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Monochrome
Just a stone’s throw north of Neuchâtel, Switzerland and crossing the border into France, you will stumble upon a town called Morteau. Much like Le Locle and the Vallée de Joux are for the Swiss, Morteau is the heart of French mechanical watchmaking. It is here that you will find the Pequignet manufacture, a company […]
Hodinkee
June's upon us, everyone, and while technically it's still spring, let's all agree to go ahead and round up to summer right now. You're salivating for beach time, or checking the market for pointers about what to do regarding the SpaceX IPO, or you couldn't care about either, and your full attention is on what seems likely to be a wildly excellent NBA finals. Regardless of where your attention's generally pointed, let's look at some watches together before you're whisked off to full weekend mode. Scorekeeping last week's picks, the Universal Geneve Super went for a mere €550, the Movado for CHF 2,600, the Rotary Compressor for £350, while the Rolex Submariner Ref 16800 somehow sold for only $60,000 HKD ($7,655). The Louis Vuitton Monterey II also sold. Strays Photo courtesy FauveParis. No-name skin divers will always get under my skin, and this week there's this sweet-looking Allaine. Or are you after an overwhelmingly 1980s quartz perpetual calendar from Corum? As you wish. How about an extraordinarily clean manual-wind Seamaster dress watch? Get it. Someone, please bid on this and *also* pay once you've won: this Autavia has popped up thrice over the last two months, and certainly one of you has a soft spot for modular chronograph movements that'll lead your favorite watchmaker to curse you, right? A Heuer triple calendar in 14k gold, perhaps? Ta da. A fantastic Jaeger-LeCoultre? Have at it. Finally, I don't know if this Omega Speedmaster 145.022 is actually NOS, but ...
Deployant
Seiko updates their Prospex Diver's Watch collaboration with PADI to celebrate the 60th anniversary of PADI, with red and blue accents.
Monochrome
As the EPHJ Geneva trade fair, the major annual gathering dedicated to precision industries, including watchmaking, medtech and high-tech manufacturing, approaches (from 16 – 19 June), several suppliers exhibiting at the show have started unveiling their latest developments. Among them is Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, a movement maker well known to regular readers of MONOCHROME Watches, […]
Hodinkee
Last year, we covered the launch of Marteau & Co., a new, small, independent-focused auction house that took a new perspective on what auction houses can (and, in their view, should) do for the watchmaking artists who have become such high-demand subjects. In Europe and the UK, artists are owed a portion of the sale fee when their work reaches the secondary market. It seems only fair, when a $100,000 watch these days can reach a million on the secondary market and the original maker doesn't get a penny. At Marteau, of the 20% fee added to the hammer price, the watchmaker receives 3% to acknowledge their work. Lot 6, a unique Voutilainen Regulator Decimal Repeater. Estimate of CHF 300,000 to 600,000. The current Marteau & Co. auction catalog recently went live, and bidding is open (online only) from June 10 to June 17. There are a lot of great watches to bid on, headlined by the return of an OnlyWatch collaboration, a unique Vianney Halter, and a unique Voutilainen Regulator Decimal Repeater. There are also a number of watchmakers who have only come to auction a handful of times, and I got to see a number of them in person. But I wanted to start with two watches that might potentially go for more affordable prices, watches from Baltic/SpaceOne and Furlan Marri. Lot 2, a Baltic x SpaceOne Seconde Majeure unique pieces. Estimate of CHF 3,000 to 6,000. Lot 1, a Furlan Marri Mechaquartz "Prototype" with a unique dial. Estimate of CHF 500 to 1,000. The Baltic x SpaceOne collabor...
Fratello
Another Friday, another list. Last week, we picked our five favorite iconic watches from the 1980s. This week, we move on to the 1990s. If the ’80s were the decade of bad, extravagant taste, the ’90s toned it down significantly. Having said that, we saw plenty of remarkable watch designs in the 1990s. Some of […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Iconic Watches From The 1990s to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Online-only auctioneer Marteau & Co returns for its third sale, The Heat Wave. which opens at noon Geneva time on June 10, continuing with its focus on independent watchmaking. Marteau & Co was founded just last year by a duo including industry veteran Arthur Touchot, who spent several years as a journalist followed by a stint at a prominent auction house. The Swiss auctioneer sets itself apart with its intriguing “Maker’s Fee” concept, which rewards the maker of the timepiece with 3% of the hammer price for each watch sold, allowing a brand to benefit from the appreciation of its products. While artists’ resale rights, or droit de suite, is far from a new concept, and has been codified into law in the European Union and United Kingdom, Marteau & Co’s approach is the first instance of its application in watchmaking. Lot 6 – Voutilainen Decimal Repeater Regulator piece unique Kari Voutilainen needs no introduction, but this watch does as it is, like all Voutilainen minute repeaters, a unique piece. This example left the Voutilainen workshop in 2024, cased in 38 mm of unusual 4N gold, which sits between red and yellow gold, while the hands and dial, as you’d expect from any Voutilainen watch – excellent, but with a chiming twist. During a survey of vintage repeating wristwatches you’ll realize that many only have two hands. If you compared the movement of, say, a Patek Philippe ref. 2524 with a seconds hand to one without, the reason becomes clear. The two ...
Monochrome
The Heuer Monaco was launched in 1969 as one of the world’s first automatic chronographs and the first square, water-resistant chronograph wristwatch. It became an icon thanks to its unconventional design and its close association with motorsport. Over time, the TAG Heuer Monaco has evolved in multiple directions, from faithful heritage recreations to avant-garde concepts. […]
SJX Watches
The recent management changes at TAG Heuer and the wider LVMH Watch Division have given birth to a surprising collaboration: the Monaco Speed 12, an avant-garde take on TAG Heuer’s iconic square wristwatch that’s powered by the Spin Time movement made by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton (LFT). Instead of cubes, hours are indicated by a dozen rotating pistons – the concept is a homage to the V12 engine – that seemingly float in a concentric ring around the dial. Inside the titanium case is a self-winding movement that retains the signature recessed frosting of LFT. Initial thoughts TAG Heuer has been having a good run with technically interesting watches – the Monaco Evergraph is a recent example – and the Speed 12 continues the momentum. Admittedly, the Spin Time movement is not in-house, but it is surprisingly coherent despite the drastically different characters of TAG Heuer and Louis Vuitton. The Spin Time complication translates well into TAG Heuer’s automotive-inspired style, both in terms of concept and execution. Also in its favour is the restyled Monaco case that TAG Heuer has employed in other recent launches. Thought still a little chunky, it is sleeker and more ergonomic than earlier iterations of the design. The price tag of US$87,000 is similar to that of the Louis Vuitton Spin Time Air, which unfortunately makes this just a little expensive. Given the case material and TAG Heuer’s traditional price focus, a price that’s 15-20% lower would ...
Fratello
TAG Heuer is staying true to its motorsport heritage while pushing its horological boundaries with the introduction of the Monaco Speed 12 at the Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Grand Prix de Monaco 2026. This limited edition of 50 pieces brings racetrack adrenaline to the wrist. It features 12 rotating pistons that indicate the hours, driven […] Visit TAG Heuer Goes Full Throttle With The Monaco Speed 12 to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Ming has joined forces with J.N. Shapiro for a decidedly contemporary twist on traditional guilloche. The 37.06 Lightning proves its possible to combine disparate design languages cohesively, and to offer meaningful hand craftsmanship for less than five figures, with a few sensible trade-offs. Initial thoughts Ming and J.N. Shapiro are two of the three members of the Alternative Horological Alliance (AHA), a loosely affiliated coalition of brands that also includes Fleming. The Lightning is not the first time that Ming and J.N. Shapiro have worked together — they co-developed a tantalum bracelet designed to fit watches from each brand — but it is the first time they’ve collaborated on a wristwatch. And while J.N. Shapiro is best known for more traditional designs and an obsessive focus on in-house production in the United States, the brand’s expertise in guilloche clearly translates beyond its own house style. The radiant polychromatic dial looks right at home in a minimalist Ming. The artisanal dial makes intuitive sense paired with Ming’s typical look, especially considering the lume plots and brand logo are engraved on the underside of the sapphire crystal. This approach means the dial does not have to be touched post-heat treatment, and the shimmering guilloche pattern can extend edge to edge without interruption. The Lightning is priced at a relatively accessible CHF6,750, a price point that entails a few trade-offs elsewhere in the watch — namely the move...
Worn & Wound
When the Alternative Horological Alliance was formed in 2024, I think many of us who care about this sort of thing immediately began speculating about possible collaborations between the brands involved. The teams at Ming, Fleming, and J.N. Shapiro (as well as Fears and Massena LAB, two brands added after the founding of the alliance) have clear affinity for one another. And while there might not be obvious ties between the watches they make, clearly there is a perspective on the watch landscape itself that’s shared among the group, and sometimes that’s what makes for the best partnerships. Today, Ming and J.N. Shapiro have announced the launch of the 37.06 Lightning, which amounts to the first watch released collaboratively by members of the Alternative Horological Alliance (although Ming and J.N. Shapiro did work together on the AHA tantalum bracelet and the tantalum cases for the Ming Project 21). The star of the show is a dial that combines elements of what both brands excel at, and is notable as each individual dial has a bit of handcraft applied by the founders of both brands. You would expect, I think, a J.N. Shapiro branded watch to feature hand guilloche of some type as that is really the brand’s calling card at this point, and the 37.06 Lightning is no exception. It distinguishes itself, though, in the guilloche pattern used, which is referred to by the brands as “lightning guilloche” and is being used for the first time by Shapiro on this watch. Sh...
Hodinkee
What We Know When Ming, Fleming, and J.N. Shapiro teamed up in 2024 to launch the Alternative Horological Alliance, they did so with a product: a "universal" tantalum bracelet. But I've been waiting to see if the AHA (now including Fears and Massena LAB) would team up in other ways. Today, Ming and J.N. Shapiro announce the 37.06 "Lightning," which blends the dial work Shapiro's team is known for with Ming's signature design language into something that's both new yet familiar. It's not a trick of the light. The dial is really that striking (no pun intended, I promise). Each dial is made from grade-2 titanium and hand-guillochéd in Los Angeles through engine-turning on a traditional rose-engine lathe to create a pattern called "Lightning guilloché." It's a pattern J.N. Shapiro hasn't used on a wristwatch before. The dials are then shipped to Kuala Lumpur, where Ming Thein himself hand-colors each dial by heat-staining it with a butane torch. It's not as easy as just sticking a torch on a dial. A time too long or too short by even a few seconds, and the color might be uneven. Even if you do it right, the final result might still fail because the guilloché process exposes variations in titanium's crystalline structure. Only one in three dials works out. The dial is still very Ming, as is the rest of the watch, with the flared lugs and engraved crystal that's filled with HyCeram luminous indices. The hands have Super-LumiNova X1. The case is 38mm in diameter, 10.9mm in t...
Fratello
Today, we’ll take a brief look at a new collaboration watch from Ming and J.N. Shapiro. You may recall that both brands are founding members of the Alternative Horological Alliance, a group founded in 2024 that aims to support its members through innovation and partnership. Thus far, the AHA has given us bracelets and cases, […] Visit Introducing: The Ming × J.N. Shapiro 37.06 Lightning to read the full article.
WristBuzz
Tudor finally gets the Black Bay Chrono down to 39mm, and the first version out of the gate wears a yellow-and-black "Bumblebee" dial. Here's what changes, what it costs, and why the size matters more than the colour.
Worn & Wound
Back in March, I found myself on an Amtrak train from Philadelphia to Lancaster, PA, a small city that many think of as the ancestral home of American watchmaking. I’d been to Lancaster before, with Hamilton, some years ago, and even though their old factory is no longer in use, the brand’s history is woven throughout the town in any number of ways. But I wasn’t traveling to Lancaster for Hamilton, I was there to see RT Custer, founder of Vortic. The coincidental nature of the line that connects Hamilton, RT, Vortic, and the city of Lancaster is almost beyond belief, and a new layer to that connection would be added in a matter of hours, as RT worked to secure a purchase of vintage pocket watch movements that would take his brand through another year (at least) of production. RT grew up in Lancaster, and his father still lives in town. Hamilton’s history there, of course, would have been something he encountered in his younger years, working its way into his memory the way a knowledge of baseball might if you happened to grow up in Cooperstown, or movies if you grew up in Hollywood. I don’t know, though, that anything could have predicted that RT would one day find himself running a company that would be so inextricably linked to the history of American watchmaking. A collection of very early Vortic watches Vortic is one of the most unique watch brands you’ll ever encounter. Founded in 2013 and based in Fort Collins, CO, Vortic repurposes vintage pocket wat...
Hodinkee
What We Know The Timex Atelier line doubles in size today, adding four new references and continuing to expand into new complications with the announcement of the Chronograph Automatic M1a Ti and the Chronograph Quartz M1q. Designed by Giorgio Galli, the new models join the existing Diver and GMT, bringing the collection to a total of six references. The M1a Ti is built from titanium with a stainless-steel middle case and a black IP coating, measuring 42mm in diameter with a 20mm lug width. The M1q is a skeletonized stainless steel case with the same black IP middle case treatment at 40mm, also with a 20mm lug width. Both get a fixed tachymeter bezel, a double-domed sapphire crystal with a triple-layer AR coating, and come on either a metal bracelet or an NBR rubber strap with a deployant buckle. The major difference here is that the M1a Ti has an exhibition caseback showcasing the automatic movement beneath. Both feature two-register chronographs—a first for the Atelier line—with matte black dials, silver subdials, and high-polished silver hands. The M1q adds guilloché texture to the dial and a date window at 6. The M1a Ti stays flat matte. Powering the duo are two different sides of the spectrum. The M1a Ti features a Swiss-made Landeron L72 automatic chronograph at 4Hz with a 43-hour power reserve and 28 jewels. The M1q uses a Swiss-made Ronda 5021D quartz movement with a battery. The M1a Ti comes in at $2,250 on a bracelet and $2,100 on a rubber strap. The M1q i...
Fratello
Today, we go hands-on with a watch that should prove to be a sure-fire winner. This, folks, is one of those pieces that feels like it was waiting to be made. Finally, that day is here, and we have the full rundown. It’s the new Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty in full stainless steel. If that doesn’t […] Visit Hands-On: The New Steel Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty to read the full article.
Fratello
It’s been almost a year since Rado invited me to go to the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad tennis tournament in Switzerland. It was a memorable experience, and as a lifelong tennis player and fan of the sport, I always find it brilliant to see the professionals at work. Another thing that stood out during the […] Visit Going Tri-Tone With The Blue-Dial Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Chronograph to read the full article.
Monochrome
Over the past decade, Seiko and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) have given us a steady stream of collaborative dive watches. We have recently seen the Prospex PADI SPB501 and Prospex PADI SRPL51 with their amazing emerald green wave-like dials. Earlier years also brought special editions based on platforms such as the Samurai […]
![Photo Report: Watch Spotting At The Hodinkee Happy Hour [May 2026]](https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/16891390-a790-4ec8-9293-1e162cd07990/1C2A0782.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0&fm=jpg&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&w=2000)
Hodinkee
Last week, we brought back the second edition of what will start to become a regular fixture on the calendar—Hodinkee Happy Hour. Watches of Switzerland SoHo was once again the venue, and Editor-in-Chief James Stacey hosted a very fun evening. Great conversations, great company, and no shortage of great watches to look at—a few of which you'll see below. If you made it out, thank you for coming. If not, we'll be doing it again at the end of June. Follow us on Instagram to be the first to know when RSVPs open. Patek Philippe 5940J. Zenith Sporto. Hodinkee Editor TanTan Wang with his Rolex Land-Dweller 36. Casio G-Shock x Hender Scheme DW-5900UD-1. Patek Philippe Complications ref. 5180/1R-001 18K Skeleton. C by Romain Gauthier and a A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus in White Gold. Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Rolex Land-Dweller 36 A nice variety of local beverages were on offer from Grotta. Patek Philippe Aquanaut ref. 5167A. Tudor Black Bay 58 and a Rolex-GMT Master II "Batman". Timex Ironman, Tudor Pelagos, Breitling Aerospace. Patek Philippe Nautilus Annual Calendar ref. 5726A. Dennison Dual Time. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface, Univeral Genève FS, Rolex Cosmograph Daytona. Sinn T50. Hodinkee's Editor-in-Chief James Stacey serving pizza and talking watches. Rolex Oyster Perpetual. Vacheron Constantin Overseas ref. 4500V. Rolex Explorer II ref. 226570. Hodinkee's TanTan Wang and Pedro Vidal. Thanks to Upside Pizza for the pizza. Rolex Submariner, Jaeger-L...
Worn & Wound
Heavy is the arm that wears the Inflection. Sorry, there might be a few jokes in this article about how much the Atelier Wen Inflection weighs, but that’s just the cost of making a full tantalum watch. If you’re unfamiliar, tantalum, in addition to being a rare material in watchmaking due to its difficulty to machine, is exceptionally dense. Twice as dense as steel, and thus twice as heavy. When you pick up a tantalum watch, you know it. It also has a unique color. It’s dark gray, approaching the tone of blasted grade-2 titanium, but cooler, hinting at purple. Especially when polished, it has a mysterious quality that is quite beautiful, like looking into a darkened mirror. Polishing tantalum, by the way, is notoriously tough. The appeal of the metal is clear, which is why we’ve seen a little uptick in its use in the high-end by brands like JN Shapiro, Ming, and Zenith, though, to be fair, it’s been in limited use for decades. But the Inflection isn’t just a tantalum watch; it’s a tantalum watch with a tantalum bracelet, and therein lies the Inflection’s novelty, as no other brand currently makes a fully tantalum, integrated bracelet watch. Which, as per the NYT, paraphrasing Jean Arnault says, does not make economic sense. And while it’s truly a flex and fascinating to behold, why the watch succeeds, by my estimation, is actually everything else. $29800 Review: the Atelier Wen Inflection – Heavy Metal on the Wrist Case Tantalum Movement Girard Perregau...
Worn & Wound
Iron & Resin makes garments built for the long haul, inspired by the workwear that helped shape America and the gear made to enjoy the ride. Based in Ventura, California, Iron & Resin is for people who expect more from their clothing and value the stories that come with a life well lived. And if you enter this month’s giveaway you could make a strong bond with a whole lot of their goods this summer.
SJX Watches
Tudor’s sports chronograph offers one of the strongest values in its category, but it was never compact. In a surprising move, Tudor has managed to rework the model into the Black Bay Chrono 39 “Bumblebee”, which is just 39 mm in diameter and a bit over 13 mm high. The new dimensions make this substantially trimmer than its predecessor, yet the “Bumblebee” still employs the high-spec MT5813 movement. Initial thoughts The “Bumblebee” resolves one of the key criticisms of the Black Bay Chrono. Earlier iterations of the model were appealing in many ways, ranging from value to movement, but a little chunky. The latest model is almost ideal in terms of dimensions, an accomplishment made all the more impressive as the case still contains the MT5813 movement, which has excellent technical credentials but not slimness. With a price tag of CHF5,500, the “Bumblebee” continues to be an obvious value proposition. That said, the bright yellow dial might not be for everyone (personally I prefer the pink or blue prior models), but the new case size is spot on. Given past practice, however, additional dial colours are probably in the works, so this case size will likely be available in more colours eventually. Bright but not bigger The “Bumblebee” gets its name from the high contrast dial that’s a bright yellow matched with black registers. The dial markings, hands, and indices are also black, as is the aluminium bezel insert. While yellow is an unusual colour for...
Fratello
Ask Tudor fans what they would like to see from the brand, and one of the top answers would be a smaller Black Bay Chrono. Well, that wish has been granted with the new Tudor Black Bay Chrono 39 “Bumblebee.” The watch introduces a new, smaller 39mm case that is also a good bit slimmer. […] Visit Tudor Unveils The Colorful Black Bay Chrono 39 “Bumblebee” to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Coming out of Watches & Wonders, there was plenty of commentary that Tudor had an iterative, kind of “off” year with a confusing pseudo-heritage piece in the Monarch being an unexpected standard bearer. We, frankly, really enjoyed all the new stuff, and thought some of the reactions were a bit out of left field, but regardless, I think their announcement today should get many of the skeptics claiming Tudor has lost a step to rethink their takes. The new Tudor “Bumblebee” Black Bay Chrono 39 is not merely a fun new summer color for their flagship chronograph, but an entirely new case size for that watch that speaks directly to enthusiasts who have been asking for a scaled down version. Tudor is positioning the “Bumblebee” as a follow up to the Pink and Flamingo Blue chronographs that have appeared over the last few years. These brightly colored watches have been incredibly popular with collectors as alternatives to the standard black and white variants. Here we have a bright yellow dial with contrasting black subdials at 9 and 3 with a black tachymeter bezel in aluminum. The snowflake hands and hour markers are also outlined in black, and there’s a black minute track at the dial’s perimeter, all of which play up the “Bumblebee” theme. But the real news here is that new case. It measures 39mm in diameter in stainless steel, and 13.1mm in height. That’s down from 14.1mm tall on the larger 41mm chronograph, which is a meaningful difference. The lug to...
Teddy Baldassarre
Tudor launches brand new case size of 39mm in a vibrant yellow dial at just 13.1mm thick under $7,000.More
Monochrome
An important and yet slightly different member of the wide Black Bay family of dive watches, the Black Bay Chrono was released in 2017, not without some comments from the crowd. Indeed, the watch featured diving elements, the signature Snowflake hands, solid water-resistance, but also racing cues such as a tachymeter scale. Since its launch, […]
Fratello
The fun thing about my hands-on experience with the new Arken Alterum Sage Grey is that I went into it rather blindly. While that is nothing special in and of itself, when two Fratello team members actually own an Arken Alterum, it is slightly more remarkable. Obviously, I knew about the brand and the watch […] Visit Going Hands-On With The New Arken Alterum Sage Grey GMT to read the full article.
Fratello
Around 1990, one of my friends was lucky enough to receive an Ebel Sport Classic watch for his birthday. At the time, I was more focused on Swatch and Casio, and I knew nothing about Ebel other than that its watches looked cool. It wasn’t until a few years later, when my interest in mechanical […] Visit Is It Worth It: Pre-Owned Ebel Sport Classic Chronograph to read the full article.
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