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Next to the vintage-inspired Legend Diver collection, the Longines HydroConquest is a more utilitarian, robust, classic diver, with water-resistance up to 300 metres, a unidirectional, external rotating bezel, a screw-in crown and a screw-down caseback. Following the introduction of the practical, versatile and mostly visually appealing HydroConquest GMT last year in a 41mm case, Longines […]
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While we’re not here to re-do the story of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, we must remember that we’re talking about one of the most important watches ever. Created back in the mid-1950s and one of the first purpose-built modern dive watches, it has, together with a couple of other timepieces, established the fundamental technical and […]
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While Scandinavia is not necessarily the birthplace of mechanical watchmaking, there’s quite a list of names that have emerged from the northern European countries that exhibit great craftsmanship and creativity. Think of individuals such as Stepan Sarpaneva, Kari Voutilainen, or GoS’ Patrik Sjögren, but also the young and upcoming Danish watchmaker Rune Bakkendorff. Next in […]
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When Bernhard Lederer debuts his Central Impulse Chronometer in 2020, it didn’t go unnoticed. Here we had an esteemed independent watchmaker launching a watch with a double escapement inspired by George Daniels’ Independent Double Wheel Escapement pocket watch. Not only did Lederer use it as inspiration, but he also aimed to smooth out its driving force […]
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Since the 1970s, Yema has been partnering with various branches of the French defence force as an official supplier of timing instruments. This longstanding partnership encompassed various iterations of Yema’s iconic Superman dive watch, which could be found on the wrists of Helicopter Rescue Divers as well as French Air Force Pilots. Expanding its collection, […]
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On one side is Maurice Lacroix, a serious brand with a strong position in the accessible luxury watch segment, but also some serious watchmaking skills with its Masterpiece range. On the other side is Label Noir, a Geneva-based customisation atelier in operation since 2011, with an exciting portfolio – which also happens to include a […]
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MB&F; undertook its maiden voyage into the galaxy of women’s watches with the launch of its Legacy Machine Flying T in 2019. After 14 years of masterminding complex watches for men, Max Büsser’s Legacy Machine Flying T flaunted all the attributes associated with MB&F; watches but in a more feminine format – or even a […]
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While we all very well know who created the luxury sports watch segment, and what was the first sporty-chic watch with integrated bracelet, it must be said that other iconic models came on the market soon after. Following the 1972 Royal Oak, 1976 saw the introduction of the Nautilus and 1977 the launch of the […]
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It isn’t the first time we’re talking about the Mido Ocean Star GMT. It’s not even the first time we’re talking about a special edition of this model. Nothing dramatic here, since this accessible and robust watch is one of the best examples of a true GMT watch in this price range. And it also […]
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A veteran of the Swiss industry, Dominique Renaud joins forces with a young independent watchmaker, Julien Tixier. They aim to revisit fundamental principles of mechanical watchmaking and micro-mechanics introducing innovative solutions. The first opus of this newly created brand Renaud Tixier reimagines a classic of fine watchmaking, the micro-rotor, with an auxiliary mechanism to enhance […]
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For most watch enthusiasts, Citizen is probably best known for its wide range of affordable quartz, solar-powered and mechanical watches. Watches like the Promaster series, for instance, have been fan-favourite models for years. More recently, the Tsuyosa collection made quite an impact for its honest yet compelling proposition. There is one collection that, however, delivers […]
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Watches come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from very affordable to very expensive and everything in between. Throughout our weekly Buying Guide search to group together a selection of watches with a common theme, we thought it was time to take a look at some of the classiest watches you can buy at the […]
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There was a time in Formula 1 racing where not one, not two, not three but pretty much half the field had the talent and material to compete for race wins, and thus the championship. During the 1970s, a time that’s considered the golden age of F1 racing, many stars rose to the top. Think […]
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Union Glashütte might be one of the lesser-known brands of the Swatch Group, but it is nevertheless one that has recently caught our attention, and for very good reasons. It shouldn’t be overlooked. Headquartered in the small town of Glashütte, Germany, close to sister brand Glashütte Original (also owned by Swatch), UG acts in a […]
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A venerable brand that was slightly dormant for about a decade, Vulcain is sort of a hidden gem that has long been recognized as the specialist of the alarm watch – a niche concept but one that has to be kept alive. However, for the past couple of years, Vulcain has been revived and now […]
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At MONOCHROME, we are always delighted to discover and present new watchmaking projects. Founded by renowned Geneva-based dial maker, Atelier Olivier Vaucher, and watchmaker Olivier Gaud, TAOS emerges as a new independent watchmaking brand dedicated to métiers d’art and artistic crafts. Each of their watches is one-of-a-kind. The brand debuts with an inaugural collection of […]
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Five months in as CEO of one of the most luxurious watch brands, Audemars Piguet, Mrs Ilaria Resta offers her view on the current market and how she sees the future of the esteemed Le Brassus-based Maison. Dressed in a green suit with a 38mm purple dial Code 11:59 on the wrist, Italian-Swiss Ilaria Resta […]
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Founded in 2008, March LAB is run by three close friends – Alain Marhic, Jérôme Mage and Joseph Châtel. With CEO Marhic rooted in Biarritz and Creative Director Mage based in Los Angeles, the fusion of French horological heritage and LA design culture is evident in March LAB timepieces. While vintage influences permeate their creations, […]
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Mido has done a commendable job updating its Multifort collection to 21st-century technical standards and contemporary tastes. As the brand’s best-selling automatic model from 1934, boasting resistance to magnetism, shocks and water, the refreshed Multifort M is a rugged, accessibly priced, all-terrain watch powered by Swatch Group’s Powermatic 80 movement. An attractive new dial colour […]
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Introduced over 10 years ago (time flies…), Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo collection has become one of the most successful sagas in recent watchmaking history. Not only did these watches break one record for thinness after another, but they also redefined the concept of the ultra-thin watch with a contemporary design and a casual attire. For the […]
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The roots of Chopard trace back to 1860 when Louis Ulysse Chopard founded his company in Sonvilier, Switzerland. The Scheufele family took over the company in the 1960s. Under their stewardship, Chopard experienced a renaissance and evolved from a traditional watchmaking company into a globally renowned luxury brand. Chopard is a vertically integrated, family-owned company, […]
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Since the launch of the Diastar, the world’s first scratchproof watch made from ultra-resilient tungsten carbide in 1962, Rado has become a byword for high-tech materials, especially high-tech ceramic. In tune with the latest trend for skeletonisation, Rado has issued a host of openworked models, ranging from golden oldies like the Captain Cook and Diastar […]
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Baltic is a brand that needs no introduction to our loyal audience. Despite its youthfulness in the industry (first models in 2017), it stands out remarkably among its peers (call them microbrands) in the same price range. Drawing inspiration from classic designs of the 1940s to 1960s, the brand doesn’t reinvent the wheel but consistently […]
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The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF collection features three remarkable timepieces that aim to unravel the complexities of various calendar complications that pay tribute to the rich cultural and historical significance of different “tools to organize days”. The collection includes the complete Chinese Xiali calendar, the Western Gregorian calendar, and the Islamic Hijri calendar. The Hijri […]
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Genus, an independent brand hailing from Geneva, is the brainchild of Catherine Henry and Sébastien Billières. In 2007, Sébastien Billières co-created GMTI, a company specialising in manufacturing of ‘Geneva Seal’ movements for brands, and gained broader recognition in 2019 with the highly acclaimed Genus GNS1, featuring an exotic time display. Fast forward five years, and […]
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Last week, we covered most of the new models introduced by Audemars Piguet, as part of the 2024 collection – which included a new ROO time-and-date, a handsome new alloy named Sand Gold and a striking collab watch with John Mayer. There is one watch that we’ve kept away for now, but it’s a stunner. […]
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The pandemic has opened the door to countless opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs. Thomas Fleming, an avid American watch collector, saw his dream of starting his own independent watch brand take shape during this time. To make this project a reality, Fleming brought together an impressive cast of Swiss partners, including renowned independent watchmaker Jean-François Mojon […]
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Made to be used and abused… This could be the definition of an outdoor, adventure-ready car (a Defender, for instance, the old one), or for that matter, of a proper tool watch. Recently, the team at Fratello, our fellow Dutch watch editors, asked the question of what makes a great tool watch? For them, it’s […]
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Founded in 2014 by two friends from university, Gustave & Cie. is a relatively new French watch brand offering a “more zen vision of time” with its mono-hand watches simultaneously indicating the hours and minutes. Named after Gustave Eiffel, the latest collection from Gustave & Cie. of single-handed, 24-hour watches has been christened Paul, after […]
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Whenever we compile lists for our weekly Buying Guide, we tend to look at common denominators between watches. One such element can be colour, material, a complication or even a price point. As suggested by one of our readers, we are now looking at sporty-chic watches on stainless steel bracelets priced under EUR 3,000. After […]
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