Independent Watchmaking – GoS Sarek Sunset and Sunset Glacier – Emulating the Beauty of Nature with Luminous Mother-of-Pearl

Johan Gustafsson and Patrik Sjörgen, founders of GoS Watches, create watches that encapsulate their passion for Scandinavia’s Viking past  and the natural beauty of Sweden’s landscape. As unique as they are unusual, GoS watches are a far cry from the minimalist aesthetic we tend to associate with Scandinavian design. Ahead of Baselworld 2019, GoS introduces […]

7 years ago

Introducing – Holthinrichs Watches RAW Ornament – 3D Laser Printed Case and Concrete Texture

Regular readers of MONOCHROME might remember the name of Michiel Holthinrichs, the Dutch designer who combines traditional mechanical watchmaking with cutting-edge 3D printing.  By introducing 21st-century technology into the mix, Holthinrichs is able to create highly specialised designs, reduce costs,  and explore the potential of his revolutionary method. His first watch, Ornament 1, featured a […]

7 years ago

Hands-on – Romain Gauthier Prestige HMS Stainless Steel and Meteorite

Romain Gauthier is, without doubt, one of the top watchmakers when it comes to decoration – check this… you’ll understand. His watches are mechanically fascinating, rare and his level of expertise in movement’s finishing, in the traditional “Vallée de Joux” style, undeniable. Mouthwatering material for seasoned collectors. Today, the man unveils its latest watch, based on the (apparently) simple Prestige HMS, and for the first time crafted in stainless steel. Don’t believe in compromises though, as the execution of the dial and the movement compensate entirely. Meet the HMS Stainless Steel and Meteorite.

7 years ago

Review – Weiss 42mm Limited American Issue Field Watch – Including an American-Made Movement

Most watches that really spark my interest have either Swiss or German roots, but on rare occasions, a piece will surface from an unlikely place. I recently reviewed the Classic Enamel PS-801-CE from American watchmaker, RGM (based in Pennsylvania) and I’m always impressed with the company’s in-house calibres and old-school craftsmanship. America was once a hotbed for watchmaking with brands like Hamilton, Waltham, Elgin, Ingersoll and Westclox, but acquisitions, bankruptcies and European competition have all but shut down American production. While RGM represents a resurgence of American watchmaking with several in-house calibres, a much younger company in Los Angeles has been producing an in-house movement since 2016. Weiss Watch Company has only existed for a few years and initially relied on Swiss movements for American-made cases, but their in-house Calibre 1003 has made them a bonified American watch brand. Let’s take a closer look at the Weiss 42mm Limited American Issue Field Watch, designed and manufactured in the United States.

7 years ago

Hands-on – HYT H0 Time is Precious – Representing the Inexorable Flow of Time

The HYT H0 Time is Precious watch encapsulates a powerful philosophical message. Similar mechanically and structurally to other members of the H0 family, the “Time is Precious” model is unlike anything we have seen before at HYT and ventures down a more artistic path to represent the fundamental philosophical musings that inspired the brand to […]

7 years ago

Hands-on – De Bethune DB25 Starry Varius Chronomètre Tourbillon

Bringing together technical, aesthetic and conceptual creativity, De Bethune watches are definitely in a class of their own. Among the brand’s latest creations, the DB25 Starry Varius Chronomètre Tourbillon was awarded the 2018 chronometry prize at the prestigious GPHG last November… We already enjoyed the non-tourbillon version, but it had been a while since we had been hoping to go hands with this complex version of the star-studded timepiece.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Speake-Marin One&Two Openworked Dual Time – Classical Meet Technical

Following in the footsteps of the successful time-only One&Two Openworked model launched in 2017, Speake-Marin unveiled its latest One&Two Openworked model with a dual time function and a retrograde date display at the SIHH 2019. The new Dual Time model builds on the brand’s base SMA01 calibre with two new complications and steers the design codes into a more contemporary direction with an intrepid combination of classic details and defiantly technical elements.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Speake-Marin One&Two Openworked Dual Time – Classical Meets Technical

Following in the footsteps of the successful time-only One&Two Openworked model launched in 2017, Speake-Marin unveiled its latest One&Two Openworked model with a dual time function and a retrograde date display at the SIHH 2019. The new Dual Time model builds on the brand’s base SMA01 calibre with two new complications and steers the design codes into a more contemporary direction with an intrepid combination of classic details and defiantly technical elements.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Schwarz Etienne Fiji Floral Seconds – Designed By a Woman for Women

Tapping into four prevailing trends on the watch scene – women’s growing interest in mechanical watches, dynamic dials, interchangeable watch straps and personalisation options– Schwarz Etienne unveiled its first ladies’ watch, the Fiji Floral Seconds, during the Geneva Watch Week this month. Designed by a woman for women, and not a downsized existing men’s model […]

7 years ago

Buying Guide – 4 New Models by Independent Watchmakers

As the SIHH 2019 excitement settles down, we take a look at four watches unveiled by independent watchmakers in January 2019, as an aside to the Geneva-based watch fair. Creativity, boldness of the shapes and colours, beauty of the mechanics… The independent watchmaking scene remains full of surprises.

7 years ago