Chanel, a high-fashion house known for its women’s haute-couture and ready-to-wear clothes, luxury goods, and fashion accessories, has been investing in the watchmaking industry – and for quite some years already. This surprising move, initiated in 1998 with Bell & Ross and in 2011 with Romain Gauthier, now goes one step further with the addition of F.P. Journe in the portfolio of brands supported by Chanel.
Torsti Laine is a name that will probably not ring a bell for most of you. But, credit where credit is due: Torsti Laine has a very interesting story to tell and offers some very attractive watchmaking! At Baselworld earlier this year, I had the chance to find out more about the brand, the man, […]
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.
Regulators have been a Chronoswiss trademark since the brand presented its first regulator wristwatch in 1987. With its 44mm case, the Grand Regulator has been one of the flagship models of the Chronoswiss collections for years. In 2017, the model got a facelift with the Flying Grand Regulator and a skeleton version – which we reviewed here. The addition of a 3D dial adds a sense of depth to the model and the impression that the regulator complication is floating above the dial. This year, the Lucerne-based brand adds a splash of colour to the model with two limited editions packaged in DLC-coated steel cases.
Bovet watches break away from the norm. These stand out for their exquisite craftsmanship and ornate design revealing the complexity of their mechanism. However, the most striking thing about the Bovet Amadeo Fleurier Virtuoso V is, without doubt, its versatile character. The Virtuoso V is a timepiece with different faces, and it can be transformed from a wristwatch to a pocket watch or even a table clock.
In a horological galaxy far, far away, one man, Captain Büsser, was entrusted with a mission: to create marvellous and unique time devices that would annihilate Emperor Boredom. This rebellion started in 30 A.Q.C. (After the Quartz Crisis, meaning 2005 in human nomenclature) and gave life to several horological UFOs, ready to engage in battle. The war isn’t over and Captain Büsser and his ally L’Epée 1839 open a new chapter in this epic time battle with their latest weapon against monotony: Grant.
Genuinely different… When re-launched in 2015, the name Czapek made quite an impression, not only because of the watches presented back then but also because of the way the project had been financed. While crowdfunding often refers to affordable pieces, it is here attached to the words “Haute Horlogerie”. Very surprising indeed… This is why, today, we talk to Xavier de Roquemaurel, CEO of Czapek, to understand how the name has been revived, how the project came to life and what the future holds for this independent brand.
At MONOCHROME, we are always happy to present new watchmaking talents and their work. 21-year-old Remy Cools is one of them. A recent graduate of the Lycée Edgar Faure in Morteau, a French town next to the Swiss border, Remy is one of the winners of the 2018 young talent award by F.P. Journe. Already quite a serious background for such a young man. Not only he earned the knowledge, but he also applied it in the metal. His watch, the montre d’école tourbillon (school watch in French) is well worth a look.
It’s hard to believe but MING Watches is already celebrating its one-year anniversary. And what a year it’s been. In just 12 months, three models have been introduced: the MING 17.01, which sold out almost immediately, the MING 19.01 with exclusive Schwarz Etienne movement, and the MING 17.03 GMT, which saw the addition of a practical complication. To celebrate this exciting milestone, MING has created two anniversary models: the 17.03 Ultra Blue and 17.03 Blue limited editions. There’s already a waiting list for the Ultra Blue edition and we’re pretty confident in saying that the Blue edition will likely sell out quickly too. Read on for all the details.
Laurent Ferrier is known to be on the simple side of things. Well, at least, when it comes to the design. Indeed, when your 3-hand watches are fitted with a tourbillon double hairspring or a natural escapement (direct double impulse) and a micro-rotor, you can’t be named “simple” anymore. With its latest creation, the most complex in the collection so far, Laurent Ferrier doesn’t break his habits. Meet the impressively clean Laurent Ferrier Galet Minute Repeater.