Interview – All You Need To Know: Polo, Clare Mountbatten and Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso

Polo (on a horse that is), has a mysterious allure. One of exclusivity and physical bravery. The ultimate sporting expression of man and beast working in perfect synergy. For those who don’t play (and I count myself in that group), the sport of kings is also devilishly difficult to understand. And when I say that, it’s not just the game itself that’s hard to grasp – it’s the culture, the financing and playing calendar that baffles.

7 years ago

Interview – Davide Cerrato of Montblanc on the Brand and What’s Coming Next (incl. a teaser of a new Goodwood watch)

We’re in Switzerland quite often – according to my wife, who keeps track, I’ve spent a quarter of last year in the land of watchmaking – for all kind of events. Whether for the videos that we make, or events organised by watch brands, or manufacture visits, or the GPHG award night, it always means you’re meeting a lot of people from the watch industry and the good chance to run into a friend. Recently I met with my good friend Davide Cerrato, Managing Director Of Montblanc Watch Division, and we talked about how things are at Montblanc, what’s going to happen at Goodwood and more.

7 years ago

Interview – Valtteri Bottas talks Formula 1, (IWC) Watches and what may be Next

Following yesterday’s interview with Lewis Hamilton, it is now time to have some time with his team-mate, also a driver for Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport: Valtteri Bottas. As a Finnish, I had the idea that this interview would turn different than with super-star Lewis. And unsurprisingly, it did. Same questions as for Lewis, same focus on racing, style, (IWC) watches – as Valtteri also wears driving gloves with the Big Pilot’s Watch printed on them – and about what may be next for him. Here we are with the second part of this interview where Valtteri Bottas talks to MONOCHROME.

7 years ago

Interview – Lewis Hamilton talks Formula 1, (IWC) Watches and what may be next

Just ahead of the French Grand Prix last weekend, I had the chance to sit down with two of the best drivers currently racing in Formula 1, both behind the wheel of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport W09: Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. IWC is a major sponsor of team Mercedes, and both drivers wear gloves with the well-known Big Pilot’s Watch printed on them. So, as you can imagine, the interview steered onto the watch track and we can even tell you what watches both gentlemen might be designing one day with the brand… First part, Lewis talks to MONOCHROME.

7 years ago

Interview – Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Ulysse Nardin, on the Future of the Brand

Replacing another Patrick (Hoffmann, CEO of the brand from 2011 to 2017), Patrick Pruniaux could easily be qualified as a luxury expert – watch expert, of course, but not only. He certainly is part of the new generation of CEOs who know about the watchmaking industry but who also spent some years outside of this microcosm. From the Wine and Spirit division of LVMH, followed by several positions at TAG Heuer, Patrick will later cross the Atlantic in 2014, as he was hired by Apple, in Cupertino, to prepare the launch of the Apple Watch as a member of the Special Projects team. He was then promoted to the position of Managing Director for UK & Ireland in 2015, and was also a member of Apple EMEA Executive Committee. He finally joined Kering Group in September 2017 as Chief Executive Officer of Ulysse Nardin. Today, we have this 2.0 luxury CEO talking to us about the future of Ulysse Nardin.

7 years ago

Interview – Peter Speake-Marin on Making Watches, Developing Movements and his Latest Venture, the Naked Watchmaker

I can clearly remember my very first Baselworld and meeting Peter Speake-Marin. I didn’t know the “industry” as well as I know it today and I had no real conception of the entire industry and where Peter fit in. Today, some ten years later, I’m still in touch with Peter and I feel honoured to call him a friend. Over this past decade, I’ve followed Peter’s wanderings through the industry, and since Peter recently started a new venture (the Naked Watchmaker) I wanted to give you an overview of who Mr Peter Speake-Marin actually is. Soon, we’ll focus on him deconstructing movements, but first, an interview with the man himself.

7 years ago

Interview – Talking about the Oscars of Watchmaking and new Developments for the GPHG

As of January 1st, 2018, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, or short GPHG, has a new president: Mr Raymond Loretan. He took over the helm from his predecessor Carlo Lamprecht, who, together with Mrs Carine Maillard, director of the GPHG foundation, has built the GPHG to what it is today. What they achieved in only seventeen years is very impressive! Besides a new president, there are two more prize categories that we wanted to know more about. MONOCHROME sat down with Raymond Loretan and Carine Maillard to talk about the GPHG’s past and future. 

7 years ago

Interview – In Conversation With Nick Harris, Founder of Orion and Watches By Nick

A somewhat surprising, yet very encouraging trend seems to be emerging in our tiny watch ecosystem. Young people from around the world, millennials who aren’t supposed to even care about traditional (‘outdated’) technology, are discovering a passion for mechanical wristwatches. And what’s more, they are finding interesting ways to explore and develop their own ideas, leveraging the boom in crowdfunding to help them create their own products and brands, many of which offer genuinely interesting additions to an already crowded market.

This seems all the more remarkable when you consider that none of these young creators has ever even had the need to wear a wristwatch, thanks largely to the advent of things like smartphones. Still, they are making the active choice to be a part of this world and to try and make a living from mechanical wristwatches. Today, we’re speaking to one such individual, a young man from the USA by the name of Nick Harris. The Seiko fans among you might recognise Nick’s name from his first watch-related project, Watches by Nick, which focused on modifying Seiko watches. Now, he’s studying full-time at watchmaking school and has launched his own brand, Orion, to help fund his studies.

7 years ago

3 Questions to Guillaume Tetu, COO of Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry Co

We caught up with Guillaume Tetu, COO of Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry Co (RLWJ) in Geneva a couple of weeks ahead of Watches and Wonders Miami 2018. He shares his vision for RLWJ’s future as the brand will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, including a sneak preview of the new Ralph Lauren RL Automotive Skeleton Steel presented at Watches and Wonders.

7 years ago