Omega and the PloProf Research Programme - Innovation in Professional Dive watches (incl. Pioneering use of 904L Steel for Watches) - Monochrome Watches
By the early 1940s, Emile Gagnan and Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s Aqualung - the first commercially successful self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (a.k.a Scuba)-? had become a worldwide phenomenon. Along with the growing popularity of recreational diving, the needs of military and professional divers underscored the paramount importance of reliable sub-aquatic instruments. The first modern dive watches appeared in the early 1950s with the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, the Zodiac Sea Wolf or the Submariner. Developed in 1953, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is often regarded as the archetype of the dive watch: a robust, highly legible watch, water-resistant to great depths (91 meters, in this instance) and equipped with a unidirectional rotating bezel to time dives.The development of deep-sea saturation divingHowever, the development of deep-sea saturation diving soon made even higher performing tools necessary – quite simply because professional dive watches had to adapt to t

Patek Philippe Complicated Desk Clock 27001M-001 for Only Watch 2021
Marking the ninth edition of the charity auction, Only Watch 2021, will take place in Geneva on Saturday, 6 November 2021. ?Held every two years, Only Watch auctions unique timepieces to fund research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. ?Naturally, Patek Philippe, a regular contributor to the auction since its first edition in 2005, will be donating a one-off piece to this year’s edition. In 2019, Patek Philippe's one-of-a-kind Ref. 6300A-010 Grandmaster Chime in a steel case smashed all world records as the most expensive watch ever sold at auction, raising CHF 31 million for charity. For this year's event, Patek Philippe will donate something completely different, the Complicated Desk Clock (Ref. 27001M-001) inspired by a desk clock delivered to James Ward Packard (rescapement.com has more details here), the American automobile magnate, in 1923.James Ward Packard commissioned around 18 complicated watches from Patek Philippe in the first two decades of the 20th century. One of th

Hands-On - Panerai Submersible Chrono Guillaume Nery Edition PAM00983 with unique Experience (Specs & Price)
It's only March, but Panerai has already made it clear that 2019 is unequivocally about the dive watch. The professional grade Submersible dive watch to be specific, which this year becomes a stand-alone collection in its own right. Alongside the new models, Panerai is also offering unique experiences' related to the world of the Submersible. These experiences are exclusively available to those who purchase one of the special, limited edition models within the new range. The Panerai Submersible Chrono Guillaume Nery Edition PAM00983 we are looking at today, for example, is limited to just 15 pieces and comes complete with a once-in-a-lifetime experience.Who Is Guillaume Nery?You may be thinking that we've already written about the new Panerai Submersible Chrono Guillaume Nery Edition. And you would be right. However, that was the non-limited PAM00982, which you can read about here. So, just who is Guillaume Nery and why has Panerai dedicated not one but two watches to him? A

Nomos Zurich Weltzeit Amsterdam Edition For ACE Jewelers - Hands-On, Price
For the third year in a row, following the very original and arty?Orion “De Stijl” and the sporty Club Campus Amsterdam, Dutch retailer ACE presents a collaboration watch with Glashutte-based watchmaker Nomos. And for the third year in a row, they hit the right note. The already existing Zurich World Timer (Weltzeit in German) was a very good starting point, but this limited edition makes it even better. So, we went hands-on with the new Nomos Zurich Weltzeit Amsterdam Edition For ACE Jewelers… to see what's what! Let me start with straightening one thing out: Amsterdam is not really a big city. I live there, I love living there and it is, in fact, the biggest city in The Netherlands – and it still has unmistakeable town qualities to it. You can cycle everywhere you want, Sundays are slow and despite the huge amount of tourists circling the small streets around the old city centre, you still feel this is a place for easy living, not fast l

Vacheron Constantin FIFTYSIX Self-Winding and Complete Calendar with Blue Dials (Hands-On) - Monochrome Watches
This year, Vacheron Constantin will introduce striking blue dials to its popular FIFTYSIX collection. While it may be an obvious iteration for the brand, it is certainly not an unwelcome one, adding another element to Vacheron's entry-level offering. Today, we're taking a quick look at the new FIFTYSIX Self-Winding and FIFTYSIX Complete Calendar dressed in blue.By way of a quick refresher, Vacheron introduced the FIFTYSIX collection last year at SIHH 2018. Intended very much as an entry-level range designed to attract younger buyers to the brand, it was initially met with mixed reviews. Some - including us here at MONOCHROME - found the idea of an affordable' (relatively speaking, of course) watch a bit at odds with the brand's prestigious reputation for Haute Horlogerie. Ad - Scroll to continue with article To be fair, this opinion was mainly formed on the basi