Revolution
Revolution USA’s Editor-in-Chief, Bhanu Chopra, pays a visit to Stefan Kudoke’s Atelier in Weifa, Germany to find out more about how he creates his incredible hand-finished masterpieces. Stefan very kindly gave us a closer look at his movement skeletonization and finishing techniques!
SJX Watches
As Cortina Watch celebrates its Golden Jubilee this year, it has progressively rolled out a series of commemorative editions, including a pair from Patek Philippe in the form of a unique Dome Clock (that’s unfortunately not for sale) and a special Calatrava ref. 5057G (that fortunately is). Now the Singapore retailer has taken the covers off its most extravagant anniversary edition yet, the Franck Muller Vanguard Revolution 3 Skeleton Cortina Watch 50th Anniversary. The anniversary lineup is made up of five unique versions of Franck Muller’s triple-axis tourbillon wristwatch, each set with 28.4 carats of baguette-cut gemstones. One of the five watches is complete – the others are still being put together – and is on display at an exhibition in Singapore taking place from now till September 13, 2022. The diamond-set version with a rainbow-finished movement that’s now on show in Singapore Initial thoughts Franck Muller is one of the leading practitioners of lavishly-jewelled complicated watches, while Cortina Watch has long been a champion of high-jewellery watches, so the anniversary Vanguard tourbillons make sense both ways. While the large-format bling has a niche appeal, the Vanguard Revolution 3 movement is interesting in itself. In fact, the movement is quintessentially Franck Muller in how it highlights the tourbillon. Here the tourbillon regulator is less about mechanics than visual spectacle. Not only does the tourbillon twi-axial and spherical, it also ...
Hodinkee
That's 192 hours, or 11,520 minutes, or 691,200 seconds.
Deployant
Another newish (est 2017) independent brand Bianchet releases a new version of their only watch - the Tourbillon B1.618 now in Orange Openwork.
SJX Watches
A startup that relies solely on crowdfunding for its timepieces, Code41 has launched a variety of wristwatches since its founding in 2016. All of its products to date have been wristwatches with a stylised, mechanical appearance. Now Code41 is launching its first pocket watch, the Mecascape. Essentially a portable clock that doubles up as a desk clock, the Mecascape is powered by a manually-wound movement with an eight-day power reserve. Like the brand’s other timepieces, the Mecascape has a modern, open-worked aesthetic, but applied to a regulator-style display with each of the indications in separate sub-dials. Initial thoughts More of a portable panel clock than a pocket watch, the Mecascape is an interesting product that doesn’t quite fit into any category of timepiece. The best way to describe it would be as an interesting mechanical object that watch enthusiasts might appreciate. Though slim, it is quite large at about 10 cm long, which is about a third shorter than an iPhone. The size means its practicality as a portable timepiece is limited. It would seem more useful as a small desk clock. Visually it has the modern, open-worked aesthetic found on watches from the likes of Richard Mille and Hublot. The style works well with the concept of the Mecascape. And thanks to its scale the mechanics are more easily observed than on a wristwatch. At just over US$9,300, the Mecascape seems fairly priced on initial examination, largely thanks to its unconventional form and...
Time+Tide
The human brain is a curious thing. Having written many a review and introducing post, I feel like I’ve become increasingly more selective about the type of watch I really like. While my interests evolved, one constant has been my aloofness towards skeletonisation. Then the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Skeleton happened, and completely blew me … ContinuedThe post How the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Skeleton changed my perception of openworking appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Vacheron Constantin introduces a new dial colour to the acclaimed Overseas Perpetual Calender Ultra-Thin Skeleton model, now with a full gold bracelet.
SJX Watches
Based in the capital city of the Netherlands, Fratello Watches is a watch magazine best known for having coined the social media hashtag “Speedy Tuesday” dedicated to the Omega Moonwatch. But its latest announcement comes from the realm of independent watchmaking in the form of the Fratello x Louis Moinet Memoris Spirit 40 Chronograph Limited Edition. A new take on Louis Moinet’s signature chronograph, the Fratello edition will be available on its website on August 16. The 25-piece limited edition employs orange accents to dress up the open-worked aesthetic of the Memoris Spirit, which has a laterally-coupled, column wheel-equipped chronograph constructed on the dial. Initial thoughts More compact than past Louis Moinet chronographs, the Memoris Spirit 40 is wearable and lightweight, although it remains a notably thick watch due to the height of the movement. The height is justified because the watch is all about the movement, which is obviously interesting. All of the intricacies of the chronograph mechanism are exhibited on the dial, making it one of the few watches to have a traditional chronograph set-up visible on the front. However, the base movement relies on the architecture of the Valjoux 7750, which is a good thing from a reliability and functionality perspective, though one would hope for something fancier at this price point. The styling of the watch is simpler than the average Louis Moinet, but still elaborately conceived. The lugs, for instance, are ope...
Quill & Pad
A star is born! In the movie 'Last Looks' Mel Gibson asks, “Have you seen what this man wears? It costs more than the house I grew up in.” The reply: “It’s a Kudoke Skeleton; they only make 35 a year.”
SJX Watches
A great deal of meaning is placed on anniversaries in watchmaking and Cortina Watch is celebrating its Golden Jubilee in 2022 with a slew of limited edition watches and a very special clock. The latest timepiece for the Singapore retailer’s milestone anniversary is the H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton “Cortina Watch 50th Anniversary”. A variant of the Endeavour tourbillon, this 10-piece limited edition watch features the brand’s signature fumé dial in blue, along with a one-minute flying tourbillon equipped with an uncommon cylindrical hairspring. Initial thoughts The watch combines the elegant and minimal design typical of Moser with the more contemporary that results from the cleanly open-worked movement. And despite being based on an existing model that was just introduced in March of this year, the Cortina edition is still impressive, largely thanks to the skeletonised movement. The cylindrical hairspring maybe be an anachronistic novelty rather than a practical innovation, but one that is rare in modern watchmaking, visually interesting, and historically significant, being rooted in 19th century marine chronometers. Moser aesthetics At 42 mm in diameter, the Cortina edition has the same dimensions as the standard model in white gold. In contrast, the Cortina version is in 18k red gold. Time is indicated on a domed sub-dial at 12 o’clock with the graduated “Funky Blue” finish that is synonymous with Moser. But unlike most othe...
Quill & Pad
Martin Green thinks that the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Skeleton 39mm is sized perfectly. And to see the skeletonized movement and (nearly) all its parts, the way they interact and work, is captivating.
Deployant
We take a deep dive close look at the Ulysse Nardin Diver X. With detailed analysis, live photographs, competitive comparisons and prices.
SJX Watches
The preeminent – and perhaps only international – awards for watchmaking, Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), has just announced the competing timepieces of 2022. We are please that one of own editions, the Kudoke 2 “Zodiac”, is competing in “Artistic Crafts”. Created last year for the 10th anniversary of SJX Watches, the Kudoke 2 “Zodiac” is a candidate alongside marques like Voutilainen and Hermes in a category that calls for “exceptional mastery of one or several artistic techniques such as enamelling, lacquering, engraving, guilloché (engine-turning), skeleton-working, etc.” The Zodiac is all about engraving – done by hand naturally – with both the front and back decorated in relief and textures. Both the dial and movement are fully engraved by the hands of the skilful artisans at Kudoke. The hand engraving is extensive and complete, with is nothing on the dial or movement that is engraved by machine – even the brand name on the dial is executed by hand. But the Zodiac is more than just artisanal technique. It is also an artistic creation: the hour symbols on the dial were commissioned especially for the watch and drawn by Canadian illustrator Lee Yuen-Rapati, who’s now the in-house designer at Fears. He cleverly combined both a sign of the zodiac and Roman numeral into each hour markers. The marker at ten, for instance, is Aquarius but also contains “X”, the Roman numeral for “10”. To echo the celestial theme on the fr...
SJX Watches
Having made it a point to collaborate with contemporary artists – last year the brand recruited tattooist Dr Woo to design a watch – Roger Dubuis has now turned to Hajime Sorayama. Best known for his mirrored, metallic female robots – which were the centrepiece of Dior’s 2019 men’s collection – the Japanese illustrator applied his aesthetic to Roger Dubuis’s signature time-only wristwatch to create the Excalibur Sorayama Monobalancier. The Excalibur is perhaps the quintessential face for the Roger Dubuis of today. Skeletonised and sharply sculpted, the watch – as well as its movement – have been reworked by Mr Sorayama in the manner of his trademark robot drawings. Both the watch case and movement gain the rounded, mirror-polished finish that define Mr Sorayama’s work, which extends to depictions of Mickey Mouse and dinosaurs. A typical Sorayama work: Untitled, 2018. Image – Art Basel Initial thoughts Roger Dubuis’ current offerings are ultra-modern timepieces that are done well in both construction and finish, but they are often overshadowed by their traditional predecessors. That’s a shame because watches such as the Monobalancier are amongst the better examples of a sporty, skeletonised watch. Already original and creative in both the movement and case, the Monobalancier is now made more appealing with the Sorayama touch. The artist has given the watch a makeover that’s subtle yet significant, reshaping some elements and giving most of t...
Revolution
Jeremiah speaks with CEO and owner of H. Moser & Cie, Edouard Meylan, who was in Singapore to introduce a limited edition Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of local luxury watch retailer Cortina. The partnership between Moser and Cortina goes back two generations and looks set to grow in the Asia […]
Hodinkee
And Alexander Schmiedt, President of Vacheron Constantin Americas, sits down to talk about Vacheron's approach to developing the Overseas line.
SJX Watches
Greubel Forsey’s house style is often contemporary in design but traditional in decoration and construction, an approach best embodied by its watches with an open-worked movement for the dial. Now the brand has reimagined its usually classical movement aesthetic and combined it with a sleek and sharp case to create the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Architecture. While the Architecture is fundamentally an iteration of the brand’s fastest-rotating and inclined tourbillon, it is powered by an all-new movement with swooping bridges and satisfyingly sharp lines. And the new calibre is contained within a sleek titanium case with an integrated strap, one no doubt inspired by its bestselling sports watches. Initial thoughts When I first saw images of the watch, my instinctive reaction was that it lived up to the name – it is impressive and architectural. I like the complex forms within the movement, which creates immense depth while also being slightly organic thanks to the curved, polished bridges. And the streamlined case is impressively detailed, especially on its flanks and edges. In fact, the Architecture is a major step forward over its predecessors in terms of architecture, no pun intend, in how it creates a strikingly more modern aesthetic for the movement while preserving the signature Greubel Forsey elements like the enormous bridge for the canon pinion that holds the hands or the jewels in chatons. One ingredient of its successful architecture is the shrewd and genero...
Deployant
The Krypton™ collection is gets a new model inspired by the Vanguard Racing Skeleton collection. The collection is known for its stylish engine-turned skeletonized dial, and is fit with two complications, a chronograph and a large date.
Hodinkee
A sporty and technical Overseas steps out of the Les Historiques' shadow.
Deployant
Ulysse Nardin relaunches 175 new pieces in black Carbonium with a flashy yellow rubber strap or a black R-STRAP made of upcycled fishing nets.
SJX Watches
A young brand that’s managed to pull together impressive knowhow across the supply chain – most notably by turning to Kenissi for its movements and recruiting Jean-Claude Biver – Norqain is all about affordable, sporty watches. Most of Norqain’s offerings stick to a similar formula, but of its more interesting watches is the newly-launched Independence 22 Skeleton. Sellita-powered and open-worked, the model was originally released as a 100-piece run with a DLC-coated case and bracelet. The limited edition sold briskly, which explains the new, regular-production version in steel with a tone-on-tone look that’s arguably better looking than its all-black predecessor. Initial thoughts Skeletonised watches that are affordable – meaning a retail price of US$5,000 or less – often look the part. Such watches are usually plain and occasionally cheap looking, purely as a consequence of price constraints. But the Independence 22 Skeleton manages to avoid that and it looks good as the sum of its parts. The Independence skeleton gets a lot right. To start with, the case measures 42 mm wide and 11.8 mm tall – it’s a big watch but the width-to-height ratio is well balanced; a smaller case would have made it seem disproportionately thick. The movement has been intricately open worked and most of the brass wheels have been rhodium-plated for a consistent, monochromatic appearance that illustrate the attention to detail in its design. Combined with the raised chapter ...
SJX Watches
Having debuted an elaborately open-worked watch in 2014 and then applied its trademark style to something more basic, Garrick has just unveiled its fifth model to date, the S5. Retaining the quintessential elements of Garrick, namely a guilloche dial with Roman numerals and hands with an uncommonly large counterweight, the S5 is essentially a smaller and simpler iteration of Garrick’s earlier models, but it’s an all-new watch in a technical sense. Equipped with a new, in-house movement, the S5 sets itself apart from its predecessors with compact dimensions that make it Garrick’s smallest to date. Initial thoughts The proportions of the S5 are its primary point of appeal. It’s only 39 mm wide and 8 mm tall, making it substantially smaller than the brand’s previous offerings. Those were all 42 mm in diameter, making them too large for the largely elegant and traditional aesthetic. And the large case size also brought to mind similarly styled but less expensive watches equipped with Unitas movements. Along with the reduced size, the S5 is also the brand’s most minimalist watch so far and the first with centre seconds. Given that Garrick’s earlier models all had subsidiary seconds, the centre seconds (and the smaller diameter) makes it clear that the movement within the S5 is different. It is indeed a new calibre, albeit one that wasn’t originally constructed with a centre seconds, which requires means a secondary train was required to reposition the second...
Time+Tide
EDITOR’S NOTE: Let’s face it watch spotting is a game that’s fraught with error. Yesterday, we suggested in this story that Chris Hemsworth was wearing a Bulgari Octo Finissimo Extra Thin. We’ve since received confirmation that the watch in question was, in fact, the skeletonised version of this watch. The copy below has now been … ContinuedThe post Chris Hemsworth shows how to do the red carpet right with a Bulgari Octo Finissimo Skeleton appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Watch enthusiasts can be a quirky bunch. So fanatical is our passion, we sometimes forget that not everyone is like us. For every one of us, there are a thousand “normals”, perfectly happy strapping on their Apple Watch, Fitbit, or, perish the thought, nothing at all. Unless I’m in a fairly large metropolis, I can … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Mido Multifort Skeleton Vertigo is a strong value play inspired by a true Aussie icon appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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