Lange 1 Mother of Pearl

The Lange 1 has many iterations. I have my favourites, the rose gold, white dial and the white gold white dial with blued steel hands are two. But one version which remain a favourite of many of my friends and collectors is the Lange 1 Mother of Pearl.

With a guilloched mother of pearl dial. For me, the watch exudes some feminity, with the coy play of light on the cut dial. Quite beautiful and mesmerising...

The movement is pure Lange L901. Still looking good after all these years...(note: The L901 was introduced in 1994, almost 20 years ago)

Views from the Marina Barrage: The MBS at sunset

I went to look for some interesting sunset photographs of the Singapore skyline...the iconic Marina Bay Sands Hotel and the bay area.

This series of photographs, more later as I will show one each week, will feature some of the photographs I took, culminating in a very wide panorama of the entire CBD. Click on the photograph to get a larger 1920 pixel wide wallpaper.

Significant Chronographs: The 1815 Chronograph

Significant chronographs: Lange 1815 Chronograph

This post is dedicated to my good friend Eddie Sng, whose watch is featured here today.

The 1815 Chronograph was introduced as perhaps a purer version of the iconic Lange Datograph. Simpler without the trademark outsized date, but as I said, purer because traditional chronographs typically do not feature a date display, except in complications with perpetual calendars.

The dial is pure, simple, and well...perfect.

And the movement side, exactly the same as in the Datograph...as the date mechanism for the Datograph is just below the dial, the view from the rear crystal of the 1815 Chronograph is exactly the same...showing the magnificent chronograph works.

A walk in the park...

A walk in the park...a photography teaching session for my buddy...yielded some of these photographs.

She shot some 100 photographs, I took a total of 11 frames

A leaf with incredible detailed textures on the surface.

A flower

Another flower

yet another flower

Bamboo

Icons of watchmaking: The Lange 1

The ICON: Lange 1.

Just a simple picture...perfection does not need improvement...

Or elaboration.

Corum Golden Bridge

Corum is an interesting brand...a bit on the side of the main path to high horology, it nevertheless has some icons which mark it as one of the important houses.

Today I feature an iconic Corum, designed by none other than the illustrious Vincent Calabrese, this watch features a movement which is totally encapsulated in a single bridge...and encased in sapphire glass.

The watch has an amazing ability to captivate both the collector who can spend time to marvel at the intricate and quite beautiful movement, suspended in the space inside the case. And to the non-horologist who may just appreciate the elegance and simplicity of the watch.

The single bridge movement...

Extreme macros of seafood...sashimi fresh and live

Extreme macros can sometimes become abstracts...I explored this with watch movements...today, I am exploring with some seafood. I was browsing the seafood at the newly opened PasarBella in Turf City, and managed to capture the following.

Lobster tail

Suckers on an octopus

Skin of a fish, I forget the species...the fish here is sashimi fresh

The eyes tell it all...this is from a flying fish

Crab legs

Prawn tail

Roger Dubuis Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar Chronograph

Roger Dubuis...this brand have had a mystique since its early days when Mr. Dubuis was running the company...after his retirement from Patek Philippe. The Symphatie case, as shown here today in the now classic Bi-Retrograde Perpetual Calendar Chronograph was a wonder in those days...still is.

Then Carlos Dias took over the company, and for me, Dubuis as a marque lost its appeal...with the new watches then tending on the obsene...both in price and design.

The simple, yet complex curvy elegance of the Symphatie case was gone...later versions sported a round front crystal as opposed to the sensously form which echos the curves of the case.

The movement, more or less similar to what Patek puts in their 3970, but with the added complication of the bi-retrograde.

Magnificent. Beautifully finished. I am two minds about the engraving on the rear crystal, as it mars the view of the wonderful movement.

Very nice indeeed. Recently, the company was acquired by Richemont, and under the charge of Georges Kern, it is begining to return to its roots...but in a less horogologically significant way, in my opinion. The newest watches are now less over the top than it was during Carlos's time, but arguably still quite commercial in its intent, and not targetted at horology enthusiasts. I wish they still make them like they used to.

Rare bikes: Zipp

An unusual bike for today's post. Unusual because it caused quite a stir when it was introduced in 1992, and subsequently banned by UCI (the world's cycling governing body). But still much sought after by triatheletes.

This bike is owned by my best cycling buddy Caroline's husband Tuck Hon. More info on this on this archived page from Zipp's official site.

The frame is early carbon fiber, but proudly Made in USA, discontinued in 1997 due to UCI rulings.

The bike is rather heavy...I guestimate perhaps 14kg.

Carbon fork...quite a new thing in those days.

The huge chainstay, marked Zipp Weaponry

Originally raced by one of his friends in Ironman.

And a monstrous bottom bracket

Full Dura-Ace components...bar end shifters on the aerobars

The crank

The cockpit with Dura-Ace brake levers

The inner side of the chainstay says Warning For Competition Use only!

The saddle...

And 650 size tyres

I did try and ride it...the bike handling is very twitchy...unlike most road bikes...and not the most comfortable to ride.