Monochrome
Not too long ago, just before summer, in fact, I lined up a series of new and rather impressive independent watchmakers for you to discover. A recurring topic, it remains at our very core, and because of this, we’re always on the lookout for new and exciting projects, people and brands. It’s a segment we […]
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The miniaturisation of clock towers to portable time wasn’t a Swiss innovation – it all started in Germany thanks to locksmith and clockmaker Peter Henlein in Nuremberg at the start of the 16th century. These first “pocket watches” were soon referred to as Nuremberg Eggs, as many had round, bulbous shapes like an egg. They […]
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What do you do when a car manufacturer doesn’t build the car you want? For just about anyone of us, it means moving to another brand or hoping your preferred manufacturer introduces something that scratches your itch down the line. However, if you’re into the coachbuilding business, or have the funds to enlist the help […]
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De Bethune is, without a doubt, one of my favourite independent watchmakers. And I’m not the only one on the MONO team who feels this way. I love the bold, futuristic design paired with incredible refinement, the almost philosophical approach of Denis Flageollet, the experimental work done on materials, the astronomical inspirations, and the sheer […]
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When Baudouin van Es set out to establish Tad Kozh, the goal was not simply to produce another limited-edition luxury timepiece. Instead, it was conceived as an incubator for heritage craftsmanship and a springboard for the next generation of independent watchmakers. By pairing independent manufactures with master artisans – giving those craftspeople full artistic carte […]
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While O&HoraPictor; might be a young brand we only discovered recently, our first experience with one of their watches left us very content with what they have to offer. The brand takes the centuries-old tradition of enamelling and gives it a new spin with fresh textures and colours, at attainable prices. This isn’t a revolutionary […]
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Geneva Watch Days is always a treat, but 2026 held two collaboration surprises for the MONOCHROME team, both involving maverick French watchmaker Vianney Halter. Bulgari’s collaboration with Vianney Halter produced a bold Antiqua-inspired Octo Finissimo Dual Time. The second, revealed to us as a sneak preview by Manuel Emch, was Louis Erard’s Futur Antérieur. Marking […]
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With its Series 8 collection of mechanical watches, Citizen has been delivering rather impressive models over the years, with the GMT collection being possibly the most appealing of them. Not only is it powered by a true GMT automatic movement (something rare in this price range), but Citizen has dared to bring singular designs, colours […]
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Our friends at SJX, the Singapore-based watch magazine founded by journalist Su Jiaxian, are back at it with yet another collaboration watch with Habring², the Austrian independent watchmaker (and one of the best-kept secrets on the indie scene). And how can we blame them, as we also did 2 projects with them (MdS1 and MdS4, […]
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At just 45 grams in weight, strap included, the Wild ONE Skeleton X-Lite is Norqain’s most advanced sports watch to date. It weighs next to nothing, but it is also built to withstand a proverbial beating if needed. The Norteq case, as well as the movement’s construction, are designed to withstand impacts of at least […]
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Glashütte Original’s Senator collection is largely defined by classic German watchmaking conventions and the brand’s signature Panorama Date. However, the manufacture has also used the Senator to showcase its more artistic side, with hand-painted Meissen porcelain dials. Joining the brand’s Atelier commissions is a new time-only duo of Senator models in precious metal cases with […]
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Since its introduction in 2020, the Bell & Ross BR-05 Chrono has appeared in quite a few different guises. The Green Steel brought a bright green dial into the mix, as well as mechanical updates. Then there was the A523, created with the Alpine Formula One team, or the Patrouille de France edition. The new […]
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Girard-Perregaux released the Laureato collection in 1975 to meet the growing demand for integrated-style sports watches. Debuting just three years after the 1972 blueprint for the genre, it remains one of the earliest examples of a luxury sports watch. Following the classic time-and-date Laureato Fifty released to celebrate the watch’s 50th anniversary in 2025, Girard-Perregaux […]
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According to the Chinese zodiac, the Lunar New Year in February 2027 will usher in the Year of the Goat, the eighth animal of the twelve-year cycle. To mark the occasion, Vacheron Constantin pays tribute to the Year of the Goat with two watches that unite technical ingenuity and artistic craftsmanship. A sophisticated hands-free display […]
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While the more compact and more accessible Sport Auto and Sport Traveller are often seen as the cool kids on the block, we tend to forget that the whole integrated sports watch style at Laurent Ferrier started with a far more complex and larger watch, the Grand Sport Tourbillon. Born from Mister Ferrier’s passion for […]
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While the Tangente hand-wound undoubtedly remains the most emblematic watch you can get from Nomos, and one of the most accessible models too, there’s another fairly priced option from the brand that has long been a fan’s favourite: the Club. A simple, fresher, sportier take on the brand’s watchmaking and design codes, it was launched […]
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Despite reviving a defunct Dutch name, the young microbrand Elka Watch Co., Hakim El Kadiri’s project, is now firmly rooted in Swiss heritage. El Kadiri went to the point of creating a surprising pair, combining a Neuchâtel-based single malt whisky and a special edition of his minimalist watch with an amber-toned dial to match. And […]
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Moritz Grossmann continues to celebrate the 200th anniversary of its founder, Carl Moritz Grossmann (1826-1885), a key figure in Glashütte’s rise as a powerhouse of German watchmaking. After releasing seven anniversary models this year, the brand is launching a second celebratory edition of its unique Hamatic watch, powered by a pendulum-style hammer weight. Although the […]
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If you’ve recently been following the buzzing micro-brand scene, you’ve probably heard about NYC-based brand Wren. Founded in 2024 by Craig Karger, who’s also behind Wrist Enthusiast, the brand has, for now, exclusively produced vintage-inspired dive watches. And yet, only two years after its creation, the brand has decided to revise its design language entirely and […]
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Since the Sphere’s introduction in 2023, Hautlence has offered its unconventional creation in different colours, materials, and case executions. The blue-toned Sphere Series 1 established the collection’s signature multi-axis jumping hour, followed by the black-and-grey Series 2. The Sphere Series 3 came in a more compact titanium case with purple accents, while the Sphere Series […]
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Although Rado is synonymous today with high-tech ceramic watches, it got a head start in innovative materials with the launch of its DiaStar model in 1962. Made from brightly polished tungsten carbide sintered under intense heat, it was the world’s first scratch-proof watch. A child of its time, the futuristic flying saucer case featured a […]
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The concept of Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) isn’t new to the watch industry, but it has gained quite some momentum in recent years, in particular when Rolex launched its own service, now known to be a significant revenue generator for the Geneva-based brand (USD 590 million in 2025, already more than that as of September 2026, according […]
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The 417 ES Chronograph by Hanhart is one of the defining models in the German brand’s history, introduced in 1954 as a pilot’s chronograph for the German armed forces: robust, reliable and legible. The stainless-steel version, designated 417 ES, which also happened to be one of Steve McQueen’s favourite watches off-screen, became the foundation for […]
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With the vast majority of watches being perfectly round, and a good chunk of them being square or even rectangular, there’s an in-between way to stand out from the masses. Shaping the exterior helps you get noticed, and you can take things in many directions once you dare to step outside your comfort zone. Some […]
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Watchmakers have chased precision since the dawn of portable timekeeping in the 16th century, but it wasn’t until the late 17th century that watches became accurate enough to support minute hands. A single hour hand was the norm for over a century, as accuracy was off by hours per day, but thanks to the balance […]
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Like a few other high-end watch brands (AP, VC, PP…), A. Lange & Söhne has its fair share of ultra-collectable watches. The elusive steel Lange 1 is one of them. The Grand Complicatio,is anothern ultra-rare, ultra-complex watco. But you might be surprised to know that one of the most desirable items by A. Lange & […]
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Sometimes, a racing car that looks very promising on paper never gets the chance to shine and reach its full potential. Rule changes, troubled development stages, reliability issues during its maiden races or even car manufacturers going bust midway through a project – it’s all part of the fascinating world of motorsports. One such car […]
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There is a tendency to see watch collecting as a solitary pursuit. One imagines a lonely man sitting in a dank den, admiring his collection and spot-shining his timepieces with a polishing cloth before donning his sleeping cap and retiring to bed at 7pm. It has only recently occurred to me that watches, and the […]
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Certina’s DS Action Diver is an accessible, practical dive watch, available in several sizes, materials and colours. The collection was updated in 2025, receiving enhanced shock resistance and new material combinations. This year, Certina adds two more versions of the DS Action Diver 38mm, in black PVD-coated cases with contrasting orange or teal details. The […]
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Frederique Constant expands its Classics collection with fresh interpretations of the Heart Beat Moonphase Date. First introduced in 2014, this signature timepiece unites a poetic moon phase display and pointer date with the brand’s iconic “Heart Beat” aperture – an innovation the Geneva Manufacture pioneered in 1994 to showcase the mechanical balance wheel. More than […]
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