The independent watchmaking scene is not only important to MONOCHROME, but also gains the attention of an ever-growing number of people in the watch community. To us and probably to many of you, it’s the creative freedom, the attention to detail, the artisanal craftsmanship that’s more often...
Technology has overshadowed some of the advancements of watch dial lume that have progressed for over a century. For example, the digits on Hamilton’s Pulsar P1 LED watch from the early 1970s were bright by the nature of the tech – light-emitting diodes. Timex introduced INDIGLO back in the...
Every year, in early January, my racing heart beats a little faster for a very simple reason. It’s the men and women who bravely try to conquer the desert on two, four or more wheels for days on end. Travelling thousands of miles through the toughest terrain, it’s not for the faint-hearted. And...
When it comes to finding some of the most accessible automatic watches on the market, at least coming from established and reputable brands, it is hard to beat what Citizen has on offer. Whatever the style you’re looking for, the brand has something for you. Looking for a chic, sporty watch with...
For more than a quarter of a century, mostly through its Masterpiece collection, Maurice Lacroix has delivered pretty appealing watches based on single or multiple retrograde indications – a design statement that somehow became a signature style for the brand. Following the recent launch of the...
Rado is a byword for innovative, resilient high-tech materials designed to weather life’s knocks and blows, and for its taste for square and rectangular case designs. Touted as the “world’s first scratchproof watch”, Rado’s 1962 DiaStar got the brand noticed with its proprietary Hardmetal...
French watchmaker Pequignet has added a hand-wound piece to the 39.5mm Royale Paris collection that eschews the usual complications for a classy, time-only dial. It complements the time-only Royale Paris 36mm automatics that come with three dial colours, along with the hand-wound Royale Paris...
Known for its highly decorated, openworked in-house movements finished to very high standards, Armin Strom entered the dress watch category in 2021 with its surprisingly restrained Tribute 1 model in 2021. While still bearing most of the attributes of the brand, design-wise or technically, the...
Young, independent Dutch brand VPC (Venustas Per Constantiam) returns with its next release, the Type 39VM, following its debut model, the Type 37HW. Founded by Thomas van Straaten, watch journalist at Fratello, collector, and now the founder of the design-driven microbrand, VPC was created...
Despite a challenging political and economic context worldwide, and the undeniable impact of tariffs on exports to the US, luxury powerhouse Richemont, owner of Cartier, IWC, JLC, and Vacheron, seems to remain strong. Indeed, in its latest quarterly report for the three-month period ended 31...
Founded by brothers Alberto and Alessandro Morelli in 2017, the Venice-based brand was initially launched as Meccaniche Veneziane. The company got noticed with the Nereide diver and the Redentore dress line before rebranding in 2022 to strengthen its identity and link to Venetian craftsmanship....
With more than a century of watchmaking under its belt, Hamilton has more than earned its place in history. The brand has ventured into many areas of the industry, and has launched a fair share of iconic watches, such as the Ventura, Pulsar and Chrono-Matic. Military-issued and -inspired watches...