The Tangente neomatik 41 Update in Dark Platinum

From NOMOS-

Courtesy of NOMOS

This is a follow-up on the previous release in a new color version.

Courtesy of NOMOS

Here are the pertinents -

CASE:
stainless steel, bipartite sapphire crystal glass back
GLASS:
sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective coating on inner side
WINDING:
automatic
DIMENSIONS: 
diameter 40.5 mm height 7.9 mm
WATER RESISTANCE:
up to 5 atm (suitable for showering) 

DIAL:
galvanized, refined with ruthenium date ring
HANDS: 
rhodium-plated
STRAP:
Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan black, remborde 
lug width 20 mm
REFERENCE: 
181

 

CALIBER
DUW 6101—in-house built NOMOS neomatik caliber with automatic winding, neomatik date mechanism, and bidirectional quick correction feature
MOVEMENT HEIGHT: 
3.6 mm
DIAMETER:
15 1⁄2 lines (35.2 mm)
POWER RESERVE: 
up to 42 hours 

SPECIAL QUALITIES
NOMOS swing system tempered blue balance spring
NOMOS balance bridge, fixed by screws on both sides
stop-seconds mechanism bidirectional winding rotor with gold-plated embossing
Glashütte three-quarter plate
DUW regulation system adjusted in six positions 27 jewels
tempered blue screws rhodium-plated surfaces with Glashütte ribbing and NOMOS perlage golden engravings

 

The Patrimony Perpetual Calendar

From Vacheron Constantin 

Courtesy of Vacheron Constantin

I would like this to be solely about a wonderful new watch - and we will get to that, I promise.  But at the heart of this is why I REALLY appreciate Vacheron Constantin and the way they go about their business.

Courtesy of Vacheron Constantin

Look at Audemars Piguet and you get a "who wore us on the Red Carpet" piece of fluff-laden chicken shit.  IWC does everything short of trotting Tom Cruise, Anthony Edwards and Val Kilmer out in tight shorts, oiled up to play topless volleyball to reinforce the connection they want you to feel that they have with the movie Top Gun.  And the on to Jaeger LeCoultre and every film festival known to man.

I have often wished that brands would take the path of Patek Philippe.  Anyone who can tell me the last time Patek sent out a press announcement informing us of their latest celebrity partner?

And perhaps ask the same question about Vacheron?  Vacheron is part of a huge group, they have plenty of money to spend.  But ask yourself how they spend it?  On making beautiful watches.

Courtesy of Vacheron Constantin

So without further messing about, here are the pertinents:

Patrimony Perpetual Calendar Collection Excellence Platine

A stellar complication – the perpetual calendar – joins the Collection Excellence Platine. This Haute Horlogerie classic is powered by the legendary Caliber 1120 QP, an ultra-thin mechanical self- winding movement revealing the elegance and finesse of the Patrimony collection.

Caliber 1120 QP developed and crafted by Vacheron Constantin drives the hours and minutes hands, the moon phases at 6 o’clock along with a perpetual calendar displaying the day of the week in a counter at 9 o’clock, the date in a counter at 3 o’clock, the month and leap year in 48-month counters at 12 o’clock. Acknowledged by connoisseurs as one of the most iconic existing perpetual calendars, it will smoothly cope with all the vagaries of the calendar without requiring any corrections until March 1st 2100. Unlike simple calendars requiring manual correction after every month with less than 31 days, the perpetual calendar takes account of the leap-year cycle with its 31-, 30- and 28-day months, as well as the quadrennial recurrence of February 29th. This sophisticated function requires prodigious miniaturisation to mechanically adjust it so as to keep track of calendar irregularities. This miniaturisation has been taken to extremes in order to achieve an ultra-thin perpetual calendar. Vacheron Constantin Caliber 1120 QP measures just 4.05 mm thick, beats at the frequency of 2.75 Hz (19,800 vibrations per hour), and has a 40-hour power reserve. The oscillating weight cut out in the shape of a Maltese cross further embeds the design codes of the Maison at the heart of the movement.
In keeping with the aesthetic codes of the Collection Excellence Platine born in 2006, this new Patrimony Perpetual Calendar is crafted in 950 platinum case, as is the dial. The latter features a finely grained sand- blasted dial discreetly bearing the inscription “Pt50” between 4 and 5 o’clock. The slightly convex external zone is adorned with a circular “pearl” minute-track and 18K white gold applied hour-markers. The hours and minutes hands are in 18K white gold, while the calendar pointers are in blued steel. Setting the finishing touch, the saddle-finish dark blue alligator strap is hand-stitched with silk and 950 platinum threads, and secured by a folding clasp in the same metal.

Revolving beneath the dial, the moon disc depicts the heavenly vault in white gold enhanced by a blue galvanic treatment. Each star has been delicately crafted so as to provide an exact map of the sky.  Fitted with a sapphire back enabling one to admire Caliber 1120 QP, the 41 mm-diameter case is water- resistant to 3 bar (approximately 30 meters.

This exceptional model will be launched in a strictly limited and numbered 100-piece edition. 

Courtesy of Vacheron Constantin

TECHNICAL DATA

Patrimony perpetual calendar

Collection Excellence Platine

Reference 

43175/000P-B190
Hallmark of Geneva certified timepiece

Caliber 

1120 QP
Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin Mecanical, self-winding
29.6 mm (12’’’1⁄2) diameter, 4.05 mm thick Approximately 40 hours of power reserve
2.75 Hz (19,800 vibrations/hour)
276 components
36 jewels 

Indications

Hours, minutes
Perpetual calendar (day of the week, date, 48-month display with leap year indication)
Moon phases 

Case 

Platinum 950
41 mm diameter, 8.9 mm thick
Transparent sapphire crystal caseback Water-resistance tested at a pressure of 3 bar (approx. 30 meters) 

Dial 

Platinum 950
Sand-blasted
“Pt950” hallmark between 4 and 5 o’clock
Convex external zone with circular “pearl” minute-track 18K white gold -applied hour-markers 

Strap 

Dark blue Mississippiensis alligator leather with alligator inner shell, hand-stitched with platinum 950 and silk, saddle-finish, large square scales

Clasp 

Platinum 950 folding clasp Polished half Maltese cross-shaped 

There Can Be Only One -

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls -  the Grönefeld PARALLAX Tourbillon in Platinum.   

                Courtesy of Grönefeld

Here's the scoop, straight from the source -

Introducing:

AN UNIQUE GRÖNEFELD PARALLAX IN PLATINUM

Historiques Cornes De Vache 1955

From Vacheron Constantin -

Courtesy of Vacheron Constantin

This is a BEAUTIFUL chronograph!  This is a new release from the folks at Vacheron, the Historiques Cornes De Vache 1955.

The name "Cornes De Vache" is apparently attributable to the shape of the lugs.  These are per a few Google translations - "cow horns".

The case is of platinum and measures (in my feeling) a much more respectable 38.5 mm in diameter.  The case back features a sapphire crystal display, all the better to view and appreciate the manually-wound Calibre 1142.  

The column-wheel chronograph provides a 30 minute counter at 3 o'clock.

Courtesy of Vacheron Constantin

Hours, minutes, seconds (at 9 o'clock) and a column-wheel chronograph (30 minute counter).

Here are the full details, straight from Vacheron -

TECHNICAL DATA

Historiques Cornes de vache 1955

Reference 
5000H/000P-B058

Hallmark of Geneva certified timepiece 

Calibre

1142
Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical, manual-winding27.5 mm (12’’’) diameter, 5.6 mm thick Approximately 48 hours of power reserve 3Hz (21,600 vibrations/hour)
164 components
21 jewels

Indications 

Hours, minutes
Small seconds at 9 o'clock
Column-wheel chronograph (30-minute counter)

Case

Platinum 950
38.5 mm diameter, 10.9 mm thick
Transparent sapphire crystal caseback

Water-resistance tested at a pressure of 3 bar (approx. 30 meters) 

Dial 

Silvered opaline center with sun-brushed external zone (minute- track and tachometer scale)
18K white gold applied hour-markers

Strap 

Dark blue Mississippiensis alligator leather with alligator leather inner shell, hand-stitched, saddle-finish, large square scales

Buckle 

Platinum 950 buckle
Polished half Maltese cross-shaped 

Traditionnelle Day-Date and Power Reserve

This just in from Vacheron Constantin  -

Courtesy of Vacheron Constantin

TECHNICAL DATA

Reference 
85290/000P-9947
Hallmark of Geneva certified timepiece 

   

Caliber 
2475 SC
Developped and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical, self-winding
26.2 mm (11’’’1⁄2) diameter
5.7 mm thick
Approximately 40 hours of power reserve 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations/hour)
264 components 27 jewels 

Indications 
Hours Minutes
Day of the week Date
Power reserve 

Case 
Platinum 950
39.5 mm diameter, 10.65 mm thick
Transparent sapphire crystal caseback
Water-resistance tested at a pressure of 3 bar (approx. 30 meters) 

Dial 
Platinum 950, sand-blasted finishing “Pt950” hallmark between 4 and 5 o’clock
Black painted indications 

Strap 
Dark blue Mississippiensis alligator leather, hand-stitched with platinum 950 and silk, saddle-finish, large square scales 


Clasp 
Triple-blade folding clasp in platinum 950 Polished half Maltese cross-shaped 

CENTURION Platinum Creations

This just in from Grieb & Benzinger -

Courtesy of Grieb & Benzinger

GRIEB & BENZINGER presents two new bespoke platinum creations: the CENTURION and the CENTURION IMPERIAL.

Anniversaries First and Twentieth

Spoiler alert - today is my twentieth wedding anniversary.

Wendy surprised me with a beautiful new fountain pen from the Platinum Pen Company of Japan.  On this same day in 1994 she surprised me with a Parker Sonnet.  Here are the two new "desktop" neighbors getting to know each other -

So let me tell you a bit about how amazing my wife Wendy is.  It would be easy to simply go buy a Montblanc, wrap it up and (as they say in Japan where we met) say "Dozoh"!

But that is not the woman I married!

Wendy first did some research for various themes for wedding gifts and discovered that twentieth anniversary gifts could be china (that's the stuff you make plates from, not the country!), or platinum.

Armed with this information, she then "Googled" the words Platinum and Pen and came across the Platinum Pen Company of - wait for it - JAPAN!

This is the Platinum SAI 3776 Century - a demonstrator model with a medium nib.

Courtesy of Platinum Pen Co.

I have to be honest, the Platinum Pen Company was something of an unknown quantity to me, but what a story!  Here's some background on the Model 3776, straight from the source:

About the Platinum #3776 Fountain Pen

The #3776 Fountain Pen was designed by the late writer Haruo Umeda, who was called “Mr. FOUNTAIN PEN,” along with the design team at Platinum Pen Company. Their aim was simple - to make the ideal fountain pen. The #3776 was made available to the public starting in 1978. After just six months, over 150,000 pens had been sold, and it’s popularity has been maintained ever since. 3776 is the height in meters of Mt. Fuji, well known as the highest and most beautiful mountain in Japan. 


The Platinum 3776 Sai features what Platinum refers to as the Slip & Seal cap.  What does that mean?
Here's how Platinum "breaks it down" -

◆SLIP & SEAL MECHANISM

It has normally been thought difficult to make an airtight pen with a screw-type cap. If not sealed tightly, the following problems can result: 

1.	Ink drying out due to moisture evaporation.
2.	Problems with dried ink if the pen is not used for three to six months.
3.	It can be necessary to clean the pen using our Ink Cleaner Kit or even to repair or replace the nib itself if the damage due to dried ink is too severe.

At the request of customers, we at Platinum Pen Company have gone back to the basics to deal with this problem. This is the first fountain pen which has our unique “Slip & Seal” structure in a pen with a screw-type cap. Thanks to this innovation, currently being patented, it is possible to have a screw-type cap with complete airtightness.

Pretty cool, huh?

A beautiful fountain pen, tied to the theme of the anniversary, and manufactured in the country where we met?!?  Are you kidding me?  There are a lot of wives out there, but I am pretty sure mine is the best ; )

So it would seem I am a very lucky man!  Domo - Arigato Wendy-chan!  Here's to the next twenty years!

The St. George from Grieb & Benzinger

This just in from GRIEB & BENZINGER -

Courtesy of Grieb & Benzinger

This is the St. George.  Here's the scoop straight from the source -

2011 BENZINGER BOUTIQUE Collection

This just in from Grieb & Benzinger -

Masters of the Skeletonized Watch:
The New 2011 BENZINGER BOUTIQUE Collection
Jochen Benzinger, Hermann Grieb and Georg Bartkowiak,
makers of the high-end luxury label GRIEB
& BENZINGER PLATINUM begin the year 2011
with exceptional new eye-catchers from their second
line, BENZINGER BOUTIQUE.

The new BENZINGER BOUTIQUE models may even
surprise connoisseurs  of the high-end scene: up to this
point, the BENZINGER watches have mainly been masterpieces
of movement decoration and skeletonization.

Clever modifications added to the BENZINGER line’s
mechanical movements now exhibit the same sort of
technical know-how that the partners display in the
high-end brand GRIEB & BENZINGER PLATINUM.

Georg Barkowiak and Jochen Benzinger uniquely
prove they are able to walk the fine line between
traditional technology and exceptional design, making
them a holistic unit and creating handmade, one-of-a-kind
pieces with high rarity value, guaranteeing their future
owners corresponding exclusivity.

The new collection comes in solid red gold watch cases of
contemporary design and perfect finish.  The hand-guilloché
bezel and the high gold content of the solid case bear
witness to the substantial presence of these new watches.

The BENZINGER classic, the timepiece that collectors
all over the world have loved for years, is the skeletonized
watch. In a red gold case it is clearly even more valuable
and more impressive than ever. A view through the new
skeletonized timepiece NEW BLOSSOM shows exactly
how filigreed Jochen Benzinger works with his saw and
graver to created a romantic floral work of art by hand.

It is obvious that the NEW BLOSSOM model,
housed in a 43 mm case, is not only for men, but also
destined to grace the wrist of the modern woman.

Courtesy of Grieb & Benzinger

The new models REGULATOR PHAROS and POLARIS are,
however, distinctly masculine. Both watches are outfitted with a
specially modified mechanical movement that was altered using self-
manufactured components.

The REGULATOR PHAROS catches the eye alone by virtue of its unusual visuals.

Courtesy of Grieb & Benzinger

There has never been a regulator that has arranged its hour and
minute hands in just this way, and thus it would be very interesting
 to observe the watch without its dial in order to view the elaborate
design of the regulator display. That, however, would be a shame,
for this dial comprising various parts decorated

in typical Benzinger style is also a work of art that captures the eye.
The hand-guilloché base dial crafted in solid Sterling silver shines
with a white Breguet frosted finish, a finishing technique that is
currently only in use by Jochen Benzinger. The functional skeletonized
part of the dial is crafted in 18-karat red gold, as is the solid 43 mm case.

The POLARIS will certainly delight fans of visible technology.

Courtesy of Grieb & Benzinger

The focus of this watch is its hour and minute display, which visibly floats
above the dial, including the small seconds display at 6 o’clock.

The guilloché base dial is crafted using the same methods as the dial
of the REGULATOR PHAROS. The half-skeletonized dial allows
a view of the modifications of the hour and minute display, confirming
the technical authority of this company. Also like the REGULATOR
PHAROS, the skeletonized part of the dial and the 43 mm case are
crafted in 18-karat red gold.

The movements of the REGULATOR PHAROS and POLARIS
models are decorated in the new, technical style of Jochen Benzinger,
which also exhibits their beauty from the back: guilloché, hand-skeletonization,
and hand-engraving as far as the eye can see. Because of the enormous amount of
handcrafted elements, only 100 customized timepieces can be created per year.

Jochen Benzinger is acknowledged as the leading specialist worldwide
for hand-skeletonized timepieces and guilloché work. Watch movements
are skeletonized, guilloché, hand-engraved, and even sometimes technically
modified by hand in his workshop in a traditional manner using special
historical machines and tools. This allows him to create his own typical
style of horological art. For many years, Benzinger and business partner
Georg Bartkowiak have manufactured chiefly in the name of big brands
such as IWC, Fabergé, Chronoswiss and Tourneau.



www.Benzinger-Boutique.com