Tag: Watch movements

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Swiss Replica

BASELWORLD 2017 : Slim d’Hermès L’heureImpatiente

I have a soft spot for the unexpected and unusual, whether this be in terms how time is represented, or how time is interpreted. In 2001 Hermès released the Arceau le Temps Suspendu which ‘suspended’ time, then a few years after that, they decided to ‘mask’ time with Dressage L’Heure Masquée . Each of these replica watches in its own way allows the wearer to manipulate their relationship to not just the telling of time, but also how they follow it.

As they have done in the past, Hermès have again sought out Agenhor for this movement. The ‘impatient hour’ of the name refers to the module Agenhor created to attach to the Calibre H1912 (itself made by Vaucher Manufacture, of which Hermès owns a quarter) to create what has been referred to as a ‘mechanical hour glass’.

The Slim d’ Hermès L’heure Impatiente allows its wearer to set their replica watch to chime at any time in the upcoming twelve hour period by using the crown at 4 o’clock to set the countdown, which is depicted on the sub dial. An hour prior to the set time, the retrograde hand on the indicator at 6 o’clock will start its move from the 60 minute position to the 0 position, so you can track the countdown to your selected time.

At the set time a single note chimes.

If, however, you decide that you no longer wish to count down to a particular time, you need only reset it, and the chime can be de-activated via the pusher on the left hand side of the case.

This is Hermès’ first chiming replica watch, and the Calibre H1912 which powers this whimsy is automatic, beats at 28,800VPH, and has a power reserve of 42 hours. It features a circular-grained and snailed plate, satin-brushed bridges, and a decorated rotor. The Agenhor ‘Impatient Hour’ module is a very slim 1.2mm module comprised of 131 components, with 8 jewels, plate and bridges with Côtes de Genève motif. The Calibre H1912 movement is 3.7mm thick and the 40.5mm rose gold case itself is 10.67mm thick.

A svelte profile was important because of the desire top put this within the ‘Slim’ collection, and this challenge was met by Agenhor via not utilising a second power source or extra barrel to power the chime. The striking mechanism and its accompanying retrograde display are powered by the base movement.

The module is particularly notable for its customised chiming lever/ rack. Hermès and Agenhor have found a way to turn this into something more personal by shaping it as Pegasus, a long-time Hermès symbol. The rack tightens the helical spring in the hour before the striking mechanism chimes, creating the tension needed to power the hammer and activate the count-down hand. A shark cam that rotates every twelve hours releases energy when the rack falls back from the cam, which trips the hammer that strikes the chime.

The dial reflects the Slim collection – a silver opaline base with a sunburst chapter ring and snailed centre and counter, the highly stylised almost Art Deco-like black transferred Arabic numerals, and contrasting gilded sandblasted hands for the time keeping and blue lacquered baton hands for the ‘interruption’ novelty.

I don’t know whether the three year gaps between the Arceau le Temps Suspendu Hermès, the Dressage L’heure Masquée and the Slim d’ Hermès L’heure Impatiente were down to the time taken for the development of each new piece or whether it’s planned, but given that the results of their approach of playing around with how we interact with time, it will be worth the wait until the next one.

Categories
Swiss Replica

FABERGÉ : Lady Compliquée PeacockBlack

In the latter part of last year that #thewatchnerd arranged for a joint visit to the Fabergé boutique in London, which had kindly agreed to showing us some of their replica watches. We had been motivated by the desire to see the new Visionnaire DTZ, but found ourselves staying not just for that, but also for the Lady Compliquée Winter. The latter is notable for its movement, which made its debut in the Peacock replica watch.

At Baselworld 2015 Fabergé and Agenhor launched the Lady Compliquée Peacock. With a retrograde time display at its time telling centre, there are fanned blades that spread the peacock’s feathers gradually over the course of an hour, indicating the minutes on a scale and the hours via a rotating ring, with the four moving blades flying back to their original position with the passing of an hour.

Based on a 1908 egg which contained a bird automaton that could spread its wings, in this replica watch the first feather moves forward by 15 degrees per hour, the second by 30 degrees per hour, the third by 45 degrees, and the last by 60 degrees. This is achieved by an Agenhor invention that they have called AgenFAN, made of two series of toothed wheels of increasing diameters on one and decreasing diameters on the other which are superimposed on the same axis. They are placed side by side and mesh along their length. The first toothed wheel is driven by the spindle of the hours cam (the hours cam is beneath the visible hours ring) and drives the second, which powers each of the blades.

This complex and really rather glorious new way of doing a retrograde time display was recognised with a win in the ‘High Mechanical’ category at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) in 2015.

Powering the fanned retrograde time display is the manually wound Calibre 6901, which has a diametre of 32.7mm and a power reserve of 50 hours, beating at 21,600VPH. It is visible through the case back and has horizontal Côtes de Genève decoration on the bridges, and circular graining on the main plate.

At Baselworld 2016, following on from the original, the ruby, and the emerald, the a new one appeared – the Lady Compliquée Peacock Black Sapphire. It featured an 18 carat gold dial with snow-set diamonds (157), black sapphires (59) and black sapphire cabochons (6), with the hand-engraved peacock in 18 carat white gold. Surrounding this dial are an onyx rotating hour ring, minute track, and and minute and hour indicators in black lacquer.

All of this is inside a 38mm platinum case (and crown) and adorned with a bezel set with 54 brilliant-cut diamonds. The strap is alligator, with a matching platinum Fabergé pin buckle.

This year there is a new version for those who like their replica watches without stones (and their peacock more streamlined), simply called the Fabergé Lady Compliquée Peacock Black.

I find myself more drawn to this new one. The real bird may use vibrancy and colour to gain attention but in a possibly counterintuitive way, black seems to draw my attention because of its absence. In comparing the two black versions, I like to think of the Black Peacock Sapphire as the Art Nouveau version and this, the Art Deco one.

Hopefully, either Horologium or #thewatchnerd will be able to bring you ‘in the metal’ photos of it at some point.

 

Categories
Brand Cartier Replica

CARTIER : Rotonde de Cartier Minute Repeater Mysterious DoubleTourbillon

I have a liking for ‘mystery dials’, and 2017 has brought with it a rather impressive new one from Cartier, who have combined a minute repeater and double tourbillon into such a replica watch. Not only this but rather intriguingly, it is in a Grade 5 Titanium case, as opposed to the more popular precious metal for Cartier dress replica watches with this level of complications.

This is the first time that Cartier has combined a ‘mystery’ complication with a minute repeater. However, rather than the classic floating hands that are the ‘mystery’, on the Rotonde de Cartier Minute Repeater Mysterious Double Tourbillon it is the double tourbillon mechanism that is mysteriously suspended within a round sapphire window at 10 o’clock.

The new Rotonde de Cartier Minute Repeater Mysterious Double Tourbillon comes in a 45mm case that is a svelte 11.15mm in thickness, making it Cartier’s slimmest double complication to date.

The ‘mystery’ part of the replica watch, in order to achieve that 11.5mm replica watch thickness, consists of two sapphire discs that are a mere 0.5mm and 1mm thick. In case you are concerned about this, Cartier say that they can withstand shocks of 3,000Gs.

The elimination of the dial and use of a fully carved and open-worked case on the inside was to optimise the sound quality of the minute repeater. Both hammers are visible at six o’clock, and the gong circles the face.

The movement and gongs secured to the case by six screws. Unlike traditional minute repeaters that utillise cylindrical gongs, this new replica watch features square steel gong. The idea is that this provides a larger contact point for the hammers and to increase the vibration velocity. For those who are interested in these sorts of details, the gongs are tuned to ‘B 5th Octave’ for striking the hours and ‘D 6th Octave’ for the minutes.

Inside is the new 448 part in-house manual-wind Calibre 9407MC which has a power reserve of approximately 85 hours. It is the drive behind the double axis tourbillon – the cage rotates every 60 seconds and the sapphire disc in which the flying tourbillon cage resides, rotates every five minutes.

Most of the bridges and base plate are plated in black rhodium, for a dark grey finish that contrasts with the steel and silvery rhodium-coated parts.

One interesting thing to note is that the activation of the repeater is not via a traditional slide but via a pusher at 4 o’clock.

A quintessentially Cartier way of realising this double complication, the new Rotonde de Cartier Minute Repeater Mysterious Double Tourbillon is a fine looking replica watch indeed, and slots neatly into their complications, which are my favourite of their collections. It is available in a limited edition of fifty pieces, although there will also be baguette-cut diamond-set iteration in a limited edition of twenty pieces and one that with just baguette-cut diamonds on the bezel will also be available in a limited edition of thirty pieces.

For some other Cartier mystery dials you can go to this link and or click here.

Categories
Hands-on Men Watch Piaget Replica Swiss Replica Technical Watch

Introducing Piaget Emperador Coussin XL700P

In a rather unexpected segue from their normally mechanical men’s novelties, at SIHH 2016 Piaget has launched a replica watch to commemorate the 40th anniversary of its first in-house quartz movement, the ultra-thin 7P calibre, called the Emperador Coussin XL 700P.www.repliqueparfaite.fr

Its roots hark back to 1976 and the in-house 7P quartz movement, but this new movement is a very different proposition; an ultra-thin example of their first use of such a hybrid. Patents have been filed (and for those interested, it is probably worth comparing these patents with those of Seiko’s) and it is the result of two years of research and development. Unlike what Seiko is prone to doing, however, there is no seconds hand in this piece.

However this is not, as more commonly seen in their women’s pieces, just any old quartz replica watch. It is probably best described as being akin to what Seiko does with the hybrid mechanical-quartz Spring Drive. Piaget have called it a generator-regulated mechanical movement.

The new automatic hybrid movement has a 32’768 Hz frequency controls the rotation of the generator and wheels train. The generator produces a charge, sufficient to power the electronics, which then controls the rate at which the gear train runs. It has 32 jewels and a power reserve of forty-two hours. The movement is black-coated, as mentioned ultra-thin (5.5mm), and is finished with circular Côtes de Genève, circular-grained mainplate, bevelled bridges, engraved rotor with the Piaget coat-of-arms, and silvered screws. Generator and micro-rotor underlined with polished white gold.

When I first read about this replica watch last month at its pre-SIHH 2016 announcement I wasn’t quite sure that I ‘got’ it in the sense of ‘why’. Design-wise in terms of aesthetics it’s attractive, although some might say the disc on the front is superfluous decoratively-speaking. It does, however, give an aesthetic nod to its mechanical older siblings.

That they’ve put this much effort into this replica watch, both in terms of its R&D and the profile it has assumed in terms of being a new launch, is one of the most interesting things about its existence. Surely this cannot be a one-off use, so what does this mean for potential new models?

The case itself is also white gold, and is 46.5mm with a black DLC bezel. The skeletonised dial is attractive and has many of the design cues familiar to Emperadors, along with silvered indices and hands. It comes on a black alligator strap with a matching 18 carat white gold folding clasp.

 

In the meantime, this one comes in a limited edition of 118 pieces and comes on a black alligator strap with an 18 carat white gold folding clasp.

Categories
Hands-on Men Watch Montblanc Replica Swiss Replica Technical Watch

MONTBLANC Presents 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Blue LimitedEdition

The vintage looks of the collection have been one of the reasons for their popularity (another has been the entry price into the collection). The 1858 is named for the founding year of Minerva, now a part of Montblanc, and so it finds itself into the replica watch as well.

Following last year’s launch of its 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter in rose gold, which itself was part of a new collection whose new pilots replica watches have been a market success, Montblanc has extended the collection with the addition of a stainless steel case version of the Chronograph with a dark blue dial, in a limited edition of 100 pieces.

 

The historically-inspired cathedral hands, typeface and dial design are now familiar, but being a modern replica watch, the hands and numerals are coated in SuperLumiNova. It comes in a 44mm sized case (height of 13.15mm) and on a blue alligator strap to match the dial colour. The size of the case is basically down to the fact that the movement is a rather significant 38.4mm.

Inside is the manual-wind Montblanc Caliber M16.29, a pocket-watch style monopusher column-wheel chronograph, with both a large screwed balance and swan neck regulator. It is inspired by the Minerva 17.29 movement from 1929 and is hand-finished. As you can tell, if you are into replica watch photography then this will probably provide you with many hours of enjoyment. As @initialjh who photographed it likes saying, the devil is in the details – of the chronograph. The movement has 252 parts and you can see how much work has gone into it.

I liked the pilots’ replica watches when they were released last year and have not seen the rose gold version of this one to compare, but this blue and stainless steel version is a good looking replica watch and a fitting tribute both inside and out, to its 1930s inspiration. This is very much a replica watch for the chronograph fans amongst us.

Categories
Hands-on Men Watch Rolex Replica Swiss Replica Zenith Replica

Zenith El Primero Sport 45mm vs Rolex Daytona116520

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By @initialjh

 

However, it is not just about the design, of course. It is also about the movement when it comes to chronographs.

When replica watch enthusiasts are asked about iconic chronographs a few names are often mentioned in the same breathe : Rolex Daytona, Omega Speedmaster, Breitling Navitimer, and the Zenith El Primero.

What makes these chronographs iconic? Well it comes down to their designs; these are replica watches with quite individual design ‘DNAs’ have proven themselves to have lasted the test of time. In fact, the designs are so instantly recognisable that the manufacturers do not dare revolutionise the design with each upgrade, instead sticking to merely slowly evolving from the original with subtle changes.

 

In 1969 the El Primero 400 calibre was released, to widespread acclaim that the movement was the best automatic chronograph available on the market. Rolex made modifications, reducing the frequency from 36,000VPH to 28,800VPH and arguing that this would increase reliability while reducing the need for maintenance, and improve the power reserve. The date mechanism was removed, new balance and escapement introduced, and Rolex marketed this as the Calibre 4030.

For Rolex, this was a marketing and sales success. The limited supply of base movements and strong demand from the market meant these automatic Daytona rapidly achieved cult status, which also meant that it affected the perception of pre-automatic Daytona models.

The Zenith El Primero chronograph movement is arguably without peer as a chronograph design icon. Development of this fully integrated, high frequency, automatic winding, column-wheel chronograph movement started in 1962 and was realised seven years later with the introduction of the 1969 Zenith El Primero Chronograph A380.

In fact the modern day El Primero is still used by Zenith and several other major manufacturers and, interestingly, was the base movement that Rolex chose for their Daytona in 1988 with the launch of the new reference 165xx.

For a company for whom change occurs so rarely and slowly, Rolex introduced their own in-house developed Calibre 4130 in 2000. This automatic winding chronograph was designed to be easier to service. Beating at 28,800VPH, the same as the Calibre 4030 it replaced, power reserve was increased to 72 hours and a hacking-second feature added.

COMFORT

Firstly a disclaimer : my wrist is on the smaller side (6.75in), and the current fad of going big in terms of wristwatch is not optimal for me.

At 40mm the Daytona is perfect on my wrist; not too big, and not too small. An additional benefit is that the relative slimness of the Daytona means comparative ease when wearing it under my shirt cuff.

The balance-bridge was chosen over the balance-cock as found in the older Calibre 4030. What is interesting with the chronograph mechanism is that Rolex opted for a vertical friction clutch rather than the horizontal clutch system that is found in the El Primero, for the chronograph mechanism. The result? A more accurate seconds hand movement when starting the chronograph.

Putting tech talk aside, what is it like to have both replica watches as daily wearers? I was recently fortunate enough to have these two replica watches in my possession to compare on a day-to-day basis.

As for the Zenith, if I had the choice again I would pick the more traditionally-sized 38mm or the 40mm Zenith El Primero. At 45mm the El Primero Sport is too big for me when worn on the bracelet, but this can be overcome by wearing it on a NATO strap. The El Primero is an elegant replica watch, big, muscular, sporty. When worn on the NATO the size is less noticeable, and it is less heavy. However, the thickness of replica watch is evident and I found myself having to pick shirts to fit the replica watch, not the other way round. From this aspect the Zenith is more likely to be a weekend replica watch than something that I can wear 7 days a week.

So since I’m talking about the bracelet – it’s hands down to the Rolex over the Zenith. The finishing on the edges of the bracelet on the Rolex, whilst still crisp, feel smoother and less sharp to the touch than that of the Zenith.

Micro-adjustments? There is more flexibility on the updated Daytona bracelet, with a clever hidden clasp to be opened should the wrist swell due to temperature variations. The new Daytona bracelet is certainly more solid and an improvement over the older bracelet on the 165xx series Daytona.

 

The Daytona I tested is NOT a standard model. It is a stainless steel model, but the owner had the dial from the white gold model swapped over; the basic dial colour scheme is red on black. Whilst this is pretty during the day, the red hands tend to disappear into the black in low lights, which means, like the Zenith, that time telling is fine, but trying to read the chronograph totalisers in less than optimum lighting is challenging. A point to also note is that the lumed markers are brighter on the Rolex, and lasts longer throughout the night.

When using the tachymeter, I prefer the external scale on the Daytona. The internal tachymeter on the El Primero is slightly harder to read at a quick glance.

However, these are small quibbles.

LEGIBILITY

The benchmark of legibility in chronograph design, in my opinion, goes to the Omega Speedmaster; white on black means legibility is optimal at various angles. The thickness of the hands has been optimised with each iteration of Speedmasters. Reading the totalizer sub-dials is also relatively easy, regardless of ambient brightness.

The two replica watches I have here have very similar colour schemes. The Zenith a mixture of grey scales with the accent of the red chronograph seconds hand. Along with the larger and more muscular case, the hands on the Zenith are also bulked up. Time telling is relatively easy with the larger hour and minute hands. However in certain positions I found that these hands can obstruct the sub-dials. In addition, whilst I appreciate the darken markers as being uniform to the whole design of the replica watch, it does mean the Luminova is not very bright at night.

OPERATION

The operation of both of these replica watches is relatively straightforward.

 

However, the horizontal clutch system does mean the start of the chronograph is not as smooth and can jump at the start when compared to the Daytona’s vertical clutch system. Once started, the sweeping motion of the chronograph hand is smoother than the slower beat Daytona. Whether this bothers anyone is up to the individual wearer. Does it affect accuracy? Not really. After all, we are not timing the re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere…

The El Primero has other quirks, including the date setting. On the El Primero, time is set with first position of crown, and the date in the second position. In many other replica watches, position one of the crown is date, and position two is for time. This does not bother me. The Daytona has no date. One last thing is hacking second, which the El Primero movement does not have. Rolex added the hacking second with the Calibre 4130.

Kudos to Zenith with their half-turn screw-in buttons. With a quick turn, the chronograph buttons can be used quickly. Not so with the Daytona; it takes a few seconds to unscrew before the chronograph can be activated. Why have these screw in buttons, one may ask. There are many conjectures but one plausible reason is to prevent the activation of these buttons while the replica watch is underwater. Even in the unscrewed position, the Daytona is still water resistant to 100m. So why keep it? I guess the screw in buttons are part of the Daytona design, although earlier Cosmographs do not have this design feature.

What is it like to actuate the chronograph? Both of these are column-wheel movements, but that is where the similarity ends. The El Primero is a fine movement to start and stop. The action is precise, and there a delightful ‘click’ when the chronograph is actuated. The reset is also precise.

CONCLUSION

All in all, these are two iconic chronographs that I am happy to wear if given the opportunity to own. However as a daily replica watch, I would pick the Daytona over the El Primero purely based on the factors of size and comfort on my particular wrist.

Categories
Hands-on Jaquet Droz Replica Men Watch

Introducing JAQUET DROZ Grande Seconde DeadbeatOnyx

Basel2016JDCGrandeSecondeDeadbeatOnyx1

Glossy, shiny and really rather elegant, this, along with its rose gold (I prefer this model) sibling are
nice additions to the Grande Seconde Deadbeat range (the fourth iteration is stainless steel with a silver opaline dial and blued hands). I think my two favourites are the model I have featured here, and the ivory enamel limited edition model from 2015, but with these new models it gives hope to fans of this complication that there is a mini Renaissance and that they now have more options from which to choose.

In 2015 Jaquet Droz released the Grande Seconde Morte (aka ‘Deadbeat Seconds’ in English) in a limited edition model with an ivory-coloured enamel dial. A year later at Baselworld 2016 they followed up with two black dial versions in stainless steel (onyx) and rose gold (black enamel), and it is the former that we are sharing with you today.

 

Basel2016JDCGrandeSecondeDeadbeatOnyx3

In terms of the date function, it uses a retrograde hand, something that those of you who are more familiar with replica watches will be able to ascertain at a glance, with a small red varnished tip at its end.

A deadbeat second complication is one that is unusual enough that when one is made it is definitely made note of, but also one that seems to have been undergoing a small resurgence (insomuch as a niche complication can have a resurgence) in recent years in wristwatches, even by major brands such as Jaeger-LeCoultre. This is a complication that although not strictly for the more replica watch geeky, is probably nonetheless more directly aimed at them, with the appeal of a quartz-like tick of the seconds hand something that those who are keen on precision as well as technical movement complexity, find engaging.

With three different hands situated in three different positions, the dial is chracteristically JD, with the ‘8’ type look. The length of the seconds hand is also longer than than the norm, which does mean that it grabs your attention a lot more. All the hands are rhodium-treated, but in an unexpected bit of ‘luxe’ to the stainless steel model, applied ring is white gold.

Visible through the stainless steel 43mm case is the automatic Jaquet Droz calibre 2695SMR with a 38 hour power reserve along with a silicon balance spring, pallet horns. You will also notice that there’s an individual serial number engraved on the case back.

Basel2016JDCGrandeSecondeDeadbeatOnyx4

I’m one of those people who like the Jaquet Droz ‘8’ styled dials, and the layout of the Grande Seconde Deadbeat is one that appeals to me, including the extra long hand (I mention this because I recognise that there are many with quite strong opinions about hand length), which works because it is so thin; a thicker long hand would hav been too visually ‘harsh’.

 

Categories
Jaquet Droz Replica

JAQUET DROZ Grande Seconde DeadbeatOnyx Replica Watch

Basel2016JDCGrandeSecondeDeadbeatOnyx1

In 2015 Jaquet Droz released the Grande Seconde Morte (aka ‘Deadbeat Seconds’ in English) in a limited edition model with an ivory-coloured enamel dial. A year later at Baselworld 2016 they followed up with two black dial versions in stainless steel (onyx) and rose gold (black enamel), and it is the former that we are sharing with you today.

A deadbeat second complication is one that is unusual enough that when one is made it is definitely made note of, but also one that seems to have been undergoing a small resurgence in recent years in wristwatches, even by major brands such as Jaeger-LeCoultre. This is a complication that although not strictly for the more high quality replica watch geeky, is probably nonetheless more directly aimed at them, with the appeal of a quartz-like tick of the seconds hand something that those who are keen on precision as well as technical movement complexity, find engaging.

With three different hands situated in three different positions, the dial is chracteristically JD, with the ‘8’ type look. The length of the seconds hand is also longer than than the norm, which does mean that it grabs your attention a lot more. All the hands are rhodium-treated, but in an unexpected bit of ‘luxe’ to the stainless steel model, applied ring is white gold.

Basel2016JDCGrandeSecondeDeadbeatOnyx3

In terms of the date function, it uses a retrograde hand, something that those of you who are more familiar with replica watches will be able to ascertain at a glance, with a small red varnished tip at its end.

Visible through the stainless steel 43mm case is the automatic Jaquet Droz calibre 2695SMR with a 38 hour power reserve along with a silicon balance spring, pallet horns. You will also notice that there’s an individual serial number engraved on the case back.

Basel2016JDCGrandeSecondeDeadbeatOnyx4

I’m one of those people who like the Jaquet Droz ‘8’ styled dials, and the layout of the Grande Seconde Deadbeat is one that appeals to me, including the extra long hand (I mention this because I recognise that there are many with quite strong opinions about hand length), which works because it is so thin; a thicker long hand would hav been too visually ‘harsh’.

Glossy, shiny and really rather elegant, this, along with its rose gold sibling are nice additions to the Grande Seconde Deadbeat range. I think my two favourites are the model I have featured here, and the ivory enamel limited edition model from 2015, but with these new models it gives hope to fans of this complication that there is a mini Renaissance and that they now have more options from which to choose.

Categories
Montblanc Replica

Replica MONTBLANC : 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Blue LimitedEdition

Following last year’s launch of its 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter in rose gold, which itself was part of a new collection whose new pilots replica watches have been a market success, Montblanc has extended the collection with the addition of a stainless steel case version of the Chronograph with a dark blue dial, in a limited edition of 100 pieces.

The vintage looks of the collection have been one of the reasons for their popularity (another has been the entry price into the collection). The 1858 is named for the founding year of Minerva, now a part of Montblanc, and so it finds itself into the replica watch as well.

Inside is the manual-wind replica Montblanc Caliber M16.29, a pocket-watch style monopusher column-wheel chronograph, with both a large screwed balance and swan neck regulator. It is inspired by the Minerva 17.29 movement from 1929 and is hand-finished. As you can tell, if you are into replica watch photography then this will probably provide you with many hours of enjoyment. As @initialjh who photographed it likes saying, the devil is in the details – of the chronograph. The movement has 252 parts and you can see how much work has gone into it.

The historically-inspired cathedral hands, typeface and dial design are now familiar, but being a modern replica watch, the hands and numerals are coated in SuperLumiNova. It comes in a 44mm sized case (height of 13.15mm) and on a blue alligator strap to match the dial colour. The size of the case is basically down to the fact that the movement is a rather significant 38.4mm.

I liked the pilots’ replica watches when they were released last year and have not seen the rose gold version of this one to compare, but this blue and stainless steel version is a good looking replica watch and a fitting tribute both inside and out, to its 1930s inspiration. This is very much a replica watch for the chronograph fans amongst us.

Categories
Piaget Replica

SIHH 2016 : Replica Piaget Emperador Coussin XL700P

Piaget Replica Watch

In a rather unexpected segue from their normally mechanical men’s novelties, at SIHH 2016 Piaget has launched a luxury replica watch to commemorate the 40th anniversary of its first in-house quartz movement, the ultra-thin 7P calibre, called the Emperador Coussin XL 700P.

However this is not, as more commonly seen in their women’s pieces, just any old quartz replica watch. It is probably best described as being akin to what Seiko does with the hybrid mechanical-quartz Spring Drive. Piaget have called it a generator-regulated mechanical movement. Its roots hark back to 1976 and the in-house 7P quartz movement, but this new movement is a very different proposition; an ultra-thin example of their first use of such a hybrid. Patents have been filed (and for those interested, it is probably worth comparing these patents with those of Seiko’s) and it is the result of two years of research and development. Unlike what Seiko is prone to doing, however, there is no seconds hand in this piece.

The new automatic hybrid movement has a 32’768 Hz frequency controls the rotation of the generator and wheels train. The generator produces a charge, sufficient to power the electronics, which then controls the rate at which the gear train runs. It has 32 jewels and a power reserve of forty-two hours. The movement is black-coated, as mentioned ultra-thin (5.5mm), and is finished with circular Côtes de Genève, circular-grained mainplate, bevelled bridges, engraved rotor with the Piaget coat-of-arms, and silvered screws. Generator and micro-rotor underlined with polished white gold.

The case itself is also white gold, and is 46.5mm with a black DLC bezel. The skeletonised dial is attractive and has many of the design cues familiar to Emperadors, along with silvered indices and hands. It comes on a black alligator strap with a matching 18 carat white gold folding clasp.

When I first read about this replica watch last month at its pre-SIHH 2016 announcement I wasn’t quite sure that I ‘got’ it in the sense of ‘why’. Design-wise in terms of aesthetics it’s attractive, although some might say the disc on the front is superfluous decoratively-speaking. It does, however, give an aesthetic nod to its mechanical older siblings.

That they’ve put this much effort into this replica watch, both in terms of its R&D and the profile it has assumed in terms of being a new launch, is one of the most interesting things about its existence. Surely this cannot be a one-off use, so what does this mean for potential new models?

In the meantime, this one comes in a limited edition of 118 pieces and comes on a black alligator strap with an 18 carat white gold folding clasp.