Women’s Watch Wednesday – Glashütte Original PanoMatic Luna Dressed in Red – Adding a Feminine Touch to German Watchmaking

Introduced in 2011, the ladies’ PanoMatic Luna introduced two complications into the brand’s reduced line-up of women’s watches. The complications, a hallmark Glashütte Original Panorama big date display and a moon phase function, already featured on the men’s elegant PanoMatic Luna line, were interpreted in a more feminine key. A moon phase function is always a good excuse to introduce some poetry onto the dial of the watch and the ladies’ PanoMatic Luna has been interpreted with dreamy mother-of-pearl dials and a sprinkling of diamonds. To celebrate the International Day of the Kiss on 6 July 2018, the PanoMatic Luna is revisited in rubies, diamonds and a white mother-of-pearl dial in a limited edition of 50 pieces. Unlike the simpler Pavonina collection for women with its quartz movement, the ladies’ PanoMatic Luna features a Glashütte manufactory automatic calibre with the excellent finishes we associate with the Saxon brand.

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

Hands-on – Graham’s Chronofighter Vintage 2018 Collection Flies New Colours

Graham has forged a powerful brand image around its Chronofighter, a watch collection designed to evoke the mood of vintage aviator watches. Revisited time and time again since its launch in 2001, the Chronofighter amplifies its vintage aura with a new squadron of watches. Using colours that are indelibly associated with military aircraft, the trilogy of Chronofighter Vintage watches are a nostalgic flight back in time to the 1940s.

7 years ago

Introducing – H. Moser & Cie. Venturer Big Date Purity

Following the now well-known “purity” strategy of the brand – and that certain sense for anti-conformism that can make us laugh or make us think – H. Moser & Cie. continues to deploy the cleaned look of their watches over the collection, by now refining the Venturer Big Date. Less is more and if the focus is on legibility, it is done without losing the basics of the brand. Cleaner but still bold, meet the H. Moser & Cie. Venturer Big Date Purity.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Christiaan van der Klaaw Planetarium – With the World’s Smallest Mechanical Planetarium

Christiaan van der Klaauw will go down in history as having the created the smallest mechanical planetarium in the world, condensed into the miniature arena of a wristwatch – or in fact, a portion of a wristwatch. His opus, the 40mm CVDK Planetarium, depicts the real-time orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn as they rotate around the Sun. A mechanical miracle that unites horology and astronomy, the CVDK Planetarium – first launched in 1999 – is also a beautiful work of portable art. Just imagine if Copernicus could have got his hands on one of these and prove to his contemporaries that heliocentrism was really the way forward! In addition to the highly accurate representation of planetary motions, the Planetarium has an annual calendar complication.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Corum Bubble Shark Mono-Pusher Chronograph

The Corum Bubble is an oversized watch with a playful, radical design boasting an impressive extra-large sapphire crystal dome. It was born in 2000 as Corum was owned and managed by late Severin Wunderman. After a few years of absence, it was back a couple of years ago (Baselworld 2015) with one of the important ingredients that made its success: numerous, bold limited editions! Today, we take a look at one of the most daring models, the Corum Bubble Shark Mono-pusher Chronograph – certainly a hate or love piece.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Grande Date (with more than just a change of display)

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms needs no introduction anymore. It was, back in 1953, one of the very first purpose-built dive watches and has since been in the minds of most collectors as a true icon. This watch – which production stopped when the brand was out of business during the 1970s – has been revived in 2007 and since then, multiple versions have been created. This year, the brand presented a new version with updated display, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Grande Date – which has more than a new date window to offer.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Grande Date – with More than Just a Change of Display

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms needs no introduction anymore. It was, back in 1953, one of the very first purpose-built dive watches and has since been in the minds of most collectors as a true icon. This watch – which production stopped when the brand was out of business during the 1970s – has been revived in 2007 and since then, multiple versions have been created. This year, the brand presented a new version with updated display, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Grande Date – which has more than a new date window to offer.

7 years ago

Introducing – IWC Portugieser Chronograph Classic Bucherer Blue Editions in Red Gold

When you are one of the largest watch retailers in the world (and the largest in Europe), you obviously can use this power to create your own limited edition watches. This is what Bucherer is now doing for several years, with the Blue Editions – you probably guessed that all of these watches have a specific blue dial (see here for instance). Today, the watch retailer is presenting a special edition of the IWC Portugieser Chronograph Classic, in red gold and, of course, with a blue dial.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Night and Day

Chronoswiss has built its reputation around an easily recognizable design first and, most importantly, on their extensive (for over 30 years now) use of a specific display: the regulator. Quite old-school for some years, the brand has been revived recently and has started to offer stronger and more modern designs, for instance with the Flying Regulator Open Gear or a Bit-Coin inspired watch. Today, the brand presents a new model with added complications: the Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Night and Day.

7 years ago