Over the last few years, Vacheron Constantin has extended on its tradition for combining horological complications with one-of-a-kind designs by way of its Les Cabinotiers. The special workshop is home to some of the world’s most complex (thus most expensive) timepieces – each one made to measure by a very time-consuming and painstaking process. In […]
Following the sale of the ultra-limited and superbly executed Urban Jürgensen Big 8 London Edition, which raised over USD 37,000 for Covid-19 research, London-based watch curator, retailer and vintage specialist A Collected Man is about to initiate a second project with the idea of raising funds for the COVID-Zero Research Initiative. This time, it will be […]
We recently went hands-on with the NOTSAG Aquaelite Type I, the first of two accessible watches from Los Angeles-based startup, NOTSAG. Founder Laurent Chardin Rischmann’s son, 10-year-old Gaston, battles multiple developmental challenges including mitochondrial disease, so 20% of net profits are donated to genetic research. NOTSAG is an anagram of Gaston and the brand was […]
Next week will see the launch of a new Kickstarter brand called Gyre. We’ve seen quite a lot of initiatives like this in the last five years, but this one promises to be completely different. Its founder is Bernard Werk, a man whom I’ve known for more than fifteen years, a man who (back in the days) gave me the chance to write for his magazine. Bernard is a seasoned watch journalist and the owner of Watching, the oldest watch publication in The Netherlands. With Gyre he plans to raise awareness for ocean pollution while raising money for its clean-up as well. I spoke to Bernard about his fresh idea and how that turned into a 3-year hurdle race now finally nearing completion with the launch of the Gyre SeaCleaner.
Independent watchmaker Ressence and Sotheby’s Watch Division are joining forces against coronavirus this season and launching a competition to design a unique watch. For the first time ever, watch lovers will have the chance to create their own interpretation of one of Ressence’s latest models, the Type 1 Slim. And the winning design will make […]
NOTSAG is a unique brand for many reasons. The name itself is an anagram of Gaston, the founder’s oldest son with developmental challenges including mitochondrial disease, severe autism and a GABBR2 mutation. Most readers at MONOCHROME are familiar with Only Watch auction, a charity auction held every two years to support research for Duchenne muscular […]
Robert Downey Jr., a.k.a. Iron Man on silver screens, is well known for being a watch aficionado – in particular very cool watches from indie watchmakers, including Urwerk, as spotted here. Among these, the UR-111C Black was also spotted on his wrist at the premieres of Marvel’s Avengers Endgame in New York and Los Angeles. […]
Meet the 14th watch made by IWC Schaffhausen in support of a good cause, “Laureus Sport for Good” – a charity that relies on sports to help children and young people overcome violence, discrimination and disadvantage in their lives. Following multiple blue-coloured watches, such as this special Mark XVIII or this Chronograph Yacht Club, today […]
Today we have a very special story… A story that I’m both sad and happy to write. Sad, for the main reason that it is all due to one of the world’s worse ecological events, the current Australian bushfire crisis. Yet, I’m also happy to write these words as multiple actors within the watch community […]
This is it… There’s a new title-holder for the most expensive watch (wrist and pocket included) ever auctioned. It is the Patek Philippe 6300A, the Unique Steel Grandmaster Chime for Only Watch 2019… And with a hammer price of CHF 31 Million, it smashes the previous records – and by quite a margin. In terms […]