Category: independent watchmaking

Review – A Closer Look at the MING 19.02 Worldtimer

A few months ago, I found myself in Singapore sitting across from Ming Thein, founder of MING Watches. In my hot little hands was the MING 19.02 Worldtimer, a somewhat polarising watch that has generated plenty of discussion. The fourth model from the Malaysian start-up, it offered our first real indication that MING wasn’t going to be just another niche brand making distinctive-looking, time-only watches. Arguably the MING 17.03 GMT had already hinted at this fact. But with a Sellita movement and a retail price below CHF 1,650, it wasn’t quite the same shot across the bow of Swiss watchmaking as the 19.02. With its Worldtimer, MING is making a bold statement. And people – meaning collectors – seem to be responding.

6 years ago

Independent Watchmaking – Young Talent Antonin Falk and his Jumping Hours and Retrograde Minutes Montre École

It is always a pleasure for us at Monochrome to discover new watchmaking talents and their work. Today we are taking a look at Antonin Falk and the watch he crafted in the frame of his watchmaking studies. A 19-year-old French man coming from Savoy, Antonin Falk is studying watchmaking in Morteau, a town next to the Swiss border and Le Locle / La Chaux-de-Fonds. He was named ‘Best Apprentice in France’ (MAF Or National Horlogerie 2016) hand-crafting a Breguet hand and pipe.

6 years ago

Review – Kudoke HANDwerk 1, a typical handmade German watch

German styled watches are typically free from any unnecessary details. No frails, no fuss, just clean and elegant watches. Whether you look at brands like A. Lange & Söhne, Glashütte Original, Moritz Grossmann or at smaller independent brands, most of them offer very elegantly, stylish watches. One of these independents is Stefan Kudoke, founder and watchmaker of Kudoke Watches. Besides his intricately detailed skeletonized and engraved pieces, his HANDwerk collection follows the typical German trait. We go hands-on with the Kudoke HANDwerk 1.

6 years ago

Introducing – Sylvain Pinaud Chronograph Monopoussoir

Imagine, building a complicated mechanical wristwatch completely by hand to enter a competition about artisanal crafts. Your competitor? Cheese! That is the story of Sylvain Pinaud in a VERY tiny, exaggerated nutshell, but we’ll elaborate on that. The result of his efforts is impressive though, a very modern-looking, hand-built monopusher chronograph. We had time to meet the maker himself and go hands-on with Sylvain Pinaud’s Chronograph Monopoussoir.

6 years ago

Review – Pinion Atom 39 – A Classic, Affordable Tool Watch Derived from an Online Enthusiast Survey

What’s the best way to create a watch that customers want? Well, literally ask them what design elements and specifications are most appealing. Pinion, a rising microbrand based in London, posted an online survey on its website in September 2018 and applied the feedback to its latest tool watch, the Atom 39. This is a follow-up to the original Atom from 2017, which featured a 41mm diameter case, black dial and Japanese Miyota 9015 automatic. The new Atom 39 reduces the size to 39mm, offers a white dial variant and upgrades the movement to a Swiss ETA automatic, all based on public feedback.

6 years ago

Face-to-Face – The Battle of High-End Annual Calendars Part 3 – Lange vs. Ferrier… The Verdict

Having reviewed both Lange’s and Ferrier’s annual calendars in the previous days, today it’s time for a face-off, a chance for these two mid-weight complication champs to engage in a mock battle. The two contestants are clearly very beautiful watches, perfectly matched in functionality and mechanical integrity, so please take a ringside seat and see if you agree with our verdict in the battle of annual calendars pitting the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Annual Calendar versus the Laurent Ferrier Annual Calendar School Piece.

6 years ago

Hands-on – Urban Jürgensen Reference 1140 Champagne Dial, with Steel Case

At this point, you’ve probably become familiar with independent watchmaker Urban Jürgensen and its classic, yet superbly executed watches. In this instance, the Reference 1140, the brand’s cornerstone and signature piece, should be nothing new to you… Well, wait to discover its latest version, a pretty splendid limited edition, as you could be surprised by one or two features. Meet the Reference 1140 Champagne Dial, and yes, it comes with stainless steel case.

6 years ago

Independent Watchmaking – Meet Ketelaars Watches, a Young Dutch Brand with Big Potential

Hacking away in your home studio, skeletonizing simple hand-wound movements, finding your first customer and attracting clientele by word of mouth, developing your own brand, engineering your very own complications, and branching out into a fully equipped atelier perfectly set up for watchmaking is a tall order for any fledgeling watchmaker. Meet Stefan Ketelaars, founder […]

6 years ago

Hands-on – Reservoir Supercharged Sport Red Zone II

One of the cool brands to have emerged recently from the “independent scene”, Reservoir stands out with its original way to display time. Created by François Moreau, the brand made its debut at Baselworld 2017. His inspiration was fueled by his passion for all things mechanical, and in particular, yesteryear measuring instruments mounted on dashboards or in cockpits: pressure gauges, speedometers, manometers, rev counters… which inspired an original time display. Let’s have a look at the Reservoir Supercharged Sport Red Zone II.

6 years ago