Introducing: The Grand Seiko SLGH003 Hi-Beat 60th Anniversary LE, Featuring The New Dual Impulse Escapement
Grand Seiko's new Hi-Beat caliber 9SA5, in steel for the first time.
655 articles · 54 videos found · page 12 of 24
Grand Seiko's new Hi-Beat caliber 9SA5, in steel for the first time.
Hodinkee
"An interest in escapements is a sign of horological maturity." –Jack Forster
Quill & Pad
If John Keil was to recommend a brand-new functional diver’s watch to a friend who was looking to spend within a certain price range, these would be his suggestions. Or, more specifically, here is what he would purchase himself in a variety of price categories.
SJX Watches
Seiko produces a wide – really wide – variety of dive watches. Many are based on historical watches, with several of the high-end models in particular being inspired by the brand’s first 300 m dive watch of 1968. As a result, a good number of Seiko dive watches look pretty similar. When Seiko unveiled the Prospex LX line at Baselworld last year – the range is made up of six sports watches catered for air, land, and sea – the diver’s watch seemed, well, pretty similar to other Seiko dive watches. But the LX was not a typical range of sports watches, because it was designed in collaboration with Ken Okuyama, one of Japan’s most famous car designers – specifically, Mr Okuyama is best known for his work for Ferrari. The Prospex LX Spring Drive Diver SNR029 is a typical Seiko dive watch – it’s functional and solidly engineered, with a notably high quality of construction. But Mr Okuyama’s design adds a surprising degree of refinement to the design, which reimagines the retro style of the classical Seiko Hi-Beat diver of 1968 by sharpening the design and refining the details. Initial thoughts Seiko dive watches are highly regarded for their strong price-performance ratio at every level of the price spectrum. The Prospex LX Spring Drive Diver SNR029 is a mid-range model, more affordable than a Grand Seiko but more upscale than the base-model Prospex diver. In terms of functionality, fit and finish, the SNR029 scores highly. Legibility is excellent, Spring Dr...
Hodinkee
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Hodinkee
The latest limited edition from Grand Seiko marks a major mechanical leap forward.
SJX Watches
Abraham-Louis Breguet’s contributions to horology are as numerous as they are fundamental. Practically every avenue of watchmaking is built on the foundations he laid down, from the perpetuelle self-winding mechanism to pare-chute shock-protection for balance pivots. But most famous of all was the tourbillon, patented in 1801. It was crucial to the precision of mechanical pocket watches and clocks, the only kinds of timepieces in use then, which normally sat in an upright, vertical position. The Breguet Souscription pocket watch of the 1990s that replicated the 19th century originals, right down to the pare-chute escapement The tourbillon, however, was not Breguet’s only effort in improving chronometric performance. Prior to the tourbillon, he created the lesser known but more elegant echappement naturel, or natural escapement, in 1789. It was a double-wheel chronometer escapement that in theory, needed no oil. Breguet managed to incorporate it into just 20 pocket watches, but serial production of the natural escapement ultimately eluded him as its design had inherent shortcomings – primarily backlash in the motion of its wheels – that made it impossible to commercialise. The idea was ahead of its time, and it would take some 200 years before technology made the natural escapement feasible. The concept of natural escapements continues to fascinate watchmakers, many of whom have conceived modern-day descendants, the most recent of which is the Ch...
Hodinkee
The latest Grand Seiko limited edition sports a dial inspired by a Japanese blizzard.
European art and American technology in one watch.
Deployant
The Daytona Ultimatum and Geneva Watch Auction: SEVEN will be exhibited at Malmaison by The Hour Glass, Singapore from 4th to 8th April 2018.
As we hit auction season in Geneva this weekend, Revolution’s Ross Povey thumbs through the Christie’s catalogue for their ‘Rare Watches and a Rolex Afternoon’ sale and selects a few lots that make him smile…
Revolution
Quill & Pad
Independent Swiss watchmaker Raul Pagès has released his new Régulateur à Détente RP1. A clean and minimal design with superlative finishing, the Régulateur à Détente RP1 is Pagès’ take on the detent escapement, proving that evolution is still possible.
SJX Watches
Independent watchmaker Raúl Pagès is best known for the Soberly Onyx, which housed a highly-decorated movement that was originally a humble Cyma. His latest creation however, marks a significant step forward – a movement he developed and largely manufactures himself. A time-only watch with some fascinating details, the Régulateur à détente RP1 serves as a strong testament to Mr Pagès’ capabilities: it has a regulator display while the movement has a detent escapement of his own design. And of course, it is finished to the same high standard as his earlier work – or perhaps even better. Initial thoughts The RP1 is intriguing in many ways. It is well-executed both in terms of technical features and finish. The most obvious element that sets it apart is the detent escapement. Due to the technical quirks in implementation, the detent escapement is an uncommon regulation mechanism that contrasts with the Swiss lever escapement that is ubiquitous even at the highest end of watchmaking. It is clear that Mr Pagès designed the movement around the escapement, as the movement bridges expose enough to proudly showcase the mechanism. But the RP1 isn’t only about the movement, as its qualities appear all-encompassing, as demonstrated by the equally well-finished dial. Despite the simple appearance at a glance, the regulator dial is replete with fine finishing details. While the colour scheme may be too quirky for some, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr Pages accedes to re...
Quill & Pad
Congratulations to Raúl Pagès for winning the 2024 Louis Vuitton Prize for Independent Creatives with his RP1 Régulateur à Détente. The prize comes with a substantial grant of 150,000 euros and a 12-month mentorship with La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. Here's why he won.
Deployant
Raúl Pagès announces the third chapter in his independent career with a new watch he designed and hand makes: the new Régulateur à détente RP1.
Monochrome
In a basic mechanical movement, there are two primary springs: one that delivers power and another one to keep it accurately beating. But others are essential for this overall dance to work. Once complications are added, even more are needed and complex pieces can have dozens of springs. When most people think of a spring, […]
SJX Watches
Mechanical escapements remain the most fascinating and enticing field of horological study even in the 21st century. At its core, an escapement has a simple purpose: restore lost energy to the oscillating organ while regulating the discharge speed of the going train – thus allowing for time measurement. Straightforward as the concept is, executing an escapement well is a completely different affair. The escapement is perhaps the element of the mechanical movement that has undergone the most iterations since its invention. The reason is simple: escapements were, and remain, imperfect systems. In fact, the escapement is often the least efficient aspect of a mechanical movement in terms of energy transfer. That’s why watchmakers and engineers have devised innumerable variants in the search of the ideal escapement. Explaining escapement efficiency In physics the efficiency of a system is the proportion of useful work done relative to the total work done by said system. The result, measured as a percentage, speaks to the energy conserved within the system. For example, an 80% efficiency means that 20% of the total available energy is lost, with the remaining 80% usefully conserved. That said, an efficient escapement isn’t necessarily chronometrically-potent, since there are more criteria, apart from energy conservation, which reflect in a movement’s accuracy. The way in which escapement parts impulse to the balance, the proximity of the equilibrium point and the deg...
Revolution
Paying a visit to Bernhard Lederer’s atelier in St. Blaise, Wei nerds out with the German Master Watchmaker about a crucial component in a watch’s movement, the escapement, which has undergone hundreds of years of innovation. Lederer expounds on the efforts by past masters, Abraham-Louis Breguet and George Daniels to develop the perfect escapement and […]
Monochrome
When two masters of their respective crafts meet, it’s very likely greatness will ensue. However, while masters may strengthen each other, it’s difficult to find common ground when crafts might seem at odds. Despite this, a positive and uniquely intriguing outcome is still a possibility. Such is the case with the collaboration of Raúl Pagès, […]
Hodinkee
The watch was set to be sold at the Austrian World Summit Auction.
Hodinkee
Handmade and unique.
Hodinkee
The independent watchmaker's detent escapement wins the inaugural award.
Time+Tide
Ulysse Nardin Blast Tourbillon Blue & Gold’s faceted case is inspired by the lines of stealth aircraft design 45mm in diameter, 18K rose gold and PVD blue titanium case. Flying Tourbillon. Hours and minutes. Escapement wheel, anchor and balance spring in silicium. When delving into the romanticism of traditional high-end watchmaking, we often discuss hand-craftsmanship. But, … ContinuedThe post The Ulysse Nardin Blast Tourbillon Blue & Gold offers exemplary in-house machined mastery appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
For this year, Claret presents the new Anglico – the 10th Anniversary Piece, a dual time watch incorporating a tourbillon with a long detent escapement and a fusee system. Handwound 470 components in a 45mm in either red gold or titanium. CHF 238,000 and CHF 218,000 (excl tax) respectively. Each limited to 10 pieces. In theRead More
Revolution
With a little help from Jaeger-LeCoultre, we uncover the workings of the tourbillon. The purpose of Breguet’s inspired creation was to combat the poise errors found in the balance, balance spring and escapement in vertical positions by rotating these timekeeping elements. (For more on the tourbillon and its history, read “A Brief History of […]
Revolution
Something old, something new –that’s the theme that runs through much of watchmaking. Lest we forget, the basic technology of watchmaking consists of a mainspring barrel, gears, a lever escapement, and a temperature compensated balance controlled by a balance spring. All of those elements –every one –were in place by 1750, boys and girls, when […]
Hodinkee
Developed by the TAG Heuer Lab, in close collaboration with Vaucher, the new chronograph, with TH-Carbonspring, COSC-Certification, 5Hz balance, and more, is one of the brand's proudest achievements yet.
Teddy Baldassarre
Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.
Fratello
Most of the time, I have my #TBT stories scheduled weeks, if not months, ahead. I’ve found it easier to follow the plan and not think way too long about what my weekly dose of vintage watch inspiration for you will be. But sometimes, the inspiration is so strong that I have to put my […] Visit #TBT One Decent Omega Speedmaster Ed White 105.003 For Me, Please! to read the full article.
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