The Collector Series - A Man & His Breitling Premier Split-Seconds
We're back today with a new instalment of our Collector's Series column, where we leave the stage to an owner and his beloved watch. For a relatively unknown reason, Breitling has rarely been seen in the series, but we're about to change this And with a pretty impressive model. Today, we'll be talking with Timerider27, as this 54yo watch collector is known on Instagram. He is a true Breitling fan. He thought it was time to explain why his Breitling Duograph Premier Split-Seconds chronograph is his favourite one. And to ask people to stop complaining so muchFrank Geelen, MONOCHROME – How did you personally get to know the brand in the first place??Timerider27 – I started collecting in 2004. Reading various magazines and forums, the first Breitling that caught my interest was a variation of the Transocean Unitime without a chronograph. I also liked the ubiquitous Navitimer but thought I would never use the calculator bezel and I still hold to that. I also enjoy 24-hour dials

Hands-On: The New Hublot Big Bang MP-13 Tourbillon Bi-Axis Bi-Retrograde
MP at Hublot is shorthand for Masterpiece and is the venue where some of the most outlandish designs and daring horological concoctions congregate. The latest member of the MP club is the Hublot Big Bang MP-13, a limited edition of 50 numbered pieces conceived as exclusive collector’s trophies. Housed in an unusual-shaped 44mm brushed titanium case, the mechanical spectacle provided by a double-axis tourbillon and bi-retrograde hours and minutes underscores Hublot’s in-house capabilities as a purveyor of highly complex movements.Unusual shapeThe titanium case, which many fans of the brand will identify with the MP-09 Bi-Axial Tourbillon of 2017, measures 44mm and has a thickness of 16.7mm. Decorated with sleek satin-brushed surfaces and polished bevels, the complex case construction case respects specific design codes of the Big Bang with its protective lateral rubber inserts and signature H-shaped functional screws on the bezel, reduced from five to six. The reason there a

The Colllector's Series - @Watchesbelike Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A
I guess at MONOCHROME we do not have to tell you about cultural differences; however, there’s one that stands out for people who are passionate about horology and wristwatches in particular. Watch collectors uniting in a club-like manor is something that did not happen, or hardly, in mainland Europe. Most European watch collectors prefer to fly under the radar and do not feel any urge to share their, often pretty expensive, collection with others. That is until Instagram came along and made it easy to meet like-minded collectors, in complete anonymity. And that’s how I got in touch with @Watchesbelike. He’s a 34-year old finance professional and watch collector who lives in Paris and can be found under this alias on Instagram. We exchanged quite a bit about watches in general, collecting and his love for his Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711A. Although he's been asked to, he would never sell it. He explains why.@Watchesbelike – In 2013, I said (…) that even for

Bored WIth Plain Dials We Take A Look At Some Of The Coolest Alternatives
Watchmaking is often touted to be about creativity and expressiveness, but when it comes to dials, brands tend to be a touch conservative. Simple silver, black or blue, however beautifully crafted they are, can be a bit, well, plain. And to some perhaps even boring. Luckily there are brands who dare to break those boundaries of materials and opt for something spectacularly different. With that in mind, here’s a look at a series of watches with the coolest alternative dial materials around.Omega Constellation MeteoritePerhaps the most conventional of the unconventional materials in this selection is the meteorite dials found in the new Omega Constellation 41mm collection. Despite being seen in multiple brands and watches, there’s always something fascinating about them. And Omega being Omega, they’ve gone the extra mile to colour-match Muonionalusta meteorite dials to the material of the case, from stainless steel to Moonshine Gold and even Sedna Gold (other dial colou

Radial Engines in Cars. Who Said it Wasn't Possible? - Monochrome Watches
If you were asked to list the most common types of engines in cars, you'd probably answer: in-line, boxer, V-shape and end it there. And you'd be right actually, as these are the most widespread types of engines in the industry. Some might even mention rotary engines or electric engines, but that's probably it. Despite the fact that there are loads of configurations within these types of engines, there's an odd type of engine used ever so rarely in cars. And we're not talking about large-scale manufacturers, but rather hardcore enthusiasts and madmen installing radial engines into cars!An example of a radial engine used in aeroplanes.Radial engines were first developed at the very start of the 20th century. The first documented radial engines date back to 1901. The concept is rather simple; instead of having cylinders and pistons positioned in a straight line or opposed to one another, the cylinders are spread around a central crankshaft in a circle. The full technical details are expl