Since its inception in 2010, the brand Laurent Ferrier and its signature watch, the Galet, have always been favourites of ours, here at Monochrome. The reasons for that are simple: the design, the elegance, the execution and mainly, the beauty of the movements. Over the years, the collection has seen some evolutions, the most significant …
After exploring the tourbillon, by improving it on all aspects (by adding inclination to the cage, by having not one but two or even four of them or by changing the usual one-minute rotation to a faster 24-second cycle), it was time for Greubel Forsey to focus their mechanical creativity on something different… The choice was made to give a new vision of one of the most traditional complications, the Perpetual Calendar. Launched 2015, the Greubel Forsey QP à Equation now receives a new Rhodium-Coloured Gold Dial.
Just a few days ago in London, Swiss watchmaker F.P. Journe, in collaboration with British gun-maker Holland & Holland, unveiled two new limited edition timepieces. The independent watchmaker is known for marching to the beat of his own drum, and these new pieces are no exception. In an unexpected twist, they feature stunning Damascus steel dials, crafted from the barrels of two antique Holland & Holland shotguns, dating from 1868 and 1882 respectively. Read on for all the details.
Few might know Kees Engelbarts here. It is true that is work will always remain confidential, however for very good reasons (that we’ll explain). He himself says that he can only produce 6 to 8 watches a year, all hand-made, unique, mostly commisioned pieces. But, believe us, Kees Engelbarts’ work must be discovered. His latest piece, the Psychedelic Tourbillon, is a perfect demonstration of what proper skeleton watches are.
Recently, MB&F announced the final edition of their most successful watch in the “Legacy Machine” Collection, a sort of farewell version of the LM1, with a stainless steel case and a brown dial, to close a 6-year story. But this watch was not intended to be seen as the end of the road, because, as ever Max Büsser and his friends had something new in mind, a new watch that could possibly replace the LM1 in the heart of collectors (if ever this watch needed to be replaced)… Here is the new MB&F LM SE – Legacy Machine Split Escapement – straight on the market in 4 different versions, and with a movement that has some stories to tell.
Only Watch 2017, the much-awaited 7th edition of the biennial fundraiser for research on muscular dystrophy, is fast approaching. Only Watch kicked-off their world tour in Monaco on the occasion of the Yacht Show before heading to Bangkok, Singapore, Dubai, Istanbul, Hong-Kong, Taipei, New York and Los Angeles. 50 one-of-a-kind watches will be auctioned by Christie’s in Geneva, Hotel des Bergues, on November 11th, 2017. Today, we take a closer look at the MB&F Horological Machine N°8 ‘Only Watch’, made with young artist Cassandra Legendre.
You may recall a few weeks ago we encouraged those in or visiting America to go out to Mount Joy, PA, for the 25th anniversary of American watch brand RGM. Some of you attended that weekend event on September 15 and 16, and from what we understand you were treated to not only a grand tour of the workshops but also the unveiling of three new RGM anniversary watches and a new RGM caliber. Among the watches:
This article first started its life as a classical review, as we like to do here, on Monochrome. However, as I was drawing it in my mind, I quickly understood that the Laurent Ferrier Montre Ecole was a perfect piece to do something slightly different, to write an article with a different structure. In fact, we often have questions about how high-end watches can cost such incredibly high prices. Well, today, by properly dissecting this Montre Ecole, I’ll tend to explain why a 3-hand watch in stainless steel can be priced CHF 35,000 – and indeed, it’s all about the smallest details…
MB&F has always been built around collaborations with other watchmakers/designers/friends. All about the brand turns around collaborations, which led to the creation, over the 11 years of existence of the brand, of some of the boldest watches of modern days. But not only… These joint-ventures also brought some ultra-cool pieces, such as music machines or timekeeping UFOs, a mix between art sculptures and table clocks. After Destination Moon, Balthazar or Melchior, all of them inspired by space and sci-fi, here is Octopod, the newest collab table-clock made with L’Epée 1839 – and this time we move into aquatic themes.
While mass-luxury can sometimes be loud and exuberant, proper high-end, exclusive and hand-made watches don’t need such profusion. As we always tend to demonstrate here, at Monochrome-Watches: “the devil is in the details”. A garde-temps can be apparently simple, almost minimalistic, and however, it can reveal splendid, yet almost invisible, details that make it far more precious than a diamond-paved, full gold watch. As we already reported, Urban Jürgensen timepieces are to be placed in such a category, and the new Reference 1142 with Grenage dials might even push the idea one step further.