Latest watch news · Page 5

Design-forward independent watchmaker Alto has kicked off Geneva Watch Days with its second model, the Art 02. While the most obvious difference is the addition of a matching bracelet, the entire watch has been refined and updated with a smaller case and an upgraded movement. Initial thoughts A dominant trend in independent watchmaking for the past several years has been the veneration of finishing. This focus has given rise to a growing number of overtly traditional time-only watches built and finished to a high standard. Alto belongs a class of design-led independents that promotes a different approach, one focused on how shapes and textures contribute to the wearing experience. This philosophy comes into sharper focus with the brand’s sophomore effort, the Art 02. While visually similar to its predecessor — enough that they would be hard to tell apart by an untrained eye — the Art 02 has been significantly refined and upgraded in several respects. First is the case, which is slightly thicker but much smaller in length and width, and a new proprietary calibre designed specifically for the Art 02. Then there’s the matching titanium bracelet, which is brushed and faceted to create a dazzling display of light and shadow. Surprisingly, the Art 02 is significantly less expensive than its predecessor. In fact, the retail price of €13,100 is just over half that of the Art 01 in “Monochrome Grey.” Considering the new calibre, proprietary bracelet, and similar bill ...

The young independent brand brings out its second watch with a smaller-sized case and a newly designed integrated bracelet.

Berneron is following the release of its most complicated model with its simplest: the Mirage Miroir. An inverted variant of the popular Mirage 38, the Miroir flips the script to put the golden calibre on display in lieu of a traditional dial. Initial thoughts I’ve been looking forward to the launch of the Miroir since seeing the 3D-printed plastic prototype earlier this year. The inverted format is not especially new, but the Miroir is probably hitting the trend in stride. Beyond the popularity of the mirrored concept itself, Berneron’s house style for movement finishing suits being put on display. Unfortunately, the inverted format precludes a dial. This isn’t a critique of the Miroir as much as it is a weakness shared across the category. Of course, watches like this exist because for many collectors, the opportunity to see the movement — which in this case offers a rich palette of materials and textures — is preferable to looking at a dial. Rather than expose the relatively uninteresting dial side of the main plate, Berneron has opted for a closed case back, similar to the Montblanc “Unveiled Secret”. This choice gives the compact watch surprising heft and a low-profile feel on the wrist. The Miroir also introduces the brand’s first bracelet, which embodies the same detail-oriented approach to construction that Berneron puts into its watches. I tried on an early example of the bracelet back in April, and even then the quality was obvious — the alterna...

Berneron is back with another Mirage, and this time, the name is quite a literal description. The new Mirage Miroir takes the independent brand’s already unconventional approach to watch design and turns it inward. This watch introduces the new caliber 283, which features a mirrored architecture that transforms it into the dial itself. Available in […] Visit The Movement <i>Is</i> The Dial: The Berneron Mirage Miroir In White And Yellow Gold to read the full article.

A new version of the L.U.C 1963 Heritage Chronograph joins Chopard’s high-end collection, created as a numbered limited edition of 25 pieces. While the model retains the classical proportions and specifications of the green 2023 model, this new reference is distinguished by a rich Prussian Blue dial, retaining the L.U.C 03.07-L calibre with exceptional finishing […]

TAG Heuer marks the 50th anniversary of the Monza with a limited edition Flyback Chronograph in a 42mm forged carbon case.

Few brands are as intertwined with motorsports as TAG Heuer. Since the early days of the brand, then only known as Heuer, it has always had close ties with racing, predominantly thanks to its excellent mechanical stopwatches. The racing DNA resonates well within multiple collections, such as the iconic Carrera and Monaco. The Monza, however, […]

What We Know This weekend, Formula 1 returns to Ferrari's home track (for the series, at least) of Monza, and with that return, TAG Heuer is releasing a new version of the eponymous Monza Flyback Chronograph. The watch was originally released in 1976 to celebrate Ferrari's return to the top with the constructors' and drivers' Formula 1 championships, with its black-coated case setting the stage not only for the model's future but also for similar releases from Heuer (and later TAG Heuer). A Monza isn't a Monza unless it's black, so this new release fits the remit perfectly: a 42mm by 15.22mm case in forged carbon, with red accents on the dial. Often known as the Niki Lauda (after the driver who won the title in 1976), the original watch featured a lot of red (and was reissued over a decade ago), though the dial layout has changed significantly from the original. This time, that red has been swapped around, with accents on the minute-counting and chronograph hands, the combination pulsometer and tachymeter flange scale, and the flyback mark at 6 o'clock. The date is still included, moved to 9 o'clock (which in turn puts running seconds at 6 o'clock), but with an angled window. The indices are all printed, and the hands and hour markers use white Super-LumiNova. The watch is powered by the COSC-certified Caliber TH20-12 automatic movement, running at 4Hz. TAG Heuer didn't provide specifications here, but past versions of the Monza with this movement had an 80-hour power rese...

In the mid-1990s, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele embarked on an ambitious project to elevate Chopard’s watchmaking credentials by establishing an independent manufacturing facility in Fleurier – and succeeded. Following the development of the acclaimed ultra-thin automatic calibre 96.01-L, the manufacture released its first watch in 1997. Bearing the initials of founder Louis-Ulysse Chopard,  the L.U.C 1860 launched […]

Chopard co-president Karl Friedrich Scheufele resurrected the name Ferdinand Berthoud in 2015. An eminent Swiss horologist who emigrated to Paris in 1745 and gained fame for his precision marine chronometers, Ferdinand Berthoud was given a second lease of life in Scheufele’s hands as an elite haute horlogerie brand that perpetuates the founder’s legacy of chronometric […]

I bet that, if given a choice, Murphy Cooper would wear a different watch. In Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar (2014), “Murph” wears a black-dial watch with vintage elements, like cathedral hands, and probably a 42mm case. This gift from her father is pretty similar to the 2019 commercial release. A 38mm watch would fit her wrist […] Visit Murphy Cooper’s Choice: The Hamilton Khaki Field Murph 38mm With A New Blue Dial to read the full article.

Frederique Constant launched its Classics Moneta Moonphase in 2024, a compact and stylish dress watch with a distinctive retro-inspired coin-edge bezel.  With a diameter of just 37mm and a slim height of 7.65mm, the watch was enthusiastically received, but because it is powered by a quartz movement, we did not cover it on MONOCHROME. However, […]

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we’re both back in our respective homes before traveling again. Our show is about modern watches destined to become classics. Now, before you accuse us of focusing on money, erase those thoughts! We don’t care about value. No, we are talking about watches that […] Visit Fratello On Air: The Modern Watches Destined To Become Classics to read the full article.

Hamilton’s Murph watch got its popularity almost entirely from its role in Christopher Nolan’s 2014 film Interstellar. The watch created for the film returned as a production model in 2019, first in 42mm, before Hamilton introduced a smaller 38mm version in 2022. This 38mm model has carried different styles, from the original black dial to […]

The Seiko Speedtimer has relatively quickly grown into a full collection of watches inspired by Seiko’s first automatic chronographs from the late ’60s and early ’70s. What began as a line of chronographs in 2021 has expanded into a broader collection of sports watches. Last year, Seiko introduced a series of three-handers that took the […] Visit Seiko Expands The Speedtimer Collection With Four New References to read the full article.

Citizen Promaster adds to their lineup with two new Eco-Drive models: the Skyhawk from their Sky Collection and the Tsuno Chrono from the Land Series.

A name with historical importance at Seiko, the Speedtimer refers to early wrist chronographs created by the brand back in 1969. Alongside Zenith and the Heuer/Hamilton/Breiling venture, Seiko was among the first three brands to launch an automatic chronograph movement with its calibre 6139 inside a watch named the Speedtimer. In recent years, this name […]

Four episodes. Four contenders. One watch. This is the moment Andrew McUtchen and Justin Hast have been building toward across the entire Omega Speedmaster: Four Ways to Fly to the Moon series — and it’s time to put their money where their mouths are. In this final episode, both men sit down with all four … Continued

IWC drops a bold purple-dialed Pilot chronograph timed to the Singapore Grand Prix, and it's one of the more striking F1 collabs we've seen from Schaffhausen in a while. The IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team lands in Singapore with a standout purple dial and sharp F1-team detailing. Here's our first look.