Schlagwort-Archive: blue watches

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.

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.

The De Bethune DB28 Kind Of Blue Tourbillon Meteorite

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Futuristic designs combined with a tourbillon have become some kind of a specialty of De Bethune. Fans love the distinctive designs and it has to be said that these special creations fit seamlessly with the other models in the collection which offers other spacy wristwatches too.
The newest tourbillon, that answers to such a description is the DB28 Kind of Blue Tourbillon Meteroite, a watch, which is equipped with a dial made from an actual meteorite. May this be the ultimate watch for the space enthusiast?

This watch is not for the faint of heart, just look at the stunning, truly galactic colours. For me, it wasn’t obvious at first sight – the design is just too stunning -, I had to take a second look, but the case of the DB28 Kind Of Blue Tourbillon Meteorite is blue. Of a deep, rich blue to be exact and it doesn’t come from a PVD coating. De Bethune created the colour in the same process that is used to blue screws. And this heat-based technique has basically been applied to every visible piece of metal in this watch. And this makes for one impressive outcome.
The case measures 42.6mm in diameter and 9.7mm in height.

But the dial is undeniably at the centre of attention. It is, after all, made from an actual meteorite which landed about 5,000 years ago in Argentina, in Santiago del Estero. How cool is that? With this watch one wears a piece on the wrist which has traveled through outer space. And the looks the comet brings at the table is truly magnificent. It radiates in blue, violett and little bit of pink and not only complements the colour of the case but also reminds us of nebulas and galaxies. To intensify this marvellous effect, De Bethune has added tiny stars in white gold. It might seem impossible but with all this gorgeousness the big tourbillon at 6 o’clock can nearly be overlooked. And of course the pink gold of the hour and minute hand fits perfectly to the colours of the dial.

The watch is powered by the DB2019v3m a hand-wound nechanical tourbillon movement. The power reserve indicator is located on the back. It can be seen through the sapphire crystal case back as well as the blue movement. The power reserve indicator in pink gold contrasts beautifully with the deep blue.

The De Bethune DB28 Kind Of Blue Tourbillon Meteorite clearly isn’t a watch for everyone – it really can’t be because it is a unique piece. The watch costs 280,000 CHF and will be introduced at next year’s Baselworld.

Impressive in Blue: The Chopard Imperiale Joaillerie Watch

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Chopard just introduced the newest member to its Imperiale line. The collection was reinvented in 2010 and now the manufacturer succeeds once more in summing up the quintessence of style and elegance in a watch.
Synonymous with splendor, power and extreme passions, empires of all eras end every part of the world continue to exercise an inexhaustible and enduring creative influence. After the Coffret de l’Impératrice, launched in September 2015 and celebrating Byzance and the magic of the East, Chopard now draws inspiration for its latest creation from South America and the heart of the Inca civilization.

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This secret watch combines the best of Jewellery and Fine Watchmaking. Chopard designed a watch that is as much a magnificent bracelet as a precious timepiece. Like a mosaic from the pre-Colombian era, the dial cover is entirely set with brilliant-cut diamonds and turquoises in subtly varied shades. Its almost hypnotic radiance exudes an aura of mystery and seduction.
When the dial opens, the signature symbols of the Imperiale collection appear, those details that endow this jewellery creation with its legendary distinction and strength of character: graceful Roman numerals, tapered hands reminiscent of combat daggers; as well as the famous motif evoking the embroideries adorning the hangings and cushions on which monarchs placed their insignia. The latter pattern appears on the watch cover mosaic, set with diamonds on the bracelet lugs, as well as lending an original touch to the seconds display; while the dial centre is stamped with a radiant sunburst guilloché decoration in a nod to the Inca dynasty’s fascination for this supreme heavenly body.

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The case in Fairmined white gold is entirely set with diamonds and houses a veritable treasure: a self-winding L.U.C 96.12-L movement entirely designed, developed and hand-decorated in the Chopard Manufacture workshops in Fleurier.
The Imperiale Joaillerie watch is fitted with blue or turquoise damask straps picking up the unmistakable Imperiale motif or with turquoise alligator straps.