Bell & Ross Concept watch

Found this in a Japanese magazine. It looks like a concept watch from Bell & Ross called the BR 03-X. It is also known as One Wrist Two watch. I can't find any information on the Internet on the watch (watches). Basically (from the photograph) there seems to be two watch fitted 180 degrees apart, sharing the same strap. 

The first watch features the following functions; hours, minutes, seconds (sub-dial at 3 o'clock), 30 minute chronograph and date complication. It is cased in a PVD Black case. There seems to be an internal rotating bezel. 

The second watch features the following functions; hours, minutes and perhaps GMT function. IT looks like there are no hands to tell the time, but perhaps the use of discs? Can't really tell as the photograph is very small. It is also cased in a PVD black case.

The watch. Interesting yes? 

Photograph: Begin

Anyone have any information? 

Oris Artix Date watch

This is a very simple and classic 3-hand watch from Oris. It is the Oris Artix Date watch, reference 01-733-7642-4051-07-5-21-81FC. That was a mouthful. The watch features the following functions; hours, minutes, seconds and date complication at the 6 o'clock position.

It is a very nice watch with a silver dial featuring the baton type hour markers. The Arabic hour markers are on the rehaut. The hands are luminous, and the sweep second hand features an 'O' on the balance side for Oris. All these contribute to a 3D look.

The watch features a four-piece case, which is water resistant to 10 ATM. It measures 42 mm in diameter with a unique 21 mm lug width. It is also fitted with a dual dome sapphire crystal on the front, and the display back is fitted with a mineral crystal.

This watch is powered by the Oris caliber 733. What is interesting is the movement fitted to the watch. This movement is based on the Selita SW200 movement (which in turn is based on the ETA 2824 movement). This 11.5 ligne movement beats at 28,800 A/h and has the quickset date and hacking functionality.

The watch is available with either a black leather strap with folding buckle or a stainless steel bracelet.

For more information:

Oris Artix Date

The watch.

Photograph: Oris

Oris BC3 Air Racing Limited Edition

A little bird just told me that the Oris BC3 Air Racing Limited Edition will be made available in Taiwan next month. The expected price is about NTD 63,000 or USD 2,100. Cool. 

The watch.

Photograph: Oris

JSAR, its here.....

The JSAR (Jumbo SAR) finally arrived. THE LGP (Le Grande Plongeur) is just awesome, 46.6 mm of solid 316L stainless steel and 17 mm thick. Best of all, this is a NOS first generation. Why is this important? We will look into that later.

Looks like this will be my daily wear watch, alternating it with the Breitling Aerospace. The watch. What more can you ask for. To me, at the price point, the ultimate tool watch? I think so.

Some people have concerns over the size of the watch. Here is the watch in comparison against other tool watches.

Against the original SAR, a 41 mm monster.

17 mm thickness.

Against a Panerai.

Against the 46 mm monster from Bell & Ross, the BR01-92.

Against the Glycine Black Jack Small Seconds Limited Edition, another 46 mm  monster.

Against a Sinn U1, thickness 15 mm.

The monster, again.

Now, the most important question, do I do the mod? What mod? Well to change the quartz movement from the high torque ISA 1198 to the ETA 2824-2. That is why it is important to get the first generation JSAR as the second generation uses another movement and the mod is not a simple remove and drop in.

The issue in doing this mod? The need to broach the sweep second hand and to swap out the date wheel as it has a white on black date wheel. The ETA 2824-2 comes with a black on white date wheel.

My new ETA 2824-2 movement, all ready to go.

While I figure this out, I will enjoy the JSAR. 

JSAR update

Yes, due date has arrived. Updated on FEDEX, 'On Vehicle for Delivery'. Sigh.......

OT some SLC love

These SLC are the handy work of WotanCraft. These are given away when you pick up one of their straps. I like them. Looks nice. They are actually part of a key chain.

Three little pigs...

They look much like the ones you find in the boutique. Wish I had one, the boutique ones.

The Bronze colour ones are given away with one of their (WotanCraft) limited edition straps while the silver colour ones is with their normal issue straps.

Not bad photographs from a bridge camera. 

JSAR....

Well the plan to have the JSAR or Jumbo SAR (Search and Rescue) on my wrist today was thwarted by FEDEX. I ordered a NOS first generation LGP (Le Grande Plongeur). Everything went smoothly and with the tracking information, we were able to track the movement of the watch. Talk about advance in IT and the Internet. 

Anyway, I was impressed to note that the watch left the US on Wednesday (Thursday locally) and arrived here on Friday night. Wow, that is fast. That would mean that I could get it by today. How cool is that. Sadly FEDEX had other plans. Evidently it is 'on hold' with 'Not Due For Delivery'. Wow, even delivery has a due date? FEDEX?

Oh well, lets wait for a few more days and see what happens.

The JSAR.

Photograph: Jim M.

Bell & Ross MT-01 Concept watch

Where do I sign up for one? The Bell & Ross MT-01 Music Time Concept watch. Basically it is an iPod Nano with a Bell & Ross application with a Bell & Ross rubber strap. How cool is this.

Photographs: Bell & Ross

Seiko Magic Lever

Here is a photograph of the Seiko Magic Lever. The rotor has been removed. 

The parts:

1. The Intermediate Wheel and Eccentric Pinion. 

2a and 2b. The Magic Lever.

3. The Intermediate Wheel and Pinion.

4. The Ratchet Wheel.

How the system works.

When the Intermediate Wheel and Eccentric Pinion (1) rotates clockwise, it will 'pull' the lever (2a) and that lever will pull the Intermediate Wheel and Pinion (3). When the Intermediate Wheel and Eccentric Pinion (1) rotates anti-clockwise, the lever (2b) will 'push' the Intermediate Wheel and Pinion (3). So regardless the direction of rotor rotation, the Ratchet Wheel (4) will turn and wind the mainspring.

You can see the motion in the video below. In this video, you can see that regardless of the direction of the rotation of the magic lever, the barrel rotates in a single direction. I read that it takes about 160 to 170 turn of the rotor to wind the mainspring arbor one rotation.

The diagrams below will also help to explain how the Magic Lever works.

Photographs: Seiko

To do or not to do it....

Was on my Marathon SAR today. I do like the watch, a real tool watch. But the thing that gets me is the cyclops. I don't really mind it being there, but sometimes I wonder if it looks better without the cyclops. So I am wondering should I do or not. What do you guys think?

The watch.

A closer view of the watch. 

OT IWC JU-52 model

Finally, after searching for some time, I finally got the model of the IWC JU-52/ 3mge that went round the world. I already have a 1/200 scale metal model of the JU-52 by Schabak. However I wanted a bigger version. So the search for the model was on.

There was one on the local auction site but attempts to contact the seller did not bear fruit. After a 6 month wait, the model came up again on the auction site. This time the seller responded. A week later, I have the model. Happy I am. 

However upon getting the model, I noticed that the model is slightly different from the IWC model I already have. The difference is the watch that is painted on the wing. Most models of the plane that I have seen has the IWC Big Pilot on the wing. The model has the Mk. XV on the wing. Well I am much happier as I have the Mk. XV. So it will go well with my watch.

The metal Schabak model with the BP on the wing.

The other has the watch painted under the wing. You can just see the tip of the leather strap.

The Big Pilot reference 5002. I like this model as compared to the new BP, reference 5004.

The 1/72 scale model I just got. The box is battered but the model inside is alright.

The decal for the plane. Note the Mk. XV decal. Interesting yes?

Now just to get my airbrush kit and we are all go.

The Watches Days Exhibition

The Watches Days exhibition will once again be held this year following the success of the exhibition last year. The Watches Days is the only exhibition in Switzerland where major watch brands are able to present their latest creations directly to the public in the run-up to the Christmas period. The exhibition will be open for three days with free public admission.

Venue: Espace Hippomène, Geneva

The Watches Night: 10 November 2011

The Watches Days: 11 to 13 November 2011

For more information:

The Watches Days Exhibition

Panerai Time and Space - A Tribute to Galileo Galilei Exhibition

Panerai is currently having an exhibition called 'Time and Space - A Tribute to Galileo Galilei Exhibition' in Shanghai, China. The exhibition will be open to the public from 20th to 31st May. Extracted from Panerai:

'Officine Panerai has chosen Shanghai for the only international staging of “Time and Space: a Tribute to Galileo Galilei”, the exhibition in which Officine Panerai puts a range of the most important watches and instruments from its own historical and contemporary collections on display. The show, taking place at the Shanghai Sculpture Space and open to the public from 20th to 31st May 2011, culminates with the exhibition of the “astronomical” triptych made by Officine Panerai as a tribute to Galileo Galilei, on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of his first celestial observations.

Having premiered in Florence in September 2010, the exhibition comes to Shanghai in a version enriched by the Officine Panerai 2011 collections, and explores three stages. The first is that of history, which uses select pieces from the Panerai Museum to trace the development and establishment of the Panerai brand, from its roots as a Florentine workshop to preferred supplier of precision instruments to the Italian Navy.

The second stage covers the brand’s international fame following its acquisition by the Richemont group in 1997: a large room displays the most symbolic timepieces of the 14 years in which Officine Panerai renewed the former glory of its iconic watches, the Luminors and Radiomirs, quickly developing a complete range of movements designed and produced in-house in its Neuchâtel factory. This section also features a selection of watches from the latest Officine Panerai collection, including models with the new hand-wound mechanical P.3000 calibre and the Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronzo – 47 mm.

The third stage is a tribute to Galileo Galilei, the genius to whom Officine Panerai, celebrating its shared Tuscan origins and love for science and innovation, has dedicated an “astronomical” triptych, formed from three exceptionally complicated models: L’Astronomo (Luminor 1950 Equation of Time Tourbillon Titanio – 50 mm), Lo Scienziato (Radiomir Tourbillon GMT Ceramica – 48 mm) and the planetarium clock Panerai Jupiterium.' 

Photographs: Panerai

Longines W.W.W. reissue

I have to say that is one of my favourite watches. It is the Longines W.W.W. reissue reference L2.731.4.53.2. It is a modern interpretation of the Longines W.W.W. issued in the 40s. Of course the original Longines is more known as the 'Greenlander'. As for me, I still call it the W.W.W. watch. 

This watch caused some brouhaha when it was released. Many people were not happy with the watch, saying it made a mockery of the original, the sub-dial for the small second was all wrong, the inclusion of the date complication was sacrilegious, The crown was too small and many many more. I do appreciate their point of view. 

It was bad enough for Longines to even 'pull' the watch from its website for a time. 

However I still like the watch. I figure Longines could have made the watch an exact copy of the original, but I guess it would open the floodgate for frankenwatches, old Longines W.W.W. with perhaps new parts from the reissue? or even the other way around.

Anyway, the watch. The strap is not original to the watch. 

I like the watch because of the dial. It is simple and easy to read. No unnecessary legends. It would be nice if it did not have the date complication, but I am ok with it. I also like the cathedral hands.

The lume, in partial darkness after a 30 second exposure to sunlight. The lume looks blueish.

In total darkness, the lume is green. 

Basic specifications:

Functions: hours, minutes, seconds (sub-dial) and date (6 o'clock)

Case: stainless steel, 38.5 mm diameter, 10 mm thin. Do note that the lugs to extend a long way from the watch case.

Movement: Longines automatic L615 calibre (ETA 2895-2)

Crystal: sapphire

Water resistant: 3 ATM

IWC Limited Edition Pilot watch

The more I look at the IWC Mk XVI Limited Edition Japan, the more I like the watch. I did try out the watch when I was in Japan but budget dictated that buying it was out of the question. Sigh....

So far the photographs I have are from magazines and brochures. Now I have some real photographs and I have to say that I do like the watch.

IWC Mk XVI Limited Edition Japan, reference 325516.

The lume shot. Nice.

A closer view of the dial and hands. Note the 10 o'clock hour marker with the smaller '0'.

The case back with the map of Japan.

Photographs: shamelessly borrowed from the Internet.

The watch is different from the regular Mk XVI in the dial and hands. The dial and hands on the Limited Edition (350 pieces) is based on the Mk IX. The only thing I don't like about the watch is the date display. It would be nice if there were no date display.

The original Mk IX. Note the smaller '0' on the 10 o'clock hour index marker.

Photograph: ivanmelbourne

Of course there is always the new IWC Vintage collection reissue of the Mk IX, reference 325401. This is way out of budget. :)

Photograph: IWC

So when I was shown the MK XV Spitfire Limited Edition reference 3253-005, I was stuck. I had a 'second chance' at a watch that had the Mk IX type dial and hands. The price was also good and the watch was NIB (new in box). It has never been used as the owner bought the watch and kept it. It is a limited edition of 1,000 pieces and the serial number is a good number for the Taiwanese. 

Cut the story short, I 'jumped' on the opportunity and got the watch. I have to say that I am happy. Best of all, was when I took the watch to my friendly neighbourhood watch guy and had the watch timed. It is running +1 sec a day. How is that for a 10 year old watch with a standard 'ETA' movement. 

The brothers together.