The Watch Thread - Part 4

[Henabi]

There was a watch article I read (probably can be googled) of how Chinese tourbillons may threaten the Swiss watch giants' romantic stories of the watchmaking mastery going into producing a tourbillon and more importantly, wipe out the snob and exclusivity factor that tourbillons currently carry.

might be good...might be bad...

if the Chinese done correctly, of cuz we consumers benefit. but if done wrongly, it may give Tourbillons a bad name

 

[All in a Day]

might be good...might be bad...

if the Chinese done correctly, of cuz we consumers benefit. but if done wrongly, it may give Tourbillons a bad name

Personally hope that the tourbillon aura gets killed off, not because of sour grapes but to kick those swiss giants in the a$$ and force them to innovate and come up with the next breakthrough that can match the tourbillon hype.

According to Wiki, tourbillon technology is more than 200 years old!

 

[TeenTitan01]

Think I saw this at the Bencoolen in one of the 2nd hand dealer shop and a few pieces of AP............................

what can i say about this special edition IWC Portuguese Perpetual Calender?

"big" (dia:46mm/ht:16mm), "gaudy:", "busy-busy dial", "cartoony small dial red-arrowhead hands".

the only saving grace is perhaps the diamond crown and the 7 days power reserve.

an opinion on iwc: IWC Watches - AskMen

also, it's from a company that charges a relatively high premium while using eta movements in their products vis-a-vis their brand image/quality.

IWC Schaffhausen | Fine Timepieces From Switzerland | Forum | GST Movements

nothing against eta movements. they're good & reliable and likely to become scarcer in the future for those not affliated to them.

but an eta movement is an eta movement, modified or not. it's the same movement that powers a tissot - tudor black bay chioness not withstanding.

nothing against cheap & affordable. in fact, from a value for money perspective, seiko 5s are fantastic value for money.

instead may i commend to you the Jaeger LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calender...

"right dress watch sized" (dia:39mm/ht:9.2mm), "oozes class & elegence", "easy to read dial", "expansive sweep from a central seconds hand that animates a watch", from a watchmaking house with a storied history & venerable reputation that manufactures its own movements & most of their parts inhouse, and who supplies to top tier brands like Van Cleef & Arpels for eg.

at a fraction of the price of other perpetual calenders.

that THAT'S value for money!

 

[aerolord]

Hey guys may I know which hourglass branch has AP? Thanx

Raffles hotel de

 

[TeenTitan01]

Blue dial costs less than grey dial? I think bezel is platinum for both but not sure if grey dial is platinum too.

For grey dial, i would personally go for a pre-owned. The YM is not particularly popular and i think could be gotten at a good price pre-owned.

But agree the blue dial is more interesting. I tried on the grey dial before and does not appeal.

what? the silver/grey dial doesn't appeal?

that's because you haven't zhng'd the date wheel to red yet!

So we start with to pull off the bracelet

of course with the red date, the comparison to the thunderbird a.k.a. the turn-o-graph is inevitable.

or perhaps modding it with the daytona bracelet may perk it up for you?

ROLEX YACHT

settling the question about platinum:

Ny sida 1

so what are you waiting for? go get the blue dial yachtmaster...

it's unlikely rolex prices will go down any time soon, lol.

 

[Paladium]

instead may i commend to you the Jaeger LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calender...

Great taste! That caught my eye when it was introduced this year. JLC is indeed one of the most understated brands around, some of their timepieces are really value for money.

All that complications within a small slim case. Magnificent!

 

[All in a Day]

what? the silver/grey dial doesn't appeal?

that's because you haven't zhng'd the date wheel to red yet!

So we start with to pull off the bracelet

of course with the red date, the comparison to the thunderbird a.k.a. the turn-o-graph is inevitable.

or perhaps modding it with the daytona bracelet may perk it up for you?

ROLEX YACHT

settling the question about platinum:

Ny sida 1

so what are you waiting for? go get the blue dial yachtmaster...

it's unlikely rolex prices will go down any time soon, lol.

Thanks! Very informative links. Another bro looking to buy the YM, not me. I just KPO my 2 cents. hehe. Your links should be useful for him too!

 

[All in a Day]

Great taste! That caught my eye when it was introduced this year. JLC is indeed one of the most understated brands around, some of their timepieces are really value for money.

All that complications within a small slim case. Magnificent!

Glad to find some love for JLC here. Aiming for the 2013 Master calendar. Love the date pointer and with the power reserve removed, dial looks less busy and so much more elegant.

 

[TeenTitan01]

Great taste! That caught my eye when it was introduced this year. JLC is indeed one of the most understated brands around, some of their timepieces are really value for money.

All that complications within a small slim case. Magnificent!

ah! a fellow gentlemen of refinement!

the jlc mut pc certainly impressed me far more than the iwc gaudy monstrosity.

so there i was the other day at jlc's MBS boutique hoping to catch a glimpse & cop a feel their boutique only s/s model.

the scoundrels! they told me it will only come in in mar! o_0... wtf?!

disappointed....................!!!

 

[TeenTitan01]

comments invited for this vid:

Top 5 of Suzanne Wong at Baselworld 2013 - YouTube

........

 

[All in a Day]

comments invited for this vid:

Top 5 of Suzanne Wong at Baselworld 2013 - YouTube

........

The red hair is v distracting

 

[pwillie]

Ohhh havent heard of this before man. Is it an independent watch maker as well?

Yes, for those with money to burn...

Tadaaa.... Haldimann H9 reduction watch

a watch with a opaque glass that does not show time....
wear this watch only when you reach nirvana...

 

[TeenTitan01]

The red hair is v distracting

dah-ammm..... the affected accent, verbal cliches and unsophisticated, unfiltered babbling instead of a measured, composed response worthy of haute horology is cringe-inducing. arrrggghhh................!

no pinkerton syndrome here, but compare her to the ang mo?! bleh!

and she's an editor-in-chief? either stick to the printed page and don't embarrass yourself before a camera or for gawd's sake, take some interview, elocution and presentation lessons. stat.

 

[All in a Day]

dah-ammm..... the affected accent, verbal cliches and unsophisticated, unfiltered babbling instead of a measured, composed response worthy of haute horology is cringe-inducing. arrrggghhh................!

no pinkerton syndrome here, but compare her to the ang mo?! bleh!

and she's an editor-in-chief? either stick to the printed page and don't embarrassed yourself before a camera or for gawd's sake, take some interview, elocution and presentation lessons. stat.

Relax la bro, i take it that she should have better horology knowledge than most of us to get to do what she does? N if she doesn't she has the louder last laugh being able to try and critique watches and get paid for it

 

[TeenTitan01]

Yes, for those with money to burn...

Tadaaa.... Haldimann H9 reduction watch

a watch with a opaque glass that does not show time....
wear this watch only when you reach nirvana...

ariel adams says it best:

Haldimann H9 Reduction Watch | aBlogtoWatch

Haldimann H9 Reduction Watch

By Ariel Adams on February 15, 2012 in Haldimann

I thoroughly debated on whether or not I should even cover this "watch." It is from a brand called Haldimann - eponymously named after the watch maker Beat Haldimann, and I think the man is playing a rather cruel joke on watch lovers. One press release I saw on the watch wasn't a press release at all, but a rather diplomatic article written by a Swiss journalist based on his reaction to the watch. As a timepiece this item is utterly indefensible - but optimistically creative types will claim that it is some manner of art. This latter description is probably the kindest thing you can say about this horological insult. I wonder whether or not Beat will next release a pile of screws and gears and call it the "H10 Potential."

Haldimann's H9 watch is called the "Reduction," but to me it is the Revulsion. The watch is "reduced" to a useless tragedy. I should have seen this coming, but perhaps never expected his audacity to go this far. And by audacity I mean it in the American sense... "boldly rude." Please remember that my European friends as you plaster this term all over your speeches and releases. The Haldimann H8 Sculptura watch that preceded the H9 was a step in this direction. The piece (seen below), displayed a centrally mounted tourbillon without an indicator of time. While as a watch it was worthless, it did have some value as a fun thing to look at. I mean that is sort of the point of tourbillon complications - to just see them spinning around. There was a delicate elegance to the H8 that almost made you forgive its rather seditious incompatibility with what watches are all about.

The H9 on the other hand is something entirely futile. It is a luxury watch with a totally opaque sapphire crystal. Let me explain in case the idea isn't clear. Haldimann offers the H9 in a 39mm or 42mm wide solid platinum case. The movement is a nicely made caliber H.Zen-1 manually wound movement with a triple-barrel flying tourbillon... and it is hand engraved. Unlike the H8 it does have and hour and minute hand. Beat's credibility as a watch maker should be enough to ensure that the movement is nicely made. Looking back on earlier "H" collection watches you can see what he is capable of. So after all that he sticks a totally non-transparent black colored domed sapphire crystal over the dial - making it completely obstructed.

Just think about that for a minute. You know, in the luxury watch industry there is the concept of stealth wealth, as well as the concept of hidden luxury that is displayed only to the person wearing the watch. These are meant for connoisseurs who don't wish to flaunt their wealth or items. This watch takes that concept further than it was ever meant to go. Beat will tell you "well you can hear the movement operating through the case." OK, that is cool. So if you wanted to make an art watch that has an opaque crystal where you can only hear the watch working, then I suggest you throw in the most basic of mechanical movements rather than something you actually want to see. According to the brand, "time can thus be imagined, dreamed, or invented." I just threw up in my mouth a little bit - this watch retails for over 150,000 Swiss Francs.

Any one who wears this watch has got to be like the title character in the Emperor's New Clothes. Haldimann will have totally tricked them into thinking that this is some meaningful piece of art and a poetic testament to the ephemeral nature of time. Though everyone really feels like it is a vapid concept but is likely too afraid to say anything. The real tragedy is that under the black crystal is probably a pretty nice watch, but that hardly matters right? This watch makes a lot more sense as an April fool's day joke. In fact I wish I would have thought of it myself. As a serious timepiece the H9 Reduction is simply confounding. It is OK, don't be afraid to call it out for what you feel that it is.

 

[pwillie]

comments invited for this vid:

Top 5 of Suzanne Wong at Baselworld 2013 - YouTube

........

Uninspiring choices... And pls stop messing around with your hair...

 

[ahboy82]

u guys just make me guilty.........

now back to deciding betweem jlc reverso first followed by a yacht master few years later, or the other way round

 

[pwillie]

u guys just make me guilty.........

now back to deciding betweem jlc reverso first followed by a yacht master few years later, or the other way round

Hoot both together... No need to think so much.

 

[mirage_77]

Bookmarked +1

 

[derekliu]

which other watch forums / website u all follow for all kinds of watches?