Julien Haenny, Managing Director of the Fine Watch Club, Interview for MONOCHROME
An international multi-brand watch club aimed at anyone with an interest in luxury mechanical watches, the Fine Watch Club - which we already introduced here - just kicked off its sales activities with a Bvlgari Octo Finissimo special edition. Perfect timing to talk with the Fine Watch Club's Managing Director, Julien Haenny, and understand what is exactly the goal behind this collector's initiative.MONOCHROME, Xavier Markl – How was the Fine Watch Club born?Julien Haenny – The Fine Watch Club is an initiative started by GMT Publishing, which owns and publishes GMT Magazine?and WorldTempus.com?since the early 2000s. The goal was to create a bridge between those who are passionate about beautiful watches and high-end watch brands and create unique experiences for those who don't easily have access to this universe. Ad - Scroll to continue with article

Introducing Norqain Watches and Partnership with Kenissi (Live Pics)
Creating your start-up watch company off the ground is not an easy task. Still, this is what 32-year old Ben Kuffer did with Norqain. Created in 2018 in Nidau, Switzerland, the brand crafts functional and versatile watches offered at an accessible price. Contemporary and with a clear identity, Norqain is already present at some of the world's leading retailers such as Bucherer, Tourneau, Westime, Govberg or Wempe The brand is now ready to invest on the movement side and teams up with Kenissi.?Ben Kuffer, founder of Norqain WatchesBen Kuffer is connected to his roots and in touch with the times. Proud to be part of a family developing and producing watches for over four decades, he left Breitling in 2018 to create his own brand, Norqain. He brought in his father, Marc Kuffer, who owned and managed Roventa Henex SA, a prominent Swiss private label manufacturer. Ted Schneider, the son of Teddy Schneider (longtime former CEO and shareholder of Breitling) and Mark Streit, Swiss ice hockey l

Introducing: The Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Carbon SR_A by Samuel Ross
Artist and designer Samuel Ross is back at work with Hublot. A tradition for the brand over its 44 years of existence, Hublot has collaborated with many contemporary artists like Richard Orlinski, Maxime-Plescia-Buchi, Murakami and Daniel Arsham. Marking the third time the Swiss brand has worked with Samuel Ross, both parties bring back the bold, sculptural and lightweight Big Bang Tourbillon SR_A in a new colour scheme and with a carbon fibre case.?In 2020, to celebrate the watchmaker's 40th anniversary, the artist unveiled the REFORM sculpture, which inspired the design of the Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross, the first collaboration between Samuel Ross and Hublot on a timepiece. Having worked together on two occasions, resulting in orange and green editions of what’s one of the boldest watches of Hublot, Samuel Ross and the watch brand now launch a new chromatic variation based around the colour blue, incorporating new materials, specifically carbon. Ad - Scroll to c

In-Depth: A Closer Look at Laurent Ferrier's Natural Escapement
Today, for our latest in-depth video, we’re going technical. This is what MONOCHROME is all about, after all. Sharing the knowledge behind fine horology and understanding how our beloved mechanical watches actually work. Today’s topic is one dear to our hearts, as it combines everything we love in fine watchmaking: high-end finishing, mechanical ingenuity, profound historical references and a complex mechanical device that aims to enhance precision. It is time for us to dive into one of the most spectacular movements currently in production, Laurent Ferrier‘s micro-rotor calibre, and to understand how its natural escapement works.?Horology 101 – What is an escapement?Before we even approach the concept of the natural escapement, we need a concise reminder about the escapement itself. What is the role of the escapement in a watch? The escapement is one of the most critical parts of a watch, the brain of the movement, or its heart, as some might say. It is the dev

Book Review: The Millennium Watch Book Travel Watch Edition
Following the previous 4 editions - The Millennium Watch Book, Tourbillon Watches, Divers Watches and Chronographs - GMT Publishing now releases a fifth opus in their The Millenium book series. This 2024 edition is dedicated to travel watches (displaying additional time zones), a highly practical and purposeful function for globetrotters, frequent travellers and those doing business around the world.Just like the previous volumes, this fifth sequel of The Millennium Watch Book is presented in a hard XXL coffee-table format. This 200-page opus is lavishly illustrated with some 1,000 photos. Besides essential information about travel watches and their functionalities, it brings together a selection of 50 essential travel watches produced since 2000. Gracing the cover of this year's edition is the latest evolution of one of the most iconic world timers - the Patek Philippe Universal Time 5330. Ad - Scroll to continue with article