Collector's Series - @chronoapothecarist's Gronefeld One Hertz Techniek
The man who operates under the alias @chronoapothecarist must have the weirdest combination of interests ever. This 40-year-old pharmacist from San Diego, California, who strives for innovations and developments in the pharmaceutical field, is equally interested in the intricate workings of a fine watch movement. Hence his love for the Gr?nefeld One Hertz Techniek Titanium, made by the horological brothers from Oldenzaal in The Netherlands.Frank Geelen, MONOCHROME – Gronefeld is not one of the big brand names. How did you come to know them?@chronoapothecarist – My first memory of the Gr?nefeld brand was around the time when they released their One Hertz and reading about the brothers on various prominent watch forums/blogs, such as Monochrome. At this time, I had always been intrigued by independent watchmakers for their design and craftsmanship and dreamed about owning an independently made watch in the future. It is amazing, though, how over time, on one's collecting jour

Richemont Group 2018-2019 Results - Solid Growth Boosted by Acquisitions - Monochrome Watches
Richemont just announced its audited consolidated results for the fiscal year ended 31st March 2019. At EUR 13.989 million, the luxury conglomerate sales increased by 27% at actual and constant exchange rates. The operating profit grew by 5% to EUR 1.943 million. Profit for the year rose to EUR 2.787 million including a post-tax non-cash gain of EUR 1.378 million on the revaluation of YNAP shares held prior to tender offer. This strong growth is boosted by the acquisitions reflecting Richemont's efforts to build direct online sales channels. Online Fashion and luxury retailer YOOX NET-A-PORTER and second-hand watch dealer Watchfinder have been consolidated as of May and June 2018. If the impact of these e-commerce acquisitions is stripped out, the group sales rose by 8%. Richemont reports that sales increased over all business areas and most regions. Performance was especially good in Asia Pacific (+14%) and the Americas (+11%) with double-digit progression. Sales rose 8% in Japan and

IWC Also Joins the Smart Device Race with IWC Connect - UPDATED - Monochrome Watches
When opening my mailbox this morning, a new press release from IWC just came in. After opening that press release, the one and only thought I had was “WHY?”. Well, the BIG news is that IWC is also going to join the connected / smart watch race. They choose to do that with a ‘connected device’ that has been baptized IWC Connect, which will be integrated into the straps of IWC (sports) watches. Sometime later this year IWC will announce more information, however it’s certain that they will start with the Big Pilot’s Watch. – THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN UPDATED (at the end) WITH NEW INFO FROM IWC –Let’s be clear about this, high-end watchmaking and SMART watches have nothing in common, zero, nada, niente (that’s Spanish/Portuguese and Italian). Well, except the fact that both can be worn on the wrist and indicate time, but that’s it. High-end watchmaking is all about the beauty of, well, high-end watchmaking. Think: bridges with

Introducing the Omega Speedmaster FOIS "First Omega in Space" now in Sedna Gold (live pics & price) - Monochrome-Watches
Omega has quite a lot of vintage-inspired watches in their collection, like for instance the Omega Seamaster 300 Master Co-Axial or the Omega Speedmaster?57 Co-Axial revisited with Broad Arrow Hands (a recall of the very first Speedmaster CK2915). In 2012, they also introduced a quite?interesting edition of the Speedy that was a tribute to astronaut Wally Schirra and the watch that was strapped on his wrist, a Speedmaster CK2998. This re-edition of the First Omega in Space (nicknamed FOIS), a numbered (non-limited) edition, remains?quite successful and it now comes in a more luxurious edition, with a very cool dial. Here is the Omega Speedmaster FOIS ‘First Omega in Space’ in Sedna Gold.What is?the 2012 Omega Speedmaster FOIS?‘First Omega in Space’? Basically, this watch is based on the classical Omega Speedmaster Professional ‘Moonwatch’ with a slightly different case. Apart from the material (the original Speedy is a proper tool watch that comes in

The Oris Sun Wukong Artist Edition Enamel Aquis Dive Watch
Wait… What? An Oris Aquis dive watch with a cloisonne? enamel white gold dial, priced at EUR 23,500… Yes, that thing, as surprising as it may sound, is real. And yes, it is quite a departure from the usual price range and utilitarian style of the brand. In short, it is quite an unexpected release by Oris, to say the least, and quite a bold move from the brand, admittedly. So let’s have a look at the new Oris Sun Wukong Artist Edition to understand a bit more what is it all about.?The base for this new, very exclusive Sun Wukong Artist Edition is the classic, all-rounder dive watch of the brand, the Aquis Date, and to be more precise the 41.50mm edition with in-house Calibre 400 that has been introduced in mid-2021. So what is different between the EUR 3,000 steel edition with a classic blue dial and the totally unexpected EUR 23,500 edition we’re looking at in this article? Ad - Scroll to continue with article