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The luxury watch industry is impacted by the slowing global economy, changes in consumer behaviour and tariff wars. Despite this challenging environment, Geneva-based luxury goods group Richemont reports solid revenues for the start of the year, with a positive trend for the first quarter ended 30 June 2025. Over the period, the Group’s sales are […]
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“How the Settimo gold bracelet elevated the Perpetual 1908 dress watch from elegant to exceptional.” This is how we began our review of what was basically only a metal bracelet added to an existing model from Rolex. Objectively speaking, the Perpetual 1908 on the Settimo bracelet is nothing new technically. Only the gold, multi-link bracelet […]
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It’s been several years since the Swiss abandoned the truly affordable, sub-400-euro mechanical watch category. Once a gateway to Swiss mechanical watchmaking at reasonable prices, lower-end Swatch Group brands (Tissot and Hamilton) are now priced above that range. This situation, however, has been extremely beneficial to two Japanese giants, a sort of duopoly composed of […]
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Since 1889, Doxa has been synonymous with adventure beneath the waves. Born in Le Locle, Doxa revolutionised the dive watch world in the mid-1960s with the original SUB, a dive watch with a unidirectional bezel for tracking no-decompression dive times, paired with its now-iconic bright orange dial for unmatched underwater legibility. Since then, Doxa timepieces […]
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Taking its inspiration from yesteryear’s rudimentary tower and table clocks, MeisterSinger has built a solid brand and rich collection around a rather unusual premise: all its watches are equipped with a single hand. The philosophy behind the single hand is to offer a more leisurely, less manic approach to timekeeping in our information-saturated lives. The latest […]
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Benrus is one of the few American watch companies with a claim to fame for practical, no-nonsense timepieces. Founded in 1921 by the Lazrus brothers, Benjamin, Oscar, and Ralph, the company combined Swiss precision with American assembly and marketing to carve out a spot in watchmaking history. Starting in New York City, the brothers pooled […]
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Go stealth or go home… That could be the catchphrase for the latest Bell & Ross release. Full black, full ceramic, fully monochromatic and yet, the stealth watch that doesn’t go unnoticed. The latest member of the BR-05 family of sports watches with integrated bracelets, and specifically of the Skeleton sub-range – already available in […]
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Cuervo y Sobrinos is a rarity in the watch world as the only Swiss brand with Cuban roots. Founded in 1882 by an Asturian immigrant, Ramón Cuervo, the brand flaunts its Latin origins with a flamboyant design style that captures its heyday in the 1950s. The latest chronograph is dedicated to Emilio Carranza, a Mexican […]
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Whether you’re the type to pull up a deck chair and lounge by the pool, or aim to be more adventurous and go for deep-sea cave diving, you need something fitting on the wrist for summer. With an abundance of new dive watches introduced throughout the year, it can be cumbersome to narrow down your […]
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If there’s one thing to be said about Koenigsegg and the wild machines coming out of the gates of their facilities in Ängelholm, Sweden, it’s that they’re at the peak of engineering. The Swedish megacar manufacturer, founded by Christian von Koenigsegg in 1994, is known for pushing back the boundaries of performance and innovation, breaking […]
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Summer… The time of the year when temperatures rise and outdoor adventures beckon. The call of the sea for some, the appeal of a sun-drenched coastline, or simply enjoying the good life and relaxing. Whether you’re heading to the beach, preparing your diving gear, hiking a mountain trail, or enjoying city strolls, summer means a […]
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Block RG is a new indie watch brand with a vision to create high-end, futuristic watches unlike anything else on the market. The project was initiated by Romas Gimbutis, an entrepreneur with extensive expertise in watches, who brought together a collective of talented and creative minds to explore beyond the boundaries of traditional watchmaking. At the […]
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Find me a more iconic thriller/horror movie… I’ll wait. The scene when the man-eating great white shark appears, the music (a masterpiece by John Williams), everything about this movie is cult. Yes, it feels a bit outdated nowadays and might not have the same impact that it had 50 years ago, but you simply can’t […]
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Contemporary independent watchmaking thrives on unconventional ideas, but only a few creators dare to shape them with such sculptural poetry and technical finesse as David Candaux. His latest creation, the DC7 Blue Hawk, embodies his philosophy of a masterful fusion of mechanical virtuosity, architectural depth, and visual intrigue. Building on the vision first introduced with […]
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Jack Heuer’s Carrera chronograph and its affiliation with the racing track is borderline legendary, but there is an earlier, lesser-known chapter of the late 1940s involving the development of a purpose-built watch for Abercrombie & Fitch, the upscale American sporting goods company. Still a student, Jack Heuer enlisted his physics teacher to collaborate in the […]
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France’s golden age of horology during the 17th and 18th centuries produced notable figures like Julien Le Roy, Ferdinand Berthoud and Abraham-Louis Breguet. And it’s fair to say that had it not been for the expulsion of French Protestants following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 by King Louis XIV, Swiss watchmaking […]
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A 250th anniversary is already a remarkable achievement for a watch brand, but a 250th anniversary celebrating the undisputed horological star of the 18th century, Abraham-Louis Breguet, is quite another. Pulling out all the stops to commemorate this illustrious milestone, Breguet has released a series of anniversary editions, including the magnificent Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035 […]
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We’ve said it on many occasions, the combination of a dive watch with a GMT function is possibly the best summer watch you can get. Capable of tracking multiple time zones while also able to withstand aquatic activities, these watches are the all-rounders you should consider. In this field, where not so many watches are […]
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Seiko‘s dive watch legacy is long and rich, yet surprisingly, a mechanical diver with a GMT complication only joined the catalogue in 2023. The SPB381/383and SPB385 laid the groundwork with their “caller GMT x Diver” design, and earlier this year, the SPB509 brought meaningful improvements, including 300m water resistance and a micro-adjustable clasp, wrapped in […]
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If you’re a recurring reader of MONOCHROME, you’ve probably seen that we’re normally very reactive, and we try our best to deliver the freshest news possible. However, from time to time, we’re still caught by surprise when a brand releases new editions without prior communication. Today is a perfect example of this situation, as Audemars […]
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Hidden in the Swiss Jura mountains, in the small village of Villeret, is probably one of the most impressive manufactures we’ve encountered. A true hidden gem, a discreet diamond of traditional watchmaking. The name of this manufacture: Minerva. The brand was founded over 165 years ago and has gained an impressive reputation among a small […]
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Hublot… A brand that brings heated conversations and opinions. Hublot is surely known for its bold moves, disruptive materials and colours you can spot across the room. Baby blue sapphire case, snake pattern on the bezel, multicoloured ceramic that looks… questionable. You name it. Yet, Hublot also knows how to use its signature Classic Fusion […]
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The romantically inclined would agree that there is a certain intimacy in winding a watch by hand, a moment of pause, intention, and awareness of time’s passage. With its latest creation, the 1902 Réserve de Marche, Schwarz Etienne invites that quiet ritual back into the rhythm of daily life, full of automatically performed actions. Building […]
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Incredibly, only eleven years have elapsed since Bulgari pitted its first gladiator in the arena of ultra-thin watches. Not only did the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon of 2014 astonish the world with its razor-thin, record-breaking 1.95mm tourbillon movement, but it also conquered the hearts of many with its seductive Italian good looks. With ten world records […]
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As one of the most prestigious watch manufactures from Geneva, it’s no surprise to see Vacheron Constantin playing in the field of artisanal crafts, or what the industry names “métiers d’art.” One of the recurring themes used by VC are the zodiac signs, expressed in various manners over the years, either through yearly Chinese-themed watches […]
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The Portugieser line is one of IWC’s iconic collections, tracing its origins back to the late 1930s when Portuguese businessmen sought precision marine chronometer-grade wristwatches with oversized cases and clear dials. Since then, the Portugieser family has evolved into a flagship line balancing classic elegance with technical prowess, blending clean, legible design with complications that […]
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Sometimes in watches, things come together in the most surprising way. While I was already familiar with Mido’s solidly built and, quite frankly, rather good Multifort TV Big Date from the video review we did, I must admit it wasn’t a watch that landed particularly high on my personal wish-list. I mean, I appreciate it […]
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What if you want to see as much as possible of a mechanical movement, without compromising the practicality of an automatic one? The simplest answer, sort of, is the micro-rotor automatic, of course. This neatly integrates a small winding mass into the movement, without obscuring it from view. It also challenges manufacturers to flex their […]
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Cars and watches seem to be a perfect fit, a match made in heaven, as they say. Historically, there’s always been a deep connection between the two, as timing is essential in motorsports, so it’s only natural that brands explore this in many ways. Car-themed watches are not uncommon, as brands often strike partnerships with […]
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I was not prepared. “For what?!?” I hear you ask, and I will explain. I was not prepared for the thunder of a full grid of MotoGP bikes lined up for the start of a race, hitting the rev limiter in sync, waiting for the light to go green and launch themselves towards the Haarbocht, […]
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