Category: Novelty

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.

7 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.

7 years ago

First Look – F.P. Journe Brings Havana Dials To The Octa Automatique Reserve and Lune

We already knew F.P. Journe watches with black dials, with gold dials or with blue dial (that blue dial…). Well, today, we will be the first to show you Journe watches with a brand new kind of color. Discreetly unveiled on the newly launched social media channels of the brand (see here for the post), we’ve been rather surprised and intrigued when seeing it, here at the Monochrome-Watches redaction. No more suspense, here are the new F.P. Journe Octa Automatique Reserve and Automatique Lune with stunning Havana Dials, live.

7 years ago

Death to Gravity with the Corum Bubble 47 Flying Tourbillon Skull

At Baselworld 2015, an icon was back; the Corum Bubble – a watch that first came on the market in 2000, a watch with a unique bulb shape, large and thick, full of distortions but a watch that served a major role in the brand’s recent history. It seems that what is now the main cool factor of these older versions, meaning the countless and all unexpected limited to unique editions, is back – see this version for illustration. Today, the Corum Bubble send a fatal message to gravity, with the unique piece Flying Tourbillon Skull.

7 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.

7 years ago

H. Moser & Cie Removes “Swiss Made” From Its Watches And Teases Us With The Upcoming Most Swiss Watch Ever Created

As of the 1st of January 2017, the “Swiss Made” label will change its rules, being reinforced and aiming in providing a more Swiss production to the end consumer. In other words, a “Swiss Made” watch will have to comprise 60% of components of Swiss origin in order to be considered eligible (as a reminder, the previous rule was that at least 50% of a watch’s value has to be realized in Switzerland). A reinforcement it is, however, not enough for a manufacture named H. Moser & Cie. For various reasons that we’ll explain, the brand doesn’t agree anymore with these rules, deciding to forgo the Swiss Made label and jointly, unveiling the most Swiss watch ever created; produced in Switzerland, by Swiss watchmakers and using materials of Swiss origin.

7 years ago

Book Review – “The Wristwatch Handbook” by Ryan Schmidt

The world of mechanical timekeeping is a fascinating, complex – sometimes arcane – field. As its subtitle puts it, The Wristwatch Handbook aims at offering a comprehensive (lavishly illustrated 350-page) guide to mechanical wristwatches – A useful reference for the new collector or anyone interested in learning more about watches.

7 years ago

Introducing the Lytt Labs Inception – Unconventional Meets Accessible

There’s some new kids on the block and they go by the name of Lytt Labs. Born from a meeting between a Frenchman, a Swissman and a Singaporean who together conceived the idea of crafting contemporary, urban styled watches that play with light through the use of original shapes, materials and patterns. Their timepieces eschew traditional codes and instead provide their own cool, offbeat take on mechanical watchmaking. Meet ‘Inception’, the first watch in the Lytt Labs collection, boasting an unusual time display framed in a bold pebble-shaped case.

7 years ago

Pre-SIHH 2017 – Piaget Altiplano 60th Anniversary Collection, Celebrating 60 Years of Ultra-Thin Watches

Keep these three informations in mind: 1957 – 9P – 2mm. Three informations that sum up an immense technical achievement and define an icon of the watchmaking industry: the Altiplano. If we had to summarize Piaget to one single fact, it would inevitably be “ultra-thin” watches – even if this would clearly be a disappointing shortcut. Since 1957, Piaget is one of the best, if not the most significant representative of the ultra-thin concept, a story that started with the calibre 9P and its 2mm height (and now, you know why these three informations are so important). To celebrate 60 years of ultra-thin watchmaking, here is the Piaget Altiplano 60th Anniversary Collection, to be introduced at the SIH 2017.

7 years ago