Review – Creux Automatiq, An Accessible Option For A Stylish Luxury Sports Watch

One of the major trends for 2016 has been the arrival of new-comers on the market – new brands, created from scratch, mainly driven by crowd-funding processes (see all these affordable “Kickstarter” campaigns, with some of them showing highly interesting projects). This trend will most definitely continue in 2017, believe us. However, most of these new projects are based on affordable, no-Swiss-Made watches – something that we, here, not necessarily dislike but a bit of good-old Helvetic quality is always welcomed. Playing on the Luxury Sports Watch concept, here is the Creux Automatiq Watch, a Swiss-Made, qualitative, yet affordable option to certain well-known luxury watches you might have in mind.

9 years ago

The Nine Reviews You Loved Most in 2016 On Monochrome-Watches

Like we always say, Reviews are crucial for us, at Monochrome-Watches – and for two main reasons. First of all, in order to bring you the best possible stories and the most objective opinions, we need to have some proper wrist-time with the watches. It’s no debate here: wearing the watch and experiencing it for a while, as if we were owning it, is mandatory. It is our editorial philosophy. Second, as watch journalist, we believe that our reviews will influence your choices and for that reason, we think that you also need these reviews to make the most informed purchases. This is why, to close 2016, instead of showing you our most read stories, we’d like to show you the nine reviews you loved most this year on Monochrome-Watches (based on page-views and reactions).

9 years ago

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.

9 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

9 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.

9 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.

9 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.

9 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.

9 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.

9 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.

9 years ago