Pelagos Lume Shot

I think this is a better rendition of the lume of the Pelagos. It is blue and it is beautiful. Sharp and crisp.

Panerai PAM00557

So what do you call a left handed PAM00372? Introducing the Panerai PAM00557 or the Luminor 1950 Left-hand 3 Days 47mm watch. It shares all the attributes of the PAM00372 save the crown is on the left or destro. 

The watch.

Photograph: Panerai

The watch is a Pre-SIHH 2014 novelty and as said earlier, is similar in specification as the popular PAM00372. So the watch will be powered by the Panerai in-house P.3000 movement giving it a three day power reserve. It will have the sandwich dial construction and the engraved text on the dial and ecru lime and gilt hands. Nice. 

Indeed a watch that might just get me back into the game... 

Farewell....

I guess it is time, tough, but it is something I have to do. I need to streamline my collection and these pieces must go. Hard as it may be, I have decided to let go of some of my military pieces and some other additional pieces. More will go....

CWC G10 watches. Both are the fat case version. 

Benrus DTU 2A/P.

Adanac Navigator II.

Aristo Pilot watch.

Tissot V8 Chronograph. 

Cyma dress watch. Dial has been refurbish. 

Gone but not forgotten....

Concord C2 Y-13

Concord has released a new chronograph in the C2 Y-13. Sounds like a fax machine rather then a watch. :) Anyway, the new watch is inspired by the underground techno-music movement and it shows on the dial and watch design. 

The watch is 43mm in diameter and is PVD gray. Within the stainless steel case, beats an ETA 2894-2 automatic mechanical movement. It is a hefty watch, coming in at 12.75 mm thick, with a 2mm thick sapphire crystal, offering a water resistant rating of 10 ATM. 

The dial, silver toned and glowing with electric green SuperLuminova (almost LED like) has a sub-dial at 3 o'clock that looks like a record or DJ table. The other sub-dials are the 30 minutes counter at 9 o'clock and a 12-hour counter at 6. The watch has the following complications, on top of time telling, date (at 6) and chronograph. 

I do like the design of the hour and minute hands. They are of the dauphine-type, asymmetrically hollowed out, rhodium and SuperLuminova hands. I also like the watch the strap is mounted to the watch case.

The C2 Y-13 watch.

All lit up...

Photographs: Concord

For more information:

Concord C2 Y-13

It's dead.....

The Casio PAG-40 is dead. Time for a new set of batteries, reference SR927W.

The Runwell Chrono

Shinola of the US of A have added a chronograph to their product line up in the form of the Runwell Chrono. As with all Shinola watches, the Runwell Chrono will be hand assembled in Detroit. The Runwell Chrono will be powered by Shinola in-house movement the Argonite 5021 high-accuracy quartz movement. 

The watch features basic time telling with the following complications; date and chronograph. The Runwell comes in at 47mm in diameter. The stainless steel case will also feature a lug width of 24 mm, a popular size. The watch will also feature a double curve sapphire crystal and the watch is water resistant to 10 ATM. Prices start from USD 750..

The Runwell Chrono. 

Colour options (some off).

All the Runwell Chrono watches will be fitted with straps by Hadley Roma, with option of premium alligator or normal leather.

A very nice watch indeed.

Photographs: Shinola

For more information:

The Runwell Chrono

Pinion Clock Mobile App

It has been sometime since I last wrote about applications for the iPhone or iPad. Well, the following application is available on both platform, iOS and Android. It is the Pinion Clock mobile app. 

The application is free and it shows timekeeping with the watch from Pinion Watch Company as the base clock. The application features the following:

Time: displayed via hours, minutes and seconds

Date

Power Reserve: This actually shows the battery life of the device. That is cool...

GMT function: The arrow on the bezel shows GMT

Day and Night modes

Pinion Watch Company have indicated that more features will be made available on the next iteration of the application. 

The application on Night Mode.

The application on Day Mode.

How to use the application.

How the application will look like on iPhone and iPad....

If you like the application, just head down to the respective application market and get it.

Montres Militaire MIL no 7104 Timothy John

Montres Militaire is a new boy in the world of horology but the owner, Mr. Marcus Tschopp is no strange to the industry with over 2 decades of experience. With a couple of friends, they have launched the brand Montres Militaire. Their first watch is the Officier De Marine, which at the moment forms the back bone of the brand. 

The unique aspect of the collection is that all the watches are cased in bronze and is powered by the hand-wind ETA 6497. All the watches are water resistant to 10 ATM and are 47mm in diameter. The watch that has me interested is the MIL No 7104, a Special Edition watch for the brand. 

The watch features a unique dial. The dial is a work of art and is the work of Australian Artist Timothy John, who himself is no stranger to the horological world, having worked other watch companies in the past. The MIL No 7104 is a Special Edition of only 39 pieces and each of the 39 dials, which features a stylised painting of a skull. Pretty Gothic but I like it. Each dial will be different, playing with colour and texture. Yes, the dial is textured. The dial will also be sterile, meaning no other markings on the dial save the painting. This allows the owner of the watch to fully appreciate the art work. 

The watch....

The case back.

The watch will come with a shark skin strap and a bronze buckle (note the skull).

A sample of the different colours and texture of the art work. 

Photographs: Montres Militaire

For more information:

Montres Militaire Mil No 7104

The watch will retail for about USD 4,300. 

An interesting discussion...

In my effort to better understand the horological world, I posted the following in a forum of which I am a member to see what are the members take on the subject.

The post:

"Apologies upfront as this is not a thread on watches with tourbillons, although we do not mind if you do post them for us to view and appreciate, but more of a discussion on tourbillons.

To make it simple, I have copied the definition of tourbillon from wikipedia:

In horology, a tourbillon (French: "whirlwind") is an addition to the mechanics of a watch escapement. Developed around 1795 by the French-Swiss watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet from an earlier idea by the English chronometer maker John Arnold, a tourbillon aims to counter the effects of gravity by mounting the escapement and balance wheel in a rotating cage, to negate the effect of gravity when the timepiece (thus the escapement) is stuck in a certain position.

So to me, a tourbillon is a device used to regulate a watch and should be define such. However, we see that the tourbillon is now considered a complication. This is not to be confused with it, the tourbillon, being a complicated mechanism or complicated to make. To me, a complication by definition, is an additional function in a watch other than simple timekeeping. Simple timekeeping here is the hours, minutes and seconds. As such, the addition of a date on the watch is a complication as is a chronograph or even a minute repeater. But a tourbillon is not. It is a device or mechanism used to regulate the accuracy of time keeping.

Thoughts?

Additionally, what are your view on the use of the tourbillon on modern wristwatches? It does show the movement manufacturer capabilities to manufacture a complicated regulator, but does it improve on the accuracy of the wrist watch?"

The response thus far is pretty interesting. So far, most agree that the addition of a tourbillon does not improve much the accuracy of wrist watch, even if it does, it is a pretty expensive option at that. I tend to agree. I can see the use of a tourbillon on pocket watches, but not in the modern wristwatch. The modern wristwatch is not and will not be 'stuck' in a certain position long enough for gravity to have an impact on the accuracy of the movement. Additionally, the movement in modern wristwatches are already pretty accurate.

While the tourbillon is nice to look at, what with its constantly rotating cage and all, more so if the tourbillon is a multi axis tourbillon, but I rather see automation like Van Cleef & Arpels's Pont des Amoureux (Lover's Bridge) where two figurines share a fleeting kiss...

Photograph: Van Cleef & Arpels

Or this, from Jaquet Droz..

The Charming Bird.

Photographs: Jaquet Droz

The video of The Charming Bird. 

The Charming Bird

But that just me. :)

Lume shot....

This is the Fortis Colour watch. The luminosity on this watch is interesting in that the hour markers are brighter as compared to the hands. My personal experience has been the opposite. 

Rubber strap...

I got this watch (for review) today. It is a Fortis and it is from the Fortis Colours collection. The first thing to do is to size the rubber strap. The right tools is important. 

The watch. I got the black version. 

The watch is modular. It is made up of two parts. The watch module.

The bezel/ strap module. 

Would be lovely to get this...

Photograph: Fortis

The tools... 

And the process begins....

Not bad for a watch in this price range to have a butterfly deployment. 

Disconnect the ends from the deployment. You can see the holes on the strap. These are there to help with the strap adjustment. You can measure your wrist and use that measurement and cut the rubber to the correct length. Or you can be like me and do this slowly. That means cutting the rubber at every notch, reattach the strap to the deployment and try out the watch to check fit. I also cut from both ends of the strap to make sure the deployment is still center. 

Each adjustment notch. 

From each end. I had to cut 4 pieces, or about a total of 12mm. 

All done. It is good that the deployment have 2 slots for further adjustments. 

On the wrist. 

Straps....

Yeah, went to my favourite hang out place in Taiwan. Lots of new straps being produced and to be introduced. Some to be upgraded with new buckles, some made to look more like the original....

I do like this strap. It is a distressed strap, but the unique aspect of the strap is the keeper. Looks very very raw. 

The old....

The new upgraded version. 

Some of the new straps being introduced. Very nice, very soft and supple. Thank goodness they do not have any in the size that I want (still being made).

Closer view....

Nice...

I ended up with this. 

Every time I visit the place, I end up doing this. Strap change...

Can you spot the difference...