Watchismo Times: 03/2007

Thursday, March 29, 2007

The New Seduction Weapon! 1968 Movado Kingmatic

Ohhyeah, Movado was helping you get laid in 1968 with their 'Kingmatic Video' watches. Whip out your wrist, break that ice, let the "Seduction Weapon" do its magic!

Obviously in 1968, nobody really knew what Video was - likely one of those futuristic buzzwords that must have sounded very advanced and modern.

Still, probably the only video product you could actually set the time on...

C'mon, how many guys really got action with this Avocado Movado?

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

1970s Longines Comet Mystery Dial

The Longines Comet, a short-lived automatic mystery dial from the seventies. Featuring a big spinning arrow for hours and an orbiting dot for minutes.

A new-old stock model available here

Yellow Comet

Turquoise model with original bracelet
& a rare studded-marker version here

Related posts;
Mondia Mystery Dials-->Link
Watches With Balls-->Link
Marc Newson Pod Watch-->Link

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Sarpaneva Supernova

Finnish Watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva is on the verge of his own stellar explosion with his latest watch called 'Supernova'. An extraordinary evolution in style, complication and design spawned from his Loiste collection. Other than the blued moonphase, the handmade hardened stainless steel watch creates the illusion of a black & white image. A modified ETA automatic movement with his trademark 'Turbini' winding mass visable from the caseback. With the rotor opposing the direction of cutaway view, the winding of the watch creates a kaleidoscope of spinning blades. The artistically skeletonized dial reveals negative space with stylish precision while perfectly blending the cog-style case into the depths of its spiny machined gauges.

An edition of only ten watches priced at 12,500 Euros.

It will be publicly introduced at the upcoming BaselWorld show in Switzerland.

These prototype photos are by Horlographer Harry Tan of WatchingHorology. Please see his extensive photo-montage of the Supernova here--> Link

Sarpaneva Watches--> Link

Seconds register

Blued moonphase

Turbini

Monday, March 26, 2007

Big Ben On Your Wrist

"Dent London has not, it is fair to say, been quite the leading force in recent years that it was in its heyday. That, however, is about to be changed with the launch of a new collection of men’s watches – its first for 40 years (Parliament pictured above). With a history that is matched by only the highest ranked companies, the interest in the Dent name has already gone beyond expectations. Shown here is a sample from the first collection, which is to be launched imminently. If you find its design naggingly familiar, you won’t be alone: it is in fact that of ‘Big Ben’, or rather the Houses of Parliament Great Clock, whose prestigious construction contract was awarded to Edward J Dent in 1852. Appropriately, the brand’s 21st-century incarnation has already secured the contract to make the largest public clock currently under construction in Europe, for the new Eurostar terminal at St Pancras station, London."

Via QP Magazine
Dent Watches-->Link

Big Bad Ben

Sandrine Oppliger Ring Watch for Pierre Junod

Sandrine Oppliger, an architect/designer from Switzerland created the 'Au Doigt et a l'oeil' ring watch for the brand Pierre Junod. Part of a continuing series of architect & designer designed timepieces including models by Richard Meier, Massimo Vignelli, Angelo Mangiarotti, and Arne Jacobsen.

Friday, March 23, 2007

Masai Warrior Meeting at 3 o'clock Sharp

"This man lives in a Masai village in the Ngorongoro highlands of Tanzania. The village is quite remote...the nearest electricity or running water is perhaps 70 miles away. He lives in a traditional Masai dwelling, with absolutely no "modern conveniences". And yet he wore a wristwatch...this seemed to be the one aspect of modern life he wished to adopt. "

-Bob Duck via Flickr

Perhaps Gerald Genta should use him to model their Safari-inspired Gefica?

New Azimuth Chrono Gauge Mecha-1 BMF

The latest of the Azimuth Chrono Gauge Mecha-1 BMF series. Can't afford a $250,000 Richard Mille? You might consider this $2900 wristular dashboard chronograph complete with an arching direct jump hour display powered by a modified Valjoux 7750 automatic movement.

Previously featured Azimuth Gauge Mecha

Also just unveiled, the Azimuth Round 1 Bi-Retrograde. The top arc indicates the minutes while the bottom arc displays the hours with hands that snap back to their starting positions after reaching the ends of their respective cycles via a modified ETA 2836-2 mechanical movement

Azimuth is also annoucing their new SP-1 Mechanique concept watch. Nicknamed the ‘spaceship watch’ with a rendition of Earth, a globular decorative feature that makes one rotation every 60 seconds. A jumping hour display powered by a Unitas 6497 movement finely finished in Cotes de Geneve stripes, a rotating disc, framed by the short end of the 3-dimensional minute hand, is a jumping hour complication. The broad minute hand comes finished with a skeletonized outline that resembles a space shuttle hurtling across the universe. Link

Related posts;
Richard Mille
Mecha-lomaniacal

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Thursday, March 22, 2007

Skeletons in the Closet

Skeleton watches seem to be everywhere lately, especially with the growing appreciation for highly complicated watches and the desire to see their mechanisms through the dial. Next week at the New York Antiquorum auction, there will be some very special skeletonized models available including the first five watches listed here. Above is the IWC Skeletal Minute Repeater. Click photos for close-ups.

Patek Philippe Ellipse Squelette

Vacheron Constantin Squelette

Parmigiani Fleurier Bugatti

Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso Platinum #1

Another skeletonized Reverso

Chronoswiss Opus

Breguet Tourbillon Squelette

Alain Silberstein Kronosaphir 97

B.R.M. Bi-Rotor

Corum Golden Bridge

Early 1900 Zenith Silver Skeleton

Photos of Vacheron, Parmigiani & IWC by Mike Disher of TimeZone
Antiquorum 2007 Important Wristwatches, Pocket Watches & Clocks Auction-->Link

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Max Bill Chronoscope for Junghans

In 1962 Swiss artist Max Bill (1908-1994) created a few mechanical watches for the German company Junghans. Reissued in recent years, this rare Chronoscope model has a certain-something, its minimalism is just plain-attractive. Apparently this particular version isn't sold anymore and the only one I could find was at-->Link

A product of the Bauhaus generation, Max Bill was pupil Walter Gropius and kindred spirit of Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe – was a virtuoso designer and creative artist, as his diverse activities as a painter, architect, sculptor, teacher and designer amply demonstrate. His work is characterised by a clarity of design and precise proportions.

Junghans-->Link

1970s Girard Perregaux Quartzwerk

1969, Swiss brand Girard Perregaux designed and produced a quartz movement with a frequency of 32,768 hertz, which became the universally accepted standard for all watches with quartz movements, including those made in Asia. This standard frequency was a veritable technical breakthrough.

The early 70s model shown here has a design mimicking the components of the quartz module with bright Tron-style colors for the circuits. Japanese brands like Seiko weren't the only ones nailing the coffins of the mechanical market, the Swiss helped pull the nails from inside the box and with great precision.

1950s Patek Philippe 'Top Hat'

A swanky fifties Patek Philippe called the "Top Hat". The distinctive stepped case (platinum) with hooded lugs, diamond dial, rhodium 18 jewel movement with Gyromax balance and micrometer regulator. $25,000 @ Bogoff-->Link

1950 Patek Top Hat in Pink Gold
$21,500 @ Aaron Faber-->Link

Monday, March 19, 2007

1970 Sicura Safari Knife Watch

Why didn't any Swiss Army brand watches think of this first? - The 1970 Sicura 'Safari' Knife-watch. Oh...probably because of all the accidental-slit-wrist lawsuits. Sicura isn't around today, hmm.

Sicura related posts-->Link

From the Beyer Museum Collection

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Hatching Astronomic Sphere Clock by Vacheron Constantin

'L’Esprit des Cabinotiers' - The one-of-a-kind mystery clock that literally emerges from a hatching sphere - Created for the 250th anniversary of Vacheron Constantin.

The incubating clockwork consists of a golden sphere engraved by hand according to the sky chart drawn by Robert de Vaugondy (1723-1786), cartographer and geographer to Louis XV and creator of two large globes, one celestial and the other terrestrial. The sphere is composed of eight mechanical petals symbolizing the lotus flower, which may be progressively opened by means of an extremely sophisticated spring mechanism. The keys to the mystery and its revelation are known exclusively to the one owner of the object. The automata flower delicately reveals its heart, a timepiece endowed with a wide range of functions and complications (detailed below photos). Sold at auction for nearly $2,000,000.

Technical specifications

GLOBE

Materials: 18-carat 750 pink gold (5N)
Diameter: 220 mm
Form and construction: Globe divided into a fixed half-sphere and 8 petals opening by means of 16 connecting rods linked to the telescopic shaft (on tiny sapphire balls) carrying the timepiece, driven by the mechanical motor housed within the base.
Finishing: The outside of the globe is in natural polished gold and features a depiction of the position of the stars on September 17th 1755 (date of the first document mentioning the existence of the House of Vacheron), decorated with a hand engraving inspired by the work of Robert de Vaugondy. The inside, enhanced by slender polished gold ribs, is finely satin-brushed.

CLOCK

Materials: 18-carat 750 pink gold (5N), Corundum
Diameter and thickness: 145 mm, 70 mm
Shape and construction: A cylinder and 2 sapphire crystal domes connected by a frame in 5N pink gold. An openworked support links the clock to the telescopic shaft at the centre of the sphere. Two holes for winding and time-setting are drilled into the rear dome.
Glasses: Sapphire crystal, glareproofed on both faces.

DIALS

Dial material: 18-carat yellow gold
Material for appliques: 18-carat pink gold (5N)
Dial description: Silvered with special 250th anniversary hand-guilloch? motif, minute disc encircling the dial in silvered 18-carat gold with engraved indications. ?Grand feu? miniature enamelled 12-segment outer disc.

MOVEMENT

Indications & functions :
1. Hour on 12-hour display
2. Minutes
3. Deadbeat seconds
4. Hour on 24-hour display
5. Power reserve
6. Name of the day
7. Date of the day (perpetual)
8. Name of the month
9. Number of the year within the leap-year cycle
10. Equation of time
11. Age of the moon
12. Phases of the moon
13. Temperature
14. Astronomical calendar giving the position of the sun according to the Gregorian calendar. This mechanism was built on the basis of calculations by the mathematician Charles Etienne Louis CAMUS (1699-1768) and the watchmaking mechanical engineer Antide JANVIER (1751-1835).
15. Hours and quarters striking automatically in passing and on request, with the possibility of preventing the automatic striking.

Other technical characteristics:

Energy: Mechanical, twin-barrel, manual key winding
Regulating organs: Mono-metallic balance. Isochronous balance-spring ending in a Phillips curve, micrometric index (patented by Vacheron Constantin in 1884), Straight-line lever escapement with constant force system applied each second to the escape-wheel. This system precisely measures out the energy required for the regulator to perform 5 vibrations of an ideal and invariable amplitude.
Frequency: 18,000 vibrations per hour
Power reserve: Over seven days

Main dimensions:
Caging diameter: 125 mm
Total diameter: 129 mm
Total thickness: 41 mm

via The Purists --> Link
Quarter Millennieum of Vacheron Constantin auction --> Link

Related posts;
Christiaan van der Klauuw Astronomical Watches --> Link
Sethosphere Globe Clock --> Link

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