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Beaubleu is a young, independent French brand founded in 2017 by automotive and luxury product designer Nicolas Ducoudert. Gaining attention for the circular, orbiting hands featured in the brand’s collections, Beaubleu returns with new models born from an unexpected collaboration with the Monnaie de Paris, the official French national mint. Founded in 864, the mint […]
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First introduced in 2021 alongside its smaller, less pro-oriented M-40 version, the Fortis Marinemaster M-44 was part of the new collections to mark the renewal of the brand, and yet it carried a name with historical importance. For once, not a watch linked to pilots, the Marinemaster (specifically the rugged, high-performance M-44 versions) is more […]
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The independent watchmaking scene is as wide as it is deep, and we regularly stumble upon new and exciting projects and brands. And since indie watchmaking is also at the core of MONOCHROME Watches, we try to serve you as many of these as we can. For the next new indie discovery, named Juha Eskola, […]
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Following the sudden and surprising departure of Antoine Pin in January, after being at the head of TAG Heuer for just over a year, the Swiss watchmaker owned by French luxury powerhouse LVMH has just announced the appointment of a new CEO – after several shakups, following the departure from this role in 2013 of […]
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This is an endless debate in the small circle of watch enthusiasts… Should a dive watch be equipped with a date or not? Purists, sometimes slightly biased in their judgments, will tell you in a very strict manner that no, a date has no place on the dial of a dive or tool watch! “Who […]
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Across its three-handers, GMTs, and even moonphase watches, the indie British brand has built a catalogue full of lively dials while keeping its Swiss-made watches at an accessible price point. That said, it is perhaps safe to say Farer has hardly been shy about colour. Most models stick to the round case, though the brand […]
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Few timepieces showcase the technical sophistication of traditional watchmaking as clearly as minute repeaters. The new Girard-Perregaux Minute Repeater Flying Bridges introduces this complication with its demanding mechanism, combined with a tourbillon and an automatic micro-rotor winding system. The watch is built around the brand’s recognisable Three Bridges architecture, presented in a modern openworked interpretation […]
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As you might know, Tudor, Rolex’s sister company, was founded in 1926 by Hans Wilsdorf (the founder of Rolex) and is thus celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. And for that reason, we can expect big things coming from the Rose. At least, that’s what we think the brand should do. We don’t often make […]
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“Kollokium is not a brand. As pretentious and cliché as that sounds, it’s true.” So, how could we define Kollokium? It’s a collaborative project between three friends, all fairly established names within the watch industry: Manuel Emch, Barth Nussbaumer, and Amr Sindi (The Horophile). Rethinking the way to approach watchmaking, and especially branding, Kollokium frees itself […]
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In a market overcrowded with vintage-inspired dive watches, ranging from truly affordable models to high-end watches produced by esteemed brands, Eska, a name with over 100 years of history (with a stop from 1987 to 2024), has managed to find a place for its cool-looking, well-built and fairly priced Amphibian 250 collection. Modelled after a […]
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Otsuka Lotec… The Japanese brand (or should we call it an atelier) that makes some noise in the global watch collecting community, despite being unavailable outside of Japan – which might partially explain its popularity. A true JDM sensation, Otsuka Lotec is the brainchild of Jiro Katayama, a car designer turned self-taught, independent watchmaker, specialised […]
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When it comes to finding a solid, accessible yet appealing watch meant to be a reliable companion for most of the moments in your life, from the office to the weekend fun, the choice is wide, to say the least. With its Commander collection, Swiss brand Mido has a strong alternative, with a modern, sleek […]
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Junghans is better known for its Bauhaus-inspired pieces, such as the Max Bill series, but the German watchmaker has also ventured into the pilots’ and sports territories. With the new Aquaris series, the brand expands its Sport collection by adding four new references: the Aquaris Diver with green or orange accents, and the more lifestyle-oriented […]
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If you’ve been reading MONOCHROME for some time now, you might know that I have a very strong connection with the Rolex Explorer 36mm, in particular the 1990s reference 14270. Not only is it a watch that I consider to be the perfect example of what a yougntimer is, but it’s also, in my books, […]
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Since its debut in 2023, Vulcain’s Skindiver Nautique has quickly moved from a niche revival piece to a regular part of the brand’s present-day catalogue. These watches draw inspiration from Vulcain’s 1960s skin-diving models. Back then, diving as a hobby was gaining popularity, and compact, practical dive watches like the Nautique felt at home both in and […]
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Glashütte Original released its Serenade Luna in 2024, featuring moon phase indications. Unlike the Panomatic Luna, which is essentially a scaled-down adaptation of the men’s PanomaticLunar with its off-centred dial and Panorama date window, the Serenade Luna was conceived from the start as a women’s watch with a petite 32.5mm diameter, a sprinkling of diamonds and […]
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People often say “bigger is better”, but also “big things come in small packages”. While both statements can be very true in multiple aspects of life, it also goes for watches. In some instances, you want a bit of size and heft in a watch, while on other occasions, you want something a bit more […]
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There’s an endless amount of mechanical wristwatches on the market today from a seemingly endless amount of brands (large and small), but almost all watches fall into a specific style (assuming it’s not from MB&F; or Urwerk). However, many take on multiple roles and blur those lines – an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is a […]
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If you think about Volvo estate cars, you probably will think about those large, boxy ones from the 1980s and 1990s. While very practical, they weren’t necessarily the most sexy cars, apart from a few special ones like the 850 T5R. But there was a time when Volvo made an estate car that was gracious, […]
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Founded in New York in 1921 by Romanian-born brothers Benjamin, Oscar, and Ralph Lazrus, Benrus relied on Swiss production, centred in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and during the 1930s and 1940s, it became known for its pilots and military watches. Early models such as the Flyer and Airman were popular among the airline pilots, helping establish the […]
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Suppose you know the Dutch indie watchmaking scene, then De Rijke & Co. is the name you must be familiar with. Founded by Laurens De Rijke, the brand began almost by accident during a vintage Vespa trip, when the idea for a watch specifically designed for driving emerged. De Rijke’s concept of a driver’s watch […]
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Bremont‘s aviation-focused Altitude collection just added a new reference with a playful yet historically grounded collaboration: the Altitude MB Meteor Felix the Cat, created in partnership with Universal Products & Experiences. Why? It turns out that the cartoon character has a place in aviation culture, serving as a long-standing symbol of courage, humour, and good […]
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While the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games have recently come to an end, it is time now for the Paralympic Winter Games to begin, as they will be held between March 6th and 15th, once again in Northern Italy (between Milano and Cortina). Omega‘s involvement with the Olympic Games (summer or winter) as the Official […]
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Following the success of the Millesime collection, a series of vintage-inspired, 1930s-based watches, Raymond Weil went on to revamp one of its older collections, the Toccata. For nearly 50 years, the Toccata has explored the realms of shaped dress watches, finding inspiration in classically composed music. But at the end of 2025, RW presented the Toccata Heritage, […]
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When you think about Kurono Tokyo, the side-brand of Japanese independent watchmaker Hajime Asaoka, you should picture something compact and elegant in your mind. Watches often focus on traditional crafts, with restrained cases and classically Japanese. The sportiest models the brand has ever created were mid-century-styled chronographs. Well, this is about to change as Hajime […]
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The connection between Depancel and the automotive world is rather obvious and quite cool. The very name of the brand says it all, being the contraction of vintage French car manufacturers Delage, Panhard and Facel Vega, and even the logo is inspired by the 1954 Facel Vega coat of arms. Then, a quick look at […]
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Parmigiani Fleurier’s luxury sports watch collection, the Tonda PF, was introduced in 2021. A refined, minimalist interpretation of the luxury sports watch, the Tonda PF collection is home to several complications. Originally available in 40 and 42mm case sizes, the brand responded to requests for more compact, unisex case sizes and, in 2022, introduced a […]
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Indie brand Lebois & Co expands its Heritage collection with the Heritage Sector Chronograph Aventurine, a new version of the brand’s vintage-inspired chronograph distinguished by a textured aventurine dial and a revised sector-style layout. The watch also debuts a better naming structure within the brand’s catalogue, with “Heritage Sector” becoming the designation for Lebois & […]
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Every brand at one point dreamt of having an icon on their hands. A cornerstone model that stands the test of time, design trends, and, more importantly, captures the hearts of fans and collectors worldwide, indefinitely. Watches like the Lange 1, the Submariner, the Nautilus, the Speedmaster or the Royal Oak. For Nomos, even though […]
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Let’s be a bit of nerds for a minute… You probably have heard the concept of JDM (in cars and watches), the contraction for Japanese Domestic Market, objects created exclusively for Japan and, in principle, not accessible outside of the Island. Which makes them cool. Next, the so-called California dial, a design that dates back […]
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