Category: Dress Watches

Chopard’s Subtle L.U.C XPS Facelift Is A Nice Reminder of Just How Handsome It Is

Chopard is unveiling a subtle facelift of the dapper, comfortable and incredibly well-engineered L.U.C XPS. The good news is that it comes in different versions which will suit all tastes and pockets: from the unapologetically smart blued-dialed platinum version to the more affordable steel version, a great opportunity if you are looking for a high-end “haute-horlogerie” dress watch at an accessible price point. Here’s an early hands-on look.

7 years ago

Hands-On – Czapek Genève Quai des Bergues Guilloché

The name Czapek, once famed as a partner of what would become Patek Philippe, came back to the forefront of the scene late 2015 with the elegant and well-thought out Quai des Bergues. The watch was awarded the public prize at GPHG 2016, one of the most (if not the most) meaningful industry award ceremony, which is no small achievement. The collection reflects the Czapek ethics to propose finely crafted classics whose understated style offers a distinctive twist and a distinctive character.

7 years ago

Celebrating 100 Years Of The Iconic Cartier Tank – Part 1, The First One, The 1917 Tank Normale

If you were to ask your fellow watch-lovers what they thought was the ultimate, chic dress watch for men (or women), I would be confident in saying that the Cartier Tank – in one of its many variations – would feature very high on the list. Versatile, distinctive and instantly recognisable on the wrist, the Tank is, without doubt, one of the most unconventionally iconic watch designs of all time. So much so, in fact, that it’s hard to believe the ageless Tank turns 100 this year. Today, we’re looking back to where it all began, to celebrate not only everything the Tank has achieved for Cartier but also to try and understand what goes into making an icon.

7 years ago

Women’s Watch Wednesday – Hands-On with the Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral Ladies

Carl F. Bucherer realizes that today’s discerning woman wants a timepiece that has true brains under the hood, as well as beauty. At first glance, the Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral watch seems like an ordinary, albeit classically elegant, timepiece. However, further inspection demonstrates that this watch has a highly technical secret. These timepieces boast a peripheral rotor – something very few brands have accomplished. This is why we wanted to bring this both elegant and mechanically-superb watch on the table.

7 years ago

A Full Month of Power on the Wrist – Hands-On with the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 31

For the average automatic or hand-wound watch, a power reserve longer than 3 days is already quite comfortable. Yet, some watches can do more… A week? Easy. Over 10 days? It exists. But what if your watch was able to run for a full month, without the need for you to wind it? Clearly, this would be massive – and it would be the same kind of useless necessity that is offered by a Bugatti Chiron and its 1,500bhp engine… Such a powerful watch exists and is named the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 31. And while it is not a proper novelty, the recently introduced white gold/grey dial version is the occasion for us to look back at this monument, and to all the issues that go along!

7 years ago

Hands-On – The Rolex Datejust 41 in Steel (a.k.a. The Perfect All-Rounder Watch)

An elegant sports-watch? A robust dress watch? A casual watch? Call it the way you want, the Rolex Datejust simply is the definition of the all-rounder, a sort of SUV of the watches that can do everything, that can go everywhere and that can be worn with everything. The Rolex Datejust 41, first introduced at Baselworld 2016 in two-tone, now comes in steel versions, which means that it is now more affordable and even more versatile. This is why we had to go hands-on with the new iterations of this icon (ref. 126300 and ref. 126334), that we’ll name an SUW, a sports utility watch.

7 years ago

Buying Guide – The New Watches of 2017 to Buy with 10,000 USD/Euro

Let’s agree on one fact: in the world of watches, 10,000 USD/Euro is a perfect median budget. It allows access to most of the luxury brands, including the most coveted ones, to benefit from proper Swiss quality (and by that I mean watches that really are Swiss Made) and finally, you can access to what drives the passion for watches: in-house or exclusive movements. If 10,000 USD/Euro is already a strong budget, trust us, it’s probably the best money-spent/pleasure ratio possible. Here are 5 watches launched in 2017 priced around the “10k psychological price point” and that won’t make you feel like you have lost your money (Oh and in fact, we have 6 watches…)

7 years ago

Review – Urban Jurgensen Reference Big 8 in Steel, An “Entry-Level” Full of High-End Details

Recently at Monochrome, we re-discovered a brand that properly “flies under the radar” but that, believe us, has so much to offer: Urban Jürgensen. We already showed you some of their watches, including the 1140 collection, with exclusive movement (and even a hypertechnical detent escapement) or the Jules Collection. But what can you get for less than 13,000 Euro when you open the door of an Urban Jürgensen retailer? This is the question we’ll answer today, with the “entry-level” proposition, the Urban Jürgensen Reference Big 8. (spoiler alert… you’ll get a hell of a lot)

7 years ago

Reviewing the Piaget Altiplano – the Perfect Hand-Wound Dress Watch

Today we’re going to review a watch that actually perfectly embodies a “dress watch”. In fact, I would call this the perfect dress watch. In terms of size, design, technical feats, everything, this watch IS a dress watch as dress watches are described. It’s not too big, it’s super thin, it’s very elegant, it tells time by means of an hour and minute hand (not even a second hand) and it’s understated. We’re looking at a watch that is known for its ultra-slim profile, and today there are hand-wound versions, automatic versions, with or without date, with our without small seconds. And we’re looking at the most understated of them all, in white gold, 38mm in diameter, hand-wound, and no second hand… here’s the Piaget Altiplan

7 years ago

Introducing The Ming 17.01, An Affordable Watch Created by Famed Watch Photographer Ming Thein

Today, I have the privilege of introducing a new brand and watch from a man I’m proud to call a friend and fellow watch enthusiast; the Ming 17.01, from photographer extraordinaire Ming Thein. Simple, yet over-engineered and with a painstaking attention to detail, this new watch reflects the attitude and ethos of its designer and namesake. Plus, the price point will really give you something to smile about. Read on for all the details and to find out where you can get your hands on one.

7 years ago