The Collector’s Series – Thor Svaboe’s Independent Choice for a Bespoke 3D-Printed Holthinrichs Ornament

Thor Svaboe (here on Instagram) comes from Norway but his choices for watches are nothing cold as his country. Thor has a day job as a sales manager, but his heart and soul lie in his position as an Independent Editor for Time+Tide Watches. From his home close to Oslo he takes on a discovery tour uncovering his passion for the independent Dutch brand Holthinrichs Watches from the city of Delft. His bespoke Ornament model is one of his big loves. And today we discuss what makes this watch so special to him – and it goes far beyond the fact that it was its 50th-anniversary watch and that it includes some highly personal engravings on the movement side.

4 years ago

Interview – Benjamin Arabov Takes Over as CEO of Luxury Empire Jacob & Co.

Today Benjamin Arabov, son of Jacob Arabo, takes over the reigns of the über-luxury empire Jacob & Co, as the new CEO. When he left the company at age 19 he promised to come back when the time was right. And that was four years ago, in 2017, when Benjamin took over the social media activities of the company. Jacob & Co’s combined social media presence has grown spectacularly, from 200,000 followers to 2.5 million and it keeps growing at a fast pace

4 years ago

The Collector’s Series – Meet @so.frech, Our First Collector Talking Grand Seiko

For the first time in our Collector’s Series we talk about a Grand Seiko and we do this with Austria-based collector who can be found as @so.frech on Instagram. Grand used to be JDM (Japan Domestic Market) only and only opened up to customers from outside Japan since 2010. Although it’s not a young brand, for people outside Japan, Grand Seiko remained unknown. By now the brand is pretty well established among its peers and here on MONOCHROME we are always highly enthusiastic when we’re talking about Grand Seiko. And not only because of the Zaratsu polishing technique – an ancient method to polished Samurai swords – that results is stupendously good finished cases and hands. We will be talking with @so.frech about his Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGA083. 

4 years ago

The Collector’s Series – Andrew and His H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Centre Seconds with Midnight Blue Dial

Today I’m talking with a long-time friend about his H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer with a striking blue dial; Andrew McUtchen. You might know him as the co-founder of Time+Tide, but also co-founder of the Fatherhood, and he’s what I’d call a true watch buddy. After a career at GQ Australia, he was crazy enough to try and make a living as a watch blogger (we have something in common here…) and he loves to wear his beloved H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Centre Seconds Midnight Blue Dial on a custom Kudu strap. According to the Aussie, H. Moser & Cie. is “sizzle and steak. And fries. And a funny waiter, too!” No clue what he means by that, but let’s find out.

4 years ago

Interview – In Conversation with Stéphane Waser and Thiebaut Bentz of Maurice Lacroix

A few days ago, Maurice Lacroix launched its Aikon Venturer GMT digitally and simultaneously inaugurated its new studio to monitor online initiatives. To find out more about the brand’s new strategy, we interviewed the brand’s Managing Director, Stéphane Waser, and International Product and Marketing Director, Thiebaut Bentz. Xavier Markl, MONOCHROME – 2020 has been a […]

4 years ago

The Collector’s Series – Todd Searle and his MB&F HM7 Aquapod Titanium Blue

Today we’re talking with someone who bought an MB&F. And while MB&F is already pretty much ‘out there’ with their designs (remember the drop-dead-gorgeous LM1 owned by @winewhiskeywatches), today’s collector got one of the most unusual designs in the world of watches. Today’s collector was not necessarily a long-time watch collector, but he has an eye for the unusual, for the creative side. His name is Todd Searle and his business card states “Creator at Large”. He’s both an author, a content creator and a sales professional. For Todd, it had to be the MB&F Horological Machine HM7 from the first glance. Let’s find out what it was that attracted this collector from Chicago, Illinois, in this bold watch.

4 years ago

News – Girard-Perregaux and Aston Martin Announce Partnership, And We Talk With GP’s CEO About It

Some of you might not know about it but Girard-Perregaux’s link with the automotive world has been long-lasting. Following this tradition, the La Chaux-de-Fonds-based haute horlogerie manufacturer has just announced a new partnership with one of the most respected brands in the car industry, Aston Martin. MONOCHROME talks to Patrick Pruniaux, Girard-Perregaux and Ulysse Nardin’s […]

4 years ago

The Collector’s Series – François-Xavier Bought His URWERK UR103.08 TiAlN To Have Fun!

Today I’m talking with long-time friend François-Xavier Overstake, aka @equationdutemps. This is not just his Instagram handle, but also the name of his blog about watches, which is probably one of the most important French publications on watches. Besides running his own blog, Francois-Xavier is a moderator on Watchprosite, a large watch forum. At 51 […]

4 years ago