On the heels of Stepan Sarpaneva's industrial designed Korona K1 (featured previously here->link) is the phenomenal bas-relief double moonphase Korona K3. Simultaneously, he's sent me early pics of the prototype skeletonized K2 with cutout date disc (below). More details to follow but enjoy the first looks of this Finnish line.
White gold dimensional moonphase
Korona K3 white gold caseback moon & winding mass
Korona K2 with the skeletonized and cutout date disc
A short film about the dynamic duo watchmaker/inventor team of Greubel Forsey.
"The whole idea was not to accept that everything has already been invented in watchmaking. We do have our page in the history of watchmaking to write."
"A desire to "do different" is perfectly symbolized by the B-Side, a tourbillon watch designed to be worn in reverse. "More often than not we forget about, even hide, the reverse side of a watch when aesthetically speaking it’s certainly the most beautiful, akin to a sculpture. This inspired me to make this side the focus of attention while giving the B-Side a mechanism to pivot the case and read the time. Having said that, the days are gone when the watch was seen purely and simply as an object for telling the time, as time is now given everywhere. In fact I’m thinking of making the B-Side the sole theme of my next presentation at Basel. In a similar vein, we’ve launched a collection of "mechanical jewelry." These are pieces of jewelry that incorporate an aspect of a watch mechanism. Their purpose is not to give the time but to pulsate with a moon phase, rotor or tourbillon."
Cornelius & Cie is a new high-end watch brand based in Geneva, Switzerland. The company was founded in the summer of 2007 and was initiated by two Dutchman, world-famous watch engraver Kees Engelbarts (1967) and jeweller Paul Pertijs (1968), crowning a friendship started while both were students at the renowned Dutch Gold- and Silversmith Academy.
The company will produce extremely exclusive watches, using vintage watch movements in proprietary cases of classic but innovative design. Every single part of the movements is embellished by hand, skeletonized and/or engraved by Kees Engelbarts. Customers are offered extensive possibilities to have the watch and the movements personalized with specific engravings.
The Chronosome 46XY is the first labor of passion coming to the public eye from the Cornelius & Cie studio. The heart of the Chronosome 46XY watch is an Calibre AS 690, developed and produced by the A. Schild company in Grenchen, Switzerland, in 1935, beating at steady 18.000 b.p.h. (beats per hour)
When the strong main spring is fully wound (by hand) the movement has a power reserve of 8 days. The position of the eccentrically barrel is immediately evident by the shape of the case. The first collection presented (in April) will consist of 12 Chronosome 46XY watches. Total production capacity of the Geneva-based workshop is expected to grow to 300 watches per year.
Debuting in April 2008 at SIHH in Geneva, Jaeger LeCoultre will be introducing another mindblowing Gyrotourbillon movement but this time as part of the Reverso collection. The Gyrotourbillon features a spherical tourbillon with two carriages spinning on two axes freeing the regulating organ from effects of gravity in all positions. Reverso watches can be flipped over for alternative displays. The 2006 Reverso a Triptyque, one of the most complicated watches ever made and also the world's first three faced watch.
The Gyrotourbillon 1 (above), first introduced in 2006 features a double cage tourbillon with equation of time and perpetual calendar and the Master Minute Repeater that produces tones at 55 decibels or double the volume of the world’s next loudest minute repeater.
To really appreciate the Gyrotourbillon, you must see it in action as shown on the video below;
History of the Reverso - In 1931 British Polo Players in India requested a watch that could be worn during the hard charging clashes on the field. Responding to this Jacques-David LeCoultre and the Societe Jaeger turned to the most capable design engineer of the time, Rene-Alfred Chauvot. Chauvot’s solution was to make a watch that was a case inside a case. The inner case contained the movement and could be pivoted within the outer case (or carriage) that comprised essentially of a skeleton and watch lugs. Once the case was pivoted or reversed, the crystal was completely protected from blows. In 1991, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s CEO Gunther Blumlein unveiled the Reverso remade into a modern high complication with the Reverso 60eme. This was followed by a Reverso tourbillon in 1993 and a Reverso minute repeater in 1993. This year to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Reverso, Jaeger-LeCoultre has exploited the unique architecture of the Reverso case to create the world’s first three faced watch. Fittingly this marvel dubbed the Reverso a Tryptique offers up a golden harvest of haute de gamme complication. (via Horomundi/Revolution)
Two 1960s Patek Philippe Solar clocks to be auctioned at the upcoming Antiquorum Important Collectors' Wristwatches, Pocket Watches and Clocks in Geneva. The full catalog here-->Link Estimate: 3,600 USD - 5,400 USD (2,500 EUR - 3,700 EUR) Auction-->Link
Previously auctioned 1960 Patek "Pendulette" Solar Clock (or the "R2D2" as I like to call it) Sold for approx $7000 in 2007->Link
From the Timezone history of the Patek light-powered clock-->Link
"By contemporary standards, the Patek light-wound clock is a technological anomaly and peculiarly primitive. It combines what were, in 1950, state-of-the-art electronics (including very expensive photoelectric cells) with a traditional Patek mechanical hand-wound movement.
To place the light-wound clock in historical perspective, 1950 was also the year that Patek introduced the Gyromax balance wheel, which at the time seemed an important development for the future of the wristwatch. It would be only two years later that Patek would introduce a "fully electronic clock, i.e. without moving parts," and still another year--1953--before Patek introduced its first automatic wristwatch. Just a year after the automatic Patek introduced the first "nuclear-powered" timepiece, "deriving its energy from a radio-active isotope." And finally, in 1958, Patek produced its first quartz-controlled clock. This is an interesting history for a company that is, today, so strongly associated with conservative and traditional mechanical wristwatches." And now for something completely different...
Angela Yuan, a young NYC mechanical engineer has built a fun little clock from an Etch A Sketch toy. Each minute that passes, the machine tilts the toy, shakes it clean, and mechanically draws the correct time.
World’s first steampunk car/watch collaboration? by Alex Doak for The Watchismo Times
I suspect Chronoswiss and Spyker’s partnership has soured of late, as the only official sign of their brief dalliance during 2003/4 is buried in the gallery section of the Dutch carmaker’s website… However, as one of the more interesting (ie, less cynical) car/watch brand tie-ins, a proper tribute from the Watchismo Times has been long overdue – especially since Chronoswiss’s signature knurled onion crown forms such a key motif in Spyker’s Steampunk (yes, Steampunk interior design).
Check out how that lush leather cushioning combines with the metallic burred dashplates and exposed gear lever shaft. It could easily be mistaken for the cockpit of an HG Wells contraption, rather than a 500bhp V8 supercar that’ll hit 100kmh in under 4 seconds.
Spyker and Chronoswiss first joined forces in 2003. Cantankerous horolo-guru Gerd-Rudiger Lang, who celebrates the 25th anniversary of his watch brand this year, designed the ice-cool dashboard himself, as well as the Chronoswiss-Spyker ‘Double12’ 24-hour pilot’s watch, which paid tribute to (deep breath): Spyker’s aviation heritage (it merged with the Dutch Aircraft Factory in 1914 to make fighter planes); the C8 Double12 R car (top speed in excess of 199 mph, originally priced at a whopping €300,000); and the famous speed races which, in the past, were held in two 12-hour laps.
More gratuitous car porn: this time, the drool-inducing Spyker C12 Spyder, unveiled in Dec 2004. The first Spyker powered by the all-aluminium 6-litre W12 Audi engine, it had an all-platinum Double12 watch to go with it, only 48 of which were made, yours for €34,700 back then.
And while we’re at it, you may as well drool over this too: Zagato’s interpretation of the C12. Yes, it’s for real. Yes, I want one. No, I doubt very much that Chronoswiss will have the balls to do a watch version. Perhaps Urwerk or Hautlence fancy a try…?
Stay tuned to more stories by UK watch journalist Alex Doak for The Watchismo Times.
There were very few double-retrograde watches made in the early seventies but here are two of the very best. The vintage automatic winding "Futurama 1000" by Wittnauer featured only two styles, silver dial and black dial with hours and minutes displayed in an arc (hours on left, minutes on right). As each hand travels to the bottom, they fly-back to the top rather than circularly rotate. These two are particularly fine examples each with their original bracelets. Deep-set magnified portholes for date display.
Helsinki watchmaker, Stepan Sarpaneva, nephew of the famed Finnish mid-century designer Timo Sarpaneva, has produced yet another stellar timepiece -- the Korona K1. Following the success of his very limited and sold-out Supernova series (featured here->link), Stepan is quickly forming a large celestial body of work with the addition of the Korona to his intimate galaxy.
44mm wide and 9.6mm tall, the nearly full-Finnish production is made entirely of stainless steel including the dial, date disc, hands, crown, case, and rotor. The grated dial design reminds me of the incredible variety of antique manhole covers found all over here in New York City-->Link
Curtis Thomson of Tempered-Online and Horomundi further describes the Korona's features; "Powered by the Soprod A10, with the mainplate modified by Sarpaneva to enhance the larger "skeleton" date disc feature, the movement will be visible through its display back allowing us to see the gold plated steel rotor. (pics coming soon)
K1 will be available, as pictured, but also with a black diamond coated case and an Imperial Blue dial. The dial is made in three parts from Stainless, with these skeleton like dials are becoming a bit of a trademark for Sarpaneva. The hands are microblasted giving them a textured surface, except for their tips, which are black polished."
The Korona pricing is likely to start a bit above $8500.
The first public appearance of a Korona K1 (K2 & K3) will be at the upcoming Baselworld watch fair in Basel Switzerland. Stepan will be exhibiting with superstar independents Vianney Halter and others.
Stay tuned to The Watchismo Times for updates of the latest and greatest modern horology has to offer.
The skeletonized vertical date window
One of the coolest features of this watch can't really be appreciated by photographs. Each digit of the steel calendar disc is hand carved exposing the movement through the numbers!
Here is a clearer image of the skeletonized calendar digits
The prototype Korona K1 shot direct from Sarpaneva's bench
On the heels of Stepan Sarpaneva's industrial designed Korona K1 (featured previously here->link) is the phenomenal bas-relief double moonphase Korona K3. Simultaneously, he's sent me early pics of the prototype skeletonized K2 with cutout date disc (below).
White gold dimensional moonphase
Korona K3 white gold caseback moon & winding mass
Korona K2 with the skeletonized and cutout date disc
K2 Caseback
