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Weekly Wrist Watch Round Up

Contributor — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 19:52:31 +0000

Zurich-based Maurice de Mauriac timepieces are now available with an optional upgraded movement purchased by high-end watch movement maker Concepto. The cool new chronograph movements are mostly black with compelling decor.

Girard-Perregaux’s very respectable Sea Hawk II diving watch model gets reviewed. The famous durable diver has some of the best luminant on the market in a very detailed package with an in-house made automatic movement.

This week’s “Watch What-If” examines some conceptual versions of the well known BR01 Heritage watch by Bell & Ross.

Hublot watches will soon begin to releases luxury watches with a new type of highly-scratch resistant gold that is a mixture of 18k gold and ceramic called “Magic Gold.” Magic Gold is more than twice as scratch resistant as normal gold.

Here is Richard Mille’s almost $100,000 wrist watch. The RM037 offers again a visually complex yet slick design with Richard Mille’s signature industrial look.

One of the most original and fascinating high-end “alternative” mechanical watch movements was the winch operated Tourbillon Vertical developed by Swiss Cabestan. Their first major watch is now followed up with the Trapezium in a new case but with all the existing appeal.

Navy SEALs connection or not, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Diving Chronograph GMT is an awesome high-end sport watch and is reviewed here. This limited edition model is in titanium with a chronograph and second timezone.

You can also listen to the Hourtime podcast where we discuss many of these pieces this week.

Click to view slideshow.

Phosphor Releases The World Time Sport

John Biggs — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:30:34 +0000

Phosphor has just announced a new world time/dual timezone model, the World Time Sport. The company is well-known for their e-ink watches (we reviewed a few here) and this one uses a touch interface to scroll through multiple timezones as well as various screens including a dual-time screen for travelers.

The limitations of e-ink make it hard to add features like stopwatches and timers, which can get frustrating for sports fans, but this watch is a bit more rugged than the current e-ink line up and comes in three colors, orange, black, and white.

It’s available for pre-order now for $80 and will ship in December.

Product Page

Hands On With The MB&F LM1: The Coolest Watch You’ll See Today

John Biggs — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:26:07 +0000

I got to sit down with Steve Hallock, the North American president of MB&F and driving force behind the Swiss watch brand’s western expansion. The watch he brought for us is the LM1 aka the Legacy Machine #1, a new piece we wrote about earlier last month and that is just now shipping to oligarchs and captains of industry around the world.

First, a bit about the piece:

In fidelity to high-quality 19th century pocket watches, LM1 features a sedately oscillating (2.5 Hz), large diameter balance with traditional Breguet overcoil suspended from majestic twin arches; its enigmatic regulating mechanism in full view, but without apparent connection to the movement. Both the hours AND the minutes on each of the two sub dials can be set completely independently of each other – dual time zone complications usually do not allow independent adjustment of the minutes – their domed dials further reinforcing visual references to the golden age of watchmaking (1780-1850). Looking like a miniature sextant, a world-first vertical power reserve indicator keeps track of available power while providing a visual three-dimensional counterpoint to the graceful arches supporting the balance.

The LM1 is striking in real life. The dual dials are hand-enameled and the beautiful balance wheel hanging in the middle of the face creates a sort of clever, steampunkish beating heart that brings the whole piece together. How much is this thing? About $90,000, on a good day, although I’m sure Steve can get us all discounts.

Waterproof Nano Watch Concept Will Keep Your Nano High And Dry

John Biggs — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:59:30 +0000

Hey, broham, hitting the waves today? You better go pledge $49 to get the Proof Nano case, a case that turns your Nano into a waterproof watch. Designed by the folks at Boombotix, the watch will completely protect your Nano and even supports a small Bluetooth adapter that will stream tunes to your wireless headphones automagically.

The Kickstarter project will be funded at $17,000, so get cracking.

You can also pledge $99 to get the watch and all of the connectors, including the Bluetooth dongle, and $149 gets you a Bluetooth speaker as well. The Proof is IP68 water resistant and includes a waterproof headphone adapter.

The Proof is constructed for durable polyurethane coated with a thick silicone wrapping. The touch screen on the iPod Nano retains full functionality with the use of an ultra thin polycarbonate lens. The strap on the Proof is made of ultra thick, yet flexible silicone. With this engineering, we’ve managed to create an IP68 grade seal to protect the nano up to a 3m depth. With The Proof, say goodbye to water damage or impact casualties and say hello to doing everything you love with the convenience and control of your music right on your wrist.

Project Page

Video: A Look At The Fastest Chronograph Watch Ever Made

John Biggs — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:21:35 +0000

The video below shows TAG Heuer’s Mikrotimer Flying 1000 Concept watch in action. This mechanical watch times things to 1/1000th of a second – 300 times faster than a human blink. As the watch spins maniacally, it’s actually meting out 1/1000ths of a second at 500 Hz. That means the small balance wheel inside pops back and forth 3.6 million times an hour – a speed that would shatter many mechanical systems.

Still not impressed? The average Rolex measures time at about 28,800 beats per hour and would probably balk at measuring time at speeds higher than 50,000 bph. As Hodinkee notes, the Mikrotimer is an “incredibly powerful caliber.” In short, this watch is a completely mechanical device that runs faster than a sports car engine and comes in a package about as big as a silver dollar.

The watch isn’t available – it’s still a concept – but it’s a real beauty and surprisingly unique.

Weekly Wrist Watch Round Up

John Biggs — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 15:10:34 +0000

How does Switzerland do US patriotism? With a watch of course. Like it or not, Perrelet has just released this spinning stars and stripes version of their Turbine watch called the Turbine XL America.

We don’t care that this watch is made for a Dutch soccer team – what we do care about is that this highly limited edition Netherlands-made Pellikaan Timing FC Utrecht timepiece is great looking with a sweet mix of classic, modern, and sport.

If you don’t have the right watch to wear while assembling your new computer rig – you know, to really get you in the mood- Click Watches’ DIP Switch or Turn Switch watch look like circuit board parts and are probably your best bet.

New from Porsche Design is the pretty neat looking P’6620 Chronograph Dashboard watch. We like the case the best, and with it you’ll have that comfy feeling knowing you are wearing something “designer.”

Sober and presentable is often how you want to go with a nice watch. No one is better at that than the British. English watch brand Bremont gets their new BC Solo watch reviewed here.

Since when to high-end timepieces and obscure comic strip character go together? They don’t, well save for this one-of-a-kind Reverso Zep watch from Jaeger-LeCoultre.

The best part of these “Sea-God” watches is that the guys who made them take them seriously. In reality they are an actually nice looking high-end joke. If you are a Rolex fan you’ll understand.

You Know, For Triathlons: Polar RCX5 Heart Rate Watch Review

John Biggs — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:57:59 +0000

I’ve used quite a few heart rate monitoring watches in my day. I’ve played with Suuntos and Nikes aplenty, with whosits and whatsits galore. But the RCX5 is different in its utter simplicity. Designed to be worn while swimming, running, or biking, all of the smarts are actually in the optional sensors, leaving the watch itself as basic as a $20 Timex with a few tricks up its sleeve.

The base kit – that is, the watch, heart rate band, and a battery – costs $349. Although the watch and sensors are ostensibly OS X and Windows compatible, you’re going to be more comfortable using the software on Windows. I had some issues with the Mac sync and it wouldn’t work at all for me using a MacBook Air. It did work on my Mac Pro at home.

The extra gear costs, well, extra, although different packages – Run, Bike, Multi – add more than $100 to that price on the high end. To be clear, this watch is a major investment. The watch supports the Polar bike cadence and speed sensors, running pedometers, and GPS units. The heartrate monitor is water resistant as is the watch so you can wear it in all sorts of situations.

The battery lasts about six to eight months of regular use, which can be attributed to the watch’s dependence on radio communications. This is a far sight better, however, than most rechargeable models.

The things that stand out the most for me with this unit is the size, compact shape, and simplicity. Rather than cruft up the UI with “ghost running partners” and “time to exercise” reminders – although those are useful in some cases – this watch is no nonsense. The goal is to strap it on, do your training, be it biking, running, or swimming, and then look at the results. It’s a real sports watch in that it doesn’t want to help you loose weight or meet friends in the park for a jog. It wants to make you a machine.

To use it you simply strap everything to your body or bike, press the red “go” button to select a sport, and then press it again to start recording. You can also run pre-set workouts that you define in software. There are multiple activity readouts including a screen that shows current heart rate level (in comparison to the ideal) as well as speed, cadence, and distance. You can also set a special “gesture:” bringing your watch up to your heart rate monitor sets the watch to a different screen momentarily, a screen that you can preset. For example, you could set it to show you current time or distance and then drop back down to a read-out that focuses on heart rate.

DC Rainmaker has a video:

Once you have the watch, however, you need the accessories. It’s this upsell that may peeve some watch owners used to having an all-in-one solution although, I’d warrant, this looks better with a dress shirt that any of the monstrous GPS watches Garmin offers. Because this watch is only as good as its complementary sensors, so we’ll address those one by one.

Cadence sensors (bikes) – I tested the $30 CS speed sensor W.I.N.D. and the complementary $30 cadence sensor on my bike and got strong, consistent readings. Installation is a snap – you just place the sensor on one part of the bike and a little magnet on the other (placement varies). The sensors are small enough to be unobtrusive and are water resistant.

GPS – I also tested the small G5 GPS sensor, a device about the size of an iPod Nano that acted as a GPS antenna. It picked up a strong signal in New York and, surprisingly, also picked up a nice signal in Poland after about 30 minutes of searching. This small sensor comes with an arm band and is rechargeable via USB. Precision was strong – once the device achieved a satellite lock – but moving to a new location required another lengthy search process.

Foot pod – I tried the $113 s3+ stride sensor that connects to your shoe and senses current stride and footfall. I found this to be far more convenient than the GPS unit although slightly less precise.

Heart rate monitor – The standard model was comfortable, unobtrusive, and water resistant. It worked fine in all situations and I often forgot I was wearing it.

I’m away from my main computer and was unable to synchronize the watch with my Mac on this trip but here is a screen from the workout designer, a system for creating special interval workouts with a set speed and heart rate. You can also upload ready-made workouts to the watch and, for example, perform a set of intervals based on your specific goals.

If you’re looking for endurance-specific features, the RCX5 has them in spades. To be clear, I’m a big fat blogger so I can’t address the actual utility of these tools so I’ll paste them verbatim here for you to peruse. That said, I can state that this watch is different in that it definitely offers far more data than I’ve ever seen from a standard “runner’s” watch. Will it inspire me to do an Ironman? Probably not, but a boy can dream.

Sport Profiles: Essential for multisport and triathletes, this feature enables users to quickly switch between sports during training. With just a few button presses, this feature quickly adjusts settings to the current sport. It automatically detects any sensors needed, so that no time or training data is lost between swims, rides or runs. Four sport profiles come pre-loaded into the RCX5, and more can be added based on the user’s preferences.
ZoneOptimizer: Knowing how hard to train can be a challenge and it depends on many factors, including physical and mental state, stress, sleep, and previous training. The brand new ZoneOptimizer feature eliminates guesswork by adjusting personal heart rate zones based on a user’s current physiological condition. It guides training at the right intensity, making every session more effective.
Race Pace: The perfect feature for regulating speed and race strategy, Race Pace allows users to set a target time for a certain distance, and then displays the current pace/speed, as well as how far ahead or behind the user is from the target.
Training Load: This feature within polarpersonaltrainer.com displays a color-coded graph of a user’s cumulative training load, notifying a person when he or she has recovered enough for the next session, and accurately predicting training developments to prevent overtraining. This data also provides intelligence to modify training sessions as necessary.
polarpersonaltrainer.com: Several upgrades have been incorporated into the free online training journal to support the RCX5 users. Users can now create complete endurance training programs for running and cycling, including warm-up, work and cool-down sessions. The training programs can be easily synched to the RCX5 via the DataLink data transfer unit. After each session, it is easy to track progress online over time.

I’m obviously coming at this from the perspective of a dilettante so I’d recommend you also check out this exhaustive review by DC Rainmaker. For the average weekened runner, however, I think this watch may be a little too powerful and a little too expensive. While I wouldn’t recommend the Nike+ GPS watch for city-dwellers, it works just fine and Garmin has always pleased me with their self-contained heart rate/GPS watches.

Is this the watch for a weekend warrior? Probably not. It’s pricey, complicated, and oftentimes overkill. However, is this the watch for a serious triathlon trainee with a geek’s love of numbers? Absolutely.

Product Sets

RCX5 Bike (MSRP $389.95):

RCX5 training computer
WearLink®+ Hybrid transmitter
CS speed sensor W.I.N.D.
DataLink data transfer unit
Getting Started Guide

RCX5 Run (MSRP $419.95):

RCX5 training computer
WearLink®+ Hybrid transmitter
s3+ stride sensor
DataLink data transfer unit
Getting Started Guide

RCX5 Multi (MSRP $469.95)

RCX5 training computer
WearLink®+ Hybrid transmitter
G5 GPS sensor
DataLink data transfer unit
Getting Started Guide

RCX5 Basic Set (MSRP $349.95) (Available July 2011):

RCX5 training computer
WearLink®+ Hybrid transmitter
DataLink data transfer unit
Getting Started Guide

Product Page

LUM-TEC's All Tungsten M26 Watch Reviewed

Contributor — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:34:49 +0000

Some people call it “LUM-TEC’s best watch yet.” This is the LUM-TEC M26 limited edition watch. Out of the M collection it sports an automatic movement with a power reserve indicator and a solid tungsten carbide case. With a mirror finish and heavy weight – this is one hell of a watch.

Read the rest here…

Chanel's Titanium Ceramic Chromatic Watch Hands-On

Contributor — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:03:42 +0000

In my short years as an ‘aspiring’ watch photographer, few timepieces have truly evaded a good picture as the Chanel J12 Chromatic. The rich universe of hues that emit from Chanel’s new “chromatic” material are more or less impossible to capture in stills – as the colors mix and meld with the light so amazingly. It is a sin to evaluate this watch for yourself seeing it in still images alone.

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Blancpain L-evolution Tourbillon Large Date Watch With Trick Rotor

Contributor — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:50:19 +0000

The name of this watch doesn’t actually include its most thrilling feature. For 2011, this is the Blancpain L-evolution Tourbillon Large Date watch. It is true that it has a flying tourbillon and a big date indicator but turn it over and you see the power reserve indicator on the rotor. Complications on rotors seem to be really “in” this year. In 2011 alone, on automatic rotors, we have seen seconds indicators (Cartier), tourbillons (Jacob & Co.), and now a power reserve indicator on this Blancpain. Coincidence? Probably not.

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Checking Out Ellicott Majesty Watches

Contributor — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:41:29 +0000

I got a call a few months ago from Ellicott’s CEO, he was anxious to speak with me about an article I had written about the brand. Let me back up a moment, here. I learned about Ellicott maybe or year or two ago. The brand is only in their second year of existence as of writing this article. From the beginning, I have enjoyed the look of most of their watches and was impressed by their in-house movement. It is a brand I had high esteem for.

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The Romain Jerome Titanic-DNA Watch Reviewed

Contributor — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 20:15:19 +0000

It takes a lot for a timepiece to be truly controversial. I am not just talking about people arguing whether a design is pretty or not. I mean a real discussion on whether the concept and construction of the watch is in good taste. Few people have been able to pull this off, and in the watch industry one man has been able to do it a few times – Yvan Arpa. For me, this watch sums him up, as well as the legacy he left behind during his time at Swiss watch brand Romain Jerome.

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Hublot's Complicated F1 Tourbillon Chronograph Watch

Contributor — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:43:14 +0000

I am not always sure what Jean-Claude Biver is thinking. The machine-gun minded Swiss CEO covers so many bases when deciding what new Hublot watches are made that it can be almost impossible to predict what will come next. However, I do know one thing: Mr. Biver is watch lover. It might sound ironic, or silly, but when a watch lover runs a watch brand, it is a good thing. And trust me, not all watch brand CEOs are watch lovers.

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Tag Heuer's Android Powered Link Smart Phone

Contributor — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:25:11 +0000

No, it isn’t a watch but it does tell the time – this is the exclusive debut of the Link Smart Phone with pictures and details. It started with the Meridiist luxury phone in 2008 and now comes the Link Smart Phone – the second major mobile phone from Tag Heuer. It will run Android and be tough as nails according to Tag Heuer. One major complaint many people have about super high-end phones (aside from the obvious complaints) is that they are no more, or less durable that normal phones. Drop many of them and bye-bye to telecom investment.

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German Temption Timepieces Hands-On

Contributor — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:29:22 +0000

In a little room underneath Basel I sit with the humble and talented Mr. Klaus Ulbrich of Temption Germany. Temption is one of those underdog watch brands that I have been rooting for, for years. I have written about their watches a lot on aBlogtoRead.com – and reviewed a few as well (such as the CGK203 and the Cameo). Which you can search for easily. This is the first time that I have actually gotten to meet Mr. Ulbrich and it is an honor to meet the man behind these watches.

Read the rest here…

Space Invaders Video Game Gets A Luxury Wrist Watch Treatment

Contributor — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:02:40 +0000

The best part of these timepieces is easily the box. I wasn’t allowed to take pictures, but Romain Jerome showed me a sneak preview of the Space Invaders watches back in March. The idea is to recall some of the fun and playfulness, as well as the novelty of the late 1970s video game. The box is actually a light box and you place the watch inside of it. Actually the watch is already placed inside of it and there are no doors, just a peep hole. If you want to remove the watch – consider it a fun challenge (like the game). Inside the box is a black light, then when lit illuminates the lume on the dial of the Space Invader watches. It is cool and fun, and perhaps better with LSD.

Review Of The Cartier Calibre Watch

Contributor — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:18:53 +0000

There is a word that is thrown around a lot in the watch world that means the public takes a watch (or anything else for that matter) seriously. That word is legitimacy and I love to hear the French pronounce it. Cartier is what they call a legitimate brand. They have heaps of reputation, a solid history and plenty of important people who wear their products. Classic Cartier designs are also a great influence to their direct competitors. They really are the model of a solid luxury watch brand.

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Cartier's Calibre Watch Gets An Astrotourbillon

Contributor — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:46:45 +0000

Over the last few years my interest and respect for Cartier has really grown. Sure, a lot of their timepieces are mass produced, but they have a penchant for good, lasting design. No doubt I am not a fan of all of their watches, but little escapes from their manufacture without being really good for at least some people. Good design – as I am learning more and more – is not easy. Designing something to look outstanding and really cool for 5 minutes is really not that hard. Executing a design that looks good each time you look at it, for years, isn’t so easy. In this department, Cartier has succeeded for a long time. I find myself wondering what their secret is.

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Gerge Watches Teams Up With Ferrari Wheel Maker Giovanna

Contributor — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:31:30 +0000

Newcomer watch brand Gergé is less than two years old and has released their first “relationship” watch with high-end automobile wheel maker Giovanna. The wheel brand is best known for their Ferrari wheels that the Ferrari factory automatically included in their own car warranties if you choose to use aftermarket wheels.

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The Good Looks Of The Tissot T-Navigator Watch Collection

Contributor — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:34:12 +0000

Tissot offers up a new T-Navigator watch for 2011 and it is a very desirable collection of timepieces. Relatively affordable and good looking, this range is going to find itself on a lot of wrists. The first thing that I noticed, aside from the aviator style dial, is the amount of detail that went into the case. Most aviator watches have rather blase, ho-hum cases that aren’t very exciting. Offering a more technical and modern interpretation of the classic aviator, Tissot ensures that the cases themselves are as interesting as the dials.

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