Bulgari Aluminium GMT Amerigo Vespucci Limited Edition
The launch of the Bulgari Aluminio in 1998 created quite a stir. Its unusual combination of black rubber and lightweight aluminium resulted in an unconventional but highly attractive, eye-catching sports watch with a slick Italian soul. In 2020, Bulgari staged a much-anticipated comeback of the Aluminium with automatic movements and an increased water-resistance of 100 metres in time-and-date, chronograph and GMT models. This summer, Bulgari revisits its GMT Aluminium in a limited edition decked out in the colours of Italy's majestic Amerigo Vespucci training ship.Amerigo and AmericaAmerica is named after Amerigo Vespucci (1451-1512), the Florentine explorer and navigator who proposed a revolutionary theory that the lands Christopher Columbus reached in 1492 were part of a separate continent from Asia. The first use of the name America (a Latinised version of Amerigo) appeared on a 1507 map by German cartographer Martin Waldseemuller, depicting the new continent, which incorporated vit

The F.P. Journe Repetition Souveraine (Specs & Price)
When it comes to high-end complications, the Grande Sonnerie is king, and his successor is the princely Minute Repeater. When it comes to ingenious interpretations of these complications, Fran?ois-Paul Journe is the man of the hour. Six years in the making and protected by ten patents, F.P. Journe's 2005 chiming masterpiece, the Sonnerie Souveraine, doubled the complication factor by combining a Grande and Petite Sonnerie. Three years later, in 2008, F.P. Journe came out with his Repetition Souverain, the world's thinnest minute repeater watch at that time. Given its complexity and limited production, this rara avis is rarely spotted in the wild. Luckily, we were able to handle and photograph a Repetition Souveraine for this review.Time on demandBefore the advent of artificial light, most people relied on church bells or striking clocks to tell the time in the dark. According to historical records, the first clock to strike the quarter-hour on demand appeared in England, circa 1675. Th

The New Ballon Bleu de Cartier 40mm with Interchangeable Bracelet System - Monochrome Watches
In a world dominated by round wristwatches, Cartier has historically been a bit of an outsider, gaining tremendous success with its resolutely non-round case designs that include the likes of the Tank, Crash, Tonneau, and Cloche. That changed in 2007 with the release of the Ballon Bleu de Cartier, a watch that was unmistakably Cartier despite its round shape. This year, just before the start of Watches & Wonders, Cartier has unveiled a 40mm version of the Ballon Bleu de Cartier with a bracelet and clasp upgrade. The 2021 Ballon Bleu de Cartier in 40mm retains the same case design as the rest of the Ballon Bleu collection. That means it is a round watch all in high polish with a domed bezel and rather short lugs, which makes it an easy wear even on smaller wrists. The bezel seamlessly blends into a crown guard that entirely encircles the crown (think Panerai, but more fluid), which is inset with a spinel cabochon and beaded on its circumference for easier manipulation. Ad

IWC Pilots Watch Chronograph Edition AMG IW377903 (Specs & Price)
By now you're well aware that the MONOCHROME team is not only passionate about watches (well, duh!) but also has a thing for everything car-related. Our weekly column ??The Petrolhead Corner?? is where we let our hair down and put our feet up for a bit of fun and games. Yet, when both worlds collide we take notice and get that little bit more excited, as you can expect. So today, the latest collaboration between IWC and Mercedes-AMG fuels our automotive needs some more with the IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph Edition AMG IW377903.The focus here is on two three-letter abbreviations, both very easily recognized within their own field of expertise; IWC and AMG. While officially known as Mercedes-AMG as it has been an integral part of the Mercedes Group since the early nineties, those three letters are enough to get most gearheads buzzing with excitement. Us included!AMG historyNow we all know that AMG has started out life as a tuning shop by former Mercedes-engineers Werner Aufrecht and Erh

Introducing The Seiko 5 Sports x Peanuts "Snoopy" Watches (SRPK25 & SRPK27)
When you associate Snoopy with watchmaking, you might immediately think about Omega and the Speedmaster. Obviously… But the reason why you can find the cute beagle on the dial of the most legendary space watch has actually far more to do with NASA than the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. Nevertheless, this gave birth to some of the coolest Speedies around – but also some of the least accessible. Seiko now unveils a new pair of 5 Sports models to celebrate the 55th anniversary of this accessible collection. These have been made in association with Peanuts and reference the famous comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, including Snoopy on the dial of these SRPK25 and SRPK27.?Peanuts started in 1950 as a newspaper comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip’s original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterwards. One of the most popular and influential comic strips in history, it focuses on the life