In less than a week from now, it will be February 29th… Not a big deal, for sure. Unless you’re into watchmaking and want to see something mechanically fascinating. Indeed, watchmakers are sometimes a bit nerdy and imagined a complication that takes into account all the weird things of the Gregorian calendar. This means months […]
Parmigiani Fleurier presents the world’s first Hijri Perpetual Calendar in a wristwatch format. The Hijri Perpetual Calendar – or Islamic Calendar – wristwatch relies on technology developed by Michel Parmigiani for a table clock in 2011, which was, in turn, inspired by the restoration of a pocket watch with an Arabic calendar in 1993. Crafted […]
As a regular reader of MONOCHROME, you will know already that each year, Swiss watch manufacturer IWC focuses on a specific collection. Last year, it was the brand’s legendary Pilot’s Watch series, with a number of cool variations introduced to the market. Here’s a video overview of the highlights from IWC’s CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr shot […]
Developed with watchmaker Stephen McDonnell in 2015, the astonishing Legacy Machine Perpetual turned conventional perpetual calendar movements upside down and inside out. Reinventing the QP complication from scratch, with a default 28-day month and a “mechanical processor”, McDonnell’s novel technology eliminates the drawbacks and fragility of conventional QPs and impressed the jury of the GPHG […]
As 2019 is coming to an end, we’ve gathered the MONOCHROME redaction team and started to think about the watches that most impressed us this year. After a look at the best chronographs, the best dive watches, the best traveller’s watches and our favourite accessible watches, it is time to look at the stuff dreams are made […]
Last year, I had the chance to interview F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton, just before the French Grand-Prix. Part of the discussion was, of course, his impressive racing results but also something more in line with our usual topics; watches. I asked him what if he had the opportunity to design his own IWC watch. He answered “red gold is my favourite (…) I love the Big Pilot’s watch, I love heavier watches (…) Most likely it would be a perpetual calendar (…) A watch as mechanical as possible.” Well, it seems that his idea came to life, with the new IWC “Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar.
Manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has dedicated two limited-edition Pilot’s watches to Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, the renowned constructor of Formula One cars based in the UK. As the team’s “official engineering partner” since 2013, IWC exploits the many parallels that exist between motor sport’s premier competition and high-end watchmaking. Kitted out with the black and turquoise livery of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, two limited-edition Pilot’s watches – a perpetual calendar and a chronograph – join IWC’s line-up of aviator models.
In 2018, Audemars Piguet introduced a concept watch named RD#2. It was based on a Royal Oak, it was very thin, it was even 2mm thinner than the iconic Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin 15202. The most impressive feature was that it even comprised a perpetual calendar. This year, Audemars Piguet introduces the final version of […]
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, and its full ceramic Perpetual Calendar versions – full black and now white too – have been some of the most sought-after modern watches for some years now. You understand why when you handle these watches… The full ceramic case and bracelet are nothing but superbly executed. To add to […]
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and its iconic octagonal case and integrated bracelet need no introduction. It is one of the most iconic watches of the industry and the one that sparked the “Luxury Sports Watch” concept (and its subsequent fame). This watch has been revisited in hundreds of editions, complications and materials. Ceramic, a […]