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Now that we’re in countdown mode for the holiday season, here’s a watch for those with a passion for pilot-themed action-packed watches lucky enough to be wintering in Zermatt. Hamilton’s Khaki Aviation collection, where you’ll find vintage-inspired pilot’s watches and state-of-the-art flight instruments, is home to the X-Wind Auto Chrono, an impressive tool watch bristling […]
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A couple of weeks ago we did a rundown of what we felt are some of the best dress watches for the festive season. A time when we get together with our loved ones to celebrate, enjoy, and take a little break from our daily concerns. While a dress watch certainly seems like a fitting […]
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As one of the oldest brands in the business, UK-born AC Cars can look back at quite an incredible history. A history that spans two continents really, as the foundation of one of the most prolific sports cars, the Shelby Cobra, was very much laid in London, England. Through several financial troubles, however, the company […]
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Since 2010, Ressence has slowly been paving the way for its unique way of indicating time, and the result is a highly recognizable brand with some pretty odd techniques. When Benoît Mintiens started his brand some 14 years ago, he had a strong vision of what he wanted to create regarding ergonomics and legibility. Essential […]
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As you know, we rarely talk about auctions on MONOCHROME. We prefer to focus on what we know best: independent watchmaking, explaining fine mechanics and talking about new watches. Yet, from time to time, something sparks our interest – and in the present case, it did on a personal level, maybe due to a certain […]
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Whether you appreciate or not the styles and designs, which can sometimes be very striking, Artya, the brainchild of Yvan Arpa, is one of the most creative brands around – even though recently, the Stairway to Heaven collection has proved less polarising. Not shy of using unconventional materials for his cases and dials, Arpa is […]
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Launched about 15 years ago but for a long time reserved exclusively for the Japanese market, the Citizen Series 8 made its entrance to the world back in 2021 with the 870, 830 and 831 models. A range of modern, daily oriented sports watches with a trendy angular style, the collection has grown with seriously […]
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Bovet’s watchmaking universe is characterised by incredibly complex timepieces staged with dramatic flair and decorated to unparalleled standards. Founded in 1822, Pascal Raffy breathed new life into Bovet to create a highly niche connoisseur brand. While classical complications and centuries-old decorative techniques abound, Bovet is no stranger to the potential of sapphire crystals and luminescence […]
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Following a drastic change of strategy in recent years, Louis Vuitton‘s watchmaking division is being primed to become a serious player. As part of the new strategy, Arnault has taken the flagship Tambour watch, launched in 2002, and revisited it as a luxury sports watch, while the Louis Vuitton Escale was reintroduced as a time-only […]
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It has become a pretty recurring thing for Omega to release new models, or at least new editions of existing watches, with very little or no fanfare. While this has happened in the Planet Ocean and Speedmaster collections, it’s mostly the Aqua Terra family that sees these discreet releases dropping regularly. Following the addition of […]
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Recently, we’ve introduced a rather promising all-rounder watch coming from the North, the Windseeker made by a young Swedish micro-brand named Tusenö Watches. On paper, everything seemed good: nice design, an extensive list of specs, a pleasant blend of casualness and refinement, a Swiss movement and a truly attractive price. But that was on paper. […]
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If you’re reading this article and MONOCHROME on a regular basis, you should certainly all about the tourbillon, this device where the regulating organ is placed in a constantly rotating cage, counteracting the negative effect of gravity. But we have to keep in mind that the tourbillon, conceived and patented by Breguet in 1801, was […]
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For its latest collaboration watch, NYC-based design studio Massena LAB is teaming up with venerable, alarm-specialist watchmaker Vulcain, bringing its own take on an emblematic model, the Cricket Nautical. This watch, which relied on the brand’s signature chiming complication, was one of the first of its kind, merging diving credentials with the alarm feature that […]
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Typically, Urwerk leans heavily on darker tones for its case designs, with few exceptions, such as the EMC Time Hunter in its Stormtrooper-like white ceramic. However, the new Urwerk UR-230 Polaris marks another bold and refreshing departure. With a case crafted from a ceramic-based white composite, this release feels surprising and perfectly natural, expanding the […]
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It’s evident that Mido has its ear to the ground and is receptive to feedback from its customers. The Mido Multifort TV Big Date has been a resounding success that appeals to fans of retro-style watches with its large 1970s TV-shaped case and big date feature at noon. Recently, Mido introduced a smaller 35mm version […]
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Fifteen years of Armin Strom… witnessing how far they have come in one-and-a-half decade is more than impressive. Claude Greisler and Serge Michel took over the watch business from Mr. Armin Strom, who had made a name for himself as a specialist in hand-skeletonizing. Claude and Serge had a different ambition: to put their own […]
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While the Speedmaster started its life as a racing chronograph destined to measure average speeds (hence its name), it quickly changed vocation when, during the 1960s, it became the watch of choice for US Air Force pilots and, of course, NASA astronauts. From there, the Speedmaster became one of the most famous pilot’s chronographs and […]
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The Unitas, known under the names ETA 6498 and 6497 (depending on its configuration, Lépine or Savonette), is without a doubt one of the most important and most long-lasting movements of the Swiss industry. This simple, no-nonsense but reliable hand-wound movement has been produced since the 1950s, yet originates from classic pocket watch calibres. Often […]
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In September this year, Grand Seiko unveiled a rather striking new model, the Icefall SBGH347. Not only did this watch come with a new dial pattern and a stunning colour, but it also celebrated an important milestone in the brand’s history, the launch in 1998 of the purely mechanical 9S series. This initial Icefall watch […]
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In the world of watches, the crystal is one of the most crucial yet often overlooked components of a timepiece. This thin transparent cover protects the dial from dust, moisture, and external damage while allowing clear visibility of the watch’s timekeeping functions – and, in many modern watches, its movement, too. Over the years, watchmakers […]
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Blancpain’s longstanding tradition of calendar complications stood it in good stead when it approached the complexities of fusing elements from Chinese and Gregorian calendars to produce the Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar in 2012. Celebrating the Chinese New Year that kicks off on January 29, 2025, the latest Villeret welcomes the Year of the Wood Snake. […]
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Yema, a French watchmaking brand based in Morteau, in the Jura region near the Swiss border, continues to improve its historic Superman diving collection, much to the delight of those familiar with the brand and those only beginning to discover its offer. Following the recent introduction of the Superman Slim, equipped with a micro-rotor calibre […]
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In our fascinating little bubble of mechanical watchmaking, attention often goes to high-dollar watches, and most of the time, that’s for a perfectly logical reason. The arms race in complexity is partly to blame, as brands try to outdo one another for the sake of winning over the public. But adding a complication on top […]
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What do you go for if you want a genuinely fast 2+2 sports car but with a bit of extra boot space for your weekend getaways? Any suggestions? I’ll spare you the pressure of coming up with one, as I already have the answer lined up for you: the Brabus Rocket GTS. It’s spacious enough for four plus […]
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Some of the most spectacularly finished watches come from Lang & Heyne, a small high-end watchmaker from the outskirts of Dresden. Especially the Anton Manufaktur Edition, with its tourbillon that seems to float in thin air, is a feast for the eye. We visited Lang & Heyne to give you a view inside the manufacture.
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When it was first presented in 2017, the Black Bay Chrono generated mixed emotions. The good ones came from the overall performance and fairly reasonable price (considering the whole package), as well as the unexpected industrial alliance with Breitling. Others pointed out the rather uninspired design of the inaugural edition as well as the strange mix […]
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Artist and designer Samuel Ross is back at work with Hublot. A tradition for the brand over its 44 years of existence, Hublot has collaborated with many contemporary artists like Richard Orlinski, Maxime-Plescia-Buchi, Murakami and Daniel Arsham. Marking the third time the Swiss brand has worked with Samuel Ross, both parties bring back the bold, […]
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David Candaux, an independent watchmaker and member of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI) since 2019, is regarded as one of the most talented creators in contemporary horology. To understand and appreciate his work, it is important to remember his professional journey and the philosophy that infuses his timepieces with unique character, and the […]
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Founded just eight years ago by Etienne Malec, Baltic has gone from strength to strength with its attractive designs. Relying on outsourced movements assembled in France, Baltic sells its watches directly online at genuinely competitive prices. Baltic’s neo-vintage models are particularly successful, including the Hermétique Tourer, a field watch with compact dimensions and a surprising […]
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It was only two weeks ago that Omega finally released the long-awaited watch spotted on the wrist of Daniel Craig during the Paris 2024 Olympics, the no-date edition of the emblematic Seamaster Diver 300M. While keeping the technical formula of the classic date Seamaster Diver 300M alive, these new editions – there were two, the […]
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