Alternatives to Off-the-Shelf Swiss ETA and Sellita Movements, with Seagull, Seiko and Miyota - Monochrome Watches
When talking about contemporary watches, companies generally use either in-house or off-the-shelf movements, the latter supplied by various manufacturers. Many high-end brands like Patek Philippe, Piaget, and Breguet can produce in-house movements that are optimized for their portfolios. A watch company is considered complete when it can produce its own movement, but many still rely on outsourced ones from large Swiss manufacturers like ETA and Sellita. Yet, the market has changed. A few established brands have decided to offer entry-range automatic watches and mostly,?microbrands are all over the place, with the need to offer mechanical movements for accessible prices. Alternatives to?the usual Swiss generic?calibres have thus become crucial.The time and expense to design and build an in-house movement isn't a viable option for many smaller brands, and even major companies with their own movement production facilities also rely on off-the-shelf calibres for many models. It's been th

Introducing New Omega De Ville Prestige Models for 2020 (Price)
There’s far more to Omega than just its iconic sports watches, the well-known Speedmaster and Seamaster. Even though the brand has slightly simplified its offering over the years, two other collections, both focused on elegance, need to be mentioned. First is the Constellation, timepieces inspired by the brand’s precision models of the past. Second is the De Ville, which can be defined as the brand’s classic, elegant collection, including ladies’ models and sleek, refined watches for men. Today, the timeless, slightly 1960s-inspired De Ville Prestige collection is enlarged with 5 new references, which come with redesigned dials and a luxurious combination of materials.?The De Ville Prestige is Omega’s collection for those who want something classic, elegant and restrained. Proportions are compact, dials are detailed, refined yet timeless, movements are relatively simple but still in line with Omega’s devotion to precision and reliability. The De Vill

Chopard Full Strike Minute Repeater (with price)
With the?L.U.C Full Strike, Chopard Watches’?high-end collection welcomes a minute repeater, a complication never explored by the brand, and launched as the crowning point of the celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the Chopard Manufacture. We’ve seen some tourbillons, some perpetual calendars with?chronograph, super slim and eco-friendly watches?previously, but never a striking watch. At first glance you?could easily imagine that this?is just another minute repeater, nicely-designed and superbly finished but nothing?really?spectacular (relatively speaking of course, a minute repeater is always a little?spectacular…). However, this?Chopard L.U.C Full Strike features?something entirely?new and innovative, which makes it?different from any other minute repeater we’ve seen before.As a watch from Chopard’s?high-end collection – and we all know that these are pretty good watches, to say the least – you can safely assume the?L.U.C Full Strike

Rado True Square Open Heart Silver Highlights
Rado is synonymous with trendy design-led watches and high-tech ceramic, a material the brand has been playing with since the 1990s. Last year Rado introduced the True Square Automatic, a slinky, smooth, high-tech ceramic model with openworked and regular dials. For 2021, Rado introduces a subtle colour variation on the openworked model, now with silvery grey accents. All the other specifications are identical to the 2020 version.Square ceramic watchesThe Rado Ceramica of 1990 was the brand's first square watch made from high-tech ceramic. Its sleek geometry and minimalism established the aesthetic we associated with Rado's ceramic watches. In 1988, the Ceramica was treated to another derivation of ceramic known as high-tech plasma ceramic, and in 2016 industrial designer Konstantin Grcic re-imagined the Ceramica in stark matte grey and black ceramic. ?As a sibling of the Ceramica, the True Square is obviously square but attenuates the rigid geometry of the square case with gently roun

Unique Ulysse Nardin Marine Diver to be auctioned for KiKa - Kids without Cancer Foundation - Monochrome Watches
KiKa is a Dutch foundation that wants to increase the cure rate of kids with cancer to 95% in 2025. To reach that massively important goal, they need money for the necessary research. The good news is that the specialists involved are convinced that new treatments can be developed. Ulysse Nardin makes a unique Marine Diver available for an auction to be held during the KiKa gala event on 26 March. May I invite you to (virtually)?raise your paddle and bid!It was on the second day of this year, that I received an email from Frits Hirschstein, founder of KiKa, asking if I could give him a call. So I did, and?Mr. Hirschstein?told me about his?foundation, KiKa’s goal, and the annual gala event with an auction that helps to reach that goal. He was looking for a watch brand to participate in the auction, and since this year’s auction has a nautical theme, the link to Ulysse Nardin was quickly made. Long story short,?Ulysse Nardin generously agreed to sponsor KiKa’s auction w