Xavier Markl’s Top 10 of the SIHH 2017

The SIHH 2017 was my 19th attendance to the Geneva-based fair. What a pleasure to tour the inescapable Geneva Haute Horlogerie rendez-vous, which has been great vintage indeed! Here’s my top ten favorite watches, after over 2,000 pictures shot. These are presented without specific order, focusing on gents watches (no mention therefore of the magnificent jeweled watches from Cartier, Piaget or Van Cleef and Arpels). A tough choice but as we had to pick ten, here we go with my personal highlights…

8 years ago

SIHH 2017 – The Superb Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda 1950, Now In Steel

If you read Monochrome on a regular basis, you should know that the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda 1950 is a favorite of ours. Reasons are simple: it is a superb watch, with a great design, both elegant and slightly original (it sets apart from the masses of dress watches, without being too original) and it features a great, technical and hand-finished movement. For this 2017 edition of the SIHH, the brand comes with a great gift: the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda 1950, now in steel (good for the wallet), still with the same micro-rotor movement and its beautiful decoration (good for amateurs) and with a few updates. Overview.

8 years ago

Throwback To The SIHH 2016 Highlights, While You’re Waiting For The SIHH 2017 Novelties

In less than 2 days, Monday 16th January, 9am (Central Europe Time), will be the official opening of the SIHH 2017, the annual High Mass for watches in Geneva. While we, at the Monochrome-Watches redaction, already have a glimpse of what is about to come (don’t even try to ask, we won’t tell), on this day you’ll be able to discover what the 17 large brands and 12 independent watchmakers exposing there have prepared for their new collections. We’re sure you, watch aficionado and collectors, can’t wait, but to make the suspense a bit less difficult, here is an overview of what the SIHH 2016 had best to show.

8 years ago

Christmas Shopping Guide – The Best Chronograph Watches of 2016

Following our previous guides about the best sports watches, the best dress watches and the best ultra-complicated watches of 2016, it’s time for us now to look at one of the main watch categories of them all, and I mean by that the chronographs. Chronographs are amongst the most sold timepieces, they are amongst the most sought-after in auctions and two of them are certainly the most iconic watches of all times. The best chronograph watches of 2016 is not a subject we should treat lightly at all. And here are the 5 watches that resulted from long debates at the Monochrome redaction.

8 years ago

New Release: Parmigiani Fleurier TONDA MÉTROGRAPHE

Parmigiani Fleurier introduces the new Tonda Métrographe. An update of their previous self-winding chronograph, the Métrographe is now available in two dial color variations. The watch is quoted as being ‘urban’, ‘modern’ and a fitting accessory for the ‘emasculate’ consumer.…

8 years ago

Parmigiani Fleurier Celebrates 20th Anniversary with New Watch and Exhibition of Movements

By Roberta Naas To mark the 20th anniversary of the Parmigiani Fleurier brand, the company recently celebrated at the Miami Design District with an exhibition of 25 of its 33 movements created over the past two decades, including 10 world firsts. The exhibit is open to the public until the end of the year and is designed to showcase the innovative spirit and top-quality watchmaking of the brand.

8 years ago

Pre-SIHH 2017 – The Parmigiani Tonda Metrographe gets a face-lift (and it never looked better!)

With the SIHH 2017 coming up in a few weeks, brands are pre-releasing selected models to whet our appetites. Among them is Parmigiani Fleurier, which just released some new Tonda Metrographe watches, sporting tastefully redesigned dials and showing more discretion, resulting in great elegance. Here is an early hands-on look at these classic yet sporty new Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda Metrographe.

8 years ago

Introducing – Parmigiani Fleurier Kalpa XL Hebdomadaire Anniversaire, a solid gold movement in a steel case

Recently, the high-end brand Parmigiani Fleurier introduced a special piece for its 20th anniversary, the Parmigiani Fleurier Kalpa Hebdomadaire Anniversaire Piece unique. Apart from its nice design, paying tribute to the very first watch designed by Michel Parmigiani, the main interest was in the combination of an almost commoner steel case with a splendid hand-engraved solid gold movement. We thought it would have remained a unique iteration, but in front of the success encountered, Parmigiani decided to introduce a limited edition of 10 pieces, the Parmigiani Fleurier Kalpa XL Hebdomadaire Anniversaire.

8 years ago

Parmigiani Wins Gold With Olympic Champion Rower Tom Ransley

On a warm, summer evening in London, on September 1st, a group of watch collectors and enthusiasts gathered at the Parmigiani Fleurier boutique on Mount Street in London’s exclusive Mayfair. Surprisingly though it wasn’t watches they had come to see – although there were plenty of nice ones on display – but a man. A …

8 years ago