Schlagwort-Archive: leather bracelet

Oris and the Mechanical Alarm in a Wristwatch

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Oris revived one of its most hirstorc complications, the mechanical alarm. The new Big Crown ProPilot Alarm Limited Edition breathes new life into a complication that Oris first introduced in the 1940s. Fans of the manufacturer will be pleased that Oris has based the new Alarm on the Big Crown ProPilot, the company’s iconic pilot’s watch.
After all, the story of Oris is closely linked to that of the aviation. The company was founded in 1904, at the dawn of aviation, and made its first pilot’s pocket watch in the early 1910s. That was followed by the company’s first pilot’s wristwatch in 1917. The Oris Big Crown debuted in 1938 with its oversized crown that allowed gloved airmen to make adjustments quickly and easily. Today, Oris’s pilot’s watch collection is full of watches that delights pilots and watch enthusiasts equally.

The Big Crown ProPilot Alarm Limited Edition is the latest expression of Oris’s pilot’s watch tradition. The watch has two distinctive features. The first is its alarm, indicated by a central pointer hand with a bright yellow tip. The alarm can be set to the nearest 10 minutes against a scale that runs around the outside of an aperture in the middle of the dial. That aperture houses the watch’s second key feature, a circular date display. Underneath it is a rotating disc with a yellow date marker that makes a full tour of the dial once every 31 days.
As mentioned before, the Big Crown ProPilot Alarm Limited Edition is aesthetically based on the familiar design of the Big Crown ProPilot. In this case, the watch has two stainless steel oversized crowns, one to set the time between 2 and 3 o’clock, and a second to set the alarm between 3 and 4 o’clock. Both crowns are made of stainless steel and screw to ensure the watch’s water resistance to 10 bar.
Otherwise, the watch retains the recognisable ProPilot look. Its signature bezel motif is inspired by jet engine turbine blades; the classic round stainless steel case and tapered lugs give the watch its stylish gait; and the fundamental dial design elements, such as the straight-edged hour and minute hands and large, luminescent Arabic numerals, remain clear and functional.

The case houses the Swiss Made automatic movement Oris Kal.910.

The Big Crown ProPilot Alarm Limited Edition comes on a dark brown croco leather strap with a stainless steel folding clasp.
Oris will only be making 250 pieces of this watch.

Astronomical Single-Hand Watch: MeisterSinger Lunascope

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German watch manufacturer MeisterSingers crafts mechanical watches for people who aren’t interested in counting seconds, but see the bigger picture and want so stay on track. MeisterSinger builds single-hand watches – and follows a longstanding tradition in doing so. Although the movement of the long, single hour hand is hardly noticeable to the human eye, it is as relentless as the passing of time on ancient sundials.
Our division and representation of time always followed the movement of the stars. Even back in the Middle Ages, tower clocks emulated astronomical models, preferring to recreate the mechanics of the heavens on Earth rather than wanting to show single minutes or even seconds. Now, the renowned watch designer is presenting its first astronomical watch – the Lunascope.

The slender 40-millimeter-stainless steel case of the Pangaea family forms the ideal backdrop for the dial with its unusually large moon-phase display. The upper half of the dial features a dynamic cut in which the moon moves across a dark blue, starry background. The generous diameter of this timepiece allows a realistic depiction of even fine details of the moon’s surface – just like when you’re looking up at the full moon on a clear night.

The natural impression of the Earth’s satellite corresponds to the astronomical precision with which the Lunascope presents the moon’s various phases. The moon takes 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.9 seconds to circumnavigate the Earth. A lot of watches round this figure down to 29.5 days, which means their movements deviate by eight hours per year and need to be corrected by one complete day every three years. The movement specially designed for the MeisterSinger Lunascope is far more exact. Its moon-phase indicator only needs a slight adjustment after 128 years – a short period of time in astronomical terms, but a very long time in the world of watchmaking.
Since the Lunascope comes with a glass back, the Swiss automatic movement ETA 2836 can be viewed. And it provides a power reserve of 38 hours.

MeisterSinger offers the Lunascope in two versions: with a sunburst dial in the dark blue of the moon’s background or with a silvery opaline dial, on which the circular date window at 6 o’clock forms an optical contrast to the astronomical display. Both watches are completed by a calfskin strap.

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.

Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear

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The Regulator was the first stand-alone model in the history of Chronoswiss and in subsequent years, it quickly became the brand’s central motif and standard bearer. It is therefore only logical that the design team pays special attention to the Regulator on its 30th birthday, which is also the 35th anniversary of Chronoswiss itself. Following the 3D dials and skeletonizations of recent years, the manufacturer is now introducing the Flying Regulator Open Gear, a model which provides unexpected insights.

To produce a Regulator, a modification of the movement is necessary. Normally, it is hidden from prying eyes underneath the dial. But in this new version it has not only been made visible but also showcased as a central design element, hence the name „Open Gear“.
Its dial is simultaneously its module board, onto which the train wheel bridges of the skeletonized gears are mounted. These move on four ruby bearings, generating the least possible friction. The train wheel bridges have also been skeletonized and boast carefully angled and polished edges. Six screws keep them reliably in their intended place on the dial. This is how functional design is done.
At 6 o’clock on the dial, the Flying Regulator Open Gear reveals an exciting insight. The dial and the bridge have been skeletonized at the height of the small second so that you can see the second wheel in action. As the associated seconds scale – just like the display at 12 o’clock – floats above the dial on a funnel-like display, the gaze is virtually drawn towards the inner workings and to the seconds wheel, designed to look like a rotary dial.
Super-LumiNova inlays on the hands and indexes ensure best legibility, even in the dark.

Chronoswiss offers the timepiece in four different color combinations: in purist stainless steel with dials in galvanic blue, black or silver, or timeless elegant in a red gold case with a galvanic silver dial.

The Flying Regulator Open Gear is a pure Chronoswiss development – from the design to the dial module.
This watch will only be available as a limited edition.

Sneak Peek: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time

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Time flies. It’s not long till Christmas and after that the SIHH and Baselworld next spring will be just around the corner. Vacheron Constantin is among the first watch manufacturers giving a sneak peek on what to come. Fans and admirers can look forward to the new Overseas Dual Time. This watch is equipped with an in-house movement, featuring two different time zones.
This watch is dedicated to combine a particularly user-friendly handling with high performance and practicality. The Overseas collection embodies a modern lifestyle resolutely open to the wider world and the new Dual Time joins the adventure equipped with the eponymous function presenting a complication much favoured by globetrotters.

The Overseas Dual Time model is designed to ensure reliable, pleasant and elegant wear in every circumstances. its new mechanical self-winding movement, the Vacheron Constantin calibre 5110 DT, stems from several years of development and enables simultaneous reading of two timezones by means of coaxial hands. This 234-component movement oscillates at a frequency of 4 Hz and has a comfortable 60-hour power reserve thanks to its twin barrel that also ensures its high regularity and accuracy.
The hours hand indicates the local timezone corresponding to the user’s current location, while the hand tipped with a triangular arrow shows the time in a reference timezone, generally known as „home time“. The Overseas Dual Time features a 12-hour display along with a day/night indication set to home time, and a pointer-type date display, adjusted and secured via a pusher at 4 o’clock and synchronised with local time.
Both time zones are adjustable via the crown. In position one you have the local time, in position two the home time. The translucent lacquered dial is adorned with luminescent gold hands and hour markers as well as a double graduation bearing the minutes and second scales.

The dual time calibre is housed in a 41 mm-diameter steel case which is water-resistant to 150 metres. The new Overseas model continues a tradition of elegant, relaxed watches designed to offer their owners a combination of comfort and user friendliness. The bezel is evoking Vacheron Constantin’s famous Maltese cross emblem.
There will be three different versions: two in a stainless steel case with a blue or argenté coloured dial, one in a pink gold case, also with an argenté coloured dial.
Presented on a stainless steel bracelet with half Maltese cross-shaped polished and satin-brushed links, the Overseas Dual Time is delivered with two additional straps matching the shade of the dial

Retro: The Hamilton Ventura 60th Anniversary Edition

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This year, Hamilton celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Ventura. It’s the perfect opportunity to woo us with an anniversary edition, containing no less than three interpretations of the classic wristwatch.
The original Ventura was introduced in 1957 and with its extravagant looks it found fans fast. Like the King of Rock’n’Roll for example, who wore a Ventura in his movie „Blue Hawaii“. But the Ventura was not only beautiful, moreover it was the first watch powered by a then revolutionary electric caliber.

The new Ventura Class and the Ventura Elvis Skeleton are the backbone of the new remarkable trio by capturing the unconventional case design of its predecessor. The dials of the Ventura Classic with their large symbol for electricity remind of the pioneering feat, the world’s first electric wristwatch achieved.
Within this trilogy past and present join up in the form of a celebration watch with yellow gold PVD stainless steel case. In an additional flash of acknowledgement to Ventura’s illustrious past, a brown lizard-patterned leather strap, white dial with golden hour markers and hands and flash of red at the tip of the second hand provide an unmistakable touch of vintage elegance.

For the next version Hamilton has opted for a jeans design. Not only the strap is made from this fabric but the dial wears a 3D printed jeans-pattern.
The third Ventura comes with an unconventional skeletonized dial which is meant to remind of Elvis’s microphone. The cut-outs provide an insight into the automatic movement beneath. For this watch the customer can choose between a stainless steel bracelet or a caoutchouc one.

All cases come with a charming retro look – although the one of the Hamilton Ventura Elvis Skeleton is a little more modern – and are water resistant up to 5 bar. The Elvis Ventura measures 42.5 x 44.6 mm, the other two versions come in two different sizes: 24 x 36.5 mm or 32.3 x 50.3 mm.

Whether past, present or future – every version of the Ventura honors the heritage of the collection as well as Hamilton’s American spirit. These watches will make sure that this legendary watch won’t be forgotten in the decades to come.

Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance in Steel

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The first Mirrored Force Resonance in rose gold was introduced by Armin Strom in 2016. Now the manufacturer has added another model in stainless steel. We are looking at the Mirrored Force Resonance „Water“ today, not only because it’s a beautiful piece of high-end watchmaking, but also because it is more affordable than its predecessor „Fire“.

Two oscillating bodies in close proximity influence each other and eventually synchronize; this is a phenomenon of physics known as resonance. Towards the end of the year 2016, Armin Strom introduced the Mirrored Force Resonance, a resonating dual regulator developed for maximum precision with its whole captivating mechanism on full display dial side.
Since there are only very few wristwatches which use the principle of resonance, Armin Strom has joined an exclusive club with using – and mastering – this sophisticated horological technique.

The two connected oscillators of the ARF 15 Calibre make their revolutions in opposite directions, one rotating clockwise and the other counterclockwise. After winding, the twin balance wheels need approximately 10 minutes to become synchronous. The calibre works with 25.200 vph and provides a power reserve of  48 hours after being fully wound.

Apart from the material of the case, the style and size remained the same. The Mirrored Force Resonance in steel comes with a diameter of 43.4 mm and a height of 13 mm. It is water-resistant up to 50 metres.
At 2 o’clock you will find a case band pusher. it resets the twin seconds‘ displays to zero, simultaneously resetting the twin balance wheels.

Armin Strom has equipped the Mirrored Force Resonance in Steel with a dark blue alligator strap, dedicated to the element of water.
The manufacturer is known for producing four versions of many of his watches, dedicated to the four elements. We are really looking forward to what will come next after fire and water and how these versions will not only look but fit in with the rest of the collection.

Return of an Icon: TAG Heuer Autavia

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The legendary driver’s chronograph from the Sixties, the Autavia, is making a comeback in 2017. A contraction of the words „automobile“ and „aviation“, its name is synonymous with its rotating bezel, its large snailed counters and the black and white dial. Created in 1962, this iconic model celebrates its 55th anniversary in the form of a neo-retro successor featuring updated functions and a proprietary movement – so what’s not to like?

Modern yet faithful to its roots, the new generation Autavia channels the spirit of the golden age of motor racing. As innovative as the original, this contemporary model is the result of an interactive campaign called the „Autavia Cup“, run in 2016.

The Autavia was the first wrist chronograph with a rotating bezel designed by Jack Heuer. This watch was worn by the best-known racing drivers of the 1960s and 1970s, including Mario Andretti and Jochen Rindt. The version worn by Rindt was the inspiration for the new Autavia, TAG Heuer presents this year.
The Autavia is synonymous with a rotating bezel, the large snailed counters and the exemmplary legibility of its black and white. The diameter of the stainless steel case was increased from 39 to 42 mm and it also comes with a higher water-resistance of 100 metres.

 

The Autavia is powered by a in-house chronograph movement, the calibre Heuer 02. Its functions are tailored to modern requirements: a self-winding calibre, power reserve of 80 hours, date at 6 o’clock and a water resistance to 100 metres.
„Mushroom“ push-pieces, a ridged crown, the Heuer logo and a distressed calfskin leather strap add to a vintage feel. Like the patina of a vintage watch, the luminescent coating has a beige tint, in harmony with the strap stitching. The studied neo-retro style encompasses the minute track subdivisions, employing the 1/3-2/3 ergonomic rule of the era created to enhance legibility and accuracy.

This bold watch combines a retro look with modern elements – unique, classy and beautiful.

Vacheron Constantin Perpetuates Copernicus in a Métiers d’Art

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Vacheron Constantin has added a new model to its Métiers d’Art collection, the Copernicus celestial spheres 2460 RT. And not only that, there will be three different versions of this watch.
The Copernicus celestial spheres 2460 RT proves once more the artistic mastery of the Swiss watch manufacturer. With its original display and spectacular decoration, this new collection presented at SIHH 2017, pays tribute to one of humankind’s greatest discoveries: heliocentrism.

Nicolaus Copernicus revolutionized the world in 1543. His hypothesis challenged geocentrism by putting forward the theory of heliocentrism, demonstrating not only that the Earth spins on its axis and has a satellite, the Moon, but above all that it gravitates around the Sun. This new vision of space also had a considerable philosophical impact on the perception of humanity and it overturned all existing beliefs. this revolution was to have profound repercussions on all fields of thought. Vacheron Constantin pays homage to these emblematic discoveries that definitively changed the face of the world with the Copernicus celestial spheres 2460 RT.

Three different dials interpret this theme in three different ways. The decoration is inspired by the graphic depictions of Andreas Cellarius, a 17th century cartographer and author of the most important colorful sky map, the „Harmonia Macrocosmica“.
The dials comprise two distinct parts. The oval centre bears a Sun with a glowing hand-engraved pink gold face, while the outer disc is dedicated to three decorative craft variations. Between the two, a tiny elliptical groove provides space to display orbit performed by the Earth. The latter is represented by a tiny gold disc, slightly domed and measuring barely 6.8 mm diameter, featuring a polar view of the continents based on a Lambert conic map projection.

The first model in this trio gives pride of place to various enamelling techniques. The champlevé Grand Freu enamel Earth reveals the blue of the oceans and the geography of the continents. In the background, a map of the sky on a gold base is enamelled in pastel colours. It is punctuated by fine lines illustrating the orbit of the five planets shown. The outer part of the dial bears the 12 zodiac signs in polychrome enamel.

The second dial, graced with an even more baroque-inspired aesthetic, is hand-engraved. The 12 signs of the zodiac intertwine and overlap on a white gold disc. The engraver has provided a wealth of ramolayé details highlighting volumes in the material. On the Earth orbiting around a flaming golden Sun, the oceans are covered with microscope waves achieved by engraving effects, while the contrasting continents are polished to accentuate the luminosity of the gold.

The third dial is adorned with decorative techniques involving several novel aspects. The zodiac signs are complemented by a 3D-effect star-stubbed sky. The earth is hand-engraved ans picks up this contrast between the fine graining of the ocean waves and the glow of the continents. A hand-painted midnight blue underdial is overlaid with a transparent sapphire crystal engraved on its back. On the front, the constellations are laser-engraved and then highlighted with Super-LumiNova, so the immensity of the night sky is thus fully revealed in the semi-darkness.

All timepieces are driven by a mechanical self-winding Manufacture-made movement, the calibre 2460 RT it was entirely designed, developed and created by Vacheron Constantin.
The time is displayed by two triangular peripheral hands in gold – a cut-out one for the hours and a solid one for the minutes – that glide around the dial rim. The elliptical path of the Earth around the Sun is the key highlight of this watch, exuding a powerful presence and providing continuous information as the days go by. The second complication is the Earth’s elliptical orbit around the Sun. The mechanism is so precise that it only requires a one-day correction only once in 8,000 years.
The calibre works with 28,800 vph and provides a 36-hour power reserve.

The Copernicus celestial spheres 2460 RT features a white gold case measuring 43 mm in diameter and 12.9 mm in height. It comes with a black leather bracelet.

More Excellence at Glashütte Original: New Senator Watches

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Recently, Glashütte Original launched two new models expanding its new Senator Excellence line: the Senator Excellence Panorama Date and the Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase. With the introduction of the new manufactory Calibre 36 Glashütte Original laid the cornerstone for a new generation of in-house timepieces. And the two new models are fitting in the collection quite nicely.

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The Senator Excellence Panorama places the watchmaker’s well-known date display at centre stage. The secret of its exceptional legibility lies in the mounting of two concentric display discs on the same level, which makes it possible to present the two numerals comprising the date without the central separation bar. A precise jumping mechanism now enables even greater precision when the date changes at midnight. Refined details transform this useful function into a decorative stylistic element. A rounded window integrates the display into the dial in an elegant manner, and two steps enhance the impression of visual depth. The printed numerals are set off in deep black from the ivory-coloured ground.

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The Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase combines the date display with a further characteristic element from Glashütte Original – the moon phase complication. In a dial window between 10 and 11 o’clock a curved moon travels its path in front of a starry, galvanic blues sky. The display is executed in Glashütte’s own dial manufactory.

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Now. The calibre 36: precision, running time, stability and aesthetics – these attributes are promised by the new movement. Both functions are distinguished by an extremely stable construction principle and they also set new standards in terms of user friendliness. Not only the date, the moon phase as well can be adjusted using the crown. But 122 years will pass before the moon phase needs to be corrected by one day in order to achieve renewed conformance with the synodic month.
The calibre works at 4 Hz and comes with a power reserve of more than 100 hours.

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Both models are presented in a 40 mm diameter case that is fashioned in red gold or stainless steel. Both cases feature polished and satin-brushed surfaces, the bezels are slim and house a domed sapphire crystal.
The silver-grained dials feature laser-cut, galvanic black hour indexes and matching railroad chapter rings. On the stainless steel model the minute numerals are also laser-cut and galvanized in black, while the red gold version features minute numerals printed in red.

All watches are come with a black alligator leather strap.