Single Shot Fridays: Sinn U1

The Sinn U1, made in tagimented submarine steel has gained some interest amongst the collecting cogniscenti in recent years. The small German manufacture, from the Frankfurt area, now owns and manufactures its own cases in their SUG factory in Glashutte. And made of super harderned tagimented steel, makes a very nice, rugged watch for sporty intents.

I do wear my U1, The Hour Glass Tempus Edition for my cycling. And recently, met up with a friend, mid-ride for a beer. And he wore his Sinn U1 The Hour Glass All Black edition. Shown below, both watches.

Vintage LeCoultre Memovox

I came across this interesting case and dial design in a Jaeger LeCoultre recently in the collection of a friend's magnificent Memovox collection.

The unusual elongated cushion shaped case is rather unique, especially with the oval dial and crystal. Very interesting.

And the unusual blue hue of the dial is mesmerising. The condition of the dial and hands is certainly in line with the age...made by JLC in the 1970s, though it is

I was told this is a high beat movement, marked HPG, running at some 28,800 bph, signed LeCoultre because it was originally intended for the US market.

Zenith El Primero Striking 10

Zenith is one of the super interesting of watchmaking houses. Why do I say that? Well, for one, they were the first to develop an inhouse column wheel chronograph with an integrated automatic winding movement. This is the El Primero movement. Not only does it lay claim to that first, it is also the first to feature a 36,000 bph movement, allowing it to measure accurately down to 1/10th of a second.

But the capabilities of the El Primero are well known and documented. Zenith, under new leadership, also features a much improved the traditional watchmaking image. From a traditional watchmaker, they swung to the other extreme during what is now known as the Nataf years, where the watches took on a personality which is at the same time flamboyant and totally out of this world. Now under Dufour, the watches are moving back to the realm of the traditional, and definitely more desirable to the eyes of the collector.

For the GPHG, Zenith squeezed in a special complication...the chronograph whizzes across the dial at the rate of making one complete revolution every 10 seconds. Mesmerising to watch, but also allows the watch, which already is able to read precisely to 1/10th of a second due to the fast beat El Primero, now easier to read as well.

As usual, technical information is found at the official website here.

The watch design is bold, and very striking...pardon the pun, and very attractive.

Viva the new Zenith.

Tudor Heritage Black Bay

Continuing on the GPHG winners...today's feature is the Tudor Heritage Black Bay.

As usual, technical information can be found at the official website here.

Looking almost like a NIB vintage, the Tudor is a true diver's watch, created for diving, and totally fitting the role. The watch first appeared in 1954, and the new issue recreates teh domed dial, with the unusual burgundy bezel and snowflake hands.

Habring2 Jumping Seconds

I have known Richard Habring for a long time. Since the early days of A. Lange & Sohne where he had been asked to set up the aftersales service department, just after his rather fruitful stint in IWC Schaffhausen. He left Glashutte not long after the untimely demise of the late great Gunter Blumlein, and returned to his homeland in Austra to set up his own watch brand with his wife Maria.

Recently, Richard won a GPHG prize for his Jumping Seconds watch...a interesting small complication..a seconds morte. The seconds hand of the watch jumps once every second, like a quartz watch. But instead of doing so to conserve energy as in the case of the quartz movement, in a mechanical movement like the Habring2 Jumping Seconds, it features a small complication added to the indirectly driven sweep seconds hand.

Handsome looking watch, nicely done Richard. Not a very high level of finishing is performed to the watch or the movement, because Richard wanted a watch which is affordable to the public.

The jumping seconds mechanism is made by Richard, and mounted on a movement based on the Valjoux 7750.

Rather nice looking watch. Full specifications here.

Ressence Type 3: Atypical watch with an atypical display and approach to telling the time

Ressence is one of the new brands who seem to have sprouted out of nowhere with innovation burtsting from their ears. Their concept of a watch with wandering dials suspended in a fluid that refracts light like the air, so the orbiting indications appear to be on the crystal.

As usual, technical information, and the video of how this amazing time piece works can be found at the official website here.

The watch is indeed rather handsome, with the individual sub-dials, each rotating around the main dial, while the hands on each of these sub-dials also move in concert to indicate the day, hours, minutes, seconds and date.

The time telling system is rather ingenious, though non-intuituve at first glance, is learnt easily enough, and becomes second nature within a few minutes.

Interesting that Ressence chose not to encumber the dial with all manners of type, as many other manufactures are likely to do...advertising the USPs of the watch, but chose to retain a clean, Bauhaus like design. Even devoid of the brand name, electing only to show a little icon of a stylised palm symbolizing the brand. The earlier Series 1 watch looks more conventional with a regular crown, but the Type 3 shown here is sans crown, with the time setting and winding functions relegated to the caseback.

On the wrist, the watch is very light, and very comfortable, in part due to the very flexible, soft leather strap, but with one near fatal flaw. The buckle is designed such that the part which is used to pierce the openings in the strap has a strange kink in it, making it very difficult to open the buckle. I guess this does make it less likely for one to accidentally open the buckle and drop the watch, but it also makes taking off the watch a rather tedious process.

One of the winners of GPHG 2013, this watch is rather interesting and attractive.

Girard Perregaux Constant Escapement: extreme macros

Girard Perregaux: a grand dame of watchmaking. Making beautiful and magnificent watches. GP is famous for their Tourbillon on Three Golden Bridges. But recently, GP shook the horological world at its roots. After centuries of the Swiss Anchor escapement, they came up a new escapement. Constant force escapement. Beautiful, magnificent.

The watch is rather large, measuring some 48mm in diameter, but sits nicely on the wrist.

A very distinctive look, with the pride of place on the dial taken by the Constant Force Escapement, with its unique look.

A closer look at the escapement

Mesmerising to look at. The principle is well explained in GP's own website. Note the small details like the arrow shaped bridges which hold the escapement, giving a nod to the similarly shaped golden bridges in their famous Tourbillon with Three Golden Bridges.

The movement is as beautiful behind as it is from the front.

The movement is finished exquisitely. Very beautiful, and fine finishing.

Superb, superlative timepiece. Magnificent concept, equally magnificently executed.

Antoine Martin Slowrunner: Awesome!

Antoine Martin is a brand established by the very innovative Martin Braun after he left his namesake at Franck Muller. I have know Martin for a long time, since his early days working with his father under the family firm of CCM Braun.

He went on from CCM Braun to establish his own brand, Martin Braun, which became famous for the EOT and Sunrise/Sunset watches. Subsequently, he sold the company to Franck Muller. The partnership was not to be, and he left in 2009, and established his new company, Antoine Martin in Luzern in 2010.

He focussed his energies in developing a new movement, a totally new, high performance escapement which capitilize on the properties of silisium. And recently, in BaselWorld 2013, he unleashed the Slowrunner. He showed me the Slowrunner in GTE this year, but I was asked to keep an embargo till BaselWorld. I recently caught up with Martin, and had the opportunity to photograph the Slowrunner.

This is the antithesis of a chronometer. This is not a watch to win chronometry competitions or precision timing. This is much like an anti-watch, much like some fashion brands started the anti-fashion clothing line some years ago.

The purpose of a watch like the Slowrunner, which beats at a very slow 7200 bph, is to show the virtuosity that such can be done, and also to allow the owner a moment of repose as he flips over his watch in the midst of a high speed high tension day, and gaze at the slow beating of the huge...no giant, escapement.

The watch keeps reasonable time, on the bench...and the escapement can be regulated to within a few seconds a day. But on the wrist, the slow beat of the escapement is very prone to shocks which cause huge swings on the chronometry. Plus 20 seconds

The 7200 bph does not happen by chance, but selected to be so because this is the resting heart rate of a healthy individual. Indeed, my own resting heart rate is 58 beats per minute. 7200 bph runs at one full oscillation every second, or 60 oscillations per minute. This has the effect to calm the observer, providing respite for the hustle and bustle of the day.

The challenge of combining a huge escape wheel, and a slow beat movement is interesting, not to mention a daunting task. But the ingenuinity ofMartin won the day.

Peter Speake-Marin...and friends. Good friends.

An afternoon spent with good friends is always a good afternoon. One fine Saturday afternoon, a group of friends dropped in at a local hotel and met up with a group of Peter Speake-Marin Spirits.

I have featured the Spirit II, property of a good friend, a while ago in these pages. Here, a more detailed study of the Spirit II with its friends...

The Spirit II by Peter Speake-Marin, aestetically very well balanced in its form and shape. Though not everyman's taste, as the case sides are can-like and rather thick, but there is a quiet confidence to the design. Unassuming, but yet elegant but rugged at the same time. Rather versatile. So very English, so very like Peter himself, though the watches are designed and constructed in collaboration with Technotime in Switzerland.

In typical English fashion, tea is served...the Spirit II adorned with a NATO strap...very nice, and rather apt.

Hanging out with friends...the new Spirit II DLC

A parting shot...on the wrist

Tissot Exhibition at Suntec City

Tissot, a Swatch Group company, has a long and illustrious history, which many watch afficianados forget or do not know.

On occassion of the opening of the new Tissot Boutique in Suntec City, Tissot brought in a mini exhibition with many iconic and interesting pieces from their museum.

A very interesting art deco piece, museum piece on the right in the 1920s, so now we know where Franck Mueller drew inspiration for his Long Island with exploding numerals come from. And on the left, the reissue watch now available.

Antimagnetic watches were introduced by many watch companies. Patek Philippe with their Amagnetic in the 1960s, earlier the Rolex had Millgauss in the late 1950s, IWC with their Ingenieur in the 1940s. But Tissot introduced their Antimagnetic watch in 1930.

The first plastic watch, preceeding Swatch by 12 years with the Idea 2001 in 1971.

And ingenius use of new material, a fiber glass dial in a silver case called the Tissot Sideral.

And we round up the collection with an interesting table clock...with a stylised Tissot T logo...also now available for purchase. Contact the Tissot Boutique at Suntec City.

IWC: vintage Ingenieur, such a beautiful watch.

Quickshots Friday returns with another amazing vintage watch from my friend Dr. Stefan Ma.

Magnificent, beautiful vintage IWC, when they did things the right way. Just the beautiful script "International Watch Co." is just beautiful.

Soft iron core protects the movement from magnetism. The pure, original idea of a watch for an engineer who may have to work around magnets. Brilliant. Simple, elegant. Pure vintage.

Photograph shot in a poorly lit coffee shop, on the table top, with the waitress harrassing me to finish with the photograph already, as she wanted to serve the coffee.

Gerald Genta revolutionalized the Ingenieur with his design of the octagonal bezel, were the current models still draw design cues from.

Jaeger LeCoultre AMVOX

Watch and car collaborations are not usually very successful. But one interesting collaboration is the JLC Amvox series.

The collaboration between Jaeger LeCoultre and Aston Marton is one testament to a great watch, the Amvox 1 which I recently photographed over lunch. Thanks to Dr. Stefan Ma for your watch to photograph.

Two versions are available. One in stainless steel, and this one in titanium. A dark, matt finished case...kind of fitting to a watch with a link to a car with a racing history.

Limited edition, 1000 pieces. But for me, the ruthenium dial hue just makes it for me, beautiful and goes perfect with the grey titanium case.

Kari Voultilainen Vingt-8 with unique dial

The Kari Voultilainen Vingt-8 is begining to be a classic watch from an independent watchmaker. Today I show a piece unique with an astronomical dial.

Earlier coverage of this incredible watch, with closeups of the movement pictures is here.

The dial is interesting.

A closer look at the quite incredible looking dial. Though, for me, it is a bit busier than the clean dial I prefer on the original, non limited Vingt-8.

Harry Winston Opus 5

The Opus project by Harry Winston features many watches with important horological features. I feature one of my favourite Opus projets, the Opus V, by Felix Baumgartner of Urwerk.

Quite a superb piece.

Photographed here during the Antiquorum preview in Singapore.

The caseback

Ulysse Nardin Gengis Khan

Quick shot Friday focusses on the ultra high end Ulysse Nardin Gengis Khan Jacquetmart Minute Repeater Tourbillon with diamonds.

I had the opportunity to see this piece at L'Atelier by The Hour Glass recently. A cool S$1.17 million on the wrist.

Nicely finished...the Jacquetmart automata moves in sync with each strike. The watch strikes the Westminister chime.

Strikes are quite nice, in tone. I suspect the movement is made by Christophe Claret, but no confirmation from either them or UN.

Movement is quite decently finished, nothing really to criticize, but nothing to really be amazed at either, especially considering the price.