REVIEW: Montblanc Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum Worldtimer - Monochrome Watches
The world of high-end watches has seen several new releases of worldtimers in the last years. Until a decade ago, the worldtimer wrist watch, originally developed by Louis Cottier, was a complication that was dominated by brands like Patek Philippe and Girard-Perregaux (with their WW.TC). In the past years a few more contenders entered the market of world timers, however with the launch of the Montblanc Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum, earlier this year, we have a new player in luxury entry level. It comes at a retail price of approx. € 5,500 Euro. The watches are now becoming available in stores and we thought it would be a good idea to review it. A worldtimer is after all one of the most convenient complications in this day and age, and with such a price, Montblanc makes this complication available for a larger audience.The Montblanc Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum comes in a 41mm case, in either stainless steel or 18k red gold. Besides the modest diameter, the case is only 11.99mm thi

Bvlgari Octo L'Originale Solotempo and Chronograph Dressed in Stylish Black-DLC and Gold - Monochrome Watches
Bvlgari consolidates its winning legion of Octo L’Originale?watches with the release of two new variations. With the same architectural design as their Finissimo brothers, who have secured victory after victory in the battle for ultra-thin, the Octo l'Originale watches come with slightly thicker cases, sportier attire and leaner prices. Sheathed in flattering black DLC-coated steel and highlighted with luxurious rose gold details, the sculptural shapes of the Octo case become even more pronounced on these new Octo l'Originale Solotempo and Chronograph watches.All Roads Lead to RomeThe genius of the Octo lies in its highly sculptural, dynamic case design. What is considered by many as the very epitome of a contemporary case design – which marries a round bezel to a pronounced octagonal base – was in fact inspired by architectural features of Ancient Rome. This intrepid juxtaposition of shapes has its origins in Rome's imperial architecture, to be precise, in the coffer

The Omega Seamaster Automatic 120m Chronograph (Ref.176.004) a.k.a. the Big Blue - Monochrome Watches
In this article we will examine an instrument that is so important that the life of its operator depends on it. The operator in question is a diver, submerging in a hostile environment either to make a living, or to hunt fish. No, it is not a big dive computer with a huge lcd screen that performs countless calculations per milisecond based on complex algorithms. This is Monochrome, so we are going to investigate a very unique instrument which is strictly mechanical: a watch. A diver’s chronograph watch to be more precise – the Omega Seamaster Automatic 120m Chronograph a.k.a. Big Blue.History of the Diving WatchThe history of the diving watch is intimately coupled, right from the start, with the human attempts to master and understand life underwater. Either in war or for recreational diving, whether in spearfishing or servicing oil rigs in the North Sea, the diving watch has been a timekeeping apparatus of utmost importance to the life of the diver in question. The first e

Recap -The Best Watches Introduced by IWC in 2021
In a year where IWC Schaffhausen has put the (Big) Pilot’s Watch collections under a massive spotlight, we’ve seen numerous interesting new editions being presented. This can be either in colour combinations, materials, or movement types. While we have seen novelties outside of the (Big) Pilot's Watch collections, the quintessential Flieger Uhr by IWC was all the rage. With that in mind, we went through all the new models and picked out the five that impressed us the most. Here are IWC's best watches introduced in 2021.IWC Pilot's Chronograph Tribute to 3705We start with a tribute piece, dedicated to an important watch in IWC's history of the pilot's watches. The IWC Pilot's Chronograph Tribute to 3705 harnessed the spirit of the original 1994 IWC Fliegerchronograph Keramik, better known as the 3705. The new interpretation features a 41mm wide matte-black Ceratanium case, with the bezel, pushers, crown, caseback and buckle done in the same material. The rest of the architec

Introducing the Andreas Strehler Papillon d'Or - Monochrome-Watches
In the world of independent watchmaking, there are the big names, such as MB&F, Richard Mille or Urwerk and there are the confidential manufactures, like Kari Voutilainen, Gronefeld or Sarpaneva. One of them has to be seen as extremely exclusive, first because of the very limited production figures?but also because of the unique beauty of his watches. His name is Andreas Strehler and?his latest creation is the?Papillon d’Or.Andreas Strehler is?a name that only a few?of you might know. Only a very limited number of hardcore collectors are aware of his own brand and creations. However, his work is also known from a larger audience, as he is responsible for the development of several superb timepieces, such as the Harry Winston Opus 7, the Maurice Lacroix Chronograph with an in-house calibre, the Maitre du Temps Chapter Three?or several H. Moser & Cie movements – he participated to the development of the H. Moser & Cie Perpetual Calendar. Ad - Scroll to