Sunday Rewind: The Why Of Water Resistance
How low can you go?
Buying Guide – High-End Traveller’s Watches That Go Far Beyond the GMT Hand
We’ve said it on many occasions at MONOCHROME. A traveller’s watch, whether a simple GMT piece or a more complex world timer, is a must-have for enthusiasts and certainly one of the most practical functions you can think of in watchmaking. We all love a nice hand-wound chronograph, we can dream in front of a […]
HANDS-ON: The Hublot 40 Years Anniversary Black Ceramic
It’s hard to believe it’s been four decades since the inception of arguably the most disruptive and provocative watchmaker in modern history. But we are indeed celebrating their 40th birthday and their first-ever watch – the Classic Original, otherwise known as the OG gold watch with a rubber strap. To commemorate the milestone, Hublot has unveiled a trilogy of 40 Years Anniversary watches in three different materials that it has championed in horology – gold, ceramic and titanium. And while these watches are virtually identical, the different case materials mean that each has a very different personality. We’ve been fortunate enough to spend some time with all three examples, but this story will focus on what has to be the most under-the-radar iteration – the Hublot 40 Years Anniversary Black Ceramic. The case As we’ve come to expect from modern Hublot timepieces, the case of this limited edition watch is not small. We’re talking 45mm across and about 13mm thick. Despite these XL measurements, the watch doesn’t feel very weighty or ungainly on the wrist, and that’s down to the liquid cool, silky smooth polished ceramic case, which is contrasted by a satin-brushed ceramic bezel and end links. The…
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HANDS-ON: The Bausele Vintage 2.0 Hybrid SmartWatch blends past and present
For many around the world, one of the unexpected side effects of a global pandemic is spending a lot more time on the couch watching Netflix. And if that’s something you can relate to, then you have probably watched (or at least been recommended to watch) The Social Dilemma, a documentary about the addictive elements of social media and how each platform is structurally designed to retain your attention. How is this related to the Bausele Vintage 2.0 Hybrid SmartWatch? Hear me out. While The Social Dilemma was not a catalyst for immediately deleting my social media accounts (I’d miss the #watchfam too much), it was cause for a moment of reflection as I watched the film with my phone in one hand, thumb scrolling through Instagram as a technology ethicist eloquently articulated the dangers of unchecked time spent using the very app I was on. Do I get too many notifications? Just how addicted to my phone am I? If you’ve asked yourself these questions in the past, then an additional screen on your wrist in the form of a smartwatch might not be the right thing for you. Another screen can be distracting, just offering another endless feed…
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8 signs you’re becoming a watch snob
Watch enthusiasts do not always share the Swiss philosophy of neutrality. Being enthusiastic about something inevitably leads to hot takes, strong and stubborn opinions and, in turn, some snobbery. On the wrong day, I am definitely guilty of it myself – we’re all human after all. The reality is this niche hobby becomes less welcoming when we, as enthusiasts, dismiss others, especially when it’s already intimidating enough due to the nature of luxury products and their prices. Here are eight signs you’re becoming a watch snob. You dismiss quartz as “not luxury” In watch collecting culture, quartz has gotten a bad name, thanks to the quartz crisis almost killing the mechanical watch industry. There is also the fact that many judge a movement based on how and where it is fabricated – with a new emphasis on “in-house” (a whole other discussion in itself). The fact is, many people assume the craft of watchmaking is limited to movement manufacture. This is simply not the case. External components are also created and finished by artisans with years of training in the craft. Take the Royal Oak from Audemars Piguet as an example. While the movements are stunning, a lot of the…
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In The Shop – In The Shop: ‘A Man And His Car’
A new book celebrating cars and those who collect them.
INTRODUCING: The Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chronograph
One of the more surprising watches of 2019 was Chopard’s Alpine Eagle. Based on the Swiss outfit’s St. Moritz wristwatch of the 1980s, here was an entirely new take on the luxury stainless steel sports watch with integrated bracelet. It was, and still is, an important timepiece for Chopard as it’s the watchmaker’s best attempt yet at taking it to the stalwarts of the industry who dominate the steel sports watch space. Now, more than a year after the collection’s unveiling, Chopard has added to the Alpine Eagle family with this – the Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chronograph. From launch, there will be three different iterations available – steel with blue dial, steel with black dial and two-tone steel and rose gold with black dial – and judging from the on-paper specs and press photos, they promise to be exciting timepieces. So, let’s take a bit of a closer look. The case While the overall case shape and design language remains the same, these new chronos have swelled in size considerably, now measuring 44mm across and 13.4mm thick. Water resistance remains rated at a versatile 100 metres, which is impressive given the chronograph pushers are not of the screw-down variety,…
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Weekend Round-Up: Robot Opinions, Masterful Cinema, And Comforting Room Service
Put on a hotel robe and get comfy.
“We thought the world needed a luxury Swatch watch.” Explosive Jean-Claude Biver interview tells the Hublot story like never before
Jean-Claude Biver and his team bought Hublot 24 years ago. At that time it was a tiny brand, big in Spain, but netting $24-million. But Biver considered that it had reached less than 20% of its potential and could be a mega-brand, with its youthful re-casting of luxury in a more casual, sporty and fun context. In 2019, it made $700m. In this extraordinary interview – like I said in the Friday Wind Down yesterday, this is a very different conversation to the usual narrative – Biver spells out the 11 keys to his success, and how he still believes he could do it again today, with any brand. It is conducted by our new European Editor, Mike Christensen who did an absolutely sterling job. Much of the credit for Biver’s frankness and full disclosure goes to Mike! The 11 ways Jean-Claude Biver built Hublot to be a $700m mega-brand 0:26 BY SEEING THE NEED FOR A “LUXURY SWATCH” TO REDEFINE LUXURY 2:33 BY BUYING A ‘WEAK’ BRAND WITH A STRONG CONCEPT FOR A LOW PRICE 4:42 WITH GOOD HEALTH AND HEALTHY DOUBT 6:10 BY GOING AGAINST LUXURY TRADITION AND SHUNNING PRECIOUS METALS 7:44 BY WRITING A SIMPLE STRATEGY THAT…
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The Petrolhead Corner – Vintage Meets EV revolution, with an Electrified Classic Mini
Returning readers of MONOCHROME might have picked up on a few hints and stories that have sparked, pun intended, this one. The EV revolution in the automotive industry. Where the average Joe is accustomed to seeing electric vehicles on the road by now, with vast numbers of Tesla’s whizzing around, there’s one segment that has […]