Category: Dress Watches

A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds Now Offered In Pink Gold

Last year at the SIHH 2016, German watch manufacturer, A. Lange & Söhne, debuted the deliciously complex Richard Lange Jumping Seconds. Offered in a platinum case and produced in a limited series of just 100 pieces, it was an instant hit with collectors. Following on from this success, this minimalist timepiece is now being made available in an attractive pink gold case, complete with matching accents on the dial and buckle. As with the platinum model, this series will be limited to just 100 pieces, preserving the exclusivity of this exceptional mechanical machine.

7 years ago

Introducing – Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921, Now in 36.5mm Mid-Size Model

In 2009, Vacheron Constantin unveiled the Historiques American 1921, a re-edition of one of its classic timepieces from the Art Deco period that was made exclusively for the North American market. A highly desirable watch, it pays homage to what is, without doubt, one of the most beautiful yet original Vacheron Constantin models ever. Despite its modest (on paper) 40mm size, however, the squared case wears quite large on the wrist, discouraging some collectors. Listening to this feedback, the brand announced today that the Historiques American 1921 will be available in a mid-size, unisex version with a case measuring 36.5mm. Read on for all the details.

7 years ago

Introducing – Vacheron Constantin Historiques Triple Calendar 1942 & 1948

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.

7 years ago

Introducing – Piaget Altiplano 60th Anniversary Pocket Watch

At the SIHH 2017, Piaget celebrated the 60th anniversary of its most emblematic collection, a watch that fully symbolises the brand and immediately makes it recognizable: the Altiplano. Born in 1957, the ultra-thin watch with so many thinness records is now a true icon. Following the celebrations, Piaget puts an unexpected twist on the collection, by presenting the Altiplano 60th Anniversary Pocket Watch… And what an elegant, slightly “out of the box” proposition.

7 years ago

Hands-On – Grand Seiko SBGW252, Recreating the First Ever GS Watch

2017 was an important year for the Seiko Group. Indeed, we’ve seen many impressive watches being released by the Japanese manufacture, and new trends coming – including some vintage-inspired pieces, such as the 62Mas reedition or the Enamel Presage collection. This year was also noticeable because Grand Seiko watches won’t have Seiko anymore written on their dial, as GS is becoming a brand on its own. To mark this evolution, the newly-introduced brand presented a recreation of the first ever Grand Seiko watch, and today we look at the yellow gold version, a.k.a. the reference SBGW252… And what a watch it is!

7 years ago

A tribute to the Glasshütte tradition – Hands-on with the Tutima Patria and its beautiful in-house 617 caliber (specs and pricing)

Tutima has a long and prestigious history; the origins of the brand go as far back as the 1920s and 1930s in Glasshütte, when Tutima was the quality label of the UROFA-UFAG group. After the fall of the Berlin wall, several watchmakers looked at reviving the Saxon watchmaking tradition and the ‘made in Germany’ trademark, specifically in Glasshütte. Among them was Dieter Delecate, owner and CEO of Tutima, then headquarted in the north of Germany, near Bremen.

7 years ago

Value Proposition – Vario Eclipse, a 1960s-inspired & Singapore-Designed Hand-Wound Watch

Usually, on Monochrome, we’re all about the beauty of high-end watches. We love them and we believe you love them too. However, we’re also fully aware that not all collectors can afford the watches we cover. Sometimes, we have to look at more accessible pieces, however ones that we believe are good enough in terms of style and quality. One of them is the Vario Eclipse, an affordable (properly affordable) hand-wound and dressy watch with some rather cool vintage design features, original straps, and surprisingly designed in Singapore.

7 years ago

Review – Dissecting the Laurent Ferrier Montre Ecole in Steel to Understand the Meaning of Haute-Horlogerie

This article first started its life as a classical review, as we like to do here, on Monochrome. However, as I was drawing it in my mind, I quickly understood that the Laurent Ferrier Montre Ecole was a perfect piece to do something slightly different, to write an article with a different structure. In fact, we often have questions about how high-end watches can cost such incredibly high prices. Well, today, by properly dissecting this Montre Ecole, I’ll tend to explain why a 3-hand watch in stainless steel can be priced CHF 35,000 – and indeed, it’s all about the smallest details…

7 years ago

Introducing – Blue Dials for the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 and Saxonia Collections (Live Pics, Pricing & Availability)

Blue dials have been one of the major trends of the watch industry for the 2 to 3 years. As we often read: “blue is the new black“. Yet, the exercise isn’t that simple. Blue is a complex colour and, if some watches with blue dials were noticeable, many failed to bring the right dosage of enthusiasm. A. Lange & Söhne, a brand known not to follow the trends, took its time to jump on the moving train, yet it now comes with such coloured dials on 4 emblematic watches: the Lange 1, the Lange 1 Daymatic, the Saxonia and the Saxonia Automatic – but beware, these won’t be available in large numbers, neither for a long period.

7 years ago