Posted in Rolex Watches on Apr 7th, 2012 7 Comments »
The 48th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona marks the 42nd anniversary of Vic Elford’s victory in the Porsche 907, Porsche’s first 24 hour endurance win. To celebrate the occasion, David Donohue pilots a 2010 Porsche GT3 around the Daytona road course while Vic Elford, the Grand Marshal for this year’s race, tells the story of his victory for Porsche.
Posted in omega on Feb 29th, 2012 No Comments »
MBC 방영 NHK다큐 “시간의 명장” 시계 독립 제작자들을 통해 시계의 예술성과 가치를 알게 해 준다. [ Zenith 제니스 바쉐른 콘스탄틴 유렉 태그호이어 Vacheron Constantin Urwerk TAG Heuer Tudor 튜더 세이코 리차드 밀 로렉스 롤렉스 파텍필립 오메가 론진 예거 꾸뛰르 위블로 오리스 해밀톤 제라드 빼고 브레게 블랑팡 드윗 프랭크 뮬러 브라이틀링 Seiko Richard Mille Rolex Patek Philippe Parmigiani Fleurier Omega Oris Longines Jaeger-LeCoultre Hublot Harry Winston Hamilton Girard - Perregaux Franck Muller Chronoswiss Dewitt Breitling Breguet Blancpain Bell & Ross Audemars Piguet A. Lange & Sohne ] www.TPreport.com
Video Rating: 5 / 5
Posted in omega on Feb 25th, 2012 No Comments »
MBC 방영 NHK다큐 “시간의 명장” 시계 독립 제작자들을 통해 시계의 예술성과 가치를 알게 해 준다. [ Zenith 제니스 바쉐른 콘스탄틴 유렉 태그호이어 Vacheron Constantin Urwerk TAG Heuer Tudor 튜더 세이코 리차드 밀 로렉스 롤렉스 파텍필립 오메가 론진 예거 꾸뛰르 위블로 오리스 해밀톤 제라드 빼고 브레게 블랑팡 드윗 프랭크 뮬러 브라이틀링 Seiko Richard Mille Rolex Patek Philippe Parmigiani Fleurier Omega Oris Longines Jaeger-LeCoultre Hublot Harry Winston Hamilton Girard - Perregaux Franck Muller Chronoswiss Dewitt Breitling Breguet Blancpain Bell & Ross Audemars Piguet A. Lange & Sohne ] www.TPreport.com
Video Rating: 5 / 5
Posted in omega on Feb 24th, 2012 No Comments »
MBC 방영 NHK다큐 “시간의 명장” 시계 독립 제작자들을 통해 시계의 예술성과 가치를 알게 해 준다. [ Zenith 제니스 바쉐른 콘스탄틴 유렉 태그호이어 Vacheron Constantin Urwerk TAG Heuer Tudor 튜더 세이코 리차드 밀 로렉스 롤렉스 파텍필립 오메가 론진 예거 꾸뛰르 위블로 오리스 해밀톤 제라드 빼고 브레게 블랑팡 드윗 프랭크 뮬러 브라이틀링 Seiko Richard Mille Rolex Patek Philippe Parmigiani Fleurier Omega Oris Longines Jaeger-LeCoultre Hublot Harry Winston Hamilton Girard - Perregaux Franck Muller Chronoswiss Dewitt Breitling Breguet Blancpain Bell & Ross Audemars Piguet A. Lange & Sohne ] :: www.TPreport.com
Video Rating: 5 / 5
Posted in omega on Feb 23rd, 2012 No Comments »
www.TPreport.com MBC 방영 NHK다큐 “시간의 명장” 시계 독립 제작자들을 통해 시계의 예술성과 가치를 알게 해 준다. [ Zenith 제니스 바쉐른 콘스탄틴 유렉 태그호이어 Vacheron Constantin Urwerk TAG Heuer Tudor 튜더 세이코 리차드 밀 로렉스 롤렉스 파텍필립 오메가 론진 예거 꾸뛰르 위블로 오리스 해밀톤 제라드 빼고 브레게 블랑팡 드윗 프랭크 뮬러 브라이틀링 Seiko Richard Mille Rolex Patek Philippe Parmigiani Fleurier Omega Oris Longines Jaeger-LeCoultre Hublot Harry Winston Hamilton Girard - Perregaux Franck Muller Chronoswiss Dewitt Breitling Breguet Blancpain Bell & Ross Audemars Piguet A. Lange & Sohne ]
Video Rating: 5 / 5
Posted in articles&news on Feb 14th, 2012 No Comments »
At HODINKEE we all really like Christopher Ward. We like them because they make really nice, classical watches at a very fair price. We also like them because of their refreshing and transparent approach to after sales service.
The watch I’ve had the pleasure of wearing for the last week marks something of a departure from the traditional Christopher Ward formula. It’s a bit different for two reasons; it’s a fair bit more expensive than the rest of the range, coming in at just north of $ 1500, and also because this watch has something a little unusual under the hood.
From:HODINKEE
Posted in Rolex Watches on Feb 8th, 2012 No Comments »
Team Sahlen brings in the 42 car for a tire change and gas at the 2012 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 Hour in Daytona. Video shown is of Crew members RJ LeClair and Trevor Whipple.
Video Rating: 0 / 5
Posted in articles&news on Jan 31st, 2012 No Comments »
Very rarely do I get to review a watch that is actually a remake of another watch the brand made just a few years earlier – that I also reviewed. This Marvin Malton 160 Rectangular Flying Hour watch (ref. M024.14.41.64) is a follow-up piece to the brand’s previous Marvin M014 watch that I reviewed here. In addition to a new case design, the new Malton 160 (to be honest I still don’t understand what the “Malton 160″ name in new Marvin watches means) Rectangular Flying Hour piece improves on two important areas over the original.
From a design standpoint the Marvin Flying Hour (as I will refer to it) is a very unorthodox looking watch. The case combined with the dial design is less than typical, and the way of telling the time takes some getting used to. This is actually interesting to me as much of what the brand does these days represents cool designs based around very standard layouts. It takes come getting used to, but this watch does have a lot of charm.
In polished steel, the case is 35mm wide by 50mm tall. It does not feel small due to the length of the case. More refined and interesting compared to the M014, the case has well-done edges and the sides are much more interesting than the previous model. In addition to polished surfaces the sides also feature some sandblasted surfaces for a cool effect. The caseback of the watch is curved a bit for wearing comfort and the entire thing is water resistant to 50 meters.
Over the dial is an AR coated sapphire crystal. Though due to its curvature it does get some glare. Much of the watch face is black-coated perlage which makes for a nice background. If you checked out the link above you’ll see that the Marvin M014 I reviewed also had a perlage dial. The idea in a sense is to replicate the the look of gauges on old planes and automobiles.
On the Marvin Flying Hour the dial indicators are larger compared to the previous model – they also look more like actual instrument gauges. Reading the time is simple once you get the idea in your mind. The top gauge shows the hours and minutes. Hours are told on a moving disc with a red arrow pointing to the time, while minutes are told via a hand. In the right light the hands are legible, but I would have liked to see hands that contrast better with the dials. This is hard to plan for because the design phase is all computer driven and it is hard to see how finishes and materials work together in real life. Really, only brands that have in-house production can effectively prototype in any time-effective manner. As it is a larger dauphine style hand, the minute hand is much easier to read than the seconds hand which is on the lower dial. No lume on this puppy.
If you recall from the M014, one issue with it was that it had two crowns. Only one of the crowns actually did anything. Marvin felt (and I agree) that from a design standpoint the watch looked better with two crowns. That was because the placement of the movement required that the crown be placed near the top. So Marvin added a second non-functioning crown to balance out the design. Still, it essentially had a faux-crown. On the Marvin Flying Hour however that isn’t the case. Both crowns actually do something. The top one is used to adjust the hour and minutes, while the lower one is used to stop and start the seconds.
This is all done by having the watch incorporate two distinct movements. Those being Swiss quartz Ronda 753 and 751 calibers. Their independence makes it possible to adjust the seconds separately from the hour and minute. Interesting idea, I know. It does seem to work for the theme that Marvin is going for.
Attached to the watch is a really nice thickly padded calf leather strap with contrast stitching. The inner lining is that cool Marvin red. Thanks for the strap and case design I must admit that this is a pretty comfortable watch to wear. Reading it takes some practice, but isn’t very difficult. It works really well if you want a sober looking slick design that is still highly abnormal. Price is $ 1,020 and it is available online via their website here.
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From:aBlogtoRead.com
Posted in articles&news on Dec 3rd, 2011 No Comments »
Linde Werdelin is a relatively new brand in the horological world, but one that’s already gained a solid number of fans of its unique timepieces. I spent some time with one half of the eponymous duo – Jorn Werdelin – during his trip to Asia, kindly hosted by The Hour Glass in Kuala Lumpur. What follows is less of your traditional Q&A and more of commentary and opinion. My colleague Robert-Jan has also had a SpidoSpeed on loan for a few weeks and will be posting a more in-depth review and photos soon.
The current collection
The brand has a short, albeit interesting, history. Jorn Werdelin is a former investment banker and avid skier. Watches have been a passion in his life for as long as he can remember – his family operated a watch shop, and he relates fond memories of an early piece given to him by his grandmother. Things came to a head in 2002. “At approximately the same time, Morton [Linde] made a watch for a Danish jeweler called George Jensen; a sailor’s watch. You could take the outer case off with the strap and put a Velcro strap on for when you went sailing. And then I had this clip on instrument. Those ideas crossed: why don’t we have a really beautiful mechanical piece, that you click on information to when you need it.”
Watch docked, with dive module (“The Reef”)
The concept of the LW-watches was born: a watch you can wear in casual everyday settings, but also has the ability to attach one of two functional modules as and when required – either a dive computer or a skiing instrument that comprises a compass, barometer, thermometer, chronograph, inclinometer and altimeter.
Skiing instrument
Diving instrument. That backlight is insanely bright.
“The whole idea is we don’t need this [computers] but when we go skiing or diving it’s different and we need a lot of information. What I didn’t want is to take the watch off…where do you leave it? When you go diving, you don’t want to leave the watch.”
The dive computer is made of a highly corrosion resistant aluminum-magnesium alloy and filled with oil; it’s water resistant to 300m, though the sensor is only rated to 140m – apparently this is the deepest they go. In any case, common recreational diving tops out at just 36m, and few professionals go deeper than 80m. Both modules clip securely on to recesses milled into the watch cases; apparently it’s so you don’t have to leave your EUR10,000+ watch in the ski lodge or on the dive boat to free a wrist for your technical equipment.
Makes sense.
For some odd reason, my first impression on seeing the docking system in action was that the watch goes in and the LCD on the front displays a timing trace – similar to a Vibrograph timer. Jorn says it’s something they’re definitely thinking about – including perhaps some way of adjusting the timing.
That just looks like a timing machine to me.
The early pieces – The One, Hard Black, Three Timer, Oktopus – all had solid cases. More interesting is the story behind the SpidoLite and SpidoSpeed: “We had a team that was climbing Everest [with one of our watches]…they only brought the dock to the top because the watch was too heavy. We’re talking about grams.” “They said, ‘why don’t you make it in titanium?’ But everybody has done that. This is more like a rally car – it’s about making it lighter by taking away material.”
Spidolite. Note shadow and holes!
It’s an amazingly beautiful case; complex compound curves and void spaces bring to mind something sculptural and architectural rather than horological. Most of the time all the skeletonization you get is inside the movement. This is one of the watch world’s few skeletonized cases, and it looks fantastic.
Spidolite anthracite DLC
It takes about six hours to machine a case – which itself has several parts. “The outer [skeletonized] case requires machining this way, this way and this way [Jorn indicates three axes with his fingers]; and it has to be done slowly to prevent the case from warping. It screws together; there are top, middle and lower parts. It’s a complicated case.” More interestingly, this case design allows the Spido models to maintain their 100m water resistance rating despite the amount of material removed. The edges are also finished by hand, to retain the crisp geometry and lines of the case but avoid any sharp edges that might cause injury to the wearer – so every one is ever so slightly different. It’s a fine balance.
Jorn explaining case construction
One other consequence is on the geometry of the strap attachment – it really isn’t designed for small wrists. But Jorn assures me that there’s another attachment under development that replaces the standard screw in strap piece that allows the use of custom straps with standard pins; a welcome accessory to enthusiasts like myself with small wrists.
Nice details in the buckle.
The dark gray cases (rather than black, to help appreciate the movement contours better) are also treated with a diamond-like coating (DLC) to increase hardness and scratch resistance. I ask about the DLC coating, but Jorn points out that the substrate is more critical to dent resistance. “What’s important is how hard the DLC is underneath. What we do is colesterize (?sp) the steel or titanium underneath; it’s a hardening procedure that increases the hardness by four times. It’s an electrochemical process that changes the molecular structure.” The watch is then treated with one micron of amorphous carbon, creating the DLC coating. Since the underlying metal is also hardened, it is less likely to dent and cause flaking in the top DLC layer.
SpidoSpeed, DLC and non-DLC versions
I ask him why there aren’t any rotating bezels. The answer is simple: the computer covers the watch anyway, and offers more functions. Plus “Why would you want a bezel where salt can get underneath, and few people remember to rinse their watches after diving anyway?” One less potential failure or corrosion point.
Family photograph
So what’s next for the brand? The cases are getting solid again. “We’re now reconstructing the Oktopus [diver]; it will be launched at Basel in 2012.” It too, will have similar case geometry to be compatible with the instrument modules. This necessarily limits the design of the case; Jorn sees this as a good thing because it means two things: consistency of design over time – a property of the most iconic watches such as the Royal Oak, Submariner or Luminor – and a commitment to existing customers to ensure future compatibility.
I can see this being an iconic case one day.
I ask about the movements: the chronograph appears to be a Valjoux 7750. I’m assured it isn’t; a small company in La Chaux de Fonds called Concepto uses the same architectrue but customizes the bridges, subdial layout and improves some functional components. It’s also slightly modified to work with the large integrated case pushers but deliver the same level of mechanical and tactile feedback from both buttons. The refined movement now appears as a Concepto 2251. On closer examination, the finishing is certainly a level above any 7750 I’ve seen. I’m told the time only models also have the same movement, but minus the chronograph plate.
It might look like a 7750, but Jorn assures me it isn’t
There are a couple of good reasons why they chose the 7750 architecture: robustness, and the integrated nature of the chronograph – the pushers are all at the same height. These are sports watches and have to stand up to hard use; the 7750 is a design that has over 30 years of testing and proof in the field for being robust and reliable. “It’s a sports watch; we wanted a movement that was sturdy and doesn’t break down.” Incidentally, it’s also a very high torque movement that’s suitable for powering other complications – look at IWC’s Il Desterio Scafusia, for example.
Does this mean they’re restricted to these movements only? Hardly. I point out the SpidoSpeed case has a couple of empty spots for extra pushers on the 9 o’clock side; Jorn merely smiles coyly and indicates that there are other complications in the works for the Oktopus and Spido family for release in 2013, and they’re working with a number of movement makers.
Jorn doesn’t see Linde Werdelin as having any direct competition; rather brands such as Panerai, Hublot, Audemars Piguet – the iconic sports watches – lead on naturally to Linde Werdelin pieces as their owners mature and start wanting something a little different. Current production is around 500 pieces a year; it’s a pretty exclusive club. Models are made in batches of usually around 100; after which refinements and customer feedback are incorporated, and a subsequent series is produced if the demand is there.
One of the big advantages of the internet is the speed of feedback; Jorn says there’s no separation between himself and the customer – they can email him, and frequently do. It’s an opportunity for the brand to distinguish itself through direct interaction with the community. A good example is the crown of the watch; it’s honestly small and very difficult to operate. But I’m assured that this was one of the first issues raised through customer feedback, and a redesign is in the works.
The crown could be larger, and stick out a bit further. But just look at the shape of that case!
Interestingly, he doesn’t see internet sales – a contentious topic at best amongst most brands – as a threat, but rather something to be open to as they can serve a different sort of customer; some are buying the retail experience, some are intimidated by it and just want to buy the watch. It also makes sense to reach customers in remote markets; “Say we have a customer in Peru. We’re probably never going to have a store there, so we can sell to him directly or online. It’s about getting a watch on the wrists of people who want them,” says Jorn.
It’s also about giving them that little bit extra – take the unique series of graphic illustrations, for instance. “It’s art,” explains Jorn; I have to agree. It’s also unique, eye catching, and a good way of creating an identifiable ‘signature’ for the brand. Social media just helps get it out there.
Ultimately, it’s about doing what you love – Jorn and Morton have every intention of being in this business for the long haul. “I needed something I could do for a long time…feel like I was creating something,” explains Jorn. It took him a few years to decide to give up his banking career, but he says its made up for by the happiness when he straps on the SpidoLite in the morning – his creation. The passion of these two men created Linde Werdelin, and some pretty interesting ideas in the process – I for one am looking forward to see what else comes out of their atliers in the future. MT
A special thank you to Jorn Werdelin, and The Hour Glass.
Images shot rapidly on location without the usual lighting gear
From:FratelloWatches RSS
Posted in articles&news on Oct 29th, 2011 No Comments »
Swiss Legend Watches 24 Hour Blowout Sales Event!
Exciting news from Watches on Net: Swiss Legend watches will now be offered by Watches on Net and to make things even more exciting they will be holding a 24 hour Blowout Sales Event in honor of the new collection! The team at Watches on Net is thrilled to be able to provide Swiss Legend timepieces to the public and in celebration of the partnership, Watches on Net will offer HUGE savings on selected Swiss Legend models. Many of the brands most popular creations will be on sale for 60%, 70%, 80%, and more off manufacturer’s retail, plus the shipping is free!
The Big Blowout Sale will last for only 24 hours, so don’t miss out on the savings. Swiss Legend is a well made Swiss brand that offers luxurious styling and contemporary design. It’s easy to see why Watches on Net would be so excited about adding them to their family of watch brands. Get in on the excitement and on the deals by shopping for Swiss Legend during this incredible sales event:
Catch the 24 Hour Blowout Sale on Swiss Legend now!
