THE SYDNEY TARTS

Top Gear Wrist Watching Season 18 Ep.1

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:14:00 +0000

Our Top Gear wrist spotting posts are amongst our most popular, but it has been awhile since we've done one (this is our third). Apart from none of us having had the time to pause and zoom in and decipher what watch is on whose wrist, there's actually been little activity in their choice of wrist wear.

Until now.

A cool shot from Season 18 episode 1

Clarkson may have had the upperhand in being the 'major' host of Top Gear, the one that gets to interview the "star in a reasonably priced car" and the one that usually gets to drive in supercars whilst the other two settle for some sort of public transport on major races, but May and Hammond are certainly 'winning' the wrist war, if there is one.

Jeremy either really loves his Omega Planet Ocean, or he just can't be stuffed changing watches, but he's been wearing that watch non-stop (at least on Top Gear) for the past few years. May and Hammond, however, do seem to change watches a lot more often.

Jeremy Clarkson and his Omega Planet Ocean

I got really excited watching the first episode of this latest season, No. 18, as I spotted quite a few watches not seen on Top Gear before. So to quote each and everyone of the host on the show - here we go!

James May seems to have the most diverse collection out of the three hosts in the watch department. He's been seen wearing everything from a dinner plate Omega to a ceramic Rado, but his latest one took me completely by surprise. I must admit, though, that this watch suits his persona quite well. It's a vintage Omega Dynamic from the '70s. From the looks of it, it's the automatic one with date.

James May with Omega Dynamic

A bit about this watch:

The Omega Dynamic was designed in 1967 and launched in 1968 to be the most comfortable and most ergonomic sports watch available. The oval shape allowed it to sit snugly on the wrist and the integrated strap system meant that you don't have protruding lugs either digging into or hanging off your wrist (depending on your wrist girth). This system does make changing straps a bit of a painful exercise (unless you have the genuine Omega "key" that unscrews the back case to take the strap off). But then again, few people would change straps as often as they change their undies right? Unless you're a watchnerd. But then again, if you ARE a watchnerd you probably have the Omega 'key"…

The "key" to open...

The back case

It's actually one of my favourite vintage watches, and although it was extremely popular back in the day, they're not as easily found these days. A 'very good' condition one is even harder to find, as the original case has many sharp edges which tend to get polished off over time.

As you can see from this image the edge of the case is very "sharp"

Several movements were used in this case, from caliber 56x? (manual wind no date), the caliber 565 (automatic with date), caliber 753 (automatic with day-date) and later on the pretty dodgy caliber 1022. The cal.565 is fairly reliable and robust and the pick of the bunch. Nothing fancy, but then not much can go wrong with these, and with good TLC, they should last.

An ad for the Dynamic from 1969

In the same story, Hammond is sporting a very nice and clean looking Breitling Navitimer. Have you noticed that both him and James May has a blue watch dial/strap thing going on? Judging from the subdial layout (3-6-9) I'm hoping it's the manual wind...

Breitling Navitimer Chrono blue dial with white subdials- apologies to the Breitling fans out there but at this distance all the Navitimers look the same...

During the 'news' scene, May is sporting a white dial Rolex Milgauss, which I believed he started wearing a couple of seasons back, whereas Hammond is seen sporting a new chunky Panerai of some sort. More on these (perhaps) if I can get some decent close ups on their wrists. Perhaps when they're driving RHD cars (ie, camera in the left seat, focusing on their left wrist)

"Tell me what Panerai am I wearing.."

Something I would REALLY love to see a close up of is the AP Royal Oak... and I'm going to go with Offshore Chrono of some sort, which we caught a very brief glimpse of in the 'preview' montage at the beginning of the show… wonder whose is it????

The AP Royal Oak Offshore... something...

And finally, my dear readers, I am seriously stumped by this timepiece as modeled by James May. I just can't tell what it is. Do you have a clue? Please share any suggestions below in the comments section...

***Edit: Thanks to Nate and @alexdoak we now know the identity of James May's timepiece - it's a Hamilton Khaki GMT Air Race!**

James May sporting the Hamilton Khaki GMT Air Race and presumably giving the "L" sign to Clarkson. Dunno.

[o]

The Manifold Clock

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:07:00 +0000

After the success of the LunaTik, timekeeping has again hit Kickstarter with the 3D Manifold Clock, which shows the time via constantly changing shapes created by a flexible sheet of Tyvek attached between the hands.

So it looks a bit funky, but what’s it all about?

It turns out that the Manifold is pure maths geek. The idea behind it was to create a clock with a flexible surface based on the mathematical notion of Riemann surfaces.

The two hands are connected with a flexible sheet of Tyvek. The circular movement of the hands causes the surface to move, changing the clock appearance every minute. The surface rotates freely around the hands.

A $45 Kickstarter pledge gets backers a clock, $100 a jumbo-sized version. Interestingly, a $1 pledge is available, for a screen saver version. With over $23,000 raised and ten days to go, the Manifold Clock has already topped its $15,000 Kickstarter goal.

British Horological Institute honours Roger Smith

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:19:00 +0000

The British Horological Institute recently awarded Isle of Man based Roger W. Smith the Barrett Silver Medal in recognition of his “dedication to and successfully continuing the finest traditions of English watchmaking”.

During his acceptance speech, Roger Smith remembered his own studies for the BHI qualification at the Manchester School of Horology almost 25 years ago, remarking that his first day on the course was "the most enjoyable day in education that I had ever had" and from that day, he knew that he "had been gripped by this fascinating and multi faceted occupation of horology".

He originally moved to the island from Greater Manchester in 1998 to work with the late Dr George Daniels CBE, whom he describes as the 'greatest horologist of all time", and who inspired him to take up watchmaking.

Dr Daniels was awarded the BHI Gold Medal in 1981, the highest distinction that the institute offers for his outstanding horological achievement, writing and research.

Roger Smith, awarded the BHI Bronze Medal in 1989 after being voted the most outstanding student of the year at the Manchester School of Horolog, worked closely with Dr Daniels for more than 20 years until Dr Daniel's death in October 2011 at the age of 85.

He made his first pocket watch at the age of 22 and currently has a two-year waiting list for his watches, which start at £72,500.

[AP]

Assault with Rolex

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:21:00 +0000

What’s the hottest Rolex story in New York? Well it could be the recent conviction of “one-legged millionaire Thomas Hartmann”, as the press are calling him, of assaulting Russian stripper-masseuse Sophia Kandelaki with his gold Rolex (on his wrist) after an altercation outside restaurant Baraonda on the Upper East Side.

Kandelaki, who described herself in court as a "gunpoint kidnapping survivor, a reality star hopeful, a stripper, a private shopper, a vegan chef, a singer, a composer and an expert in 'deep, inner tantric massage’”, said that the attack was unprovoked, whilst Hartman stated that what happened was an accident that occurred after he "lost his balance on his prosthetic leg when [Kandelaki] reached in his pants for his giant wad of cash."'

The origins of Hartmann's missing leg and his millions are already a part of New York history. He was awarded more than $19.6 million by a jury after he lost his leg in 2004 when a police officer in a patrol car, trying to catch Hartmann for harassing his then-wife, ran him over.

Hartman himself served a six year custodial sentence in 1992 for stealing a car and setting it on fire and leading police officers in a car chase during a second vehicle theft. He also served a two year sentence just before the car theft, for stabbing a man in the face.

According to trial testimony, Hartmann was having a rather extravagant and exuberant dinner at the restaurant when Kandelaki and a friend joined his table. By all accounts, things went on swimmingly until they left. The subsequent altercation left Kandelaki with a large gash on her face.

The situation was further complicated by Hartman’s defence lawyer stating that Kandelaki called 1-800-LAWYERS from her hospital bed in hopes of a big payout of her own in an ongoing civil case.

Bemusingly, Kandelaki’s professional activities were subject to much court time.

"Men and women are naked," she told the jury at one point, describing her massage technique. "It has to be done really sensual, slow way," she explained.

"And it is a lot of touching, like, all over the body," she added, illustrating the point with gestures.

“Touching the private parts also, yes," she added.

Harman is due to be sentenced on 7 February.

Clearly, the actual Rolex model doesn't seem to be of interest to anyone but me, as I can find no details about it, not even a photo.

[AP]

Yu-U Japanese Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:49:00 +0000

Yu-U
137 Flinders Lane
Melbourne
VIC 3000
Ph : (03) 9639 7073

A twitter conversation with @drng about a ‘hidden’ CBD restaurant which he challenged me to find was like a red rag to the proverbial.

Difficult to find? Not a problem.

The key is to know the name of the ‘cross’ laneway. Without that, and the knowledge that you are looking for a nondescript graffiti-strewn door, you are likely to walk past it.

Mistiming how long it would take me to walk there and arriving a fraction before noon to find it closed, I wandered aimlessly for a bit, arriving back at 12.05pm to find it not only open, but already almost half occupied.

On a bright Summer’s day it takes a minute to adjust your eyes to the darkened minimalist styling of Yu-U but once you do, it’s like a peaceful retreat. Dark colours, lighting that is very much ‘night’ lighting.

Most of the seating is at a long L-shaped bar, with a couple of tables to the side, and judging from the speed at which people arrived, this is a popular lunch time venue.

As the menu on the front door shows, there are a limited number of lunch items from which to choose. In terms of process, this manifests itself in a row of prepared trays outside the kitchen, visible to those seated at that end of the bar, ready for the placement of the main dish of choice, before delivery.

My choice? The sashimi, plus some tea which, happily, came with a large pot, and wasn’t powdered or a bag.

A compact no-frills tray with a selection of sweet fresh fish, more rice than I actually needed and a delicate broth that was clearly terribly healthy, but for which I’d have probably like a little bit more seasoning.

Yu-U has a really relaxed feel to it, despite the speed of the ordering and food arrival process. I didn’t feel any pressure to hurry, and was predisposed to linger there. I am glad that I decided to take up @drng’s challenge, and having enjoyed my brief time there, I think I’ll also take his suggestion of having dinner there. The ambience struck me as one that comes into its own in the evening.

[AP]

Les Univers Infinis - Vacheron Constantin

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:42:00 +0000

Vacheron’s "Les Univers Infinis" is their latest Métiers d’Art collection, which highlights the artisanal crafts of enamelling, engraving, Escher influenced tessellation and guilloché. There’s something to be said about watches with a sense of whimsy rather than ultra complications, watches that remind us of art forms that, if we don’t support them, could die out.

The 2012 collection consists of three watches, each produced in a limited edition of twenty : Dove, Fish and Shell.

Each of the watches is 18K white gold, 40mm, contains Vacheron’s automatic Caliber 2460 SC which can be seen through an open case back, has 3 bar water resistance, and is individually numbered.

DOVE WATCH

Ref. 86222/000G-9774

The dial of the Dove watch features 38 doves in flight, captured by engravers, Grand Feu champlevé enamelling and guilloché work. 'Champlever' refers to how an image is carved out before the enameller fills the cavities. Champlevé is distinguished from cloisonné enameling, in which the images/ spaces are created by soldering flat metal strips to the surface of the object.

For the Dove, the enameller completes the dial by applying a translucent enamel coating to the violet birds and opalescent enamel to the white ones. Once the enamelling is complete, the gemsetter inserts diamonds into one of the doves. Finally, the guillocheur, finishes it off.

FISH WATCH

Ref. 86222/000G-9689

A shoal of fish created by guilloché work and grand feu cloisonné enamelling commences with cutting the fish and engraving their eyes. The guillocheur then creates tenth-of-a-millimetre symmetrical motifs, curves are added, and the fish covered with scales. The enameller marks out the outline of the fish using a very fine gold wire to separate the various colours. The enamel is placed in each fish and it is then fired in an oven several times, after which the wires are polished down to the level of the enamelling before a final glaze of varnish is added.

SHELL WATCH

Ref. 86222/000G-9685

Shells and starfish are created by the same methods above, with grand feu champlevé enamelling to form an ochre-tinged seabed.

Even if the subject matter of these watches is not to your liking, or you find them a bit too visually elaborate for your tastes, you can still admire the craftsmanship that goes into these dials. Firstly, the engraver traces the shapes on the dial using a drypoint and then hollows out the fields or cavities in order to create a relief engraving using this champlevé technique.

After that is the enamelling work. Firstly, the cavities created by the engraver are filled with enamel. They are then fired them several times at 800° to 850°C. Several firing sessions are required, after which the result is polished, glazed and varnished. At the completion of these, an engraver finishes off the surface of the designs where necessary.

Here is a video from Vacheron about these three new watches that is worth watching.

For more about the art of enameling, read Elizabeth Doerr’s great in-depth piece here

[AP]

Hu Tong Dumpling Bar

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:04:00 +0000

Hu Tong
14-16 Market Lane
Melbourne, VIC 3000
Ph : (03) 9650 8128

Situated opposite the much lauded Flower Drum, the three-level Hu Tong has become one of Melbourne’s most popular CBD restaurants and Xiao Long Bao destinations. In the mood for some food of the dumpling kind, I made my way there for an early lunch at about noon. Apparently, noon isn’t early by Hu Tong standards, as they were already almost-full, and within about 15 minutes or so after my arrival, they had to turn people away.

Comfortably ensconced at a window table and fairly hungry despite the early hour, I decided to go with old favourites instead of ordering dumplings (no, XLB are not dumplings, 'bao' means 'bun'), both as a point of comparison and because sometimes, all you need is comfort food. Preferably involving a chilli kick.

Xiao Long Bao ($11.80)

Nicely pleated and looking as though they had little skirts, the XLB were borderline scorchingly hot, just as I like them. The skin nicely translucent, the filling juicy, well seasoned, and the burst of a good clear flavoursome broth (with added vinegar) just what I needed. Some of the better XLBs I’ve had in Australia.

Hot and Sour soup ($6.00)

A good sized serving (enough for two bowls), this is what I’d been hanging out for. The balance between the ‘hot’ and the ‘sour’ seems to be a somewhat subjective thing. I suspect I like mine a fraction more sour than most. In any event, this example wasn’t bad at all, with a reasonable amount of chilli, an absence of the too-much-added-cornflour syndrome, and some nice depth to it. Not amongst my top hot and sour soup experiences, but then again I have found it difficult to find a good one in Sydney, and I’d consider ordering the Hu Tong one again if I was there.

Spring onion pancake ($6.50)

More attractively presented than that in many places (though smaller in quantity) and touted as a ‘house special’, the pancake’s layers were light and crisp but not too oily. The amount of spring onions fairly decent; too few and the pancake becomes a tad on the bland side. Not inexpensive, but as it was a lot better than some I've had in the past year, worth it.

All in all, the location of Melbourne’s most popular XLB was a pleasant experience both food and service wise, and I’d be happy to revisit Hu Tong on any future trip to Melbourne.

[AP]

Season vs Shimizu Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:26:00 +0000

After sampling various local high end/ fine dining restaurants (if you can call them that) we find ourselves keep coming back to these two. Granted, they're still not inexpensive all things considered, but at about $50 per head (fully fed with drinks) it's relatively acceptable in terms of having a good night out. Of course, this could blow out quite a bit if you choose to have a more expensive drop, or order the absolute most expensive dishes from each course.

We feel that many of the so-called high-end restaurants are just not good value for money. Either in terms of the food quality, quantity, the service quality, attitude, even the atmosphere are nowhere close to what is expected at their price point. And this is a cryin' shame. We've kinda lost faith in these kinds of places and are happy to stick to the following two favourites.

There are quite a contrast between the two places, and depending on your mood, you can choose from having a quiet evening or a lively atmosphere.

Part 1: Quiet Night Out in Willoughby

A la Façon de Shimizu
537 Willoughby Road
NSW 2068
(02) 9958 8782537

The name roughly translates to "The way of Shimizu". This is a 'French' influenced place run by a Japanese Chef. But it felt more like a Japanese/ French influenced fusion western style restaurant. I don't think I can pigeon hole this place, and that is part of their charm. From the looks of it, all the staff (including kitchen staff) are all Japanese, so you immediately get that extremely polite Japanese service. It is not one bit pretentious which we really like. If you ignore what's going on outside (it is on Willoughby Road after all) you could imagine yourself in a little rustic European back alley restaurant with stone paved roads outside, and fire crackling in the fireplace. They are genuinely welcoming and appreciative of your patronage in a very Japanese kind of way, and there is a warmth in their greeting that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Now the dishes aren't exactly what you'd call 'fine' but again, there is none of that over-the-top presentation and plating up that we're so accustomed to from these far-from-realistic cooking/ competition shows. You don't get a big empty plate with the food stacked 30cm tall in the middle. None of those artistic spreads of bright/ matching colour sauces nor the little dabs here and there that leaves you confused as to what goes with what. The presentation is functional like a Toyota, but it's reliable and won't age over time.

Of course, being a fairly small restaurant with minimal staff, there can sometimes be a bit of a lag between courses, and this is more noticeable when the restaurant is fuller and you can almost see the kitchen straining at the seams. However, when you're with good company (and this is a place you would take good company to) the lag won't be as glaring.

Grilled Lamb Cutlet with Miso Sauce

To the dishes. For those who are accustomed to the "full-on-hit-by-the-train" flavour of the Chinese takeaway, this place is most definitely not for you. Their flavours might be light, but certainly not lacking. I find them balanced and intricate, and you want to take things slow and savour each mouthful, for fear of possibility missing out on something.

Although they do have a special set menu - a bargain at $35 for 3 courses, for the past few visits, my slightly high maintenance palate has found me a set of "usuals" that I have ended up ordering upon each returning visit.

Fresh Salmon Tartare - Fresh salmon and avocado tartare with dill, capper and olive .Served with wasabi-mayonnais and bread

The soft texture of the salmon and avocado is juxtaposed with the crunchy bread with a soft centre. It's presented in almost a grid of salmon, avocado and the mayo that you don't want to mess it up. But you should.

Ragoût of Beef Cheek - beef cheek marinated in red wine overnight and stewed for three days. The speciality is the tenderness of the meat and sauce richly flavoured by the vegetables.

This dish has that warm, homey feel. I think this would be great for a winter night. After coming in from the cold, this is rich and soothing and immediately relaxes you and makes you feel at ease, and forget the all about the trouble outside. It take you back to the innocent childhood where everything is ok. And, for those few moments, everything is ok. The beef is soft and tender and almost melts in the mouth.

Main course is served with a side dish of tangy Japanese style noodles and salad. The carrot in said salad is to die for! soft and sweet and it's done in a way that I thought carrots cannot be done. Maybe I shouldn't hype the carrot up so much, but for me, it is that good.

By this time I'm done. No room for dessert. But if you do feel like a dessert, the green tea crème brulee is the pick of the bunch, or go for something simple like green tea ice cream with red bean paste. But be warned. The ice cream is quite substantial. I'd however, skip the coffee. It's never been a strong suit for the Japanese, and sadly, is the case with Shimizu.

There are other numerous great dishes, the muscargot is just like the real deal, but with mussels, (a must have for the missus) the duck leg confit is tender and juicy, the grilled salmon is perfection… I could go on, but I'm too hungry now just thinking about it.

Muscargot

Grilled Salmon

I feel that this place is a hidden gem, a fairly well-kept secret. It's not to everyone's taste, but I feel that they deserve a shout out here, so that more people can come and discover this gem for themselves.

Stay tuned for part 2 - for when you want a lively night out.

[o]

Full list of Panerai 2012 releases

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:29:00 +0000

For those who have found it hard to find a complete list of Panerai’s SIHH 2012 offerings, here’s a run down of OP’s new models for this year.

HISTORIC

RADIOMIR CALIFORNIA 3 DAYS
Ø 47 MM PAM00424

MOVEMENT
Hand-wound mechanical, Panerai P.3000 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 16½ lignes, 5.3 mm thick, 21 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 21,600 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 3 days, two barrels. 162 components.

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes, date.

CASE
Diameter 47 mm, polished steel with removable wire loop strap attachments (patented). Screw-down winding crown personalised OP.

BEZEL
Polished steel.

BACK
See-through sapphire crystal

DIAL
Black with luminous Arabic and Roman numerals and hour markers.

CRYSTAL
Sapphire, formed of corundum, 2,8 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

WATER-RESISTANCE
10 bar (~100 metres).

STRAP
Leather strap and large-size polished steel buckle.

RADIOMIR S.L.C 3 DAYS
Ø 47 MM PAM00425

MOVEMENT
Hand-wound mechanical, Panerai P.3000 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 16½ lignes, 5.3 mm thick, 21 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 21,600 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 3 days, two barrels. 160 components.

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes.

CASE
Diameter 47 mm, polished steel with removable wire loop strap attachments. Screw-down winding crown personalised OP.

BEZEL
Polished steel.

BACK
See-through sapphire crystal

DIAL
Black with luminous hour markers.

CRYSTAL
Sapphire, formed of corundum, 2,8 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

WATER-RESISTANCE
10 bar (~100 metres).

STRAP
Leather strap and large-size polished steel buckle.

RADIOMIR 3 DAYS GMT ORO ROSSO RED GOLD
Ø 47 MM PAM00421

MOVEMENT
Hand-wound mechanical movement, Panerai P.3001 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 16½ lignes, 6.3 mm thick, 21 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 21,600 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 3 days, two barrels. 210 components.

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, second time zone, power reserve indicator on the back, seconds reset.

CASE
Diameter 47 mm, polished red gold with removable wire loop strap attachments. Screw-down winding crown personalised OP.

BEZEL
Red gold steel.

BACK
See-through sapphire crystal

DIAL
Brown with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Date at 3 o’clock, seconds at 9 o’clock.

CRYSTAL
Sapphire, formed of corundum, 1.4 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

WATER-RESISTANCE
5 bar (~50 metres).

STRAP
Alligator strap and polished red gold buckle.

LUMINOR MARINA 1950 3 DAYS
Ø 47 MM PAM00422

MOVEMENT
Hand-wound mechanical, Panerai P.3001 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 16½ lignes, 6.3 mm thick, 21 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 21,600 alternations/ hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 3 days, two barrels. 207 components.

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes, small seconds, power reserve indicator on the back, seconds reset.

CASE
Diameter 47 mm, AISI 316L polished steel.

BEZEL
Polished steel.

BACK
See-through sapphire crystal.

DEVICE PROTECTING THE CROWN
Brushed steel.

DIAL
Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Seconds at 9 o’clock.

CRYSTAL
Sapphire, formed of corundum, 3 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

WATER-RESISTANCE
10 bar (~100 metres).

STRAP
Leather strap and large-size brushed steel buckle. Supplied with a second interchangeable strap and a steel screwdriver

LUMINOR 1950 3 DAYS POWER RESERVE
Ø 47 MM PAM00423

MOVEMENT
Hand-wound mechanical, Panerai P.3002 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 16½ lignes, 6.3 mm thick, 21 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 21,600 alternations/ hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 3 days, two barrels. 208 components.

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes, small seconds, power reserve indicator on the back, seconds reset.

CASE
Diameter 47 mm, AISI 316L polished steel.

BEZEL
Polished steel.

BACK
See-through sapphire crystal.

DEVICE PROTECTING THE CROWN
Brushed steel.

DIAL
Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Seconds at 9 o’clock, power reserve indicator at 4 o’clock.

CRYSTAL
Sapphire, formed of corundum, 3 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

WATER-RESISTANCE
10 bar (~100 metres).

STRAP
Leather strap and large-size brushed steel buckle. Supplied with a second interchangeable strap and a steel screwdriver.

RADIOMIR ORO ROSSO RED GOLD
Ø 42 MM PAM00439

MOVEMENT
Hand-wound mechanical, Panerai P.999 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 12 lignes, 3.4 mm thick, 19 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 21,600 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Swan’s neck regulator. Power reserve 60 hours. 154 components.

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes, small seconds.

CASE
Diameter 42 mm, polished red gold with removable wire loop strap attachments. Screw-down winding crown personalised OP.

BEZEL
Polished red gold.

BACK
See-through sapphire crystal.

DIAL
Brown, with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Seconds at 9 o’clock.

CRYSTAL
Sapphire, formed of corundum, 1.5 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

WATER-RESISTANCE
10 bar (~100 metres).

STRAP
Alligator strap and polished red gold buckle.

CONTEMPORARY

LUMINOR 1950 3 DAYS GMT AUTOMATIC CERAMICA
Ø 44 MM PAM00441

MOVEMENT
Automatic mechanical, Panerai P.9001 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 13¾ lignes, 7.9 mm thick, 29 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 3 days, two barrels. 229 components.

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, second time zone, power reserve indicator on the back, seconds reset.

CASE
Diameter 44 mm, black ceramic.

BEZEL
Black ceramic.

BACK
Smoked see-through sapphire crystal

DEVICE PROTECTING THE CROWN
Black ceramic.

DIAL
Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Date at 3 o’clock, seconds 9 o’clock.

CRYSTAL
Sapphire, formed of corundum, 2.3 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

WATER-RESISTANCE
10 bar (~100 metres).

STRAP
Leather strap and large-size titanium buckle with special hard black coating. Supplied with a second interchangeable strap and a steel screwdriver.

TUTTONERO LUMINOR1950 3 DAYS GMT AUTOMATIC CERAMICA
Ø 44 MM PAM00438

MOVEMENT
Automatic mechanical, Panerai P.9001/B calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 13¾ lignes, 7.9 mm thick, 29 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 3 days, two barrels. 229 components.

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, second time zone, power reserve indicator on the back, seconds reset.

CASE
Diameter 44 mm, black ceramic.

BEZEL
Black ceramic.

BACK
See-through sapphire crystal

DEVICE PROTECTING THE CROWN
Black ceramic.

DIAL
Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Date at 3 o’clock, seconds 9 o’clock.

CRYSTAL
Sapphire, formed of corundum, 2.3 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

WATER-RESISTANCE
10 bar (~100 metres).

STRAP
Cramic bracelet. Steel buckle with a special hard black coating. Supplied with a steel screwdriver.

RADIOMIR BLACK SEAL 3 DAYS AUTOMATIC
Ø 45 MM PAM00388

MOVEMENT
Automatic mechanical, Panerai P.9000 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 13¾ lignes, 7.9 mm thick, 28 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 3 days, two barrels. 197 components.

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes, small seconds, date.

CASE
Diameter 45 mm, AISI 316L polished steel with removable wire loop strap attachments (patented). Screw-down winding crown personalised OP.

BEZEL
Polished steel.

BACK
See-through sapphire crystal

DIAL
Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Date at 3 o’clock, seconds at 9 o’clock.

CRYSTAL
Sapphire, formed of corundum, 1.9 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

WATER-RESISTANCE
10 bar (~100 metres).

STRAP
Alligator strap and large-size polished steel buckle.

LUMINOR MARINA 1950 3 DAYS AUTOMATIC
Ø 42 MM PAM00392

MOVEMENT
Automatic mechanical, Panerai P.9000 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 13¾ lignes, 7.9 mm thick, 28 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 3 days, two barrels. 197 components.

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes, small seconds, date.

CASE
Diameter 42 mm, AISI 316L brushed steel

BEZEL
Polished steel.

BACK
See-through sapphire crystal.

DEVICE PROTECTING THE CROWN
Brushed steel.

DIAL
Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Date at 3 o’clock, seconds at 9 o’clock.

CRYSTAL
Sapphire, formed of corundum, 1.8 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

WATER-RESISTANCE
10 bar (~100 metres).

STRAP
Alligator strap and brushed steel buckle. Supplied with a tool to change the strap and a steel screwdriver.

LUMINOR MARINA 1950 3 DAYS AUTOMATIC ORO ROSSO RED GOLD
Ø 42 MM PAM00393

MOVEMENT
Automatic mechanical, Panerai P.9000 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 13¾ lignes, 7.9 mm thick, 28 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 3 days, two barrels. 197 components.

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes, small seconds, date.

CASE
Diameter 42 mm, brushed red gold.

BEZEL
Polished red gold.

BACK
See-through sapphire crystal.

DEVICE PROTECTING THE CROWN
Brushed red gold.

DIAL
Brown with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Date at 3 o’clock, seconds at 9 o’clock.

CRYSTAL
Sapphire, formed of corundum, 1.8 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

WATER-RESISTANCE
5 bar (~50 metres).

STRAP
Alligator strap and brushed red gold buckle. Supplied with a steel screwdriver.

RADIOMIR 10 DAYS GMT
Ø 47 MM PAM00323

MOVEMENT
Automatic mechanical, Panerai P.2003/6 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 13¾ lignes, 8 mm thick, 25 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour. KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 10 days, three barrels. 292 components.

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, second time zone, 24h indicator, circular power reserve indicator, seconds reset.

CASE
Diameter 47 mm, polished steel with removable wire loop strap attachments. Screw-down winding crown personalised OP.

BEZEL
Polished steel.

BACK
See-through sapphire crystal

DIAL
Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Date at 3 o’clock, seconds and 24h indicator at 9 o’clock. Circular power reserve indicator at 6 o’clock.

CRYSTAL
Sapphire, formed of corundum, 1.9 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

WATER-RESISTANCE
10 bar (~100 metres).

STRAP
Alligator strap and large-size polished steel buckle.

SPECIALITIES

LUMINOR 1950 TOURBILLON GMT CERAMICA
Ø 48 MM PAM00396

MOVEMENT
Hand-wound mechanical, Panerai P.2005/B calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 16¼ lignes, 9.1 mm thick, 31 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour. KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 6 days, three barrels. 239 components.

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes, small seconds, second time zone, 24h indicator, power reserve indicator on the back, tourbillon.

CASE
Diameter 48 mm, black ceramic.

BEZEL
Black ceramic.

BACK
See-through sapphire crystal.

DIAL
Black, with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. 24h indicator at 3 o’clock, seconds and tourbillon indicator at 9 o’clock.

CRYSTAL
Sapphire, formed of corundum, 2 mm thick. Double anti-reflective coating.

WATER-RESISTANCE
10 bar (~100 metres).

STRAP
Leather strap and adjustable steel buckle with special hard black coating. Supplied with a second interchangeable strap and a steel screwdriver.

SPECIAL EDITIONS

RADIOMIR CALIFORNIA 3 DAYS
Ø 47 MM PAM00448

MOVEMENT
Hand-wound mechanical, Panerai P.3000 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 16½ lignes, 5.3 mm thick, 21 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 21,600 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 3 days, two barrels. 160 components.

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes.

CASE
Diameter 47 mm, AISI 316L polished steel with removable wire loop strap attachments (patented). Screw-down winding crown personalised OP.

BEZEL
Polished steel.

BACK
See-through sapphire crystal

DIAL
Black with luminous Arabic and Roman numerals and hour markers.

CRYSTAL
Plexiglas®, 2.8 mm thick.

WATER-RESISTANCE
10 bar (~100 metres).

STRAP
Leather strap and large-size polished steel buckle

RADIOMIR S.L.C. 3 DAYS
Ø 47 MM PAM00449

MOVEMENT
Hand-wound mechanical, Panerai P.3000 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 16½ lignes, 5.3 mm thick, 21 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 21,600 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 3 days, two barrels. 160 components.

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes.

CASE
Diameter 47 mm, polished steel with removable wire loop strap attachments (patented). Screw-down winding crown personalised OP.

BEZEL
Polished steel.

BACK
See-through sapphire crystal.

DIAL
Black with luminous hour markers.

CRYSTAL
Plexiglas®, 2,8 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

WATER-RESISTANCE
10 bar (~100 metres).

STRAP
Leather strap and large-size polished steel buckle.

RADIOMIR 1940
Ø 47 MM PAM00399

MOVEMENT
Hand-wound mechanical, exclusive Panerai OP XXVII calibre, 16¾ lignes, 18 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 18,000 alternations/hour. KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 55 hours.

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes, small seconds.

CASE
Diameter 47 mm, polished steel. Screw-down winding crown personalized OP.

BEZEL
Polished steel.

BACK
See-through sapphire crystal.

DIAL
Brown, with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Seconds at 9 o’clock.

CRYSTAL
Plexiglas®, 3 mm thick.

WATER-RESISTANCE
3 bar (~30 metres).

STRAP
Leather strap and large-size polished steel buckle.

RADIOMIR 1940 ORO ROSSO RED GOLD
Ø 47 MM PAM00398

MOVEMENT
Hand-wound mechanical, exclusive Panerai OP XXVII calibre, 16¾ lignes, 18 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 18,000 alternations/hour. KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 55 hours.

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes, small seconds.

CASE
Diameter 47 mm, polished red gold. Screw-down winding crown personalized OP.

BEZEL
Polished red gold.

BACK
See-through sapphire crystal.

DIAL
Brown, with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Seconds at 9 o’clock.

CRYSTAL
Plexiglas®, 3 mm thick.

WATER-RESISTANCE
3 bar (~30 metres).

STRAP
Alligator strap and polished red gold adjustable buckle.

RADIOMIR 8 DAYS GMT ORO ROSSO RED GOLD
Ø 45 MM PAM00395

MOVEMENT
Half skeleton hand-wound mechanical, Panerai P.2002/10 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai,13¾ lignes, 6.6 mm thick, 21 jewels, monometallic Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour, KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 8 days, 3 barrels. 246 components.

FUNCTIONS
Half skeleton hand-wound mechanical, Panerai P.2002/10 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai,13¾ lignes, 6.6 mm thick, 21 jewels, monometallic Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour, KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 8 days, 3 barrels. 246 components.

CASE
Diameter 45 mm, polished red gold with removable wire loop strap attachments. Screw-down winding crown personalized OP.

BEZEL
Polished red gold.

BACK
See-through sapphire crystal.

DIAL
Brown with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Date at 3 o’clock, seconds and 24h indicator at 9 o’clock, linear power reserve indicator at 6 o’clock.

CRYSTAL
Sapphire, formed of corundum, 1.2 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

WATER-RESISTANCE
5 bar (~50 metres).

STRAP
Alligator strap and polished red gold adjustable buckle.

[AP]

Great watch - shame about the name

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:28:00 +0000

It's nearly three years since I had the unexpected and very rare honour of being able to photograph one of the most elusive, beautiful, and horologically significant timepieces of the century.

I refer, of course, to the somewhat pompously-titled Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Watch With Audemars Piguet Escapement...

This absolutely gorgeous creature landed inside my light tent under very odd circumstances, recounted here. The watch you see above is a prototype that had been living on the wrist of its creator, Fabrice Deschanel (of Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi) for some two years, although the watch had only been announced some two months prior to my encounter with it.

For the life of me I can't remember what case material was used for this prototype - possibly white gold. But the most significant thing about this watch is the fact that it was the very first to use AP's in-house modified Robin escapement at the extremely high beat rate of 43,200vph, with no lubrication.

Well, blow me down with a feather if a similar thing didn't happen last week. There I was at the AP booth in SIHH, photographing the new releases. I decided to ask my rep whether she had anything "really special" to show me. Possibly misinterpreting my request, she disappeared for a few minutes, and came back....with this....

Omigod omigod omigod.... it's the production version of the Audemars Piguet Audemars Jules Audemars Watch with Audemars Piguet Audemars Escapement...in rose gold.

And I thought the white metal version was beautiful. This thing is more than beautiful. It's heartbreaking.

You've already noticed by now that a gently spiralling brushed treatment has replaced the Clous de Paris finishing of the dial-side movement bridge, which if memory serves correctly, is now made from ruthenium.

Other substantive changes include register dials in black, and hands in gold instead of blued steel.

Holding the watch up to your ear, you can hear the thrillingly rapid little clacketty-clacketty-clack of the small escape wheel, beating its heart out twelve times per second -

The rose gold/brushed ruthenium treatment is repeated on the watch's obverse face -

...with a particularly unusual finishing effect on the twin barrel covers, which gives the impression that they are concave, or perhaps toroidally concave (is there such a term?) -

Here, for comparison, is the prototype from '09 which had quite a different treatment for its barrel covers -

I really loved the Clous de Paris finishings on the proto, but dammit, I really love the brushed ruthenium on this production version. AP had better not dare bring out a white-metal version with the previous finish reinstated - I will be utterly unable to decide which one I can't afford to buy!

I tend to state this a lot on blogs...but this really is one of the most beautiful watches I have ever seen.

And so, having completed my photos, I emulated Stanley in Pinter's The Birthday Party as he receives his birthday present of a toy drum and gingerly, tenderly asks: "Shall I hang it around my neck?"...

...by turning to the charming Aphrodite (yes, that was her name) and asking: "Shall I strap it on my wrist?"

And then I handed it back, Aphrodite walked out of the room, and the watch was gone. The pain, the pain.

Yes, the Audemars Piguet Audemars Jules Audemars Watch Audemars With Audemars Piguet Audemars Escapement Audemars is truly a magnificent timepiece. What a shame about that unwieldy name though...why couldn't they have just called it something simple, like "Kevin"?

Cheers

Tony P

Artya - Watches for iconoclasts

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:33:00 +0000

Yvan Arpa is a breath of fresh air in the watch industry. Having worked his way up to managerial level within established Swiss brands, he decided a few years ago to throw that all away, and do something really daring as artistic director for a new brand, Romaine Jerome.

A series of new models followed, each more daring and controversial than the last. Watches with pieces of metal from the wreck of the Titanic; double-tourbillon watches with no hands, which told the time to within an accuracy of 12 hours; a watch made from a case material so reactive, it had to be sealed inside a glass bubble from which the air had been evacuated. It was as if Arpa was thumbing his nose, not just at the industry, but even at the collectors who avidly flocked to snap up these preposterous creations.

Romaine Jerome was catapulted instantly from a no-name start-up to one of the most discussed and sought-after brands on the scene. Their tiny booth at Baselworld 2009 was packed with customers for the entire fair. But it was all to end badly - Arpa left suddenly under a cloud, legal action was initiated, and the resulting court battle with its attendant negative publicity, combined with the sudden absence of Arpa's creative drive, drove the brand into bankruptcy.

Arpa is not a man to stand still. Almost immediately he launched his own brand - Artya. It's a clever name which derives from his own surname but also states his value proposition: each Artya watch is a unique piece of horological, visual and tactile art. They are also exercises in playfulness, rule-breaking, and pushing at the creative boundaries of what we think a watch can or should be. Oh, and they're affordable too.

Artya is a highly streamlined operation. Most of the work is outsourced; however, assembly, testing and final adjustments are done by a small team of in-house watchmakers. Arpa took space in a big, unglamorous warehouse in a run-down and unfashionable corner of Geneva, and immediately set about installing the one critical piece of equipment which every watch manufacture needs: a massive Tesla coil.

Er, critical if you're Yvan Arpa, that is. You see, if your first range of watches features cases whose exterior finishes are fashioned from lightning bolts, then a room-sized Tesla coil is definitely going to be high on your equipment shopping list. It's certainly a safer bet than standing on your roof in a storm holding a watch case in the air.

Most, but not all, of the Artya watches have cases like this. However, the dials are where things get even more interesting. Arpa uses such unusual materials as bullets (real ones which have been fired from a gun); butterfly wings; dinosaur faeces; paint which doesn't dry; part of the blade from an Indonesian kris; a plectrum and guitar string used by Paul Stanley in a KISS concert; bits of electrical circuitry; and so on. He's ably assisted in these wacky dial-making adventures by his wife Dominique, who creates many of the dials herself using 17 different artistic techniques.

Even the straps are bizarre on Artya watches. The most common material is cane toad skin. Yes, you read right, cane toad. Funnily enough, these straps are breathtaking in the flesh - thick, crusty, and highly textural, they perfectly match the rugged case designs and colourful dials of the Artya timepieces.

Arpa is currently sourcing his cane toads from Indonesia but is in the process of applying for a licence to import them from Australia, where the toads are of course considered a major pest.

I met first with Arpa's incredibly energetic and enthusiastic assistant and general "girl Friday", Wendy Witte, in the lounge of the Kempinski Hotel, with its sweeping views across Lake Geneva. After an hour or so of photographing, we were joined by Arpa himself. I spent the next couple of hours with this highly entertaining gentleman discussing the industry, his new brand, his multiple lawsuits (the guy seems to specialise in offending and pissing off prominent and powerful players in the industry, just for the fun of it), and anything else that popped into his hyperactive mind.

The watches themselves start at under 4,000 euros for a simple ladies' watch with quartz movement, to six figures for the most complicated tourbillon pieces. Pricing is generally pretty low considering what you are getting: every single piece is unique, and they are mostly quite breathtaking. These watches are talking points for your wrist - you need a big personality to carry them off. Which, appropriately, reflects perfectly their creator.

First up, the "Son of a Gun" watch, new for this year.

The rotor is also made from bullets - in this case, suitable for a 357 Magnum: fit to blow your head right off.

Even without the crazy innards, the cases themselves are works of art -

Here's a Son of a Gun watch featuring a "Struck by Lightning" case. The voltage of the Tesla coil can be varied. Mostly the cases are struck by a bolt arcing across between 200,000 and 500,000 volts -

"Liquid Dial" watch with PVD case. The paint is sandwiched between two clear plates, preventing it from drying. The resultant pattern shifts constantly as the paint flows around. It's also luminous - a perfect nightclub watch, maybe?

This next watch has a fascinating rotor which unfortunately I did not get to photograph. It incorporates round and square gears in a design which was invented by a Swiss watchmaker and "gifted" to the industry. Some other company immediately grabbed the idea and patented it. Arpa's response is to use the idea in his watch and dare that company to sue him. They probably will.

Skeletonised Jaquet movement inside what could be described as a "Fred Flintstone" case -

This watch has a dial made from "sacred Aboriginal sand". Sounds suspiciously like Secret Wimmin's Business to me.

One of several watches featuring a dial made from a butterfly's wing. Check out the toadskin strap too:

This tourbillon watch features a movement created by Valérien Jaquet to Arpa's brief. The layout is a homage to the Tesla coil used to create many of his cases -

Dial made from a fragment of an Indonesian kris knife -

This really is a breathtaking watch.

More butterflies -

Butterflies and toads! I love it -

Interesting enough from the front -

The back reveals four rotors!

An affordable ladies' piece. Arpa engraved the bezel and lugs himself -

OK, everyone has to have at least a couple of diamond-set watches in their range -

New for 2012, this is Arpa's comment on the current Euro crisis: the dial is made from a cut-up 50-Euro banknote...or is it 100? I forget. Either way, he's courting trouble again -

The Paul Stanley watch. Apparently Stanley liked this design so much, he invited Arpa to a KISS concert and after-party. I believe all four band members will get their own Artya watches -

Perpetual calendar with Mayan-inspired bezel -

The hieroglyphs on the movement bridge spell out Vita Brevis, Ars Longa - "Life is Short, Art is Eternal".

Have some of the diamonds fallen out of this bezel? Nope - Arpa just wanted it to seem that way.

Hope you enjoyed the show. Incredibly enough, Artya is now available at a boutique in Double Bay, on the ground floor of the old Ritz Carlton in Cross Street. I really should have suggested a "Michael Hutchence Memorial Watch" to Arpa - I wonder what that dial would look like...

Cheers
Tony P

SIHH 2012 : Grönefeld

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:42:00 +0000

What's this? - I hear you say. Grönefeld are most definitely not a Richemont brand, and they most definitely do not have a booth at SIHH.

All true. But they did have invitations, and so did I. Bart and Tim are big fellas, not easy to miss in a crowd. And so it came to pass that I stumbled across them quite early in the proceedings.

I first met Bart and Tim back three years ago at Baselworld when they had just released their first watch, a rather intimidating tourbillon/minute repeater in a case that would not have looked out of place on Conan the Barbarian's wrist. That's not to say it was not refined; but it sure was masculine.

This was their first foray into a self-branded timepiece, but actually the brothers have been working in the watch industry for over twenty years, having passed first through famed Swiss watchmaking school WOSTEP and then on to the complications department at Renaud & Papi.

Since moving back to their hometown of Oldenzaal in Holland, the Grönefelds have built up a steady business assembling and finishing complicated watches for all sorts of brands - including some top-tier ones. I'm sworn to secrecy, but let's just say that there are several high-end, "totally in-house" Swiss watch models that take a journey to Holland and back during their gestation.

This is the second time I have run into Bart and Tim during SIHH. Last year they were very excited about their new One Hertz watch. They had a working movement to show me, but there had been a frustrating delay with the case. Shortly afterwards, the first actual watch was cased up, photographed and announced.

It's a fascinating departure from the previous Grönefeld watch. Whereas the minute repeater was highly complicated, fantastically expensive, and based on a movement from their old friends Renaud & Papi, the Grönefeld One Hertz is relatively simple, featuring three different complications (deadbeat seconds, power reserve and a push-crown to toggle between winding and setting), and - here's the really interesting bit - is based on their own, in-house-designed movement. And what a movement!

All of this for less than 30,000 Euros in stainless steel. I call that a bargain.

Clearly I'm not alone in that assessment - the limited run of 12 watches in SS was quickly snapped up and there are none left. One client cancelled their order just before the show - it took the Grönefelds less than 24 hours to find another buyer.

So successful has the One Hertz proven, that Bart & Tim have announced a second run in Rose Gold with a chestnut dial, numbered LE of 20 pieces. These will naturally be more expensive, but still affordable. Other releases may follow, although again - I'm sworn to secrecy.

But in my opinion it's the SS version which will prove to be the most desirable, due to its limited numbers, the fact that it was the first version, and let's not overlook the fact that it's a damn fine-looking watch...

photo courtesy Edwin H Heusinkveld

So without further ado, here are my own shots of the Grönefeld One Hertz in stainless steel, taken at SIHH. Hope you enjoy them.

I love the layered dial with brushed, polished, guilloché and transparent elements -

Like all good dead-seconds watches, the One Hertz has a big, big seconds register -

Part of the seconds register was made transparent to allow it to overlap the hours/minutes register without obscuring the latter. Apparently this is quite a technically difficult little construction detail, one of many you can find on this deceptively simple watch if you look more carefully -

"1912" on the rear bezel indicates the birth year of Bart & Tim's grandfather, who was the first watchmaker in the family -

The One Hertz utilises Patek Philippe's patented Gyromax balance wheel. They are one of the very few brands with access to this balance wheel -

Cheers
Tony P

A GTG at Scopri Italian Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:35:00 +0000

Scopri
191 Nicholson Street
Carlton
VIC 3053
Ph : (03) 9347 8252

A week after having spent a few days in Melbourne, I found myself there again for the Melbourne Watchband’s end of year dinner last month, having been talked into the overnight visit by a watch friend in Perth who would also be there for the occasion.

They'd booked out the private room at the top of Scopri, an Italian restaurant in Carlton which, happily, is BYO, allowing the wine buffs to bring a bottle or two. Despite being a group of 15 in the private room (or floor, rather), there was no requirement to abide by a set group menu, so apart from some shared starters, we chose from the a la carte menu.

First up were some shared primi piatti:

Insalata caprese

Simple sweet flavours of good tomatoes, plenty of basil, good buffalo mozzarella.

Affettato di Bresaola di Wagyu

Local air dried Wagyu beef Bresaola with rocket, parmesan & cherry tomato salad

Unfortunately, because I was so distracted by trying talking and watches, I only managed to get one slice of the bresaola. Suffice to say that I wish that there'd been more of this smooth, rich charcuterie.

Stuffed zucchini flower

The mains :

Pappardelle al ragu` d’anatra

Ribbon pasta with slow cooked duck ragu $26

The ragu was my choice. The pappardelle was nicely cooked but the ragu was probably less of a ragu than I had expected i.e. the duck meat didn't break up easily as meat does from an extended cooking period.

Gnudi di Ricotta e Spinaci al Burro e Salvia
Ricotta and spinach dumplings with butter, sage and fresh parmesan $24

Costoletta di vitello alla Milanese
Crumbed veal cutlet with eggplant parmigiana and ‘crema di burrata’ $37

Ravioli al Nero di San Pietro
Squid ink ravioli filled with John Dory & zucchini in potato and crayfish bisque $27

Crostatina ai frutti di bosco - Vanilla custard tart with mixed fresh berries $14.50

Delizia al limone

Traditional Sorrento style cake - sponge filled with organic lemon curd & covered in Chantilly and strawberries $14.50

Tazza di Caffee’ dolce

'sweet coffee cup’ crisp wafer shell filled with coffee zabaglione on sweetened buffalo ricotta

$15

Tortino caprese
Flourless chocolate cake with orange reduction, creme anglaise $13.50

Of course we cannot forget the watches; what an amazing group of them I was privileged to see.

Part of Tom's watchmaking project

Patek Ref. 2526

The Ref. 2526 was introduced in 1952 and was Patek Philippe's first self-winding watch. Containing Patek's calibre 12-600 AT, this iconic enamel dialled rarity was produced in only 580 pieces, in yellow, pink, white gold and platinum. With a dial that truly has become a classic, it is seen by many to be 'the' Patek, or the 'perfect wristwatch'.

Patek Ref. 6000

The Ref. 6000 proved to be one of my surprises for the night. A watch that I've never much liked in photos, this was the first time I'd seen one in the metal. I did a complete turnaround, and really took this watch. It's surprisingly sporty yet elegant, and sits very comfortably on the wrist. It also confirmed my view of how important it is to be able to see and handle a watch before buying it.

Vintage Rolexes that speak for themselves

Seriously - what's not to like about this trio? It was an honour to see them.

AP ROO Alinghi

Philippe Dufour Simplicity

Simplicity indeed. It was a privilege to see a Dufour for the first time.

Two F.P. Journes in the house!

Independents tableshot :
Peter Speake-Marin, F.P. Journe, Vianney Halter Goldpfeil, F.P.Journe, Philippe Dufour

Not a bad subset of watches for an end of year GTG, is it? My heart was captured, as I'd expect it would be, by the VH Goldpfeil. I told its owner that if it went missing, I would probably be the culprit. Here it is on my wrist :

A Tissot that many of us liked.

And a final tableshot, including the edible interloper, a pocket watch from flour and stone. Embarassingly, I was so distracted by the horological overload that there were watches that I didn't get to photograph individually, but you can see some of them at this link.

After a great evening of food, wine, watches and conversation, Sopri’s owner finally managed to get rid of The Persistent Four at just after 1am, but not before one of us explained how similar food and watches can be – you have your mass produced items, you have your boutique items, you have your artisans...You would be surprised at the similarities.

Many thanks to the Melbourne 'watchband' for inviting me along and for being so welcoming. It was a wonderful night, aptly capped off by an amusing trip afterwards with my fellow interestate visitor, during which we found ourselves being motored through Melbourne by a Patek Nautilus wielding taxi driver.

[AP]

Trunk Diner

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:05:00 +0000

Trunk Diner
275 Exhibition St
Melbourne
VIC 3000
Ph : (03) 9663 7994
Hours : Monday to Friday 7.30am – 4.00pm. Saturday & Sunday 8.00am – 4.00pm

So I was in the Melbourne CBD, and I felt like a burger.

Situated on a major thoroughfare and open for breakfast until 11.30am, after which the menu changes to the "lunch and onwards" options, Trunk Diner is the small American themed attachment to Trunk Bar and Restaurant.

As well as burgers, there is fried chicken, salads, half a dozen baguettes, quesadilla, and half a dozen sweet items, including apple pie. Fries don’t come with the burgers, but are an additional $3 or $6.

At $10, the basic Diner Burger is a Wagyu beef patty in a grilled brioche bun, with baby cos, thick cut tomato, house-made pickles, a choice of 4 cheeses (Gruyere, Monterey Jack, Raclette and Cheddar), and extras like crispy bacon, caramelised onions, sautéed mushrooms, guacamole and jalapeño. I chose to add mushrooms and Gruyere to my basic burger, and a small order of fries.

If you’re famished, you can order a double burger, for $19.

Arriving on a tray in a slightly deconstructed fashion (why were the tomato, onions and lettuce not in the burger? Yes, I put them in), with the pickled vegetable being a nice bit of unexpected pumpkin, this is not a huge burger, but still a decently sized one. Along with a serving of chips, it is enough for a meal.

Brioche are my favourite burger bun. Though this one was good, it wasn’t the best brioche burger I’ve had, being a little on the bland side. The patty was the best thing about the burger. Perhaps a tad raw for some folks, it tasted like quality beef, was nicely pink the middle, a good thickness, and a decent size, proportionate to the bun. Interestingly, it was not as juicy as I thought it would be, given how the meat looked and tasted. Perhaps the biggest disappointment, given that it was an enjoyable burger, was the quantity of the extras. Or rather lack of quantity, as the case may be.

Trunk Diner is split between an enclosed area and a large courtyard that is presumably also used by Trunk Restaurant & Bar as well. On a sunny day, it's a great place to sit outside for a burger, and good for groups. This is a 'diner' burger whose strength is in its meat. Is it a burger I'd order again? I might, with a different combination of extras, but I did enjoy visiting Trunk Diner, and wouldn't mind going back to try something else. If you're in the mood for a decent burger and you're in the CBD, it's worth a visit.

[AP]

More dragons : Grieb & Benzinger

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:36:00 +0000

In the latest chapter in the relentless pursuit of the Chinese market, especially in the upcoming year of the dragon, Grieb & Benzinger have released their version of watches-with-dragons.

Fortunately, they have restricted themselves to four models, each available in a limited edition of eight, with the number x/8 hand skeletonised into the gear train bridge.

If I am so cynical about dragon themed watches, why am I blogging about them? Well it’s because Benzinger/ Grieb & Benzinger are interesting and slightly under the radar. They do some quite lovely classically Breguet-style watches, they’re known for their hand skeletonised (and hand guillochéd) watches, plus they actually have an authorised dealer in Australia, through whom I have had the pleasure of once seeing them in the flesh.

Basically, if Benzinger are doing a skeletonised dragon, then I’ll take a look.

Grieb & Benzinger’s draconic offerings are split into two skeletonised models, and two mother-of-pearl ones.

The mother-of-pearl dialled models are the ‘White Dragon’ and ‘Grey Dragon’. The use of mother-of-pearl dials alludes to the pearl that the male dragon carries underneath his chin, symbolising wisdom, purity and order. The white model is available in white gold with 77 diamonds or in white gold with a guilloché bezel. The grey is available in rose gold with 77 diamonds or in rose gold with a guilloché bezel.

Of their dragon collection, the mother-of-pearl ones are probably the two that appeal the least to me, since they seem more a case of simply putting a dragon on a watch. The two skeletonised models, however, let the brand’s skeletonising skills shine and, to my mind, make more sense within the broader context of the brand's DNA.

The ‘Black Dragon’ features a ‘hovering’ dragon over a skeletonised sterling silver dial, beneath which can be seen a blackened, hand-skeletonised movement. It is available in rose gold with 77 diamonds or in rose gold with a guilloché bezel.

The ‘Blue Dragon’ is the full-on-Benzinger-treatment masterpiece of the collection. The dragon is fully skeletonised out of the movement itself, giving it a far more three-dimensional and organic feel. As well as skeletonisation, the Blue Dragon also features the use of guilloché and engraving. Why blue? G&B say that this is a nod to the time when a lot of blue base plates were supplied by Switzerland through Bovet (which has arguably the richest history of any watch brand with China) and under Emperors Jia Qing (reigned 1795-1820) and Dao Guang (reigned 1821-1850). The Blue Dragon is available in white gold with 124 baguette-cut diamonds or in white gold with a guilloché bezel.

Of the collection, and this is a very personal view, I wonder whether the skeletonised models will be the ones with the greatest staying power. They are more in tune with the brand’s other collections and the dragons are more aesthetically integrated into the watch, which means that they don’t scream ‘token dragon watch’.

How much for these rather limited editions? Prices from 32,500 Euros.

[AP]

SIHH 2012 : Piaget's Altiplano Skeleton - setting new records for 'thin'

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:13:00 +0000

Although it was announced a couple of months ago, Piaget has now formally launched the stunning Altiplano Skeleton at SIHH 2012. At 38mm, this dress watch holds two ‘firsts’. At 5.34mm it is the world's thinnest automatic skeleton watch and inside, it contains the thinnest automatic movement, the Piaget calibre 1200S, a mere 2.4mm.

Through the open case back you can see that the movement's micro-rotor is platinum and coated in a matte black. The 1200S automatic movement is based on the 1200P automatic movement, which Piaget modified and skeletonised.

The engraving and finishing on the movement is all done by hand, and the contrasts and impact of the mix of surfaces (matte, sunray brushed, sandblasted, polished) with the polished angles, platinum, rhodium and black make this a very modern type of skeletonised dress watch.

Renowned for their ultra-thins, Manufacture Piaget currently has 18 ultra-thin movements and 5 skeleton movements.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Case : 18-carat white gold

Functions: hours, minutes. Black dauphine hands

Movement : Piaget 1200S ultra-thin mechanical self-winding skeleton movement. World's thinnest automatic skeleton movement (2.40mm). Finishing : satin brushed plate and bridges, hand bevelled and hand-drawn bridges and plate,

sunray or circular satin-brushed wheels, black screws, black platinum satin-brushed micro-rotor engraved with Piaget insignia

Jewels : 26

Frequency : 21,600 vph

Power reserve : 44-hour

Strap : black alligator with 18-carat white gold ardillon buckle

Reference : G0A37132

This new watch screams Piaget, and in a way that I want to see. They really do ‘ultra- thin’ like nobody else, and I have a soft spot for skeletonised watches. The Altiplano Skeleton Ultra-Thin is not for those who want all the bells and whistles on their watch but for those who want a watch pared down to its time-keeping essential, but in a technically and aesthetically remarkable way. It's unlikely that I’ll get to have a look at one in Sydney, but if anyone gets one...

[AP]

SIHH 2012 : Quick look - Baume & Mercier, Greubel Forsey

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:51:00 +0000

Here I am in the Salle de Presse at SIHH 2012, which looks like this -

I have been very busy with press presentations, with very little time to upload and post-process my shots, so for this phase of SIHH I am using a newly purchased Panasonic Lumix GX1 with the Lumix G 14-42 X power zoom lens. It's great for quick snaps and I think it can do more than that too, but for really detailed and accurate watch shots I will be reverting to my Nikon D700 and 105mm Micronikkor macro lens later in the week.

The first booth to the right of the Salle de Presse is Baume et Mercier. Their presentation is tomorrow, but from my first quick look at the display cases outside the booth, I would say that they are upping their game.

New chronographs -

A new, more elegant and classic range of time-only watches with really nice sword hands, subtle dial guilloché and other details -

A closer look at one of the chronos -

Here is last year's Capeland chronograph, which has from memory a Dubois-Dépraz movement -

The thing about Baume et Mercier is that they are NOT attempting to go upmarket by developing their own movements, or worse, grabbing someone else's movement and calling it their own. What they do instead is take good reliable ETA and other third-party movements, finish them beautifully, and put them in high-quality cases.

Previously, I found their styling worthy but terribly boring. Now, I'm looking at these new watches and saying, "Wow, that's really nice and elegant for that price point." I will do a serious shoot on Thursday and let's see if the resulting photos bear this hypothesis out.

The B&M booth had an artist working on some drawings outside the entrance -

Back to Greubel Forsey. This year they have a new GMT watch with a big, big earth sphere indicator -

- and a super-impressive new iteration of the 24º Incliné tourbillon watch with the deepest blue dial I have ever seen. I need to attend the press presentation to tell you how that dial is made, but I think there's titanium in it.

This dial and the overall layout remind me strongly of the Harry Winston Opus 6 which was executed by GF about six years ago.

The back has skeletonised bridges finished in GF's signature frosted metal finish, seen here in the mirror -

Plenty more to come folks. Same Tart-time, same Tart-channel...

Cheers

Tony P

SIHH 2012 : Philippe Dufour/ Robert Greubel/ Steven Forsey collaboration

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:55:00 +0000

Before you all fall off your seats, no, this is not a collaboration on a new watch.

Instead, it's a joint venture by the three individuals in the title to establish a training program for established watchmakers to learn the "old skills" which are rapidly disappearing as a result of increased automation, CNC machines etc.

For now I will just post some quick snaps. A separate room has been set up at the Greubel Forsey booth at SIHH 2012 and in it, I found the maestro himself with his new disciple (whose name I did not record, but he is an established watchmaker and teacher at a watchmaking school).

As I was snapping, Steven Forsey turned up to inspect things.

Will report more about this when I have a little more info.

Much more to come...stay tuned....same Tart-time, same Tart-channel.

[Tony P]

SIHH 2012

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:04:00 +0000

Hi all,

It's Tuesday morning in Geneva and I'm still jet-lagged.

Lots of photos coming this way, but not just now. I haven't uploaded them from the camera yet...

Watch this space and I promise to have some visual goodies for you within the next 24 hours.

Cheers
Tony P

Hands-on with the Rolex Explorer II

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:13:00 +0000

One of Rolex’s most talked about announcements at Basel World 2011 was an updated Explorer II (Ref. 216570), with a 24-hour arrow hand in orange, harking back to the original 1971 Ref.1655 Explorer II, which was an addition to the Explorer model released in 1953.

After the release of the Ref. 1655, it wasn’t until 1984 that Rolex introduced a new Explorer II, Ref.16550. Changes included the sapphire crystal, the calibre 3085 movement, the shape of the hands (the 24 hour hand changed from a small red-orange arrow shaped hand to a long red 24 hour hand with a white arrow at the end), and a new white dial version. The 16550 is also referred to as a transitional model, transitional to the Ref. 16570 introduced in 1989.

Recently, I got to have some hands-on time with the latest Explorer II.

Available in black or white, at 42mm and 12mm thick it is bigger than the 1655. The white model has black hands with black rings around the hour markers, and the black version has silver hands with silver rings around the makers. The dial is covered by a scratch resistant sapphire crystal with the standard magnifier over the date.

The Ref. 217570 is powered by the in-house automatic Calibre 3187, which beats at 28,800, has a blue Parachrom hairspring, Breguet overcoil, and is protected by Paraflex shock absorbers. The date is an instantaneous jump at 12, the 24-hour hand independently adjustable to display a second time zone. There are 31 jewels and the cal 3187 has a power reserve of 48 hours. The crown is a Twinlock screw-down, and the watch has a water resistance of 100m or 330ft. The lume is said to last up to 8 hours after a full charge.

This is very much a modern Rolex, not a homage to the Ref. 1655. It’s big but not too much so, sitting comfortably on the wrist, the bracelet with the "Easylink" feature which allows the wearer to fine-tune the fit to within 5mm.

I really like the orange hand, which looks great against the white dial. In comparing it with its immediate predecessor the Ref.16570, my personal preference is for this current model. I like the larger size and for me, the orange hand is a nice nod to its origins, but also thoroughly contemporary in its colour and how it has been realised, with the matching orange text on the dial. What I realised is that this is a watch that has to be seen in the flesh; it’s actually a lot more engaging than I had expected it would be. If you're in the market for a Rolex or a solid sports watch of this type, the Explorer II is worth taking a look at.

[AP]

Liquid time keeping - welcome to the H1

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 01:13:00 +0000

So the watch chatter in the last week has increased, with pre-SIHH announcements, Peter Speake-Marin’s astonishing new Renaissance tourbillon minute repeater, and a fun piece that has piqued my interest - a new brand called HYT (Hydro Mechanical Horologists), whose goal it is to make watches that contain liquid in them for a functional purpose, and their first offering, the attention-grabbing H1.

HYT claims seven pending patents for the H1 and its liquid engineering.

Who are HYT?

Well, their CEO is Vincent Perriard, ex Concord and most recently, TechnoMarine, where he was for 18 months. At first glance, the man behind the C1 can be definitely be seen in the H1.

So, how does the bright Hulk-like green liquid time display work? The H1 uses a circular chamber to display the hours using luminescent green liquid. The colour comes from fluorescein, which you may have encountered via an opthalmologist's visit, courtesy of eye drops. The liquid is 'pulled' and 'pushed' via two bellows which are operated by pistons (seen at the bottom of the dial) in the movement. As one expands the other one compresses, moving the liquid.

The minutes are displayed via a sub dial, the seconds hand to the left of it. On the right at 2.30 is a power reserve indicator. The movement has a power reserve of 65 hours and is visible through the rear of the watch.

At 48.8mm, and 17.9mm thick, this is a hefty beast of a thing. Size alone will deter a lot of people, however much they might want it for sheer coolness. It will come in versions : titanium, black DLC-coated titanium, and red gold.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Functions : retrograde fluid hours, minutes, seconds

Case: titanium; diameter: 48.8 mm, thickness: 17.9 mm brushed, bead-blasted and satin-brushed finish. Rubber-clad screw-lock crown with titanium crown guard

Movement : mechanical hand-wound HYT calibre. 28,800 vph, 4 Hz

Jewels : 35 jewels, bridges hand-chamfered and adorned with Côtes de Genève, rhodiumed bellows

Caseback : sapphire crystal with glareproofed interior. Screw-down sapphire back

Dial: Silver-toned opaline. Fluid hours, luminescent hands and hour-markers regulator at 12:00.

Power reserve : 65 hours

Strap: hand-sewn leather-lined canvas, pin buckle

Other versions: black DLC-coated titanium case, black subdial. 5N 18K red gold case, black subdial

Surprisingly, the price is not as crazy as I expected it to be, given the innovations. The HYT H1 in Titanium will be priced at US$45,000, the Titanium Black DLC at US$49,000 and the Gold 5N at US$69,000. Being of a practical bent, I can’t help but think of servicing costs, and how, if something happens with the liquid, it will be painful.

Do I want to have a look at this? Absolutely. It’s too big for me, and I can’t afford it, but I want to see the luminous green liquid tell me the time. Regardless of whether you think the H1 is a lot of fun or just a bit gimmicky, take a look at this video and tell me that you're not just a little curious to see it in the flesh.

[AP]

The Hardware Société

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:41:00 +0000

The Hardware Société
120 Hardware Lane
Melbourne
VIC 3000
Ph : (03) 9078 5992

During a brief visit to Melbourne, I was attempting to navigate my way through the city when I happened across the much-tweeted-about Hardware Société. As I had just finished lunch at Captains of Industry, I wasn't quite yet ready for more food, but its bright clean look, the curiosity about why it is such a popular café, the weight of a book in my bag, drew me in.

An above average iced chocolate (though I do wish that cafes would mix the chocolate syrup before it gets to me), and a cake whose name I can’t recall, but it was lemon with an inch of icing and with a good tartness despite the high level of sweetness, dense and filling. Not a cake for the faint of sugar-hearted. The strawberries helped balance the cake's richness.

A friendly and informal café with a daily selection of in-house baked goods situated in a quiet street, it’s a comfortable place in which to while away a bit of time. Would I visit again? Yes. Having looked at a few blogposts and reviews, I’d like to give their lunch menu a shot.

[AP]

Another city, another Reuben - Captains of Industry

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:36:00 +0000

Captains of Industry
Level 1
2 Somerset Pl.
Melbourne
VIC 3000
Ph : (03) 9670 4405

Open : Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm. 10am to 5pm on Saturday & Sunday

In some ways, 2011 was the year of the Reuben, sandwich-wise, so it seemed only fitting that during a visit to Melbourne, I go in search of another one.

Why this one? Well it was actually less to do with the presence of a Reuben and more to do with photos I’d seen of the interior – I like old barber’s chairs, and own one from the 1890s. I was also curious about their website, which leans perilously close to the overly self-conscious, with hints of borderline hipster.

Up the inevitable staircase to a view looking towards the GPO building on Elizabeth St is a large warehouse like space with less of the 'outfitters' aspect than I’d expected from the website, and more of the café aspect, with window seating, mismatched chairs and a mix of small and large tables amidst a junk shop aesthetic of old cash registers, shoe lasts, non-functioning clocks (that bit bothered me a bit, what's the point of having clocks if they don't tell the time?), suitcases, sewing machines, kitchen bits and bobs, school paraphernalia, and other remembrances of life in the last 60 years or so.

The same items in your grandparents' garage might look like items to throw out; here, they are all part of a carefully constructed look, with less self-consciousness than I had expected. I suspect that this is a lot to do with the fact that the customers who were there that day were a broad mix of locals, and not hipster dominated.

That day’s lunch companion had the B.L.A.T. (crispy bacon, cos lettuce, avocado, tomato, house mayo, and HP sauce on a fresh baguette - $12).

How much are B.L.A.T.s nowadays? I have no idea, since I don’t eat them, but this was a good enough size to be filing, the bread with a good crust, the bacon as he likes it, the avocado not skimped-on.

Before I get to the Reuben, I also ordered a ginger beer. This is a good ginger beer. It didn’t come out of a bottle, but was made using concentrate which is stored in a rather large jar. Presumably it is made in-house, or by someone known to them, as it was a killer ginger beer, with the sharpness of fresh ginger, and not too sweet. It’s worth visiting COI for this, if you like your ginger beers.

Finally, the Reuben Sandwich (slow cooked corned beef, melted Swiss cheese and winter coleslaw on 7 grain loaf - $13). So it wasn’t quite a Reuben, the coleslaw being well, more Rachel than Reuben, and yet again there is my bugbear about Reubens in the U.S. being rather more generous with the filling than most Australian Reubens are (my lunch companion on that day is from Illinois, and made the same comment about filling), but as a sandwich, it was a decent one, albeit it with more coleslaw than meat, though I’d probably order something else next time.

I like being surrounded by old things, and Captains of Industry is the sort of place I wouldn’t mind hanging out in. Although it only opened in 2010, it does feel as though it has been around for a while, and not because of the interior design, but because of the atmosphere that was created by the people there. It doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously, thank goodness. The Reuben was not as I’d expected it to be, but the overall experience was one that I would be happy to repeat. Oh, and there are some homemade jars of jams and preserves for sale, if you like that sort of thing.

[AP]

Breguet acquires important Turkish pocket watch at auction

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:05:00 +0000

The Breguet Museum at Place Vendôme has acquired a historically important watch made in 1808 for a dignitary of the Ottoman Empire for CHF 650,000 (approx US$695,000), a record for a Turkish-style Breguet watch, and also a record for a pocket watch auctioned in mainland China.

This pocket watch was ordered in 1807 by His Excellency Esseid Ali Effendi, a former ambassador to Paris and personal friend of Abraham-Louis Breguet.

The Breguet N° 2090 Grande Complication watch is a quarter-repeater with independent grande and petite sonnerie functions in a double-case with a Turkish influenced enamel design and an Arabic numbered dial.

There is a rich history between Breguet and the Ottoman Empire. An exhibition at the Topkapi Palace Museum was held in 2010 of fifteen timepieces made for the Turkish market in the 19th century, featuring pieces from the collections of Breguet and the Topkapi, including the Sympathique clock made for Mahmud II and letters exchanged between Breguet and the Turkish ambassador Esseid Ali Effendi.

[AP]

Glashütte Original Senator Observer 1911 Julius Assmann

noreply@blogger.com (The Sydney Tarts) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 03:23:00 +0000

The newly announced Glashütte Original Senator Observer 1911 Julius Assmann, limited to 25 pieces (the age at which Assmann founded his watch ‘manufacture’), pays homage to the founder of GO, Julius Assmann, and famed Polar explorer Roald Amundsen.

Why this unlikely combination?

Yes, there’s a story behind the name…

Before setting out on his historic voyage to the South Pole, Roald Amundsen acquired a number of Assmann’s observation watches, including one made by Glashütte watchmaker Paul Löwe in 1907-08.

When Löwe had completed his watch, it had proved to be exceptionally precise, and he was urged to send it to the German Naval Observatory in Hamburg, which tested and certified navigational time keeping equipment. It was there that Amundsen saw the watch, which he purchased it in 1910.

When his exploration team went on their polar trek to the South Pole in 1910, their only means of tracking their journey time and global positioning was their observation timepiece - the Assmann Löwe observation watch. Amundsen’s observation watches were critical to his mission. Without them, he and his team could not have become the first people to reach the geographic South Pole on December 14, 1911. At the Fram Museum in Oslo, you can see one of Amundsen’s Glashütte observation watches, complete with the inscription “J. Assmann – Glashütte” on the dial.

Observation watches, also known as “deck watches” were used by navigation officers in conjunction with marine chronometers and other instruments to determine as precisely as possible a ship’s position at sea.

The Senator Observer 1911 is a very classic looking observation watch in a 44mm white gold case, with a lacquered silver-grain dial created from three layers of white lacquer, the third of which features a finely textured, silver-grain surface.

The dial has subsidiary seconds and power reserve displays at 9 and 3 o’clock, a panorama date display at 6 o’clock; and blued and polished sweep minute and pear-shaped hour hands. A milled railroad chapter ring frames the black Arabic numerals.

Visible through the caseback is the automatic Calibre 100-14 with a three-quarter plate, screw-mounted gold chatons, and bi-directional 21 carat gold oscillating weight.

The base movement is outfitted with a reset mechanism, which allows for easier synchronisation of the second hand with standard time (the second hand jump to zero, making it easier to set the time, precise to the second). In contrast to other reset mechanisms, the second hand is not coupled with the winding stem or the crown. This is so that the balance continuing to oscillate and the movement continuing to run when the crown is pulled out, reducing wear and tear.

The case back, engraved with the limited edition number (xx/25) has, engraved on it, the dates of Amundsen’s arrival at the South Pole and its centennial anniversary: 14 Dec. 1911 – 14 Dec 2011, the name Julius Assmann – Glashütte i/SA, and “Tribute to R. Amundsen”.

I don’t know what the price is, but at a mere 25 watches, this will be highly sought after. It’s a beautiful classic piece, a commemorative model that actually makes sense, and I’d love to get my hands on one of these beauties just for a look.

[AP]