Category: High-end Watches

Just Because – Salmon Dial Watches and Limited Editions by Hodinkee and Revolution

Last week Hodinkee introduced a limited edition Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire, and, Revolution & The Rake announced a limited edition Chopard L.U.C 1860. Both superb dress watches, time-only, white metal case and… a salmon colour dial! Now, I’m a sucker for salmon dials, especially in a white metal case and I think both these limited editions are to die for. And both actually pack more than meets the eye, so all the more reasons to have a closer look.

6 years ago

Hands-on – Moritz Grossmann Atum Hamatic and its Impressive Pendulum Winding System

The vast majority of mechanical watches available nowadays rely on a central oscillating weight to provide power to their movements. Of course, we see lots of variations on this theme – for instance the winching system of the Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo Furious, off-centred micro-rotors, peripheral rotors or even linear rotors. However, the principle […]

6 years ago

Independent Watchmaking – Lang & Heyne Anton Tourbillon

There is something quintessentially appealing about German high-end watchmaking. Often understated, elegant designs fitted with complex yet superbly finished movements, you can spot them amongst their Swiss counterparts quite easily. One of those German brands is Lang & Heyne, based in Dresden, which last year has introduced its rectangular watch called Georg. For this year, […]

6 years ago

Introducing – De Bethune Maestri’Art Collection

Denis Flageollet, the watchmaker and creator behind De Bethune, is known as one of the most brilliant watchmakers of his generation, in particular for his technical developments. The new De Bethune Maestri’Art collection reveals another facet of his talent and his passion for Asian art. The collection aims at celebrating métiers d’art and the artisans crafting these works of art – De Bethune worked with master engraver Michèle Rothen for these two unique pieces.

6 years ago

Hands-on – MB&F HM9 Flow – The Horological Lab’s New Retro-Futuristic Machine

The big day has arrived for MB&F enthusiasts, or those of you who have been following the Horological Machine series since 2005. The latest opus in the series, the HM9, has just been unveiled… A new, unconventionally good-looking, mechanically complex and design-centric creation inspired by one of Max Busser’s countless dreams and passions… pure MB&F! And today, we have it live for you here, on MONOCHROME.

6 years ago

Video – HYT – The Story of Unique Watches Indicating Time with Fluid

Mechanical watches and fluids don’t mix! In fact, keeping fluids outside a watch case is a major issue for all mechanical watch brands. Six years ago, a small company named HYT did exactly the opposite and created a watch that indicates the time with fluids. But don’t expect water to swoosh around the watch case like […]

6 years ago

Review – H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept VantaBlack – The Black-Out Effect

The Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept consolidates superlatives as one of the most precise, one of the most spartan, and certainly the darkest moon phase watch on the market today. Presented in two versions – one in red gold with a signature Moser fumé dial and another in steel with a pitch-black dial – the steel model is the talking piece. With a dial made from Vantablack – the darkest, blackest synthetic substance on our planet – a dramatic black hole canvas serves as a stage for the Moon to perform its orbit. Alluring and mysterious, Vantablack brings the alien sensation of a black hole one step closer to earthlings.

6 years ago

Hands-on – Blancpain Villeret Métiers d’Art Binchōtan (and the Manufacturing Process Explained)

With its Métiers d’art collection, Blancpain has been exploring new artistic and expressive horizons, nurturing traditional skills with different expressions. Case in point: recently, the craftsmen of the Metiers d’art workshop in Le Brassus presented Shakudo dials. Of Japanese origin, Shakudo is an alloy principally composed of copper and gold, which acquires a dark patina between blue and black, according to variations in its composition and texture. This year, Japan has once again become an inspiration to Blancpain. One of the manufacture’s latest artistic creations features a Binchōtan dial.

6 years ago

Introducing – The new URWERK UR-111C – No More Wandering Hours but Still Spectacular

It is not every day that URWERK presents a brand new piece – not an adaptation of an existing piece, but something truly different and unique. So when URWERK announces something new, we’re always excited to see the result of many years of development… And its latest baby does not disappoint. Bold and ultra-modern, as a URWERK should be, the new creation gets rid of the signature wandering hours indication to restore another iconic display: linear retrograde minutes. Meet the URWERK UR-111C, the direct descendant of the UR-CC1 King Cobra and a watch that brings many, many cool details and mechanical innovations.

6 years ago