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MeisterSinger’s single-handed watches have the distinct advantage of being immediately recognisable. Although there might be other brands with one-handers, MeisterSinger is the indisputable leader of the pack. With an emphasis on minimalist German design, MeisterSinger’s mono-handed watches offer a more relaxed approach to reading the time, but should not be equated with simple watches, far […]
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It was hard not to love, or at least feel some tenderness towards the Orient Bambino models (especially the Classic) released by the brand to mark its 75th anniversary. We are tempted again with the M45 F7 Small Second, as Orient Star (established in 1951, part of Seiko Epson since 2017) expands its Classic Collection […]
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Last year it was pink; in 2026, it’s blue… Brellum continues to refine its compact, modern chronograph and presents a new version of its Duobox 39 ahead of Valentine’s Day. The Duobox 39 Ice Blue Mother-of-Pearl Chronometer 2026 is very much the same as last year’s pink MOP. Still, while the 2025 edition projected warmth, […]
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What is a chronometer…? In short, it is a watch that has been officially tested for its precision. And to guarantee the precision of watches, several tools exist, such as the ISO 3159 standard (which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year) and official organisations, such as the Observatoire de Besançon in France, the Glashütte Observatory […]
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Armin Strom methodically expands its Dual Time GMT Resonance series. One of the most technically and visually distinctive travel watches on the market was first presented in white gold as the Dual Time GMT Resonance First Edition. Later came a darker, more contemporary stainless steel Black Edition, which is now back with a new, warmer, […]
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Baltic was founded in Paris by Étienne Malec and launched via Kickstarter in 2017 with a captivating duo of 1940s-inspired models. Onwards and upwards, the brand now has over ten collections under its belt, many with an emphasis on mid-20th-century aesthetics, and keeps prices in check by outsourcing movements and assembling them in Besançon, France. […]
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Watches with jumping hour complications are all the rage these days, with hot-off-the-press contributions from Audemars Piguet and the recently revived specialist brand, Niton. However, the biggest surprise in the jumping hours corner came from Bremont with the introduction of its Terra Nova Jumping Hour models in 2025. A brand associated with rugged, aviation-themed instrument […]
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Goliardo Della Balda’s dream of producing high-quality Swiss timepieces at affordable prices materialised with the founding of Delbana watches in 1931. Like many Swiss brands, the quartz crisis took its toll in the 1970s, but the brand was rescued in the mid-1990s and, in 2002, merged with Delma Watch Ltd. to focus on accessible, mid-century-inspired […]
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Hitting the road to Fleurier, the discovery of L’Atelier Bernard was not what I expected. Bernard is a rather dated first name – one you rarely hear anymore for young people in Europe’s French-speaking countries. So, when I pushed open the door of their workshop in Fleurier, I was expecting to meet two old Swiss […]
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Jack Mason is a young micro-brand founded in Dallas, Texas, in 2015, and initially made its name in US retail before making a decisive turn towards enthusiast-focused, direct-to-consumer watchmaking. Recent releases have shown fewer fashion cues, more mechanical credibility, and an emphasis on real-world usability. The Strat-o-Timer GMT has been central to that shift. After […]
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There are many objects that come to mind when you mention the word Montblanc, starting with high-end writing instruments, leather goods, and, since 1997, watches. As a brand that has always been associated with Europe’s highest mountain, thanks to its white star logo representing a bird’s-eye view of the snow-capped peaks of Mont Blanc, Montblanc’s […]
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Timex has been on a roll in the last few years, returning to mechanical watches after a decades-long hiatus. Quartz watches still dominate the portfolio, of course, ever since the brand first ceased mechanical production in 1982. A renewed focus on mechanical collections at lower and mid-tier levels began in 2017 after the 1960s-era hand-wound […]
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Renowned for its rugged all-terrain watches for outdoor adventures, Alpina goes off-piste with its new Alpiner Manufacture Date watch made in collaboration with Geneva customisation expert, Label Noir. Reflecting Alpina’s close ties to the alpine world, the Alpina x Label Noir features a snow-white dial and an unprecedented (for the brand) hammered case. The 130-piece […]
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We’ve said it multiple times, but watchmaking isn’t limited to Switzerland or even Europe. Watchmaking is global, whether regarding the watch collecting community or the watchmaking industry. One of the fastest-growing markets, as we’ve discovered when talking to the country’s main watch retail company, is India, a country with somewhat unknown yet impressive manufacturing capacities and a collecting culture […]
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Hamilton is often referred to as the watchmaker of cinema, which is no surprise since Hamilton watches have appeared in more than 500 films. Recently, the brand has expanded its reach into video games, where immersion and character development are equally important. Hamilton Far Cry 6, Death Stranding 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops […]
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The Legacy Machine collection has always been MB&F;‘s most paradoxical line. Conceived as a tribute to 19th-century watchmaking, it features some of the most theatrical three-dimensional movements in contemporary horology. The LM101, introduced in 2014, was the most restrained expression of that idea. Smaller, thinner, and mechanically simpler than its siblings, it stripped the concept […]
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Independent watchmaking rarely stands still, but Horologer MING has made a habit of using evolution rather than repetition as its driving force. Since the brand’s founding in 2017, Ming Thein and his team have mastered light, form and restraint, while also pushing technical boundaries behind the scenes. With the recent launch of the fifth-generation design […]
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Praesidus is well known for military-inspired collections, and the Jungle Field line is a modern take on the GG-W-113 US military specification introduced in 1967. The spec called for a lightweight pilot and aircrew watch at 33mm or 34mm with a matte black dial, 12/24-hour numerals and hacking seconds. The 34mm Jungle Field OG was […]
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Although it was never really gone, there seems to be a renaissance of the Jumping Hour, or Heures Sautante complication, and we’re quite delighted about this. There’s an interesting convergence in jump hour watches: the display is often simpler than a watch with central hands, but the mechanism behind it is quite challenging! Energy needs […]
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The Quartz Crisis of the 1970s and 1980s was a defining moment for the industry, to say the least. Following Seiko’s Astron in 1969, the first quartz watch to hit the market, a huge swathe of traditional brands closed down as cheap, extremely accurate and virtually maintenance-free Japanese quartz watches hit the streets. Add to […]
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The mad scientists of Donkervoort, the only active Dutch sports car manufacturer, have done it again. They have raised the performance bar set by the already razor-sharp F22 even further. Although it looks vaguely the same as its predecessor, the new P24 RS is almost entirely new, featuring the latest innovation Donkervoort has to offer. […]
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Perpetual calendars are, without a doubt, an integral part of Audemars Piguet’s history, and the Royal Oak has carried its strand very convincingly since 1984. With the introduction of the Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Openworked powered by the new Calibre 7139, AP signals a clear generational shift. Released alongside a Code 11.59 counterpart, which […]
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Today, we’re launching a new service to enable you to find answers to your (horological) questions faster and more easily. The new MONOCHROME AI chat will answer your questions, similar to ChatGPT, however, based entirely on all MONOCHROME content of the past 20 years. Since we’ve seen the rise of ChatGPT, Gemini and the likes, […]
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Pforzheim is known as Germany’s “Golden City” for its jewellery and watchmaking (alongside Glashütte) activities, and both Laco and Circula have deep roots there. Each brand is celebrating an anniversary, 100 years for Laco and 70 years for Circula, and they’ve partnered to celebrate with a pair of watches honouring each brand and German watchmaking […]
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We’ve all had the experience of putting down our watch a little too carelessly, and accidentally scratching it on something sharp, or even worse, knocking it off and seeing it fly across the room in Hollywood-esque slow-motion while screaming “NOOOOooooo!!!” at the top of your lungs. It’s happened to me, and I know it has […]
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Since founding Sarpaneva Watches in Helsinki, the independent Finnish watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva has consistently explored an approach shaped by the Nordic visual universe, mechanical honesty and a powerful sense of narrative. Best known for his Korona case design and expressive moon displays, Sarpaneva has built a recognisable catalogue which offers a combination of traditional watchmaking […]
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British indie brand Farer was founded in 2015 by four friends with backgrounds in watch retail. Using Swiss-made mechanical movements, Farer offers a portfolio of confident designs with an eccentric British twist and competitive prices, thanks to the brand’s direct-to-consumer approach that eliminates intermediaries. The name Farer, derived from Old English terms like seafarer and […]
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Launched in 2021, the Tonda PF collection introduced a new vision of contemporary haute horlogerie built around restraint, proportion and what CEO Guido Terreni calls “private luxury”, watches designed to be lived with rather than constantly replaced. Among the first models was the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor, a slim automatic watch with a date display. The […]
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British driver George Russell, currently racing for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, joined IWC’s paddock of ambassadors in 2022. Exchanging the steering wheel of his F1 for the design board, Russell worked alongside IWC’s creative team to design the new limited edition Pilot’s Watches, emblazoned with the F1 pilot’s signature blue colour featured on his […]
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The revival of a long-dormant watchmaking name always sparks our curiosity at MONOCHROME. Born in 1919, the Manufacture des Montres Niton S.A. became known for its watches and movements featuring jumping hours. Niton supplied movements to Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Cartier, Gubelin and many more… Today, the brand returns with the Niton Prima, an elaborate […]
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