In just a few years, J.N. Shapiro, initially a niche American independent focused on exceptional guilloché dials, has become one of the most ambitious names in contemporary American watchmaking. Founder Josh Shapiro’s Resurgence project demonstrated that high-end mechanical horology can once again be produced in the United States, and the Infinity Series has allowed him […]
Since its launch in 2021, the Seastar 2000 Professional has occupied an interesting spot in Tissot’s catalogue. For around EUR 1,000, it delivers a specification sheet that normally comes with more expensive dive watches: a helium escape valve, a ceramic insert bezel, 600m water-resistance, ISO 6425 certification, and a robust Swiss movement. In short, this […]
What We KnowTime flies, and it’s been almost 10 months since J.N. Shapiro launched the brand’s first complication, a limited-run monopusher chronograph for a private group of collectors in the Boston area. It featured a salmon-and-black dial and a stainless-steel case, limited to 14 pieces. Now the concept is back, with the same movement, but with some arguable upgrades in how the entire watch is treated.The brand has tapped tantalum and zirconium as major parts of the watch's construction, ma
What We KnowVacheron just brought back its incredibly unique Traditionelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar, and it's a welcome sight for dedicated collectors of the brand, along with general enthusiasts of unexpected yet innovative takes on complicated watchmaking.If you're not familiar with the original Traditionelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar, launched back in 2019, the watch offered an incredibly novel solution to a problem often found within perpetual calendar watches. Let's be honest, thou
First released in 2019, Vacheron Constantin’s Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar marked a before and after in the sophisticated realm of QPs. While not the first watchmaker to feature dual frequencies, Vacheron’s Twin Beat broke new ground as the first movement allowing you to switch between the two regulating mechanisms, converting a gas guzzling complication […]
Long-time MONOCHROME readers might remember that we were among the very first to cover the work of Dutch designer and watchmaker Laurens de Rijke. Back then, the focus was on the ingenious Amalfi Series I, a watch with a rotating inner case inspired by driving and travel. Since those early days, De Rijke & Co. […]
What We KnowAngelus is bringing back one of my favorite traditional chronograph designs with the new multi-scale Instrument de Mesures. The new version of their 2025 GPHG Chronograph award-winning monopusher features three scales for telemeter, tachymeter, and pulsometer, and comes in a black or white dial, harkening back to early 1930s and 1940s chronograph designs where chronographs were pure utility.Powered by the manually-wound A5000 movement, a version of a La Joux-Perret 5000-4 (a moveme
A man who has been crucial in shaping the brand as we know it, Philippe Stern, General Director as of 1977, then President of Patek Philippe from 1993 to 2009 and father of current President Thierry Stern, passed away on 14 June 2026, in his 88th year. Considered one of the most influential business leaders […]
When Monovant introduced the Rheon Royal Lapis last year, the young Greek brand delivered a watch that was simple, sturdy, and regal. The deep blue lapis lazuli dial with a tiny diamond made a statement without relying on excess. Its clean display suggested that perhaps we need much less than we think we do. Apologies […]
Philippe Stern, the visionary executive who led Patek Philippe through the end of the quartz crisis, kept the family company independent and secured its position at the top of Swiss mechanical high horology, died on June 14th at the age of 88. The Geneva-based company announced Philippe Stern's passing in a statement calling the Patek Philippe Honorary President a "pioneering and visionary spirit" who "left an indelible mark on the history of the family manufacture, preserving its independence
In Greek mythology, there is the well-known story of Icarus, a heady youth whose lofty aspirations send him flying on homemade wings of feathers and wax. In its cautionary denouement, Icarus flies too high and gets too close to the sun, melting the wax, sending him crashing back to Earth. If Carina Massone Negrone knew the story of Icarus, she would also likely have known that the greater the altitude, the danger is not the sun's heat but extreme cold and a lack of oxygen. And yet, in 1935, th
There’s a particular type of watch that doesn’t feel the need to explain itself. It doesn’t have a fancy movement with a skeletonised rotor. It doesn’t come in a box made of rare-earth metals the size of a carry-on. It doesn’t require trips to maisons and ateliers. It just shows up, orange-faced and slightly thick, […]
Artya is known for not shying away from creativity, boldness and boundary-pushing designs, and proves this once more with its latest release. Following earlier models like the Purity Tourbillon, Purity Stairway to Heaven and Purity Central Tourbillon housed in the brand’s signature sapphire cases, the Geneva-based manufacture now introduces the Purity Tourbillon Sport Edition, a limited […]
What We KnowJust in time for the hot and humid summer ahead, Doxa has just unveiled a new generation of its distinctive, cushion-cased dive-watch-slash-chronograph with the new Sub 200 T.Graph II. The best part? It's no longer a limited edition, but rather a permanent offering for the brand. Oh, and thankfully, it's priced less than that previous 300-piece LE.At a quick glance, nothing seems to have changed on Doxa's tribute to its 1969 design, and you'd be sort of correct. The dial layout, wi
It felt inevitable. Just over six months after an F.P. Journe narrowly missed joining a certain historic list of wristwatches dominated by Patek Philippe and Rolex with the $10.75 million sale of Francis Ford Coppola's personal FFC at Phillips New York (a record for the brand), one finally reached that rarified air. François-Paul Journe invented it. He made it. The market made it historic, en route to a record U.S. sales total of $75.8 million at Phillips over the weekend.The F.P. Journe Chron
Last week we showed you a selection of watches where the combined efforts of two brands, labels or institutes come together and elevate a single product to a higher level. While the six watches that were chosen are among the best collaboration projects in the industry in recent months, they’re far from the only ones, […]
Unveiled by Angelus at Watches & Wonders 2026, the Tinkler 1958 Quarter Repeater is a re-edition of the brand’s pioneering mid-century automatic, waterproof quarter repeater wristwatch, which was already a rarity in its day. Engaging sight, sound and touch, we’re going hands-on with the more luxurious, 15-piece limited edition of this charming chiming revival piece […]
With the R8 series coming to an end in 2024, after nearly 20 years of loyal service, Audi has lost its Top Dog, its Poster Boy sports car. The mid-engined two-seater R8 was a massive success, in sports and super-car terms at least, with nearly 45,000 units produced. Built on the Lamborghini Gallardo and later […]
Arnold & Son, the brand founded in honour of the famous 18th-century English watchmaker John Arnold, translates his historical legacy into high-end Swiss watches powered by in-house movements – about 20 to date. Arnold & Son’s HM line is the brand’s more dress-oriented collection and is also powered by a powerful, ultra-thin, in-house calibre. A […]
Not too long ago, last February in fact, I had the opportunity to get my hands on a series of Miyota automatic movements, of which I disassembled the ubiquitous Calibre 9015. My prime goal was to learn more about its construction and simply find out how it looks when you take it apart. And as […]