Archiv für den Monat: Juni 2019

Colourful Hours with Junghans

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Junghans is celebrating the 100th Bauhaus anniversary this year in a proper way. Not surprising, since hardly any school or style has influenced the Junghans models and their design as much as the Bauhaus. And, of course – how could it be otherwise – is celebrated with a special, limited edition watch. The Junghans Form A 100 Years Bauhaus is a tribute to the colour circle of Johannes Itten. As one of the first teachers at the State Bauhaus in Weimar, the Swiss painter, art theorist and art teacher developed a new theory of colour types and introduced it into his lessons. Accordingly, Junghans designed the hourly squares in the 12 colours of the Ittens colour circle.

The new colour type theory is based on the three primary colours blue, yellow and red, from which three new secondary colours emerge through mixing: orange, green and violet. The six tertiary colours are created by mixing a secondary colour with a primary colour. Johannes Itten’s colour circle consists of a total of 12 colours – as if he had already thought of a watch. The colours give the Form A a unique and colourful expression; perfect not only for artists. And not only for Bauhaus-friends and fans.

The Form A 100 Years Bauhaus is a timepiece with its own individual character and highest recognition value. It is powered by an automatic calibre, the J800.2. It shows hours, minutes and seconds via central hands and the date in a window at three o’clock. It also provides a power reserve of 38 hours. Since Junghans has equipped the Form A with a tinted mineral glass back, the owner can view the movement.
All this is built into a 39.3 mm stainless steel case. It is water resistant up to 5 bar and is worn on a stainless steel Milanaise bracelet.

Of course, Junghans delivers this special model in a special box, which picks up the Bauhaus theme again and frames each watch nicely.
The Form A 100 Years Bauhaus is limited to 1000 pieces and costs € 870.

A New Tourbillon with Perpetual Calendar by Frederique Constant

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Following the success of last year’s Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Manufacture, Frederique Constant now presents two new limited editions of the timepiece. Both versions feature a classic navy blue skeletonized dial and a case in either pink gold or stainless steel.
The occasion for these new watches is the opening of the new Manufacture building in Plan-les-ouates in the Swiss canton of Geneva.

The case of the Frederique Constant Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Manufacture consists of three parts and measures 42 mm in diameter.
The silver-coloured skeletonized dials are equipped with navy blue sub-dials and an outer ring in the same colour, giving the wearer a deep insight into the complex mechanics.
The watch’s perpetual calendar displays an annual calendar, the day of the week, the date and the month, with a minimum of corrections. The complication takes into account the number of days of each month, displays the year and does not need to be corrected even in leap years. Normally, the Perpetual Calendar would work for 400 years without a manual correction; only due to one exception of the Gregorian calendar, the complication has to be corrected on March 1, 2100.
The hour and minute functions are adjusted via the crown. At 12 o’clock the dial shows the months and leap year, at 3 o’clock the date and at 9 o’clock the days of the week. The tourbillon cage with its integrated second hand, which makes a complete turn every minute, is at 6 o’clock.

The Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Manufacture is driven by the FC-975 calibre. The automatic manufacture movement was equipped by Frederique Constant with a silicon anchor and escape wheel for greater precision. The use of silicon eliminates the problems caused by the effects of earth gravity when the movement is in a vertical position. In addition, the material is insensitive to temperature fluctuations.
Both versions come with a transparent case back through which the perlage and Geneva stripes of the movement can be admired.

Frederique Constant supplies the Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Manufacture with an alligator leather strap that resumes the blue colour used in the subsidiary dials and outer ring.

Sporty: The New Ones from Nomos Glashütte

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It’s summer, it’s time for more outdoor sports again. And because things can get a little rougher than expected fast, Nomos Glashütte has designed the new neomatics to be extra robust. However, this has no negative effect on the wonderful design – the neomatics are as slim and clear as ever.

The new line includes two Tangente Sport models and one Club Sport model. They are all extremely robust and able to meet a wide range of requirements. Nomos has designed extra strong cases and reinforced the seals. Sapphire crystals protect the watches from shock, impact and of course, water. The watches resemble small, perfect safes, but their proportions always remain extremely pleasant.
With a diameter of 42 mm, the watches are relatively large. The cases are water-resistant up to 1000 feet, which is also displayed on the 6 o’clock position on the dial. Which translates into a water resistance of 30 atm. However, this does not make the Tangente Sport and the Club Sport diver’s watches; for this, it would need an appropriate bezel.

While the Tangente Sport is available in two colour versions – white silver plated and blue black – there is only one version of the Club Sport dial: a deep dark black. By using a larger amount of Super-LumiNova, Nomos Glashütte has given the hours and hands more luminosity than ever before. At three o’clock there is a large date window and at the 6 o’clock position Nomos Glashütte has placed the running second.

All watches are driven by the DUW 6101 neomatic date calibre. This automatic in-house movement provides a power reserve of 42 hours.

Nomos Glashütte has specially redesigned the bands on which the three models come. The link works of art made of solid stainless steel are robust, durable and super-flat. The 145 Bauhaus-look steel parts are screwed together by hand. Nevertheless, the straps are easy to install, shorten or lengthen with a simple screwdriver. An additional fine adjustment by means of a spring bar helps with readjustment.

Zenith Defy El Primero Fusee Tourbillon

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Since the dawn of precision timekeeping, watchmakers have sought to produce timepieces that offer unfaltering performance through the use of constant force. Zenith reinterprets the fusee and chain constant force mechanism in a modernistic style in the new Defy Fusee Tourbillon.

The Defy Fusee Tourbillon is available in two distinct editions in Carbon and Platin. The first version features a light yet robust carbon case, crown and buckle head. The carbon fibre treatment even extends to the open dial, with the central skeletal element and surrounding flange ring giving off the unique simmer of this material. The second version of the Defy Fusee Tourbillon is crafted in platinum. The exposed movement provides a vibrant, voluminous view, where the mix of materials and tones add visual depth, from the anthracite base of the movement to the blued chain and tourbillon cage topped with a set of geometrical bridges in two tones.

The spoke design of the bridges is amplified by their bicolor finish, where the top satin-finished surface is given a black treatment, while its polished sides are a lighter grey rhodium tone. The layout of the bridges offers a balance of the various functions and complications. On the top half of the movement, one can admire the uniquely conceived fusee and chain constant force mechanism. On the opposite end at 6 o’clock, a tourbillon cage with an entirely new construction featuring an off-centered balance wheel makes a full rotation every 60 seconds. Like the chain, the tourbillon cage comes in a striking blue color. Positioned at the edge of the dial between 4 and 5 o’clock, a red-tipped hand indicates the power reserve, a handy feature when manually winding the Defy Fusee Tourbillon with its 50-hour power reserve.

The Defy El Primero Fusee Tourbillon is housing the new El Primero 4805 SK calibre, a manual-winding movement that follows the Defy code of avant-garde movement architecture with an open three-dimensional impact. By combining the fusee and chain mechanism with a tourbillon regulating organ, Zenith places precision at the forefront of its unique take on haute horlogerie.

The Defy Fusee Tourbillon in carbon is limited to 50 pieces, the second version in platin will be available only 10 times.