Category: Grönefeld

In-Depth – The Grönefeld 1941 Grönograaf, The First of Its Kind From the Dutch Brothers

Despite the breakthrough in materials, engineering technologies and manufacturing equipment, the new millennium has yet to produce much innovation in mechanical chronograph movement design. Still, upgrades to how chronographs function occasionally impress watchmaking enthusiasts, like the MB&F Sequential EVO or the AgenGraphe by Agenhor. Much to our joy, one of the most beautifully executed attempts […]

Breaking News – The MB&F Legacy Machine Sequential EVO Wins the “Aiguille d’Or” At GPHG 2022 (And All The Other Prize Winners)

Tonight the watch industry’s focus is dead-set on Geneva, as the 2022 edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève has just unveiled who is the grand winner of this year’s awards ceremony! Often regarded as the Oscars of Watchmaking, the GPHG stands for a celebration of all things surrounding mechanical watchmaking. A specially selected […]

The Collector’s Series – @Watch_Time_It_Is and his Grönefeld Parallax

Two weeks ago we already talked with the California-based collector who goes under the Instagram handle @Watch_Time_It_Is and we talked about a rather rare, but extremely beautifully finished, watch of his, the McGonigle Tuscar Bánú. Today we’re looking at another watch. Again one from a small independent watch brand. Again one from a brand of two brothers. And again one that showcases stupendously beautiful movement finishing. Let’s see what motivated @Watch_Time_It_Is to buy a Grönefeld Parallax! 

4 years ago

Just Because – The Best of Indie Watchmaking Seen Through the Casebacks – Part 1

Turning a watch over can be a moment of pure enjoyment. Beyond the intricacies of the mechanics of time, the meticulous search for perfection in their manufacturing, the time spent to decorate parts, the path for beauty and balance, is the hallmark of what we call “Haute Horlogerie”. We have put together some superb watches […]

4 years ago

Buying Guide – Online Watch Shopping While the Confinement Lasts

Team MONOCHROME is working from home. This is our regular work mode since we’re spread all over Europe (and one in the US), but the way we work has been heavily affected. The closure of manufactures means less access to new watches to photograph and review.  All my trips to watch events/launches to shoot new […]

4 years ago

Baselworld 2019 – Best of Show, including a Plethora of Tourbillons and another World-Record

Baselworld 2019 has come to an end. As always, it has been a rather packed event, despite a strange impression with the absence of Swatch Group’s brands, several other brands and an unusually high number of brands presenting their watches in different locations around the official ‘Messe’. If the mood was good overall, the future of the show was on everyone’s lips with speculations surrounding the attendance of the LVMH brands, Breitling and many more to the next editions of the fair. Now the dust has settled, team MONOCHROME looks back and chooses the best of show…

5 years ago

Buying Guide – 5 Superb Watches with Trendy Salmon Dials

Salmon dial watches truly stand apart. These are unusual, unconventional and classic at the same time. High-end watches rarely venture beyond white, silver, black or blue. But salmon dials are superbly stylish, specifically if you are confident in your ability to carry off colours. Often reserved to limited or special editions, they add a degree […]

5 years ago

Buying Guide – The 10 Best Watches of 2018 from EUR 25,000 to… No Limit

Our 2018 buying guides have to come to an end. After the top 10 watches below EUR 2,000, followed by 10 watches between EUR 2,000 and 5,000, our 10 prefered watches between EUR 5,000 to EUR 10,000, and finally out top picks between EUR 10,000 and EUR 25,000, it is now time to look at the best of the best, when money doesn’t matter anymore: the best watches of 2018 in the high-end category, all priced above EUR 25,000. Complications, Haute-Horlogerie movements, hand-made decorations… what dreams are made of!

5 years ago

Buying Guide – The Best of Independent Watchmaking 2018 – Part 1

Creative, daring, highly technical or crafted to a level that you simply cannot achieve in mass production – there are many reasons why independent watchmaking has been on the rise over the past twenty years. “Indies” are passionate about watchmaking and are often just a little bit crazy. Without massive marketing budgets or product committees, their creations are simply born from dreams, enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit. Their ingenuity, vision, diversity or simply their smaller size give watchmaking fans a wealth of unique creations. Today, we take a look at some of the best 2018 creations of the independent watchmaking scene.

6 years ago

First Look – The new Grönefeld 1941 Principia – Simpler, Automatic, Still Superbly Finished

It took Tim and Bart Grönefeld, the charismatic “Horological Brothers”, almost three years to reveal a new watch. Certainly, they are not the most prolific watchmakers when it comes to novelties – meaning that when something new is coming to the market, we’re quite enthusiastic. While all of their previous creations feature a complication (a tourbillon, an oversized dead-beat second or a remontoire), their new watch is a simple automatic 3-hander. But we prefer to avoid the word “entry-level” here as, clearly, the new Grönefeld 1941 Principia is all about (very) fine watchmaking.

6 years ago