Like many other members of the Swiss watch industry, Omega is no stranger to the concept of charity watches, which are created to raise awareness and raise funds in order to support a great cause. Since 2011, the Biel-based brand has been supporting international non-profit organisation Orbis, committed to preventing avoidable blindness in the world’s […]
Like many other members of the Swiss watch industry, Omega is no stranger to the concept of charity watches, which are created to raise awareness and raise funds in order to support a great cause. Since 2011, the Biel-based brand has been supporting international non-profit organisation Orbis, committed to preventing avoidable blindness in the world’s […]
Since 2012, NOMOS has collaborated with the German affiliate of Doctors Without Borders (Ärzte Ohne Grenzen), an independent, global medical program that provides emergency services around the world. More than 8,000 special edition watches to date have raised over a million euro for the organization and two Ahoi models are the brand’s latest offerings. The […]
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. […]