Category: independent watchmaking

The Superb Laurent Ferrier Galet Annual Calendar School Piece in Pale Yellow Gold

For the SIHH 2018, Laurent Ferrier had quite a lot of novelties up his sleeve and his latest watch features a new movement and an unprecedented complication for the brand: an annual calendar. Housed in the sleek, round Montre Ecole (School Piece) case, the Laurent Ferrier Galet Annual Calendar already impressed us just by looking at photos… And then came the surprise of Ferrier’s new movement housed in a great looking new gold alloy. Clearly, one of the most elegant and desirable watches of the SIHH 2018.

8 years ago

The Czapek Quai des Bergues Guilloche Now In An Array of Colors

Czapek sets the tone for 2018, with new versions of the Quai des Bergues, full of colors. The independent brand, a revival of the name of Patek’s ex-partner, started its life with an online subscription campaign (yes, quite special for a brand with such high-end watches) and is now becoming more established than ever. New collections, new watches, new styles… For 2018, Czapek unveils its Quai des Bergues watch with colored guilloché dials.

8 years ago

The new Schwarz Etienne Roswell 08 with a Complex Date Mechanism

Schwarz Etienne presents a revisited version of its Roswell watch transformed by a spectacular and unprecedented staging of the date mechanism. Here’s a hands-on review of the new Schwarz Etienne Roswell 08. If you are a regular reader of MONOCHROME, you should already be familiar with Schwarz Etienne. The brand, founded by Paul Arthur Schwarz …

8 years ago

The New Armin Strom Pure Resonance (SIHH 2018)

Following the motto “less is more“, Armin Strom presents a cleaned version of its superb Resonance watch. Why “less is more“? Well, in the case of the new Pure Resonance, it isn’t only about cleaning the design. You’ll see that sometimes in watchmaking, removing parts and features can benefit the accuracy – and Armin Strom’s Resonance concept is all about accuracy.

8 years ago

H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Flying Hours with Planetary Display of Hours and Minutes (SIHH 2018)

When we hear H. Moser & Cie., we usually have classicism or cleanness in mind – or a certain sense of provocation, with the Swiss Mad Watch or the recent Swiss Icons Watch. Yet, for the first time in its history, the Schaffhausen-based manufacture has revisited its time display methods to create a new, disc-based system. Meet the Endeavour Flying Hours with planetary display of hours and minutes.

8 years ago

De Bethune DB28 Steel Wheels (SIHH 2018)

For the last 2 years, De Bethune had to deal with a complicated financial and managerial situation. Yet, in October 2017, the company announced that an investment consortium led by Pierre Jacques, former CEO of the brand, was about to take over the capital, to put this manufacture back on track. In the middle of the SIHH 2018, here is the first watch of this “new De Bethune”, a variation on the well-known DB28 model, with a skeletonized movement. Meet the DB28 Steel Wheels.

8 years ago

Laurent Ferrier Galet Annual Calendar Montre Ecole (SIHH 2018)

Laurent Ferrier presents its fifth in-house calibre, and as something unprecedented for the brand features an annual calendar complication. A natural heir to the brand’s signature design ethos of smooth, rounded surfaces, vintage-inspired themes, and minimalist dials, the Galet Annual Calendar Montre École brings user-friendliness, legibility and steady mechanical performance to one of the most useful complications in a watch.

8 years ago

MB&F MoonMachine 2 in collaboration with Sarpaneva (SIHH 2018)

One of the basic ideas behind MB&F has always been to have “friends” involved in the creation of new pieces. We can easily remember watches made together with Alain Silberstein (on the HM1 or the LM1), Black Badger or the involvement of Kari Voutilainen in the decoration of the LM movements. Another collab that stuck in collectors’ mind was the MoonMachine. Using the HM3 as a base, Stepan Sarpaneva added its famous moon-face complication. Here we go again, as both parties join forces for the second time to create the MB&F MoonMachine 2, this time based on the HM8

8 years ago

Singer Track 1 Geneva Edition In Yellow Gold (SIHH 2018)

When launched in mid-2017, the Singer Track 1 has been one real surprise, praised by many. Not only the story behind was cool (the link with the custom-built Porsches), not only the people behind are great, but the watch itself, its movement, its design and its display are just fresh. Prior to the SIHH 2018, Singer Reimagined unveils a new and sexy version of its Track1 chronograph. Meet the Singer Track 1 Geneva Edition, as we go hands-on with this chronograph clad in yellow gold and black.

8 years ago