Evan Yeung
Nitroglycerine Experiments on Zr012
Ever thought that every piece of watchmaking greatness is only secluded to the aspects of mechanical engineering in itself? In so far as, that any piece with electronics is not considered a luxury watch nor is it consider a haute horlogerie. Well, today I present to you something out of the norm, or simply something that is out of this world. Read more
Omega Seamaster SkyFall Edition
Bond is back, and better than ever. The up and coming Bond movie “SkyFall” may have set its eyes to become another blockbuster hit. It is of course inevitable that Omega will be pushing a new piece for the ole James Bond to adorn. Being the ambassador of Omega that he is. Read more
Defining Moment with Novak Djokovic by AP
We’ve featured before that Audemars Piguet has been parading their newest and perhaps most successful brand ambassador to date – Novak Djokovic. Read more
Men In Black 3 - Hamilton Ventura XXL Official Timepiece of the Galaxy
The Hamilton Ventura timepiece has been with the Men In Black series since its debut. Ten years later, Hamilton re-introduced its timepiece of choice for the series with the all new Ventura XXL as its official timepiece for Men In Black 3. With high end horology becoming more and more popular these days, the makers at Hamilton opted for an automatic version of the Ventura, powered by the widely used and robust ETA-2824 movement instead of a battery powered module like its original. Read more
The Big Watch Syndrome
The rise of what watch collectors like to call the 21st century golden age of watchmaking also marks the rise of the big watch syndrome. In today’s fashion standards, a 42mm case diameter watch is considered the bare minimum of what a man should wear, anything smaller are more or less relegated to the ladies. Read more
Lucky 88 for Audemars Piguet Royal Oak timepiece
Recently, at the Antiquirium auction, one extremely lucky person went home with the coveted Audemars Piguet Royal Oak timepiece for 40,000 CHF ($42,500 including buyer’s premium). What made this timepiece so special is because this is one of the original A-series Royal Oak that had the AP logo above the 6 o’clock position. Read more
If you need only one digital watch, make it a Protrek
I’ve been writing a lot about digital watches the past week or so. With staple giants such as the likes of Casio G-Shocks and the jaw-dropping and eye-popping HD3 Slyde to finish off last week’s digital watch craze. But think of this, the digital watches of today were either for fashionistas who once a new piece every now and then, cause they’re simply insanely cheap compare to their mechanical counterparts, along with the convenience of usage and repeatability of it. Read more
Hi-Definition Time by HD3 Slyde
I give you the HD3 Slyde. Created by Swiss designer Jorg Hysek, Slyde is a whole new concept in which time is viewed. Combining the elegance of luxury mechanical watches and depicting them in the way the modern time is read – through a digital touch screen. Read more
New G-Shock Riche Black Collection for May 2012
Every month, we seem to be getting new color variations to the vast G-Shock collection of digital watches. There is no doubt in our mind that the Casio G-Shock revolutionizes the whole indestructible watch category and doing so made the G-Shock probably the most popular Japanese made watch in history. Read more
The Seiko Mechanical Line
A few days ago, I just showed you the wonders of the Grand Seiko watches. The price of which are relatively high, if not, higher than most Japan based . Read more
100 Years of Grand Seiko
It may be apparent that the pinnacle of haute horlogerie comes from the Swiss. With brand giants and history rich names such as the likes of Patek Philippe and Jaeger-LeCoultre commanding the helm of mastery on classic complications. In the Swiss dominated market, is it even possible for a non-Swiss maker to even compete? Enter the Grand Seiko. Read more
Thinness Personified - Piaget Altiplano
Piaget, the makers of the world’s thinnest automatic movement has yet created another piece that is simply elegance defined. The Altiplano Ultra Thin has been on the limelight of dress watches for years, boasting a piece that is insanely thin for an automatic watch and yet insanely good-looking. Read more
HYT H1 HYDRO MECHANICAL WATCH
Last week, we gave you the Christophe Claret X-TREM-1 uber timepiece. Coupling magnetic fields with the mechanism of a watch is simply a mind-blowing feat any horologist can do. But we’re done yet with this one of a kind pieces. We show you now, the HYT H1, the first mechanical watch to be fully integrate with fluid mechanics. Yes you heard me right, in other words I give you liquid timekeeping created by the hydro mechanical horologists of HYT. Read more
The Making of the 40th Anniversary of the Royal Oak
Since 1972, the Royal Oak has been the epitome of luxury sports watch industry. In fact, it revolutionizes the whole sports watch industry and raise it up to the standards of luxury. Inventing a whole new category of fine wristwatches. It was a feat so incredible that even the likes of Patek Philippe went ahead with their own version of the said piece. Read more
XTREM Watchmaking by Christophe Claret
Back in the glory days of mechanical watchmaking, or should I say the golden age of horology back in the early 70s. We've seen brands go toe-to-toe with the very best to come up with the next best complication. We've seen the rise of automatic chronograph, the mesmerizing sound of a minute repeater, the micro engineering perfection of a perpetual calendar piece. Can we not say that after the quartz revolution, can we still get back to the pinnacle that watchmaking was? I would like to point out the fact that indeed we will. We've seen rise of heritage and iconic watch models come back to life in the first decade of the 21st century. We've seen complications perfected and combined with others to make one true lasting piece. But is this all there is to it from the mechanical prowess of timepieces? Can we not see something clearer to simply separate the idea that mechanical watches are forever inferior to the features a digital piece can bring? Can we not say that we can still progress with mechanical pieces without the use of digital technology? Can we not or can we? I give you the X-TREM-1 from Christophe Claret. The name X-TREM-1 is in fact an code from Christophe Claret. X for Experimental T for Time R for Research E for Engineering M for Mechanism So the question remains what makes this piece so special and cutting edge and perhaps a turning point for the next generation mechanical timepiece. The piece in itself is a representation of a major technical and aesthetic achievement for horology. Not only does it has a flying tourbillon inclined at 30 degrees mounted on a three dimensional titanium main plate, equipped with a retrograde hour and minutes display that could knock you off the edge of your seat. What you see in the sides of the watch are two hollowed steel spheres isolated in sapphire tubes on the left and right side of the case. The two spheres magically moves, yes you heard me, magically floats inside the tube to display the hour and the minute of the day. All thanks to magnetic fields. Magnetic fields you say? the first thing that comes to mind is that how can this piece work? Magnetic fields had been traditionally the bane of mechanical watchmaking as it stands the possibility of disrupting the movement inside the piece. According to the School of Business and Engineering Vaud (HEIG-VD) in Yverdon-les-Bains, and a team headed by Professor Besson “The magnetic fields have been focused so that they have no effect whatsoever on the mechanisms – apart from the task assigned to them, which is to help display the time in a quite incredible and original way.” The illusion of showing two magnetic spheres floating in the tubes with almost no connection with the mechanism of the piece is simply mind blowing. To think that the makers of this piece is already crazy enough to put magnets in a mechanical watch. So how does this piece really work? How can the spheres simply float to the correct time display? The main driving force behind it is a small cable made from an extremely thin woven silk thread more commonly used on reparative surgery. The two miniature magnets are moved by this cable inside the piece. A technically inclined feat that puts the X-TREM-1 something from the future. Yet it is now here. The piece will be available for a choice between titanium, white gold, red gold or platinum and is limited to only 10 pieces for each case type. The price as expected is an astounding 260,000 CHF (approximately 285,000 USD). We are already looking at super car territory here but can we not simply say the the X-TREM-1 deservingly so, is a truly remarkable piece of engineering that could put the horological industry in a whole new perspective. Again a piece like this is only for the select few, to see one in the wild is probably a rare sight. With that in mind, I leave you with this fascinating video to see the X-TREM-1 in all its glory. Don't forget to check out Christophe Claret website - http://www.christopheclaret.com/
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