The LUC is a beautiful movement! 

Citazione da: Pifpaf - Giugno 07, 2011, 17:13:31 pm

Citazione da: Roberto - Giugno 02, 2011, 11:50:55 am

belli mi piacciono! molto anche i modelli da donna!

I love your avatar Roberto!

Pipaf consider that Roberto uses the same kind of slip for his own sit


Matteo

 



I'd rather prefer stay innocent.

Considering the environment of crisis, it would have been more logical that BaselWorld had been poorer than the SIHH, but paradoxically, one assisted on the exact opposite event - an exciting BaselWorld - multicolored, wooow, a watchmaking full of creative explosions. While the SIHH would have sunk in the abysses of annoy without the excellent tribute of Panerai.

 
BaselWorld was the true opposite of the SIHH, a real festival; in spite of 9 intensive days of my presence, I certainly missed many things, but I couldn’t skip the Opus Eleven, incontestably the watch the most “wow” of the entire exhibition. I followed the news of Gregory Pons in Business Montres on this subject and actually after not easily readable Opus X which was not very segmented compared to the rest of the collection, Harry Winston comes back with Opus Eleven – their idea of the watch inspired me to create these exceptional series.

 
Harry Winston called on a former collaborator, Denis Guiguet, who returns together with Eric Giroud- a design consultant, the person in charge of the most original Opus – Opus IX that had a phenomenal success.

 


 

 
The initial idea of Opus XI was to make burst the time. With the presence of Internet, the globalization, tendency to be less social, more digital when the rhythms are broken by the jet-lags, by things to be finished in urgency, by the foreman of Chinese work, the idea of “temporal explosion” makes absolute sense then. Traditional time reading, with i.e. grande date, its perpetual calendars (in particular Sundays posted in red) etc, refers to a time paradigm (or the rhythms, the seasons, the days of the week) that was codified by a traditional society, religions, feudal codes – all that firmly fixed for centuries. The approach of post-capitalism, financial world, ultra-liberalism and globalization does not tolerate any more these regrettable losses of productivity.
Our moments are daily fragmented to the pieces of communication with every world corner- a call from Germany, Japanese communicator, a hysterical email from the USA. 11:00 pm a panic phone call from a technician, a server failed, there is an urgent need to restore all data. As a result of this fragmentation of time, continual incentive of all new digital gadgets, one must live through the moments of leisure and family gathering more effectively, more quickly, more intensely. It’s becoming more and more difficult to take time to read essays, to play with own daughter one evening. I could go on in thoughts concerning the temporal explosion of the rhythms imposed by our lives 2.0 on at least twelve further pages, but as I wish to continue to explode the audience, I will return to the Opus Eleven.

 


 

 
Opus XI does not finally cover more than one percent of all philosophical, society, economic and watchmaking questions; rose by the fabulous paving stone launched in the backwater of the Western time paradigm over twelve hours and 7 days. However, this watch and its creators trew this paving stone.

 


 
The concept of time reading developed by Denis Guiguet on Opus XI differs completely from its work at MCT, whereas Opuses, the preceding ones, took again existing complications (with the notable exception of the Opus IX which opened the way to the Opus XI from all points of view). The Opus XI integrates a new complication, each satellite carries 3 mini-satellites comprising 2 metal discs marked on double face, one has thus, 4*3*2*2 = 48 metal discs, as it needs 4 metal discs to read the exact time, the watch shows the time over 12 hours (and not 24 like we would have initially expected).

 


 
The element that makes the work of Guiguet on Opus XI completely different from the one on Sequential One is that reading of minutes is made on a secondary counter, with double discs, ten, unit. We can find the disc at 45°, I don’t dare to use the term at position of two hours since this concept does not correspond to anything on this watch, at 135° in the third disc we can find the large titanium balance-wheel.

 


 
It was developed of completely new energy chain  to be able to propel the heavy system of satellites, unfortunately the system was so powerful that finally it was necessary to increase weight of the satellites and the metal discs in order to consume enough of energy and not to cause chronometric divergence. Altogether a heavy industry assisting to the ultra-liberal time, what a beautiful image of crisis!!

 
An essential illustrative video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDu0V-OtBTQ&feature=related

 
Denis Guiget:

 


 


 
A bursting of time is dimensional in this watch, too. We can observe the trend through watches of independent high-end watchmaking brands like the HL, HL 2.0 of Hautlence, or the one of MB&F - HM3; they put the time reading in volume. But no watch so far has been pushed in its concept of dimension to perfectionism like Opus XI, because it brings with its volumes the third dimension which supplements 2 usual time reading dimensions, temporal dimension, the fourth thus coming to finish the squaring of dimensions.
There is as well an aesthetic perfection, whereas Sequential One MCT is rather prudent, slightly bent square case, the aesthetic standards are fragmented by circular radicalism of Eric Giroud. While his work on Opus IX - resolutely radical in general - was moderated by very soft lines, non-existent angles, and harmonious proportions, on Opus XI, there is nothing reminding it, on the contrary, he goes till the to the extreme in this explosive design.

 


 
The great aesthetic power of this watch comes in evidence that it perfectly suits on the wrist. The work on the lugs is very serious, while it seems completely unbalanced on the plate, the lugs anchor completely on the wrist. Anyway, I am convinced that to understand profoundly the esthetics of this watch, one should test it on own wrist – that explains quite a few wrists’ shots in this subject.

 


 
In certain respects, by seeing it, I think about Antiqua from Vianney Halter, Steampunk watch, if it is so, here, one would rather have the wrist Futura, post-Cyberpunk watch, may it be.

 
The work on glass is very impressive, the transparency processing that leaves us nevertheless puzzled concerning the functionality of the system, once again, a beautiful metaphor about our time of Kairos. This moment of Kairos comes back from elsewhere in the immediate swing of the discs of time reading, a watch to have in all respects.

 
The choice of deflecting counter is radical in every case, in this work of circles in revolution, I recognize the work of the traditional dials that Eric Giroud made for Heritage Watch Manufactory. The choice to place the balance-wheel in an dedicated opened niche seems to be very judicious since it gives the touch of life necessary to snuffling deadlines between two moments of Kairos where the time deflagrates.

 


 
In addition to the idea to present the balance-wheel a dedicated disc, this fact makes dissipate any misunderstanding on the presence of electrical motors in this watch, because one could believe that this impressive gas works full of pinions, with cones, metal discs is fed by tiny servo-motors. The opening showing the balance-wheel and the traditional processing of the movement reassures or surprises on this impressive technical choice.

 


 
One would believe that the concept of new way of time reading in 3D that was symptomatic in crazy years of the watchmaking industry during the period of 2005-2008 for i.e.Hautlence, MB&F or MCT was far exhausted…Undoubtedly, Harry Winston prepared a surprise and succeeded in making explode this concept. The talents of Guiguet, after the relatively sober MCT and of Giroud with his typically soft contours, were combined to sink in the Cyberpunk, by dynamiting the reading of time.

 

 
The brand is seldom accounted for on the horologic forums, it simply doesn’t generate enough buzz
With its polished look, traditional appearance from a distance, discreet in terms of communication, nobody really talks about De Witt .
Unlike the work of some of the competitors on this market, the finishing is always perfect, while the « limited editions » are truly produced in small quantities : it is difficult to critisize De Witt on the quality of its production. As for the overall styling, when compared to the very « mechanical-cyberpunk » touch of Richard Milles’ watches, it is more iconoclastic and includes architectural influences such as Art Deco to a visual identity which is sometimes baroque. Trying to identify the De Witt brand universe to a single concept is challenging, proof is the indefinable WX-1.
 
Notice the « Regulator A.S.W Horizons », regulator tourbillon, Automatic Sequential Winding(ASW) Twenty-8-Eight, unveiled in 2010. The usage of the word « regulator » can be surprising, but here is used in its literal meaning. Certainly, this terminology usually applies to non-coaxial watches, but it may suit well the « constant barrel winding force » system, which ensures a great regularity of escapement.
The winding mechanism is designed to stop at 96% of the main spring’s maximum torque, and to restart at 92%, thus maintaining an optimum power-supply to the barrel during active periods (wearing the watch through a long weekend could probably lessen this percentage).
Surprisingly enough, it seems that none of the « great » watchmakers has sought to address the starting/stopping of the rotor, in order to optimize the winding cycles. At any rate, it is a fascinating domain to explore, in the pursuit of simplicity common to life and technology : « address the cause rather than the consequence », in the spirit of simplicity used by Henri Kneuss when he conceived the « Omega calibre 30mm ».
 
The imposing tourbillon mechanism (37x6mm, not far from the dimensions of a rotating tourbillon) is set at a rate of 18000v/H, a low frequency common in conventional chronometry ; Thus the presence of the A.S.W system makes even more sense. Going further into the traditionalism, a dead-beat second mechanism sits atop of the tourbillon. With a diameter of 46mm, the watch is rather virile...
 
The design borrows a lot from the Art Deco period, as it seems to come from the project drawings of the Chrysler tower and of the Empire State Building :

 


 


 


 


 
With regards to the « Twenty-8-Eight Tourbillon», if it is also set at 18,000v/h with a 72 h power reserve, the Precision Engineering hairspring is replaced by a Breguet hairspring, whereas the case loses 3mm in diameter and the mechanism is 4mm smaller.
 


 

 


 


 

 
Then comes my favorite, the « Academia Chronostream », a great achievement in terms of design, with its rose gold&Tantalum case, its beautifully crafted sun-ray patterned dial, and its two counters inspired by a car speedometer. Speaking for myself, it reminds me of the Space-Operas from the 80’s, such as Flash Gordon or Star Wars. It feels like a spaceship just jumped into hyperspace. As for the mechanism, we’re still in the 70’s, with a modified 7753.

 


 


 

 
Still in the ChronoStream line, the « QP Sport » :  in spite of its family resemblance and the stylistic stamp of De Witt, and unlike the ChronoStream,  its design relates to the world of anticipation (one could think about the « neo-McCathyist » universes of Judge Dread or The Sha by Mills/Ledroit). Whereas the watch basically refers to the world of automotive, the styling imprinted by De Witt sends it into a larger visual universe.
Mechanically, it is an ETA2892 fitted with a perpetual calendar Bi-Retrograde by Agenhor ;  Here, we leave traditionalism to jump into Science Fiction.
 
 Agenhor on the WBlog:  http://blog.watchonista.com/blog/agenhor-search-consistency-part-12

 


 


 


 
Finally, a woman’s line, the « Golden Afternoon », in which storytelling is wisely inspired by the work of Julia Margaret Cameron, photographer from British India who revolutionized the portrait photography during the 1850’s. The portrait :  a very « hot » subject if you think of the success met by social networks…
The Golden Afternoon series draws its inspiration from moments in a woman’s life, the theme of the Sphinx enigma, morning, noon and evening…

 
Although the storytelling is concrete, with a strong artistic bias and well studied declinations, I find the final result a little too conservative. Indeed, what I like in De Witt is the kind of stylistic radicalism, of uncompromising flair that I wish had applied to this line through more daring aesthetic choices.
To stay within the metaphor and the imagery of a woman’s lifetime, this line is still a teenager, the maturity already perceived. With such a strong and trendy theme, let’s bet the next generation of Golden Afternoon will be more in line with the storytelling.
The 28-92 ETA embarks a 39mm case ; The mother-of-pearl dial is decorated with a floral pattern, and set with a variable number of  diamonds (depending on the declination). The nearly nonexistent lugs make it fitted to any woman’s wrist (Nathalie Veysset is the wrist model), and the watch is ridden with well thought-out details, for example the superb leaf-shaped hands or the numbers written in full letters.

 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 
In terms of communication, the brand has launched its own blog, http://blog.dewitt.ch/blog, choosing a contemporary format, as well as an Owners Club reserved for the customers. This architecture was reinforced by the hiring of a Community Manager, Florence Darnon, whose mission it is to foster the visibility of the brand online as well as offline.
 
 
In light of the restructuring, huge efforts have been made to streamline and regroup the manufacturing processes, resulting in the simplification of logistics. Nathalie Veysset, the CEO since late 2008, led the brand towards this modernization thanks to wise strategic decisions and management practices acquired during her career in the banking industry. This success translates to the other departments, from distribution to the print advertising campaigns, in particular this excellent print ad, which reappropriates classical paintings in a far more audacious way than the usual « horological way of communication ».

Having worked for years as an inside-guy (especially with Gulio&Papi), Christophe Claret eventually launched his own factory.
Since 2009, two very complicated watches had been produced, with mixed success: the first had too much of a baroque style, whereas the second, in spite of a flawless design, was not exclusive enough.
This year, Claret factory presents its third watch. A state-of-the-art product.

 


 


 
I may be driveling, but this 2011 Festival of Bâle was a parade, one of complication among other things:
A Patek 5208, club sandwich of complications, an Opus Eleven with an extremely elaborate display, a De Bethune DB28 Tourbillon, the most aesthetic, the Loiseau 1F4, the most complicated.
These watches, beyond their stratospheric prices, trigger a question: what is the purpose of acomplication?
If the grand complications are considered as the pinnacle of horology, they embody this field: the pinnacle of uselessness in the era of do-it-all electronics.
Fundamentally, their existence takes its roots in passion, collecting, in other words, in fun.
In essence, even if complications proceed from usefulness (Tourbillon, Repet Minute, Chronographer, QP), their real purpose is the owner’s entertainment.
Consequently, we are talking about the fashionable concept of the playful watch.

 


 
That said, the ultimate outcome of the playful watch, to date, was the Jackpot by Girard Perregaux, designed by Claret. He returns under his own brand, with a similar concept of the Casino watch, but this time it is more than a game of chance, we are talking about Blackjack (aka 21), a game of chance but also of strategy.
7 apertures open on as many discs printed with the cards, 3 for the bank (the average values of the cards are higher for the bank), 4 for the player. The system being statistically fair, the bank plays after a simple strategy, inspired by the casinos: the bank goes on betting up to 16 and stops at 17.
The added face values of any hand must not go beyond 21 (faces are worth 10, the Ace 11).
The player is assigned 4 apertures, the goal being to add up more than the bank, without going above 21.
The watch has 3 buttons on its left side; the central one resets the counters; the 10 o’clock one draws for the bank, the 8 o’clock button draws for the player.

 
It is really fun and entertaining; I might even go as far as to say, it is dangerous!
This kind of timepiece could give you a serious case of gaming fever!

 
The watch itself got the horologic fever of complication: not only does it feature a Blackjack table; it also offers two more games:
the rotor was replaced by a Roulette (the client can order the watch with an emerald set in the back in front of his own lucky number).
One of the inserts on the right was hollowed to give room for two 1.5mm dice. These are made of gold, for the non-magnetic properties of the metal, preventing the dice to stick together.
The other symmetrical insert opens on the ring-bell hammer: it goes off at each Blackjack drawing, making it unsuitable to play in a community; ideally, this function could be turned off, making it possible to play in any circumstances…

 


 
As for its size, it is a little smaller than the bulky Jackpot, but it is still a large watch: 45mm across by 16mm thick.
The timepiece is very innovative, since apart from an overall classic look, many aesthetical features had never been seen before.
I was particularly impressed by the finish of the dial; A decorative deck of cards was cut out from a titanium sheet and placed above the white background constituted by the 7 cards disks, a smoked sapphire glass-pane covering the set.
The effect is stunning, a perfect representation of the “Casino myth” (especially if you think of the trailer of Scorcese’s movie).
The Claret factory is one of the very few that possess the technology and the expertise required to work difficult materials alike titanium or corundum, such as seen in the hands, with their red part made of synthetic Ruby.
On the back of the watch sits the beautiful rotor-roulette, which gives a realistic perpetual movement effect when it spins.

 
The look and feel of this timepiece is very much in The spirit of Gambling as is displayed in TV or in Poker magazines, where one can see many professionnals players with magnificent Helvetic large watches at the wrist.

 


 
The production of this timepiece will be limited to 21 per version set, only 3 versions having been delivered so far…
My only regret, in my absolutist vision of watchmaking,  I wish they had pushed the concept further, by proposing an alternative time mechanism as it relates to the game proceeding, like a type of anti-chronograph, to symbolize the fact that time may flow differently during a game.

 


 
With this third watch, Christophe Claret confirms its status as a state-or-the-art manufacturer.
The price tag of around 150 K€, would easily pay for a few games at the casino….
Still, undoubtedly it is the indispensable accessory for a few thousand Casino whales, also essential for the classic automaton horology amateurs, and lastly a must for lucky owners of the Girard Perregaux Jackpot watch.
Conclusion: place your bets (I recommend Euro-millions), this watches might go quickly.

[font='palatino linotype', serif]Recently, I spoke to Patrizia Ameli who works for Ateliers De Monaco and who made me come back to this watch brand, which I observed from the distance, dissuaded by a non-Swiss name, I frankly had not paid attention enough to it.
Having crossed Patrizia at BaselWorld made me visit the booth of De Monaco, with blow of “Mawashi-Geri”, 8 teeth spit; I had one of the biggest surprises of the entire exhibition.
In this kind of events, there are the big surprises, the blockbuster surprises like 5164 or 5208 Patek, surprises awaited i.e. Opus Eleven, the half surprises like Heritage Watch Manufactory (already presented at the GTE), and then surprises out of the blue like Ateliers De Monaco.

 
A surprise from all points of view: esthetics, technique.

 
In with my opinion, this splendid QP is brought to the fore of the collection; a very well thought timepiece corresponding perfectly to the last trend.
The actual positioning of the offer Ateliers De Monaco is declined around this essential complication but actually resulting from the contemporary strategy in the luxury watchmaking.

 




 
I was very impressed by this watch. The visible parts of the middle (ears, lugs, glasses) are made of gold or titanium according to the version and are put on a “frame” of round titanium case.

 


 


 
The dial commits a double achievement - two aesthetic codes considered to be relatively heavy, namely, the large Roman numerals à la Cartier as well as the traditional apertures of the QP. The combination of these 2 aesthetic codes gives an airy and ultra-readable overall treatment. All in all, what ensues from the QP De Monaco, like in mathematics, minus times minus equals plus.
One can see the clear success both in the balance of the dial, and in the Roman numerlas that elegantly embosom contours of the apertures.

 
http://i61.servimg.com/u/f61/11/31/56/78/img_2525.jpg

 
Considering mechanical aspect, again an undoubtedly success, contrary to many QP, all the indications are accessible by a simple pulling of a crown. The crown makes it possible to select the regulating position on the mini-dial at 6 o’clock. A pressing of a pusher of the crown enables to modify the indications of various apertures without much difficulty. A full rotation of perpetual is enough to retrograde: it is the system of adjustment of the QP which is the most protected and simplest one that I could ever tested till now.

 
The last point, which did not offend in absolute, but which is not on the same level with the rest of the watch treatment sticks in the decoration of the movement - the set of themes on the flag of Monaco. Work on the oscillating mass is superb, well a little “too much”, but without real criticism to be raised. However, I have a little problem with very original decoration (too much?) of the plate, which takes again the theme of the diamond-shaped flag of the Principality: the result is a little rough of foundry and this motif suffers from not having a more traditional treatment (anglage, côte de Genève, perlage, sablage...).

 
Nowadays, all the transgressions of case and dial are allowed, but even in the case of the most extraterrestrial design, the treatments of movements remain ultra traditional. This shift between the neo-classicism of the case/dial is too important with esthetics of the movement. In fact, this shift is voluntary; it is parallel to paradoxes of the principality, which on the one hand invested massively in the environment, on the other hand holds a race of F1.

 
http://i61.servimg.com/u/f61/11/31/56/78/img_2524.jpg

 
In the end, one has perhaps the most beautiful QP of the watch industry, technically the most advanced, and the least expensive in top-of-the-range of watch industry, it costs, indeed, in titanium version 26k€, in pink gold version 29k€ and 35k€ in white gold version, to be compared with other QP at Jeager, Master QP (35k€), Patek 5140 (60k€), Perpetual Lange (55k€). With only 88 pieces available, they are likely to leave very quickly the house.

 
Before I approach “large troops”, formed by tourbillons, let us speak about the collection entry of De Monaco, incarnated by 3 hands’ watches with the impeccable finishing and size of 39mm. In fact the finishing is the same one on the whole collection having the same codes. The entry price around 15k€ allows to reach De Monaco, a little higher price in my opinion, since the usual price in the top-of-the-range oscillates around 12k€.

 


 


 
http://i61.servimg.com/u/f61/11/31/56/78/img_2623.jpg

 

 
The all watches De Monaco measure 43-44mm which is more masculine and up-to-date size than the majority of the competitors’ watches in the same range of watch industry.
Lastly, the heart of the collection was created in a very coherent way for a brand with Monaco vocation, by tourbillons, almost a traditional invoice in the technical plan. The latter profit from the spiral/escapement out of silicon, like a patent for balancing of the cage, a counterweight placed opposed to the escapement to optimize the chronometry by avoiding any functional misbalances.

 
I impatiently wait to see this tourbillon which took part in contests of chronometry, in order to know if the system developed by Pim, the Master Watchmaker of De Monaco, is a beast worthy of racing at the Grand Prix Of Monaco.
Another notable point, the bridge of tourbillon is made of sapphire, so that during one carries the watch one has almost the feeling that the tourbilllon is levitating in the movement, so much this sapphire bridge makes itself forget.

 
My favorite version, Tourbillon XP-1 Round in pink gold, dial out of onyx, central black mother-of-pearl insert, and especially a choice of font of Arab numerals - very original, indeed. It’s harshly beautiful, and it constitutes a perfect compromise of tendency between modernity /classicism and sport/chic.
A perfect synthesis of the codes which has been functioning during 10 recent years, with a choice of dial/ font which gives a bit notion of 70' (I think more of the musical universe than of the watches) / to blast, it could as well remind certain traditional codes of the Far East, in short, only the efficacy in this case.

 


 


 
http://i61.servimg.com/u/f61/11/31/56/78/img_2529.jpg

 
They are also found in the “traditional” version, with the large Roman numerals:

 


 


 


 


 
White gold:

 


 


 


 
http://i61.servimg.com/u/f61/11/31/56/78/img_2533.jpg

 
And in a version which loses the balance moved from round case to the square case:

 
http://i61.servimg.com/u/f61/11/31/56/78/img_2534.jpg

 
The range of price spreads out from 88k€ to 105k€. It is a courageous price at the time of relative shrinking of the tourbillon watch market - market already saturated from others.
In spite of a flawless esthetics, competition is tough at this price level.
And certain tourbillons, without being also potentially equally precise, are more demonstrative…
De Monaco, it is a surprise in more respects, surprise of aesthetic as much as all the codes that worked the latter decade (Cartier Santos 100, Vacheron Quai de l’Ile, Patek Nautilus, Piaget QP, Greubel Forsey, Girard Perrigaux) were understood, remixed and integrated intelligently in cases combining modernity and luxury.
Surprised by the assembly, the finishing of the dials are terrific, the cases in kits enable to present variations of surfaces polished/brushed, completely new in terms of cases (and to which my photographs give a little shine), this kind of finishing are about to approach to some very beautiful bracelets in steel, type Royal Yak, Nautilus, Panerai new generations.
Surprised by the finishing of the movements, so much it breaks the traditional Helvetic codes. But also a surprise more global on the very top-of-the-range aspect of the project (story telling from Monaco, finishing of the dressing is about to make red certain great names), which takes its place as a missing link between the high-end watch industry and the independents.
One would think that because of the crisis this kind of adventures were finished; Ateliers De Monaco brings the proof that ain’t no bigger surprise![/font]

Heritage watch manufacture - an improbable encounter

 
Some duets can be so full of creativity and bright ideas that one would believe that the duettists met each other at their own birth. I think of Renaud& Papi, Greubel& Forsey, Tic& Tac or Nicolas Sarkozy and his discrete shoe-heels.

 


 
On the other hand, others are very improbable like the one of Zanetta& Flagollet, Ruchonnet& Coudray, surprisingly, sometimes the improbable ones enable to fulfill duettists’ own potential more than the conventional ones.
Speaking of the improbable joint venture, this one is one of most astonishing that I have seen in concern of the dial - Eric Giroud (the one who gave his touch to fabulous Opus Eleven presented at BaselWorld). In concern of the movement, that would be before all Karsten Frassdörf, the one who was drowned in the shipwreck of FDMN.

 


 
However, he is always here, with even sharpened sophisticated art since FDMN, and Giroud, creates one of his most beautiful dials.

 
HWM, was incontestably the great surprise of the wonder week in Geneva. While the SIHH was bordering with sleepy hollow (fortunately Panerai, Van Cleef & Arpels, Richard Mille and Vacheron Constantin raised the level), the poor GTE exhibition, whose ambience was filled with nervousness from ruling crisis.

 
Likewise the wonder week in Basel; whereas whole BaselWorld has turned towards Asia, in manner more or less confessed, Hall 6 or Hall of Universe represented Chineses  manufacturers/supplier, for the front of the scene, production in China in the backstage.
Watches with white/opaline dial of +/- 40mm which they don’t feel like touching, are about to grab market shares in new the watchmaking sinorado.
Therefore, whereas everyone is there or would like to be there, but nobody would ever confess it publicly, Heritage Watch Manufactory hits strongly by launching a watch truly dedicated to the Chinese market (the first?). Not just any cheap talisman, but the timepiece with a grand complication dedicated to the Chinese time paradigm. I will get back to it later on.

 
The assortment comprises today 3 timepieces.

 


 
The least expensive (25.000€), the Magnus is in very fair-play manner, the one with the most beautiful treatment of its dial and the most aesthetic movement, too. However, one should eventually find this fabulous dial throughout the whole collection.
In any case, the features of Giroud’s style are more than recognizable, thus, Magnus Contemporaine is equipped with a balance-wheel of large dimension, a movement with the brutal finishing, ultra-qualitative, à la German style all in all. In details:

 


 


 
You will notice incredible volumes of decorations of the dial, so called neo-classic, the most effective. Giroud has got a perfect control of the curves, at some points, I can find some aesthetical tricks of Opus IX as well; in the round-offs as well as in the balance of contrasts white black/, bevels at the end of the circular segment and the figures painted in relief. This completely convinced me of the quasi-qualitative perfection of this brilliant dial. Great job Giroud!

 


 


 


 
Where the bottom disturbs me a bit, it is the steel case, as much as the drawing, that the finishing is just banal, effective, but still banal. After such a firework of creation on the dial, and such a depth of the movement (I come to it immediately, a band of speleologists apprentices), I would expect rather a nice looking case, on the contrary, here we go with the German rigidity.
I would expect i.e. treatment (in rhodium?) like on this KPM001:

 


 
Anyway, it’s ok, but a case à la Lange, even in Panerai style (I dream to see a movement of Karsten in PAM), would have been perfect.
We are clearly talking about a case of work and its surprising dimensions; 42,5mmn that encased with a shoehorn a movement of 38mm, finally, it is very coherent, considering that Centenus is completely dedicated to the Chinese market.

 
But the movement makes me quickly forget the little sins of the case:

 


 
Not less than are 3 patents are put on the movement of this watch, the system of fine tuning  of balance-wheel (Moser?) is optimized in consequence to inhibit a big amount of energy to move such a giant of 16mm compared to 13mm for Unitas 6497 or the P.3000. You can not notice that there are “strips” all around the balance, which can draw aside or retract via screws and bolts; thus the watch does not require the services of a watchmaking master for his final chronometric adjustments. Not less than three patents exist for the fine tuning of this Magnus, laid out around the balance block.

 


 
The word, which comes to one’s mind, is depth, since one plunges literally in the movement; however, the movement makes “only” 6mm of thickness (against 4mm for Unitas and 8 for the 7750) consider almost 38mm of diameter!! One of the largest simple movements of wristwatch of the entire Swiss watch industry.
The depth effect is conditioned by a very smart disposition of 4 small bridges out of 3 levels (idea which had already been exploited in an almost similar way in the time of the FDMN), the balance-wheel is hypnotic, and contributes in a paradoxical way to this plunged in the depths of the movement (undoubtedly is this due to unintentionally magnifying glass effect, that one feels vis-à-vis to  this large balance, whose surface is approximately 800mm² against approximately 500mm² for an Unitas balance-wheel).

 


 
Earlier, I spoke about brutality and elegance, one could almost say elegance, we are far from the movement of Lange& Soëhne decorated like a Christmas tree (even if I adore this Saxon style, it is feels sometimes like large Strudel with the cream, a smidgeon indigestible), here we can't see frills, no abusive use of bridges' decorations, sabled bridges in white gold, I suppose, the discrete anglages, contrast with the brass wheels, all contribute to the bonding and felted theme.

 


 
There is as well a white version:

 


 


 
But before all, there is Centenus dedicated to time reading of Chinese traditional hours, in their system of traditional time calculation, the Chinese formerly expressed time in Ké 刻 based on decimal principle well ahead the French revolution, the day was divided into 100 Ké, representing 14min 24sec.
This indication in Ké is found at 9 o’clock position on the dial; the large pointer indicates Ké (100), small one Fen (60), that is to say Fen 分 lasts during approximately 14 seconds.

 


 


 
On the other hand, the aperture at 12 o’clock (some would have benefited from it to make 2 watches…), indicates Shi 时辰, other Chinese time system vaguely copied in Latin time reading with an exception of that the hours count double times, as well that one day lasts 12heures, each “big hour” represents an ideogram of the Chinese zodiac calendar, therefore various animals: the rat, the tiger, the horse, etc…
Subtlety does not stop there, this aperture can be regulated by a very simple handling of the crown on another time zone, thus a Chinese businessman can keep the main time reading (related to the hours in Ké), as well as local time, and simultaneously the hours in Shi to remain with Shinese time reading. Finally, the day starts with 23:00 in the time calculation of Shi.

 


 


 


 
If you well understood, you can have a look at illustration in photographs.

 
The base movement of the HWM Centenus is the .800, here famous 888 (any coincidence with Chinese lucky figure would be purely coincidental); the structure of the bridges is the same one. The numbers of jewels pass from 33 to 48.

 


 


 


 
Another hint of ingenuity carried out by HWM is to launch a top-of-the-range watch, dedicated to the watch making dandyism. A dandyism more masculine than the one of Patek or Dufour, a real dandyism, which takes form in the intellectual abstraction requiring the full comprehension of the function of this watch.
Tensus is reserved for the pure chronometry; it doesn’t differ a lot from a case side, but strongly from movement side since it includes 2 other patents.

 


 
The dial is subtler in the design, i.e. alternation of figures painted and applied, same about the design, and always signed by Giroud, implementing the art of circles that one would believe there is a revolution between them.

 


 


 
In addition to the innovations described in Magnus, Tensus deposits 2 additional patents:

 
The first patent relates to the barrel, it consists of two superposed barrels, usually, in this traditional configuration, the barrels turn in the same direction, here, the are rotating in opposite direction same as the blades of Soviet helicopters (Kamov KA50 or some Spitfires, or moreover certain Ekranoplans).
After the barrel is unwound, it becomes slightly deformed. As the barrels of Tensus are unwounded in opposite direction, the deformation is auto compensated, allowing a more balanced arrival of the energy to the escapement.
The second and most important innovation concerns the escapement. A double superposed wheel of escapement also receives the energy and transmits it by 2 hammers. The block of escapement is controlled by a complication spiral.

 
All the chain of energy of the watch is turned towards chronometry, with the end adjustments of balance-wheel, this is supposed to provide a constant force; it is a watchmaking way deeply intellectualizing, which stands for a true homage to traditional chronometry

 


 


 


 


 


 
Henceforth, I will follow with attention this new manufacture, which surfs with talent on the sinophile tendency in the beginning of the year 2011 while they are producing simple watches with 3-4 hands, but which contrary to the others surfs with brilliance and real watchmaking culture.
Nina Friedman (communication) and Karsten Frassdörf:

 


 


 


 
This watchmaking success, beyond the federalist role of Christian Gütermann, is a little success of the Net, before Internet, (before MB& F also made it known to the public); Eric Giroud was unknown same as Karsten Frassdörf has charmed us with FDMN, today these talents are joined together to make us discover the watchmaking surprise of this year 2011.