Meet The Watch Library, Watchmaking Heritage in Free Access
If a lot of data is easily available online regarding modern watchmaking, finding resources about watchmaking history is far more difficult. Well, it was The Watch Library is a not-for-profit organization that is built around the desire to make watchmaking heritage accessible to the widest possible audience. Launched on the initiative of the Maillard family (from our colleagues of Europastar) and Martine Depresle, this free access online platform is backed by prominent horological institutions including the Musee International d'Horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds and the Horological Society of New York, or brands including Audemars-Piguet, Richard Mille and TAG Heuer.The Watch Library was conceived as a non-profit foundation to facilitate access to the documents and enable the implementation of open data policies wherever possible. The online platform covers a variety of watch-related content including magazines, almanacs, books, drawings and videos. If the number of digitized assets will

The new 2014 Omega Seamaster 300 - what it should look like when presented in Baselworld - Monochrome Watches
Baselworld 2014 is really close and at Monochrome Watches headquarters we are all craving for the new models that will be presented. A few days ago, we've played with rumours about and Tudor and yesterday Omega posted an intriguing image on their Facebook page. So we've played with Photoshop again, and here is a preview of what we think what Omega’s new Seamaster will look like. Since we already know that Omega will present a re-edition of the Speedmaster Mark II (that we introduced here) we’re super curious about that dark picture. It shows some deep-water scenery with Another wonder is about to emerge from the Ocean’s darkness and Few watches are worthy of the word iconic written on it. Puzzling, isn't it? And then came something really intriguing (and frustrating) - a very dark picture only showing a watch's outlines. Ad - Scroll to continue with article

Video Review: The FPJ Tourbillon Souverain Vertical is One of the Few Relevant Tourbillon Wristwatches
If you’re reading this article and MONOCHROME on a regular basis, you should certainly all about the tourbillon, this device where the regulating organ is placed in a constantly rotating cage, counteracting the negative effect of gravity. But we have to keep in mind that the tourbillon, conceived and patented by Breguet in 1801, was designed for pocket watches, timekeepers spending most of their time vertically in a pocket. But what about tourbillon in wristwatches? Well, it is well known that their relevance remains to be demonstrated, mostly because of how a wristwatch is worn – most of the time in a horizontal position. Enter Fran?ois-Paul Journe and the Tourbillon Souverain Vertical. And this watch, besides being an absolute mechanical feast, also brings a lot of sense to the tourbillon in a wristwatch. Check our video review to know more!Gravity affects everything. That’s the law of physics. And, as such, it does affect the regulating organ of a watch, mostly the

Hands-On - The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1
Renowned as the blueprint for modern dive watches, Blancpain's archetypal Fifty Fathoms of 1953 is coming up for its grand 70th birthday. As an essential player in the development of scuba diving and the watch chosen by elite diving corps worldwide, the heyday of the Fifty Fathoms spanned from the mid-1950s to the early 1980s. Following a period of dormancy, Marc A. Hayek, Blancpain's CEO, decided to revive the Fifty Fathoms in 2003, coinciding with its 50th anniversary. Three series of 50 watches were unveiled in 2003, marking the definitive return of this icon. Today, 70 years after the debut of the Fifty Fathoms and 20 years after its rebirth, Blancpain kicks off a year of celebrations with a new 42mm model offered in three series of 70 pieces each, available for pre-order on Blancpain's website in January 2023.ClarificationIt might seem a bit confusing that there are three series of one watch (a total of 210 watches). However, each series is reserved for a specific region of the wo

Interview: An Encounter with Wizard Watchmaker Ludwig Oechslin, The Creator of the Ulysse Nardin Freak
Historian, archaeologist, mathematician, philosopher and watchmaker, Ludwig Oechslin is the perfect example of a polymath whose knowledge across different disciplines fuels his innovation and creativity. In the 1980s, his encounter with Rolf W. Schnyder turned Ulysse Nardin into one of the most innovative watch brands around. The presentation of a new Freak at Dubai Watch Week 2023 gave us the perfect opportunity to sit down with this wizard watchmaker.?Xavier Markl, MONOCHROME – What is your first horological memory, and how did you get hooked on watchmaking?Ludwig?Oechslin – When I was a kid at boarding school, the school bell used to ring every hour of the day. When I went to university, there were no more bells to let you know that a class was starting, and I figured I needed a watch to tell the time. But I was not a wristwatch fan. So, I started looking for a pocket watch. The first watch that I saw and wanted was a repeater. But it was out of my reach. I bought a less