Monochrome
It’s a commonly known fact the current trend for brands is to downsize watches to more compact dimensions, often to 40mm or below. This shift is natural to the industry, and it’s not the first time we’ve seen it, although this time the push seems stronger than in the past. In the late 1990s and […]
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If you’ve been paying attention to Formula 1, you might have witnessed something odd over the past 12 months or so. While officially there are 10 teams putting two cars each on the grid, an eleventh team has been spotted! And no, it’s not Mario Andretti and his Cadillac-backed Formula 1 plans making an early […]
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For watch enthusiasts like me and the rest of the team of MONO, the name Angelus is synonymous with splendid vintage chronographs. Yet, the modern side of the brand, which is under the umbrella of La Joux-Perret (and thus Citizen), was until recently fairly different. The resurrection of the brand in 2015, which was done […]
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Norqain has consolidated a repertoire of watches to tackle the great outdoors. Robust, well-designed, contemporary models that can take their fair share of adversity and still look good, Norqain is back this summer with a versatile GMT travel companion and a rugged three-hander, both from the brand’s Neverest collection, fitted with high-performance, chronometer-rated Kenissi manufacture […]
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Founded in 2016 by Sébastien Muller in the Swiss Jura, Brellum is a niche independent brand that uses a direct distribution model. Specializing in crafting vintage-inspired chronographs at attainable prices, Brellum produces only a few hundred watches annually, with no more than 299 pieces a year, including limited editions. The brand now proudly introduces its […]
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The countdown is almost over, the athletes are ready, and the timers are set to begin. In a few weeks from now, on July 26th, the Olympic Games Paris 2024 will ignite a summer of sporting action in the heart of the French capital. For the 31st time since 1932, Omega will fulfil the role […]
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Founded in 2017 by Etienne Malec and friends, Baltic continues its rapid expansion to the point of not being able to use the term micro-brand anymore… Now an established watch brand with a comprehensive collection, ranging from racing chronographs to dive watches and adventure-themed models, Baltic also ventured into the world of dress watches with […]
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With its Ocean Star collection, Swatch Group-owned brand Mido has long demonstrated its ability to combine cool designs, great quality, proper diving credentials and fair prices. Take a look at the Ocean Star 600 Chronometer or the Decompression Timer 1961, you’ll see what I mean… It should be remembered that the Ocean Star collection is […]
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For obvious reasons, the watch world tends to glorify complexity and the accumulation of functions into a single watch. We, at MONOCHROME, are no better than the rest of the crowd and we can spend days contemplating a Grande Complication watch, or a timepiece with a novel, ultra-complex escapment. However, we also tend to forget […]
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Released in 2022, the Defy Skyline collection was Zenith‘s answer to the large demand for sports watches with integrated design and bracelet. Since its initial introduction, we have seen multiple new editions of this watch, including compact versions, ceramic models, a chronograph and even a high-frequency tourbillon. But one of the most impactful models was […]
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A few months ago, just ahead of the 2024 Formula 1 season, Tudor announced a rather unexpected partnership, signing its return in motorsport. The brand indeed announced its official partnership with Red Bull’s second team, Visa Cash App RB Formula One team, with drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda behind the wheel. Only a couple […]
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MELB, does that mean anything to you? The acronym hides a discreet family group, active in various high-added-value fields including, of course, watchmaking. However, one of its components is well-known, through its collections: Endeavour, Streamliner, and Pioneer to name just three. We are talking about H. Moser & Cie and MeylanEdouardLeonoreBertrand (MELB), founded by the […]
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Customisation has fast become a watch industry standard, offering buyers a host of case materials, dial colours, strap options, etc… However, it’s not often that you come across a watch with four different faces, or rather, four different fonts for four revolving numerals on the dial. Designer and former watch restorer John Byrne’s Gyro Dial […]
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Two years ago, Tudor announced its entry into the world of cycling, partnering with cycling legend Fabian Cancellara to create the Tudor Pro Cycling Team. Tudor soon developed a special edition Black Bay Chrono Dark for the team, which we discovered during a training camp with the team in early 2023. Just a few weeks […]
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Chronoswiss was founded in 1983 in Munich by the late Gerd R. Lang, a celebrated watchmaker with a penchant for classical regulators. Now in the hands of Oliver Ebstein and based in Lucerne, Switzerland, Chronoswiss maintains its repertoire of dynamic regulator layouts with old-school decorative techniques jazzed up with wild colours. The Chronoswiss Delphis, launched […]
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First introduced in 2021 as the Continuum, the C by Romain Gauthier series showcases a contemporary titanium case with a unique bezel. It is crafted by machining a circular shape before cutting six facets into the bevelled edge. The C by Romain Gauthier Titanium Edition Six is the final instalment in the series of sporty, […]
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Following the appointment a few weeks ago of Nicolas Bos as the new CEO of the Richemont Group (replacing Jérôme Lambert), the luxury conglomerate once again announces changes in managing positions, with a new CEO for its jewellery/watchmaking brand Cartier. Effective 1st September 2024, Louis Ferla (ex-Vacheron Constantin) will take over Cyrille Vigneron as Chief […]
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Mr Roger Dubuis founded his eponymous brand in 1995, swiftly achieving success with timepieces that deftly balance traditional watchmaking craftsmanship and bold, expressive designs. Since 2003, the brand has been renowned for its expertise in tourbillon watches, starting with the calibre RD03. This fully integrated manufacture has since become a specialist in architectural skeletonised tourbillons, […]
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In recent years, Swatch Group-owned brand Certina has demonstrated its capability of creating powerful, capable and nicely designed dive watches at fair prices. Take the example of the DS Super PH500M, the DS PH200M, or the DS Action Diver to understand my point. Last year, the brand pushed things even further with a watch drawing inspiration from […]
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Audemars Piguet powerfully demonstrates the theory that “two is better than one” in the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked, a coveted collector’s model with two balance wheels for increased chronometric precision and viewing pleasure. Following the recently released 37mm tone-on-tone gold version, AP proposes a trilogy of 41mm models in steel, black ceramic and […]
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“Racing is life; anything that happens before or after is just waiting.” Famous words by Michael Delaney, Steve McQueen’s character in the legendary 1971 movie Le Mans. And while there’s far more to life than racing, to a Petrolhead, it does make absolute sense. It’s the thrill of fast-paced cars being pushed on winding roads […]
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It’s hard to imagine that the record-setting and boundaries-pushing Bugatti Veyron has already been with us for close to two decades. After years of testing, teasing and fine-tuning this mindblowing hypercar, the EB 16.4 Veyron was officially unveiled in 2005, carrying a bonkers 8.0 litre quad-turbocharged W16 powerhouse of an engine in the back, producing […]
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Known for its countless (and often appealing) vintage re-editions, inspired by some glorious watches of the past, Longines last year relaunched an important historic pilot watch, the Czech Pilot watch known as “Majetek Vojenske Spravy” or more simply, the Pilot Majetek. A follow-up to a model of 2014, this re-introduction was done with style and […]
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Five years ago, Kari Vouitilainen‘s atelier unveiled an exciting evolution of the brand’s signature time-only Vingt-8 series, the Voutilainen 28TI model with an inverted calibre. The 28TI (Titanium Inverse) watch, with its sumptuous detailing and delicate decoration, brought to the fore movement components that were previously visible through the sapphire caseback, allowing an impressive display […]
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One of Hublot’s more recent specialities has been the Essential Grey treatment of popular models, which essentially turns them into monochromatic variants for collectors. This started with the Big Bang Unico Essential Grey and continued with the Spirit of Big Bang Essential Grey, and now we have a third instalment, the Classic Fusion Essential Grey. […]
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Released in 2018, the Khaki Field Mechanical quickly became a hit for Hamilton. And when you wear this watch, you quickly understand why. The essence of a military/field watch with a vintage-inspired design, it is rugged, simple, legible, well proportioned and comes with a genuinely accessible price tag. And it sure looks good! Following the […]
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Alain Silberstein and Louis Erard are at it again! One of the brand’s most veteran collaborators, Alain Silberstein has collaborated with Louis Erard since 2019, dialling up the colour of watches with his original design language. Following the Tourbillon Regulator, Silberstein’s latest Smile Day collaboration continues in the wake of earlier three-hand with day and […]
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Based in Kuala Lumpur, Ming is an independent watch brand with a cult following. Frustrated by not finding a watch he liked at a price he could afford, multi-talented founder Ming Thein decided to create his own brand. Design is king at Ming. Contemporary styling, luminescence, layering and colour are key aesthetic directives of the […]
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You thought all dive watches were the same round watch topped by a unidirectional bezel with a classic time-only display over a black dial, right? Well, Benoi?t Mintiens from Ressence is here to prove you wrong. Not all dive watches need to look like a Submariner or a Seamaster. Not all dive watches need to […]
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A more streamlined and less instrument-oriented take on one of the most emblematic dive watches ever created (the Fifty Fathoms, if you ask), the Blancpain Bathyscaphe collection continues its evolution initiated a few years ago with the introduction of new materials and redesigned dials. This year will be all about ceramic. First, Blancpain introduces a […]
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