Hands-on - The brutally honest Laco Kiel.2 Chronograph
Despite the fact that mechanical watches today are very much a luxury item and far from a necessity, there was a time when proper timing instrument watches were the difference between life and death. Watches served a true purpose and were used to time extremely important events. This need for precision also arose with the threat of war building in Europe in the 1930s, which lead to the creation of the Beobachtungsuhr, or B-Uhr. These watches became legendary for various reasons, and today, most Flieger watches take after these original timepieces. Some of the brands which produced B-Uhr watches back then still do that today, to an extent. One such brand is Laco, which has been around since 1925. And Laco recently presented the brutally honest, no-nonsense Kiel.2 Chronograph that takes after the historic design of the Flieger Uhr.A brief history of lacoThe German watchmaking brand of Laco was originally founded in 1925 as Lacher & Co. by Frieda Lacher and Ludwig Hummel. After initia

Hands-On: The AP Royal Oak Chronograph 41mm Yellow Gold 26240BA is a Statement in Style
In 2022, Audemars Piguet unveiled a plethora of new?Royal Oak models to commemorate the 50th anniversary?of this iconic line. Among these releases stood the Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph 41mm reference 26240, adorned, like other anniversary automatic editions, with a special rotor sporting a prominent 50 logo. However, by 2023, these gave way to regular models featuring the typical AP rotors, and new references were added to the permanent collection. This March marked the debut of a remarkable one: the striking APRO Selfwinding Chronograph 41mm 26240BA in radiant yellow gold on a matching bracelet. It is adorned with a luxurious gold-toned gradient dial and powered by the AP?calibre 4401, an in-house, integrated flyback chronograph movement initially showcased in 2019 with the Code 11.59 collection. With its striking aesthetics, solid construction, advanced movement and good history, this new chronograph is in high demand.Sporting a 41mm diameter and 12.4mm thickness, the 26240BA b

Longines Master Collection Chronograph Bucherer Blue Editions (Specs & Price)
As the largest watch retailer in Europe (if not worldwide), Bucherer has the power to ask brands to be a bit flexible and create specifically designed watches. Those are named the “Bucherer Blue Editions” and, as you’ve probably guessed (or already know), they all share the same theme: blue details. One of the latest models in this series that comprises multiple (cool) watches is a relatively accessible and elegant chronograph. Meet the Longines Master Collection Chronograph Bucherer Blue Editions.An elegant and accessible ChronographThe base for this new watch in the “Blue Editions” series is a well-known, rather traditional watch made by equally traditional brand Longines. The Master Collection Chronograph, launched in ?2005, is a nice, elegant and well-proportioned watch with a classical – understand too shy – look, available in either a black sunray dial or with a textured silvery-white dial with blued hands. The dial features stylized Arab

FOUND: a Proper SPY-TOOL For The Big Kids That We Really Are - Monochrome Watches
Who never dreamed of owning and playing with James Bond's watch (and incidentally, who didn't also dream of having the Bond girls but that's another story)? While searching for interesting things trifles to buy on Ebay, we've stumbled upon THE object to tickle our spy-kid minds: a true revival of the Cold War, a fascinating object that would have to be used with a trench coat, a hat and sunglasses: a real spy-watch with an integrated microphone and recorder - Khrouchtchev-approved. OK, let's be clear, we are not going to tease you with some fascinating Haute Horlogery here. Sometimes, we have open-minded and constructive silly conversations at the Monochrome-Watches HQ. And it can result in this: the discovery of a piece of history that reminds us how technology has changed in the past decades. When you think about spy-watches, the first one that come in your mind is a Submariner or an Omega Seamaster, either one full of lasers, grapnels, detonators and complicated computers - thank

Just Because: Artcurial to Auction Watches and Clocks Owned by Charles de Gaulle
As you know, we rarely talk about auctions on MONOCHROME. We prefer to focus on what we know best: independent watchmaking, explaining fine mechanics and talking about new watches. Yet, from time to time, something sparks our interest – and in the present case, it did on a personal level, maybe due to a certain chauvinism of mine as a Frenchman. Auctions always generate doubts regarding the originality or provenance of watches, but this time I’m going beyond these questions as the origin of the watches is undeniably special. Coming Monday, December 16th, French auction house Artcurial is hosting a sale entirely dedicated to former French President and important military figure of WWII, Charles de Gaulle, including several timepieces previously owned by the General.?Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970), known in France as General de Gaulle, was a French military officer who led the Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the