Glashutte Original PanoMaticCalendar Annual Calendar Review
Probably the most emblematic and distinctive range of watches produced by the Saxon manufacture, the Pano collection has seen many different complications – power reserve, moon phase, retrograde chronograph or inverted movement to name a few – but never before the brand worked on a calendar watch. Things have changed recently, as Glashutte Original released the PanoMaticCalendar. And not only this watch features a new display and a new movement, but it’s also the first-ever annual calendar of the brand – and this is a complication we’ve always deeply appreciated here, at MONOCHROME. It’s time now for us to have a closer look at this elegant, complex yet surprisingly discreet new PanoMaticCalendar, in its non-limited red gold edition.?The best of mechanical ingenuity, the annual calendarBefore we go into the details about the PanoMaticCalendar, let’s dive into some technical reminders, specifically concerning the annual calendar. Calendar watche

Hands-on Vacheron Constantin Overseas Ultra-Thin Perpetual Calendar (Live pics & price) - and why a QP is relevant in such a sports-watch - Monochrome Watches
The new Overseas collection by Vacheron Constantin, introduced this year at the SIHH, ticks all the right boxes. The watch’ design is pure, inspired, the finish is exquisite, and overall it’s desirable and luxurious… It is actually difficult to find flaws here. Whether we talk about the?normal 3-hander, the Chronograph or the Ultra-Thin edition; when we got to see these new models we are very impressed. There’s one?version that we didn’t show to you, yet, and this is the flagship one: the?Vacheron Constantin Overseas Ultra-Thin Perpetual Calendar. This watch does bring a question to the table: is such a refined movement with perpetual calendar complication useful and relevant in a sport-oriented watch? Is it similar to a 633 bhp twin-turbo W12 engine in a delicate Bentley Continental GT Speed? Let’s just enjoy the beauty of it, please!You’re probably already quite aware of the new Overseas collection by Vacheron Constantin, as it received a rat

Monochrome visits Belles Montres 2013 - Monochrome Watches
Apart from Baselworld and SIHH, watch enthusiasts around the world also have the opportunity to admire nice timepieces in smaller, more intimate exhibitions, such as QP in London or Belles Montres in Paris. As you know, we from Monochrome, we never miss the chance to present you with nice photos, great watches and fascinating stories. To begin a series of captivating articles, let's see what Belles Montres 2013 has for us.Belles Montres is the meeting of the year in Paris to contemplate timepieces. This show is far away from the madness of Baselworld and gives visitors a warm atmosphere and a closer look into an incredible selection of brands. 2013 is a transitional year for the exhibition - the French press group Le Point bought it in June 2013. This year, we have seen fewer exhibitors, slightly fewer visitors, but the quality of both, in our opinion, improved. Most of them are enthusiasts, connoisseurs that can meet directly with the owners of brands, discover exclusive models or unc

Independent Haute Horlogerie vs. the 'BIG Names' part 2 - Monochrome Watches
Independent watchmakers and the ‘BIG name’ brands are very different. Yet they all aim for the same goal, which is making (and selling) beautiful watches. In a series of articles i will share some?observations and thoughts.In my first chronicle about Independent Watchmakers & the ‘BIG name’ brands I wrote about the difference in reputation and the role of marketing. The ‘BIG names’ usually have a name that is well known to most people, especially among watch collectors. Not only a long history plays a role in this, also huge marketing budgets helps relatively new-comers to build a reputation very fast.Just take a look at these ads of Omega and Patek Philippe. They look familiar, don’t they? You have probably seen them in numerous magazines. And advertising in print media is expensive! Ad - Scroll to continue with article

Introducing: The Return of the Tissot Sideral Collection (Video & Live Pics)
The popularity of vintage- or retro-inspired watches is evident, as we see new releases based on old designs pop up almost every week. Most of these date back to original creations from the 1960s and 1970s, perhaps the ‘Golden Age’ of watch design. This is the era that brought us watches like the Royal Oak and the Nautilus (and the PRX!), handsome chronographs like the TAG Heuer Carrera and Monaco but also a literal smorg?sbord of cool and capable dive watches. This was also the period Tissot had some fun with incorporating newly conceived materials in watchmaking, such as fibreglass! At the time, this was a groundbreaking and still quite novel material, which found its way into the Tissot Sideral. Now, decades later, the Sideral makes a return not with fibreglass but forged carbon fibre instead!The Tissot Sideral dates back to the late-1960s, and it is quite a special watch in the brand’s history. Tissot has often played around with innovative and unusual materials,