It’s not uncommon for thriving watch brands in the 19th century to have succumbed to competition, economic hardships and volatile global conditions by the mid-20th century. The entire American watch industry basically collapsed, and in Germany, brands like A. Lange & Söhne shut its doors in 1948 following World War II. Of course, that brand […]
Looking at the vast range of Royal Oak watches available, which goes from classic Selfwinding models to Grande Complications, the question of which are the most sought-after models arises. Besides the Extra-Thin Jumbo watches, the full ceramic Royal Oak and the Double Balance Wheel Openworked are clearly very high in terms of desirability. So what if […]
The brainchild of Etienne Malec, a young Frenchman who has inherited his father’s passion for watches, Baltic has moved from a Kickstarter project to a proper brand with its own identity and a growing collection. Relatively accessible and made with a sheer passion for the golden age of tool watches, Baltic has gained the respect […]
The Aikon gets a sleek dark makeover by Geneva-based watch customiser Label Noir. As Maurice Lacroix’ affordable take on the luxury sports watch since 2016, the Aikon is a dynamic collection in constant expansion. Limited to 50 pieces, the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Label Noir Automatic Limited Edition will be available today – Black Friday – […]
The economic dimension of the world’s political division during the Cold War was paramount. Producing precise and reliable watches was essential, and just like other strategic industrial activities, the Soviet government supported Russian watch manufacturers such as Raketa, Poljot, Slava or Vostok. Naturally, Soviets also needed to produce their own tool watches. Among these were […]
When it comes to historical pilot chronographs, the name Hanhart can’t be overlooked. The brand was one of the first to issue pilot chronographs to the German Armed Forces. Known as Flieger watches, these chronographs were utilitarian wrist instruments for pilots. Relatively discreet and down to earth (one of the reasons why we like them), […]
For the first time in his celebrated career, master watchmaker Vianney Halter designs a watch for the general public; Louis Erard’s successful Régulateur watch is the conduit. The result is a fascinating creation blending Vianney Halter’s unique style in a round, 42mm steel case with an outsourced movement that will retail for CHF 3,500. Let’s […]
Collaborations between watch brands and external designers or watch customizers are a growing thing in the industry, the idea being to infused a different take on the watch, less ‘horological’, more design-oriented. So what happens when TAG Heuer, the avant-garde brand known for its robust sports watches, meets Bamford Watch Department, the famous UK-based personalisation […]
A little over two years ago, MONOCHROME covered the Portugieser Chronograph Classic Bucherer BLUE – a red gold model with a blue dial, but other than that, an identical base design of IWC Schaffhausen’s Ref. 3904 made in 2013. Fast-forward to last year and we reviewed the IWC Portugieser Chronograph Bucherer BLUE, another collaborative effort between […]
Longines’ archive is the envy of many watchmaking brands, a rich source of material to furnish the highly popular and ever-expanding Heritage collection. Earlier this year, Longines produced two Heritage Classic Tuxedo models that stole our hearts with their stylish two-tone, black-tie looks. We’ve reviewed the Classic Tuxedo Chronograph, so now we’ll take a closer […]