Tuesday, March 31, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 6 Comments
I just discovered a fine review of this watch by Leonardo at the VC forum - The Hour Lounge. Its yet another classic watch - albeit no longer in production - designed by Gerald Genta.
The Vacheron Constantin 222, in all probability is the inspiration for the current Vacheron Overseas collection. While not much of the original design had survived, one can see some strong influences. The watch uses the famed JLC Cal920 as with the AP Royal Oak Jumbo. Unfortunately these watches are now very rare and considered quite a collectors item.
Check out the review by Leonardo - highly recommended reading for history or vintage watch fans.
- HT
(NB - Image above is from Leonardo's report)
The IWC Calibre 5000 series is reputed to be the largest automatic caliber ever made. Inspired by pocket watch movements of the early Portuguese, IWC wanted to create a watch movement from the inside out yet making it special by having a seven day power reserve with a single barrel. This needed some new engineering solutions to a problem that has been around for ages. While other brands had solved the long power reserve with the use of double or even triple barrels, this meant that the amount of energy required would make an automatic quite a phenomenal problem due the weight of the automatic rotor needed to turn the barrels. IWC's legendary team of leaders and engineers managed to crack the problem and developed the now famous Calibre 5000 movement.
The first Calibre 5000 was put into the limited edition Portuguese 2000 (in the year 2000). A few years later, IWC released this watch called the Portuguese Automatic with the Calibre 5001. An improved movement with a date module making the watch a little taller.
Observe how large the rotor is in relation to the watch - which has almost no bezel on either side of the case. I am personally attracted to watches that has little or no bezel because it shows off a watch that does not have fillers and allows the beauty of the dial or movement to be seen.
This watch photographed here is not new as it has been in my possession since the day it arrived on our shores on its launch. It continues to have a special place in my collection and while its not the most refined timepiece - it clearly has one of the best modern engineering that horology has to offer. I would readily recommend this watch to any new or seasoned collector.
Click on the movement image to view it in high resolution.
- HT
Sunday, March 29, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 2 Comments
With Basel just round the corner, release of information of various new models are being made and finally the embargo being lifted on a few early releases are now made available to collectors. As promised earlier, here are some of my personal captures of the actual watch as well as a few of the brochure images of this new line from Bucherer. On the right, Thomas Morf the CEO of Bucherer kindly modelled for me. Click the image to view it in large format to see clearly how the watch looks on the wrist.
Click on THIS LINK to view the images.
- HT
Friday, March 27, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 0 Comments
Here is a video of the UN Hour Striker in action. Recorded here is the actual sound and animation of the figure that appears to be striking a bell with the Canon EOS 5D Mark 2 (in high definition but resampled for blog viewing).
While I find the Freak design as innovative and exciting, I have not had the same reaction to many of the UN designs. However, the Hour Striker is both more conservative yet distinctly handsome on the wrist. With the platinum and black Onyx dial, the watch is quite literally - striking. Unfortunately, this watch cost SGD200,000 at retail list.
- HT
Thursday, March 26, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 0 Comments
While this Royal Oak Chronograph was not designed by Gerald Genta himself, I still found that the overall balance, proportion, dial and case design make this watch a real classic chronograph. A far more substantial watch compared to the Jumbo which is refined and slim. However this Chronograph is not thick giant like the Offshore series are. On the wrist, this watch finds a nice balance of being a 40mm braceleted watch that would wear well with a nice Armani suit in a boardroom or on a sun tanned wrist on board a yacht.
Unlike the Offshore where the subdials cut the numeral markers, the indices here are nice batons that does not clutter the dial. The Chronograph mechanism works very smoothly as one would expect from a F Piguet chrono caliber.
Paired with the Jumbo, the Royal Oak can cover all occasions. Both watches are still in production but numbers made each year are small and pieces hard to come by. For me, these watches are quintessential best of AP.
Click on the image above to see the hi-res images of this watch.
- HT
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 2 Comments
Back in July 2007, I published a series of images of the Patek Nautilus. Carrying out the research on that watch resulted in interesting facts which included the design being made by Gerald Genta who also had singluarly designed several other watches for the top brands.
It was only recently that I managed to locate a Royal Oak Jumbo (featured below). Both watches caught my notice again recently and further research online revealed that there had been several published comparisons of these two watches. None of the earlier reports however had shown the two watches pictorially in any detail.
Accordingly, here is the final instalment on Gerald Genta - my comparison article online reflecting on my personal views of these watches as well as the photographs of these watches side by side for your reading pleasure. To read the article, CLICK HERE.
- HT
Sunday, March 22, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 6 Comments
On Monday 16th March, Max Busser of MB&F hosted a small dinner for friends and collectors of his brand at the Rakuzen restaurant nearby Hour Glass Millennia.
At the casual and comfortable private room, we were shown the last versions of the HM1 tourbillon - a rose gold and a ceramic. Also shown were two HM2 - titanium and ceramic and a triple metal titanium, ceramic and rose gold version. Finally, Max showed us the production pieces of a rose gold Sidewinder and a White Gold Starcruiser (HM3).
In addition to talking about the MB&F watches, collectors and Max had an interesting discussion on the effects of the financial crisis on the watch industry and what collectors should be expecting in the coming months. It seems that a major shake up is expected not in the least, the failure of struggling brands and a restructure of watch prices (possibly a dramatic bursting of the proverbial watch bubble that so many had been expecting for years).
Interestingly, Max feels that his brand is in a strong position as he offers to niche collectors a factor that will see him succeed in the crisis - value. Max mentioned this before in an article featured in the Business Times late last year that can be read HERE.
To see the images of the dinner CLICK HERE (Dinner Photos). To see some of the watches shown to diners, CLICK HERE (Watch Photos).
More detailed images or possibly photomontages of the watches will be published here in the near future but expect a few stunning wallpapers of the MB&F watches very soon.
- HT
Saturday, March 21, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 3 Comments
For movement fans, I have published here a Zoomify image of the Datograph Perpetual. Click on the image above to view it. To navigate the image use the icons at the bottom of image to enlarge it. Navigate by clicking and dragging. Enjoy!
- HT
Friday, March 20, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 0 Comments
Jerry Ee, in a surprise turn of events while on the run with watches worth over SGD 7 million - gave himself up to the Singapore embassy in Bangkok (pictured here - image from Straits Times - see link below).
Apparently he still had about 200 of the 386 watches he had stolen which he handed over to the Embassy officials. Jerry Ee is expected to be brought back to Singapore today by the police . Still missing was the cash of $27,137 taken from the store.
The robbery by Jerry Ee committed was the biggest criminal heist in Singapore. It was believed that the efforts of the local and Interpol to close the borders resulted in his change of heart to surrender himself.
For more details, read this REPORT.
- HT
Thursday, March 19, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 3 Comments
Some weeks ago, it was widely reported a secret inscription was found in Lincoln's pocket watch by his watchmaker making a comment about the start of the civil war.
It made me wonder if inscriptions by watchmakers back then are a norm but I suspect not as its not commonly seen on old antique pocket watches. If it was not, then how would Lincoln reacted if he discovered the inscription? Would he treat it as a vandalisation of his precious timepiece?
Then it struck me, what if a watchmaker had some US President's watch in his hands and inscribed it "Sept 11 - Twin Towers attacked and destroyed". I somehow doubt that the secret inscription will be welcomed despite the good intentions. I wonder whether any of the living US ex-presidents will be sending their expensive luxury watches for a check to make sure if there had been any secret inscriptions made on them.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 0 Comments
Regulars to WH will have realised that I am a admirer of the Lange Datograph movement. Even though I have photographed several versions of the Datograph including the double split, I never tire of it. Recently, my good friend Mr Peter Chong, the Lange Moderator (Timezone) let me photograph the Datograph Perpetual that he had on his wrist. The movement itself on first glance looks identical to the standard Datograph. However, on closer inspection, the whole escapement and balance wheel is in fact completely different. The perpetual calendar module is hidden on the dial side and in total, this watch is bigger and heavier than the Datograph.
Click on the image above to download the wallpaper of this beauty. As always, your act of downloading indicates your agreement to respect and uphold my copyright not to use it in any other manner other than for personal use as a desktop wallpaper. No commercial use; amendments; alterations and editing work is permitted.
-HT
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 2 Comments
Here it is, after several years of waiting and trying to locate this watch, I managed to get hold of this Royal Oak Jumbo for a photomontage. This is the second in my series on Gerald Genta and his famous steel sports luxury watches. This is one of the long time legendary watches on my wish list to be photographed. Click on the image above to view the Photomontage.
Consider the details as well as the overal aspects of the watch and decide for yourself whether this watch deserves the accolades showered on it - for the past 35 years.
- HT
Saturday, March 14, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 6 Comments
As promised to a query for a wallpaper of this beautiful watch, click on the image above to download it. Enjoy!
NOTE: As with all my wallpapers, your downloading of this image indicates your agreement to use the image only as a desktop wallpaper as it is without any alteration or amendments. Any commercial use is prohibited.
Friday, March 13, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 2 Comments
Following on the theme from the previous post on Gerald Genta's legacy of watches, I shall be publishing a series of images of this classic timepiece over the next few days.
Also in the works are my review of both the Royal Oak and Nautilus - two of the most revered and sought after watches from AP and Patek and a photomontage of the AP Royal Oak Chronograph.
So do come by again soon to see them.
- HT
Thursday, March 12, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 0 Comments
It may come as a surprise to new collectors that the world's most popular luxury sports watches was designed by one man - Mr Gerald Charles Genta.
During his early phenomenal professional life, Genta was hired by various watch brands to design sports watches for them.
Genta designed the famed Pasha watch for Cartier; the Ingenuier for IWC; the Royal Oak for Audemars Piguet; the Constellation and Seamaster for Omega; the famed "Bulgari-Bulgari" watch for Bulgari and the Nautilus for Patek Philippe.
How important are these models to these brands? These designs are still in production since the seventies and in most cases are unchanged from the original. Two in particular are still manufacture the models as designed by Genta continue to draw new fans and collectors are the Nautilus and the Royal Oak.
Gerald Genta also created the brand with his name that he had sold some years ago. That brand is now synonymous to Mickey Mouse watches, jumping hour movements and retrograde hands. Genta the watchmaker moved on to create a new brand called Gerald Charles - Charles being his middle name. Despite the successes of the Gerald Genta brand or Gerald Charles, none of the current designs have yet to achieve the iconic status of the watches he designed for the other brands.
Admittedly, the revelation that Genta was responsible for so many iconic designs came as a huge surprise - not because of his capability and capacity to create such beautiful watches - but how coincidental that almost all the sports watches he designed are amongst my favourite timepieces.
What an amazing legacy and impression he has left on the Swiss watch industry. Over the following weeks, I will be featuring Genta's early works featuring the Royal Oak Jumbo and comparing it with the Patek Nautilus. So for fans of the original sports watches, keep a look out.
- HT
Image of Gerald Genta from Gerald Charles.com. For more information about Gerald Genta and his designs visit Hodinkee.com.
Monday, March 09, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 2 Comments
The Ulysse Nardin Freak is a watch that I would consider the iconic watch of the past 20 years of watchmaking. A crownless watch with long power reserve that uses the movement itself as the means to tell the time as it rotates which effectively makes it a new age tourbillon that compensates for the effect of gravity. It was probably the first production watch to feature silicium/silicon parts. The watch was very much ahead of its time and consequently, much of the teething problems of using new materials was learnt through this watch. This latest iteration of the Freak makes for little or no fundamental change to the original design save for the added diamonds on the tips of the movement where the hour and minute arrows are.
Click on the image above to view the photomontage.
- HT
Saturday, March 07, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 6 Comments
Recently on my holiday to Hong Kong, I happen to see what I would consider to be the largest watch billboard hoardings in the world. These billboards are often whole sides of a building. Here are just examples. The JLC bill board was photographed from my hotel room just at a corner of the race course. I not seen anything like them in New York or the other cosmopolitan cities.Judging by the large amount of real estate space allocated to watches, clearly the market for high end horology is firmly rooted. I believe the other city that could possibly rival Hong Kong is Tokyo. But I have to wait awhile before I get the chance to make that trip.
- HT
Thursday, March 05, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 6 Comments
Photographed a few days ago, is this impressive Vianney Halter Trio Grande Date. A watch with bags full of character and for the watch collector who appreciates unique timpieces that are also considered working art pieces. While this rectangular block of gold is not a ground breaking design it shows Vianney's playful character in developing this design as a counterpoint to the multi-circular themed case of his Antiqua.
The Trio is now priced over S$100k list, features no complication other than the big date but is extraordinarily well finished. Possibly the highest level seen before in any Vianney watch.
Click on the images to view them in high resolution.
- HT
(My thanks to Hour Glass Millennia for allowing me to photograph this watch at its premises)
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 2 Comments
Its been some time since I published a detailed series of images of a new watch. The Freak Diamond Sil was a watch that I felt deserved the royal treatment. I have not had the opportunity to photograph a Freak in detailed and this unique diamond studded limited edition was a beauty to photograph. Come back soon to see its full glory.
Monday, March 02, 2009
posted by Harry SK Tan 0 Comments
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