Results for Journe Elegante

Introducing: The Panerai Luminor 31 Giorni PAM01631

A month-long power reserve comes to the Luminor for the first time in a new 200-piece limited edition.

A Majestic Journey Through Clocks & Watches Made for Royalty: Henry VIII and the Birth of Royal Time

From the imposing astronomical clocks of Tudor England to the exquisite pendant watches of Victorian Britain, timekeeping has long been a symbol of power, prestige, and technological marvel within Europe’s royal courts. This new series explores the fascinating evolution of clocks and watches crafted specifically for royalty, tracing how these intricate masterpieces reflected the tastes, ambitions, and innovations of monarchs. Through the lens of craftsmanship, artistry, and historical significance, we reveal how these royal timepieces marked the passage of dynasties and empires. During Henry VIII’s reign (1509–1547), portable watches as we know them today had yet to emerge in significant numbers. Timekeeping was dominated by grand and stationary mechanisms, with tower clocks or ornate table pieces, serving both practical and symbolic purposes as a show of wealth and status. Watches, if present at all, were nascent and extremely rare. The first clocks and watches were expensive luxuries and only in the reach of royalty and landed gentry. There was, however, a sufficient demand for these items in the Tudor royal court which spread to a prosperous London. The beginnings of the horological industry were probably first initiated by King Henry VIII. During this period there was somewhat of a technical revolution, starting with the invention of the printing press which changed the way people received information. This filtered through to the court where there was a revoluti...

Portrait – Juha Eskola, The Latest Indie Discovery From Finland, On His Journey Into Watchmaking

The independent watchmaking scene is as wide as it is deep, and we regularly stumble upon new and exciting projects and brands. And since indie watchmaking is also at the core of MONOCHROME Watches, we try to serve you as many of these as we can. For the next new indie discovery, named Juha Eskola, […]

Hands-on – Nomos Goes Precious, with the Elegant Tangente Gold and Ludwig Gold (Incl. Video)

Every brand at one point dreamt of having an icon on their hands. A cornerstone model that stands the test of time, design trends, and, more importantly, captures the hearts of fans and collectors worldwide, indefinitely. Watches like the Lange 1, the Submariner, the Nautilus, the Speedmaster or the Royal Oak. For Nomos, even though […]

Buying Guide – First-Class Travel, With Some Of Today’s Most Elegant GMT Watches

For frequent travellers or those who regularly find themselves in meetings on a global level, it helps to stay on time and in style. A GMT watch offers the perfect solution, but there are a ton of options to choose from. The majority of travel watches lean towards the tool-ish side of the spectrum, often […]

Introducing – The Elegant Orient Star M45 F7 Small Second

It was hard not to love, or at least feel some tenderness towards the Orient Bambino models (especially the Classic) released by the brand to mark its 75th anniversary. We are tempted again with the M45 F7 Small Second, as Orient Star (established in 1951, part of Seiko Epson since 2017) expands its Classic Collection […]

LVMH Watch Week 2026: Louis Vuitton Escale - A Journey of Discovery

The Journey from Spring Drive to U.F.A.

Hands-on – The Elegant and Refined Seiko Presage Classic Series SPB529

The Seiko Presage Classic Series has been on a quiet roll. Last year’s SPB463/465/467 trio set the tone with soft, bowl-shaped cases, curved dials inspired by silk, and a 3-day automatic movement that made the Presage feel both more Japanese and more purposeful. The open-heart SPB469/471 extended the idea with radial “raw silk” textures and […]

Man of the Hour – A Journey to the Heart of Watchmaking

First Look – The Raymond Weil Toccata Heritage is an Attainable, Elegant Take on the Elliptical Shaped Watch (Incl. Video)

Following the success of the Millesime collection, a series of vintage-inspired, 1930s-based watches that have been praised by enthusiasts and industry insiders (including us), Raymond Weil is back with yet another “Heritage” collection, despite being a relatively young brand founded in 1976. Surfing on the renewed interest for shaped, classic and dressier timepieces, the brand introduces the […]

First Look – The Lang & Heyne Hektor II, the Evolution of the Brand’s Elegant Sports Watch (Incl. Video)

A luxury sports watch with an integrated bracelet from Dresden that looks like nothing else on the market, with a highly distinct personality, is how we could define the Hektor, the more casual, everyday-friendly offering by Dresden-based, high-end manufacture Lang & Heyne. The watch was first introduced in 2021 and marked a fundamental shift in […]

Inside the Watchmaking Journey of Dann Phimphrachanh

In the world of independent watchmaking, Phimphrachanh – pronounced “fin-fra-chan” – is a name worth learning. Born in France, Dann Phimphrachanh is a Portuguese citizen with Laotian heritage who produces watches in Switzerland. That multicultural heritage that informs his approach to horology, personified by the Seconde Vive, his first wristwatch. The Phimphrachanh surname, inherited from his Laotian grandfather, a political figure in Laos, speaks to this lineage, but Dann’s professional and personal identity is firmly rooted in Portugal. After training in Lisbon’s watchmaking school and working at traditional Swiss watch brands, Dann set out to build his first watch on his own terms: by hand, with minimal industrial tools, and a commitment to preserving classical methods in a modern context. In a world where “independent watchmaking” can sometimes feel like just another label, Dann reminds us what it really means. The Seconde Vive, the result of years of solitary work, is both a technical achievement and a reflection of a deeper pursuit, a journey shaped by tradition, silence, and the slow mastery of time itself. The Seconde Vive Origins When Dann first left for Switzerland, he carried with him an image shaped by the glossy pages of watchmaking magazines, a world where the watchmaker was portrayed as a solitary figure, pursuing perfection in a quiet, idyllic workshop. “It was that image I went looking for,” he recalls. Reality, of course, was more co...

Portrait – Benedikt Prand-Stritzko on his Watchmaking Journey and Fouding Aurelia Horology

It’s a well-known fact that we have a deeply rooted passion for independent watchmaking, and as such, we always keep an eye out for talented newcomers. Fortunately, with the rise in popularity of indie watchmaking, there is a lot to be discovered from all around the globe! Whether something is super-complex and ridiculously finished, or […]

Louis Vuitton’s Jacquemart Pocket Watches Journey Around the World

Translating as “Stopovers Around the World”, Escale Autour du Monde is Louis Vuitton’s collection of unique and lavish minute repeating pocket watches. The collection now counts two watches: Escale en Amazonie that depicts the heart of the rainforest, while the just-launched Escale Au Pont-Neuf is set just outside Louis Vuttion’s headquarters in Paris. Each timepiece is unique and powered by a new, purpose-built repeating movement with automata, also known as jacquemart, tourbillon, and an eight-day power reserve. Aside from watchmaking complications, the pocket watches also boast elaborate decoration, namely enamel and hand engraving, encapsulating the many crafts and skills possessed by La Fabrique du Temps (LFT), the Louis Vuitton manufacture in Geneva. The LFT AU14.03 Notably, the Escale Autour du Monde is actually Louis Vuitton’s second haute horlogerie pocket watch offering. The collection follows last year’s Asnières-themed pocket watch that was actually powered by a wristwatch repeater movement. The pocket watches of Escale Autour du Monde retain the same 50 mm diameter as the Asnières but with the LFT AU14.03 calibre within was developed from the ground up as a pocket watch movement. Escale en Amazonie (left), and Escale Au Pont-Neuf Initial thoughts Usually, modern pocket watches either rely on wristwatch movements (like the Escale à Asnières from last year) or near-century-old ebauches completed in the modern day. Louis Vuitton didn’t take th...

Urban Jürgensen: A Family’s Journey to Reinvent a Watchmaking Icon

Chopard’s Alpine Eagle XL Chrono: The Journey To Modern Mastery

Explore the evolution of Chopard’s Alpine Eagle XL Chrono, from its debut to the latest titanium and Rhône Blue edition. Discover how this luxury timepiece blends family legacy, cutting-edge technology, and a commitment to ecological preservation.

Grönefeld One Hertz: A Collector’s Journey

GaryG has the pleasure of covering the wonderful Grönefeld One Hertz. For a watch fanatic, and especially for lovers of independent watch brands, it’s a dream come true to meet the makers of the watches that we admire.

Introducing – The Elegant Fears Watch Co. Arnos Pewter Blue

Fears Watch Company might seem like a relatively new brand, but it was actually founded almost 180 years ago in the UK in 1846. Although it ultimately shut down in 1976 after 130 years (like so many others in that era), the founder’s great-great-great grandson Nicholas Bowman-Scargill brought the family-run business back in 2016. The […]

First Look – The new Maurice Lacroix 1975 Collection of Elegant Watches (Incl. Video)

Maurice Lacroix was founded in 1975 by the Desco von Schulthess watchmaking company, which produced watches for various labels and third parties before that. In just a couple of short years, the name Maurice Lacroix became so popular that a decision was made to focus solely on the newly founded brand. By 1980, all third-party […]

Introducing – The New Trilobe Une Folle Journée Rhodium-plated Editions in Blue, Green and Black

Trilobe is a young, independent watch brand founded by Gautier Massonneau in 2013. The brand debuted its first timepiece, Les Matinaux – French for The Morning Ones and a tribute to René Char’s poetry collection – in 2018. Distinguished by its unconventional time display, Les Matinaux introduced an original system developed by Jean-François Mojon of […]

Introducing – Indie Brand Havid Nagan Releases its New and Elegant Classic One

Havid Nagan (from the Armenian word havidenagan, meaning eternal) is a relatively new name in the independent watchmaking scene and the brainchild of California-based entrepreneur Aren Bazerkanian. The brand started with the inaugural HN00 series, a cushion-shaped titanium watch with guilloché-like dials powered by Schwartz-Etienne micro-rotor movements. Then came the HN01 Lucine Moon Phase. Things […]

House Of Craft: A Conversation With Actor Daniel Dae Kim On His Watch Collecting Journey Since Talking Watches

In this week's edition of the House of Craft video series, Ben checks in with the longtime friend of Hodinkee, what he's been up to and what he's been wearing.

Hands-On: D__b__ Journey Hugger 30L Backpack

For those unfortunate souls who have found their way into my gear bins, you know that I am a gearhead through and through, able to easily outfit a family of five for a week-long camping trip in just about any weather condition. One particular area of weakness for me is in the bag category. Tote bags, sling bags, fanny packs, large backpacking packs, duffles, I believe they all serve their purpose and that you should have one for every scenario. Finding the perfect bag though can be an impossible task leading you to spend hours researching boutique brands only to be disappointed in the one lacking feature you need, accompanied by a significantly lighter pocketbook. So, when I spotted a dirty worn-in backpack with a unique silhouette gliding through a sporting goods store in Denmark, the hunt was on.  It didn’t take long as a few quick turns had me standing in front of an entire wall display holding an array of different designs from the new-to-me brand D__b__. Now, it was the early days of my trip and I did not have a lot of room in my luggage to spare, so I snapped a few pictures, residing myself doing downtime research into this exciting company. Despite its large global presence, D_B_ Journey does not seem to have made the push into the States, finding a small home inside of a select number of scattered retailers. This may be in part due to the crowded and hyper-competitive market, or potentially due to the recent forced rebranding stemming from marketing problems wit...

House Of Craft: Independent Watchmaker Simon Brette On His Journey To Watches, And What The Future Holds

In the third installment of our House of Craft video series, we sit down with one of today's most renowned young independent watchmakers.