Monochrome
The news has been kicking around for several weeks but is now official. The watch industry’s largest fair, Watches & Wonders, is growing again as it will welcome Bulgari and six other independent brands for its 2025 edition. This marks an important step for the Salon. As you might imagine, such decisions have been discussed […]
Monochrome
The Seiko Presage Craftsmanship Series is all about traditional crafts deeply inspired by Japanese culture. And this collection has resulted in some of the most appealing dress watches of the brand. With this collection, Seiko brings classic artistic crafts such as enamel, Arita porcelain, Urushi lacquer, and even combinations of arts such as guilloché and enamel at relatively […]
Monochrome
Presented in 1975, the Laureato was Girard-Perregaux’s proposal of a luxury sports watch with a fully integrated bracelet, a round dial with an octagonal bezel, a tonneau-shaped case and a quartz movement. Produced three years after the Royal Oak but well before the Nautilus, the Laureato resurfaced in 2016 with limited editions followed by serial […]
Monochrome
Baltic, the French brand founded in 2017, continues to expand operations with multiple new collections – such as the funky MR Roulette, the race-oriented Tricompax Tour Auto, or the rugged Hermétique – but also physical points of sales in Paris, London and New York. A strong departure from the online-only inaugural concept, which shows the […]
Monochrome
Probably one of the most emblematic pilot’s chronographs around, and an icon from the Breguet collection, the Type XX was revamped last year, with historic design cues and a high-end flyback movement. The comeback of this important and historically relevant model was made with two watches, one with military inspiration, the Type 20, and one […]
Monochrome
German brand Union Glashütte has a wide range of chronographs interpreted in different styles in its Belisar, Noramis and Averin collections. The latest Belisar Chronograph Sport is a new sub-collection which exchanges the more overt vintage styling of some former references for a more contemporary look and feel. Black is the key player of this […]
Monochrome
Why so serious…? This was somehow the idea Richard Benc had in mind when he decided, in 2020, to create his watch brand, Studio Underd0g. From there, the brand managed to gather the attention of watch enthusiasts with its fun, colourful watches at accessible prices – think about an April Fool’s joke becoming a reality, […]
Monochrome
Last week’s selection of novelties from Geneva Watch Days were our personal picks from everything new we’ve seen during our stay in the Swiss capital. Looking back at the list, we stand by our choices, but one thing stood out: all but one watch cost tens of thousands of euros, if not more. While that’s […]
Monochrome
Omega‘s involvement in sailing and regattas, whether as official timekeeper or provider of dedicated timepieces, isn’t to be demonstrated anymore. The brand backs entire crews, such as Emirates Team New Zealand, and times historic events such as the America’s Cup – for which it has recently announced the renewal of its role as the Official […]
Monochrome
Can you name the one driver that has won a Formula 1 championship, while driving his own car, and running his own F1 team? I’ll wait, and let you think for a moment… Just kidding of course, because hardcore fans of the sport will immediately gravitate to Jack Brabham, the three-time Formula 1 world champion from […]
Monochrome
The independent watchmaking scene is quite widespread, yet there are several key players who always seem to be in everyone’s spotlight and others who are not. One of the brands that, to me at least, operates a bit under the radar is Zeitwinkel. I’ve always had a soft spot for the brand’s contemporary designs paired […]
Monochrome
Paris-based brand Bell & Ross introduced its now-iconic BR-03 series in 2005 as a 42mm alternative to the larger 46mm square-shaped aeroplane dashboard instruments-inspired BR-01. Last year, the BR 03 collection – now the brand’s core offering – received a welcome update. The latest addition, the Bell & Ross BR-03 Horizon, is part of the […]
Monochrome
The Gumball 3000 is no ordinary car rally. Known for its high-octane blend of luxury, adventure and extravagance, the Gumball has captivated automotive enthusiasts since 1999. This iconic road rally, featuring supercars and celebrities, is an annual celebration of breaking boundaries and living life in the fast lane over a 3,000-mile journey. To commemorate this […]
Monochrome
Norqain reaches an important milestone in its relatively short lifespan with the introduction of its first flyback chronograph movement. Known as the calibre 8K, the movement was developed in partnership with AMT and makes its debut inside the brand’s Independence collection with a skeletonised dial. As a brand that designs watches for outdoor adventures and […]
Monochrome
Considering its position as the leader of the Swiss watch industry, it’s fair for Rolex to be the centre of all attention. As such, everything The Crown does is subject to comments, opinions and discussions. Every new model, something that’s happening most of the time only once a year, will be up to strong debates. […]
Monochrome
Rado is renowned for its pioneering use of scratch-resistant materials, starting with its 1962 DiaStar watch with a tungsten carbide case and culminating with its extensive use of high-tech ceramic since 1986. The brand is also synonymous with contemporary design-led watches like the True Square family launched in 2020 with its square high-tech ceramic case […]
Monochrome
Retracing the history of iconic watches has long been a fascinating yet difficult task. Things are even more complex regarding Rolex, a rather discreet company that has hardly ever communicated its history and the origins and evolution of its emblematic models. Retracing the history of a Rolex collection was until now a task for historians […]
Monochrome
Over the past few years, Swiss watchmaker Formex has managed to build quite a solid reputation by delivering impressive horological content for a fair price. While some focus on complications, Formex decided to create watches that are solid, resistant and mostly, packed with practicality. A very pragmatic approach centred around the user. This idea is […]
Monochrome
Created by Japanese watchmaker Citizen in 1989 as a brand to meet the needs of professionals working in the most challenging environments of the land, sea, and sky, Promaster has grown to a collection that includes over 30 different watches, all created with specific professional applications in mind. Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, Citizen […]
Monochrome
An important range for the brand, Zenith keeps enlarging its Defy collection. The name of the collection dates to Zenith’s 1902 line of robust pocket watches bearing the name ‘Defi’, which popped up again in 1969 to distinguish the toughest member of the first El Primero references known as the A3642. The Defy Skyline sub-collection appeared […]
Monochrome
ArtyA was founded by Yvan Arpa in 2010, making a name for itself with avant-garde models often incorporating unconventional materials like bullets or butterfly wings. However, over time, ArtyA has matured to produce more restrained and elegant skeletonised movements, often housed in transparent sapphire crystal cases and featured in the brand’s Purity collection. For Geneva […]
Monochrome
Seiko’s involvement in chronographs is far more prominent than many would imagine. While the brand’s significance regarding dive watches is indisputable, Seiko has also left its mark on stopwatches. Remember that in 1969, it was part of a trio that presented the first automatic chronograph movements with a watch named the Speedtimer. Last year, the […]
Monochrome
Montblanc pays tribute to Italian alpinist Reinhold Messner, one of the world’s greatest high-altitude mountaineers. As the first person to summit all the 14 eight-thousanders, Montblanc celebrates the legendary alpinist’s 80th birthday with a limited edition of the 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen. Offering world time and chronograph functions, the new crackled red dial is […]
Monochrome
Throughout the past years, we’ve had the privilege of disclosing a few breakout independent watchmakers, often through their first watch. Sometimes, though, we even get to see graduation watches, or ‘montre ecoles‘ up close and can showcase young talents even better. This time around, we are looking at someone in an even earlier stage of […]
Monochrome
If I were asked which is the most emblematic watch ever created by Sarpaneva, my answer would be immediate, resolute and irreversible. It has to be the Korona, and to be even more precise, the Korona K3 with its openworked dial and partially visible double-moonface underneath. First presented in 2008 by Finnish watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva, […]
Monochrome
An important name in the history of the Japanese watchmaker, King Seiko was, at some point, the incarnation of what the Daini Seikosha production site could do best and became a rival for Grand Seiko. The name fell into oblivion before returning in 2020 when Seiko Watch Corporation decided it was time to see King […]
Monochrome
Independent watchmaker and proper horologist Bernhard Lederer has once again captured the spotlight in recent years, with the horological community admiring and discussing his Central Impulse Chronometer series. This collection of wristwatches features a unique movement designed by Lederer, regulated by a high-accuracy escapement inspired by Breguet’s natural escapement and George Daniels’ independent two-wheel, dual-impulse […]
Monochrome
Possibly the most classic and timeless range of Longines, the Master Collection has long been slightly overlooked since its inception in 2005, maybe due to a rather shy design. Yet, in 2022 to mark the brand’s 190th anniversary, Longines gave this collection a highly appealing twist, with grained dials and engraved Breguet-like numerals, elevating this […]
Monochrome
Ralph Lauren’s colossal lifestyle emporium is an ode to his vision of laid-back luxury with products ranging from tableware to pinstripe suits and watches. The American designer’s iconic Polo shirt of 1972, with its equestrian polo player logo, would become one of the brand’s most universal products and a classic piece of America’s homegrown preppy […]
Monochrome
This year’s Geneva Watch Days was perhaps the hottest edition to date, both in actual daytime temperatures and in watches. With the thermometer hitting 30° Celius pretty much the entire week, we were impressed by the amount of genuinely innovative and creative watchmaking on display. From a skeletonized ultra-thin version of the Speake Marin Ripples […]
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.