Monochrome
Having celebrated its 150th anniversary a few years ago, Bernhard H. Mayer is a watchmaking brand with numismatic roots in Germany. With the 4th generation of the family at the helm, the company is now headquartered in Biel Switzerland. The brand’s most recent novelty, the Wave Rider is a well-specced, robust diver with a twist. […]
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We often talk about trends in watches, as designs, materials and colours regularly follow the preferences of the public. Sometimes, though, these trends phase out very slowly or not at all. And when it comes to colour, that’s always a very enjoyable topic of debate. Take blue, for instance, which was at one point ‘the […]
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Combining a dive watch with a traveller’s function has become a classic over the years, offering immense versatility. At Bremont, this concept was personified for many years by the Supermarine S302 GMT Diver, but since the brand is currently restructuring its strategy and collection, many expected to see a new model occupying this specific niche. […]
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Jaguar is one of the great British car manufacturers, perhaps only rivalled by Aston Martin when it comes to style, class, and heritage. It started out as the Swallow Sidecar Company in 1922, making motorcycle sidecars before moving into the production of cars in the mid-1930s, with the first-ever car being the SS Jaguar 2.5L […]
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While I’m no expert on the subject of Mil-Spec watches, or military-related timing instruments in general, I do know instantly if I like a watch or not. And every now and then a watch comes along that wins me over with its first impression, only to be disappointed when I see it in real life […]
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This isn’t the first Belisar Chronograph Speedster from Union Glashütte, as models like the Limited Edition Electric Blue and Limited Edition Yellow were inspired by vintage German sports cars and rallies as well. The latest model by Union Glashütte features an asphalt grey dial with a red stripe, mimicking the colours of a specific Porsche […]
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The Polerouter is, without a doubt, one of the most emblematic watches ever created by Universal Genève. Not only was it designed by young Gérald Genta, but it was powered by an important micro-rotor movement and was a purpose-built watch created by request of SAS, asking Universal Genève to create a watch that could support […]
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Brellum was founded in 2016 by Sébastien Muller, a fourth-generation watchmaker who set up shop in Porrentruy, Switzerland. With a limited production of around 299 watches a year and an emphasis on chronometer-certified movements, Brellum’s policy of direct sales to avoid middlemen allows the brand to keep its prices in check. One of this independent […]
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In 2022, TAG Heuer introduced the Aquaracer Professional Solargraph, the brand’s first-ever solar-powered quartz model. This debut followed the release of the revamped Aquaracer Professional 200 series, featuring 40mm steel cases. The Solargraph retained the aesthetic and functional hallmarks of the Aquaracer line, quickly winning over TAG Heuer enthusiasts. Since its launch, several Solargraph variants […]
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While widely known as a China-made movement, the Seagull ST-19 chronograph has always been well-accepted by the watch community. It looks good, it has a tried-and-tested architecture (well, of course, being a copy of an old Venus 175), it has a classic combo of column-wheel and horizontal clutch and, mostly, it made it possible to […]
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Few watch designs offer the freedom to create a series of nearly identical-looking pieces that remain universally appealing, regardless of case size or dial colour. Nomos timepieces, defined by a beautiful simplicity rooted in Bauhaus principles, showcase this versatility nicely… Take for instance the Club Sport series. The sporty line was first introduced in a […]
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UK-based Beaucroft has launched its latest model, the Element 39.5 sports watch, which joins three prior collections in its portfolio. Unlike the existing watches that have a rather dressy aesthetic, the Element 39.5 takes a more rugged approach with an impressive depth rating and sporty design. It can be worn at the beach or during […]
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The 2024 edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève has just unveiled the grand winner of this year’s awards ceremony! Often regarded as the Oscars of Watchmaking, the GPHG stands for a celebration of all things surrounding mechanical watchmaking. A specially selected jury, which included our founder and editor-in-chief Frank Geelen, has narrowed down […]
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This is it, the 2024 Oscars of the Watchmaking industry, the so-called Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève or GPHG 2024, is about to begin and the best watches introduced during the year are about to be awarded. From ladies’ watches to chronographs and exceptional mechanical proposals, the entire spectrum of watch production is covered. For […]
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Moritz Grossmann (1826-1855) was one of the founding fathers of Glashütte’s proud watchmaking tradition. However, his death in 1855 marked the extinction of the brand that was acquired by watchmaker Christine Hutter in 2008. Having forged its own identity with 16 in-house calibres and a commitment to Schönstes deutsches Handwerk (the most beautiful German craftsmanship), […]
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The classic Reverso Chronograph, a watch initially presented in 1996, is a piece of great historical importance. It was the first manually wound integrated chronograph to be developed in the post-quartz era, marking the return to classic watchmaking. Last year, Jaeger-LeCoultre presented the Reverso Tribute Chronograph, a Duoface model looking back at this 1990s classic, […]
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Earlier this year, Tissot introduced a revised version of its classic 1960s watch, the PR516 Chronograph Mechanical. Stylish with just the right retro touch, well-proportioned, featuring a hand-wound movement and offered at an accessible price, it got very positive reactions from the watch community – and from us, too. Lo and behold, another model is […]
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Ulysse Nardin has legitimate, historical maritime credentials, supplying more than 50 navies and merchant marine companies with precision marine deck chronometers in the 1870s. Proud of its seafaring past, Ulysse Nardin is back in the official timekeeping helm of the legendary Vendée Globe single-handed, non-stop, non-assisted round-the-world sailing race. To celebrate its second partnership with […]
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A classic from Blancpain‘s range of sports watches, the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe is a sleeker and more daily-oriented vision of a dive watch. Available in a host of materials (titanium, gold or ceramic), in various sizes and with an array of complications, the brand now returns to classic functions with two new time-and-date editions and […]
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Time is relative… Not all cultures conceptualize time in the same way. With their newest métiers d’art series, Les Cabinotiers Le Temps Divin (the divine time), Vacheron Constantin explores the perception of time through the prism of different cultures. Nine one-of-a-kind creations invite us to travel to Ancient Greece, Asia and Japan. This new lineup follows last year’s […]
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Tutima, founded in 1927 in Glashütte, earned its wings with its famous 1941 Flieger flyback chronograph. Following the destruction of its manufacture and eventual relocation to the West, in 1984, it resumed its flight path with chronograph ref. 798, the official pilot’s watch for the German Air Force and NATO. Returning to Glashütte in 2011, […]
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With Patrik Sjögren, the Master Watchmaker at the helm and Conny Persson, the Bladesmith producing the intricate hand-forged Damascus steel, the Swedish watchmaking brand GoS continues to amaze. Infusing Scandinavian folklore, nature themes and traditional crafts into their creations, GoS watches are distinguished by their intricate patterns and story-telling details. The new GoS timepiece is […]
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Chronoswiss, founded in 1983 in Munich by the late Gerd Lang, acquired renown for the celebrated watchmaker’s regulator models and distinctive design language. Now in the hands of Oliver Ebstein, with headquarters in Lucerne, the brand’s traditional regulators have been given a 21st-century visual punch and reinterpreted with vivid colours and textures. Pushing the envelope, […]
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It’s a given that the vast majority of mechanical watches rely on round or circular cases to portray the passing of time. After all, it makes the most sense, right? Hands rotate in a circular motion, which leads to circular dials and cases. But what if you’re looking for a different vibe in a more […]
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Normally, I don’t get overly excited by an electric car, especially when talking about the run-of-the-mill electric SUVs that flood our streets these days. The lack of sounds, vibrations, the smell of gasoline being burnt… that sort of thing. But when a manufacturer takes one to the tracks or modifies it with that intent, things […]
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It is pretty impressive to see how Tudor’s Black Bay models have established themselves as more accessible options to the Rolex Submariner in a relatively short period of time without compromising on quality. But more than just being a more accessible Submariner, the Black Bay has gained its own status over the years, becoming an […]
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Bold colours have firmly established their place in high horology, with trends evolving nearly as swiftly as in fashion. Among these, a rich cherry red remains refreshingly unique – perhaps why Voutilainen’s atelier chose it to set apart the latest edition of the KV20i Reversed with its remarkable inverted movement. This cherry-themed model contrasts with […]
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Elka Watches is a relatively young brand built on a historical, defunct Dutch name, which was relaunched a couple of years ago by Hakim El Kadiri. Despite having no connection with the defunct Amsterdam brand, he wanted to pay tribute to the old Dutch brand and bring back the flair of the 1960s with modernised […]
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New watch micro-brands are created almost every day, with dozens of them surfacing and many disappearing as fast as they came. This is why we tend to be slightly selective about what we cover here on MONOCHROME. From time to time, however, one of these new ventures catches our attention, such as Tusenö, a relatively […]
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Switzerland-based luxury conglomerate Richemont Group has just issued its trading update for the six months ended 30 September 2024. The Group delivered an overall stable performance with flat sales at constant exchange rates and -1% at actual rates, at EUR 10.1 billion. At EUR 2.2 billion, profit is down 12% at constant rates and down 17% […]
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