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Women’s Watch Wednesday – Bvlgari Diva Finissima Minute Repeater – Another Striking Thinness World Record

Bvlgari is on a roll setting record after horological record in the ultra-thin category. Who can forget the succession of impressive victories obtained by the 2014 Octo Finissmo Tourbillon, the 2016 Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater, the 2017 Octo Finissimo Automatic and this year’s Octo Finisimmo Automatic Tourbillon? Just when you thought that the brand might be running out of steam in the ultra-lean complication department, Bvlgari pulls another rabbit out of the hat with its beautiful chiming masterpiece for women: the Diva Finissima Minute Repeater. As the world slimmest women’s minute repeater watch, the Diva Finissima incarnates Bvlgari’s passion for Swiss mechanical pyrotechnics and its irresistible Italian design flair.

Hands-on – Le Rhone Hedonia Grand Moon Phase

If there is no real practical use to it, the moon phase display makes for a fascinating spectacle and a poetic addition to a watch. If this traditional complication is usually tucked inside a small window, the Le Rhone Hedonia Grand Moon Phase instantly grabs your attention with a unique, oversized moon phase indication that takes up the entire dial. For reference purposes, the moon disc is 28 mm in diameter and the moon 9.9 mm. Not only does its size impress but also its execution, with a strikingly realistic moon representation.

Hands-on – Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Day Date 70s – a Groovy Trip Down Memory Lane

The 1950s and 1960s have been all the rage on the watchmaking scene of late inspiring models that satisfy our nostalgia for the past beating with contemporary movements. Vintage mania is at all-time high and the 1970s are inching their way onto the style radar with proposals like this groovy Blancpain Bathyscaphe Day Date 70s oozing a cool 1970s vibe. MONOCHROME fell in love with this watch and it made our Top 10 ranking of the best dive watches of Baselworld 2018. Featuring a day and date window like its forebear, the watch is a limited edition of just 500 pieces and will hit the note with vintage hunters – so track down some bell-bottoms and a tie-dye shirt and get ready to hit Studio 54 with a watch straight back from the 1970s.

Hands-on – Claude Meylan Légende 69 (and yes, with a Vintage Valjoux 69 Movement)

A visit at “Les Ateliers” (editor’s note, the place where most independent watchmakers exhibit) at Baselworld 2018 can sometimes bring very nice surprises – especially if you have a love for old-school chronograph watches. The Claude Meylan Légende 69 is a clean, simple, elegant time-stopper. As its name suggests, it is powered by a vintage Valjoux 69 chronograph movement, entirely refurbished and redecorated by Claude Meylan, an independent watchmaker based in the Vallée de Joux, specialized in crafting skeletonized watches.

Hands-on – The Surprising 36mm Oris Big Crown Pointer Date in Bronze

It’s no secret that smaller case sizes are back in a big way, which is something we’re pretty pleased about here at MONOCHROME. A particular favourite is the new Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Bronze (also available in steel), which was introduced at Baselworld last month and boasts a gorgeous bronze case that measures just 36mm. This model came as somewhat of a surprise to us and so we were quite keen to see how this smaller diameter would wear on the wrist. Suffice to say we were not disappointed.

Introducing – Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 5738/50P-001 – Celebrating 50 Years Of Golden Style

Patek Philippe unveiled several extremely impressive – and complicated – timepieces this year at Baselworld. The 5270P Perpetual Calendar Chronograph with a head-turning salmon dial was a personal favourite, as was the unexpected, but not unwelcome, Nautilus Perpetual Calendar 5740G. Surprisingly though, it was one of the brand’s non-complicated models that really caught my eye. Artistic yet elegant and flawlessly executed, it celebrates a significant milestone of one of the Geneva-based Manufacture’s more understated collections. Introducing the Patek Philippe 5738/50P-001, commemorating 50 years of the Ellipse d’Or (or Golden Ellipse, in English).

Review – Breitling Navitimer 1 Automatic 38 – Yes, The One Without a Chronograph!

Georges Kern has been busy dusting off cobwebs and streamlining references (from 600 to 120) since he was appointed CEO of Breitling in the summer of 2017. With large market segments entirely overlooked by the brand’s predominant focus on oversized pilot’s watches, Kern has altered the flight plan. His mission is one of expansion and he hopes to attract women and lure the Asian market into the Breitling fold. The new 38mm Navitimer 1 three-hander would seem to be a direct response to his strategy and plays the unisex card to great effect. Ideal for men with smaller wrists and women who like watches with a more virile personality, let’s take a closer look at the Navitimer 1 Automatic 38.

Hands-on – Corum Heritage Hobo Coin Watch – Updating a Classic

Corum introduced its first coin watch in 1964. The model is, without doubt, one of their most iconic watches. If coin pocket watches had been produced for decades (usually ultra-thin watches concealed under a hinged cover), the brand’s coin wristwatch was innovative, in particular with a novel construction: a coin sliced in two, in order to encase the movement. More than 50 years later, Corum still produces coin watches. Classics stand the test of time. At Baselworld 2018, the La Chaux-de-fonds based manufacturer added a cool and modern note to this timepiece, taking it a few steps further, venturing into unexplored arty hype territories.

Introducing – Arnold & Son Time Pyramid Black Edition

One of the main points of interest of Arnold & Son timepieces has always their uniquely skeletonized movements, based on an almost perfectly symmetrical design. Whether you take ultra-complex pieces such as the Constant-Force Tourbillon or the Tourbillon Chronometer N° 36, or more simple pieces like the Nebula, most of the brand’s creations please the eye simply because of this symmetry. One of the most striking designs of this manufacture, the well-known Time Pyramid, is another demonstration of such savoir-faire, and it now comes in a new Black Edition.

Hands-on – Porsche Design 1919 Chronotimer Flyback Brown and Leather – New Colour and New Mechanics

As you’ve certainly come to expect, when seeing a Porsche Design watch on MONOCHROME, stuff like ergonomics, comfort, build-quality, value-for-money or understated design will be mentioned. And this article will be no exception, as Porsche Design introduces its newest sibling in the 1919 collection in a rich, brown, chocolaty hue. We go hands-on with the Porsche Design 1919 Chronotimer Flyback Brown – which is more than just a new dial, but also features a new proprietary movement.

Watch Dandy

Category: Novelty