The Collector’s Series – @Watchesbelike Loves his Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A

I guess at MONOCHROME we do not have to tell you about cultural differences, however there’s one that stands out for people who are passionate about horology and wrist watches in particular. Watch collectors uniting in a club-like manor is something that did not happen, or hardly, in main land Europe. Most European watch collectors prefer to fly under the radar and do not feel any urge to share their, often pretty expensive, collection with others. That is, until Instagram came along and made it easy to meet like-minded collectors, in complete anonymity. And that’s how I got in touch with @Watchesbelike. He’s a 34-year old finance professional and watch collector, who lives in Paris and can be found under this alias on Instagram. We exchanged quite a bit about watches in general, collecting and his love for his Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711a. Although he’s been asked to, he would never sell it. He explains why.

5 years ago

Introducing – The Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 9SA5 “Shirakaba” SLGH005

Back in March 2020, Grand Seiko was celebrating its 60th anniversary and, in addition to expected special edition watches, the brand struck hard by presenting a fascinating movement, the Hi-Beat Calibre 9SA5 with multiple innovations, such as the novel Dual Impulse escapement. First presented in a gold case, followed by a limited edition in steel, […]

5 years ago

Introducing – Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie Océan d’Or Chronograph

When revived in 2015, Czapek – a historically-important name, paying tribute to Czech-born Polish watchmaker François Czapek, once the partner of Norbert de Patek – presented a highly classic watch with an elegant twist. Since then, the brand has evolved and now has far more to offer, including a successful take on the luxury sports […]

5 years ago

Introducing – The Longines Legend Diver, Now With Gradient Blue or Brown Dial

The Longines Legend Diver needs little introduction. Indeed, it might well be the most emblematic watch from the winged-hourglass brand’s Heritage collection. Based on a historically-important “compressor” dive watch from the 1960s, the brand introduced a faithful re-edition all the back to 2007, and this watch, available in multiple editions, has been around since then. […]

5 years ago

Women’s Watch Wednesday – The 2021 Editions of The Patek Philippe Twenty~4 Automatic

Patek Philippe introduces two new automatic models in its recently revamped Twenty~4 women’s collection. In 2018, Patek Philippe overhauled its Twenty~4 collection from head to toe. Introducing 36mm round cases to sit alongside its rectangular-shaped siblings, the feature that thrilled many of us was the inclusion of a mechanical movement. More in line with Patek’s […]

5 years ago

Introducing – The New Longines Avigation BigEye Titanium

The Avigation BigEye is one of those great Heritage Longines watches that pay tribute to the rich aviation past of the brand. Launched in 2017 in steel with a black dial, it was modelled after an elusive 1930s watch with quite a resemblance with some glorious post-WWII pilot’s chronograph too. Also, as indicated by its name, […]

5 years ago

Interview – Wilhelm Schmid, 10 Year at the Helm at A. Lange & Söhne

Wilhelm Schmid has been ten years with the brand that ‘never stands still’. After a career at BMW, among others in South Africa, he arrived in Glashütte to be the new CEO at A. Lange & Söhne, the pinnacle of German watchmaking. With a background in sales and a strong passion for mechanics, it seemed like a match made in heaven. Wilhelm Schmid’s past ten years at Lange were during a pretty turbulent period. It already started in the aftermath of the massive global recession that started in 2008, now the corona pandemic that has a huge influence on the watch industry, the opening of the new manufacture, and of course the sad passing of Walter Lange.

5 years ago

Hands-on – Seiko Prospex Diver’s 55th Anniversary SLA043J1 and SPB183J1

In March 2020, Seiko celebrated the 55th anniversary of its first dive watch. Accustomed as we are to seeing new models pop up to celebrate even the most insignificant of occasions in Swiss watchmaking, the year 1965 marked a truly important milestone at Seiko. In 1965, Seiko took the plunge and developed Japan’s first dive […]

5 years ago

Buying Guide – 5 Watches That Redefine Ultra-Thin Watchmaking

Ultra-thin is a truly fascinating area of watchmaking. Ultra-thin is the child of miniaturization, which has always been one of the watchmakers’ goals. Ultra-thin is where design and mechanics meet, where the ingenuity of the watchmaker isn’t guided by the need to pack more and more functions, but by the wish to make the watch […]

5 years ago

Introducing – The Bremont RFU 150 Limited Edition

Just ahead of the Guinness Six Nations Rugby match that kicks off this weekend, Bremont releases its RFU 150, a commemorative piece to mark the 150th anniversary of the Rugby Football Union (RFU). Decked out in blue to match the colour of England Rugby’s alternate team kit, the RFU 150 offers 24-hour GMT functionality and […]

5 years ago