Category: Articles

Business News – Franck Muller Went Bankrupt… For 8 Days Only (and for a stupid reason)

As you might know, I’m French and thus, I frequently read Le Temps, a prominent Swiss newspaper – especially known for its respected section dedicated to the watchmaking industry. And what a surprise I found here. Indeed, Franck Muller, one of the main manufactures of Geneva, went bankrupt. We all know that the state of the industry is not the best ever, but still, this sounded like a blast… until I read the entire story!

7 years ago

Business News – Franck Muller Went Bankrupt… For 8 Days Only (and for a stupid reason)

As you might know, I’m French and thus, I frequently read Le Temps, a prominent Swiss newspaper – especially known for its respected section dedicated to the watchmaking industry. And what a surprise I found here. Indeed, Franck Muller, one of the main manufactures of Geneva, went bankrupt. We all know that the state of the industry is not the best ever, but still, this sounded like a blast… until I read the entire story!

7 years ago

Inside The Educational Boutique Of Glashütte Original In Paris

You might think that a boutique is… a boutique, meaning that in the end, the goal is to discover and buy watches. Well, this conception was true until a few years ago. However, today this perception might be slightly different and collectors, enthusiasts or newcomers have different wishes and want a different experience. While opening a new boutique Rue de la Paix, in the heart of the Paris’ watch heaven, Glashütte Original had this in mind. Today, we’d like to share with you the new approach wanted by the brand, based on education, understanding and didactical experience.

8 years ago

Announcing “The Monochrome Video Week”

Starting today is the “Monochrome Video Week“, meaning that for the coming five days we will be showing recent, unpublished videos that we shot at location in Villeret, Neuchâtel and Geneva. On Friday we’ll show you some of our best-viewed videos, also filmed on location in Glashütte (Germany), and in Switzerland in Biel, Geneva and Villeret. Let’s make clear that we’re not showing you corporate videos of some of our favourite watches brands, nope, these are movies filmed in our own style, by our own crew, and of subject of our own choice. So, instead of showing you photos of watches or a visual description of a manufacture visit, we’re showing you everything in the best possible way; there’s no better ‘tool’ than movies to explore the fascinating world of fine watchmaking. Please sit down, get a big bag of popcorn… here’s what we have lined up for you for the “Monochrome Video Week“

8 years ago

Frederique Constant Analytics Clip – Real Time Analytics For Your Mechanical Watch

Watch geeks everywhere pay attention; there’s a cool new tool for the Frederique Constant Analytics app and its available just in time for Christmas! Simply called the Frederique Constant Analytics Clip, this device attaches to just about any mechanical watch and allows the user to measure its accuracy in real time using the brand’s SwissConnect Analytics App, available on iOS and Android. Best of all it costs less than your next service and allows you to keep track of the accuracy measurements over time on a dashboard. It’s pretty cool if we do say so ourselves.

8 years ago

Announcement – “Patek Philippe: The Authorized Biography” by Nicholas Foulkes – Available now via Patek.com

Some manufactures grew to an almost mythical status and became legends, and not only among watch collectors. Their fame have simply crossed the circle of initiates to gain a worldwide aura. And as always with legends, there is a gray area. One of them is Patek Philippe. Many tried to bring light on the history of this Old Maison, we did try to bring light on some parts of the story (cf. Nautilus History) but today, you’ll have the opportunity to know everything about Patek, with an official book that can be seen as the definitive history of the legendary Swiss manufacture. Here is “Patek Philippe: The Authorized Biography” by Nicholas Foulkes – and it is available now via Patek.com.

8 years ago

Announcing – We’re expanding and Tom Mulraney and Matthew Catellier are joining Monochrome

It is with great pleasure that we welcome two gentlemen to the Monochrome team, who will be helping us out to cover what we at Monochrome feel are great watches. The Monochrome selection so to say. Tom is Monochrome’s “man in London” and will cover everything that’s important, horologically speaking, from the UK and London in particular, while Matthew will be handling our selection of value propositions and cool Kickstarter brands.

8 years ago

The History of the Vacheron Constantin Overseas – The Other 1970s Icon

In the 1970s, the post-war global economic boom came to an end. The new, accurate quartz watches gained popularity and plunged the Swiss watch industry in a deep crisis. As the inexpensive electronic watches began to flood the market, the competition from foreign manufacturers created a major economic turmoil, and with it, the need for Swiss brands to reinvent themselves, making necessary disruptive changes. And that includes the Vacheron Constantin Overseas, a watch born in that exact period.

8 years ago