & Price)
Oris launched a significant pilot's watch back in 1938 and it has become one of the brand's iconic pieces. The original Big Crown Pointer Date had an oversized crown to allow easy adjustments for airmen with gloves. It also had the original date complication (patented in 1915 by A. Hammerly) that used a central pointer hand instead of the familiar date window (also patented by A. Hammerly). The watch was an affordable, reliable tool for pilots and has remained in production for 80 years. During the Quartz Crisis of the 1980s, the Big Crown Pointer Date helped Oris weather the storm and remain relevant, and is arguably the most important line in its portfolio. The company is celebrating this remarkable achievement with a special 40mm bronze edition with a green dial. This follows the bronze 36mm Big Crown Pointer Date that launched back in March of 2018.The Original 1938 Oris Pointer Date.The pointer date complication has become a popular feature for Oris and uses a central hand that ro