Monochrome
Last year marked the 85th anniversary of one of IWC Schaffhausen‘s most important collections, the Portugieser. Originally created in the late 1930s, the story of this wristwatch series begins with a special request from two Portuguese wholesalers, Rodrigues and Teixeira. They approached IWC with a simple but ambitious goal: to create a wristwatch with the […]
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Norqain, the young, independent Swiss brand, produces contemporary, adventure-oriented watches. Many of the brand’s most popular models belong to the Independence collection, including the high-tech carbon fibre Wild One, conceived in collaboration with Jean-Claude Biver, the Skeleton Flyback Chrono featuring a proprietary manufacture calibre, and Norqain’s first skeletonised model. In line with current market watch […]
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As a brand that takes great pride in the pursuit of Schönstes Deutsches Handwerk, translated as “the most beautiful German craftsmanship,” Moritz Grossmann is home to exquisite handcrafted dials. Giving old-school decorative techniques a contemporary twist, Grossmann proposes two new versions of its practical traveller’s GMT watch with hand-guilloché dials in lush summer colours. Moritz […]
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Since the debut of the Mirrored Force Resonance First Edition in 2022, which was an update of the revolutionary 2016 Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance, the brand has excited us with the Manufacture Editions in green and blue, and now introduces the Mirrored Force Resonance Ice Blue. This fresh interpretation combines the technical mastery of […]
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Some watches immediately grab your attention and interest, while some never seem to catch your eye. Others might be a bait-and-switch: you love it at first, but when you get your hands on it, the love affair is short-lived. I’ve had it happen with a Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical a while back. Loved it when […]
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Following the Defy Classic Skeleton Night Surfer (2021) and Defy Skyline Skeleton Night Surfer (2023), Zenith and Time+Tide now introduce the third and final chapter in their collaborative Surfer Trilogy. This latest limited edition, the Defy Skyline Skeleton White Surfer Ceramic, builds on the openworked aesthetic and mechanical architecture of the existing white Defy Skyline […]
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2025 is a celebratory year across the watch industry, with many brands marking anniversaries tied to their founding or the debut of important collections. Among them is Maurice Lacroix, which commemorates its 50th anniversary with the launch of the 1975 Legacy collection, a trio of refined, limited-edition timepieces that blend regional inspiration, contemporary design, and […]
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Rado’s long-standing connection with tennis has inspired a rich catalogue of special-edition timepieces that celebrate the sport in style. Over the years, the brand has released collectable models that nod to various facets of tennis culture through subtle design cues, commemorative engravings, and visual touches. From the 1998 DiaMaster ATP Tour and Roland Garros editions […]
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As of now, you certainly know everything there is to know about Rolex’s latest collection, a watch that made great noise during its presentation at Watches & Wonders 2025, the Land-Dweller. Quite a surprise, both visually and mechanically (mostly mechanically), the collection has been quite a hot topic of discussion, with divided opinions amongst the […]
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I have known Jérôme Lambert for longer than I want to admit. The man started his watchmaking career right there, at La Grande Maison, or the Watchmaker of Watchmakers. Lambert has already been CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre from 2002 to 2013, and he left his mark on the brand. Strong collections, focus on complications and high-end […]
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Cartier has consistently excelled in creating unconventional-shaped watch cases, beginning with the Santos Dumont and followed by the iconic Tank. Louis Cartier’s unusual source of inspiration for the cult 1917 Tank watch was a WWI armoured vehicle. Admiring the geometry of the Renault tank from above, Cartier adapted the lines of the armoured vehicle to […]
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Founded in 1882, Hanhart gained fame as a producer of stopwatches in the early 1920s, followed by Flieger chronographs for pilots in the late 1930s. Today, it is one of the go-to brands for retro pilot watches updated with contemporary materials and movements. The newest release captures the design of a 1960s chronograph that was […]
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Synonymous with luxury fountain pens, Montblanc expanded its portfolio to include watches in 1997, with aesthetics inspired by its famous Meisterstück pens. Intent on demonstrating its watchmaking credentials, Montblanc acquired the legendary Minerva manufacture and released the Nicolas Rieussec chronograph in 2007. An unusual chronograph with revolving registers and a fascinating history, the Nicolas Rieussec […]
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Batavi is a burgeoning microbrand in the Netherlands and no stranger to fresh designs with models like the Atelier and Architect, the latter being a slick integrated sports watch. Style and accessible pricing really define the brand, and the latest Marina Chronograaf collection is no exception. Four bi-compax chronographs with fun nautical colours are perfect […]
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The Louis Erard x Konstantin Chaykin Time Eater Tourbillon marks the evolution in the ongoing collaboration between the Swiss indie brand and master watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin. Building on the success of the previous “Time Eater” regulator models, part of Chaykin’s expressive Wristmons universe, the new model introduces a tourbillon with regulator display to the series […]
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How many times have you looked at a new watch and thought you’d do it differently? That’s something all of us, watch enthusiasts, do – yes, even at the office, we have our own ideas about some new releases. How many times have we read in the comment section, “the brand should ask its fanbase”, […]
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If you’re a returning reader of MONOCHROME or have been watching our video reviews on YouTube, you probably know that we tend to remain fairly neutral. Why? Because we believe you are wise enough to make your own judgement… But today, I’ll be a little biased, to say the least. After all, all the team members are […]
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As most of you might know as of now, Tudor is now deeply involved in cycling, not only as one of the sponsors of a team, but actually the brand is the sole sponsor of a racing crew, partnering with cycling legend Fabian Cancellara to create the Tudor Pro Cycling Team. Tudor unveiled a special […]
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Without a doubt one of the best value propositions on the market, the Khaki Field Mechanical collection has grown drastically in recent years. Inspired by vintage field watches made by the company – the Hamilton “Hacked” watch – it combines cool military looks with a fair price and undeniable flair. In addition to the base […]
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The unique story of Miffy and De Rijke & Co starts back in 2022, when Dutchman Laurens de Rijke, founder of his own watchmaking company, launched something very unexpected: the Miffy Moonphase. The iconic Dutch cartoon bunny is known and loved the world over, and carefully protected by a foundation honouring Dick Bruna’s (Miffy’s creator) […]
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They say black is slimming, and in watches, that’s no different. Black watches often look a touch more compact when side by side with their non-black counterparts. But there’s another side to the game other than just slapping on the colour black and calling it a day. Using black as a styling element can uplift […]
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Following Ferrari’s historic third win in a row at Le Mans last week, there was a lot more to talk about than pure racing. While the on-track action of the 2025 edition of the iconic French endurance race was thrilling from start to finish, there was off-track action that caught our fuel-induced attention! Of course, […]
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In the world of fine watchmaking, certifications have always played a reassuring role for clients regarding the quality of their beloved watches. Of course, COSC, the standard for chronometric certification, which is primarily focused on the precision of the watch, is the first to come to mind. But many other initiatives have surfaced over the years. […]
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Swiss watchmaker Arnold & Son is named after the 18th-century English watchmaker John Arnold, the ingenious inventor who popularised the expression ‘chronometer’ to describe his precision marine timekeepers. Before the advent of marine chronometers to determine longitude at sea, navigators relied on the position of the Sun, Moon and stars to determine their position. Astronomy, […]
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Today, we’ll be talking about one of the most discreet and yet most revered watchmakers of the independent scene, Svend Andersen. Born in 1942 in Denmark, Andersen later moved to Switzerland and started working for Gübelin, where he got the chance to repair some of the original worldtime watches, with Louis Cottier’s mechanism, before moving […]
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It will come as no surprise that the fourth instalment of Breguet’s 250th-anniversary celebrations honours Abraham-Louis Breguet’s most celebrated invention: the gravity-defying tourbillon. Following the Souscription, the Seconde Rétrograde and the Type XX Chronograph, the release of the latest celebratory watch coincides with the day and month Abraham-Louis Breguet obtained a patent for his tourbillon […]
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French brand Baltic has really been on a roll lately with several standout models, including the best-selling MR micro-rotor series, and the popular Hermétique Tourer field watch just got a fresh dose of summer colours inspired by the 1970s California vibe. While the design and specs haven’t changed, the new dial and strap colours really […]
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The year 1969 marked a before and after in watchmaking with the release of the world’s first automatic chronograph movement. Zenith’s El Primero calibre, a high-frequency integrated chronograph, was the first to cross the finish line. Initially used to power three models, the round A386, with its tri-colour counters, became the undisputed brand icon. In […]
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The small German town of Glashütte is steeped in watchmaking history, as we all know. No less than 12 brands, from high-end to more accessible, are nestled there, making it the historic and beating heart of German mechanical watchmaking. Being able to bear the town’s name on one’s dial is also something quite special, as […]
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The Conquest collection holds a rather special place in the history of Longines. It was Longines’ first collection to be trademarked – in 1954 with the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property. This was a pivotal moment for Longines as organising models by collection increased product identification. Since then, the name has remained and today […]
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