Recap - All The Unique Watches To Be Auctioned at Only Watch 2021
Founded in 2005, Only Watch has become one of the most important horological events of the industry, with many major brands and independent watchmakers donating watches specifically created for the occasion and unique in their design, colours or even mechanisms. Under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II and at the initiative of Luc Pettavino – founder of the Association Monegasque Contre les Myopathies (AMM) – Only Watch is a biennial fundraiser whose aim is to raise funds for research against Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Since its creation, it has raised more than EUR 70 million, entirely given to research. Now in its 9th edition, 53 lots will be auctioned at Only Watch 2021.?The lots will be auctioned in collaboration with Christie's for the third consecutive time, on 6 November 2021, at 2 PM (Geneva time), at the Four Seasons Ho?tel des Bergues in Geneva.In the weeks preceding the auction, the watches will be presented to the public, media, and horological enth

Introducing: The new Green Credor Locomotive GCCR997 Joins the Permanent Collection
Last year, to celebrate its 50th anniversary, Credor – the high-end, most classical brand owned by the Seiko Corporation – unveiled a very special watch based on the Locomotive concept and being a faithful recreation of Gerald Genta‘s original 1978 sketch. While Genta is best known for designing the iconic Royal Oak, Nautilus, and Ingenieur, his creative vision extended far beyond Europe. Frequent visits to Japan led to a friendship with Seiko’s Reijiro Hattori, who invited him to design a distinctive timepiece for Credor, part of Seiko’s portfolio. The result was the Locomotive, first introduced to the public in 1979.The 2024 Credor Locomotive limited-edition reissue got plenty of attention upon its release, though much of the discussion centred on its aesthetics rather than the exceptional detailing and finishing it offers. While we have yet to experience the new Credor Locomotive GCCR997 in person, everything we know suggests it is an impeccably crafted

Hands-On: The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Titanium Monotourbillon
Mr Roger Dubuis founded his eponymous brand in 1995, swiftly achieving success with timepieces that deftly balance traditional watchmaking craftsmanship and bold, expressive designs. Since 2003, the brand has been renowned for its expertise in tourbillon watches, starting with the calibre RD03. This fully integrated manufacture has since become a specialist in architectural skeletonised tourbillons, a cornerstone of its Hyper Horology concept, characterised by bold, modern, and technically advanced creations. Among the slew of tourbillon watches introduced by the brand at Watches and Wonders 2024 is the Excalibur Titanium Monotourbillon. A model with a lot of personality, it embodies the essence of Roger Dubuis’ style and expertise. Yet it offers a (relatively speaking) more restrained style that will likely appeal to a broader audience.Among the numerous tourbillon watches crafted by Roger Dubuis, the Excalibur Titanium Monotourbillon stands out for its balanced design – m

First Look: The Surprisingly Good Circula Facet
Circula might be a relatively new brand to some, as it was only revived in 2018. However, it was originally founded in 1955 by Heinz Huber, but what makes this different from most reboots is Cornelius Huber, the grandson of Heinz, who's behind the brand today. So, Circula is truly a family business and already has an extensive portfolio, but the new Facet, designed by Guy Bove, the former Creative Director of TAG Heuer, is its most mature piece to date. That certainly doesn't imply that prior models are in any way pedestrian as a bona fide super compressor diver sits in the mix of an impressive collection. Attention to detail, design sophistication and a new movement do elevate the Facet and show where Circula may be heading in the future.The stainless steel case is fairly compact at 38mm in diameter, fitting in with today's trend of smaller cases, and is primarily made up of angles/facets rather than curves. Starting with the brushed bezel, your eye is drawn to polished facets that cr

Ulysse Nardin Stranger - a Music Box on the Wrist - Monochrome Watches
?Ulysse Nardin presents a world first: a wrist watch with a music box, called Stranger. Why this name you might wonder? That’s because it plays the?melody Strangers in the Night. This brilliant masterpiece was created by?Dieter Meier, the Godfather of Techno-Music who scored hits under the name Yello, and?Dr. Ludwig Oechslin. Ludwig Oechslin is of course no ‘stranger’ (pun intended) for Monochrome readers, as we know him from the MIH Watch and Ochs und Junior (check here and here and here). But Oechslin has a long relationship with Ulysse Nardin, which grabs back to him developing the legendary Freak, the?Trilogy of Time collection – comprising the Astrolabium Galileo Galilei, Planetarium Copernicus and Tellurium Johannes Kepler - and the?GMT Perpetuel, boasting an unusual perpetual calendar with a second time zone that can be adjusted forward or backward. We could go on about Oechslin’s genius, however a recommended read is?his biography, as published on