Girard-Perregaux has an extensive track record in watchmaking and is one of the most enduring integrated manufactures of the Swiss watch industry. In the 1980s, at a time when the quartz crisis had crippled mechanical watchmaking, the brand was among the first to champion the renaissance of traditional movements. Today, Girard-Perregaux announces the launch of […]
Rolex has changed… Not marginally, but significantly. We knew the brand was capable of being rather unpredictable and capable of bold creative moves, such as bubble-decorated dials and watches with a guilloché pattern. The days when Rolex simply revamped a collection every 10 years by implementing incremental upgrades and releasing new dial colours every two […]
An article by Rob Memel, antiquarian horologist, professional certified watchmaker since 1984, and author of the book The Development Towards Huygens’ Spiral Spring (1660-1676), from which this article is a summary. About two years ago, I embarked on an in-depth investigation into another watch-related invention by Christiaan Huygens: the spiral spring on a balance wheel. […]
In the world of watches, the crystal is one of the most crucial yet often overlooked components of a timepiece. This thin transparent cover protects the dial from dust, moisture, and external damage while allowing clear visibility of the watch’s timekeeping functions – and, in many modern watches, its movement, too. Over the years, watchmakers […]
Calendar indications are a classic of watchmaking. But not all calendar watches are born equal. As our own Xavier Markl explained in this Technical Perspective article, calendar watches range from basic date displays to the ultra-rare and highly complex secular calendar mechanism, and everything in between. Next to the highly praised perpetual calendar, there is […]
How do a pair of manually wound, time-only, pocket watch-sized, potentially outdated movements introduced in the 1950s earn a place in our series on significant calibres, alongside the well-known El Primero and Valjoux 7750 chronograph calibre and the omnipresent automatic ETA 2824 and 2892? Several factors contribute to their importance. Despite seeming unusual today, the […]
In our series on historically significant calibres, the best way to honour the El Primero calibre is by highlighting its qualities, functional characteristics, and pivotal role in shaping the watchmaking industry. While the tale of its salvation in 1976, along with that of Zenith as a company, by a courageous man defying the ill will […]
Ultra-thin watchmaking is a fascinating topic, one of our favourite areas of expertise here, at MONOCHROME. Ultra-thin watchmaking is horology at its purest, a no-compromise search for the slenderest movement that has to be considered a true complication. While high-watchmaking often seeks to bring as many complications as possible in a single movement, ultra-thinness is […]
Self-winding calibres are undeniably an advancement, especially those boasting extended autonomy. Yet, there is a timeless ritual, almost archaic, the deliberate act of winding a watch by thumb and forefinger, each click of the ratchet wheel a symphony for the discerning ear. This tactile dance, this connection to the mechanics, is a pleasure some aficionados […]
Today, for our latest in-depth video, we’re going technical. This is what MONOCHROME is all about, after all. Sharing the knowledge behind fine horology and understanding how our beloved mechanical watches actually work. Today’s topic is one dear to our hearts, as it combines everything we love in fine watchmaking: high-end finishing, mechanical ingenuity, profound […]