The Apple Watch through the Eyes of the Industry Leaders - Monochrome Watches
When Apple introduced the highly anticipated iWatch… err… Apple Watch last week, it felt a bit like half of the watch industry was holding their breath. Would this be the death sentence for mechanical watches? I had my say about the Apple Watch last week, immediately after it was launched, and wondered what the industry leaders think of this ‘new development’. Monochrome?asked a few CEO’s of major watch brands to share their thought on the Apple Watch. Here’s what they think…Wilhelm Schmid (CEO of A. Lange & Sohne), Stephane Linder (CEO of TAG Heuer) and mr. Angelo Bonati (CEO of Panerai) share their opinion on the new Apple Watch and smart watches in general. And there was of course Jean-Claude Biver (allround watch guru and industry expert for LVMH Group) who’s never shy to share his spicy honest opinion. In an interview with German newspaper Der Welt he called the Apple Watch “too feminine” and “designed by a firs

Introducing: The Nomos Tangente Neomatik Update 41 For Wempe
With the much-awaited summer season right around the corner, many of us tend to lean towards a more refreshing colour palette in our watches. In the first half of this year, we have seen plenty of fun and exciting new tones of colour being used, with a few shades that really stood out to us. One such colour is ice blue, which always looks amazing when done right. This is exactly what renowned retailer Wempe must have thought for one of its latest collaborations; the sub-zero cool Nomos Tangente Neomatik Update 41 for Wempe Signature Collection.The Tangente Neomatik Update 41 stands out for its sleek and minimalistic style but with a little twista la Nomos. Set in a slim 41mm stainless steel case, which tops out at just 7.9mm in height, it features signature straight and angled lugs. The very narrow bezel results in a watch that looks larger than it actually is, a clever little visual trick. Naturally, a sapphire crystal covers it all, with a second sapphire crystal around the back putt

Introducing: Steel-and-Gold and Gradient Dials for the Longines Spirit Flyback
Presented last year by Longines as the flagship model in its recent pilot-oriented collection, the Spirit Flyback paid tribute to an important function for the brand, the retour-en-vol chronograph. While the authorship of the flyback complication is a topic that is still discussed, the winged hourglass brand produced its first model equipped with a flyback function in 1925, then filed a patent which was registered on 16 June 1936. As the top of the range model in the Spirit collection, this large and higher-end chronograph now comes back in two warm and luxurious versions, mixing steel and gold, with green or brown tones.?Just like the?Spirit Zulu Time has to be seen as the bigger brother of the classic 3-hand models, the same could be said about the Spirit Flyback next to the classic automatic chronograph. A sportier take on the brand’s vision of a classic, highly precise pilot’s watch, this 42mm model features an external rotating bezel, something that the classic chronog

The Collector's Series - Our own Koen and his affordable and cool Tissot Heritage Navigator - Monochrome Watches
Sometimes it's doesn’t take much. It could be a friend's recommendation. It could be a brands heritage or even how they finish their movements that draws a collector. It's always fascinating finding out what that tipping point was for a particular collector on a particular occasion. Often we get caught up in the price we are asked to pay for a watch and it is always refreshing to hear a collector smitten with a watch that is not out of the reach of the many. And this week, this watch is the affordable Tissot Heritage Navigator.This is not the first time Koen Simon has featured on the series. We covered his IWC watches here and here. Many may not be aware of the vast history Tissot boast. They were in actual fact the first manufacturer to introduce a mass-produced pocket watch in 1853. They released the first pocket watch with two time zones the same year. They also released the first mass-produced watch to feature 24 time zones, the Tissot Navigator, in 1953, which is the precise

Introducing: The Military-Themed Ulysse Nardin Freak One Ops
2001 stands out in history, marked by events that significantly shaped our future – some fascinating, some terrifying. In the realm of watchmaking, 2001 witnessed a groundbreaking moment with the unveiling of the Freak by Ulysse Nardin – a “horological UFO with no dial, no hands, no crown, and a novel silicon direct impulse escapement,” as described by our own Xavier Markl. I encourage you to delve into his detailed review of this “avant-garde masterpiece that smashed all conventions and pioneered silicon in the watch industry” and the subsequent editions. And talking about this, there’s a new edition of the Ulysse Nardin Freak One, and it’s coming in a rather polarizing colour scheme.Since 2001, the watch without a crown for winding and time setting, devoid of conventional hands for indicating hours and minutes, and lacking a designated dial has spawned numerous variants. The newest addition is the Freak One, introduced earlier this year