independent watchmaking Archives - Page 140 of 158

Hands-On – Werenbach Earth collection, Made From Real Soyuz Rocket Parts

The world of Kickstarter goes above and beyond to try to lure us out of our hard-earned bucks. Projects left, right and center, get launched every day. But every now and then, a project comes along that is, well, out of this world! Pun intended obviously, as the Werenbach Earth collection is made from parts of a salvaged Soyuz MS-02 and MS-04 rocket! So yes, your dial has actually left this earth, possibly orbited it depending on the model you order, and then plummeted back down to land on your wrist (sort of, eventually). The campaign was hugely successful as it’s the most funded project on Kickstarter from Switzerland yet!

Introducing – Laurent Ferrier Galet Regulateur (Specs & Price)

Right after the SIHH 2017, I spent a few hours to write what I can call a “love letter“. This letter was addressed to a man (and his team of course) for whom I have a lot of respect and affection, Mister Laurent Ferrier. The subject of this letter was his latest creation, the Galet Micro-Rotor “Montre Ecole”. Yes, no need to say more, I loved this watch. Based on the same superb case and movement, the brand now introduces a new complication, classical and historically relevant (of course) with the Laurent Ferrier Galet Regulateur.

First Look – Ophion Introduce Their New OPH 786 (And What A Cool Watch It Is)

The story of the brand Ophion shouldn’t be new to you, in case you’re a frequent reader of Monochrome. Indeed, we introduced it to you, and we even gave away one of their first watches, the OPH 960. However, don’t be fooled by the youngness of the brand, as less than 2 years after their first iteration, a new watch is coming – and we have it for you here, quite exclusively. Here is the Ophion OPH 786. It’s cool, it’s superbly done, the content is simply impressive for the price, there’s a new movement… Everything to fall in love.

Schwarz-Etienne Roma Power Reserve with In-house Movement and Balance Spring

Schwarz Etienne, the brand has been flying a bit under the radar for the past few years, however there are some very legitimate reasons why the brand deserves a closer look. Take for instance their own in-house developed and manufactured movement, and the fact that they are one of the few Swiss manufacturers who actually make their own balance springs! We go hands-on with the Schwarz Etienne Roma Power Reserve.

Introducing the MB&F HM6 Alien Nation – 4 Unique Pieces (that are already sold)

With MB&F you always have to be prepared for the unexpected. Their Horological Machine 6 (HM6) is a horological UFO (Unidentified Flying Object). Of the latest version, Alien Nation, they created four unique pieces and they live up to the name. For collector’s there good news and bad news, and you decide whether it’s good or bad. The news is that, if you planned to spend half a million USD on a new MB&F watch, these four unique version of HM6 won’t kill your savings; all four unique pieces have already been sold… to one collector!

Full-frontal – AkriviA AK-06, the brand’s first non-tourbillon – Hands-on with Live Photos, Specs and Price

A few years ago, Rexhep Rexhepi took center stage in the world of watchmaking, when he launched his own brand AkriviA. A young gun, 27 years of age at that time, who came out with a strikingly sexy Tourbillon Monopusher Chronograph. It was almost unheard of. Since that first creation we’ve seen several other stunning pieces, including the Chiming Jump Hour, all featuring a tourbillon movement. For Baselworld 2017 though, they launched their first non-tourbillon watch: the hand-wound AK-06!

A Classic Watch, with a Twist – The Speake-Marin Resilience

Finding a great dress watch, it seems, is a never-ending challenge. On the one hand, you want a watch that complements your outfit and stands out, but at the same time doesn’t draw too much unnecessary attention to itself. It needs to be different enough to set you apart from every other person in the room wearing a nice suit and a (insert major brand name here) watch on their wrist, but still have a sufficient degree of brand recognition so you’re don’t have to spend the entire night explaining to people why it’s a nice watch. The Speake-Marin Resilience in 18k red gold doesn’t quite satisfy all these criteria, but it does come close.

4 Details Not To Be Missed On The New Urban Jürgensen 1140RG (Showing Real Hand-Made Techniques)

Every brand, at least those with a historical background, does have its own hallmarks, so-to-say those unmistakable signs that create a DNA, which helps people to identify a watch from a certain brand. For some, it is the shape of the case or a hand, for others it could be the complication used. For one brand, Urban Jürgensen, these are small details, however with such a level of execution that they deserve an entire story in this magazine – something that we’ll try to illustrate with the latest addition to the catalogue, the superb 1140RG in Rose Gold with a dark brown dial.

Introducing The Anura Rafael Write Time – A Fountain Pen, A Wristwatch & A Tourbillon Combined

Recently I had a chance to preview one of the most intriguing objects that I have seen in quite a while; the Anura Rafael Write Time. I call it an object because the Write Time doesn’t quite fit into one category. An incredible display of craftsmanship, it’s a fountain pen that transforms into a watch, or a watch that transforms into a fountain pen, depending on your perspective. Semantics aside however, it is an utterly fascinating example of unbridled creativity and artistic expression combined with the technical know-how required to execute such an ambitious project.

The Dive Watch From The Far North – The S.U.F. Helsinki Vetehinen By Sarpaneva

Rough, cold, with a unique character and surprisingly though, fascinating… This description, which you might imagine being dedicated to this contrasting country that is Finland, will be equally relevant when talking about the new S.U.F. Helsinki Vetehinen, the brand’s first dive watch. A Finnish watch made by Finnish watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva, playing with the codes and transposing them in his unique universe, resulting in a watch that simply feels different, in a very good way.

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Category: independent watchmaking