Never before has a watch brand taken over the entirety of the historic bank building that today houses Cipriani 42nd Street for an entire month, let alone build an entire two-story building inside the cavernous hall. Patek Philippe, however, did exactly that – and so much more. July 13 marked the opening of the 10-day …
In 2016, the Parisian brand Bell & Ross moved from its usual military-inspired watches to explore new territories with a partnership in Formula 1, with Team Renault Sport. This “French Connection”, which we detailed here, lead to the creation of already 2 collections, including the new pieces presented at Baselworld 2017. Today, another watch comes to enrich this F1 line-up, however far from the usual hyper-technical theme, and more on the vintage side. Here is the Bell & Ross BR126 Renault Sport 40th Anniversary, to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Renault in Formula 1.
The literal definition for “monochrome” is a “photograph or picture developed or executed in black and white only, or in various tones of only one color.” If you consider this, and take into account that Monochrome-Watches tends to focus on high-end mechanical, you now understand what our name basically stands for. And to support this, every now and then, and never intentionally I guess, a watch fits the literal definition AND our definition of Monochrome perfectly, such as this new GoS Sarek Akka.
Yellow Submarine – Blancpain has been a longtime supporter of AMM (Association Monégasque contre les Myophaties), and it is no surprise to see the Manufacture taking part in Only Watch 2017, the biennial fundraiser for research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy. For the occasion, Blancpain has decided to customize the Tribute to Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC.
This is not the first time that Bell & Ross participates to Only Watch. Indeed, the military-inspired Parisian brand already created several unique watches to be auctioned for this good cause, as for instance in 2011, 2013 and 2015 (see here). This year, B&R will also have a specifically modified model, based on the recently introduced BR-X1 RS17, the result of their partnership with Formula 1 team Renault Sport. So expect some strong racing car inspiration here… and there’s more than just a watch to be auctioned.
Parmigiani Fleurier celebrates a decade-long partnership with the Montreux Jazz Festival with a Tonda Metrographe limited edition – a watch that we introduced to you a few weeks ago. Today, right during the Festival, we had the chance to go hands-on with this bold, yet elegantly shaped chronograph, with a specific dial for this limited edition.
Those familiar with Breguet’s great history know that its founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet, was watchmaker to French royalty. In fact, he made the first women’s wristwatch back in the early 1800’s – for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples and sister of Napoleon Bonaparte. The request was for a “thin, oblong repeater watch with a silver dial and Arabic numerals, mounted on a wristlet of hair woven with gold threads.” Abraham-Louis Breguet received the request in 1810 and delivered the watch in December 1812, according to brand archives. Unfortunately, that watch has since been lost, but not its memory. It was just about a decade-and-a-half ago that Breguet honored that first wristwatch with a dedicated collection: Reine de Naples – and for 2017, some new models are offered, including the “Mini” ref. 8928.
When looking at the independent watchmaking scene, what other watchmaking companies than Laurent Ferrier and URWERK could be more different. On one side is the essence of classicism, of traditions and of high-end, hand-finished watchmaking. On the other side is the very definition of bold creativity, avant-garde display and futuristic design. Who could have imagine that one day, these two could find an agreement on creating a watch. But as with magnetic fields, opposites attract each other. And the result, to be auctioned at Only Watch 2017, is a stunning unique piece made by Laurent Ferrier and URWERK, named the Arpal One.
When it comes to nice looking, reasonably-priced dress watches with high-quality mechanical movements, it’s hard to go past Frederique Constant. The brand consistently offers excellent value for money timepieces and has recently updated one of its more timeless models, the Classics Automatic GMT. Read on to find out what’s changed and what’s stayed the same.
Most of the Kickstarter brands that we cover here on Monochrome tend to have an interesting unique story behind them, even though practically every single one of them is a micro-brand with very little traction in the multi-billion-dollar watch industry. CJR watches, which was founded in 2013, has now come out with the newly released “Commander Series”. A watch with a name that matches perfectly in my opinion, as when you look at it, it will command your attention.