Schwarz Etienne presents a revisited version of its Roswell watch transformed by a spectacular and unprecedented staging of the date mechanism. Here’s a hands-on review of the new Schwarz Etienne Roswell 08. If you are a regular reader of MONOCHROME, you should already be familiar with Schwarz Etienne. The brand, founded by Paul Arthur Schwarz …
Laurent Ferrier presents its fifth in-house calibre, and as something unprecedented for the brand features an annual calendar complication. A natural heir to the brand’s signature design ethos of smooth, rounded surfaces, vintage-inspired themes, and minimalist dials, the Galet Annual Calendar Montre École brings user-friendliness, legibility and steady mechanical performance to one of the most useful complications in a watch.
Since its introduction in 2006, the Patek Philippe 5396 Annual Calendar is amongst the most classical options in the brand’s collection. It offers a cleaner and a slightly more modern option to the conservative reference 5146, the sub-dial based Annual Calendar watch. In addition to the existing versions, with silvery-white or grey dials (with appliques or Breguet numerals), Patek has decided to add a bit of flamboyance to this model, by giving it a rose gold case combined with a rich navy blue dial.
Launched in the early 1990s, the Masterpiece family is Maurice Lacroix flagship collection. It offers small complications, yet with creative displays and with relatively accessible prices. At Baselworld 2017, the brand unveiled new versions of two models with retrograde indications, a speciality of the brand since 1999. Based on the same design introduced by the Masterpiece Double Retrogade we reviewed, here is the Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Moon Retrograde, with yet another interesting display.
Calendar watches come in a wide variety. Most of them are based on 31-day cycles and require a regular adjustment (5 times a year) to ensure that the correct date is displayed. An annual calendar automatically adjusts the indicated date, mechanically configured to display the different lengths of the months, and they require to be corrected manually only once a year (in the worst case depending on its mechanism). Typically more accessible than the perpetual calendar (which also takes into account leap years) and infinitely more useful than a standard calendar, the annual calendar offers a lot of bang for the buck.
Calendar watches come in a wide variety. Most of them are based on 31-day cycles and require a regular adjustment (5 times a year) to ensure that the correct date is displayed. An annual calendar automatically adjusts the indicated date, mechanically configured to display the different lengths of the months, and they require to be corrected manually only once a year (in the worst case depending on its mechanism). Typically more accessible than the perpetual calendar (which also takes into account leap years) and infinitely more useful than a standard calendar, the annual calendar offers a lot of bang for the buck.
It seems that Vacheron Constantin’s current favorite complication might well be the triple calendar (or full calendar, or complete calendar… all refer to the same complication). Brought back at center stage with the stunning Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942 in steel and its gold sibling, the Triple Calendrier 1948, two superbly vintage-inspired pieces, the elegant calendar display is now integrated into a more modern – and highly precious – watch, as a preview of the SIHH 2018. Please meet the Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Complete Calendar “Excellence Platine“.
After going through some of the best dress watches of 2017 (part 1 and part 2), it is time for our year-end buying guides to pick 5 traditional complication watches from 2017, stressing value – because an expensive watch is not necessarily a better watch. All you need from a watch, without having to take out a new mortgage. This doesn’t mean affordable watches, but rather impressive complications with a price that is far from being shocking.
In a piece of news that dropped on our computers a couple of weeks ago, Vacheron Constantin announced several new “Historiques” watches. As a reminder, this collection comprises the deliberately “vintage-inspired” models of the brand, including the American 1921 or the Chronograph Cornes de Vaches. With the Vacheron Constantin Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942, saying that we’ve been impressed is quite of a euphemism. Beautifully designed, balanced, with heritage and pedigree, and all of that in an “accessible” (relatively speaking) steel case. It is now time to experience this Triple Calendrier 1942 in the metal.
The Historiques collection by Vacheron Constantin already offered us some stunning watches. When the brand goes vintage, it simply is the best of what they can do. Think about the American 1921 (more on that watch and a new version in a coming article) or the 1955 Cornes de Vache Chronograph. The same recipe of updated “vintage” is now applied with infamous and rare 1940s watches with triple calendar complication in mind, in order to create the new Vacheron Constantin Historiques Triple Calendar 1942 and 1948.