Having covered the watch and jewelry world as a journalist for more than three decades, I have had the great fortune of watching many start-up brands continue on to success. GoS Watches is one such brand. Highly unusual in its offerings, GoS Watches celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and in honor of that anniversary, the brand unveils its first timepiece dedicated to women: the GoS Sarek Lady.
As some of you might know (and we told you here, on Mono’), independent brand URWERK is celebrating this year its 20th anniversary. Hard to believe, but the baby has grown up to become an adult… Will that means becoming serious and void of creativity? Certainly not. This year, the brand presents the URWERK UR-105 CT Streamliner, a modern watch inspired by the earliy years of the creators, Martin and Felix. A look back over the shoulder, but not with nostalgia or regret.
The name Czapek, once famed as a partner of what would become Patek Philippe, came back to the forefront of the scene late 2015 with the elegant and well-thought out Quai des Bergues. The watch was awarded the public prize at GPHG 2016, one of the most (if not the most) meaningful industry award ceremony, which is no small achievement. The collection reflects the Czapek ethics to propose finely crafted classics whose understated style offers a distinctive twist and a distinctive character.
Recently at Monochrome, we re-discovered a brand that properly “flies under the radar” but that, believe us, has so much to offer: Urban Jürgensen. We already showed you some of their watches, including the 1140 collection, with exclusive movement (and even a hypertechnical detent escapement) or the Jules Collection. But what can you get for less than 13,000 Euro when you open the door of an Urban Jürgensen retailer? This is the question we’ll answer today, with the “entry-level” proposition, the Urban Jürgensen Reference Big 8. (spoiler alert… you’ll get a hell of a lot)
For those lovers of American horology, RGM has something very special going on in Mount Joy, PA, next month that you may not want to miss. The American brand, founded by watchmaker Roland Murphy in 1992, celebrates its 25th anniversary with an open house on September 15 and 16, 2017. Additionally, on Saturday the 16th, following the morning open house, visitors will join Murphy for a three-hour private tour of the nearby National Watch and Clock Museum (NAWCC) in Columbia, PA. There, RGM will unveil several new watches made to celebrate the quarter-of-a-century birthday.
Today, I have the privilege of introducing a new brand and watch from a man I’m proud to call a friend and fellow watch enthusiast; the Ming 17.01, from photographer extraordinaire Ming Thein. Simple, yet over-engineered and with a painstaking attention to detail, this new watch reflects the attitude and ethos of its designer and namesake. Plus, the price point will really give you something to smile about. Read on for all the details and to find out where you can get your hands on one.
Presented in 2016, the La Chaux-de-Fonds Tourbillon was named in tribute to the city where the brand was founded in 1902 by Paul Arthur Schwarz and Olga Etienne. After exploring some of their watches (such as the Tourbillon Seconde Retrograde) and the manufacture, we now go hands-on with this dial-side micro-rotor flying tourbillon watch.
If you’re looking for a great looking and very well priced watch, our ‘Value Propositions‘ will give you a lot to choose from. Apart from the usual suspects (the well known brands) these young start-ups often create watches that they would love to see themselves. And since the major brands do not offer the desired watch (either in terms of style/design and/or price) they give it a go themselves. However without funding they won’t make it, so platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo are ideal for these young entrepreneurs, who are often watch lovers before business men. So is the Polish based brand Balticus who are now launching two bronze dive watches through Indiegogo. One limited edition named the Big Wave, and one non limited edition named the Grey Seal.
You’re looking at what is quite possibly one of the most unusual watches I’ve ever strapped to my wrist, and I’ve worn quite a few in my time! The Timeburner, created by Miki Eleta and Marc Jenni, isn’t so much a timepiece as it is a lifestyle choice. Its industrial, steampunk style is not for the faint of heart or slim of wrist and yet there is so much more to this watch than first meets the eye. Join us as we take a deep dive into what makes this bad boy tick.
Laurent Ferrier is first and foremost a watch passionate and watch designer (he has spent 37 years at Patek Philippe, ending his career as creative director). He’s not one to show off or boast about his achievements, preferring instead to let his exceptional work speak for itself. Even then, he likes to keep things understated, at least on the dial side, ensuring the focus remains primarily on functionality and practicality (although the watches are gorgeous to look at too.) This year, however, he has finally bowed to the wishes of some of his passionate collectors and, for the first time ever, created a watch where the tourbillon is visible from the dial side – stocking for some, desired by others… Today, we’re going hands on with this beauty, which still features all the technical hallmarks of a wonderfully elegant Laurent Ferrier timepiece.