In-Depth: The History of the Zenith El Primero, The Glorious High-Frequency Automatic Chronograph
In our series on historically significant calibres, the best way to honour the El Primero calibre is by highlighting its qualities, functional characteristics, and pivotal role in shaping the watchmaking industry. While the tale of its salvation in 1976, along with that of Zenith as a company, by a courageous man defying the ill will of American owners is fascinating, the El Primero’s legendary status is primarily due to the use of advanced technology available at the time of its creation, excellent engineering and movement design, and a modern, industrial approach to production.?Still, had it not been for Charles Vermot, a Zenith workshop manager, who disobeyed orders to sell the metal presses and tools for manufacturing the El Primero as scrap and instead hid the necessary drawings and tools, watchmaking history would be missing some thrilling episodes. We will return to Vermot’s story shortly, but first, let us revisit how the El Primero came to be.Episode I – The

IWC launches Three Boutique Edition Pilot Watches - Monochrome Watches
Although IWC dedicated this year entirely to re-engineering the Ingenieur collection (check our extensive coverage here, here and here), they still had time to launch three boutique editions of the Pilot Watch collection. A?Big Pilot's Watch Top Gun, a Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar?Top Gun?and a Pilot's Watch Chronograph Top Gun?are preparing to take off and bring more colour into the fleet. This colorful trio features?details in the form of red, green and blue hands and indices and they are available in limited editions at IWC boutiques around the world.IWC Schaffhausen's designers found inspiration for the three Top Gun Boutique editions from the cockpit instrument found in jets. The Pilot's Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Boutique Edition (Ref. IW388003)?comes with blue hands and indices, the Big Pilot's Watch Top Gun Boutique Edition (Ref. IW501903) with green and the Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Top Gun Boutique Edition (Ref. IW502903)?with red. All three come in a?cerami

IWC introduces the Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph Laureus Sport for Good Foundation - Monochrome Watches
Seven years ago IWC started their commitment to the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, a perfect way to?demonstrate IWC’s commitment to philanthropy by releasing a limited edition timepiece in aid of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. Part of the proceeds resulting from the sale of the watches go to help needy children all over the world. ?Every year another timepiece from another collection gets elected to serve the good cause and this year the choice was made in favor of the Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph. It is limited to 1,000 pieces and features both the signature blue Laureus Sport for Good Foundation dial and the engraved case back. Ad - Scroll to continue with article I think most Monochrome readers are familiar with the Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph (click here and here), as its appearance in the IWC collection marked a special moment.

First Look: The new Schwarz Etienne 1902 Petite Seconde
Sometimes, moving forward means going back to recover the good things from the past. That appears to be the case at Schwarz Etienne, a small, independent brand from La Chaux-de-Fonds that wants to raise its profile and become better known on the watch scene. Founded in 1902, the brand is now in the hands of CEO Florian Brossard. Keen to exploit Schwarz Etienne's high level of vertical integration, the brand's full potential is about to be unleashed. Presented during Geneva Watch Week 2025, the 1902 Petite Seconde collection marks a new chapter in the brand's design language. A blend of old and new, the three-hand dress watch in three dial colours reveals a refined sector dial design, and the movement heralds the return of the brand's signature finger bridges.Brossard has an interesting background. Trained in micromechanics and movement design, he was involved in rebuilding the legendary Minerva manufacture, followed by long stints at Montblanc and Greubel Forsey. As he points out in th

Ulysse Nardin FreakLab, the modern version of the mother of concept watches and silicon - Monochrome Watches
In the small but fascinating world of watchmaking, some timepieces?deeply influenced the whole industry. The Submariner almost defined what a dive watch should be. The story behind the Speedmaster is still an immense source of fascination. The Royal Oak created his own and so-respected category, the luxury sports watch. In a much more discreet way, Ulysse Nardin, in 2001, introduced a watch that deeply changed the face of modern watchmaking: the Freak, a watch that can be considered as the mother of concept watches and of silicon. Its time for us to review its successor, the?Ulysse Nardin FreakLab.The Ulysse Nardin Freak, a 15 years historyIn a time not that far away, watches were made with metals, entirely with metals. Their escapements and balance springs where made in the most advanced alloys possible, but still, this was metal. Then, before the madness of the 2000s came, watches were small, round, classical – even sports watches were in fact quite understated. Well, in 2001,