Categories
Swiss Replica

Hands-on with the replica Dior Chiffre RougeT01

Many of the well-known fashion houses have been producing elegant replica watches for years, most of them without horological distinction, their productions being regarded as just ‘fashion’ pieces.

This seems to be changing of late with some interesting, not to say innovative, pieces being produced. One replica watch with an unusual complication recently released by the French fashion house Dior is a fine example of this new approach.

The Dior Chiffre Rouge T01 was designed for Dior by young movement engineers Franck Orny and Johnny Girardin. Orny is a construction-engineer specialising in horological fabrication who served as chief of production at a manufactory which has attracted attention in recent years for its unusual and elegant horological complications. Girardin is a movement constructor and engineer who specialises in replica watches and has worked for various renowned manufactories including Greubel Forsey.

The Chiffre Rouge T01, with a self-winding ‘Dior 8 Fuseaux Horaires’ calibre movement, has a regular minute hand rotating around the wonderfully sparse dial decorated with a ‘pique de coton’ motif dear to the brand and characteristic of their tuxedo shirts. There is a sweep second hand tipped with red. Nowhere does the name ‘Dior’ appear on the dial. There is a smaller ‘satellite’ disc which orbits around the face once every 24 hours and which acts as an hour indicator.

This satellite, within a red border, orbits within itself, rotating once every 24 hours to act as a multiple time-zone indicator, with the time at eight cities from different parts of the globe shown on its dial. It is of course no problem to extrapolate the time for cities not listed. The satellite dial is one half white and the other black to indicate day and night.

The crown at 4 o’clock enables adjustment of every function.

The replica watch has a brushed 42mm stainless steel case and a sturdy and attractive brushed stainless steel bracelet with a folding clasp. The name ‘Dior’ is engraved unobtrusively on one side of the case at 9 o’clock, and on the clasp of the bracelet, but appears nowhere else.


The dial has a thin matte black ceramic bezel and an exhibition sapphire crystal case-back surrounded by a ring of black to match the look of the replica watch case. The oscillating weight, like the dial, is also embellished with the ‘pique de coton’ pattern.

We are accustomed to seeing replica watches that are symmetrical, and this is most definitely not, however the asymmetry in this design is beautifully executed and comes off spectacularly well, though I acknowledge that the traditionalists might not agree.

The replica watch has been produced in a numbered edition of 100 pieces, of which I understand only four came to Australia.

There is a ladies version of this replica watch, the Christal 8, a little smaller and with a mother-of-pearl dial and a diamond-studded bezel, though with the same rotating satellite showing the different time zones. This is also in an edition of 100, though there is an art deco inspired special edition of 5 in yellow gold sans diamonds.


Edition of 100

Edition of 5

Prior to designing the T01 for Dior, Orny and Girardin designed the complex Metamorphosis replica watch for Montblanc, who are of course better known for their pens. The Metamorphosis was inspired by replica watching their children play with Transformers robots, and was announced at SIHH 2010. This  replica watch can change from one replica watch face to another, as well as switching modes from regular time display to a chronograph function, by moving a slide up and down. It is in an edition of 28 with a price tag of €195,000.

In contrast, the T01, though not as complex as the Metamorphosis is, at a small fraction of that price, a relative bargain for such an attractive and unusual replica watch with a seldom-seen complication and an impressive design pedigree.


4.55pm approx

11.41am approx
[PT]

Categories
Swiss Replica

Hands-on with replica MeisterSinger’s No3 –PVD

For a company that has only been in existence since 2001, MeisterSinger has managed to do quite well, picking up awards here and there for their designs, and becoming arguably the most well known modern proponent of single-handed replica watches, also known as the replica watch to have when being accurate to the minute really isn’t a priority.

I shan’t go down the Wagnerian reference route, suffice to say the company’s name  and musical influence is dealt with on their website as follows :

“The harmony reflected in a well-balanced piece of music, the fine drama of a good act and the ability of music to set aside time, these are all as well inherent qualities of a MeisterSinger replica watch. Therefore the MeisterSinger logo carries the fermata – the sign of silence in music.”

2010 has seen a special sporty addition to MeisterSinger’s No.3 line.  The No.3 AM911 has only just hit the retailers in Australia, and is not even on their website yet. An all black PVD affair, the five minute markers are in red, the colour theme continuing onto the ‘No.3’ and the stitching in the leather strap.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Movement: ETA 2824-2, automatic
Case : 43 mm (11.5 mm height), stainless steel with black PVD coating.
Water resistance: 5 bar
Power reserve: 48 hours
Features: sapphire glass, glass back secured with 6 screws, black dial

Flip it over and the No.3’s open caseback is visible.  Nothing terribly exciting has been done to the movement.

This is not a ‘serious’ replica watch, it is a bit of PVD fun marketed as ‘sporty’, but  with the No.3 dial, I think that it somehow still manages to still be just a little bit dressy.

One of the appealing features for me of the No.1 line is that they are manual wind – it takes a considerable number of rotations to wind up one of the No.1s, but there’s a certain amount of enjoyment to be had in doing this. I like the PVD No.3 a lot, but would have liked it more as a manual wind rather than automatic; however I admit that this is a very personal preference.

What I do like is the packaging.  In an age where we seem to pay for increasingly large boxes made of increasingly elaborate types of material or rare woods at the upper price point end of the spectrum, or on at the other end, we receive rather nonedescript boxes, I am quite taken with this, though I’m really not sure why MS chose such a design.  It appeals to the bookish side of me, and reminds me that buying books is actually a cheaper proposition than buying replica watches…

Categories
Vacheron Constantin Replica

Replica Vacheron Constantin RoyalChronometer

HISTORY

The term ‘chronometer’ was coined by English replica watchmaker and writer Jeremy Thacker in 1714 in his pamphlet ‘The Longitudes Examin’d’ for clocks used to calculate longitude on marine voyages.  He invented a marine chronometer, a clock encased within a vacuum chamber that protected the movement from the inevitable effects of humidity and atmospheric pressure.


Thacker’s Chronometer

Unfortunately, it was a failure as a chronometer.

Accurate to six seconds a day, it fell somewhat short of the three seconds a day required to win the £20,000 first offered by the English Board of Longitude in the same year (1714) to anyone who could solve the problem of establishing the longitude of a ship at sea.

Thacker was thus condemned to the historical shadows of John Harrison, who also managed to score a ranking of 39 in the BBC’s 2002 poll of ‘100 Greatest Britons’ for his achievements, something which I am sure, had he been able to discover this from an alternate universe in which he was still alive in 2002, would have mollified him somewhat for his lifetime’s worth of horological trials.

Clockmaker John Harrison (24 March 1693 – 24 March 1776) presented his first attempt at a marine chronometer in 1730. It was his H5 ‘pocket’ chronometer, produced in 1772, and accurate to one-third of a second per day, which solved the problem of establishing the longitude of a ship at sea, thus revolutionising and extending the possibility of safe long distance sea travel, and earning him the title of ‘The Father of Longitude’.By the time of the H5’s public unveiling, he had been working on the chronometer problem since 1730.

Harrison’s Chronometer H5

(Collection of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers)

In 1773, Harrison received £8,750 from Parliament for his achievements, after the direct intervention of George III.  He appealed directly to the King, and in 1772 Harrison’s son William was summoned to an audience with the King. George III is reported to have said: “By God, Harrison, I will see you righted!”.

Until the advent and implementation of global satellite navigation, an accurate chronometer was essential for marine and air navigation.

VACHERON CONSTANTIN ROYAL CHRONOMETER

Controle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC) defines a chronometer as “a high-precision replica watch capable of displaying the seconds and housing a movement that has been tested over several days, in different positions and at different temperatures, by an official neutral body (COSC).”

Since 1973 the term ‘chronometer’ has designated a replica watch having successfully passed the COSC trials.

Launched in 1907, Vacheron Constantin’s Chronomètre Royal has most notably been recognised in recent years through VC’s celebration, in 2007, of its centenary with the Chronomètre Royal 1907.

For a comprehensive history of Vacheron’s Chronomètres, see Alex Ghotbi’s brilliant post at The Hour Lounge.

The example below dates from the 1960s.  In 1962 VC’s manual calibres 1007 and 1008 were replaced by calibre 1072, making it Vacheron Constantin’s first automatic calibre with COSC certification.

Cal 1070: automatic with small seconds, no date
Cal 1071: automatic with central seconds
Cal 1072: as cal 1071 but with date
Cal 1072/1: as 1072 but with Gyromax.

 Vacheron Constantin “Royal Chronometer”
SPECIFICATIONS :

Caliber : 1702
Jewels : 29
Metal : 0.750 18ct WG
Case :  Two-body, solid, polished and brushed, screwed-down case back, horn lugs, caseback engraved with the Maltese cross and “Chronomètre Royal”.
Dial : Original silver dial with diamond set in Maltese Cross
Diameter : 35mm
Thickness : 12mm

Although 35mm is small by today’s standards, where a minimum of 40mm seems  almost de rigueur, the Ref. 6694 does not seem particularly small when worn.

The idea behind the Chronomètre was that of a legible precision instrument robust enough for everyday use. With its distinctive case design clearly indicating its 1960s origins, this uncommon replica watch is a deceptively elegant functional piece, with a wink to frivolity courtesy of the discreet diamond in the Maltese Cross.

When I first saw this replica watch (which has some signs of age discolourisation on the dial) I admit that it didn’t grab my attention in quite the way that it grabbed its owner’s, but as I spent some more time looking at it, in reading about the history, and in looking back at the photos, I was struck foremost by how much I missed in terms of appreciating the design of the case and secondly, of its historical interest as a timepiece. I suspect I’d like it a bit more if it didn’t have the diamond, which I find a bit incongruous.

Like it though I may, if presented with the choice of two chronometers, this Ref. 6694 and a Chronomètre Royal 1907, I have to confess that I’d chose the latter in a heartbeat, I can’t resist a beautiful ‘red 12’!

A final thought – over a million official chronometer certificates are delivered each year, representing only 3% of the Swiss replica watch production.

Categories
Seiko Replica

Hands-on with replica Seiko’s (new) QuartzAstron

December 2009 was the 40th anniversary of the world’s first Quartz wristwatch, the Seiko Quartz Astron 35SQ. Based on a quartz crystal oscillator (an electrical signal with an extremely precise frequency), its importance is acknowledged by its registration on the IEEE Milestone list as a major advance in electrical engineering.

Seiko marked this anniversary by the commissioning of 40 new replica watch designs all based around the original Quartz Astron design, which were exhibited in the ‘Seiko Power Design Project’ in Dec 2009.

The culmination of Seiko’s commemoration was the new Quartz Astron, powered by the SEIKO quartz caliber 9F62, accurate within 10 seconds a year, and with its date change completed in an astonishing 1/2,000 of a second.

HISTORY

Project 59A

In 1880 Pierre and Jacques Curie discovered the electrical potential of quartz crystals when pressure is applied, known as piezoelectricity. They devised the piezoelectric quartz electrometer, which can measure faint electric currents. The question was then how to practically apply this.

By 1927 Bell Laboratories demonstrated that accurate time could be measured by using a quartz crystal and implementing the results of the Curie brother’s experiments. In 1959 Suwa Seikosha Co Ltd, one of Seiko Group’s Research and Development labs, built its first quartz replica timepiece, a large clock 2 meters high and 1.5 meters wide, which was successfully used in a radio station in Japan. The task was then given of miniaturising this new technology, and Project 59A was launched.

In 1962, the company managed to produce ‘smaller’ (30kg) version of a quartz marine chronometer, which was utilised in the Japanese shipping industry. By 1963, Seiko managed to further miniaturise it down to the 3kg QC0951.

Launched at Basel in 1969, the original Quartz Astron was produced in 18 carat gold case in a run of 100 pieces, costing JPY 450,000, more than a Toyota Corolla at the time.

The first quartz replica watch that was available to the general public was the 3823 calibre, also known as the 38 SQW, which was introduced in October 1971 at a price of JPY 150,000. This was equivalent to two month’s salary for a Japanese university lecturer.

SEIKO Quartz Astron : The Commemorative Edition

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Reference: S23617J1
Calibre: 9F62
Dimensions: 26.75 mm (12 – 6 o’clock) x 26.0 mm (3 – 9 o’clock)
Depth: 3.1 mm (without battery)
Jewels: 9
Accuracy: +/- 10 seconds per year
Battery life: 3 years (battery life indicator)
Case: High-intensity titanium
Band: Silicone with stainless steel buckle
Extra band: Crocodile with black hard-coated stainless steel three-fold clasp with push button release
Glass: Curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
Water resistance: 10 bar
Magnetic resistance: 4,800 A/m (60 gauss)
Functions : hour, minute and second hands, date with instant calendar change mechanism
Battery life indicator
Limited edition of 200

I found myself unexpectedly drawn to this replica watch. It looks modern yet retro, is very lightweight, and most importantly, sits nicely on the wrist, the strap incredibly soft and very comfortable to wear.

Am I an anti-quartz fiend? Well it’s not a case of absolutes, as I do own a modern Lip Mach 2000 and a Tokyo Flash replica watch for which I can’t remember how to actually tell the time, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that my preference is for mechanical movements.

My replica watches are a rather varied lot, and I developed an immediate liking for this replica watch, but $8,500 worth of ‘like’? Well even if I could afford it, no.

This brings me to the price of this replica watch :

RRP Europe: Euro 4,300
RRP U.S. USD5,000
RRP Australia AUD8,500

Such pricing issues are well-known to those of us in Australia, and there is increasing awareness amongst brands that this needs to be addressed, as such discrepancies at these price points (and even lower price points), let alone higher ones, inevitably lead to people buying their replica watches overseas – in the end the Australian market suffers. I am lead to believe that this is something that is currently being discussed amongst many brands, and not a moment too soon.

Categories
Girard-Perregaux Replica

Replica Girard Perregaux for Boucheron and Ermenegildo Zegna

Girard-Perregaux released a limited edition for Boucheron. Earlier this year they also released a replica watch made in collaboration with Ermenegildo Zegna. Two collaborations, two beautiful new replica watches!

Over the last years Girard-Perregaux released new models in the 1966 collection and personally I just loved every single model. So you might say I’m biased. These two new models are not specifically announced as part of the Girard-Perregaux 1966 line, however the resemblance is more than convincing (at least to me).

The new execllent  limited edition Girard-Perregaux replica pour Boucheron replica watch has a round case with virtually the same looks as the 1966 collection. No wait, the case is 1mm bigger than the complicated models of the Girard-Perregaux 1966 collection, which have a diameter of 40mm. The case features the same chamfered bezel with a light satin finish. The middle part of the case has curves extending into lugs.

According to the press info of the Girard-Perregaux for Boucheron, Luigi Macaluso designed this case in 1985 for the brand’s Haute Horlogerie replica watches. The case is made of pink or white gold and measures 41 mm in diameter. It is 30 meter water-resistant, which is the same as the other models of the 1966 collection.

Besides hours, minutes and small seconds it the Girard-Perregaux pour Boucheron features a moon phase indication and large date. You will also notice Boucheron’s address: 26, place Vendome.

The date display is worth special attention, according to the press release. “It’s based on the brand’s patented system to guarantee superb readability lacking the separating line between the tens and units.” Wait, this sounds familiar! I know only one brand where the two digits of the big date are ‘flush’. Indeed, that would be Glashütte Original.

This system works differently though. One of the two discs is transparent and is on top of the other disc. This transparent disc, showing the tens, is very thin. Featuring an instantaneous date change mechanism, it’s virtually impossible to see the discs turn. It takes only 15/1000ths of a second, for the date to change!

Inside ticks the brand’s in-house automatic movement, caliber GP03300-45, with a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. The movement with 32 jewels has 46 hours of power reserve.

Another replica watch featuring a movement of the calibre GP03300 family (see photo above) is made in collaboration with Ermenegildo Zegna (try to pronounce that out load). This replica watch is called the Centennial Replica Watch and was designed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Ermenegildo Zegna.

The Centennial Replica Watch features a 40mm wide 18k pink gold case and inside ticks the automatic caliber GP0 3300-42. Besides hours, minutes and a small seconds register, it has an annual calendar with an indicator for date and month. Obviously this is the Girard-Perregaux 1966 Annual Calendar and Equation of Time… only without the equation of time and the month indicator moved to the right half of the dial. After these adjustments and with another name on the dial, it’s still a beautiful replica watch!

The Girard-Perregaux pour Boucheron replica watch is limited to 50 pieces for every case material (pink and white gold) and will be available exclusively in Boucheron stores.

The Centennial Replica Watch is limited to 100 pieces in pink gold and is only available in the top 20 Ermenegildo Zegna flagship stores.

Categories
Swiss Replica

Hands-on with the AristoSextant replica

The Aristo Flieger Sextant has its roots in a German sextant replica watch used by Wernher von Braun and his team at the Peenemünde rocket proving ground (“Heeresversuchsanstalt Peenemuende”) in the early 1940s.

Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun (23 March 1912 – 16 June 1977), was a German-American rocket scientist and engineer who was one of the leading figures in the development of rocket technology in both Germany and the U.S. during and after WWII.

A one-time member of the Nazi Party and a commissioned SS officer, von Braun would later be regarded as arguably the foremost rocket engineer of the 20th century for his work at NASA. He was the central figure in Germany’s pre-war rocket development programme, responsible for the design and production of the V-2 combat rocket first at Peenemünde and then Mittelwerk, after the British bombed Peenemünde in August 1943.

After the war, Braun and some of his team were taken to the U.S. as part of the then-secret Operation Paperclip. Von Braun worked on the US Army intermediate range ballistic missle program before his group was assimilated by NASA, under which he served as director of the newly-formed Marshall Space Flight Center, and as the chief architect of the Saturn V launch vehicle, the booster rocket that propelled the Apollo II lunar mission. In 1975 he received the National Medal of Science.

Made by Lange & Söhne, the 22 of the replica watches were delivered to the Heeresversuchsanstalt in 1943 at a price of 360RM, as the equivalent of at least 2,000€. As a point of comparison, the first VW Beetles sold for 990RM.

When viewing at the dial through a mirror sextant, Braun and his team used the elegant replica watch to calculate the ballistic data for the rockets they developed.

The Aristo Sextant (Ref. 5H40S), a modern homage to these replica watches, was first manufactured in 2001 by Aristo in Pforzheim. In developing this model, Aristo followed the first prototypes of 1942, with the guidelines : “Black dial with Roman numerals, with Arabic 1/5 Second indication numbers 5 to 55 and corresponding set of numbers in mirror writing”.

 

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Movement: Swiss ETA 2824-2
Case: Titanium
Caseback: Titanium with engraving
Bezel: Bead blasted
Dimensions: 37mm diameter, 44mm lug-to-lug
Water Resistance: 50m

Von Braun’s long time colleague Arthur Louis Hugo Rudolph suffered a slightly different fate to von Braun. A fellow rocket engineer and member of the Nazi party who helped develop and produce the V-2 rocket, he followed von Braun to the U.S., working for the U.S. Army and NASA, where he was involved in the development of several important systems including the Pershing missile and the Saturn V. In 1984 he was investigated for possible war crimes and was forced to leave the United States and renounce his US citizenship.

Categories
Patek Philippe Replica

Replica Patek Philippe Ref.5054 Available In WG And Platinum

Introduced to Patek’s range in 1999, and now discontinued, this beautiful and classic Ref. 5054 is the RG model.  It was also available in WG and Platinum.

Interestingly, the case is only 31mm, but it seems to sit much larger than this on the wrist.  The case is 3.98mm thick, and has a dual position winding crown – pushed in for manual winding, and pulled out for setting the time.  Both the date and moon are set by push pieces, and if you try to make changes whilst the automatic date change is engaged, an automatic safety device prevents internal damage.

The milled, turban crown is a noticeable departure from the more usual crown decorated with the Calatrava cross.

As you can see, the 48 hour power reserve is at 10/ 11 o’clock, the date and moonphase at 7 o’clock, and the small seconds at 4/ 5 o’clock on the porcelain dial, which features a railway track scale.

A beautiful polished Officer’s style case (which Patek call the “Directoire” case) with a hinged cover over a sapphire crystal back opens up to show 265 parts, a 22k gold off-centre mini rotor, and the Patek Calibre 240 movement.  The only thing that beats an open caseback, to me, anyway, is an Officer’s case.  Even if you aren’t a movement nerd you’ll find this beautiful and mesmerising.

First released by replica Patek Philippe in 1977, the Cal.240 was created as a thin base movement for PP’s perpetual calendars. At only 2.4mm thick, with a Gyromax balance, the movement allows for a perpetual automatic caliber with a total thickness of only 3.7mm.  As is evidenced by the Ref.5054, Cal.240 ended up being used for a variety of  replica watches from the brand, not just perpetual calendars.

The replica watch is water-resistant to 25m. Naturally, it doesn’t go anywhere near water.

Categories
Swiss Replica

Replica MIH Watch With The Most Affordable Mechanical Single Button Chronograph

At Baselworld it was finally time to receive my new MIH Replica Watch. Probably the most affordable mechanical single button chronograph with an annual calendar. And it’s a beauty!

Last year i emailed Beat Weinmann from The Embassy, a unique replica watch store specialized in (independent) haute horlogerie, that I wanted to buy a MIH Replica Watch. Since the MIH Replica Watch has a limited production of only 100 pieces a year, i was happy to hear Beat could reserve one for me. That was because i wanted to pick up the MIH Replica Watch myself. I have a habit in picking up my own replica watches, even if i have to go all the way to Helsinki.

When the deal was made i planned to pick up the MIH Replica Watch at the Embassy in Luzern. Unfortunately because of back problems i had to cancel the planned trip to Switzerland. A few months later it was already close to Baselworld and Beat Weinmann told me he could meet me there and bring my MIH Replica Watch. Well, that was an offer i couldn’t resist ?

Like all MIH Replica Watches, it was wrapped in a copy of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. The choice not to deliver the MIH Replica Watch in a luxurious box but in a newspaper, was Ludwig Oechslin’s. Unconventional, but it somehow suits. And this can be said about the technical aspects as well…

MIH Replica Watch – annual calendar & mono-poussoir chronograph

Ludwig Oechslin designed an annual calendar that is built around just nine moving parts and it’s display is contained within one easy-to-read window. And there’s more ‘unconventional’ about the MIH Replica Watch. Looking at the dial you wouldn’t notice it’s complexity. However besides the annual calendar, there’s also a chronograph… a mono-poussoir chronograph or single button chronograph.

The 9 parts of the annual calendar (photo by Bea Weinmann)

Some specifications:

  • Diameter: 42 mm
  • Thickness: 15 mm
  • Waterproof: 100 meters
  • Crystal: Sapphire with double sided AR coating
  • Movement: ETA Valjoux 7750
  • Functions: annual calendar, day/night indicator, single button chronograph

The titanium case is beautifully finished and feels soft as silk. It wears very comfortable and the attachment of the rubber strap is partially integrated in the case, which looks very nice. This way there’s no opening between the strap and the case.

Paul Gerber, member of the AHCI, chose the basic movement for the replica watch: an ETA-Valjoux calibre 7750. This reliable workhorse has enough power to drive the calendar’s disks reliably. The calendar mechanism is entirely manufactured at Paul Gerber’s ateliers, which is also where every MIH Replica Watch is assembled and brought to life.

Categories
Montblanc Replica

Baselworld 2010 – Blancpain Villeret Moon Phase

Blancpain has something to celebrate, their 275th anniversary. For this reason they introduce the Villeret Moon Phase and a new Villeret Collection.

I’m happy to see the new Villeret Moon Phase or Villeret Phase de Lune Demi-Savonnette as it’s called in French. It has the looks for which i have always liked Blancpain… slim, stylish, classic and timeless design. This is completely different from last year’s announcement to eliminate the beautiful Léman collection and replace it with the ‘loud’ L-Evolution collection.

The Villeret Moon Phase is the first of the Villeret collection to be unveiled. Although the name is Villeret Moon Phase, this classic beauty features a complete calendar with moon-phase. The indicators for day and date do not jump instantly, however the month indicator does.

Blancpain choose to use a so-called half-hunter case. This means the case-back has a lid that can be opened in order to see the movement. A full hunter case also has a lid that should be opened in order to see the time. The 18kt rose gold case has a diameter of 40mm and has a sapphire crystal on both sides.

The calendar mechanism is new and is a secure calendar mechanism with correctors under the lugs! These under-lugs correctors are patented by Blancpain and not only leaves the sides of the luxury replica watches with a remarkably pure finish, but also means that changes can be accomplished with one’s finger tips instead of requiring a dedicated tool.

The movement is the automatic Blancpain in-house caliber 6654 (measuring 32mm x 5.32mm) with 28 jewels and a power reserve of 72 hours. It’s is fitted with a variable-inertia titanium balance wheel, gold regulation screws and three main spring barrels.

Usually replica watches with a calendar or moon phase complication have to be adjusted at a specific time of day, making sure all gears are in the correct position. If adjustments are made at the wrong time, this could damage the movement.

This Villeret model features a revolutionary method for adjusting the indications without fear of movement damage, regardless of the time of day. Every single indication can be actuated with the correctors at any time without any damage to the movement. An indication can be halfway through a change and you can push the actuator without risk.

I think the new Villeret Moon Phase looks great and has very nice features! A power reserve of 72 hours, the case has a decent size with it’s 40 mm and being able to adjust the calendar and moon phase indicators at any given moment without damaging the movement is also a great feature!

Categories
Swiss Replica

The Replica Watchmakers who say MIH

The MIH Replica Watch

The MIH Replica Watch was released in september 2005 and has become a famous replica watch among replica watch lovers in the past 3.5 years.

The concept was developed by Ludwig Oechslin who is well known for creating remarkable replica watches like ‘the Freak‘ for Ulysse Nardin. Paul Gerber was responsable for the technical development of the MIH, but mr. Gerber also has a reputation for creating the world’s most complicated wristwatch. Christian Gafner, who was responsible for the design, proposed an easily readable replica watch with absolutely no inscription on the front, but only a small “MIH” at the 9 o’clock position.

As you can see the result is a replica watch with a very clean dial, which is easy to read the time. But don’t be fooled, despite the clean and simple design, the MIH Replica Watch has a single button chronograph and an annual calendar.

The MIH replica watch’s movement is based on an ETA/Valjoux 7750, known as a very reliable movement. Based on this movement Oechslin created an annual calendar of only 9 additional moving parts! The annual calender displays the date, month, weekday and even features an AM/PM indicator. Like every annual calendar the mechanism does not have to be adjusted for months with 30 or 31 days. Only the month February with 28 or 29 days needs adjusting.

MIH Replica Watch - backside with 30 minutes chronograph register
MIH Replica Watch – 30 minutes chronograph register

The mechanism displays the complete date on 3 concentric discs: starting at the center of the replica watch, the AM/PM indicator, the weekday, the month, the date and finally the date is displayed. The central element of the calender mechanism is a 3-layer column wheel. Yes a column wheel, but this time not for operating the chronograph mechanism, but for the annual calendar. This gives the advantage that you can advance and reverse the date without damaging the movement. Other movement only allow you to advance the date and not reverse it. The AM/PM indicator shows one red dot at night and two red dots during the day.

The ETA/Valjoux 7750 is modified from a chronograph that has to be operated with two buttons to a single-button chronograph or monopoussoir. After modifying the chronograph cam, it only takes one button to start, stop and reset the chronograph. Through a small hole in the caseback you can view the 30 minute chronograph register. This way the chronograph registers won’t disturb the minimalistic design of the replica watch.

Only 200 pieces of the MIH Replica Watch are made every year. Good thing is that the price remains friendly at 5,000 CHF excluding tax. Check the MIH website or visit one of the Embassy shops in Luzern or St. Moritz.

The reason why i blogged about the MIH Replica Watch is that it sometimes crosses my path and every time i see it, i really like it. The design is so simple and clean. The technical aspects are amazing. And with buying a MIH you support the Musée International d’Horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.

Yesterday a friend emailed me this wristshot he saw on a forum and of course it made me wonder (again) if I will ever own one of these beautiful pieces…

MIH wristshot
MIH wristshot

And now for something completely different….  before ending this blog, i need to say that every time i hear or read about this replica watch it’s name reminds me of the movie ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail‘ where they bump into “the Knights who say Ni“. If you pronounce “MIH” in Dutch it’s like “Mí” which sounds similar to “Ní”. For those who have no clue what i’m talking about, they could check out this video capture, but i’m afraid it will only make them wonder more…. Would this replica watch be my holy grail?