Vacheron Constantin Malte Tourbillon Collection Excellence Platine Ref. 30130/000P-9876 – A Visual Feast

The Caliber 2795, developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin is a manual-winding movement made out of 169 small intricate components. This 27 jewel masterpiece is a tourbillon and operates at the 2.5 Hz or 18,000 vibrations/hour range. The main springs has approximately 45 hours power reserve.

Taking this beautiful movement, Vacheron Constantin married it into a 950 platinum curving 38 x 48.24 casing. This tonneau-shaped movement perfectly tailored to the case. Hence the birth of a 50 unit production run of the Malte Tourbillon Collection Excellence Platine.

The dial comes in a sandblasted finish with white gold Roman numerals and hour-markers. The mesmerizing tourbillon bearing the seconds hand sits at the 6 o’clock position.

The display case back with the large bridge in the center, gives an impression that the heart of the movement, the toubillon, has its own separate location compared to the rest of the mechanism. Regardless of the actual setup of the Caliber, it is a visual feast.

Whoever has the opportunity to get this watch is a very lucky person.

A self-contained Cesium Atomic Clock has been integrated into a wristwatch by US-based watch company Bathys Hawaii

Using state-of-the-art technology derived from the US military, watchmaker Dr. John Patterson and engineer George Talbot have successfully demonstrated a working prototype cesium atomic wrist watch capable of accuracy to 1 second in 1000 years. The new watch is called the “Cesium 133”, named for the most stable isotope of the element.

“The technology found in this watch is something even a decade ago no one could imagine existing in such a small package” says Dr. Patterson. “Within a single chip there is a laser, a heater, a sealed cavity of cesium gas, a microwave filter and a photodiode detector. Using the exact same principle of counting hyperfine lines of excited cesium 133 atoms used by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), our watch is able to achieve unprecedented levels of accuracy; on the order of 1 second per thousand years”.

The prototype watch created by Patterson and Talbot is powered by rechargeable lithium batteries and the time is displayed on a traditional analog dial with a moonphase indicator. The watch at 60mm x 50mm x 23mm. Before the watch enters production, Patterson anticipates reducing the size and increasing the battery life.

Bathys Hawaii is a small boutique watch company that was founded in 2005 by Dr. John Patterson. The firm specializes in timepieces designed for diving, exploration and extreme environments. The watches are designed in Hawaii and manufactured in Switzerland. Their website is http://www.bathyshawaii.com

For an individual, this appears to be an over-kill. The ability to notice a 1/100th change in time is impossible and such instruments can be considered useless. The only use for such a time piece is bragging rights.

A new stunning timepiece for Urwerk: The EMC, the world’s first first self-monitoring and user-adjustable mechanical wristwatch

As explained in the title, this wristwatch is the first mechanical wristwatch which allows the user to regulate the watch. The EMC comes with a built-in electronic rate monitor as well as user regulation device.

At the top left is the rate variation display sub-dial, measured from -20 to +20 seconds. To its right is the constant seconds hand sub-dial, and below that the hours and minutes sub-dial. At the bottom left is the power reserve indicator sub-dial.

Meanwhile the large crown is at the South side of the watch case. In the picture you would also noticed the lever on the right side of the watch case that powers the rate measuring mechanism. At the moment it is in the “tuck-in” position.

The material used for the case is stainless steel front plate and a titanium back. Due to the large surface of steel used, the likelihood of scratching is substantial.

Relative to contemporary watches, its dimension of 43 mm wide by 51 mm long makes it a slightly larger on average. If you can carry a 42 mm wide dive watch on your wrist, this watch should not pose any problems for you.

The in-house EMC movement is  visible through a display back and composed of two parts. The first is a hand-wound movement and the other is the rate measurement mechanism.

An integrated circuit, with an attached quartz oscillator which acts as a reference timekeeper, measures the actual rate variation of the movement against the quartz reference. The result is subsequently displayed on the rate variation sub-dial in front.

The whole movement is self-contained. The integrated circuit gets its electricity from a tiny kinetic energy generator powered by a hand-crank which can be folded out from the watch case.

The user first needs to turn the generator approximately a few times, which gives enough power for a few rate comparisons, and then press the button at the nine o’clock position. The rate variation will then be shown on the sub-dial. With that information, the user then turns a tiny screw on the back of the watch to speed up or slow down the rate.

As an engineering piece this tool is unique. The design is first class and I like the way it was made and presented. If money is not an option to me, I’ll get one.

However, I do question the practical use of such a complication. Such a solution is only useful if the mechanism is so complicated that slight changes in temperature, humidity, gravitational pull of the moon and sun etc. can have a profound impact on the accuracy.

If this is the case, would it be simpler to get a Seiko 5 automatic watch instead?

Original manuscript on the Victorinox Swiss Army AirBoss Automatic Titanium LE

This was the original manuscript on the Victorinox Swiss Army AirBoss Automatic Titanium LE which I wrote on June 17, 2013.

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Parmigiani Bugatti Vitesse Grand Sport – unique

Parmiagiani Feurier has been known for designing timepieces inspired by Bugatti. Based on the Bugatti Veyron super car, the Swiss brand founded by Parmigiani Fleurier designed the Grand Sport Vitesse timepiece. Inspired by the special edition Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, this is part of the collection that is unveiled by Bugatti. Fitted with the trademarked PF372 movement the dial is at a perpendicular 90 degree angle. La Bugatti Vitesse PF372 movement is the worlds first with a double pinion system and a bevel gear. The case is made of titanium to reflect alloy like feel of the super car convertible. The back is etched with the individual model number along with the cabochons of Parmigiani Fluerier.

I like the large crown on the right side of the case. The uniqueness of the design makes it a must have for someone who needs the attention.

Giuliano Mazzuoli – Trasmissione Meccanica – the watch looks masculine and would appeal to many

Designer Guiliano Mazzouli is known for taking inspiration from everyday objects to design variety of objects from pens to watches. The Transmission Meccanica is latest to be added to this list. Launched at the SalonQP event in 2012, the watch is designed such that each of the individual design element on the watch is made from or looks like a mechanical part from a car. Hence the case of the watch is made from the gear, the disc clutch is the dial and hands of the watch represent compass found with a mechanic. It has a 43mm stainless steel case, the crown design is similar to that of the spline shaft. The red hands are reminiscent of speedometer dial markers.

It is seldom you find a watch crown to be positioned at the 2 o’clock position. I think this makes it easily distinguishable from other watches. Moreover, the watch looks masculine and would appeal to many people. I would love to have one.

Carl F. Bucherer Manero MoonPhase (Limited Edition) is one of the timepieces launched by Carl F. Bucherer in 2013 to celebrate its 125-year jubilee

When I was a boy, I visited Switzerland in 1979 and I was presented with a Carl F. Bucherer, mechanical winding watch by my parents. I wasn’t into watches then and I didn’t keep track of it. As far as I know, it is lost. Nevertheless, I still hope of getting another piece from brand. This could be it. Only wish it was a standard production piece and not a limited edition run.

The complications in this watch are a tribute to the company’s founder, Carl Friedrich Bucherer i.e. date, day, month and also the phase of the moon.

The indication of the day of the week has been positioned at 10 o’clock, and the current month can be seen on the right, at 2 o’clock. The special calendar is completed by the moon phase indication, which appears in a central position at 6 o’clock. The heart of this watch is the CFB 1966 caliber. With a diameter of 38 mm and a height of 10.85 mm the bicolored case made of 18-karat rose gold and stainless steel forms a framework for the silver-colored dial with its 12 markers.

De Grisogono Eye Minute Repeater Watch – fit for a King

The stylish new watch from De Grisogono features a mechanism inspired by a camera’s aperture formed with twelve movable titanium blades. The diaphragm opens and closes at will showing the movement inside during the chime and closes instantly after the hours, quarters and minutes have sounded on three gongs. The watch is dazzling with 154 baguette-cut diamonds on the bezel, case flanks and lugs. The mechanism of the watch is similar to that of the camera.. On the flip side, the hammer and gong are visible through the sapphire crystal case back. The watch is water resistant up to 30 meters.

More jewels than anything else…..

Ka La Watch by Individual Design Watches – refreshing

Ka La Men’s watches are designed by Mark Carson in Hawaii and a product of Individual Design Watches. Ka La means “The Sun” in Hawaiian. It uses a Swiss automatic movement. A disc has been used as a second’s indicator while date display exhibition window stands at 3 o’clock. 43mm wide stainless steel case is doubled doomed with sapphire crystal.

This is a nice refreshing dress-like watch. I don’t mind getting one.

Louis Vuitton Tambour Regatta Navy – is oozing with style

I have always imagine LV to be a luggage maker and not a watch maker. However, their designs and complications continue to amaze me.

In 2010, Louis Vuitton introduced a new way of reading the time with the Tambour Spin Time collection. The hours are revealed by cubes which rotated simultaneously to show either a neutral or numbered face. With this movement, Louis Vuitton created the Tambour Spin Time Regatta. The Tambour Spin Time Regatta is set in a white gold case with an alligator strap and features a red push button to activate the Regatta complication, positioned at 8 o’clock. Once on board a boat, a simple push of the button and the “chrono” indication that appears in the 12 o’clock aperture disappears to be replaced by the word “Régate”. At the same time, the chronograph’s 30-minute counter will leap forward and move to the 5-minute countdown displayed in red in the counter. Water resistance is up to 100 meters.