Archiv für den Monat: März 2018

Unfathomable Precision: The Favre-Leuba Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth

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Favre-Leuba can look back at 281 years of brand history. The watch manufacturer is known for creating an interface of traditional watchmaking and the dynamic engineering spirit of today.
In 1968, Favre-Leuba has introduced its vision of the perfect dive watch, the Bathy. It was equipped with a depth gauge and was a milestone in mechanical instrument watches. It is a much sought-after collector’s piece today and the year 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the Bathy. The perfect time to pave the way for a new legend – and the question, if it is possible to improve on excellence. The answer can be found in the new Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth.

The retrofuturistic design is a deliberate nod to the original 1968 Bathy. From a technical standpoint, however, the Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth is an entirely new creation. Its functionality and materials have not merely been improved upon – they have set a new standard. The case design is a homage to its popular predecessor and is complemented by bold, functional colors and easy-to-read hands.

The new case is crafted from titanium and, with its 48 mm diameter, guarantees perfect readability at the bigger dial.

The depth gauge in the Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth turns on one of the established rules of watchmaking completely on its head. Never let water get inside of a watch? Quite the opposite. The new Bathy features apertures in the case back that actually invite water inside. It may sound crazy, but it isn’t: these openings are part of the depth gauge, which is hermetically separated from the movement. The concept is based on the compression of a specially designed membrane that is integrated into the case back. Water enters a separate chamber through the apertures, causing the membrane to compress as the pressure increases. A mechanical contact sensor inside the watch reacts to this compression and conveys the information via the hand of the depth gauge onto the dial.
The dive depth is displayed on a nonlinear display via a central hand on the dial. Depths up to 120 m can be measured extremely precisely. The scale for the first 30 m is finer, with two red marks at 5 and 10, where decompression stops may be necessary. The Raider Bathy 120 Memo Depth also features a mechanical depth memory (MemoDepth), which stores the maximum depth reached during a dive. The depth gauge at 3 o’clock reliably displays the value until it is reset via the screw-in pusher at 4 o’clock.

The Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth is water-resistant up to 200m, as is the norm for a dive watch. Its optimal range of measurement is 120 m, more than double that of the original Bathy (50 m). A built-in mechanical limiter ensures that neither the pressure membrane nor the depth gauge are damaged if the wearer dives deeper that the optimal range.
Even on ambitious dives to depth where there is little light, all of the relevant information is perfectly readable. Design and features of the Favre-Leuba Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth are inspired by the belief, that unnecessary difficulties should not get between a diver and the thrill of the dive.

Like every professional dive watch, the Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth is fitted with an unidirectional bezel. It turns only counterclockwise so that it is only possible to accidentally move the bezel in a direction, which would subtract from the planned dive time.
The watch is powered by the FL321 hand-wound movement. It is based on the EMC 3903M caliber, which has been completely re-engineered by Favre-Leuba. It features a 65-hour power reserve and a power-reserve indicator displayed at 12 o’clock.

The Favre-Leuba Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth is an extraordinary instrument, inspired by the original Bathy yet re-interpreted and perfected. This watch is an achievement in the development of mechanical instrument watches – and impressively stylish as well.

Die Favre-Leuba Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth ist ein außergewöhnliches Instrument, das einen neuen Maßstab in Sachen Taucheruhren setzt und dabei ihre Impulse von der Ur-Bathy bezieht und diese neue interpretiert. Fantastisch aussehen tut sie außerdem.

Hamilton Celebrates a Century of Evolution in Aviation

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The Swiss watch manufacturer Hamilton is synonymous with aviation and is celebrating 100 years of timing the skies with a limited edition watch this year. These watches represent the very best of Hamilton.
Based on the original Khaki X-Wind Auto Chrono, the 2018 Limited Edition is packed with aviation features for pilots and offers a technical perspective including the ground-breaking crosswind calculator of the original. Accuracy, innovation, a taste for adventure and a focus on precision have all contributed to making Hamilton the choice of professional aviators to accompany them in the cockpit.

Thanks to newly shaped hands and Super-LumiNova numerals in sand colour that glows neon green in the dark, the watch has enhanced readability. The multilevel black dial allows the eye to navigate between the three counters, the day date window at 9 o’clock and the turning inner bezels. The dial is protected by a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides. The x-shape visible between the pushers and crowns surrounding the case completes the multi-dimensional theme.
With the crosswind calculator on the turning bezel, the Khaki X-Wind Auto Chrono Limited Edition represents the very best of aviation timekeeping from Hamilton.

The Khaki X-Wind Auto Chrono Limited Edition features a 45 mm stainless steel case which is water resistant up to 10 atm. Inside works the H-21-Si, the first Hamilton chronograph movement with a silicon hairspring. This material makes the movement more precise as silicon is non-magnetic and less sensitive to shocks. The former is an important feature for pilots because they often stay in environments with high magnetic fields such as airports. In addition, the movement has been precision certified by COSC as a chronometer.

The Khaki X-Wind Auto Chrono Limited Edition is limited to 1,918 individually numbered pieces, and adorned with a H-buckle and a sturdy leather strap in typical Hamilton aviation style. There is also a metal bracelet for those who prefer a full steel look.

25th Anniversary: Seiko Grand Seiko 9F quartz caliber

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In 1988, the Grand Seiko team made a new quartz caliber that was worthy of the high standards the brand was – and still is – known for. At that time, rapid advances in quartz technology were being made but most were focused on the addition of new functions. The Grand Seiko team though, decided that they could, and should, go further by focusing on the simple essentials of precision and durability. They decided that to be the „ideal“ quartz watch, a new caliber was needed that would be even more precise, more durable and more in keeping with the aesthetics of Grand Seiko. Five years later, in 1993, the first 9F caliber, the 9F83, was completed.

The new caliber delivered advances in every aspects. Its hands were as long as those on every other Grand Seiko watch, the calendar change was instantaneous and the durability and reliability was enhanced. Caliber 9F incorporated key innovations such as a backlash auto-adjust mechanism to eliminate any shuddering of the second hand, a twin pulse control system to deliver increased torque and a unique protective shield to minimize the risk of dust coming into contact with the gear train or stepping motor. Still today, the caliber 9F can lay a strong claim to being the highest performance quartz watch in the world.

The new limited edition pays proud homage to the 1993 design. Its case and bracelet retain the soft contours of the original. There are, however, stylistic enhancements. In line with contemporary taste, the case is slightly larger, the Grand Seiko name is now at the 12 o’clock position and the dial carries a special pattern based on the traditional quartz symbol with, above the six o’clock marker, the 5-pointed star which, symbolises the extraordinary precision rate of +5 to -5 seconds a year.
This commemorative watch is offered in a limited series of 1,500 and will be available from April.

A second limited edition also commemorates the 25th anniversary of the caliber 9F. The case design is a contemporary re-interpretation of the celebrated 44GS from 1967 and showcases the beauty of the finishing on the 9F movement through an exhibition case back. The robust construction is clear to see and the striped pattern of the engraving bears witness to the care taken on the finishing on ever 9F movement, which, albeit hidden behind the case back in every other model, is assembled and finished by hand to the same high standard.
The dial, with its special markings and star symbol, is the same as on the first commemorative edition. The bezel is in gold. It is a limited edition of 600 pieces and will be available in May.

The case of both watches is made from stainless steel with a diameter of 39.1 mm and a water resistance of 10 bar.
Both watches are completed by a stainless steel bracelet.

German Watches for the Austrian Air Force

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The german-based watchmaker Hanhart from the southern Black Forest can look back on a long history in the production of aviator chronographs. So it should come to no surprise, that when a structural change within the Army and the re-establishment of the Command of the Austrian Air Forces in 2017 the Command inspired to design a limited edition of aviator watches, Hanhart was chosen as partner in this project.
The Primus Austrian Air Force Pilot Limited Edition combines the virtues of the Austrian Air Force such as precision, endurance and resilience with the principles of Hanhart: reliability, perfect legibility, ease of use and robustness. This chronograph combines the characteristic features of both sides, which are required for a perfect pilot’s chronograph.

The dial is, like in all Hanhart Primus watches, wonderfully distinctive. The bright luminescent numerals and indexes together with the red Hanhart details create a clear contrast to the black basic design of the chronograph and thereby contribute to a superb legibility. The unique fluted bezel with inlaid red marking, the typical „bicompax“ dial arrangement and the anodized aluminium red button reflect the typical features of the watch manufacturer. The chronograph provides central hours and minutes, a small seconds at 9 o’clock, a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock and a date display at 6 o’clock. The chronograph seconds are  counted by the central seconds hand.

The new timepiece from Hanhart is available in three different versions of case and bracelet. The chronograph can be ordered in a normal, a matt sandblasted or a black DLC coated stainless steel case. Despite the size of 44 mm in diameter and 15 mm in height, the flexible lugs provide a comfortable fit on the wrist. The case of the Primus Austrian Air Force Pilot Limited Edition is water resistant up to 10 bar.
Inside works the automatic chronograph movement HAN3809. It works at a frequency of 4 Hz and provides a power reserve of up to 42 hours when fully wound.

The bracelets are available in calfskin, vulcanized rubber and canvas; each comes with a folding clasp made from stainless steel and matching the case.
This chronograph is a limited edition of 100 pieces. Prices start at 2.590€ for the regular stainless steel one and go up to 3.090€ for the DLC coated one.