Delivered in 2010 after six years of work, the Roger W. Smith Tourbillon Commission No. 1 is a bespoke timepiece. Equipped with both a one-minute flying tourbillon – an unusual feature for an English timepiece – and an oversized date display, the watch is a departure from the archetypal Roger Smith wristwatch. In fact, the Tourbillon Commission No. […]
Great achievements are often driven by a passion. When you talk with Laurent Ferrier, it’s immediately evident that he is a man of passions… Yes, passions with an ‘s’, because as you’ll see in this video although Laurent’s career as a watchmaker started with his passion for watches, the story of Laurent Ferrier as a watch brand has been shaped by his second passion, cars. Today, Monochrome is pleased to show you the human and personal story of a man, of his brand, of his love for watches, as well as the past, present and future of one of the nicest manufactures of traditional timepieces; Laurent Ferrier.
When launched in 2013, the second iteration of the Legacy Machine Series, the MB&F LM2, introduced complexity not in the display but in chronometry, something that was actually rather new for Max and his team / friends. Indeed, MB&F Watches are usually very complex, but more to indicate the time in a different way. This LM2 was the reference point for the upcoming watches of the LM Series. Previously released in red gold, white gold and platinum (the latter being a limited edition linked to the usual bright blue dial). Today, MB&F announced the latest version of their dual balance watch, the Legacy Machine LM2, now in Titanium, with vivid green dial… and a few other tweaks to make it even better.
Three times a seconds… At first glance the Urban Jürgensen & Sonner (UJ&S) 1140C is an alluring dress watch with the traditional attention to detail and lavish craftsmanship that goes into all the brand’s timepieces. Take a closer look though and you will notice the unusual, almost jerking motion of its seconds hand, which actually moves three times a second. Not just a pretty face, the reference 1140C is powered by sophisticated mechanics regulated by a detent escapement, a grail of chronometry adapted to fit in a wristwatch.
Equipped with a distinctive pair of balance wheels visible on the dial, the MB&F LM2 was first introduced in 2013, conceived as a nod to past works by Ferdinand Berthoud and Philippe Dufour that also featured twin regulators. The latest iteration of the watch is the Legacy Machine 2 Titanium, a limited edition in a lightweight […]
There’s a great line attributed to the fictional character Gregory House from the popular show House that seems very applicable in our social media driven world of instant feedback; “if nobody hates you, you’re doing something wrong.” It seems appropriate now more than ever as we see an increasing number of independent watchmaking brands emerge from relative obscurity to take center stage in what can only be described as ‘interesting’ times for the luxury watch industry as a whole. One such notable player is a small, British-based watch-maker by the name of Garrick Watch Co.
The Atum is Moritz Grossmann‘s flagship time-only wristwatch (the fancier model has a power reserve display), simple in function and style, but very, very well made. Now the German watchmaker has given it a white vitreous enamel dial, of the sort that’s painted by hand and then fired in an oven. Traditionally styled with narrow Roman […]
The Brellum Duobox is a no-nonsense chronograph with retro-inspired design, powered by the robust and reliable Valjoux 7750. Elegant, nicely executed and offering excellent value for money – it is most likely one of the most affordable chronographs powered by a 7750 (and the best is that this movement is COSC certified… and that is almost never true in the below 5k price bracket!). This sounded promising enough to meet Sébastien Muller, founder of the brand, and go hands-on with the Brellum Duobox.
The grande sonnerie and petite sonnerie hold a special place in the world of Haute Horlogerie. There are only a handful of watchmakers capable of manufacturing (and proposing in their catalogues) such works of arts, often regarded as the pinnacle of complicated watchmaking. Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey have been contemplating this major endeavor for years, way before embarking on 11 years of research and development to finally present their own interpretation of this complication, a ‘sui generis’ creation that was without doubt one of the highlights of SIHH 2017.
Unveiled just earlier in the year, the HYT Skull Pocket is a hunter pocket watch that indicates the time via fluids in tube, with a tiny dynamo that powers its LED illumination. Using that as a base, the Skull Pocket pièce unique replaces the leather inlay on the hinged lid with an elaborately hand-engraved medallion in 18k white gold. Executed […]