SIHH 2013 – Hublot Classic Fusion Tourbillon Black Ceramic

by Steve and Shirley Lambert 

We bring you a little something from SIHH 2013 in Geneva which we sadly could not attend.. So are unable to bring you the same coverage we did from SalonQP.

But here is a little information from one of the brands present in Hublot and what we think is a lovely timepiece especially for those of us who may not be totally at home with the more familiar Hublot King Power and Big Bang Watches out there.

We have a black ceramic skeleton tourbillon watch with a slimmer, more classic profile, but which features an all-black design in line with Hublot’s graphic codes. We present the Classic Fusion Black Ceramic Skeleton Tourbillon, one of Hublot’s major new arrivals for the start of 2013.

Sleek and contemporary but with a timeless elegance drawn from traditional watchmaking values to create one of the kings amongst complications, this piece is truly striking with its satin-finished and polished black ceramic case and resolutely graphic skeleton tourbillon movement, designed, developed and produced from start to finish in the workshops of the Hublot Manufacture.

On the dial, it is worth noting that the hands are similar in design to those on the very first Hublot watches: a clever reference to the history of the brand. This timepiece benefits from a 120-hour power reserve and is watertight to 30 metres.

With the tourbillon’s classic style and the ultramodern, sleek black design, this limited series comprising just 99 numbered pieces perfectly demonstrates the principle of fusing tradition and modernity, outstanding craftsmanship and 21st century creative vision in watchmaking.

Technical Details – Hublot Classic Fusion Tourbillon Black Ceramic

Reference 505.CM.0140.LR – Black ceramic version (limited to 99 pieces)

Case “Classic Fusion” – Diameter 45 mm Satin-finished, polished black ceramic
Bezel Vertical, satin-finished black ceramic
6 H-shaped titanium screws, countersunk, polished & locked
Crystal Sapphire with interior/exterior anti-reflective coating
Crown Polished black ceramic with Hublot logo
Case-back Polished ceramic with sapphire crystal interior anti-reflective coating
Water resistance 3 ATM, i.e. approx. 30 metres

Dial Sapphire with anti-reflective coating on topside/underside
Black coated, polished indexes
Hands Polished, black coated

Movement MHUB6010.H1.1
Hand-wound skeleton tourbillon movement produced by the Manufacture
Components 155
Jewels 19
Frequency 3 Hz (21,600 Vib/h)
Power reserve Approximately 120 hours
Strap Black alligator leather stitched onto black rubber, black stitching
Clasp Black PVD steel deployant buckle

Hublot presents its “Jeans” Ladies watch collection

Hublot Big Bang Jeans Ladies Watch Collection.Nothing says summer fashion quite like stylish denim.

Contributed by The Lamberts

Hublot did it! For the first time, a luxury watch brand has produced a collection of “Jeans” watches. And we haven’t settled for any old denim: The dials and straps are made by an Italian denim manufacturer who supplies the world’s biggest luxury and fashion names.

Based on an idea by Tina Zegg, the collection comprises three ladies’ “Big Bang Jeans” watches and one ultra-technical men’s diving watch, the “Oceanographic 4000 Jeans”, all of which incorporate a detail of Dsquared denim from Tina Zegg.

You can almost feel the summer breeze in the faded blue of the denim. This won’t be the year that jeans make their exit from the fashion world. An accessory that has remained on trend since its creation, jeans are still an essential fashion item. Chic, rock’n’roll, sexy, boho, vintage, urban, authentic, tie-dye… denim is whatever you want it to be, and an enduring wardrobe staple for men and women alike.

The launch of this collection, which combines fashion with the quality craftsmanship of Haute Horlogerie watches, took place on the 18th February 2013 at the Wellness Hotel Chasa Montana in Samnaun in the heart of the Swiss Alps (Zegg Hotels & Stores), and was attended by the German Double Olympic and World skiing champion, Maria Höfl-Riesch, a Hublot ambassador since 2011.  She was joined by Jean-Claude Biver, Chairman of Hublot, and Tina Zegg and Carlo Cerlati of Zegg&Cerlati in Monaco.

The Oceanographic 4000 Jeans is a special edition exclusively created for Zegg & Cerlati boutiques, at Place du Casino in Monte Carlo, Ischgl in Austria and Samnaun in Switzerland. The Big Bang Jeans will also be exclusively available until the end of summer in Monaco.

Technical Details – Hublot Jeans Big Bang watches

References 301.SX.2710.NR.JEANS (limited edition of 250)
341.SX.2710.NR.1104.JEANS DIAMONDS set with diamonds (limited edition of 250)
341.SX.2710.NR.1901.JEANS CARAT set with baguettes (limited edition of 250)

Case – Big Bang – Diameter 41 mm – Steel
Bezel – Steel for the JEANS with titanium screw
18K white gold set with 48 baguette-cut sapphires for the JEANS CARAT
Steel set with 114 diamonds (total weight 1.22 ct) for the JEANS DIAMONDS
Crystal Sapphire with interior/exterior anti-reflective coating
Crown Steel with black rubber insert
Push-buttons Steel with black rubber inserts
Case back Open in steel with sapphire crystal
Water resistance 10 ATM, i.e. approx 100 metres
Dial Denim vacuum-wrapped in epoxy and opaline-coloured counters
Indexes set with 8 diamonds for a total weight of 0.14 carat.
Hands Polished & rhodium-plated
Movement HUB4300 Mechanical automatic chronograph with date
Power reserve Approximately 42 hours
Strap Denim sewn onto black rubber with beige stitching and steel deployant buckle

FRANCK MULLER introduces the VINTAGE 7-DAYS POWER RESERVE

Contributed by The Lamberts Press Release by Franck Muller 

Unveiled at the World Presentation of Haute Horlogerie & Jewellery in Monaco beginning of October 2012, the new Vintage (Curvex) 7-Days Power Reserve Mechanical wristwatch by Franck Muller is the quintessential rendering of the art of timekeeping.

The 7-Days Power Reserve combines the aesthetic precision inherent in a carefully crafted timepiece with the remarkable performance of a 7-days power reserve. This Mechanical watch, entirely designed and manufactured in Geneva, has beautifully enriched Franck Muller’s famous Vintage collection.

A high-performance movement with exceptional finesse, Its Mechanical movement is a unique hand-crafted treasure that reflects the incomparable details so characteristic of the watchmaking Joux Valley. Each of the many bridges is fashioned to perfection, creating absolute harmony between the crisp corners and interlacing curves. The ultimate in elegance, each brass arch is delicately decorated with Côtes de Genève stripes and each bearing is set with a bright red ruby. This sumptuous movement features 27 rubies underscoring the nobility and ingenuity of this extraordinary timepiece.

According to the master watchmaker Pierre-Michel Golay, “The beauty of the Vintage Curvex 7-Days Power Reserve, the detailed craftsmanship and the movement’s design are extremely precise. The complexity of this execution is what makes it an undeniable Franck Muller classic”.

With a 7-days power reserve, time has never been so precious. To achieve this level of performance, the movement has been fitted with an extra barrel. The window located at 11 o’clock displays the amount of power left at any given time and the seconds are displayed at 6 o’clock. The pure, classic lines and impeccably balanced proportions are the ideal match for the iconic Curvex style that’s so characteristic of the Franck Muller brand.

Unparalleled Swiss watchmaking know-how, Headquartered in Geneva since 1991, Franck Muller designs and manufactures all of the brand’s watches at its Genthod factory, including the 7-Days Power Reserve for which all 213 components are entirely made in-house. This Mechanical watch is available in stainless steel or pink gold with either a white or inked enamel. The back of its case is brushed with a crystal glass revealing the beauty of its movement and engraving. This new model will be produced in a short series and soon be among the key pieces of the brand’s Vintage collection.

Franck Muller Vintage (Curvex) 7-days Power Reserve – Technical Details

Caliber: FM 1700

Movement: Mechanical with manual-winding, Two barrels, in-house manufactured Breguet hairspring, high performance FM escapement and balance screw

Dimensions of Movement: Ø 31.00 mm and height: 5.00 mm

Power Reserve: 7 days

Frequency: 18’000 vibrations / hour

Number of Components: 213

Number of Jewels: 27

Water-resistance: 3 ATM

Movement decoration: Côtes de Genève, circular graining, hand bevelling

Display: Hours and minutes, Seconds at 6 hours, Power reserve

SalonQP Photo Diary – The Final Episode

Well here it is Part 6 of our SalonQP Photo Diary and this is the final piece of the jigsaw, with a few more snaps of the Schofield Signalman, A few Giuliano Mazzuoli, a little Ehber & Co and a tad of Girard Perregaux with a couple of shots of some of the other stands at SalonQP.

Were to begin, well we think an introduction to Giuliano Mazzuoli is a great place, this little known Italian designer has ventured into watches and bases his concepts on real objects like with the Manometro Watch and based on a pressure gauge, very nice simple, clean timepieces

The Mazzuoli Manometro comes in various guises, being Polished Steel, Brushed Steel, Carbon Fibre, Titanium (Black) and a Rose Gold/Titanium version too, with two dial colours (cream and Black) and the choice of the crown at 2 o’clock or 10 o’clock. There are also chrono versions and a smaller version for the better half of the world called the Manometrino at 27mm diameter.

The Manametro on the Wrist

The next offering from Giuliano Mazzuoli is the Trasmissione Meccanica, and as it suggests is based on gears and transmission gears

moving on from our Italian watchmaker to a few more well known names in the industry like Girard-Perregaux, who where at the show and represented by their UK distributor and agent Giles of Perrelux.

Classic Girard-Perregaux 1966 minute repeater

Moving on to Ehber & Co and we were taken in by the Chrono 4, here are some snaps of the Ehber & Co Chrono 4

a side shot

and now for a full frontal

We think its about time to show you a couple of the stands of the other brands left in the camera and here is MeisterSinger’s Stand at SalonQP, the Glashutte Based watchmaker has some wonderful timepieces and 90% of its collection is Single handed pieces, also don’t forget they won in one of the categories of European Watch of the year 2012 in the inaugural event just a couple of months ago.

 and also Corum at SalonQP, unfortunately we just did not have enough time to get up close and personal with many brands at SalonQP Corum being one of them.

And for our parting shots of the SalonQP 2012 event we have decided to showcase the Schofield Signalman GMT PR and DLC

The two Schofield Signalman watches side by side… Which is your favourite?

Schofield Signalman DLC on the Wrist

Now for some pics of the Stainless Steel Signalman GMT

Well that concludes our Photo Diary of SalonQP 2012. Hope you have enjoyed it? and it has given you a feel as to what to expect next year…. We can’t wait.

For the full list of all our photo diary articles visit our SalonQP dedicated page here.

SalonQP Photo Diary – Part 5

 
I know we said we said this will be the last one but looking at the memory card it may drag over into two more articles, I’m sure you don’t mind being exposed to more photo’s of some lovely watches a little more.

So what have we install for you today from our adventures at SalonQP, well we have Speake Marin, maybe a little Jaeger-LeCoultre with Aston Martin thrown in for goos measure and some Arnold and Sons too…

So lets start with our very own British Speake Marin, yes we know Peter Speake-Marin is now firmly based in Switzerland but he is a native Englishman who begun his journey through to master watchmaker in London, lets start off with the Speake Marin Resilience and straight off with a wrist shot, shame this was not on my own wrist but that of Speake Marine representative at SalonQP, hey he had a nice cuff whereas I was a bit rough and ready

The Resilience is a really nice classic clean dial timepiece which has the Eros 2 movement all within the Speake Marin Piccadilly Case.

I was pleasantly surprised by the actual fit of the piccadily case on the wrist with the extended lugs it just seems really long, but its not and fits very very well, I also like the crown again didn’t think I would but it is a nice crown. So we had to get a better snap of it below

Now to the caseback and movement of the Speak Marin Resilience, as we said the case is the Piccadilly and that is clearly engraved on the caseback

As we where at the Speake Marin Stand at SalonQP it would be a diservice not to get to grips with the Spirit Mark II and also the Serpent Calender timepieces, firstly the Serpent Calender on the wrist

and now to the Spirit Mark II one of Peter’s most affordable models

Moving on from Speake Marin even if we don’t want to I’m sure we should, let’s go onto  Jaeger-LeCoultre and their Aston Martin Collaboration timepieces and let us begin with the AMVOX 07 which was unveiled at the show on day 1 of SalonQP, literarily as we walked in to the event…

It’s a shame that when we managed to get to JLC stand we did not manage to get the AMVOX07 hands on, not sure if anyone did… so here are the best shots we got of the Aston Martin Related Watches this is the AMVOX 07

And the AMVOX 05

Here are some more shots of the Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX range

As Jaeger-LeCoultre had many stands in and around SalonQP, well we say many they had the Aston Martin AMVOX Launch stand and another large watchmaking masterclass stand too, the AMVOX stand was dedicated to this range and had a variety of Aston Martin parts dotted around as seen below

and now to the Jaeger-LeCoultre Watchmaking masterclass and main stand, this should give you a feel as to how influential JLC was at the event

Well that’s our Jaeger-LeCoultre experience at SalonQP and before we sign off for today we thought we would show you some of the Arnold and Son timepieces on show at SalonQP 2012 too, a brand with some extensive heritage dating back to the 1700’s

We had a lovely chat with Alan from Nuval, who are the distributors for Arnold and Sons in the UK about the brands heritage and it’s links to royalty in the past, and moreso its Swiss base and manufacture and got to see some of the pieces first hand. Like this Arnold and Son TBR in Stainless Steel

and this Arnold and Son DBG

Maybe just one more from Arnold and Son with the DBG Rose Gold

I think we have had our fill for today, but we have just one more for you tomorrow which will have some more Schofield Watch Company, a bit of Corum maybe some more Bremont Watch comanpy Victory Watch and definately some Giuliano Mazzuoli which we like the idea behind the watches very much based on everyday motoring objects and dials.

Hope to see you all tomorrow.

SalonQP – The Watch Review Site Photo Diary – Part 4

So for Part 4 of our Photographic tour of SalonQP 2012, and we promise you will see the Zr012 Experiment Nitro-Glycerine this time, along with the Gronefeld One Hertz and a little Hermes plus a few more individual shots….

So as promised here it is in the flesh as it may be…. the C3H5N3O9 or Nitro-Glycerine Watch by the guys behind URWEK and MB&F as presented to us at SalonQP by Ian Skellern or Under the Dial as you may all know him.

The first photo is of the C3H5N3O9 on my wrist if you couldn’t guess

and now for a few more different angles of the Experiment on the wrist and against the odds and looks it fits superbly and comfortable on the wrist even my small 6 3/4 inch wrist, which by chance is exactly the same size as Ian’s, this great fit is all down to the moving top lug and positioning, but more on this in the full article coming soon on The Watch Review Site.

Just look at how it hugs the wrist below.

and the strap is nice too, and it closes by itself effectively no pressure required

Enough of the WOMW shots, as need to keep some back for the article and onto a few other photographs of this limited edition masterpiece, oh and we are told a Rose Gold version is in the pipeline…

As for that wankle movement here is a clear one for you movement fanatics, and watching it turn and move is a sight, its so perfectly balanced and needs to be.

We nearly forgot the caseback of the Experiment ZR012 C3H5N3O9 an piece of work itself, whereas the face and top of the case is very space age, mechanical and heavy looking, the case-back has been made more subtle more organic and animal like, softer to contrast the front of the watch but compliment it also.

and a close up of the Power reserve

I think that is enough to wet the apetite and from one fantastic and strange movement to another great movement made by the Gronfeld brothers Bart and Tim out of the Netherlands and the Gronefeld One Hertz, well a version of… First lets show you a number of Gronefeld watches including the Rose Gold GTM-06 all on show at SalonQp before we move onto the Titanium and Orange One Hertz Fire to give it the proper name

Here is a closer look at the Gronefeld GMT-06

And now for the Gronefeld One Hertz Fire…. Apt name based on the colouring of the dial and markers

and now for the movement on the One Hertz Fire, which I have to say is a lovely sight… if you have not guessed I’m a fan of a nice looking modern stylistic movement.

and again

The obligatory wrist shot, yes we do try and wear the watches we photograph so we can get a feel for the weight and comfort factor.

Moving on from Gronefeld as we can’t just keep showing you photo’s of the One Hertz Fire, so now we move onto Hermes, starting with a little look at the Hermes stand at SalonQP and the latest movement which enabled them to begin making ladies watches as Mechanical Automatics and not Quartz.

Now on to the watches that Hermes have to offer

and just one more Hermes automatic watch

Now that is nearly the end of our SalonQp Photo diary, just one more article to post tomorrow and that will include the likes of Jaeger-LeCoultre, Guiliano Mazzouli, Schofield Watch Company and Speake Marin…

SalonQP Photo Diary – Part 3

Well this is now becoming a Saga is it not, the third part of our SalonQP visit (Part 1 is here, and Part 2 here) has some fabulous highlights, including our hands on with Meridian Watches brand new watches launched at the show, along with some time with Gronefeld’s Titanium Orange and Black One Hertz Watch and its in house movement with it’s exceptional quartz like second hand. We also had a very special time with the Experiment ZR012 Nitro-Glycerine or C3H5N3O9 amongst others…

Ooh we forgot the Robert Loomes timepieces we spent a little time with, have to say Robert and his partner were very open and honest about their timepiece and its resilience a great team and would love to visit the manufacture soon to get an insight in the watch-making process of a pure breed fully British Watchmaker and thats even down to the movement an original adapted Smith… I think this is a good starting point for Part 3 of our Photo diary and here goes with the Robert Loomes Stand at SalonQP

and here is the men’s watch, known as the Robert Loomes Robin Watch as we said British from its heart all the way to the tips of the strap…

and for the ladies version, with a lovely striking purple strap

On to the movement, this has been hand engraved by Robert himself, he didn’t like the machine engraving which is present in his literature and was at odds to mention that to us… and he is right and as for his engraving work he has been self taught, yes.

As we said at he heart of the in watch is a 1950s English movement. Originally made by Smiths, this is the same mechanism that Sir Edmund Hillary famously carried to the summit of Everest entirely re-worked for the Robin watch.

Oh and the obligatory on the wrist shot

Sticking with the English or British theme lets get on to the Photographs with Meridian Watches, the New British based watch maker, who prides itself on everything being hand made in Great Britain, well everything except the base movement which is undoubtedly Swiss.

There are white or black dial variations, and Stainless Steel, Meridian Black ( not PVD, IP or DLC but a special formulated Meridian Black) and a Meridian Black Aged Version Case which is probably my Favourite. Just one more thing you have some with small seconds at 6 o’clock or 9 o’clock.

and here is the Meridian Black Aged Case Version on my Wrist  

and the SS case white dial on Simon of Meridian Watches Wrist too

and a little touch we like is the Crown which can be seen here…

As we are on the British theme we thought it may be appropriate to show you a little more of the Schofield Watch Company Stand and will issue Part 4 later with the ZR012 Experiment and a few more highlights of the show.

So here are some Schofield shots

Giles Ellis of Schofield with our Competition winner

Now for a couple of shots of both Giles and Matt doing what they enjoy at SalonQP

and we cant leave without having a shot of the watch itself, this is the Signalman DLC on the Wrist, not my wrist but Giles’s

Hope you enjoyed Part 3 and look out for Part 4 very soon with the ZR012, Gronefeld, Speake Marin to name a few… I think we have some JLC and Hermes too.

Our Take of SalonQP in Photos -Part Two…

 
Well if you follow us on Twitter and Facebook you will know we have been out and about at SalonQP at The Saatchi Gallery in London from Thursday evening through to yesterday, The Watch Review Site has already brought you some shots from the event, here are a few more to get to grips with.

So where shall we start today, well maybe with a few photographs of the event itself,

and here we have the Bell and Ross Stand with Community Ambassador Simon Cudd and Danielle…

and another

And this is Simon Cudd doing what he does best…. No not the one above but the one below on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram getting the Bell & Ross name out there as always.

moving on from B&R to the Bremont Stand at SalonQP

With a Bremont Pocket Watch, I do have to say they do put together a good stand at Bremont, Innovative, always something to look at and friendly as pie…

It’s a really nice piece we think… and here are a few more of the Bremont stand

and Don’t Forget the Bremont Victory on my Wrist…

and here is another taster of the Victory Watch, we will be issuing a detailed analysis of the Bremont Victory soon on The Watch Review Site

Moving on from our friends from Bremont Watch Company to DeBethune and William and Son of London who represent a number of brands and watchmakers out of their Mount Street Outlet.

and now for the De Bethune DB28, a nice watch not dissimilar in shape to the ZR012 Experiment Nitro Glycerine, or URWERK UR-200 series with their strange case lug fitments is that a far as they go in similarity, bearing in mind the movements and independent background of the later two… We have had the hands on pleasure with all, yes all including the Nitro Glycerine and UR-210.

Looking at it again, OK the crown is on the top and Lugs are different but that’s really it in comparison’s, anyway here are a few more pic’s of the DB28

and the back

We will do a more personal review on the De Bethune DB28 later on in the coming weeks… For now here are a few more De Bethune timepieces on show at SalonQP.

And now for a treat for the attendees at SalonQP, Vacheron Constantin had an engraving and enamelling positions within there stand and allowed the general public to even get to grips with the engraver and bearing in mind it is one of only 5 (I think that is what they said) in the world, it is something to be very proud of for Vacheron Constantin and SalonQP for getting it here to the event. We managed to get some photo’s for you of the engraving machine and enameller

and here is a little close up..

and a member of the public using the engraver

and now for the enamelling

I think that will be enough for now, but look out for more tomorrow on our adventure at SalonQP in pictures, we have a little hands on with the new Meridian Watches, British hand made watches and sticking to the British theme we have some great shots of the Robert Loomes offerings, and that is fully British made even down to the movement, we have not seen this for over 40 years… Along with a little more form our friends at Schofield Watch Company and even some Jaeger-LeCoultre and the link with Aston Martin.

SalonQP – Our take in Photos.

By The Watch Review Site Team

Here is our take on SalonQP and the watchmakers we visited during our visit today, P.S. we did not have the camera on the Thursday evening reception but it was a fantastic night and thank you once again to James Gurney and QP Magazine for putting together such a great event…. Thanks guys and girls, much appreciated by the UK watch fraternity…

Well we have had the pleasure of attending SalonQP at the Saatchi Gallery on Thursday Evening and this afternoon, and thought it was time to let you into some of the watchmakers and people we bumped into on our travels…

Here is a little extract of the numerous photographs we took during our visit, we will be writing detailed takes on all of the below over the next few days/weeks. If anyone has a favourite please comment and we will prioritise.

Bell & Ross 

We were introduced to Simon Cudd B&R ambassador by the lovely danielle for those who don’t already know it, great to put a face and voice to a twitterati… youy can follow Simon on Twitter @SimonCudd

The Bell & Ross BR01-92   46mm Stainless Steel – We liked it even on my Piddly 6 3/4 inch baby wrists.

Bell & Ross BR03-94 Commando   42mm a little more appropriate for my wrist but I keep getting drawn to the BR01

Side by side but the photo doesn’t do the size difference justice, the BR01 on the left is a substantially bigger looking watch and I for one really like it, but either would do hint hint B&R… P.S one for Hands on Review would be much appreciated.

Moving on from B&R to Schofield and our friends Giles and Matt, do they talk the talk and actually they also walk the walk, Schofield as a brand and watchmaker has become a well known name within the watch community and for no small reason the Signalman is a fabulous timepiece and has received acclaimed reviews across the board… Not only do the guys give you a great watch but the entire package and ethos of Schofield and Giles is superb, the packaging, the strap options, the DLC, the travel case are all meticulously designed and constructed and no stone in unturned for unrivalled passion in their product… Good Job Guys and look forward to many more designs and concepts soon.

Schofield Watch Company – you can follow The Schofield Watch Company @SchofieldWatch on twitter

As for the Pics, here goes

The Schofield Guys, Matt Hopwood and Giles Ellis – Sorry guys about the photo but needs must….. 

Schofield Signalman GMT PR on the Wrist – 44mm diameter it’s a lovely piece and next delivery should be in for Feb/Mar 2013 available for pre order.

Schofield Signalman DLC on the Wrist – 44mm diameter I may prefer this one limited to 100 pieces again next delivery should be in for Feb/Mar 2013 available for pre order but selling out fast.

They said it’s hard to get a good photo due to the doomed sapphire crystal and AR coating, this is probably my best attempt.

One of the Schofield Displays at SalonQP

Revelation Watches

So far that is only 2 of the many watch brands and makers at SalonQP so moving on we got collared by (or should we say we collared) Revelation, now this Brand was new to us but we have been really take by their RO3 Chronograph, with a Dubois Dépraz movement decorated inhouse. But what makes this watch stand out other than its looks and feel is the fact that you can set the dial as Black or as seethrough so you may see the movement, hopefully the photos do it justice. Just one thing the watch we had on our wrist and is photographed below is a prototype and the final version is slightly different asthetically, the ones photographed in the case are the final design.

Revelation Ro3 – 45mm diameter in both SS and Black IP

Revelation R03 with Black dial – bezel set all the way to the left

Same Watch Revelation R03 but with bezel set all the way to the right so you can see internal movement.

We do really like these and will be giving you a lot more information on the Revelation Brand and its watches, because the R01 and R02 are also great pieces to write about, especially the tourbillon, with a balance wheel moving with the second indicator. Keep them peeled.

Oh we also visited URWERK and had a little time with the UR-210 and UR-1001 (now that’s a pocket watch and a weighty one at that)

URWERK UR-210 up close and personal – do we need to say more

URWERK UR-210 on the wrist 43.8mm wide & 53.6mm long

It’s surprisingly fits fabulously well and is extremely comfortable to wear which has a  lot to do with the setting of the strap pins and shape of the watch.

URWERK UR-210 caseback – a little easier to photograph under all those lights…

Moving on to the UR-1001 Pocket Watch, I just wish I had a set of scales to weigh it as it was hefty and weighty, you know you have a lump of mechanics when you pick this up.. But it is all about the movement as with teh UR-210 above.

Sorry about the reflections – But here is the UR-1001 Pocket Watch

Side by Side the URWERK masterpieces..

We also passed by our friends from Glashutte in Germany with both NOMOS Glashutte and Meister Singer Exhibiting at SalonQP, we took a few snaps of a couple of the pieces here

The NOMOS Glashutte Zurich – 39.7mm diameter.

One of the Nomos Teams latest timepieces with Blue dial, again photo doesn’t do the dial justice it is exceptional and a very clean cut simple wonderful watch.

NOMOS Zurich – Blue and Brown faces 

Now onto MeisterSinger another Glashutte representative and again clean timepieces but with Single hand, yes most of their pieces are single handed timepieces

MeisterSinger Singulator – 43mm diameter I know I said single hand and it is but it has two sub-dials which indicate the minutes and seconds too, for when a single hand just doesn’t do it…. Lovely timepiece fits well again even on bony wrists like mine.

This shows the dial and sub-dials a little clearer.

MeisterSinger Singular – this is a one hand Chronograph with pin needle second hand and minute  sub-dial

I’m probably edging on the side of boring at the moment so will quickly show you some snaps of our little vivist to Seiko and their GPS  Solar Astron and Tag Heuer, First SEIKO ASTRON

Now to Tag Heuer

C900 Single Pusher Chronograph – JJ02 Movement the Story

by Steve Lambert

History behind the JJ02 Christopher Ward Movement

Back in 2009 The guys behind Christopher Ward London saw a prototype of a chronograph based on the well known as Unitas 6497 calibre. Johannes Jahnke, who in the past had developed the King Albert single pusher chronograph for Lang & Heyne (£60k), quickly understood that the development had similarities with the work he had accomplished when still in Dresden and felt that there was a potential to realize a high quality chronograph offering the owner a unique opportunity to both see and understand the functions and working order of a stop watch.

Johannes also realized that the construction had room for improvement as the sample didn’t have a sliding gear and also that the functions and aesthetics needed to be addressed. He then took the initiative to contact Mr. Jean Fillon of James Aubert Ltd. in Le Brassus and found an 84 year old man lonely in his workshop and not willing to leave his passion of creating and manufacturing parts for chronograph movements.

Mr. Fillon quickly recognized the abilities of Johannes and a relationship developed that made Johannes refer to him as “Opi” or grandpa. Johannes then reconstructed the chronograph module on his CAD after making hand drawings and notes in order to have the necessary platform for the re-engineering process. And we come to the JJ02 well sort of…

Below are some technical details and information on the base movement and the adjustments to come to the JJ02, along with photos and explanations.

Size, description and function of base movement ETA Unitas 6497

Size: 16 ½” or 36.6 mm

Description: Pocket watch caliber Unitas (today ETA) 6497 as well as chronograph mechanism with especially bought in componentry which was then entirely assembled by hand in our workshops.

The following were areas reworked:

• main plate
• bridges
• winding mechanism
• center wheel
• second wheel
• adjustment system (swan neck)

Chronograph mechanism

Column wheel:  -    Functioning as cam and door gate, see also explanation below. 1 x push = column wheel rotates 20 degrees

Functions (3): 

-  clutch: separates/engages chrono function; sliding gear separates/engages minute counter

–  brake: fixes stopped time

–  reset function

Cycles (3):  cycles follow each other endlessly (no continuation of stopped time)

-  start (clutch engages chrono, brake released, reset off

–  stop (clutch separates chrono, brake on, reset off

–  reset (clutch off, brake off, reset on

Cycles

1. Chrono started, clutch engaged:

A – Intermediate wheel (turns continuously with second) is connected to centre wheel

B – Clutch lever falls into space between columns

C – Sliding gear lever falls between columns

D – Minute counter intermediate wheel moves to the centre and engages the minute counter

2. Column wheel had turned 20° in clockwise direction. Chrono stopped, clutch separated / brake engaged:

A – Space between intermediate and centre wheel

B – Clutch is separated

C – Brake lever falls into space between columns

D – Brake lever holds centre wheel in position

3. Column wheel had turned again 20° in clockwise direction. Chrono reset function, clutch separated / brake separated / reset lever engaged:

A – Reset lever falls into space between colums

B – Reset lever pushes chrono wheels back to zero position

C – Brake lever does not touch centre wheel

Display on dial

Centre chrono second

Left eye:           Continuous second

Right eye:         Minute counter (30 minutes)

Column-wheel. In chronographs, a ratchet-wheel (r) with 6 triangular  teeth or columns ( e), governing the functions of various levers.

Sliding Gear n.

sliding-gear assembly, sliding pinion a mounted on a lever b, on which it turns freely.

The above article and all Photographs have been provided by Christopher Ward London.