It’s a nickname that needs little explanation. Pandas are black and white, with the eyes and nose black against a white background. Such is the sobriquet given, therefore, to chronographs with the same configuration, in other words black counters (whether there be two or three) against a lighter background. For the majority, these backgrounds are either white or silver, although Montblanc has just launched a nice shade of cappuccino.

I could scarcely believe my eyes when the BBC chose to run it as one of its top stories, but the return to Israel of a watch worn by Eli Cohen, a spy who had infiltrated the Syrian regime, was treated as big news in the country. But it has been a while since the story broke and I was surprised that no other watch media seem to have run it.

Since 1974, mountain-loving athletes have been pushing themselves to the limit, running from Sierre to Zinal via Beauregard, Ponchette, Chandolin, Tignousa, the Hôtel Weisshorn, Nava and Barneuza. The demanding 31 km circuit in the heart of the Swiss Alps features 2200 metres of elevation gain, and 1100 metres of descent. The race is also known as the “Race of the five 4000s” because of the five peaks that can be admired by the participants along the route: the Weisshorn (4506 m), the Zinalrothorn (4221 m), the Ober Gabelhorn (4073 m), the Matterhorn (4478 m) and the Dent Blanche (4357 m).

Reverso Tribute Tourbillon Duoface: it’s all there in the name. But for those not familiar with the range, let’s just quickly go over the distinctive features of the Reverso. Jaeger-LeCoultre released the first Reverso watch in 1931. It was designed with a unique pivoting case intended to protect the watch crystal shocks by turning it to face the skin. The Duoface concept, launched in 1994, makes the most of the Reverso’s reversibility by offering a second dial rather than a caseback; the two dials on the front and back of the watch can thus display different functions, driven by a single movement. As well as the Classic and One ranges, there are the Tribute models which are directly inspired by the original watches. The Reverso Tribute Tourbillon Duoface, a 185th anniversary model recently unveiled by the Le Sentier watchmaker, will be produced in a limited edition of 50. This Reverso, with two dials and a tourbillon, pays tribute to the timepieces of the 1930s. 

Breitling’s Navitimer 8 Unitime awakens memories of a watch line which made its debut in 1951 and caused quite a stir even then. The new universal wristwatch for 2018 caters once more to globetrotters, cosmopolitans and, of course, business people who need global time-related information. And as you would expect, the manufacturer has considerably expanded the functional spectrum compared to its 67-year-old forerunner.