Watches NEWS
Vacheron-Constantin Harmony Chronograph Calibre 3300 - hands-on review and thoughts about the new movement (live photos, specs & price) - Monochrome-Watches
Recently, we’ve been impressed by Vacheron-Constantin. Not that the Geneva-based manufacture is not used to create interesting watches (really, we’re far from that), but the latest collection that they showed during SIHH 2015 was both visually and technically stunning. We first felt that only by only seeing the press photos of the entire collection (that you can see here) but?later much more so, when having the flagship edition on the wrist, the Harmony?Ultra-Thin Grande Complication Chronograph Caliber 3500. It’s time now to have a closer look at the watch?that is possibly the best compromise, the?Vacheron-Constantin Harmony Chronograph Calibre 3300.BackgroundIt’s not often that an old Maison like Vacheron-Constantin launches an entirely new collection of watches. Until the 2015 Edition of the SIHH, Vacheron-Constantin was used to improve its classical collections with new editions (like the sporty Overseas or the elegant Patrimony) or with specific limited edi
It was 40 years ago... the first automatic chronograph - Monochrome Watches
40 Years ago, on 3 March 1969, the first automatic chronograph movement was introduced. This movement,?nick-named Chronomatic, was developed by a joint venture of Heuer, Breitling, Buren and Dubois-Depraz. The Chronomatic was used by Heuer, Breitling and Buren under the name of caliber 11.Cover of Swiss Watch and Jewelry Journal – nr.2 1969It actually started with the development of a HMS (hours, minutes, seconds) movement that got it’s power from a micro-rotor! Buren patented a micro-rotor winding system, that was called planetary rotor, in 1954. However it took them untill 1957 before it saw production and later, in 1962, the design was refined into caliber 1280.The new caliber 1280 had a slightly larger swinging mass than the earlier caliber and the swinging mass now swung over the center of the movement. This caliber, also called Intramatic, won the Prix d’Honneur at the 1964 Swiss National Exposition in Lausanne. A year later the micro-rotor was further refined i
Buying Guide - The New Watches of 2017 to Buy with 10,000 USD/Euro
Let’s agree on one fact: in the world of watches, 10,000 USD/Euro is a perfect median budget. It allows access to most of the luxury brands, including the most coveted ones, to benefit from proper Swiss quality (and by that I mean watches that really are Swiss Made) and finally, you can even access what drives the passion for watches: in-house or exclusive movements. If 10,000 USD/Euro is already a strong budget,?trust us, it’s probably the best money-spent/pleasure ratio possible. Here are 5 watches launched in 2017 priced around the “10k psychological price point” and that won’t make you feel like you have lost your money (Oh and in fact, we have?6 watches…)The Boldest… And the Slimmest – Bulgari Octo Finissimo AutomaticWhat a surprise…! And what a superb watch. While the records for the slimmest watches (automatic or not, with or without complications) usually were the apanage of a certain brand beginning with a P, it seems that
Hands-On - Fortis Aeromaster Old Radium Chronograph (Specs & Price)
Swiss brand Fortis is mostly known for its space-related chronographs, with the Official Cosmonauts range, instrumental, ultra-robust and purpose-built watches supplied to the Russian cosmonaut agency Roscosmos. In addition to watches certified for space travel, Fortis has supplied military squadrons around the world and is still specialized today in pilot’s watches. As a testimony of this, we’ll take a closer look at the Fortis Aeromaster Old Radium Chronograph, a slightly more civilian, less tool-ish take on the pilot’s chronograph.Fortis was founded in 1912 by Walter Vogt. Vogt's idea was to design watches of outstanding qualities that would deserve the name Fortis or strong in Latin. Since then, the brand is known for its rugged, functional watches and for its long-lasting connection with aviation and space exploration. In particular, Fortis watches became part of the standard equipment for cosmonauts cooperating with Roscosmos, the Russian Space Agency (Editor's
A tribute to all-round racing driver 'Quick' Vic Elford.
Earlier this week, news broke of the passing of Quick Vic' Victor Henry Elford, at the age of 86. Vic Elford was one of those drivers that pretty much raced anything that had four wheels, an engine and a steering wheel. With a career starting in a Triumph TR3A, he is most known for his successes at the wheel of various Porsche cars, both on and off-road. Basically, if you would have put Vic Elford into a racing car, chances would have been he'd be competing for the win. And with that in mind, I feel it is fitting to pay the man a little tribute in today's Petrolhead Corner.‘Quick’ Vic Elford – 1935-2022 – Image by Total911.comVictor Henry Elford started racing at the age of 26, which was considered rather late at the time. During his career, which spanned more than two decades, he raced in everything from Mini to Triumph, Ford, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Ferrari, Lola, Cooper, Chaparral and more. He was a Porsche-works driver for 5 years, which saw him achieve his bigg
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