The BR-X2 Tourbillon Micro-Rotor

From Bell & Ross -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

So proof positive that I have been living a somewhat un-examined life - apparently when Bell & Ross has utilized the letter X in its naming conventions, it is to indicate that the watch is part of an experimental range.  Clearly I've been a bit asleep at the switch.

Having said all of that, this is the BR-X2 Tourbillon Micro-Rotor.

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

Here are the pertinents, straight from Bell & Ross HQ:

Movement:
calibre BR-CAL.380. Automatic mechanical.
 
Functions:
hours and minutes. Flying tourbillon at 6 o'clock.

Case:
42.5 mm in diameter. Satin-polished steel.

Dial:
skeletonised. Metal applique Superluminova®filled indices. Metal skeletonised Superluminova®filled hour and minute hands.

Crystal:
sapphire with anti-reflective coating.
Water-resistance:
50 metres.

Strap:
grey alligator.

Buckle:
folding. Steel

 

 

 

Something Cool

form Mondaine

Courtesy of Mondaine

These are the two new Mondaine Helvetica No1 Regular 2nd Time Zone watches.  Available with a silver/white dial (above), and a black dial (below).

Courtesy of Mondaine

This model measures 40 mm in diameter, and offers two time zones.

The movement is Ronda's quartz 6203.B BIG DUAL.

Courtesy of Mondaine

The US retail is $425.  The perfect watch to help you keep time on your summer travels.



 

Back to the Future - 15 Days with the Nomos Club Campus - Part 1

One of the great things about writing a blog about watches is that you get to find out first hand what a certain watch is like IN REAL LIFE.  I got a chance to check out the new Nomos collections at BaselWorld back in March.  And sometimes the lack of sleep, poor food and beverage choices and relentless pace of appointments all combine to give you a better impression of a watch than you would normally have in the cold light of day.  This was NOT one of those times!

I saw a lot of watches, and the one that really stuck with me was the Club Campus.  It was, admittedly, the smallest of the new Club pieces on offer, but I said at the time that in many ways, this version was the perfect watch for most men (and women).  And that continued to be my opinion during the first few days of the review.  

As you can see, the Club Campus covers the space on my hairy wrist quite well.  The face is clear and easy to read, and owing to the longer lugs, it is the perfect amount of "wrist coverage" for me.  And then I thought, maybe it might not be such a bad idea to get a woman's perspective on this one.  And so, without further pause, I give you Wendy Henderson's impressions -

Many a timepiece has crossed the threshold of the Henki home over the last several years in relation to Tempus Fugit's 15-day review. All have been interesting, many simply stunning- and saying goodbye to some has been immensely difficult.  As with so many things however, when there is so much abundance, it is hard sometimes to distinguish one from the other or for one to stand out from the rest of the crowd.  This is not to cast aspersions on the brand or the piece; it's simply that unless you are a true aficionado, it's just not always easy to appreciate the movement or dial or design the same way. 

On the other hand (no pun intended)...there are those which just sing to us.  Something intangible draws us in and it's pretty much love-at-first-sight.  And so it was for me and the Nomos.  I love the clean lines (very Mid-Century Modern) and simple design,  the color scheme, the band, the weight, the look and the feel.  This is a watch for everyday, a truly elegant little piece that makes me smile every time I look at it- and I look at it often! (Poor James hasn't had much opportunity to 'review' it since it's barely left my wrist; a sure sign I am in a slight state of lust here!) Incredibly comfortable- and legible- there is nothing to distract the eye.  Just a clever little quirk of the indices and an overabundance of class.  If Hans Wegner or the Eames' were designing a timepiece, I think this would be it. And as with all things MCM, I have no doubt this little gem will stand the test of time.

 

Saying goodbye will be exceedingly hard...

 

And yes, gentle reader, I did manage to recover the Club Campus and complete the review ; )

I have already mentioned the size, and to reiterate, it is actually what I would call Goldilocks size - JUST RIGHT.  This is contrary to what most would have to say, but believe it or not, at 36 mm in diameter, the Club Campus is PLENTY big for most guys.  The one variance for some (and possibly me) is that the owner might opt for a longer strap, and I do know that these are available in the standard leather, and I am not sure if the velour straps will be offered in longer sizes.  And in fairness, I get it.  The velour straps, by and large, are more of a style preference you might expect in a watch targeted more specifically for women.  Now having said that, the velour and leather strap accommodates even my wrist passing comfortably through both loops with room to spare -

And I have to say that it is a fantastic pairing with this smaller, but mighty timekeeper. 

Courtesy of Nomos Glashutte

And now I will pause as I have students waiting for me and class begins in less than an hour!  But I will be back to wrap this up with part 2 in approximately 7 hours - stay tuned!

Just When You Thought It Was Safe...

to look at the export numbers again...

Courtesy of the FH

Talk about a kick in the dick.  These are the latest figures courtesy of the FH, and despite the codswallop the BaselWorld Fair organizers would like to shovel down your throats, the future's so bright you have to ... wear a raincoat and carry an umbrella.  We are now truly south of -10%!

And this is truly tough for watch executives who are unfamiliar with the philosophies of failure -



So being charitable, that is only a 4% decrease since last year...

But, and it's a big but, so let me tell you about my big but...

This is a SHIT-TON of money.  And  this is just not the Hayek's money, not just Biver's money, not just Rupert's money... this is a family's money, a teacher's retirement pension fund's money.  In other words?  People who deserve a bit more attention and care rather than another America's Cup sponsorship!

You know that watch maker who didn't start his own brand?  Right now he and his family are eating cup noodle because, well, apparently millions of dollars flushed down the sink-hole of vanity was a much better investment than salaries.  And why hold the CEO accountable when it is easier to make staff redundant?

In a way, it is strangely appropriate that this result came out mid-BaselWorld.  A BaselWorld that many of us have named Denial 2.0

So, I am sorry to be one of the few dissenting voices.  But all is not well.

So let's hope that this is the bottom, but I fear it is not.  So maybe stop the bullshit, and start dealing with the problems.

The Shit That Killed Elvis!

From NOMOS -

Courtesy of NOMOS

NOMOS has a way of constantly drawing me back, and one of their latest offerings, the Club Campus 36.

Courtesy of NOMOS

While two years ago the "BaselWorld Trend" was for bloggers with beards like untrimmed hedges, the trend this year is clearly for smaller, more reasonable watches.  And the Club Campus 36 is by far and away my favorite BaselWorld watch so far this year.

36 mm is, believe it or not, quite sizable.  The dial is a unique take on the so-called California dial.  On a typical version, the Romans are in the "northern portion" and the "numbers" are to the south.  But at NOMOS they like to do things a wee bit differently.

The movement is my personal favorite - the Alpha.  I am a sucker for a hand wound movement I guess ; )

I hope to go more in depth with this little bijoux if and when a review becomes possible, but for now, I think I might have found the watch of the fair!

But tomorrow is another day...


Enjoy your watches!

The Squama Tourbillon

From Kerbedanz -

Courtesy of Kerbedanz

Here are the pertinents -

Squama Tourbillon
Limited Edition 

MOVEMENT
Tourbillon, manually-wound KRB-02 mechani- cal movement conceived, skeletonized and decorated by KERBEDANZ and Concepto. 21,600 beats per hour (3Hz), 72 hours power reserve. 341 components, 19 jewels, tourbillon cage made up of 80 parts and weighing 0.42 grams. 

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes, tourbillon 

CASE
18-karat gold, DLC-treated (diamond-like carbon, 46-millimeter diameter. Designed and manufactured by KERBEDANZ. 
Sapphire crystal front and back with anti-reflexive treatment.
Water-resistant to 5 atmospheres (50 meters, 150 feet);
crown is in an unusual position, between 1 and 2 o'clock. 

DIAL, TECHNICAL PROWESS
Massive sculpted gold, hand-guilloché, fish-scale decoration, exclusively conceived, manufactured and applied by KERBEDANZ; indices in rose gold. 

BAND
Alligator mississippiensis leather,
double folding clasp in 18-karat, DLC-treated gold, personalized by KERBEDANZ.

Embargo

A press embargo, by simple definition, is the request of a news source or agency that all information communicated about the news item they have provided not be disseminated by the fourth and fifth estates until after the agreed upon time and date has arrived.  

Generally, in most journalistic pursuits, those reporting the news can be trusted to follow these pretty simple requests from the people they depend upon to provide the news items.  

Generally...

There still seem to be a few watch news outlets that continually sneak ahead of everyone else despite the press embargoes imposed by the brands and pr agencies supplying the info.  

Why would they do this?

Well we are left to draw 2 conclusions:

1.  By sneaking ahead, they give the illusion that they somehow have an "exclusive" or early take on this information and therefore they are the outlet you should follow.

2.  They have difficulty reading, telling the time, and differentiating days of the month.


Either way...