We begin this round-up with a feature story on watch servicing and repair. Yup, servicing and repair, two words that we watch collectors and enthusiasts absolutely dread – and yet, it is an inevitable and essential part of owning a fine watch. As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, parts will become worn over time and oils will dry up as the days pass. The best way to deal with this, then, is understanding when and how to intervene – knowing exactly what goes on when a watch gets serviced and what are the things that we should look out for when the time comes for us to send our watches in.

Servicing aside, we are also taking a look at the history of chronographs, in particular, the monopusher kind. Today, it seems that brands are keen to impress us by communicating how monopushers are somehow superior or more exclusive than your common two-pusher chronograph watch. Well, the simple fact is they aren’t. Not only are they less functional, the monopusher chronograph actually precedes the more common two-pusher chronograph. More on this below.

Last but not least, what’s a round-up without some new watches? This time, we are taking a look at new watches from Cartier, Montblanc, Patek Philippe, and Richard Mille.

1. Watchmaker Shares Truths About Watch Service & Repair

Servicing a watch is like visiting a dentist, it’s not something that we like to do, but we have to do it at some point in time. The topic of servicing is interesting mostly because Rolex recently said that it recommends that its watches be serviced every 10 years. Previously, it was 3 – just like many other brands. This is obviously big news and represents significant savings for owners. As a result, we decided to talk to Xupes.com’s very own in-house master watchmaker, to understand exactly what goes on when a watch gets serviced, and what are the things that owners should look out for.

Source: aBlogtoWatch

2. Cost Of Entry: Panerai Watches

In case you have forgotten, Cost of Entry is a series we are running that features the most affordable, entry-level watches of popular brands. This time around, we are talking about a brand that divides opinions like no other – Panerai. And for many, the perfect entry-level Panerai is the Luminor Base Logo, also known simply as the PAM 000 or Zero. This watch has many features that make it the quintessential Panerai, the lever device protecting the crown, the painted dial and old-style Panerai logo. Take a closer look at it here.

Source: aBlogtoWatch

3. Breguet Classique Complications 1907, Million-Dollar Pocket Watch Exclusive Hands-On

Abraham-Louis Breguet made his name crafting pocket watches of the highest caliber. Hence, it is fitting that Breguet pays homage to its founder with an exquisite pocket watch. The pocket watch that you see here is actually a prototype of the Classique Complications 1907, Breguet’s million dollar “Grande Complication” pocket watch, that features a tourbillon, minute repeater, as well as grande and petite sonneries. Complications aside, the pocket watch is also a fine showcase of Breguet’s expertise in guilloche.

Source: aBlogtoWatch

4. Why Monopusher Chronographs Are Primitive & A Brief History Of The Chronograph Watch Complication

For some peculiar reason that completely escapes me, brands have been marketing monopusher chronographs as something that is more special than typical two-pusher chronographs. If you think about it, monopushers actually precede the two-pusher chronographs that we are familiar with today. But more than that, monopusher chronographs are also more limited in functionality: if you have already stopped timing, you cannot restart again. Perhaps after reading this, you’ll see monopusher chronographs in a different light.

Source: aBlogtoWatch

5. Montblanc Collection Villeret Tourbillon Cylindrique Geosphères Vasco Da Gama Watch Hands-On

With Jerome Lambert at the helm, Montblanc is a brand that is going places. It is clear that the head honchos at Richemont have identified Montblanc as a brand with tremendous potential, and in the past couple of years, we have seen Montblanc release some truly breathtaking and interesting pieces. New for this year is the Montblanc Collection Villeret Tourbillon Cylindrique Geosphères Vasco da Gama watch which features a tourbillon and two globes on the dial that allow for an interesting way to tell time around the world.

Source: aBlogtoWatch

6. Cartier Ronde Croisiere Watch Review

It can be argued that within Richemont’s large stable of brands, Cartier is the most important. And while Cartier has been making important strides in the upper echelons of horology, they haven’t lost sight of what’s happening on the ground. In response to complaints that watch prices are simply getting too high, Cartier have introduced a new sports watch for 2015 – the Ronde Croisiere. It’s simple, elegant, retro-inspired; and best of all, it comes with an in-house movement and starts at a price of under $5000. Interested yet?

Source: aBlogtoWatch