The Cricket and the Presidents

President's Day has rolled around again, and time for a another shameless plug - 

For those of you who have contacted me about getting a copy, there will be some copies available at the District Time show in Washington DC, March 5 and 6. 
 

Boom!

News dropped this morning that there is a NEW movement manufacturer, producing a viable option to the 2824!

Courtesy of Atelier

And as big news like this should come straight from the source, here it is:

Courtesy of Atelier

Washington, DC (USA), October 2019 – 
Atelier, a new movement manufacture in America, is introducing an automatic watch movement to the North American market.
Atelier is a U.S.- Swiss venture that is closely collaborating on establishing the supply, assembly, and manufacturing of automatic movements in the U.S. One of the objectives of the U.S.- Swiss alliance that led to the creation of Atelier was to develop an 11 1⁄2 caliber suitable for the volume market in the U.S. The result is the Caliber 1. With ETA ceasing to supply third party clients on 31 December 2019, many brands in the U.S. are seeking alternative suppliers. The Caliber 1 is not a clone of a pre-existing caliber, however it is a drop-in replacement for popular calibers brands are currently using.

The Caliber 1 has been in development for the past four years with U.S. involvement for three of those four years. Atelier’s Swiss technology partner is one of the few manufacturers in the Swiss watch industry that has achieved horological independence with the internal production and manufacture of hairsprings and the escapement. Everything is made in- house, except for the jewels, barrel springs and shock- absorbers with all parts made to the highest industry standard.

The Caliber 1 is a robust movement that is Chronofiable® Certified with a transversal balance bridge. This allows for stable and precise positioning of the oscillator. The bridge’s rigidity greatly improves shock resistance. The Caliber 1 has a diameter of 25.60mm and a height of 4.60mm, 28,800 vibrations per hour / 4 [Hz], with a power reserve of 44 hours.

Atelier will initially supply Swiss Made movements to brands beginning in January 2020. Atelier will begin assembly and production of small parts and will offer three levels of assembly; Swiss Made, Assembled in the USA, or Made in the USA from domestic and Swiss parts. In the future, Atelier will offer a variety of calibers that will fit the vision of any brand or designer including small seconds, and GMT.

Washington, DC (USA), October 2019 – Atelier, 

www.AtelierMovements.com

Obviously, this is breaking news, so there will be more info in the coming days.

Any watch fans within hailing distance of Washington DC?  RUN, don't walk to District Time to check it out in person!

Revisiting the Gavox Aurora

So it's been a little more than 3 years since I first saw it, and just less than 3 years since I bought my own.

The Gavox Aurora is something of an outlier in the watch world.  On the one hand, it is without a doubt the most complex pilot's watch you can buy for south of $5,000 US.  On the other hand, it is a quartz watch and for some purists out there, that is an unforgivable sin.

A single watch that provides two time zones, a chronograph, a timer, date (month and date) and moonphase.  It's a lot going on made possible by a singular movement developed in partnership with Soprod.  But unlike a G-Shock or several of the other quartz options out there, the Aurora actually requires you to engage with it a bit.  You can just glance down and it's there.  No, you have to earn it by cycling through the functions.  And honestly?  For me this is, in many ways, what puts it right up there with anything else out there regardless of the price point.  The Aurora is still available, and for those making the trip to DC for District Time next weekend, you'll be able to check it out for yourself.  

And in case you missed it, here was my original review -

When you write a watch blog, even one that caters to a small readership such as Tempus Fugit, you get to test drive a lot of watches. And when you stop worrying about satisfying advertisers and stroking egos, you get to be honest.  This past spring I got to review the Gavox Aurora and to say that it made an impression on me would be a great understatement.

As I have said more than once, I am not a person driven by gadgets or the latest technical whimsy. I suspect whatever thirst for knowledge of the horological minutia of micro mechanics I might have once had got beaten out of me during my time at DOXA listening to armchair blowhards wax on about their superior knowledge (yes, that is sarcasm) of the fine points of the ETA 2824-2, or other sublime topics.

So the question is, what made such an impression on me?  Simple Complexity.  Yes, the Gavox Aurora has some pretty cool and sophisticated functionality, but all of the functions can be controlled even by a brain as "un nimble" as my own. 

But the other thing I really liked about about the Aurora was that it didn't just roll on its back like a faithful puppy waiting for you to rub its tummy.  No, if you wanted to check out or use the functions, you actually had to engage your brain, and the watch, by way of the crown/central pusher.  It makes the entire experience a bit more personalized, a WHOLE LOT MORE interactive.  It makes a complicated watch fun, without being an exercise in "haute behavior".  

So yes, this watch made a big impression on me, and hence I found myself in New York, cash in hand, to pick up my own and visit with Mr. Happe.

To a large extent, a watch is a watch is a watch.  And maybe it is just where I am emotionally, spiritually and intellectually in this world of watch fanatics of which I am a  member, but I want more than the latest innovation.  I want something that registers on a human, an emotional scale.

Something that provides a warm and fuzzy feeling.  And that is what the Aurora provides me.

When you find that special watch, well it is a love affair of sorts that you indulge in form the beginning of the day, until the sun sets.

So as the kitchen calls and I go to rattle a few pans to make dinner, remember that watches should be fun, as well as functional. The two are not mutually exclusive! So now I've got mine, and I am a happy guy!

I hope you find yours, whatever it is, or whoever makes it.

That's all for now - enjoy your watches!

District Time! Washington DC's Watch Show

Now point of full-disclosure, I do work with or represent a few of the brands that will be participating in District Time next Saturday and Sunday.

What brands will be there?

Attra
AVeritas
Ardor & Forge
Balticus
Bertucci 
Boldr
Caliper
Collins
Direnzo
EMG
Gavox
Groupo Gamma
Hager
Hemel
HKED
ISOfrane
Kingsbury 
Lesablier
McDowell Time
Minase
Minuteman
Nodus
NTH
Ocean Crawler
Origin
Patton
Raketa
Roebuck
Sartory Billard
Siduna
Straton
Traska
Tsao Baltimore


And quite a few others!

Seven Days with the Collins Automatic

So as honesty is the best policy, I had never heard of Collins prior to the District Time show in Washington DC back in September.  And that is really neither here nor there, but suffice it to say that it was a bit of an unknown quantity to me.

For those others who are just tuning in, Collins is a brand created by Jimmy Collins.  Mr. Collins has, on the face of it, a seemingly unlikely background for entering the watch business.  Harvard educated, Fulbright fellow, film maker and music producer - I think I have that right.  In short, not the typical guy or gal you meet at a watch gathering fronting his own small brand.  But that is what makes watches so much fun!

Which brings us to the review - this is the Collins Automatic.  Per the site, the watches are assembled in the US.

The design is fairly straightforward with a sort of hybrid look and feel of a field watch meets flieger (that's pilot's watch to you).   It is a nice balance of size and substance with a 40 mm stainless steel case, and a very tactile crown with nice, deep grooves.  The crown operated smoothly, setting and winding were flawless.

Some more on the case, the finish is matte, which fits the overall theme of the watch itself.  It fits fairly flat on the wrist and was comfortable all day long.  The crystal is sapphire.

The casebook is solid and "logo'd" with what I assume is a serial number beneath -

In terms of the crown, I have to say that I am not a fan of the crowns typically used on pilot's watches.  The tend to extend too far, feel wobbly, snag on clothing and be impossibly attracted to blunt objects causing more than a few frustrations.  

The crown is definitely of the Goldilocks school of design - not too big, not too small, but just right.

The dial is very legible with large numbers from 1 - 11 with a large arrow at 12 o'clock.  The numbers hands are treated with what Collins refers to as “old radium” Lume Super LumiNova.  The glow was quite good and I did take pictures, but to do it justice I will borrow from Collins -

Courtesy of Collins

Yes, the lime was this good.

One aspect of the dial was a bit of a disappointment, and that would be the date window.

While I appreciate the idea that the four corners would help enhance the legibility of the date within the window, I unfortunately had a completely opposite take on it, finding it challenging to pick out the date itself when looking at it in normal situations.  I also suspect that with more regular wear you would get used to the layout and find it easier to discern the date.

Under the hood, the Seiko NH35A keeps things moving, and the timekeeping was excellent.  Interesting to relate, I have come across more and more small and micro brands moving away from Miyota, and adopting Seiko's movements.  As with the Miyota, this makes sense as you get a reliable movement at a fair and reasonable price.

The watch is secured with a stainless steel buckle and a fairly thick brown leather strap.  While the strap is good looking and plenty robust, I have to be honest that I personally found it a wee bit too thick, making the threading of the strap through the loop a bit of a minor struggle.

I suspect that as the strap is worn more and more, the softer it will be and the easier to "thread the needle", but for those just starting out I urge restraint in the putting on and taking off to ensure the strap loops hold up.

Overall?

I would say that at the price point, this is a winner.  The Collins Automatic is priced at $299, which is beyond competitive with what the other brands are offering.  

And more to the point, if the crowd of people hovering around the Collins table at the District Time show, and number of watches sold is anything to go on?  It is clearly a watch that watch fans want and are buying.  While it might be a bit off your radar - it was certainly off of mine, I have the feeling that we will all be hearing more from Collins.

Here are the pertinents -

Collins Automatic - Silver 

from 295.00

Assembled, tested, and tuned in the USA

FEATURES
SEIKO NH35A automatic movement
Sapphire crystal
10ATM (100M)  water resistance
Super-luminova “old radium” Lume
SOLID STAINLESS CASE BACK.

DIMENSIONS
Case: 40mm
Lugs: 20mm
Thickness: 12mm
Lug-to-Lug: 48mm

MOVEMENT
SEIKO NH35A Automatic
Jewels: 24
Vibrations/Hour: 21,600 bph
Power Reserve: 41 Hours
HACKING: Yes

Do You Remember?

I have been having a very interesting experience these past few months.  And if I am being completely honest, this novel "weirdness" started back in February when I came back to Japan and visited Minase in Akita-Ken.  I think maybe it was a wake-up call that I had been wanting but had failed to receive up until that time.   And what I keep being reminded of?  We are obsessed with labels and history, and all too often that history and story are no longer the reality of who, what and even where a brand is today.

That was driven home even more clearly when I visited the District Time Show this past weekend.  These are all, for the most part, small micro brands.  While there is no small amount of debate or discussion as to what, exactly, constitutes being a micro brand, it is safe to say that it is typically a one or two person band.

One brand that caught my eye was Draken.  Draken is the creation of Michael Blythe, originally from South Africa but lately residing in New Zealand.  The watch pictured above is the Draken Kalahari.  This is a sample / prototype of a new model that is currently in a pre-order.

Another was Collins.  The piece above is the Bronson Automatic.  

And Hager is back with a new dress watch, I believe the Diplomat (but I will reach out to the brand owner to confirm this naming convention).  

What these past months have reminded me is that there are still people out there who do what they do out of passion, and not merely going through the motions for a paycheck.

Ultimately, a watch is no longer a requirement.  You don't need one, let alone more than one ; )

So clearly for many people out there, a watch is something that communicates to them on a visceral level.  And ultimately isn't that more compelling than an instafamous influencer, or $7,500 per month PR firm telling you to like something?

I guess that up until this past February, I had forgotten what it was that I really appreciated about watches.  So thank you to the smaller independent and micro brands for reminding me.

The New Romantics At District Time in Washington DC

A quick announcement -

The New Romantics (a division of Tempus Fugit Media) will be attending and participating at the District Time event in Washington DC this Sunday, September 30th at the District Architecture Center (DAC) from 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

This will be your chance to see some interesting smaller, independent brands in person.  I will be showing pieces from:

Minase

Sartory Billard

Montfort

Belville 1892

NOWA

Revolo

Holthinrichs

I encourage you to come along if you are in hailing distance - it should be fun!

District Time
The District Architecture Center (DAC)
421 7th Street 
N.W.  
Washington, DC

See you there!