Hands-On With The Hajime Asaoka Tourbillon #1: High-End Independent Watchmaking, From Japan. Vintage VDB Folds Some Steel. Vintage VDB Folds Some Steel Posted on 19 October 2012 by Patrick Kansa These days, we don’t know how true Damascus steel was made.
We can, however, approximate the patterned finish in steel – and we call it Damascus. Regardless of the process, I think it’s a great look, and really adds some panache to a watch case. Now, the last time I brought Vintage VDB to your attention, we covered the fact that they like to give new life to old movements. SOLD: A French Lieutenant's 1938 Audemars Piguet Gold Chronograph That Saw Action In World War II.
Among the non-Graves/Fullerton watches sold last week at Sotheby's that I was most closely tracking was a 1938 Audemars Piguet chronograph in an 18k yellow gold case.
As we have previously told you, Vintage Audemars Piguet chronographs are notoriously difficult to find. Just check out this post and this post to see a couple rare and valuable AP chronos. The reason why vintage Audemars chronographs are so difficult to find is simply because AP had such a limited production. Introducing The C3H5N3O9 Experiment ZR012: From The Minds Behind MB&F And Urwerk, Together. We once said that the only way you'd be able to own a watch that was the intellectual collaboration of Max Busser from MB&F and Felix Baumgartner of Urwerk is to buy a Harry Winston Opus V.
We were wrong. We are proud to introduce you to a new concept brand of haute contemporary horology - C3H5N3O9. The brand came from a lunch between Mr. Max Büsser of MB&F and Felix Baumgartner of Urwerk over four years ago when the two leaders of modern horology discussed how they might work together again, officially. The easy way certainly would have been for Mr. Hands-On With The Excellent Frederique Constant Classics Manufacture (Live Photos, Specs, & Official Pricing) - Watches Worth Knowing About. Frederique Constant is one of those under-the-radar brands that does a lot of things right, including make their own movements for a small but growing percentage of their collection.
You see, FC makes around 120,000 watches per year, approximately 8 percent of which hold their own, manufacture movement. That may not sound like that much, but that means Frederique Constant is producing around 9,600 watches each year with an in-house movement inside (or, for pure comparison of scale, about twice as many as A. Lange & Sohne makes per annum). Just this past weekend in Las Vegas, we got the chance to see a watch that while officially introduced in the BaselWorld season, didn't get too much attention - and that is a shame because it is really worth a look (why it's here on HODINKEE today).
The brand new Frederique Constant Classics Manufacture, as seen above in our hand and below on our wrist, is a 42mm beauty that houses a new variation of the existing Maxime movement, cal. Storm Trilogy Watch - Double Decker Triple Time Zone! Thursday.
Devon Steampunk Tread 1 Watch. Destined for near future production, is the Devon Steampunk Tread 1 watch.
According to Scott Devon, they wanted to play with steampunk ideas for the Tread 1 as a design study. The customer reaction was so good that production is being fast tracked. Introducing The Badollet Ivresse (Live Pics) Recently, revived boutique brand Badollet introduced us to their latest creation at this year's Baselworld fair, right alongside the creative minds that brought it to life.
The watch, dubbed Ivresse, is unique not for its complications, but for its shape and execution. The slight curvature of the rectangular case and abundance of negative space on the dial leave room only for subtle details to be enjoyed thanks to the handiwork of Eric Giroud, the it guy of haute horology design. The Ivresse is more than mere visual curiosity though, a cleverly designed movement adds real substance under the surface. Reader (31) Watches Worth Knowing About - HODINKEE. The Grönefeld One Hertz Explained By Bart Grönefeld: A Deadly Beautiful Dead-Beat (VIDEO)
The Seconds Dial Takes Center Stage.
The movement inside the Grönefeld One Hertz is something to behold. Ask anyone who spent some time in Geneva in January or Basel this past March, and they'll surely tell you that people are talking about this watch in a very serious way. At this year's Basel World we had the pleasure of sitting with Tim and Bart Grönefeld to get a proper introduction to their One Hertz (that we first introduced to you here) and have a closer look at 2011's Dune model. The brothers launched the One Hertz 1912 last year, limiting production to only 12 models in steel. Montblanc Timewriter II Chronographe Bi-Frequence 1,000 Watch.
Nomos Sundial Pendant German with Black String - European Style Unique Present: Patio, Lawn & Garden. Itay Noy DiaLOG Watch. For 2012 Israeli watch maker Itay Noy does it again with an interesting timepiece design that both intrigues and confuses a bit.
It is called the DiaLOG watch and according to the brand offers more than one way of reading the time (it took me a little while to find just one of them). I have to say that in the scheme of busy and confusing dials, this is one of the most attractive ones out there! The case design of the DiaLOG is carried over from models such as the X-Ray from last year. REVIEW: Tense Wooden Watch. REVIEW: Tense Wooden Watch Posted on 17 April 2012 by Patrick Kansa We’ve looked at a few different eco-friendly watch models in the past, and I had another one come across my desk, this time as well in a women’s model.
A Week on the Wrist: The Ochs and Junior Selene Tinta Moonphase.