Introducing The IWC Portugieser Automatic 40 Salmon Dial
If you’re a recurring reader of MONOCHROME, you should know by now that we have a soft spot for salmon-coloured dials. So much so that it was the main theme of our very first Montre de Souscription. Salmon is original, warm, and luxurious, and despite the outpouring of love from the watch-collecting community, these dials remain quite rare… An exclusive treat for connoisseurs. Now, it’s time for the most classic of all IWC Portugieser models to receive such as dial with the introduction of the new Portugieser Automatic 40 Salmon. First exclusive to the UAE, but no worries, it’ll soon be available worldwide.?Let’s make this story short… Because all you need to know here is that there’s a salmon dial on the existing Portugieser Automatic 40, combined with a stainless steel case. That’s it. But sometimes, small updates can create beautiful watches. And, sorry to sound enthusiastic (I love salmon dials, I can’t help it), but seeing a sa

Baselworld Will Be Back in 2022... But It Will Be Very Different - Monochrome Watches
What has just been announced by the MCH Group, the company behind the Basel watch fair, came as a surprise. We thought and even announced that Baselworld had gone, replaced by another show called Hour Universe. Baselworld was held for the last time in 2019. Seriously hit by the coronavirus pandemic and the departure of most of the large exhibiting brands, the organisation cancelled the 2020 and 2021 editions. However, the MCH Group has just officially announced that the show will be back with its historical name but makes clear that Baselworld 2022, expected in March/April next year, won’t be the same as past editions of the fair.?As Michel Loris-Melikoff, Managing Director of the show, explains, “the Baselworld brand must remain, but it must fundamentally change“. On both statements, we couldn’t agree more. While we’re quite happy to see the return of the emblematic watch fair, it has to change drastically… In fact, it is forced to change since most

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

Just Because: Predictions for the Upcoming Swatch x Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Collaboration
We certainly can’t hide the fact that the Swatch x Omega Moonswatch, a collaboration bringing the style of the Speedmaster Moonwatch into a far more accessible segment of the watch industry, caused a blast. Seeing the success of this collaboration, with over 1 million examples sold in 2022, despite some issues regarding availability, it was somehow expected to see a new chapter coming. And it is just around the corner. On September 9th, 2023, we will see the Swatch x Blancpain collaboration. This part is 100% certain, as confirmed by both brands on Instagram. The model to be used as a base makes almost no doubt either; it will almost certainly be a Fifty Fathoms. What will be the beating heart and what it’ll look like are the real questions. So we’ve decided to create the Swatch x Blancpain Fifty Fathoms watches we’d love to see coming on the market. And yes, these are mechanical.? Above are the teasers released by Swatch and Blancpain. Th

Richard Mille RM 56-02 Sapphire Tourbillon - Monochrome-Watches
In 2012 Richard Mille introduced the RM 056 Sapphire Tourbillon Split Seconds Chronograph, which was the first wrist watch with a case that was manufactured in pure sapphire. Last year they surpassed this with the RM 56-01, which has not only a sapphire case, but movement bridges and baseplate as well. An unparalleled achievement, which also reflected in its price tag of more than 1,5 million Euros. Later this year, during the Watches & Wonders fair in Hong Kong, Richard Mille will introduce the RM 56-02 Sapphire Tourbillon.The new Richard Mille RM 56-02 Sapphire Tourbillon takes design cues from the mechanical architecture of the RM 27-01 Rafael Nadal and its cable suspended movement. By incorporating this cabled movement design within a world of transparent sapphire, an ultimate expression of weightlessness and transparency is evoked within the world of extreme horology. The case itself, entirely made of sapphire crystal, takes 40 days (24/7) of continuous machining to be produce