In the 1990-s, Nivrel introduced into the world of watchmaking a replica model of an old hand-wind chronograph dating back to the 1940s. The timepiece was available in a limited edition of 100 pieces, having enjoyed immediate success. Nowadays, the watch is highly appreciated by collectors.

This year, Nivrel has unveiled a second model of the chronograph. The Nivrel Le Chronograph Replique II has been created in two versions. Both versions are limited to 50 pieces. The original timepiece had accommodated a mechanical winding chronograph movement - caliber Landeron 48. The 17-jewel movement, beating at 18.000 vibrations per hour, gives an advantage of a 43-hour power-reserve. The mechanism reveals blued screws and gold-plated bridges.

The timepiece is available with either a black or beige-colored dial. The Nivrel Le Chronograph Replique II provides the following functions - hours, minutes, small seconds, and chronograph.

The case of the watch measures 42 mm in diameter and is crafted from stainless steel. The case construction incorporates a sapphire crystal and a water-resistant crown and a stainless steel case back with sapphire crystal. The watch is 50-meter water-resistant.

The chronograph watch is secured to the wrist on a Louisiana Alligator leather strap fitted with a double folding clasp.

Source - watches.infoniac.com

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Seiko Spring Drive Spacewalk watch unveiled at the BaselWorld 2008 went into Space in October. Richard Garriott, the renowned video game designer and adventurer, became the sixth private space explorer to conduct a space mission aboard the International Space Station.

The SEIKO Spring Drive Spacewalk has been custom developed and designed with the help of the Russian Federal Space Agency and built with Richard’s mission in mind. The mission of Seiko’s engineers was to build a watch that would be light, air-tight, strong, easy to read and easy to use, as well as safe and precise. In other words the watch should have been really space-proof.

Seiko has taken on a challenging task to create a wristwatch that would provide reliable timekeeping and comfort of use not only during a space flight but also during a spacewalk.

Seiko specialists did not consider quartz movements as battery-operated instruments that lack special treatment are not used for a spacewalk for safety reasons. Thus, they had to choose between a mechanical movement and Spring Drive.

The mechanism to be incorporated by the Spacewalk must guarantee the maximum safety and accuracy, even when the watch is exposed to an extreme range of temperature from - 20 degrees Celsius to + 70. The ability of the watch to provide accuracy at extreme temperatures is of the greatest importance, but no mechanical watch can maintain its accuracy in such conditions - the traditional escapement responsible for regulating the time in all mechanical watches is characterized by the inherent instability in the extreme conditions. That is why Spring Drive has become the best solution the Seiko specialists could find. Instead of a traditional regulator, Spring Drive incorporates a Tri-synchro Regulator, a completely new regulator that uses and generates mechanical, electrical and electromagnetic power, less affected by extreme temperatures.

The Spacewalk watch is equipped with the Spring Drive Chronograph Caliber 5R86. The mechanism provides the following functions: hours, minutes and seconds, calendar, GMT, 72-hour power reserve, and 12-hour chronograph.

The watch case needs to be completely air-tight to allow the timepiece operate in the vacuum of free space. Seiko based the creation of the Spacewalk watch on its rich experience in the field of divers watches able to resist pressures up to 1,000 meters. Spacewalk incorporates special features to guarantee air-tightness in the vacuum of free space. In particular, Seiko engineers developed a new type of gasket, having applied a rubberized material. The case of the Seiko watch was crafted in high -intensity titanium, the material 40 percent lighter than stainless steel. The 100-meter waterproof construction weighs just 92.5 grams. To offer great readability the case was designed to have minimum volume but maximum dial opening size. The case measures 53.0 x 48.7 mm in diameter, 15.2 mm thick, with recessed sides, having come up with a new engineering solution, using a Seiko-in-house CNC (computer numerical control) machine.

The Seiko Spring Drive Spacewalk watch features a new layout, with the chronograph dials placed at the top. The timepiece has the specifically designed hands and hour markers covered by the additional layers of Seiko’s Lumibrite material. The dial has become at least three times brighter than a traditional luminous watch.

Seiko produced the Spring Drive Spacewalk watch in a limited number of only 100 pieces.

Source - watches.infoniac.com

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The first prototype of Bi-axial Tourbillon was made in the beginning of the 19th century, when the world of watchmaking witnessed the invention of the yourbillon. The device was meant to improve timekeeping precision by compensating for rate irregularities caused by the Earth’s gravity in upright positions, with help of a mobile cage that housed the regulating part of the timepiece.

Constant Girard, a gifted watchmaker of the Girard-Perregaux Manufacture, managed to fit his watches with the tourbillon in the most remarkable way. The tourbillon, the watchmaker unveiled in 1867 at the Paris Universal Exhibition, was marked by a distinction. Girard-Perregaux carried on his investigations of the technical and aesthetic features of the device. He designed the one-of-a-kind Tourbillon with three gold Bridges. This outstanding invention won a gold medal.

Now, Girard-Perregaux has unveiled one more unique creation - the Bi-axial Tourbillon. The horological feat united two concentric cages, allowing the regulating part to perform multi-dimensional rotations.

An internal cage that bears the balance, balance spring and escapement performs one complete rotation on its axis in 45 seconds, while the external cage performs one revolution in one minute and 15 seconds, enabling a rotation on its second axis. It means a full revolution is performed in 3 minutes and 45 seconds.

The Bi-axial Tourbillon is a truly breath-taking spectacle for any watch connoisseur, and the alternation of positions implies supreme rate precision. The sophisticated mechanism may be admired through the dial and the case back. It is remarkable that the weight of the two cages is just 0.80 grams. Altogether the movement consists of more than 110 components. Its creators opted for cage materials providing the best balance and performance - a mixture of gold, steel and titanium. The coaxial barrels, fitted with two springs each, give an advantage of a 72-hour power-reserve and a constant energy flow.

Based on the Girard-Perregaux tradition, the tourbillon architecture reveals perfectly aligned bridges inherent to Constant Girard’s creations. The straight and ideally hollowed bridge was inspired by a pocket watch dating back to the 1860s. The timepiece was awarded with a first class prize from the Neuchatel Observatory.

The Girard-Perregaux Bi-axial Tourbillon reveals elliptical decoration on the barrel that is the reproduction of the pattern on the pocket watch of Constant Girard. The bridges are satin-finished, with bevels meticulously polished by hand. The tourbillon is housed by a magnificent pink gold case, 45 mm in diameter.

Source - watches.infoniac.com

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Paying tribute to the aesthetics of the Belle Epoque the watchmaker PIERRE KUNZ has designed a SR Belle Epoque watch in the style of Art Deco.

Belle Epoque is a period of time in European history from the late 1890s to the beginning of the World War I. This period is marked by dramatic development of the automobile industry, aeronautics, civil construction and particularly appearance of metropolitan. It was the time when arts and photography flourished. And it was Belle Epoque when the cinema was born.

For PIERRE KUNZ though Belle Epoque is associated with another period. Its timepiece was inspired not by arts or architecture of Europe but by another building. The hands, figures and retrograde seconds indicator have the shape and elements of décor of the famous Chrysler Building in New York that was built in 1930.

The watch boasts a square curved case measuring 41 mm in diameter. This classic timekeeper is produced in three variants: in grey gold, 5N red gold or platinum showing the hours, minutes and retrograde seconds at 6 o’clock. It also features a geometrical silver-plated or black galvanic dial with fine-brushed sun decoration as the sole aesthetic artifice. The watch is equipped with sapphire crystal and features water resistance of 30 meters.

SR Belle Epoque houses an automatic calibre PK 2001-1520 B measuring 25.6 mm X 3.6 mm based on 48 jewels. The movement beats at 28,800 bph and provides power reserve for 42 hours.

There is also a women’s model of this timepiece - LQ01 SR Lady Belle Epoque.

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The Dream Watch Two is an exceptional timepiece created by De Bethune. It features a majestic tourbillon created entirely from silicon and titanium and featuring neither a cage nor traditional pillars.

The tourbillion weighs less than 0.18 grams, implying a mass three times less than that of a common tourbillon. The unique characteristics of the materials used and the remarkable manufacturing skills of the De Bethune watchmakers allowed the construction of a tourbillon without a cage. The tourbillon incorporates no heavy, cumbersome pillars of a traditional tourbillon. Instead, it incorporates a U and S-shaped structure, forming the frame of the tourbillon.

The case of the Dream Watch Two is crafted in matt, burnished and polished platinum. You will notice the winding crown at 6 o’clock. The palladium lugs adapt themselves naturally to any size of the wrist.

The sober silvered white dial reveals unique hands – these are transparent sapphire hands enclosed within steel flame-blued by hand.

One more zest of the dial is the spherical moon. The one-of-a-kind moon phase reveals a half-sphere in platinum and a half-sphere in flame-blued steel. The moon rotates on its own axis, indicating the movement of the Moon exactly the way we can actually see it in the sky. The moon is surrounded by the blued sky that features a little round window indicating the years of the leap-year cycle.

The original perpetual calendar demonstrates a traditional pointer-type date display, and the month and day indicated by two discs presented via generously sized apertures with flame-blued steel pointers pivoted on rubies.

The De Bethune watch also incorporates a minute repeater sounding on a bell, providing exceptional sheer volume and crystal-clear tone. The function is activated via the bezel.

Source - watches.infoniac.com

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