Anonimo sets the tone for sailing – Hands-on with the cool Nautilo Sailing Edition

Founded in the late 1990s, Anonimo combines Swiss precision with rugged Italian sports chic, producing highly functional watches with a robust, modern feel. Among their latest collections – and a favorite within the Monochrome team – the Nautilo Sailing Edition is an attractive red-black dive watch inspired by the marine background of the brand. It was released in the frame of a sailing partnership as Anonimo has teamed-up with SFS headed by skipper Lionel Péan.

8 years ago

Flowers of Evil – Skull Watches That Keep You On Time… Until It’s Your Time!

A Carcass” (a must-read; here) is without doubt Charles Baudelaire’s most infamous poem, exploring the idea that beauty can be found in even the most morbid scenes. Like Baudelaire’s “Flowers of Evil“, skull watches attempt to extract beauty from horror. These magnificent mechanical works of art emblazoned with the face of death are at once both shocking and engaging. They also serve an important purpose, an allusion to which we can find in one of the last stanzas of the poem

8 years ago

Hands-On – Perrelet Turbine Sung Kang Limited Edition – When One Rotor Is Not Enough

The result of a partnership with the American actor – known for his apparitions in actions movies, including the Fast and Furious franchise – the Perrelet Turbine Sung Kang is the latest version of the brand’s signature model, meaning a bold and unique watch that features the brand’s signature double rotor system. Presented earlier this year at JCK 2016, this 350-piece limited edition is now launching.

8 years ago

A. Lange & Söhne: State of the Art Tradition

When our editor in chief, Frank, asked me if I was interested in photographing seven (yes 7) A. Lange & Söhne watches, I was as happy as a kid in a candy (electronic?) store. I took this opportunity to think about the brand. What differentiates Lange? What makes their watches unique? Why do people pay an enormous amount of money for a simple hand-wound watch? I will share my personal views as well as photos to illustrate my points. In many ways, Lange watches resemble – or exceed – the reliability, robustness, quality and performance of German cars. When you strap a Lange watch on the wrist, it is as if you just took your seat behind the steering wheel in a German luxury car.

8 years ago

Music From Germany – Hands-On With The Glashütte Original PanoReserve

London; birthplace of the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Phil Collins and countless other musical geniuses. Over the decades the city has boasted a thriving and ever changing music scene, influencing pop culture worldwide. Perhaps one of the best known venues is Ronnie Scott’s, based in Soho in London’s west end. Opening its doors for the first time in October, 1959, Ronnie Scott’s is one of the oldest jazz clubs in the world and has hosted the likes of Miles Davies, Count Basie and Kurt Elling amongst a myriad of others. As with watchmaking, good jazz music is all about precise execution, consistent quality and just a touch of the unexpected. The Glashütte Original PanoReserve embodies all of these qualities and more and, like a good jazz record, only seems to get better with time. Today we take a closer look to find out why.

8 years ago

Inside The Educational Boutique Of Glashütte Original In Paris

You might think that a boutique is… a boutique, meaning that in the end, the goal is to discover and buy watches. Well, this conception was true until a few years ago. However, today this perception might be slightly different and collectors, enthusiasts or newcomers have different wishes and want a different experience. While opening a new boutique Rue de la Paix, in the heart of the Paris’ watch heaven, Glashütte Original had this in mind. Today, we’d like to share with you the new approach wanted by the brand, based on education, understanding and didactical experience.

8 years ago

Testing The New Oris Altimeter Rega Limited Edition Right Where It Should (… In the Swiss Alps)

Basically, what you see here is one of the most innovative – and coolest too – pilot watches on the market. No, it is not fitted with a super-high-end movement neither it has the most spectacular design ever. The point is not here. Certainly, you already heard about the Oris Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter, a watch we already experienced before. This watch actually is the world’s first automatic mechanical timepiece with a built-in mechanical altimeter. Admit that for a pilot watch, that’s quite an interesting feature. A few days ago, the brand introduced a new version, the Oris Altimeter Rega Limited Edition (resulting from a partnership with Rega, Switzerland’s air rescue service) and what’s better than a proper field-test, in the Swiss Alps, to experience the altimeter function.

8 years ago

“The Monochrome Video Week” – Recapping Some Of Our Most-Viewed In-Depth Movies

Today is the closing day of “The Monochrome Video Week”… and until now, we hope you enjoyed to look at these in-depth movies, filmed in our own style, by our own crew, and of subject of our own choice. After looking at haute-horlogerie finishing at Montblanc, after taking a closer look at 20 years of visionary watchmaking with URWERK, after showing two brands dear to our hearts, MCT Watches and Ateliers DeMonaco, it’s time for us to recap some of our best-viewed movies. From the conservative but so desirable world of A. Lange & Söhne, to a proper visit of an integrated manufacture with Armin Strom or a jump into the creative world of MB&F and the MAD Gallery, here are five movies for the watch lovers.

8 years ago

Size Does Not Always Matter. Up-close and Personal With The Tudor Heritage Black Bay 36

I must admit that, when the Tudor Heritage Black Bay 36 Ref. 79500 was introduced at Baselworld 2016, I was quite indifferent towards it. My mind was tuned towards and only in favor of all the other Black Bay’s, the black, the total black and the bronze. These I said to myself were proper watches, bold, and greatly executed. The 36mm was overall a watch I could not understand. However, when I finally strap it on my wrist for some days, in order to write this review, I started to realize that it probably conformed with that famous motto from the great F. A. Porsche: “A formally harmonious product needs no decoration, it should be elevated through pure form.” So I started to completely change my attitude towards it. This watch has something special and we will find out in our review of the Black Bay 36.

8 years ago

Bringing Back The Golden Age Of Travel With Glashütte Original

We live in a fast-paced, hyper-connected world of couch surfing, ride sharing, instant communication and all manner of other technological marvels I can barely grasp. Not surprisingly we are now travelling more than ever before – both domestically and internationally – which is great. The problem? Travel has become such a common place occurrence that many of us seem to have forgotten how to dress for the occasion. Chic dresses have been replaced by yoga pants, tailored suits passed over in favour of jeans with a stretchy waist and don’t even get me started on the watches (or lack thereof). It wasn’t always this way though you know.

8 years ago