At the SIHH 2018, Piaget stole the show by smashing the world record for the thinnest mechanical watch after unveiling the Altiplano Ultimate Concept. Naturally, it was no surprise to see such an achievement from Piaget. Over the years, the brand has set numerous world records of thinness with automatic or manual movements. And records […]
Unveiled at the 2018 edition of the SIHH, the Baumatic was a welcome surprise from Baume & Mercier. This no-nonsense all-rounder watch, with an elegant design, was powered by the brand’s first manufacture movement with a 5-day power reserve, chronometer precision and superior magnetic protection – all for an affordable price. Following the introduction of a […]
The Portugieser (no longer referred to as Portuguese or Portugaise) is probably IWC’s most emblematic collection. With a history dating back to the late 1930s with the reference 325, this nautical-inspired and elegant watch has been equipped with all possible complications. However, over the last couple of years, there have been no time-only models in […]
Cartier expands its Santos timepiece collection with five very special limited-edition watches all bearing the names of the Brazilian aviator’s legendary flying machines. With such a colourful character like early aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont in your archives, it makes sense to capitalise on this particular chapter in Cartier’s history. The son of a wealthy Brazilian […]
The Elite Classic represents Zenith’s vision of the elegant dress watch. Being the less famous sibling of the El Primero movement, it was long overlooked. But earlier this year, the brand from Le Locle revealed its completely revamped take on the Elite. It was received with praise. As I happen to own the previous generation […]
There’s no denying the beauty and elegance of the watches produced by Urban Jürgensen, with the superb execution of their guilloché dials, the soldered teardrop lugs and the ultra-detailed hands. One of our favourite models here at MONOCHROME has always been the Big 8, which in steel is also the brand’s entry-level offer. Thin, classic […]
For many international watch enthusiasts, the name Grand Seiko refers to modern and innovative luxury watches – Spring Drive technology is largely responsible for this impression. The brand really started to communicate and sell outside of its home market only a decade ago, hence the association with “modern watchmaking”. However, there’s so much more to […]
Restarting The Collector’s Series was already in the planning for quite some time. Not easy with our small team, especially since part of the team is on the road a lot, so the current situation proved to be the right moment to reach out to some friends and ask them to participate. The reason why […]
When Jaquet Droz released a skeletonised version of its classic Grande Seconde in 2018 many of us were taken aback. Could the refined design of the Grande Seconde, the brand’s cornerstone collection inspired by a historic pocket watch of 1748, undergo such a risqué disrobing? Why would a brand with such a colourful history as […]
Glashütte Original watches are often very serious, sometimes a bit austere (in a good way actually, as it is part of their Saxon charm) and always beautifully executed. There’s no denying the instant quality feel of a watch produced by GO. A couple of years ago, the brand came up with a new concept known […]