Watches NEWS
A. Lange & Sohne Datograph Up Down - REVIEW with exclusive photos, price and specs - Monochrome Watches
Last year we had the distinct pleasure to review the A. Lange & Sohne Double Split; arguably the most beautiful chronograph movement on the market today. As a follow-up we're reviewing its little brother, the A. Lange & Sohne Datograph Up Down, that also has a stunning movement and features an added large date. The A. Lange & Sohne Datograph is one of the icons of modern watchmaking. And it has only been on the market since 1999! Let's find out what contributes to this almost instant success.This year it has been 15 years since the first generation Datograph was introduced, and two years ago, in 2012, the Dato (as it's lovingly referred to by collectors) was slightly redesigned. The Roman numerals have made place for baton hour markers, the case has been enlarged from 39mm to 41mm, and it now offers 60 hours of autonomy when fully wound (that's 24 hours more than on the previous generation.) Although the visual changes might seem almost insignificant, the new generation Dat
Buying Guide - 6 Great Annual Calendar Watches From Established Manufactures
Calendar watches come in a wide variety. Most of them are based on 31-day cycles and require a regular adjustment (5 times a year) to ensure that the correct date is displayed. An annual calendar automatically adjusts the indicated date, mechanically configured to display the different lengths of the months, and they require to be corrected manually only once a year (in the worst case depending on its mechanism). Typically?more accessible?than the?perpetual calendar (which also takes into account leap years)?and infinitely?more?useful than a standard?calendar, the?annual calendar?offers a lot of bang for the buck.Surprisingly, it had long been forgotten by watchmakers, until Patek Philippe presented the reference 5035, the first annual calendar wristwatch in 1996. Although still relatively rare, it is back in fashion. Here are 6 superb annual calendar watches presented over the past months.?Patek Philippe Annual Calendar 5396RGiving credit where credit is due, let's begin with Patek Ph
Creux Automatiq Sports Luxury Watch Review (Specs & Price)
One of the major trends for?2016 has been the arrival of new-comers to?the market – new brands, created?from scratch, mainly driven by?crowd-funding (see all those affordable “Kickstarter” campaigns), with some of them showing highly interesting concepts. This trend will most definitely continue in 2017, believe us. However, most of these new projects are focused?on affordable, non-Swiss-Made watches – something that we do?not necessarily dislike here at Mono but a bit of good-old Helvetic quality is always welcomed. With that in mind,?here is the?Creux Automatiq Watch, a clever play on the luxury sports watch concept, Swiss-Made, qualitative, yet an affordable alternative?to certain well-known luxury watches you?might have in mind.The story behind?Creux AutomatiqCreux Automatiq was formed by?the minds behind the luxury diamond jewellery specialists known as Culet Jewellery, a company based in Sydney, Australia.?Dane Rumble, watch enthusiast and owner of?Culet J
Pre-SIHH 2019 - Introducing the Cartier Libre Jewelry Collection - Freedom of Shape and Colour
Cartier manages to fuse a unique touch of French sophistication with a very liberal attitude towards design. Cartier’s love affair with?fascinating shaped watches?has lasted for a century and you'd be hard pressed to find a straightforward round watch chez la Maison. Unusual shapes, like the square Santos, the rectangular Tank, the barrel-shaped Tortue, or even the weird and wild 1967 Crash watch inspired by a Baignoire Allongee model that was purportedly mangled and melted in a car crash, have been and still are very much an identity trait of the brand. Last year signalled the return of the Santos, and in 2019 the mood for nostalgia is still in full swing as we have witnessed with the pre-SIHH release of the Cartier Prive Tonneau watch for men inspired by a 1906 model with an elongated tonneau case. Women are also in for a treat with the pre-SIHH 2019 release of the Baignoire Allongee, a model that literally takes a dip in a sea of precious stones. Presented in white or yellow g
Armin Strom Tribute 1 California (Specs & Price)
The Armin Strom?Tribute 1 is the indie watchmaker’s contemporary interpretation of a dress watch and appeared in the System 78 collection earlier this year. The Tribute 1 is a refreshing approach to the dress watch with compact proportions, a new, thin in-house calibre, a modern, minimalist look and exceptional hand-finishings. First released in steel with a grey dial in June 2021, two months later, it reappeared with blue and black dials. Today, the brand?releases a series of five renditions, the Armin Strom Tribute 1 California, with alternating Roman and Arabic numerals, colourful fume dials and a black hand-guilloche plate made by Kari Voutilainen.Armin Strom, the watchmaker, was renowned for his impressive, highly intricate hand-skeletonised watches. When he retired in 2006, the brand came into the hands of a duo of childhood friends, master watchmaker Claude Greisler and businessman Serge Michel. By 2009, Armin Strom had a fully integrated manufacture in Biel/Bienne and rel
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