Complications, when it comes to horology, are all the functions of a watch in addition to the display of the time. Complications are what make mechanical watches attractive – and indeed, horology might be the only place where we can enjoy complication upon complication. Regarding calendar indications, multiple functions have been created but nothing can […]
If you’re a recurring reader of MONOCHROME, you should now know all about Urban Jürgensen – and if you don’t, we encourage you to have a closer look here, as this independent watchmaker truly deserves the attention of haute horlogerie lovers. Recently, we had the chance to have quite an exclusive piece from this manufacture […]
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak SelfWinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin, which started its life as a prototype watch named RD#2, is one of these watches that look so right. It is at once a superb design object and a highly engineered piece of horological ingenuity. Of course, it is the thinnest perpetual calendar wristwatch. But interestingly, its development was not initiated to break any record. The idea was simply to design a perpetual calendar Royal Oak that could easily slip under any cuff…
When Geneva-based brand Frederique Constant introduced its first Perpetual Calendar in 2016, it came as a surprise for the entire world of Haute Horlogerie. How could a watch brand make such a complex movement for a price that didn’t even hit the EUR 10,000 mark? Well, we explained that to you here. Today, the brand […]
For some years now, H. Moser & Cie’s perpetual calendar, wheather in the Endeavour or the Pioneer cases, has been characterized by its exclusive, highly pure display – mostly known for its small, central arrow to indicate the month. Certainly, this was both a signature style for the brand and resulted in a clean look… Apparently too clean and not legible enough according to the brand, which is introducing a revised version of its sporty QP, the Pioneer Perpetual Calendar MD – and MD means Month-Date.
The word iconic is one of the most overused and abused words in the watch industry, however, I bet everyone agrees that the Royal Oak actually IS a true design icon. One that defined the modern luxury sport watch. In 1972, Audemars Piguet and Gerald Genta created an archetype; match a sporty but clearly expensively-crafted steel watch with an integrated steel bracelet and an automatic, ultra-thin movement. Et voila, there’s the luxury sports watch, an archetype that has never seemed more relevant than today, as demand for such watches is higher, much higher, than availability.
A unique piece for Only Watch 2019, Frederique Constant presents a version of its Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar featuring a dial fashioned out of a meteorite found in Namibia. Standing out with its unique texture, the blue openwork dial echoes the colour of 8th edition of the biennial charity auction.
Here it is… The multi-million watch, potential record-breaker as the most expensive watch to be auctioned by Only Watch – remember the 5208T from 2017 (sold for CHF 6,200,000) and the 5016A from 2015 (sold for CHF 7,300,000)? What you’re looking at here is a unique example of an extremely rare piece, Patek’s most complicated […]
In 2004, an Austrian couple, Maria and Richard Habring, embarked on a surprising but successful horological journey by creating their own brand named Habring². Fifteen years is a relatively short period of time but has proved enough to accomplish their goal: to become a true Austrian watch manufacture, respected and capable of producing great watches. […]
Last year, at the SIHH 2018, Audemars Piguet presented a case study, a concept watch made to show the brand’s savoir-faire in terms of watchmaking: the Royal Oak #RD2, also known as the world’s thinnest self-winding perpetual calendar. Impressively complex inside and very familiar outside (clearly it had all the traits of a Royal Oak […]