Category: iwc

The Collector’s Series – @winewhiskywatches and his IWC “Safari” Big Pilot (AKA the Tribute to 5002)

When Chris Granger-Herr, the CEO of IWC, posted a photo of himself wearing the prototype for this updated version of the original 5002-generation Big Pilot in matte titanium while on his African Safari, collectors took notice. Shortly after, IWC announced a limited edition of 100 watches, which sold out almost instantly via Instagram (despite a six-month wait for them to be built). The watch was immediately nicknamed the “Safari” Big Pilot, while IWC officially named it the “Tribute to 5002.” Today we’re talking to @winewhiskywatches about his IWC Big Pilot Tribute to 5002 ref. IW501007 AKA the “Safari” Big Pilot.

5 years ago

Hands-on – IWC Portugieser Hand-Wound Monopusher Edition “Laureus Sport for Good”

Meet the 14th watch made by IWC Schaffhausen in support of a good cause, “Laureus Sport for Good” – a charity that relies on sports to help children and young people overcome violence, discrimination and disadvantage in their lives. Following multiple blue-coloured watches, such as this special Mark XVIII or this Chronograph Yacht Club, today […]

5 years ago

Buying Guide – The Best Watches Introduced in 2020… So Far

It certainly is way too early to claim that we’re in front of some of the best watches of the year, and even though the industry isn’t in the best mood (sales aren’t expected on the rise, China’s situation could affect exports), we expect to see some great news to be launched. Still, and even […]

5 years ago

Hands-on – IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Spitfire Bronze

As a regular reader of MONOCHROME, you will know already that each year, Swiss watch manufacturer IWC focuses on a specific collection. Last year, it was the brand’s legendary Pilot’s Watch series, with a number of cool variations introduced to the market. Here’s a video overview of the highlights from IWC’s CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr shot […]

5 years ago

Introducing – IWC Portugieser Chronograph, Now With In-House Movement (Ref. IW3716)

For many fans of the IWC Portugieser Chronograph, today’s news is big news: not only is this iconic chronograph now equipped with an in-house calibre, you can finally see the movement through the transparent caseback. To be precise, this is not the first time this manufacture movement has appeared inside a Portugieser Chronograph. In 2018, […]

5 years ago

Editorial – What are the Top 10 Swiss Watch Brands in 2019?

If the value of Swiss watch exports has slightly increased in 2019, the industry has been facing numerous challenges over the past years. Although high-end Swiss watches remain attractive, the low/mid-end segments have been under pressure as the smartwatch expansion seems to have come at the expense of the lower-priced Swiss timepieces. Most watch brands […]

5 years ago

Introducing – IWC “Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar

Last year, I had the chance to interview F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton, just before the French Grand-Prix. Part of the discussion was, of course, his impressive racing results but also something more in line with our usual topics; watches. I asked him what if he had the opportunity to design his own IWC watch. He answered “red gold is my favourite (…) I love the Big Pilot’s watch, I love heavier watches (…) Most likely it would be a perpetual calendar (…) A watch as mechanical as possible.” Well, it seems that his idea came to life, with the new IWC “Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar.

5 years ago

Buying Guide – Best of 2019 – Our Top 5 Traveller’s Watches (GMT & WorldTime)

2019 has been another hectic year for the watchmaking industry, with multiple announcements, debates on the watch fairs and numerous novelties. But 2019 is coming to an end and it is time to look back at what were the best models introduced. After a look at our 5 favourite chronograph watches and our 5 best favourite watches, we’ll now look at one important category, the traveller’s watches – GMT and WorldTime timepieces – as this is, to us, the most practical of the complications on a daily basis, for modern gentlemen. Here it is, our “best of 2019” guide for multiple-time-zone watches.

5 years ago