A Retrospective of 2024 with our Favourite Videos

While the industry might not be in its best shape (all things considered…), 2024 was nevertheless a highly prolific year in terms of new models, with brands once again showing creativity and mechanical ingenuity. As far as things go for us here, at MONOCHROME, and specifically regarding our video production. Over the entire 2024 year, we have published over 90 videos (our record so far) on our YouTube channel, as you can see here. Many are what we call “Quick Look” or “Reviews” but we have also produced a long list of so-called “In-Depth” videos, the MONOCHROME way, where we explore the beauty of watchmaking. And here’s our selection of our best videos of the year, all dedicated to explaining this industry we love so much.

The Chopard Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF and What Exactly is a High-Frequency Watch

In this video, we explore a superb watch, the Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF in titanium with a black dial. A perfect example of an elegant sports watch, it also packs something pretty interesting inside, a high-frequency movement dedicated to precision. And this video was also the opportunity for us to come back on this specific topic of hi-beat movements, what they are, why they matter…

Piaget, The Art of Ultra Thin Watchmaking and Miniaturization

Piaget is world-famous for its vibrant creations in the field of watches and jewellery. In this video, we are taking a look at an important yet sometimes lesser-known side of the brand: its expertise in the field of movement creation and manufacturing. Among countless calibres created and crafted by the brand, legendary extra-thin movements immediately come to mind. And we are taking a look at some of the brand’s milestones, including a few lesser known ones that really worth a mention…

One of the World’s Thinnest Mechanical Watch, The 1.70mm Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC

The competition for ultra-thin watches is more intense than ever. Manufacturers tirelessly chase microns. Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo saga has garnered widespread recognition in this realm. The brand’s remarkable series of records included the world’s thinnest mechanical watch in 2022, the Octo Finissimo Ultra, at a mere 1.8mm thick. However, Bulgari‘s reign was short-lived, when Richard Mille introduced the RM UP-01 a few months later, with its 1.75mm thickness. But it was time for Bulgari to reclaim its trophy and bragging rights, with the new 1.70mm Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC.

A Glimpse at Eternity with IWC’s Secular Calendar, the new Portugieser Eternal Calendar

Let’s talk about the rightful winner of the GPHG 2024… IWC’s Portugieser Eternal Calendar is the undisputed calendar masterpiece of the Schaffhausen-based brand, a colossal technical milestone, the Eternal Calendar marks the brand’s first secular perpetual calendar. Unlike a perpetual calendar that will need a correction in 2100, the Eternal Calendar is fitted with a 400-year gear that overrides the Gregorian calendar’s complex leap year rule exceptions and skips three leap years over four centuries. In short, it will not need to be adjusted until 3999. In this video, we explore how such a movement was developed.

The Good and Bad of Watches & Wonders 2024, and Our Highlights of the Fair

After the dust settled, our founder Frank and our editor Robin decided to take some time and talk about Watches and Wonders 2024… Highlights, most discussed new releases, watches we’d like to buy for ourselves, trends of the year, winners and losers, but also pragmatic topics such as the continuous rise of prices or the comeback of smaller watches… You can discover our recap of the fair here.

The Craftsmanship behind the Louis Vuitton Voyager Flying Tourbillon Plique-A-Jour

A watch that really made an impression on us with its combination of high-end watchmaking and sophisticated craftsmanship, we’re looking at the Louis Vuitton Voyager Flying Tourbillon Plique-à-Jour. We’ve been taking a tour inside La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton (LFT), on the outskirts of Geneva. And more precisely, visiting La Fabrique des Arts, an atelier dedicated to métiers d’art to discover how the spectacular stained glass-inspired dial of this watch is made.

The Audemars Piguet [Re]Master02 is all about Brutalist Vintage-Inspired Design

For the second chapter of this historical [Re]Master collection, the brand reimagines one of its most expressive designs from the 1960s. A model of brutalist inspiration, the idea was not to present a mere copy of a past model, but to reimagine it with a modern eye… Just like the remastering of music records. Let’s discover the Audemars Piguet [Re]master02 Selfwinding.

Exploring Omega’s incredibly technical Timekeeping for the Olympics

For once, we’re not talking about mechanical watchmaking but still about timekeeping… With something incredibly technical, filled with innovation and utmost respect for precision… In this video, we’re taking a closer look at what hides behind Omega’s role of timekeeper of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. We travelled to Switzerland to find out.

All About Laurent Ferrier’s Micro-Rotor Movement and the Natural Escapement

Let’s go technical again, with a topic dear to our hearts, as it combines everything we love in fine watchmaking: high-end finishing, mechanical ingenuity, profound historical references and a complex mechanical device that aims to enhance precision. It is time for us to dive into one of the most spectacular movements currently in production, Laurent Ferrier‘s micro-rotor calibre, and to understand how its natural escapement works.

The full story of the Ulysse Nardin Freak, told by mastermind Ludwig Oechslin

Lang & Heyne is probably one of the most important watches of the past 20 years. Period. In this video, we’re talking about to the genius watchmaker Ludwig Oechslin, the man behind the creation of this incredible watch, but also the model that introduced silicon to watchmaking.

Lang & Heyne, One Of Germany’s Finest Watchmakers

Maybe a more confidential names than some other in the Saxon region, Lang & Heyne is one of these high-end watch brands that many people hardly know but which make magnificent timepieces. So a few months after our initial visit to Dresden, we returned with a video camera to capture the essence of what this small but ohhh so interesting watch brand does.

Ressence, The Belgian Brand That Makes Watches Like No Other

When Benoît Mintiens started his brand some 14 years ago, he had a strong vision of what he wanted to create regarding ergonomics and legibility. Essential factors for any wristwatch! We visited Ressence in their hometown of Antwerp, Belgium, and sat down with Benoit to hear the entire story from the beginning to where they stand today with marvellous oil-filled watches.