The Best Stories of The Evergreens in 2025, Our Series About The Icons of Watchmaking

Ever since the creation of MONOCHROME, the idea of Frank Geelen, our Founder, has been to educate readers about the world of watches at large, whether by explaining some of the most complex technical features (let me quote him) “in a way your mother could understand it”, by bringing attention to independent watchmakers that mainstream media wouldn’t even approach or going as deep as possible into some of the icons of watchmaking. For the latter, we’ve done that for years, but in 2025, we have formalised things by creating “The Evergreens” section and by ramping up the number of publications. Among the 30+ stories that we’ve written in the past 24 months, here are 6 that we believe are proper “must-read” articles.

The Complete History of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Series

A watch that needs no introduction, the blueprint of the luxury sports watch section, the watch that created the whole hype around the integrated bracelet style – the one and only Royal Oak Jumbo. First released in 1972 as the reference 5402ST, the Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin is a cornerstone model that continues to live in the brand’s collection as the 16202ST, the worthy descendant of the original model. In our in-depth article, we’re covering everything there is to know about the Jumbo, from the historical context, to its design process by Gérald Genta, the ultra-thin automatic movement by JLC, the construction of its case and bracelet, the fine details about its dial, its commercial reception and, of course, the evolution of the collection from 1972 until today. And yes, it’s a 5000-word story.

You can read “The Evergreens – The Complete History of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Series” here.

The Complete History of the IWC Big Pilot Collection

Possibly one of the most (if not the most) emblematic and important pilot watches of the 21st century. A watch that traces its origins back to the 1940s and wartime, a watch that deliberately shocked the world when it came out in the early 2000s: Die Grosse Fliegeruhr, also known as the IWC Big Pilot. In this instalment of The Evergreens, we’re of course looking at the origins of the model, the watch that was created in response to the German Air Force’s specifications for an observation or “Beobachtungsuhr” (B-Uhr) watch, before moving to modern times and the Big Pilot IW5002. But that’s only the beginning of this (very) long article, which later covers all the technical updates as well as some of the most important variations. Prepare yourself a good coffee, it’ll take you about 30 minutes to read it.

You can read “The Evergreens – The Complete History of the IWC Big Pilot Collection” here.

Celebrating 20 Years, the History of the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean

Surely, the Planet Ocean is not the oldest member of the long-lasting Seamaster collection by Omega, but in its 20 years of existence, this watch has made some noise, and has been a vessel for innovation. Recently revamped, or should I say changed rather drastically, the Planet Ocean is a modern icon, a watch that brings impressive diving credentials, emblematic design, strong cinema presence and a whole lot of innovations, from cutting-edge materials to construction techniques that made it capable of going deeper than any other watch. In this article, we’re covering the entire evolution of this watch, first released in 2005, later explaining the evolution of the model up until today.

You can read “The Evergreens – Celebrating 20 Years, the History of the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean” here.

The History of the Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Collection

This is undoubtedly the most recognisable combination of complications by Patek Philippe. In fact, the idea of merging these two complications has simply become a hallmark of the brand. First released in 1941, the story begins with the emblematic reference 1518, followed by the no-less iconic 2499 series. Ever since, the Perpetual Calendar Chronograph series by Patek has always been a pillar for the brand and is still in existence with the modern reference 5270, an important watch that signified the move to an in-house base movement, after years of using Lemania ébauches. A fascinating saga explained in a 5000-word story.

You can read “The Evergreens – The History of the Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Collection” here.

The History of the Rolex Sea-Dweller, The Crown’s Ultimate Dive Watch

Omega has its Planet Ocean… Rolex has its Sea-Dweller. And indeed, the Crown has an even longer legitimacy in the context of the ultra-powerful dive watch. Born as an answer to the needs of saturation divers, a high-tech evolution of the already well-established Submariner, the Sea-Dweller is the watch of the extremes, whether regarding its diving credentials, its historical achievements or its technical solutions. From the democratisation of the helium valve to its record dives with James Cameron or the craziest of the crazy Sea-Dwellers, the Deepsea Challenge, the story of this collection is something that all watch lovers should know. And we have you covered.

You can read “The Evergreens – The History of the Rolex Sea-Dweller, The Crown’s Ultimate Dive Watch” here.

The Complete History of the TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph

A legendary chronograph that had not always been loved… The Monaco by TAG Heuer is a watch that, today, can be seen as one of the most emblematic racing chronographs on the market. But this wasn’t always the case. Despite promising beginnings, as the watch came packed with one of the first automatic chronograph movements and was pictured on silver screen on the wrist of a legend of cinema and racing, the early days of the Monaco have been tough. But since its revival in the late 1990s, the collection has grown to become an icon.

You can read “The Evergreens – The Complete History of the TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph” here.