High-end Watches Archives - Page 113 of 121

SIHH 2017 – IWC Da Vinci Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph

As previously announced on Monochrome, the Schaffhausen-based manufacturer is revamping its Da Vinci collection in 2017 including a return to the original round case which popularised this collection in the 1980s (read our article here). SIHH 2017 is just about to get underway and so IWC has finally unveiled all the new editions for this year, including this complex model combining a flying tourbillon with hacking mechanism, a chronograph and a retrograde date.

SIHH 2017 – URWERK UR-T8, The New Concept For The 20th Anniversary

As you might know, this year is the 20th anniversary of a rather unique and disruptive brand named URWERK. As we already showed to you in a dedicated movie, this independent watchmakers started with their first watch at Baselworld 1997, as they were still almost kids. However, even if they just turned 20, don’t believe that Frei & Baumgartner are now old men who are sleeping behind their desks… And as proof of the strong vitality and creativity of URWERK, here is their latest creation, the impressive URWERK UR-T8, which renew the concept of satellite complication and of traditional case.

Five Things I learned When Visiting Seiko in Japan

To most of us Switzerland is the centre of the world, when it comes to watches. The “Swiss Made” sub-title seems to be the best way for brands to make their watches more appealing, however that’s certainly debatable these days. Still, Switzerland is known for precision, fine mechanics and cleanness. Germany is also known for precision, cleanness and fine mechanics, and they also manufacture some very nice watches! Together with the Swiss, the Germans serve to an ever growing clientele who are interested in mechanical wrist watches. And that’s when you realise that there’s another country, on the other side of our globe, that is known for exactly the same qualifications: cleanness, precision and fine mechanics. I’m talking about Japan. Already in 1881 Kintaro Hattori started making watches, and today the company is led by his great grandson Shinji Hattori. Now that’s a proper family business! Recently I had the distinct pleasure of visiting several Seiko manufactures in Japan, and I remained awestruck. Later more about this trip, however we’re going to start with five things I learned about Seiko.

SIHH 2017 – Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision now in Platinum with 4 Dial Options

Launched in 2015, the Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision is the brand’s vision (pun intended) of a pure and clean watch, a piece that doesn’t scream too loud its noble origins and that discreetly display the time, a small second and a tourbillon. All of that was encased in a very round watch (not usual for the brand) and, well, it is just as plain as a Greubel Forsey can be. Still, turn it back and you’ll see an incredible level of finish and a fast-rotating tourbillon. The Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision will see new versions for the SIHH 2017 and will now be offered with 4 dials options, including the very appealing Salmon version on top of this article (and I know someone at the Monochrome redaction who’ll love it).

H. Moser & Cie. Launches The Swiss Mad Watch, The Most Swiss Watch Ever (With A Swiss Cheese Case… Yes!) & The Venturer Swiss Mad

Please read Swiss Mad, not Swiss Made. Recently, the high-end, yet irreverent, watchmaker H. Moser & Cie. reported to us their wish to get rid of the “Swiss Made” inscription on the dial of their watches, as well as the upcoming launch of the most Swiss Watch ever created. Yes, as few might know, “Swiss Made” doesn’t mean 100% made in Switzerland. And this is something Edouard Meylan (the brand’s CEO) sees as a betrayal towards customers. Well, now that we know the announcement, it is time to see what all that noise really means. The answer sits in two watches, including a concept piece, the Swiss Mad Watch, a 100% Swiss Made watch, from Swiss Materials (including a Swiss cheese case and a Swiss cow strap…) and the Venturer Swiss Mad, a more traditional commercial piece, yet 100% Swiss Made too. And if you want to know, yes it is bold, yes it irreverent, yes it is a gimmick, yes it is kind of stupid, but, (oh yes!) it is a superb move to shake up that sleeping industry.

Hands-On With The Impressive Armin Strom Edge Double Barrel Rose Gold

Recently, our contributor Peter took an in-depth look (to say the least) at a watch, and he immediately loved it. Presented at Baselworld 2016, later reviewed in our lines, the Armin Strom Edge Double Barrel, in its first execution (in black PVD-coated steel), is a robust sports watch combined with a real, technical and impressive haute horlogerie movement – as usual for the brand, with a high degree of skeletonization and of decoration. Later this year, the brand introduced the rose gold version, and today we take a closer look at it – and you’d be surprised how a change of material can transform a watch…

SIHH 2017 – Introducing the Christophe Claret Maestro

As the SIHH is getting closer to us, some new watches are being introduced, but not only from the usual suspects (Richemont Group brands) but also from independent watchmakers that are exposing at the ‘Carré des Horlogers’. Christophe Claret is one of them, and as you might know, the brand is not shy in creating impressive piece of haute horlogerie. For their second participation to the SIHH, they come with a watch that could almost be seen as their ‘entry-level’, yet still fitted with the great expertise of this manufacture: the Christophe Claret Maestro.

SIHH 2017 – Introducing the Christophe Claret Maestro (updated with preview photos)

“What If” – The Laurent Ferrier Galet Square With My Dream Sector Dial

Yesterday, Brice wrote a piece about his own dream, a timepiece that is an answer to the question “What if… you could create your own dream watch?“. I must admit that his vision of a Panda Datograph in Steel was properly stunning. With that same question in mind, I imagined something different. Similar to yesterday’s dream watch, today’s “dream watch” will also be of significant quality (meaning price is not an object) and one that doesn’t exist. There’s one piece by Laurent Ferrier that I’m sure I’ll never be able to own. Sad, but true. And this brings us to the creation of this dream piece, a Laurent Ferrier Galet Square in Steel with that oh-so-lovely “Only Watch” sector dial (sort of).

“What If” – The A. Lange & Söhne Datograph in STEEL

What if… What if I could imagine and create my dream watch, the timepiece I always dreamed of, the watch that does not exist and that I’d love to own one day. Well, if you read Monochrome on a regular basis, you already know that we’re not shy when it comes to making predictions and using Photoshop to imagine potential Rolex watches (don’t worry, we will be doing it again for Baselworld 2017…). Today though we have something a bit different. I’ve been playing around with Photoshop again but not to create a potential Rolex, but rather to imagine my dream watch, a watch that I’m pretty sure will never exist but that haunts my nights. For me, it is the A. Lange & Söhne Datograph, the ultimate chronograph by my standards and a watch that I’ve dreamed about seeing in stainless steel… What if?

Watch Dandy

Category: High-end Watches