In 2011, a small company was founded in the French Alps. That company was Prato Automobiles, and its goal was simple: create a French hypercar. On June 14, 2017, after several years of R&D, testing and countless hours on the track, Prato achieved that goal, unveiling its first model, Orage. To mark this significant milestone, […]
Hautlence tones down the colour and price of the HL Vagabonde 01, a watch inspired by satellite systems housed in the brand’s signature TV-screen case. Three fixed hour discs orbit around a revolving sapphire central minutes disc thanks to an automatic movement – calibre HTL 205-1 – based on sister company H.Moser & Cie’s HMC200. Housed in a titanium case, the Vagabonde 01 obeys Hautlence’s mission to present time in a novel, less conventional manner.
These days everybody’s scratching their heads trying to figure out how to create products that appeal to the “next” generation, aka millennials. Watch brands are certainly not immune to this and many are making a concerted effort to bring a touch of youth to their more traditional offerings. Among them is Glashütte Original. Over the past few years, the German watch manufacturer has been steadily introducing more contemporary versions of its classic models. Granted, not all have been hits but there are definitely a few stand-outs, including the new Senator Excellence Panorama Date and Moon watch that we are looking at today.
Collecting watches is hardly a full-contact sport, but there are perils for hapless buyers. As collectors we are victims of desire: we see pieces out in the wild or here on Monochrome-Watches.com and lust sets in. Getting new models is simple enough; you go directly to the boutiques that line the shopping districts of most major cities. What if your desire takes you beyond the new and pre-owned case into the realm of rare and vintage watches?
The segment of luxury sports watches remains an interesting and intriguing category in the world of watches. Since the very first luxury sports watch was introduced in 1972 – the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 5402ST – many brands have tried to enter this segment, most of them without the success they had envisioned. The watch we will be looking at today did succeed, and might just have superseded the immense success of the Royal Oak. I’m talking about the Patek Philippe Nautilus and today we’ll be looking at this extremely popular luxury sports watch.
Let’s face the reality. For the last few months, we’ve neglected the independent watchmakers… This was part of the DNA of MONOCHROME since its inception, so as a mea-culpa before the summer break, the redaction has decided to bring back some of these cool, unique and creative watches back under the spotlights. My choice of the day: a truly fascinating piece, the Sarpaneva K3 Northern Stars here presented with a completely unusual old-rose guilloché dial.
Renowned for its technical, modern and robust-looking watches, Oris started to introduce some vintage-inspired designs in its collections a few years ago, notably with the Divers Sixty Five collection. While the pilot’s watches hark back to the 1940s and the diving pieces play on the 1960s trend, the motorsport collection recreates the spirit of another era, […]
No need to hide the truth, the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic was one of the highlights of 2017 – if not the most impressive watch (ultra-complicated ones excluded) of the year. Not only it is ultra-thin, but it is also ultra-bold, modernly designed, inspired and innovative. Certainly, some created even thinner (that one) but not with the same stylistic audaciousness. Presented first in titanium, I thought I had found my perfect watch. But that was before Baselworld 2018 and the new Sandblasted Steel version. You think it doesn’t change much? Yes… and no.
Just like any other luxury industry, the watchmaking world is driven by trends. After a massive invasion of blue dials – a predominant trend over the last five years – brands are now trying to find new directions. One of them, slowly inching its way into the limelight, is the colour green. And if blue was already a difficult colour, which could easily result in a plain, boring watch, green is even more complex to master. Few have succeeded but one truly great example has been presented by Glashütte Original, with the Sixties 2018 Annual Editions. Comprising two models, including one with a larger case and a Panorama Date, it is the simplest of the two that caught my eye. Let’s look at it in detail.
Over the past few years, TAG Heuer has established a series of partnerships in the world of football/soccer: brand ambassadors (Mats Hummels…), championships (Premier League, LFP, LaLiga, Bundesliga, Major League Soccer…) and several clubs, including Manchester United, one of the most popular and successful sports teams in the world. Born 140 years ago, Manchester United has won 66 trophies including no fewer than 20 English league titles! For its third season as the team official timekeeper, TAG Heuer is launching two new special editions in the frame of the ‘Red Devils’ United States tour this summer: a Carrera Heuer 01 and a Formula One.