History of the Pilot Watch Part II - Zenith Montre dAeronef Type 20 - Monochrome Watches
The Wright Brothers and Alberto Santos ushered in the golden age of aviation as well as the Pilot Watch (as we told you in the History of Pilot Watches Part 1), and Louis Bleriot assumed their mantle.? Once it was possible to fly, newborn pilots raised the goals, and people attempted to do the impossible, like flying across the English Channel.? These newly minted pilots, these fledgling birds, having just left the nest, were now trying to write their names in the record books.? Bleriot succeeded, and Zenith was there, forever establishing the fusion of horology and flight. The prize to fly across the English Channel was 1,000 pounds - adjusted for inflation, a tidy sum in any age.? The French newspaper Le Matin disparaged the contest by declaring that there was no chance of a pilot winning the prize; the attempt was unreasonable.In 1909 with a Zenith strapped to his wrist, Bleriot crossed 31 miles of open water, stretching from horizon to horizon.? The flight from Calais to Dover last

Top 5 Watches from Baselworld 2016 by Brice Goulard - Monochrome Watches
We told you, we had to take some time to properly think about our favorite watches of Baselworld 2016. We’ve seen over 1,000 new watches each and if most don’t deserve to be in our personal wish-list, some?could potentially enter our “hall of fame”. We had to digest Baselworld 2016 but it’s now time to look at what impressed us most. After our contributor Robin, here are the?Top 5 Watches from?Baselworld 2016 by Brice Goulard. It’s sometimes highly predictable, sometimes less. Monochrome-Watches is?eclectic and so are the members of the team.1 – Daytona 116500LN in steel with Cerachrom black bezel (white dial edition)The Daytona has always been one of my least favorite watches of the Crown’s catalogue, at least the modern one (since the new design launched on the ref. 16520 in 1987). I’ve always blamed the lack of contrast of the dial, I simply hated the polished bezel, I always thought this watch to be too shiny and since a few

Hands-on with the Oris Aquis Date with a gradient blue dial - Specs & price - Monochrome-Watches
Apart from all those crazy, complicated, unaffordable watches, like the 420.000 Euros Breguet Tradition Minute Repeater Tourbillon or the Arnold & Son Constant Force, Baselworld also offers the chance to go over watches that we (meaning the normal people) can one day expect to have on the wrist, instead of just dreaming in front of it. After coming with a superb vintage-inspired Divers Sixty-Five, Oris also update one of its best sellers with a new dial. Here is the?Oris Aquis Date with a gradient blue dial. No bullshit, just a cool affordable tool watch.Of course we, at Monochrome-Watches, are all about a tourbillon, a constant force escapement or a crazy display. Those watches are dream-pieces, demonstration of a technical capacities and, unfortunately, timepieces that are more made to be posters in teenagers’ bedrooms than timepieces to be adorned on your roommate’s wrist. Of course, our goal here is to make you dream and to explain you the most complicated features

Panerai releases two new Radiomir Composite models - PAM00504 and PAM00505 - Monochrome Watches
Today Panerai introduced two new Radiomir Composit models, the 47 mm large Radiomir Composite 3-Days PAM00504 and the?Radiomir Composite Black Seal 3-Days Automatic that measures 45 mm in diameter.The two stunning new models are made of Panerai Composite , a material that?was introduced into the world of Haute Horlogerie in 2010. They share many design elements that are used in other recent models like the Panerai PAM386 Luminor Composite Marina 1950 and the Panerai Luminor Marina 1950 3-days PAM00422 that was introduced earlier this year. Ad - Scroll to continue with article Despite the facts that the PAM00504 (left) is larger (47mm), doesn’t have an automatic movement and is more expensive then the PAM00505 (right) I’d still choose it, if I had the choice. And that for just one simple reason… I just LOVE the gold hands in this composition. Le

Getting Ready To Race With The TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Racing Blue Calibre 11
The TAG Heuer Monaco invites you to step into a world where time is not just measured but celebrated. A place where history meets modernity, and every detail tells a story of precision and passion. Add a decades-long connection to motorsport and pop culture, and you have a highly desirable iconic watch?instantly recognized thanks to its striking square case. Let’s dive into a hands-on experience of the new TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Racing Blue.While it’s undeniable that some part of the Monaco chronograph’s allure can be attributed to Steve McQueen and his appearance in the Le Mans motion picture, where he effortlessly sported this watch on his wrist, let’s not overlook the fact that the 1969 Heuer timepiece itself is as original and audacious as the Hollywood legend it’s often associated with. Over the years, it has evolved, constantly pushing the boundaries of contemporary style and trendsetting, exemplified by editions like the pioneering Monaco V4 f