Tag: Clocks

Categories
Swiss Replica

MBF and L’Epée : DestinationMoon

The latest MB&F and L’Epée collaboration, Destination Moon, uses the latter’s eight-day movement to power a rocket. Developed specifically for Destination Moon, L’Epée’s eight-day movement follows the basic engineering of a real spaceship.

the power for Destination Moon comes from the oversized winding crown in its base. It has a vertical regulator (protected by a panel of mineral glass) underneath the time display, as well as a time-setting knob at the top of the movement.

Hours and minutes are displayed by large, white numerals on stainless steel disks at the very top right below the tip of the rocket. You set the time using a knob at the top of the movement.

Just like on the launch pad of the MB&F Caran d’Ache Astrograph Pen released last year, there is also a small astronaut that comes with the clock, called Neil (not Tintin). Clad in a space suit of silver and stainless steel, he has a magnet at the front which allows for him to be attached to the ladder connecting the crown to the movement.

Powered by a single barrel, the clock’s movement is composed of 164 parts, with mirror polishing, bead blasting and satin brushed finishing. It is made of palladium-plated brass, stainless steel and nickel-plated stainless steel. The rocket’s body is stainless steel, and the hour and minute indications stamped on rotating stainless steel discs

The clearly close relationship that has developed between MB&F and L’Epée over the years of their partnership, which blossomed in sometimes whimsical, sometimes unexpected, but always highly creative ways, was born this time at L’Epée. Movement designer Nicolas Bringuet dreamt up and created the movement, and MB&F intern designer  Stefano Panterotto came up with the body in which it could reside.

If you look at all their co-creations there is no mistaking the partnership. Their creations have developed their own identity and creative signature involving stainless steel sometimes punctuated by colour, and a ‘skeletonised’ type of look. In a way it has almost become its own brand.

Along with the base silver model, the MB&F Destination Moon clock is also available in three different colours variants for its palladium-plated brass landing pods (PVD-coated black, blue, and green respectively), each of which is available in a limited edition of 50 pieces each. Size wise, it is 41.4cm tall and 23.3cm wide at its base, and weigh 4kgs. The RRP is 19,900 CHF.

Categories
Urwerk Replica

HANDS-ON Urwerk’s ZeitDevice Replica Watch Replcia

UrwerkZeitDevice1

When is a pocket replica watch not a pocket replica watch? When even its creators don’t use the term but call it “a grand über complication”. Oh, and there’s also when the ‘pocket’ replica watch can’t actually fit into a pocket.

We are speaking of Urwerk of course, and the UR-1001 Zeit Device, a time ‘device’ which covers a timekeeping expanse from a second to a thousand years.

As Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei put it – “With Zeit Device we could allow ourselves carte blanche and created a larger playground for our imaginations… and then filled it with all of our complications and indications.”

The first thing you’ll notice when picking up this pocket replica watch is its weight and size. It measures a rather mindboggling 106mm x 62mm x 23mm and you can see, in the comparative photo above, exactly why it is more ‘device’ and less ‘pocket replica watch’.

The second thing you’ll notice is that it has all the hallmarks of an Urwerk piece, especially the use of satellite systems – in this instance, orbiting satellites for hours and day, as well as retrograde hands. In fact the Zeit Device has ten complications : the satellite hours and months, running seconds, retrograde indicator for minutes, indicators for date, day/ night, power reserve (39 hours), ‘oil’ (i.e. service) change (every five years), 100 years and 1000 year. The calendar aspect is what (apart from the size) makes it special compared to the other Urwerk complications.

So what is the point of having 100 and 1,000 year indicators other than ‘because you can’? They show how long the pocket replica watch has been running for, although its service is required a good deal before the first 100 years is up. The 100-year indicator advances in 5 year increments; both it and the 1000-year register the total running time of the movement. When the hand reaches the 100-year mark, the small pointer at the bottom of the linear 1000-year indicator on the left will move an increment.

The method (revolving hands0 for telling the hours and minutes is now used to indicate the month and the date on the linear scale. The revolving satellite calendar is similar to the hour satellite, with months and date replacing hours and minutes.

The hour satellite consists of a rotating central carousel which supports three hour satellites, each of the three with four hours allocated to it on individual sides. Hours and minutes can be set backwards without affecting the calendar function.

The retrograde minute hand is fixed to a ring around the circumference of the satellite. This ring is moved along a guide rail by the hour satellite. When the minute hand gets to the end of the rail at 60 minutes, the star-cams trip over to release the minute hand, which springs back to zero at the start of the scale.

Turning the UR-1001 over and flipping over the protective cover reveals the “Oil Change”, 100-year and 1000-year indicators. The first of these, as mentioned, will tell you when a service is due. During years 1-3 it will be green and from 3-5, red of course. Inside is the Urwerk calibre UR-10.01 manually wound movement.

There is Super-LumiNova on the dial’s markers, and a rotating disc day/ night indicator is marked with black Super-LumiNova for night, white brushed-ruthenium for day. Dawn and dusk are a combination of both.

So, how do you operate the Device? There is a three-position winding crown. Position 1 is winding, position 2 is for the month and date, and position three sets hours and minutes.

The combined winder and desk display case of the Zeit Device is in polished solid walnut with buffalo leather lining. Every 10 or 15 minutes – the interval is adjustable according to whether the timepiece requires fast winding or maintaining winding – the Zeit Device is rotated 185° and slowly oscillates to rest, causing a winding rotor to charge the mainspring.

A use of AlTiN steel and titanium case, PE-CVD and DLC treated mainplate, baseplate, dials and satellite complications means that it has a no-nonsense high-end industrial feel to it. With its looks and weight, this is almost like a handy horological weapon; it certainly looks as though it can handle a bit of rough and tumble.

Made in an edition of 8, the Zeit Device is a rare beast to come across. This one was kindly shown to me at Marcus Replica Watches in London, where I also saw this piece. Thanks go to Liam for the opportunity to see a timepiece that I never thought I’d see ‘in the metal’.

Categories
Swiss Replica

How long does it take to ‘construct a clock replica’?

This is not just any clock, it is the “Construct-A-Clock”, intended as an educational toy for 6 – 10 year olds, according to the manufacturers. I had been unsuccessfully looking for one of these on and off for a few years, but happily, I finally stumbled upon one a little while ago here in Sydney. Clearly, I was not the only one interested, as a follow-up visit a few weeks later revealed them to be sold out.

Not entirely confident about my own ability to finish it in under 10 minutes, let alone having it filmed, I found a brave soul who was prepared to put his reputation on the line.

With a captive public audience replica watching and timing (with their replica watches, naturally), you can see the results below. Oh, and any lingering doubts by all adults present that it was a mere child’s toy were dismissed by the end.

So – are you game? How long do you think it would take you to construct this clock? If you’d like to get one for yourself (or someone else, I guess), see this post for details.