2020 will be remembered as a traumatic year and a turning point. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a world changer. As far as luxury watches are concerned, the outbreak of coronavirus has shaken fundamental aspects of the industry. Undeniably, it has been and still is an annus horribilis, with Swiss Watch exports plunging by 28.3% […]
With the development of e-commerce and as the trend for vintage watches consolidates, the market for second-hand luxury watches is growing fast. A survey by the Boston Consulting Group published in September 2020 reveals that “the market for secondhand hard luxury items – primarily watches and jewellery – is worth about €21 billion worldwide and […]
Monochrome is all about watches, of course. The vast majority of what we cover are mechanical wristwatches, although every now and then we’ll highlight something intriguing like the quartz Citizen Calibre 0100 with an accuracy of +/- 1 second per year. In the same vein, we also dip our toes into the world of mechanical […]
To say that these are weird times would be the understatement of the century. As I announced in March, we would continue our coverage on watches, as we usually do, and refrain from discussing the COVID-19 situation. We’re here for watches and hopefully, we’ve been able to bring you a bit of horological solace in these weird times. And because both Xavier and I travelled much less than usual, we’ve even been able to increase our daily coverage from the world of watches. Here’s what you can expect from us in the coming period…
The past 20 years have been a particularly rich period for the watchmaking world. Fortunately, a new book is being published which aims to provide a comprehensive reference for industry professionals as well as for those who simply love beautiful watches. Here’s the Millennium Watch Book. The Millennium Watch Book is a collective work assembled […]
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Swiss watch industry is severe. As countries around the world contend with the health emergency, the economic effects of suspending almost all activity have inevitably impacted the Swiss watch industry and will continue to do so for months to come. With manufacturing coming to a standstill and […]
Every now and then a collaboration between a non-watch company or organisation and a watch manufacturer pops up, sometimes delivering a very interesting new product combining values from all involved. And if it also happens to be a logical joint effort between parties, it may tick all the right boxes. Renowned historic rally organisers HERO-ERA […]
There is no doubt that the global COVID-19 pandemic will take a heavy toll on the watch industry. After two consecutive months of decrease (-9% in February and -22% in March), The Swiss Watch Federation (FHS) has just released its statistics for the month of April 2020 and, as expected, exports fell sharply. A direct […]
Upgrading expensive mechanical devices is a centuries-old concept that prevents premature obsolescence as times change. In the American Wild West of the 19th century, black powder revolvers were commonly converted to shoot modern cartridges, forgoing the need to replace a vital necessity. Cameras are another example, such as early 20th-century screw-mount Leica rangefinders. The original […]
Every year, since my second year attending Baselworld, and always on the Saturday halfway during the 10-day fair, there’s the infamous schnitzel dinner. With the current state of Baselworld, Rolex and Patek moving to the Geneva-based fair and leaving behind the Baselworld management, MCH shareholders, exhibiting brands and journalists wondering if we will ever see a next edition of this for-the watch-world so important fair, I’m wondering… Tonight would have been the 10th edition of the Schnitzel Dinner where all the cool independent watchmakers and online journalists gather, to eat schnitzel and fries, and to drink beer, and most importantly, to have a good time. Will there ever be a next edition of Schnitzel Dinner?