Watchismo Times: steampunk

Showing posts with label steampunk. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

DOES YOUR WATCH HAVE BALLS?

The Van Cleef & Arpels 'Midnight Planetarium Poetic Complication' by watchmaker Christiaan van der Klaauw, is a hypnotic astronomical timepiece bearing a miniature solar system that you can wear on your wrist. Ok, maybe the title of this post is a tad crass but the fact is the watches below have the balls to use spheres of [...]

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the coolest wood watches EVER MADE

There is no denying mid-century design was particularly special for art, cars & furniture but also true for a variety of watch designs. It was a period of experimentation with minimalism, asymmetry and new materials which opened the door for the use of wood in timepieces. Introduced in the late fifties and [...]

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PUTTING SOME STEAM BACK INTO STEAMPUNK

This week, we're revisiting an old friend, Japanese Steampunk watchmaker, Sueyoshi Haruo (also referred to as Haruo Suekichi), featured nearly a decade ago on The Watchismo Times blog. Having created thousands of custom built Steampunk watches, all nearly one of a kind and with completely hilarious mechanical functions like flapping leather dragon wings to celebratory noisemakers and [...]

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WHAT'S THE COOLEST WATCH NEVER MADE?

Far ahead of its time, the 1958 Patek Philippe Cobra concept watch was doomed. Destined to torment space-age vintage watch collectors like myself, this watch exists only as a one-off prototype designed by renowned avant garde watchmaker Louis Cottier eight years before his death in 1966. Unique for its linear time display and [...]

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Prototype Patek Philippe Cobra Movement

ANDREW GRIMA'S UNUSUAL OMEGA & LED WATCHES 1969-76

Andrew Grima was a famous British mid-century modern jewelry designer, commissioned to create unusual one-of-a-kind watches for Omega and Pulsar in the 60's & early 70's. He was commissioned by Omega to create a highly aesthetic avant-garde collection called 'About Time'. Grima was given a free hand and chose to stick to one principle: he would [...]

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ARE WATCHES ART?

If you ask us, we wholeheartedly believe there has been a new genre of art forming over the past twenty years within the very exclusive world of independent horology. That said, it's more about motion and machines as the medium but nevertheless, there are some important collaborations that have occurred with watch brands and [...]

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Thursday, February 26, 2009

Retrowerk Watches Riveted Piston Pumping Portholed Multi-Level Jump Hour Retrograde Watches of Germany - Affordable and High Quality Steampunk Watches

In the past, I've written about high end masterpieces like Vianney Halter's Antiqua (starting at $50,000 and up) and the artistic horology concept watches of Haruo Suekichi, but it was only a matter of time before affordable Jules Vernesque timepieces were made for those who want to actually own a high quality Steampunk wristwatch. Yes, the term has worn out its welcome but the look is timeless nevertheless -- and how can a riveted porthole watch not be cool?

The brand is Retrowerk of Germany and below, I photographed their off-the-wall collection wristwatches with elements of brass and steel pistons, portholes, rivets, compasses, revolving jump hour discs, screwcap crown covers, chains, automatic rotor mechanisms, and of course, many cogs and gears. The prices range from $429 to $1098 USD.

The first is the Compass Jump Hour, an extreme multi-leveled timepiece with a partial dial with three discs for hours, minutes and seconds. Protruding up like a periscope is the compass under thick "coke bottle" type glass, almost as if there is a submarine cruising inside your wrist. The automatic winding version utilizes a Swiss ETA 2824 mechanical movement.

Protrusions are a reoccuring theme with Retrowerk - the Piston (above), with namesake piston mechanism-screwcap crown cover and riveted watch case. As I attempt to showcase in my photos far below, each angle of the watch is mechanically sculptural and borders on satisfyingly absurd. Automatic version also features a Swiss ETA 2824 movement.

Side-view of Retrowerk Compass Watch

Full-frontal view

Jump Hour display and raised compass

Sideways

Screw-cap detatched exposing crown

Extreme view

The Retrowerk Piston

Piston Crown Cap

Riveted Piston Case

Piston mechanism

Additional views of the Piston

Rivets Rivets Rivets!

A third model features a retrograde display for 24 hour GMT time zone.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

The Clone of Vianney Halter's One-of-a-Kind Satellarium

A unique Vianney Halter piece will be on show during Salon Belles Montres in Paris (27th to 30th of November).

In 2001 Halter realized a series of 108 Jumping Hour and Moonphase Watches for Egana Goldpfeil.

The “Faces of Time” project also included a one-of-a-kind watch. For that one, Halter imagined and realized a very special timepiece that was called “Satellarium” due to his very special shape. For this, Vianney worked with the french designer Pascal Pagès who also contributed to the JHMP and to the Opus 3.

This piece is like 3 round cases linked together and inserted into a structure. In the larger case is the Hour and Minute display while in the lower “satellite” case is the moonphase and in the upper “satellite” case is a very unexpected thermometer. The whole is in platinum and powered with an automatic movement.

This unique piece was delivered to Goldpfeil in 2001 and sold. As far as we know, it now belongs to a Russian collector. It was rumored to be for sale four years ago for $450,000 USD.

But the truth is this piece is not that unique as Vianney also made a back-up piece so as to secure the delivery to Goldpfeil. This piece is slightly different than the one delivered to Goldpfeil as only “Vianney Halter” brand name appeared on it while the other one was branded “Gold / Pfeil” on the main dial.

Via Horomundi

The original Goldpfeil Satellarium

Vianney's Jump Hour "JHMP" for Goldpfeil
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Vianney Halter's landmark Antiqua
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Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Photo of the Day - A Mechanical Aural Communication Device

Bumped into this today on Flickr

Nuff said.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Phinally! Photographs (and Video) of the HD3 Complication Bi-Axial Tourbillon "Vulcania"

I wish watch brands would release real photos along with their Computer renderings. Though it is likely the real watch isn't even completed when you first see them as CAD (above).

Until then, I gotta rely on fellow bloggers like these from ProfessionalWatches who shared this video and shots of the one of eleven HD3 Bi-Axial Tourbillons ($400,000) from the SIHH show in Geneva earlier this month.

Video->Link

For more about this Steampunk masterpiece, read my first feature of the HD3 Complication Vulcania designed by Fabrice Gonet here-->LINK

Monday, April 14, 2008

DeWhat? DeWitt Incognito Steampunk Concept No.1

Selling for 400,000 Euros at the OnlyWatch auction before it had been shown to anyone, the DeWitt Concept No.1 was a beast to behold last week at Baselworld. Devoloped with French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, this gothic pirate spaceship of a watch is taking the steampunk oeuvre to new heights with its expanding riveted case, flying tourbillon, five barrels and a 21 day power reserve.

I had a private viewing of the watch and took these shots...

Some perspective on the size from the DeWitt watchmaker

The entire time I wondered why this watch looked familiar
...then I figured it out!

Related Posts;
All New 2008 Watch Posts-->Link
All Steampunk Posts-->Link

See Also;
DeWitt website-->Link

Saturday, March 29, 2008

New Clock & Gauge Robots from Bennett Robot Works

A fantastic new collection of robot sculptures from Bennett Robot Works of Bridgehampton NY. Handbuilt by Gordon Bennett from a mixture of found objects both old and new. The parts are found in varous places including garbage dumps, basements, construction sites and garage sales.

They are inspired Norman Bel Geddes and Raymond Loewy whose visions of the "Modern Age" helped shape industrial design of the 40's and 50's. Each robot takes about a month to build, range in height from 14" to 36" (inches) and priced between $750 and $6000. Each is a unique one-of-a-kind sculpture and receives its own numbered metal tag.