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Results for Flying Tourbillon

2,257 articles · 4 videos found · page 71 of 76

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Wiki · Guide
Tourbillon

Breguet's 1801 rotating-cage escapement, explained.
Wiki · Guide
Flying Tourbillon

Alfred Helwig's 1920 tourbillon variant with no upper bridge; the entire cage is visible.
Dimensions · Guide
Case dimensions: Patek Philippe World Time Flying Tourbillon 5531 Patek Philippe

42.8 mm × 11.4 mm, lug 22 mm, Cal. R 27 HU
Dimensions · Guide
Case dimensions: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon Audemars Piguet

41 mm × 10.6 mm, lug integrated, Cal. 2950
VIDEO: Seiko is donating the proceeds of one Presage SRQ033J1 Porco Rosso Limited Edition which you can buy here Time+Tide
Seiko Sep 21, 2020

VIDEO: Seiko is donating the proceeds of one Presage SRQ033J1 Porco Rosso Limited Edition which you can buy here

For fans of the prolific Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli, the name Porco Rosso will be familiar to you. He’s the ace biplane pilot who learned the art of flying in World War I, before being turned into a pig and then, turning his skills to fighting pirate crime. He has legions of fans around … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Seiko is donating the proceeds of one Presage SRQ033J1 Porco Rosso Limited Edition which you can buy here appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Cartier Santos-Dumont Hands-on Review WatchAdvice
Cartier Santos-Dumont Hands-on Review INTRODUCTION Sep 3, 2020

Cartier Santos-Dumont Hands-on Review

INTRODUCTION: Born from a friendship between Louis Cartier and his pilot pal – Brazlian Aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont – the Cartier Santos was created as a tool to help Alberto tell the time when flying. In the century or so since, Cartier’s Santos has been at the forefront of the brands watch collection, widely loved for its timeless design and icon status.  In more recent years, Cartier’s watch department has been hard at work updating and refining their watch offering, collecting heaps of praise along the way. Earlier this year, the brand released a trio (the Santos-Dumont “Le Brésil,” “La Baladeuse,” and “No. 14 Bis” Limited Editions) of Large size limited editions during Watches & Wonders 2020.  Each of these three watches feature Cartier’s in-house and hand-wound movement, a 430 MC. They’re also made from a combination of different metals with a dial to match, and were made in different quantities. Each of the trio is named after one of Alberto Santos-Dumont’s famous aircraft, which is featured on the caseback, alongside a corresponding motif engraving.  Today, we’re taking a closer look at the No. 14 Bis Limited Edition, named after a biplane designed and built by Alberto Santos-Dumont, which made the first ‘publicly witnessed’ manned powered flight way back in 1906. The 14-Bis was also known as ‘Oiseau de proie’, French for ‘bird of prey’.  FIRST IMPRESSIONS:  I was blown away by my instantaneous affection for the Santo...

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Girard-Perregaux Introduces the Free Bridge SJX Watches
Girard-Perregaux Introduces Aug 27, 2020

Girard-Perregaux Introduces the Free Bridge

With its iconic complication being the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges – albeit one that is somewhat forgotten today – Girard-Perregaux has created a variety of simpler watches centred on the same concept of prominent movement bridges. The newly-launched Free Bridge is the latest to join the line up, and while it is superficially similar, it boasts an exotic silicon balance wheel (that was probably created with help from its sister company). Initial thoughts The Free Bridge has a modern, technical-looking aesthetic that is currently popular, but it is more than a faddish watch. That’s because it’s equipped with an intricate, extra-large balance wheel made of silicon, one that is far more advanced than everything else at this price point – with the exception of the Ulysse Nardin Freak X. Though not identical, the balance wheel is similar enough to the one in the Freak X that it becomes obvious the Free Bridge balance is derived from that in the Freak X, which is unsurprising since both watch brands are owned by luxury group Kering. The balance wheel makes the movement special from a technical perspective, and also makes the US$17,000 price tag easier to swallow. That said, the Free Bridge seems to sit in no man’s land – it is neither entirely classical nor modern, in contrast to the Freak X which is an out and out contemporary watch. As a result, the Free Bridge isn’t particularly outstanding visually, unlike the Freak X. Upgraded with a new balance The F...

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Gael Monfils just smashed the sh*t out of a $500k USD Greubel Forsey GMT Sport Time+Tide
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph during Aug 21, 2020

Gael Monfils just smashed the sh*t out of a $500k USD Greubel Forsey GMT Sport

Tennis players are well known for being ambassadors of various watch brands. Serena Williams has recently been spotted playing with her Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph during matches, Roger Federer with his Rolex Sky-Dweller (when his match is over), as well as Rafael Nadal with his RM 27­-03 Manual Winding Tourbillon Rafael Nadal Edition. Gael … ContinuedThe post Gael Monfils just smashed the sh*t out of a $500k USD Greubel Forsey GMT Sport appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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A Short History Of Vianney Halter And His Watches: A Wild Ride That’s Not Over Yet Quill & Pad
Aug 13, 2020

A Short History Of Vianney Halter And His Watches: A Wild Ride That’s Not Over Yet

Vianney Halter's Deep Space Tourbillon marked the triumphant comeback of one of the single most influential and innovative horological artists of his generation. Elizabeth Doerr looks back on the genesis of Halter's futuristic triple-axis tourbillon and the watches that preceded it, including the mythical Harry Winston Opus 3, and speculates a bit on his future.

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Glashütte Original Introduces the PanoLunarTourbillon Limited Edition SJX Watches
Glashütte Original Introduces Jul 17, 2020

Glashütte Original Introduces the PanoLunarTourbillon Limited Edition

Contemporary yet traditional, the Pano collection has been a staple of Glashütte Original’s offerings. The latest Pano wristwatch is a departure from the line’s typically clean styling – the PanoLunarTourbillon Limited Edition. Limited to 25 watches with a platinum case, the new watch is a variant the standard tourbillon model, dressed up with impeccable engraving on the dial and movement. Initial thoughts With hand-engraved filigree decoration across the dial (and movement, this is easily one of the most attractive in the Pano collection, more so than the standard PanoLunarTourbillon. Similar to the decoration usually found only on the balance cock of Glashütte Original movements, the engraving is made up of pronounced lines and a complex pattern, giving the watch a markedly different character from the standard model. The hand engraving was executed in Glashütte Original’s dial factory in Pforzheim And the look is further enhanced by the metallic blue of panorama date, hands, indices and moon phase, a blue-on-silver livery that provides a sharp and elegant contrast. While the look is elegantly ornate, it’s a big watch, clocking in at 40 mm wide and 13.10 mm tall, probably a bit too big for a watch of this style. The case size suits contemporary tastes, but something thinner and perhaps 38 mm in diameter would work better with the design. German aesthetic Underneath the decoration, the watch is identical to the standard PanoLunarTourbillon. It retains the a...

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Parmigiani Introduces the Tonda GT Collection SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet or Patek Philippe Parmigiani Jul 8, 2020

Parmigiani Introduces the Tonda GT Collection

Following up the more complex Toric Tourbillon Slate, Parmigiani is launching its first ever luxury-sports watch, the Tonda GT. Founded in 1996 by highly-regarded independent watchmaker Michel Parmigiani, the brand specialises in complicated watches like the tubular, Bugatti-inspired Type 390. A departure from the brand’s usual far in both form and price, the Tonda GT line comprises a time-and-date base model, the Tonda GT, as well as the star of the show: the Tondagraph GT chronograph with annual calendar. Tondagraph GT Both are sports watches, with screw-down crowns and water resistance of 100 m. But they takes they cues from past Parmigiani designs, but translated into a more angular, modern shape. The knurled bezel, for instance, takes inspiration from the Toric, the brand’s very first wristwatch. And the dials are decorated with traditional clous triangulaire guilloché. Initial thoughts The new watches add a more casual, sporty offering to the Tonda collection. With distinct designs that don’t ride on the styling of Audemars Piguet or Patek Philippe, Parmigiani is offering a unique and well-priced line that’s suited to both the great outdoors and more formal occasions. Importantly, the Tonda GT is attractively priced, given the high quality of execution and in-house movements. Parmigiani makes almost all components in-house or at its sister companies, and if its current watches are anything to go by, the fit and finish on the Tonda GT will be as good a...

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HANDS-ON: The Bremont ALT1-P2 JET might just be the blacked out chrono you’re looking for Time+Tide
Bremont ALT1-P2 JET might just Jun 27, 2020

HANDS-ON: The Bremont ALT1-P2 JET might just be the blacked out chrono you’re looking for

Aviation is the pinnacle of human endeavour. The simple dream of wanting to fly has allowed the very best engineers, scientists, artists, and countless other professionals to flex their talents and serve Earth’s globalisation. Adventure and ingenuity go hand-in-hand when it comes to flying, and so too does it go with Bremont. The English-bred company … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Bremont ALT1-P2 JET might just be the blacked out chrono you’re looking for appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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MB&F; Introduces the LM101 MB&F; x H. Moser SJX Watches
H. Moser Partners Jun 5, 2020

MB&F; Introduces the LM101 MB&F; x H. Moser

Partners for more than a decade in the supply of hairsprings, H. Moser & Cie. and MB&F; have recently announced their first watch collaboration. Both mark their 15th anniversaries with a pair of watches that each brand designed for the other, blending the defining traits of both. MB&F; helped styled the Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon H. Moser x MB&F;, while Moser added its signature aesthetic to the LM101 MB&F; x H. Moser. A refreshing take on MB&F;’s simplest Legacy Machine, the new LM101 has a steel case and the option of four dial colours in Moser’s signature smoked finish – Funky Blue fumé, Cosmic Green fumé, red fumé, and Aqua Blue fumé – each limited to 15 pieces. The watch incorporates the aesthetic sensibilities of H. Moser & Cie on the front, along with a slight redesign of the movement. Initial thoughts Based on the photos, the new LM101 is one of the most appealing recent watches from MB&F;, though that isn’t really a surprise since it synthesises the elements that have made both brands successful – and the elements remain successful when combine together. The most apparent is the sunray-brushed, fumé dial that is very much Moser. Although the brand did not invent the look, the smoked finish has become synonymous with the brand – and the fumé effect also translates very well on the LM101. While the Moser fumé finish has been added, the traditional sub-dials (for the time and power reserve) of the LM101 have been removed. This streamlinin...

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Interview: IWC’s Head of R&D; on the New 2020 Complications SJX Watches
IWC s Head Jun 1, 2020

Interview: IWC’s Head of R&D; on the New 2020 Complications

A watchmaker who also trained as an engineer, Stefan Ihnen has been leading IWC’s movement development since 2006, continuing the brand’s long-established tradition of concise and practical movements. This year Mr Ihnen and his team rolled out new movements in a trio of Portugieser models – the Yacht Club Moon and Tide, Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph, and Monopusher Chronograph – all built according to a philosophy that mixes technical accompaniment with practicality. Since the 1980s, IWC’s movements have been characterised by a pragmatic approach, making a virtue of constructing the most complex mechanisms in a simple, robust manner. The philosophy gave birth to many of the brand’s hallmark complications such as the Da Vinci perpetual calendar and the Il Destriero Scafusia, both complicated but powered by the Valjoux 7750. The cal. 82835 in the new Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide And in the year 2000, the brand debuted the cal. 5000, an extra-large automatic movement with a seven-day power reserve and Pellaton winding mechanism, marking the start IWC’s modern generation of in-house movements. Twenty years on, IWC boasts an extensive range of proprietary calibres of 10 movement families. Beyond the solid and impressive foundations, the movements sometimes incorporate esoteric complications, ranging from a constant force tourbillon, and the a newly-introduced tide complication. Mr Ihnen is the perfect person to shed light on these movements. Formal...

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A Tribute to Peter Baumberger of Urban Jürgensen & Sønner SJX Watches
Casio n May 19, 2020

A Tribute to Peter Baumberger of Urban Jürgensen & Sønner

Peter Baumberger (Koppingen, 1939 – Biel, 2010) Ten years ago, Peter Baumberger died in Biel. On the occasion of this anniversary, I would like to pay a brief tribute to the one who was a dear friend and an extraordinary character – pictured above with his favourite oval tourbillon pocket watch and wearing a Ref. 3 wristwatch – whose ideas and personality marked the Swiss watch industry after the Quartz Crisis. I first met Peter in November 1975, during a sale organised by Peter Ineichen auctioneers in Zürich. He was with the famous Derek Pratt. At that time, Peter was one of the world’s leading dealers in antique watches. His charming and authentic nature immediately fascinated me – this is how our friendship started, a friendship that lasted until the end of his life. The name of Peter Baumberger will remain forever in Swiss watchmaking history thanks to his rescue and his revival of the historic brand Urban Jürgensen at Le Locle, which he acquired in the late 1970s. Undeniably, Peter played a pioneering role in the renaissance of the high-quality Swiss mechanical watch, long before others. As a trained watchmaker, he combined cutting-edge technical skills with a very distinct aesthetic sensitivity, as well as with an intimate knowledge of the works of the old masters; the remarkable confluence of these aspects is therefore the basis of his creative work. Peter put all his strength and his spirit at the disposal of Urban Jürgensen to give a new spark to the...

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New: Vacheron Constantin Novelties for 2020 with Editorial commentary Deployant
Vacheron Constantin Novelties Apr 24, 2020

New: Vacheron Constantin Novelties for 2020 with Editorial commentary

Vacheron Constantin Novelties for 2020 For 2020, Vacheron Constantin highlights iconic creations and its watchmaking savoir-faire with new additions to the Traditionnelle and Fiftysix collection, rare crafts and one-of-a-kind creations from the Les Cabinotiers collection, and displaying sporty elegance with extreme technical feats from the Overseas collection. Traditionelle Tourbillon & Traditionelle Tourbillon Jewellery Vacheron ConstantinRead More

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Vacheron Constantin Introduces the Overseas Ultra-Thin Perpetual Calendar Skeleton SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Introduces Apr 24, 2020

Vacheron Constantin Introduces the Overseas Ultra-Thin Perpetual Calendar Skeleton

Since its 2016 relaunch after a major revamp, the Vacheron Constantin Overseas collection has filled out nicely with a diverse range of complications, ranging from world time to tourbillon – and even a one-off prototype that was sold for charity. At Watches & Wonders 2020, Vacheron Constantin debuts the first skeleton model in the line-up, the Overseas Ultra-Thin Perpetual Calendar Skeleton. It has the same gorgeously elegant lines as the standard Overseas perpetual calendar, but now enhanced by the intricately open-worked movement. Rendered only in pink gold for now – other variants will surely emerge if the rest of the collection is anything to go by – the case measures 41.5 mm across and just 8.1 mm high, leaving it surprisingly slimmer than both the Patrimony Ultra-Thin Perpetual Calendar that’s powered by the same movement. In typical Overseas style, both the case and bracelet are finely executed, with alternating brushed and polished surfaces. Even the inner faces of the notches on the bezel are brushed, while the deeply-set inner angles on the bracelet are polished. Framed by a minute ring, the dial is mostly clear sapphire with applied hour markers in pink gold, as well as day, date and month counter rings. The moon phase disc at six o’clock is covered by a frosted portion of the crystal to delineate the age of the moon, with a gold Maltese cross applied on the frosted display. The movement is the cal. 1120QPSQ/1, the skeletonised version of the ultra-t...

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Cartier Introduces the Santos-Dumont Limited Editions SJX Watches
Cartier Introduces Apr 24, 2020

Cartier Introduces the Santos-Dumont Limited Editions

Hot on the heels of the Santos-Dumont XL hand-wind, Cartier has dropped four limited edition variants of the same at Watches & Wonders 2020, each dedicated to one of Alberto Santos-Dumont’s most significant aircraft. Within just a decade, the pioneering Franco-Brazilian aviator designed and piloted diverse methods of conquering the skies, from balloons and dirigibles to heavier-than-air aircraft. The four flying machines commemorated by the new limited edition Santos-Dumont watches each represent a different milestone in his career, starting with his first balloon, the Brésil of 1898, to his greatest feat, the La Demoiselle plane of 1908.   Increasing in edition size as the price decreases with the preciousness of the case, all four editions are mechanical, powered by the ultra-thin 430 MC found in the Santos-Dumont XL, which is actually a Piaget 430P. Though they share the same movement, the editions are not all the same size. The first three are in the large Santos-Dumont case, with dimensions of 43.5 mm by 31.4 mm, perfectly appropriate for a modern-day dress watch, offering just the right balance between elegance and presence. The last and most expensive edition, on the other hand, is platinum and XL size, meaning it is 46.6 mm by 33.9 mm. Santos-Dumont XL in platinum (extreme left), and the trio of large-size editions Santos-Dumont “Le Brésil” Limited to 100 pieces, “Le Bresil” is named after Santos-Dumont’s first flying machine, a hot-air balloon not...

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Cartier Introduces the Pasha de Cartier SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Apr 24, 2020

Cartier Introduces the Pasha de Cartier

As it does every couple of years, or decades, Cartier reintroduces one of its iconic wristwatches, this time the Pasha de Cartier. Launched in 1985 and a big hit in the decade after, the Pasha was Cartier’s original round-case bestseller, long before the Ballon Bleu. Three decades on, the new Pasha makes its debut once again at Watches & Wonders 2020 as a full-fledged collection with models for both men and women, from time-only to skeleton tourbillon, as well as diamond-set versions. Variants of the new Pasha 41 mm for men Mysterious origins Despite having a round case – Cartier is most famous for its shaped watches like the Tank and Santos – the Pasha is amongst the most historically-important Cartier timepieces, apparently. Legend has it that Cartier first created a water-resistant watch in 1934 for the fabulously wealthy Pasha of Marrakesh, Thami El Glaoui, who wanted a watch he could wear while swimming. The result was one of the first-ever luxury-sports watches. While the Parisian jeweller no doubt made a watch to fulfil the Pasha’s request, it was most likely a rectangular Tank Etanche, rather than anything resembling today’s Pasha watch. Inspired by that tale, the modern-day Pasha was born in 1985, penned by the hand of Gerald Genta, the prolific designer whose heyday in the 1970s and 1980s saw him create a string of hits, ranging from the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak to the Bulgari Bulgari. Genta’s creations were often avant-garde in their day, and his...

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CELEBRITY WATCH DEATH MATCH: Jay-Z Vs. Drake’s watch collection - and the winner is… Time+Tide
Ming up not just roses Mar 27, 2020

CELEBRITY WATCH DEATH MATCH: Jay-Z Vs. Drake’s watch collection - and the winner is…

Well, the results are in for the inaugural round of Celebrity Watch Death Match, and everything is coming up not just roses for Jay-Z, but “Rose Gold Concepts”. Which the man himself raps about in ‘Summer’ from the Everything Is Love album, a reference to his Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Chronograph in 18KT Rose Gold. Hove smashed Drizzy … ContinuedThe post CELEBRITY WATCH DEATH MATCH: Jay-Z Vs. Drake’s watch collection – and the winner is… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Cartier Introduces the Santos-Dumont XL Hand-Wound (with Live Photos) SJX Watches
Cartier Introduces Mar 19, 2020

Cartier Introduces the Santos-Dumont XL Hand-Wound (with Live Photos)

Conceived by Louis Cartier for Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont – who needed a timepiece he could read while flying – the Santos-Dumont wristwatch has the double distinction of being the first wristwatch designed from the ground up for men, as well as being the first-ever pilot’s wristwatch. Now the 116-year old design has just received its latest update with the unveiling of the hand-wound Santos-Dumont XL. [Update March 23, 2020: Read the review with more photos.] Though the Brazilian pilot got his wristwatch in 1904, it took until 1911 for the design to be sold commercially. For most of the century since, the Santos-Dumont has been part of the Cartier line-up in one way or another, often in gold but occasionally in platinum (one outlier was a special edition in titanium with a skeleton movement). The most recent facelift happened in 2005, which saw the unveiling of a version without a bezel. The new Santos-Dumont XL in all three versions Last year, the latest generation of the Santos-Dumont was unveiled, marking a return to the iconic Santos bezel with screws. For the first time ever, the Santos-Dumont was available in steel as well as two-tone steel and gold, along with the traditional all-gold case. However, the new Santos-Dumont didn’t quite receive unanimous acclaim because it was quartz movement. But now Cartier has finally unveiled what was long expected, the mechanical Santos-Dumont XL. Measuring 46.6 by 33.9 mm and just 7.5 mm in height...

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Up Close: Kiu Tai Yu Year of the Pig Commemoration SJX Watches
Mar 13, 2020

Up Close: Kiu Tai Yu Year of the Pig Commemoration

Kiu Tai Yu (1946-2020) was famed for achieving several firsts in watchmaking. He was the first watchmaker in Asia to build a tourbillon wristwatch – he debuted the Kiu Tai Yu tourbillon no. 1 in 1991 – and also the first Asian member of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI). Kiu preceded today’s Asian independent watchmakers by some two decades. He joined the AHCI in 1992, making him one of the earliest entrants into the trade body for independent watchmakers that counts George Daniels (1987), Francois-Paul Journe (1988), and Philippe Dufour (1997) as pioneer members. Working out of a tiny shop named Kew & Cie. in Hong Kong’s Central business district, Kiu did one better after building conventional tourbillons – he invented his very own Mystery Tourbillon that had neither a cage nor visible bridge, for which he was granted patents in China, Switzerland, and the United States. Though he was inactive since 2007 when he suffered a stroke, Kiu was prominent internationally in the 1990s, being a regular at Baselworld where he exhibited his exceptionally distinctive watches. His timepieces encapsulated his philosophy of watchmaking – he did it his way. Kiu Tai Yu in his shop. Photo – Vincent Calabrese Inimitable design The aesthetic of his watches was strikingly Chinese and evocative of a particular period in East Asia. It was not so much the elegant, classical style of historical China, but the over-the-top, exuberant look of Hong Kong and ...

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Stefan Ketelaars Introduces the 3D Terra in Motion SJX Watches
Mar 11, 2020

Stefan Ketelaars Introduces the 3D Terra in Motion

Twenty-nine year-old Stefan Ketelaars started his eponymous brand in 2017, producing watches based on the ETA Unitas 6497 and 6498 but modified in a novel manner while still being affordable, starting at just €3,800, or about US$4,300. His signature complications are the “flying regulator” time display and spherical day and night display, but most notable is the balance wheel repositioned to the front of the watch. The most recent model unveiled by Ketelaars Watches, the 3D Terra in Motion with Reverse Balance. The new watch builds on his earlier creation that features a miniature Earth that functions as a day and night display, but adds on the elevated balance wheel. Like the rest of his watches, the 3D Terra in Motion is powered by a heavily modified Unitas 6497. But unlike the usual modified-Unitas fare in this price range that reshape the bridges for a new look, Mr Ketelaars retains most of the components on the back and instead reworks the front. From the back, the distinctive Unitas bridges retain the same shape, but enhanced with pronounced, sloping bevelling on all the edges. The anglage is wide enough that its top edge almost touches the countersinks for the nearby screws and jewels. A Ketelaars Unitas 6497 with a standard balance wheel on the back; the bridges are finished with radial graining and anglage The Reverse Balance The most significant modification on the new 3D Terra in Motion is the repositioning of the balance wheel. Instead of being on the...

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Up Close: Girard-Perregaux Classic Bridges 45 mm SJX Watches
Girard-Perregaux Classic Bridges 45 mm Feb 20, 2020

Up Close: Girard-Perregaux Classic Bridges 45 mm

Girard-Perregaux is best known for the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges, one of the most distinctive and beautiful movements in watchmaking – even 160 years after it was first designed. Characterised by its symmetry and arrow-shaped bridges, the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges is one of the few movements has an irrefutably iconic design. Some of the three-bridges magic has democratised with the Girard-Perregaux Classic Bridges 45 mm, a time-only watch that’s a more affordable take on the 19th century design. Constant Girard’s movement French watchmaker Jean-Antoine Lépine revolutionised the construction of the watch movement around 1770 when he invented the Lépine calibre, which used bridges and cocks to secure the moving parts on the base plate, replacing the prevailing pillar construction where the parts were held between two full plates. Almost a century later, Girard-Perregaux founder Constant Girard took Lépine’s idea a step further by rethinking the layout of the movement, with an eye towards not just mechanical function, but also beauty. A Girard-Perregaux pocket watch with nickel-plated parallel bridges, c. 1875. Photo – Antiquorum Starting in the mid 1850s, Girard began working on a caliber with its barrel, gear train, and regulator arranged vertically in a straight line. They were secured by identical, parallel bridges shaped like an elongated rhombus, creating an incredibly elegant equilibrium in the movement layout. Eventually the large, par...

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Obituary: Kiu Tai Yu, Chinese Independent Watchmaker SJX Watches
Montblanc Feb 17, 2020

Obituary: Kiu Tai Yu, Chinese Independent Watchmaker

Born in China but having worked in Hong Kong for decades, Kiu Tai Yu was long reputed to have been the first watchmaker to produce a tourbillon wristwatch in Asia, having premiered his own in 1990. Before that, only watchmakers in the West had ever produced a tourbillon, a device that was then still regarded as the pinnacle of artisanal watchmaking. A year after unveiling his tourbillon, Kiu became the first Asian member of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI), the association of independent watchmakers that had been established by Svend Andersen and Vincent Calabrese just a few years before. The news of Kiu’s death was first announced by Mr Calabrese on Facebook. Kiu Tai Yu in his shop. Photo – Vincent Calabrese But it was in 1993 that Kiu debuted his most memorable invention, the Mystery Tourbillon. Equipped with an oscillating balance wheel making one revolution a minute, but seemingly with neither a cage nor bridge. The secret lay in a clear sapphire plate that functioned as the upper bridge, while the cage of the tourbillon was reduced to a fish-shaped platform underneath the balance wheel, a construction that has since been adopted in various forms by brands like Montblanc and Zenith. Not content with a mere Mystery Tourbillon, Kiu subsequently installed the invention in a rectangular form movement, and later even added a jumping hour time display. It’s worth pointing out that every one of Kiu’s tourbillon wristwatches was unique, and ...

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