Hands-on – Bell & Ross BR 03-92 GREY LUM – And a Look at the Entire LUM Collection

Inspired by dashboard flight instruments… This statement alone could easily define most of Bell & Ross’ creations. Whether we talk about the design of the watch itself, its features or the quest for optimal legibility, both day and night. The latter is particularly important for today’s matter because there’s a new watch in the LUM […]

4 years ago

Hands-on – IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Spitfire Bronze

As a regular reader of MONOCHROME, you will know already that each year, Swiss watch manufacturer IWC focuses on a specific collection. Last year, it was the brand’s legendary Pilot’s Watch series, with a number of cool variations introduced to the market. Here’s a video overview of the highlights from IWC’s CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr shot […]

4 years ago

The Vintage Corner – An Unusual yet Fascinating Pilot’s Watch, the 1950s Jardur Chronograph

The Jardur Company of 874 Broadway, New York was a manufacture of “Navigation Instruments” as well as an importer of the Jardur Bezelmeter and Super FlightMaster aviation wristwatches and chronographs. In the early days of commercial flight, someone had to provide the navigational instruments, logbooks, charts, navigational aids and elapsed time recorders to make long-distance […]

4 years ago

Introducing – Zenith Pilot Type 20 Rescue and Pilot Type 20 Rescue Chronograph

LVMH Watch Week kicked off this week in Dubai with fresh releases from its four leading watchmaking brands. Among the novelties presented by Zenith is an adaptation of its iconic Type 20 pilot’s watch.  In fact, two adaptations, the Pilot Type 20 Rescue and the Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Rescue were unveiled today with stainless […]

4 years ago

Buying Guide – The Other Cool Watches Launched by Bell & Ross Recently

This year, Paris-based brand Bell & Ross went full throttle on its all-new, urban “luxury sports watch” collection, the BR05 – and with good reason since this was the most important launch for the brand in years (and maybe ever). Certainly a departure from traditional military and aviation codes, this watch was not the only […]

4 years ago

Hands-on – Oris Big Crown Bronze Pointer Date

Just before Father Christmas made his rounds in 2019, Oris delivered a full bronze version of its Big Crown Pointer Date. When we say full bronze we are referring to a bronze case, a bronze bezel, a bronze crown and even a bronze dial. We reviewed the 80th anniversary models of the Big Crown in […]

4 years ago

Introducing – IWC “Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar

Last year, I had the chance to interview F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton, just before the French Grand-Prix. Part of the discussion was, of course, his impressive racing results but also something more in line with our usual topics; watches. I asked him what if he had the opportunity to design his own IWC watch. He answered “red gold is my favourite (…) I love the Big Pilot’s watch, I love heavier watches (…) Most likely it would be a perpetual calendar (…) A watch as mechanical as possible.” Well, it seems that his idea came to life, with the new IWC “Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar.

4 years ago

Introducing – Oris Big Crown Bronze Pointer Date 40mm

If you’re into watches, the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date should be no stranger to you. In a few years, this watch has become the signature element of the pilot-oriented Big Crown collection, with its nice vintage design and practical function. Still, this apparently simple watch has a lot to tell, as it is far […]

4 years ago