IWC 5251

The IWC 5251 was a dream watch of mine when I was early in my watch collecting "career"...it was a grail watch, as even then, it was quite rare to find a piece readily available.

Built on a pocket watch movement, it is a magnificent watch...large, flat case, with a beautiful movement. This particular example is owned by a good friend, and is one of the few which was delivered with a closed case back...suffice to know a beautiful movement beats within.

Elegant, simple and yet beautifully executed. Very nice. They don't make watches like these anymore.

Shown here with the IWC Portugeiser Jubilee...I will feature the Portugese next week, but in the meantime, enjoy the brothers.

Harry Winston Opus 3 by Vianney Halter

The Opus series from Harry Winston was a project started when Max Busser was CEO at Harry Winston. One of the remarkable watches he commissioned during his tenure there was the Opus 3...a very special digital, mechanical watch to be made by Vianney Halter.

A watch which was to take some 10 years to deliver...but eventually it was delivered...and it is such a magnificent piece.

Ok, no more words, just admire. More information on this remarkable timepiece can be found by just a quick google search.

Note this is a watch used and worn by a collector...I left the wear marks on the photographs intentionally.

Extreme Macro: Lange L951 chronograph, partial movement

I was going to take the day off from blogging...as announced in my FB page, but I was working with a large print for a client. The print is for the full movement of the fabulous Lange L951 used in the Datograph. After finishing editing the image for the A1 print, I decided to show a partial of the movement.

This is one of the most beautiful movements ever made. And certainly, the best chronograph ever made in my books.

Image looks slightly oversharpened, because the final sharpening was done for inkjet print on my Canon ImageProf 6350 Large Format Printer, and not for web.

Super wide panorama of the Singapore skyline from the Marina Barrage

Continuation of the Marina Barrage series...

This is the final post on the panoramas from the Marina Barrage. Click on the photograph to get a larger 1920 pixel wide wallpaper.

Portrait of a Master: Vianney Halter

Some portraits of Vianney Halter...an incredible individual and a great master watchmaker.

A disciple paying homage to the master...

the following conversation was overheard...

Master Vianney : Weak, is the Force in this one.

Disciple Horo : Master...I am willing to learn.

Master Vianney : A Jedi-watchmaker you cannot be

Disciple Horo : I will go boldly where no man has gone before

Master Vianney : Hopeless, you are...can't even differentiate Star Wars and Star Trek.

And some portraits of the master

With the Deep Space Tourbillon on his wrist

Vianney Halter Deep Space Tourbillon...the extreme macros

This post will focus on the extreme macros of the Vianney Halter Deep Space Triple Tourbillon.

Vianney Halter's Deep Space Tourbillon

Vianney Halter is one master watchmaker whom I have the greatest respect. His mind works like no other...and his products reflect that incredible creativity.

His latest project takes the form of the Deep Space Triple Tourbillon...a product of 5 years of work, which came to him in a dream.

I do have a number of photographs of this incredible timepiece, so will split this blog entry into two articles. This first installment, I will show the watch, some wrist shots, and discuss some technical aspects. In the second article, I will show the extreme macro photographs.

The watch...Deep Space Triple Tourbillon. Two blued steel hands lean out of the watch periphery to indicate the time...the hour and minutes.

The entire movement train seems suspended, and turning on its own axis. This makes one revolution every 6 minutes. Within the train is the tourbillon. The tourbillon makes one rotation every 40s. This is a special timing, to dissociate the concept of earth time with that of deep space.
And finally the train itself rotates on the plane of the dial once every 30m. Making 3 axis of rotation representing our concept of 3 physical dimensions and 1 dimension of time.

The case dimension is 46mm diameter and 10mm high. The overall height, including the domed sapphire which is 40.6mm in diameter is 20mm. Case material is titanium...a material frequently used in aerospace. The watch is very light, sits very well on even small wrists, and is comfortable.

Above on my wrist, and below on Kevin's wrist, worn with his other very significant Vianney Halter creation...the Harry Winston Opus 3

Seems a total departure from the traditional Vianney? Perhaps, but deep space happens in a galaxy far, far away...but the crown brings back the anchor to Vianney...the rivetted crown.

Stay tuned for the extreme macro series next Tuesday.

Scenes from the Barrage: The Singapore Flyer

Following the series of photographs from the Barrage...this one at dusk, of the Singapore Flyer.

The Flyer, photographed from the Gardens by the Bay, just at sunset

Click on the photograph to get a larger 1920 pixel wide wallpaper.

The Flyer, photographed from within the waters of the Barrage, just at sunset