After the unique Patek Philippe 5208T for Only Watch 2017 we just introduced to you, you might think that you’ve seen the best of the upcoming charity auction… but you’d be wrong, as F.P.Journe will have a unique Chronographe Monopoussoir Rattrapante (the first split-seconds he ever created), with the usual tantalum / blue chrome combination. And that is quite something!
Only Watch 2017, the biennial charity auction, just unveiled its highly special pieces… and because we know that many of you will ask for it, here is the big one, the unique, titanium Patek Philippe 5208T, made for the 7th edition of Only Watch.
It’s loud, it’s fun and it’s exciting… Monochrome was fortunate enough to spend the week-end with Blancpain at Le Castellet (circuit Paul Ricard). Bentley took its first Endurance Cup victory in the Blancpain GT Series in three years in the day-night 1000km race. We took the opportunity to “get our hands dirty” taking a closer look …
Parmigiani Fleurier first joined forces with the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2007, building the foundations of a unique alliance between the worlds of watchmaking and music. The Montreux Jazz Festival is a must-see: George Benson, Herbie Hancock, Lauryn Hill, Grace Jones, Erykah Badu… Just a few of the names who are set to perform at the 51st annual Montreux Jazz Festival. To celebrate 10 years of partnership, Parmigiani Fleurier is unveiling the Tonda Metrographe MJF Special Edition.
Vintage is one of the biggest trends these days… Really, what a piece of news! We all know that brands have been widely surfing on the vintage / heritage / reissue trend, and for now over 10 years. However, in the middle of the dozens of vintage-inspired watches launched every year, there are some good ones and the one you really need to consider. Here are 5 of the coolest vintage-inspired watches of 2017, to look good this summer.
Renault came into Formula 1 with a bang, which is to be taken quite literally. At a time where the rulebook seemed virtually limitless, the French manufacturer brought turbocharging into the mix. Fueled by an insatiable hunger for power, combined with ground effects aerodynamics and just about the most daring drivers Formula 1 has ever seen, the constructor pioneered its way to the top! Since 2016 they are back as a constructor and partnered with Bell & Ross, which seems like a very French match. Today we unravel the history of Renault in Formula 1 and why the connection to Bell & Ross is a very logical one.
For as long as I can remember, watch brands, and a few in particular, have been involved in Formula 1 motor sport. This is not surprising of course, in the fast-paced world of Formula 1, timing is everything. In recent times, one relationship has proven particularly fruitful: Red Bull Racing and Tag Heuer. Last month we were invited to visit the Red Bull Racing factory in Milton Keynes, UK to see first-hand how a Formula 1 team operates and learn just how important its timing partner can really be.
Finding new sources of inspiration and design is, for a watch brand, both necessary and dangerous. A certain, Italian-born brand creating dive watches might be the best example of the non-success of “staying true to its roots“. Evolution is a mandatory evil. It is also the raison d’être of the AeroGT collection by Bell & Ross, a necessary move in a different direction, away from its military roots, and instead shifting the focus to super-cars. Based on the chronograph model launched in 2016, a second version, the Bell & Ross BR03-94 AeroGT Orange Skeleton Chronograph, has now been unveiled.
Mare Nostrum, “Our Sea” in latin. This term also sounds like rarity and exclusive model in Panerai collectors’ minds. Indeed, back in the early days of the Florentine manufacture, a chronograph had been created, one that is so rare that it became a legend. Based on this idea and on the few documentation available at that time, Panerai made a first re-edition of the Mare Nostrum chronograph in 1993 (Ref. 5218-301), the date of the first collection of Panerai watches made for civilian use – a watch that became iconic. For 2017, this model comes back in a faithful (but again rare) tribute version, the Panerai Mare Nostrum 42mm PAM00716.
A few hours ago, we introduced to you what we believe to be one of the coolest projects of the year, resulting in one impressively desirable chronograph, with hyper-innovative movement made by Agenhor and the talented Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, car- and vintage-inspired design by Marco Borraccino, all of that imagined at first by Rob Dickinson, the co-founder of Singer Vehicle Design. While our article was a focus on the watch and its technical aspects, it’s now time to go on the human side of the project. Here is our exclusive video, where we talk cars and watches, the Singer Track1 Chronograph and the Reimagined 911 with three great guys. Enjoy.