An independent watchmaker from the Vallée de Joux, Romain Gauthier is considered a master of hand decoration in Swiss watchmaking, demonstrating the savoir-faire of his team through impeccably finished movements. To mark the 15th anniversary of the Romain Gauthier brand, what better way than to take one of his outstanding models and make it even […]
For those of you living in countries where restrictions have been lifted for air travel and even for those of us who can’t travel but like to keep an eye on the time in some other country, a GMT or second time zone watch is of the essence. As part of its 2020 novelties, A. […]
If you are a regular reader of MONOCHROME, you probably know Petermann Bédat. This independent brand was founded by a duo of young talented watchmakers, two friends who established their workshop in Renens (near Lausanne, Switzerland) to perform restoration work and who ended up creating their own project. We already discovered their first watch, which […]
Guilloché has been practised since the 15th century. This artistic craft consists in engraving regular, repetitive patterns with a machine, hence the difference with hand-engraving. For hand-guilloché, a craftsman drives the machine with a wheel and guides the piece to be engraved by hand. Engraved with a CNC machine, the pattern will be perfect, always […]
Jean-Marc Pontroue became CEO of Panerai in 2016, bringing new ideas, energy and a more contemporary approach to the brand. Although changes within the company were inevitable, the core values and instantly recognizable aesthetic remain intact. During the digital Watches & Wonders week, I talked with Jean-Marc about Panerai’s plans and challenges in 2020 during this unprecedented Corona Virus pandemic. New models will launch as planned, while others will wait until next year as the company adapts to global boutique closures, cancelled events and a big shift to a single, major fair in Geneva. With a focus on the environment, partnerships and long-term ambassadors like Mike Horn, Panerai is poised to emerge from the crisis stronger than ever with exciting new projects and innovations in the works.
Among the many bold and futuristic creations of independent watchmaker Urwerk, if I had to pick the one watch that best represents what the brand stands for, it would be the UR-210. Unique in design, sci-fi inspired, showing the time in a way that no other watchmaker does, large and provocative… It is the essence […]
To celebrate its 65th anniversary, Corum has decided to breathe new life into the cutting-edge designs that were associated with the brand. The new “Risk is the Reward” campaign of 2020, inevitably delayed by the pandemic, goes back to the brand’s roots to move forward and includes the revisiting of golden oldies. It also includes […]
Two weeks ago we already talked with the California-based collector who goes under the Instagram handle @Watch_Time_It_Is and we talked about a rather rare, but extremely beautifully finished, watch of his, the McGonigle Tuscar Bánú. Today we’re looking at another watch. Again one from a small independent watch brand. Again one from a brand of two brothers. And again one that showcases stupendously beautiful movement finishing. Let’s see what motivated @Watch_Time_It_Is to buy a Grönefeld Parallax!
Christian Selmoni is the Style and Heritage Director at Vacheron Constantin. He joined the brand thirty years ago, in 1990, and gradually climbed the ladder to his current position, in the meantime having been responsible, among others, for the design and development of the company’s famous 250th-anniversary collections. Overall one of the most likeable persons in the watch industry, a perfect gentleman, always dressed to impress and when he starts talking about ‘his’ brand you can see and feel his enthusiasm. Through zoom, we talked about a range of topics including bespoke and one-off VC timepieces, some of the brand’s most complicated pieces (and most complicated watch in the world), and the strategies of making a watch wearable when it’s packed with two dozen complications and watch faces on both sides.
While you might know Omega for its iconic sports watches such as the Speedmaster or the Seamaster, or even for its elegant collections, the brand is rarely associated with Haute Horlogerie. But Omega can do high-end watchmaking and has proved it in the past with multiple achievements and handsome complicated watches. Today, the brand shows […]