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Ball Replica Calendar Watch

High Quality Cheap Chic Replica Ball Fireman Storm Chaser Pro Review

There are many different niches watches evolved to fill. Divers, world timers, perpetual calendars, simple dress watches and everything in between are out there in abundance, providing utility and choice for all tastes. The replica watch we have here today, however, probably wins the award for strangest niche.

This is the Ball Fireman Storm Chaser Pro, a fake watch designed in partnership with Dr. Joshua Wurman who is a distinguished meteorologist and member of the BALL Explorers Club. Its purpose? As the name suggests, the replica Fireman Storm Chaser Pro is designed to accompany storm chasers, or to be more specific, tornado chasers. In practice, however, the fake Fireman Storm Chaser Pro is simply a clean, attractive modern sports chronograph that packs a serious punch. And on top of that, it boasts the solid build and the tritium tube technology Ball has come to be known for. Let’s take a closer look.

Case

A touch large at 42mm, the case of the fake Fireman Storm Chaser Pro is well-proportioned and classically handsome, with a broad-shouldered 21mm lug width. The case side is defined by a flowing, brilliantly polished bevel that tapers from the lug ends to the case center, and the lugs themselves flare out slightly as they meet the main case. This gives them an attached appearance, and lends some ruggedness to the overall look.

At three o’clock, the mid-sized signed crown is flanked by an attractive pair of color-coded pushers, enamel orange for the chronograph’s stop/start and black for reset. The top side is dominated by a steeply angled bezel featuring an unorthodox telemeter scale. Not as straightforward as a tachymeter, the telemeter does help the Storm Chaser Pro’s tornado-hunter cred–one of the few functions that can be performed with a telemeter scale is determining the distance of lightning strikes. What it may lack in practical application, however, the telemeter makes up for in balance, and the even spacing of the telemeter scale adds some harmony to the whole package.

It’s on the back side, though, where the fake Storm Chaser Pro’s case really shines. The display back gives a look into the richly decorated Caliber RR1402 (more on the movement below), with its brilliantly executed perlage. The gold signature on the rotor is sharply done, and adds another layer of dressing to the overall design. and execution.

High Quality Cheap Chic Replica Ball Fireman Storm Chaser Pro Review

Dial

The dial of the replica Fireman Storm Chaser Pro comes in three variants: gloss black, gloss white, and the one we had in for review, a gorgeous metallic slate gray with a prominent vertical grain. This material plays brilliantly with the light, going from a rich charcoal to almost silver depending on the angle. The main sub-dials at 12 and six cut through this layer, revealing a black finish featuring concentric circles.

A running seconds at nine helps to balance out the dial layout, and its cross hair design with a partial seconds track is subdued but visually interesting in that it gives the dial the appearance of being a two register chronograph. Across from the running seconds is a day/date complication flanked by the Ball logo and “Automatic 100m.” The applied rectangles at each hour, in addition to being handsomely made, introduce Ball’s signature tritium tube lume system, also present in the skeletonized baton hands.

The tritium lume needs no recharging, it doesn’t fade with time, and while it might not be as bright as, say, Seiko’s lume, it does emit a steady green glow through the night (with orange lume accents at 12, three, six, and nine.) This theme of orange accents is continued through the chronograph seconds hand, with a bright orange tip and Ball’s “RR” script counterweight. It’s a striking highlight throughout the design, but isn’t enough to come off as overdone or flashy.

High Quality Cheap Chic Replica Ball Fireman Storm Chaser Pro Review

Straps and Wearability

Both a stainless bracelet  and a calfskin leather strap are available for the fake Fireman Storm Chaser Pro. Our tester came in on leather, and while the strap is a bit quirky, it is a definite winner with a unique design. There’s a layer of black leather on top of the main gray segment, and several holes are punched in this layer, exposing the grey underneath, to give it the feel of a classic rally strap. The overall effect is one that is sporty, and the orange accent stitching makes for a visually interesting strap that is in harmony to the rest of the watch. However, if it isn’t to your taste, the swap is easy enough.  Just as important, the watch is seriously comfortable on the wrist, with thick padding and a soft genuine leather liner. The finish on the buckle is exquisite as well, with simulated screws, and a deep, clear signature etching. In terms of overall wearability, it carries quite a bit of presence–it’s in the same size ballpark as an Omega Speedmaster Pro, but it somehow feels a tad larger. But even with the long straight lugs it doesn’t come off as overwhelming on my smaller 6.75-inch wrist. With the bright orange accents, it might not be suitable for the most formal of situations, but it gives a bit of pop for everything from blazer wear to t-shirts.

High Quality Cheap Chic Replica Ball Fireman Storm Chaser Pro Review

Conclusion

The replica Fireman Storm Chaser Pro works far beyond the pigeonhole that Ball has placed it in. While it’s certainly got the features, reliability, and rock-solid toughness to go out storm hunting, its clean, attractive design and solid value make it a great choice for anyone looking for a quality chronograph. It might ring up at $3,400 retail, but even at that price, it’s a value proposition. In terms of finish, amenities, and overall impression, it stacks up very favorably against substantially more expensive chronographs (looking at you, Tag Carrera) while maintaining a flair all its own. More than once during my time reviewing this watch I thought very seriously about selling off a chunk of my collection to snag one of these, and the more time I spent with it the better that idea sounded. If you haven’t had the chance to check out what Ball can offer, seriously give this one a look

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Calendar Watch Luxury Watch News Piaget Replica Watch Review

High Quality Fake Piaget Polo S: Outside Its Comfort Zone

How unlucky can you get?

Piaget invested heavily into the launch of the new replica , US made Piaget Polo S only to have its launch event fall on exactly the same day as the horrible terrorist attack in Nice, a heat wave in New York where it was introduced, and just before the attempted coup in Turkey.

Piaget Polo S chronograph blue dial

Piaget Polo S with brown dial

Desiring a classy, steel watch

But I don’t want to go there; I want to go back a few years instead.

Like many fake watch collectors and connoisseurs I found myself at a point where I desired a classy, steel replica watch made by an haute horlogerie brand. My excuse for “needing” such a fake watch was, of course, that I wanted an upscale timepiece that wasn’t as fragile as my gold  AAA+ watches.

Piaget Polo S with time and date

The only problem with that was that I ended up treating my upscale steel  fake watch with the same protective nature once I got it. Of course I considered the icons of the industry: the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, the Vacheron Constantin Overseas, and the two steel replica watches people have been saying that the AAA+ Polo S resembles most: the Patek Philippe Nautilus and Aquanaut.

Piaget Polo S with white dial

The fake watch I ended up getting was none of these, and in fact has now already been discontinued for several years. It was the Piaget Upstream, which was introduced at the 2001 SIHH and discontinued in 2007.

What made me buy this high quality fake made watch was the incredible bracelet, whose clasp is integrated into the case thereby creating a Swiss watch with no visible clasp when on the wrist. This also meant that the clasp was not felt, resulting in one of the most comfortable steel AAA+ watches I have ever worn.

But there was more.

The design of the case and the bracelet was unlike any other fake watch. The same can be said for the numerals that Piaget used on the dial. An abstract, futuristic, yet highly legible font that seemed to have come straight from the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Even a decade and a half after its introduction, it is still a very contemporary design.

What continues to surprise me the most is that this is the replica watch I get by far the most comments on from people inside the industry as well as people who couldn’t care less about  replica watches (and often do not even wear one).

Piaget Polo S chronographs flanking what the brand calls the “time only” with brown dial

Piaget and steel: not a long love story

Since 1957, Piaget had been making fake watches exclusively in precious metals. I’ve heard that they made some steel replica watches during the 1960s exclusively for the Japanese market, but I have never seen one.

As a result, Piaget has become a master in working with precious metals. But as time progressed, and the Swiss fake watch industry entered a renaissance following the Quartz Crisis of the late 1970s, steel became more and more a choice as a new “precious” metal.

For the Upstream’s production, Piaget had to rely on an outside supplier to provide the steel parts of the fake watch, although they were finished and assembled in Piaget’s manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates on the outskirts of Geneva. Priced just above $6,000, with its sophisticated bracelet the Upstream simply couldn’t be produced cost-effectively with the majority of the work done by an outside contractor.

Piaget Polo S blue dial

For almost a decade Piaget went without a steel fake watch in its collection, but not without a sportier replica watch. In 2009, the Polo 45 took over from where the Upstream left off. It was crafted in titanium with steel gadroons (polished slightly domed elements on the case) and a rubber strap. A time-only timepiece sold for $12,300, it is still part of the current collection.

The Polo 45 was a refreshing and modern take on the original Polo from 1979, a design that ruled the ensuing decade as a luxurious sporty replica watch in the collection.

Is this a Polo?

This is also where my confusion came from when I AAA+ watched the reveal of the new Piaget Polo S live on my laptop. This fake watch may be called Polo, but it shares none of the characteristics that make the Polo a Polo. It’s almost like when Daniel Craig was introduced as James Bond: he was definitely not the usual gentleman in a suit with a sense of humor, but rather Jason Bourne’s better dressed cousin.

Piaget Polo S chronograph with blue dial

This is actually not the first time that Piaget has created a Polo model in this fashion. In the 1990s the Polo also left behind its typical gadroons for a more traditional case and dial. In my opinion, the new Polo S shares more resemblance with Piaget’s Emperador Coussin, only with a much wider bezel.

The result is a design that more closely resembles other high-end steel fake watches than you would generally expect from a manufacture with the stature of Piaget.

I understand the need for a steel replica  watch in the collection, even though it falls outside the company strategy that has worked so well for Piaget for more than half a century.

Customer desires have changed; the markets have changed; and being part of the Richemont group, the requirement to make a profit for the shareholders remains important.

Piaget Polo S chronograph with white dial

Introducing a steel fake watch is a logical way to expand your customer base and increase revenue. Although to accomplish the latter, Piaget has to succeed in keeping production costs down, which means not repeating what precipitated the downfall of the Upstream.

Being a highly creative manufacture, it is only natural that people might be disappointed when your latest model seems less creative than usual. I think this is also amplified by Piaget itself in calling the Polo S “the US fake watch for a new generation: a generation of game changers” and then combining it with a – for Piaget, at least – unprecedented spectacle involving celebrities like new ambassador Ryan Reynolds and Michael B Jordan as well as several others from around the world.

Piaget Polo S with brown dial

This is quite a contrast with the past. Although Piaget’s replica watches have been on the wrists of countless celebrities – and the Polo had a reputation as a jet-set replica watch from the beginning – Piaget always had a tendency to let its replica watches do the talking rather than engage official ambassadors.

A new generation will have different desires, but are those met with the Polo S?

Although more or less a new concept for Piaget, there are plenty of steel replica watches with manufacture movements to choose from – crafted by prestigious brands like Cartier and Chopard and often available at an even lower price point than the $9,350 at which Piaget has priced the Polo S with time and date.

What does the Polo S offer a new generation that these replica watches don’t?

When everything is said and done, the Polo S is a fine replica watch. Caliber 1110P powering the chronograph is derived from Caliber 880P that powers the Polo 45 chronograph, an integrated chronograph movement with column wheel and vertical clutch.

Some recent detractors of the Polo S have suggested that Piaget has reduced the finishing of the movement because of its price, but I seriously doubt if there is much difference in finish between an 880P and the 1110P since costs have been brought down by simplifying the movement. I hope to do a side-by-side of both movements in the near future to establish this.

The fact is that the next generation of replica watch connoisseurs will probably have a significantly different view on replica watches and luxury than current and past generations.

The world’s elite car manufacturers scramble to turn everything into an SUV when they can’t they call a product a crossover, while jewelry brands are still puzzled as to how to create captivating designs that go with casual and active lifestyles.

These brands are all forced outside their comfort zones, only some more than others.

Quick Facts replica Piaget Polo S
Case: stainless steel, 42 mm
Movement: automatic Caliber 1110P
Functions: hours, minutes; date

Quick Facts replica Piaget Polo S chronograph
Case: stainless steel, 42 mm
Movement: automatic Caliber 1160P with integrated chronograph movement with column wheel and vertical clutch
Functions: hours, minutes; date, chronograph

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Calendar Watch Hands-on Men Watch Swiss Replica Vacheron Constantin Replica

VACHERON CONSTANTIN Presents Two new Patrimony Traditionelle WorldTime

When Vacheron Constantin introduced its Patrimony Traditionnelle World Time it was the first mechanical replica watch that showed the time in 37 time zones (most world timer replica watches feature 24 time zones),  along with a day/ night indication courtesy of the shading on the map. Moreover, it was also notable on its release for the fact that there is only one crown for making all adjustments.

You may recollect an earlier post about one of Vacheron’s most well-known contemporary pieces, the 37 time zone Traditionelle World Time, in pink gold. A couple of months ago they brought out another 18K 5N pink gold version but this time with a pink gold dial, plus an 18K white gold version.

A quick recap of the dial and functionality.

The display consists of three dials: a sapphire dial with the rotating day/night indication shading (18:00-06:00 being the darkened area), a metal dial with a Lambert projection map, and a metal chapter ring. To use it, you choose the reference point and put it at the black triangle at 6 o’clock. The time at the reference point can then be read either via the traditional hour or by the 24-hour disc, and the other time zones via the disc. The cities in black text are the full time zones, whilst the cities in red text are half or quarter-hour zones. It is all operated/ adjusted via a single crown.

 

The main novelty of this new edition of the Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle World Time is its dial and the map. Previously painted in blue and white as per the link in the first paragraph, the map is now made of solid gold, 3D-engraved, and with raised continents with a sun-brushed finish and sand-blasted seas. A geometric pattern on the top helps to locate the 24 main time-zones. The inked 24-hour ring has also been redesigned, with a darkened area from 18:30 to 06:30.

The rest is the same. Inside is Vacheron Constantin’s in-house designed/ developed/ manufactured Calibre 2460WT automatic movement with a gold oscillating weight, 28,800 VPH and a forty-hour power reserve. The movement itself is a rather significant 36.60mm, which means that the replica watch case is 42.5mm.

Johann Heinrich Lambert was a German/French mathematician and scientist who in 1772 released his Conformal Conic (LCC) projection in his publication ‘Anmerkungen und Zusätze zur Entwerfung der Land- und Himmelscharten’. Today the Lambert Conformal Conic projection has become a standard projection for mapping large areas (small scale) in the mid-latitudes – such as USA, Europe and Australia.

What the LCC does is to set a cone over the Earth’s sphere and project the surface onto the cone, which is then ‘unrolled’ and scaled, with scale decreasing between the two parallels and increasing outside them.

As mentioned at the outset, as well as this model Vacheron Constantin also released a new 18k white gold version at the fair, with a white gold dial.

Again, the basic specifications are the same with this new model, the differences lie in the metal and the dial.

Changes in colours (and textures) can completely change the look of a replica watch, and much of the replica watch world is about providing choices that are variations along a basic theme. These new dials have their appeal (especially the pink gold version, which is rather elegant) but for me, the original pips these at the post. I have suspicions that this may be because of an unconscious perhaps rather conservative predilection towards blue for projection maps on replica watch dials.

 

For more information on both, click here, and now it’s time for all of these time zones to make their way into 2016 one by one.

See you on the flipside.

[Horologium attended Replica Watches & Wonders 2015 by invitation of Richemont Australia]

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Baume & Mercier Replica Calendar Watch Feature Hands-on Men Watch Swiss Replica

SIHH 2016 : Presenting Baume & Mercier Clifton Chronograph CompleteCalendar

They are classic timepieces which contain solid movements, and are versatile. Now, Baume have added another complication to the range – meet the Clifton Chronograph Complete Calendar. This is not the first Clifton featuring a calendar feature; for example there was the Retrograde Date and Big Date, but is a new combination.

So let’s look at the dial, which is, in keeping with the brand and this collection, classically laid out. The layout will also hint at the inside, for those famliiar with such things.

In recent years Baume & Mercier’s Clifton range has entrenched its position as ‘the’ collection for those wishing to enter the world of luxury replica watches via Baume.

Baume & Mercier have decided to emphasie legibility at a glance by using different coloured hands for different indications. The time is as per convention, with the two hands on the central axis, and a small seconds sub dial at 9 o’clock with rhodiumed hands. There is also a day/ night indicator at 9 o’clock and a 24 hour scale with a gilt hand. The hand with the arrow-tipped point on the central axis points to the date, there are two windows at 12 o’clock with the day of the week and month, and a moonphase at 6 o’clock.

Now for the chronograph function, which is indicated by the blued hands with its seconds noted by a long blued hand. The 30-minute counter is at 12 o’clock and the 12-hour counter is at 6 o’clock circling the moon.

The rest of the dial is faithful to the Clifton replica watches, with silvery white main-plate and metallic applied indices.

Coming on a alligator straps, these are replica watches that aren’t about pretending to be anything other than what they are – replica watches to be used for functionality and not fashion, and for longevity. For those wanting to enter the world of luxury replica watches and want something with more than one useful function on it, this is another classic offering from Baume & Mercier.

Inside the usual Clifton 43mm case is the automatic Valjoux 7751 (what I mentioned at the outset about the dial layout hinting at the movement, for those who are interested or know such things) finished with an engraved rotor, adorned with Geneva stripes, blue screws and perlage on the mainplate and bridges.

 

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Calendar Watch Hands-on Omega Replica Swiss Replica

Meet The Omega Speedmaster ‘First Omega In Space’

This week on my wrist is the Omega Speedmaster “First Omega In Space,” a replica watch inspired by a historically important model worn in space on October 3, 1962, by U.S. astronaut Walter Schirra – an event to which the new model owes its name. We raved about the FOIS when it was introduced in 2012. An affordable manually wound chronograph with great history, it seemed to hit a chord with both the nostalgic, and those new to the brand. It certainly looks the part, but how does it feel on the wrist?omegawatchreview

The good news is that OMEGA have kept many of the features that make CK2998 one of the most collectible pre-moon Speedmasters, from the iconic 12-hour, three-register layout, to the elongated “Alpha” hands and black tachymeter scale on the bezel. Many of these aesthetic elements are back, albeit with some minor changes.

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The Speedmaster, with its black dial inspired by the dashboard of Italian sports cars, had a strong look that definitely seems to have caught Schirra’s eye, and he eventually set his sights on a reference CK2998 (the exact case reference remains a mystery, although -4 and -5 are the most likely bets).

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Side by side: The FOIS and reference CK2998-4.

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The story goes that Walter Schirra decided to go replica watch shopping in Houston, Texas, a few months before the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission, knowing he would become the fifth man to travel to space. Perhaps he wanted to mark the momentous occasion. That part remains legend, though, as a second-generation aviator and military pilot, Schirra would most probably have heard of OMEGA and its relatively new racing chronograph.

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What makes the First Omega In Space such a distinctive Speedmaster is the symmetry of the design. The straight lugs and thin bevel between the top and the sides are directly inspired by CK2998, and were a common feature of early pre-moon Speedmasters, until Omega decided to adopt asymmetrical twisted lugs after 1964 (with the appearance of the Speedmaster Professional). Another feature brought back from the original CK2998 is the applied logo at 12 o’clock, which pops off the dial unlike the more commonly printed logo of post-1968 Speedmasters.

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The stainless steel case measures 39.7 mm, which is 2-3 mm smaller than most of the Speedmaster replica watches currently in production, and the replica watch itself is very well proportioned. The replica watch, like most Speedmasters, is so comfortable it’s easy to forget you’re wearing it.


 

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As you’d expect, the First Omega In Space isn’t an exact replica of the replica watch Schirra bought more than half a century ago. That would’ve been wishful thinking on our part. According to OMEGA’s records, the replica watch Schirra wore in space had straight register hands, including the running seconds hand. For the FOIS, OMEGA decided to introduce a leaf-shaped seconds hand. It’s not historically correct, but I found the use of the leaf shape for all of the timekeeping functions (hour, minute and seconds hands), coupled with their stainless-steel composition is a very smart way to differentiate them from the white baton hands that are used solely for the purpose of the chronograph function.

Speedmasters were designed with the scale on the bezel to give the replica watch the intended sporty look OMEGA were after. The FOIS still retains a lot of the motorsports inspiration and look that characterized early Speedmasters. Add to that a brown leather strap and you feel like you’re in Monza, about to grab the wheel of 335 S Spider Scaglietti. This is a look should age very well as the leather of the new strap loses its shine with passing years.

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What the First Omega In Space does do is give you the chance to discover this great movement in a Speedmaster sans crown guards. Personally, I find it adds to the enjoyment of winding the replica watch, and you’ll be doing that every day as the power reserve is only 48 hours. But would you complain about having to refuel a great vintage automobile every time you take it out for a spin? It’s definitely part of the experience you’re paying for.

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The case back is probably where the re-edition differs most noticeablys from the original. A portal into the past of the replica watch, it pays homage to Schirra’s own. It features a screw-down case back embossed with the words “First Omega In Space,” the date of Schirra’s space flight, and the original 1962 execution of the OMEGA Hippocampus.

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Whether or not OMEGA could have made a replica watch more in the image of Schirra’s CK2998 matters little in the end. The changes introduced are few and far in between, noticeable only to experts, and they do not make the FOIS any less enjoyable to wear on a daily basis.

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One of the finer details overlooked by OMEGA however is the placement of the “dot” next to, and not above the 90 mark on the tachymeter scale – a detail that sounds insignificant but would have brought a lot of pleasure to the purists, of which there are so many.

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There are also inevitable question marks about the movement which powers the First Omega in Space. Schirra’s CK2998 was powered by the famous Omega caliber 321, one of the finest and most collectible movements ever made. However, the Lemania-based column-wheel chronograph movement had a relatively short production run, and was soon replaced by ones that were easier and less expensive to produce in large quantities. The First Omega In Space carries such a movement, caliber 1861, which is the latest evolution of caliber 321.

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Creating a link with all modern Speedmaster Professional replica watches, this movement may not have the cachet with collectors of the 321, but it’s a proven movement in its own right. It’s worth a good look (which the FOIS does not offer, as it has a solid caseback) but fear not, we recently filmed it during a servicing of an vintage Speedmaster at Manfredi Jewels in Greenwich, CT.

 

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The “First Omega In Space” looks like a vintage Speedmaster, and feels like one too. While it falls just a tiny bit short of complete historical fidelity to CK2998, it doescaptures the magic of this historical timepiece. If the Speedmaster was originally designed to stand apart from other chronographs, the First Omega In Space fits the bill. A numbered edition, the OMEGA Speedmaster “First Omega In Space” is available at $5,300 and comes on a brown leather strap. Bracelets can be added for a premium.

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The Omega Speedmaster “First Omega In Space” is available in steel; Diameter, 39.7 mm; Water resistance 50 meters; Solid screw-down case back. Dial, black. Tachymeter, black. Movement, Caliber 1861 with Rhodium-Plated Finish, manual-winding, 48-hour power reserve, running in 18 jewels, 21,600 vph. Hours, minutes, seconds, with chronograph. Numbered Edition. Price, $5,300. More from Omega right here.

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Calendar Watch Hands-on

A Guide to the different types of Calendar Replica Watches

A calendar is a system of organizing days by periods of time. Its purpose is to record time and to organize agricultural, social, religious or administrative activities. The different measures of time available were originally the day, the month (lunar month) and the year marked by the cycle of seasons. However, the length of a year is extremely hard to measure precisely. A variety of calendars were invented to keep track of time, before the invention of the actual Gregorian calendar and its progressive international acceptance for most purposes.replique montre

 

Gregorian Calendar

The Julian calendar spread over the borders of the Roman Empire through its use by Christians. Still, the mean tropical year is about 365.24218 solar days. A tiny annual error of some 11 minutes cumulated over centuries which lead Thursday 4 October 1582 to be followed by Friday 15 October 1582, the first day of the Gregorian calendar. 10 days were deleted for most of Roman Catholic Europe.

The Gregorian calendar is a reform of the Julian calendar introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC. The approximation of 365 days ¼ for the length of the year was then known but the Roman calendar would drift out of alignment with the tropical year (the time the sun takes to return to the same position as seen from earth) because necessary intercalations of extra days to the 365-day year were erratic. Caesar’s reform intended to solve this problem with a system based on three conventional years of 365 days, followed by a leap year comprising 366 days. In 46 BC, the last “year of confusion” was extended to 445 days, to realign the calendar and the Julian calendar, and went into effect in 45 BC.

Today’s internationally accepted civil calendar replaced the Julian calendar to reflect more accurately the actual time it takes the earth to circle around the sun, with a new formula to calculate leap years. Leap years happen every four years. If the year can evenly be divided by 100, it won’t be a leap year. If it can also be divided by 400, it will a leap year (2100, 2200, 2300 won’t be leap years while 2400 will be a leap year). A subject in its own right for the replica watchmakers.

Calendar replica watches – the simple date display

mtr_baume-mercier_clifton_clifton-m0a-10052_m0a-10052_0 3e72915368592af9d0287a495797c494

The date is usually displayed with a hand or through a window, printed on a disc. The date change can be progressive with a large window showing several digits and a pointer. It can be semi-instantaneous, gradually changing around midnight or instantaneous changing at midnight with a jump, a more elegant but more complex solution requiring to accumulate power before releasing it at once.

The most elemental and common type of calendar replica watch consist in the indication of the date. A date wheel increments daily from 1 to 31. Months with less than 31 days are not taken into account and the date needs to be corrected manually, 5 times a year (February, April, June, September and November).

ETA 2892 Calendar mechanism

The widely used ETA 2892 movement and its date indication. The date indicator driving wheel (1) rotates once a day and features a finger (red arrow) that will engage with the large date wheel with its printed digits. The motion is transmitted from the hour wheel (3) through an intermediate wheel (2).

So-called “large date” replica watches show the date on 2 separate digits to be read easily. On disc shows the tens, the other the units. Different systems have been designed with overlapping or juxtaposed discs.

ALS_L095_4 _GrLange1_Mondphase_Lumen_web Roger-Dubuis-Calibre-RD540

Movements featuring large date indication. A. Lange & Söhne Grand Lange 1 L095.4 caliber. Roger Dubuis with the RD540 caliber with flying Tourbillon.

Calendar replica watches – the Day-Date display

Sometimes called double calendars, day-date replica watches indicate beyond the date, the day of the week. The principles to indicate the day are similar to these for the date with different arithmetic, woth a wheel that turns in 7 days instead of 31.

Rolex-Day-Date-40-Baselworld-2015-5

A modern version of the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date, an emblematic Rolex initially introduced in the 1950s.

 

Jaeger-LeCoultre-Reverso-Tribute-Calendar-85th-anniversary-edtion-3

Calendar replica watches – Annual calendars

Most calendar replica watches complete 31 days cycles and require a regular adjustment (5 times a year) to ensure that the correct date is displayed. An annual calendar automatically adjust the date displayed, based on the different length of the month and requires to be corrected manually once a year (in the worst case depending on its mechanism). Such calendar replica watches take into account the months with 30 or 31 days. The only thing that is not automatically corrected is the month of February, with its 28 days.

Calendar replica watches – Triple and complete calendars

The triple calendar is a further elaboration of the day-date, also indicating the month of the year. The addition of the moon-phases display makes it a complete (or full) calendar.

Ochs-und-Junior-Annual-Calendar-Rust-6

The Ochs und Junior annual calendar with its unique, minimalist analog display, the brainchild of the inventive Ludwig Oeschlin. A dot travelling under the larger circle indicated the date. The smaller circles feature 7 and 12 apertures to display the day of the week and month.

Calendar replica watches – Perpetual calendars

A further sophistication, a perpetual calendar takes into account the different lengths of the months on a 4 years cycle. Its intricate mechanism has a mechanical “memory” over 1461 days. Several systems have been designed but in general a wheel rotating once every 4 years drives the calendar indications in relation with the month’s precise length. For even more practicality, perpetual calendars can come with automatic winding (eventually with a winding box when they are not worn), as they need to keep running to be relevant.

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The traditional elegance of the Blancpain Villeret Perpetual calendar and the original calendar indication of the Cartier Rotonde Astrocalendaire with Tourbillon. The Cartier Rotonde features an “amphitheater” display, departing from traditional calendars. On the mechanical side, its innovative movement allows to correct the calendar by turning the crown in both direction, rather than with pushers.

These complex mechanisms are regarded as a demonstration of horological mastery and are a must-have in the collections of the great replica watch manufacturers. Brands display the information on the dial in different ways, from the typical dial lay-outs (in particular using Dubois Depraz calendar modules) to more creative options to differentiate, to enhance readability or to avoid over-cluttered looks.

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The understated and smart H.Moser Endeavour Perpetual Calendar indicates the date through a window at 3 o’clock and months with a short arrow in the center. The IWC Portuguese Perpetual Calendar with its easy-read digital date-month indication.

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The Greubel Forsey QP à Equation features a 24-second tourbillon and a perpetual calendar (Quantième Perpétuel in French) in line. At the back of this masterpiece, the year indication, a splendid and original equation of time indication and the breathtaking movement finish of the brand.

Calendar replica watches – Really perpetual? The secular calendar

For those who want to save the trouble of having to set their replica watch date at the end of February 2100, replica watchmakers have designed mechanisms labelled “secular perpetual calendar”. Among the available options, the Patek Philippe calibre 89 (that has broken records at auctions), the Perpetuel Secular Calendar by Svend Andersen or the Frank Muller Mega Aeternitas.

Perpetual calendars are in fact not perfectly perpetual. Their mechanism reproducing 4-year cycles is based on the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar. They are accurate for 100 years. They do not “delete” leap years 3 times in 4 centuries and hence need to be adjusted manually, which will not happen until 2100.

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The Frank Muller Aeternitas Mega 4 features 36 different complications geared by 1483 parts. Its calendar mechanism is calibrated to reproduce leap years on 4 years, no leap years on 100 years, leap years on 400 years cycles. It features the indication of the year (1’000 year calendar just displayed just below the center hands).

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Calendar Watch Hands-on Longines Replica Men Watch

LONGINES Introduces The Heritage1918

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That I look forward to seeing what Longines releases in its Heritage collection each year is no big secret, and Baselworld 2016 brought with it two additions to this collection. Today is about a replica watch with a familiar case shape bu in a different form, the Heritage 1918.replique de montre rolex

 

At the outset I mentioned that there was a hint of familiarity with this new model. This is because it reminds me of a Red 12 model that Longines released a couple of years ago, inspired by a historical piece from a similar period. Not everyone is into Red 12s nor does everyone wish for a chronograph, so for those who are fans of that particular period’s style of case and ‘look’ but didn’t want the red 12, this new release may tick your vintage-modern boxes.

The choice of a strap colour to match the fill colour of the hands really does make a big difference. Had they chosen a dark brown or even a black strap the effect would not have been as warm as it is. I know that I sometimes might go on a bit about a strap, but I’ve found that a strap change can make a huge difference, and witnessed people who have been converted to a replica watch by a simple colour change. This strap works.

As the name indicates, this is an update of a model from 1918. The case shape, lugs, white-lacquered dial, hands and numerals may reflect the original, especially with the honeyed tones of the ‘faux vintage’ colouring which is also tonally reflected in the alligator strap colour, but Longines have added their usual update of a date function (and on this note I might add that I had the opportunity to meet CEO Mr. Von Kanel and asked him why they keep on adding a date to Heritage Collection reissues – his answer was because people ask for it) as well as putting in an automatic movement (L615/ ETA 2895/2) and increasing the size to models that are 38.5mm and 41mm stainless steel.

 

The Australian RRPs are $2,200 and $2,300 respectively for the different sizes.

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For those who like diamonds on their replica watches, there is also a diamond bezel version of the 38.5mm size featuring sixty diamonds totalling 1 carat.

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Calendar Watch Dress Watch Glashütte Replica Hands-on

The Glashütte Original PanoGraph Hands On

The Panograph is descended from a somewhat more complicated replica watch that appeared during a complicated time: the PanoRetroGraph. The PanoRetroGraph was originally introduced 16 years ago, in 2000, only a year after A. Lange & Söhne debuted its in-house flyback chronograph, the Datograph. Both replica watches were unprecedented in a lot of respects – really new chronograph movements are very rarely developed even today, and for two to come out within a year of each other, from a small town in Germany, from two manufacturers within shouting distance of each other, was something very few of us at the time had seen coming.replique de montre

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Glashütte Original Panograph in rose gold.

While the Datograph was, and is, a hand-wound, column-wheel, lateral-clutch flyback chronograph, the PanoRetroGraph was something even more complex: a hand-wound, column-wheel-controlled, 30-minute countdown counter with a chime, struck on a cathedral gong, to indicate the end of the timing interval, as well as a flyback chronograph.

Given the proximity of Glashütte Original to Lange you could wonder if there hadn’t been some peeking over the fence from one brand to the other to see what was going on, but given the length of time it takes to develop a chronograph movement, and the significant technical differences between the Datograph and the PanoRetroGraph, more or less parallel, but independent, development seems the likeliest scenario. As Sherlock Holmes says, “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the case.”

The original PanoRetroGraph and its movement, the GO caliber 60, was made in a limited series of only 150 pieces, in platinum, and even today, there isn’t really another replica watch out there quite like it.  ]The year that the PanoRetroGraph came out also coincided with the acquisition of Glashütte Original by the Swatch Group, where the company remains today.

The PanoRetroGraph did lead to the production of a less complex but still unconventional chronograph: the PanoGraph, with the hand-wound, column-wheel, lateral-clutch flyback chrono movement, caliber 61.

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It’s not an especially big replica watch – 40 mm x 13.7 mm – but it wears and feels bigger, partly due to the generally very solid build quality, and partly due to certain aspects of the design, like the relatively narrow bezel and the generous amount of white space.

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There are two things to discuss when it comes to the dial: the overall composition and choice of design elements, and the quality of the dial work itself. Qualitatively, the PanoGraph is impeccable; everything from the hands, to the applied markers, to the beveling on the date window, quality of printing, and so on, shows every sign of a lot of very serious attention to detail. From a design perspective, the PanoGraph’s a little harder to figure out.

There’s a tendency, for whatever reason, to expect a German-made (and especially Glashütte-made) wristwatch, to give an overall impression of solidity and focus on build quality and mechanical integrity. There are other approaches to replica watchmaking to be found in Glashütte, of course (the vibe you get from a NOMOS, for instance, is obviously much more contemporary and overtly design focused) but when it comes to fulfilling an admittedly somewhat stereotyped idea of German replica watchmaking in general, and Glashütte replica watchmaking in particular, the PanoGraph fills the bill nicely.

The sub-seconds dial and tail on the seconds hand give the replica watch a slightly archaic feel and at first, this seems slightly at odds with the sector for the chronograph seconds, but over the course of a week of wear, it started to seem much more natural to me than it did at first glance. If I had to pick one element of the design that seems challenging, at least the first few times I wore the replica watch, it would probably be the fact that the composition, plus the big date, seemed irresistibly reminiscent of A. Lange & Söhne. Ultimately, though, by the time the week was over I’d stopped seeing the Lange 1 in the back of my mind, so to speak, when I looked at the PanoGraph, and it had started to assume an identity of its own.

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I’m not sure how much the feeling that this particular design can seem derivative of the Lange 1 is really inherent to the design, and how much of it stems at least somewhat from the fact that you know both brands are from Glashütte – I suspect it has a lot to do with it. In any case, for me, the design of the GO PanoGraph is sufficiently its own thing that by the end of the review period, I saw the PanoGraph as a PanoGraph, and not as something derivative of anything else.

In terms of operation, it’s good news all the way around.  In addition to being a very legible replica watch, thanks to the high polish of the dial furniture and the textured dial finish, the chronograph operation’s very smooth as well, with crisp but not rough pusher feel for start, stop and reset – there’s a clean break at the detent, which is not so stiff as to be unpleasant nor so soft in feel as to make for an uncertain transition.

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The nice thing about wearing a replica watch like the GO PanoGraph for a Week On The Wrist is that you have something pretty exciting to look at when it’s off the wrist. Caliber 61-03 gives you a great viewing experience, and there’s a full suite of finishes, including Glashütte stripes, straight-grained and black polished steel, nicely beveled edges on both plates and bridges, blued steel screws and jewels in screwed-down chatons, and so on.

Between the pragmatically luxurious look of the movement (if something can be called pragmatically luxurious) and the very structured, highly detailed dial, this very much left me with the impression of a replica watch that’s more formal than not. Given its size and complexity, it is certainly not a replica watch suitable for formal wear, and it seems clearly designed to make a very overt impression, but there’s no doubt you feel, if you’re in jeans and a polo shirt, and you’re wearing the PanoGraph, that the replica watch might be a little better dressed than you.

Interestingly, GO uses perlage on some visible elements of the mainplate; this finishing technique is more often confined to areas under other elements of a movement, or to the dial side (bottom plate). Here, they actually give an interesting, somewhat industrial contrast to the other, more overtly luxurious finishes, and once you strap the replica watch on, you get exactly that secret sense of satisfaction you should that there’s more to what’s on your wrist than meets the eye. I’d only wish for a few really sharp inner angles, the better to counteract the slightly industrial feel of the perlage.

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There are replica watches that you forget you’re wearing, more or less, unless you look at them, and it’s not just a matter of price; a Patek Calatrava and a Seiko 5 can both manage the same vanishing act though in other respects, they couldn’t be more different replica watches. Wearing a PanoGraph is a bit like wearing a bow tie or driving a carefully battered vintage Rolls-Royce to the grocery store to pick up a carton of milk – you’re deliberately looking to create an effect, while at the same time deliberately saying you’re the sort of fellow who does things for his own reason and doesn’t care all that much about other people’s opinions.This is a replica watch to wear because you like complexity, prefer making style choices of your own instead of following rules, and don’t mind rising to the occasion.

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The Glashütte Original PanoGraph: movement, GO caliber 61-03, 32.2 mm x 7.2 mm, column wheel, lateral clutch chronograph with seconds and 30 minute counter; large date. 28,800 vph, 42-hour power reserve. Case, 40 mm x 13.7 mm, 18k red gold. $34,600, as shown. See it at Glashütte Original online.

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Calendar Watch Hands-on Men Watch Sinn Replica

Take A Look At SINN 910 Anniversary SplitChronograph

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For those who may not know a splits-second function has two chronograph hands that both start in alignment when the chronograph function is actuated. Then another pusher, which in the case of this replica watch is at 8 o’clock, is depressed to stop one of the hands as as the second continues to advance. Pressing the pusher a second time makes the ‘stopped’ hand jump to the position of the moving hand, and they continue in unison.repliques montres

So what is the anniversary to which the name alludes? Well it’s Sinn’s 55th birthday. Both the limitation number (x/300) and ‘1961 – 2016’ are engraved on the case back.

Although I acknowledge that it is (pardon the double negative) not an inexpensive chronograph, it is nonetheless a good looking one.

Sinn have used the ever reliable Valjoux 7750 with a La Joux Perret mod to create a ratchet colunn wheel chrono with split seconds function. The chronograph actuation is very smooth.

Back to the cream dial. In keeping with their ‘vintage look’ approach for this replica watch they’ve gone for black applied indices and a classic use of red for counter hands and on the tachymeter.

At Baselworld 2016 Sinn, a favourite German ‘tool replica watch’ brand of many, came out with a number of new releases including one or two rather dressy pieces as well as a camo dial that is probably something you will love or not (I don’t), but the clear winner for me was the limited edition 910 Anniversary Split Chronograph, and so I shall talk about it first.

Their first split chronograph, the dial is not perhaps ‘groundbreaking’ in its design, but you don’t always need something adventurous, and the rather pure old school classic chronograph look of this one, with its creamy dial, is just spot on and attractive.

Size wise it is a 41.5mm stainless steel case and comes with both a bracelet and a shell cordovan strap. My vote goes to the strap. Also included in the kit are a strap replacement tool, spring bars, a loupe, and a polishing cloth.

 

The RRP is 5,500 EUR and in Australia, AUD 7,863.64 ex. GST and AUD 8,650.00 incl. GST from Define Replica Watches in Brisbane.

Categories
Calendar Watch Cartier Replica Hands-on Swiss Replica

Reviewing The CARTIER road tosuccess

So we’ve decided to have a bit of a cushion case week this week. Meet the new cushion-cased Drive de Cartier collection, which was launched at SIHH 2016 with three inaugural models (plus one colour variant of one).orologi replica omega

 

The three models that have been launched are the entry level model utilising the Calibre 1904-PS MC with the time, small seconds and a date window, the Calibre 1904-FU MC which has a day/ night indicator, second time zone indicator, date and small seconds, and at the pointy end of the collection, a flying tourbillon with the Calibre 9452 MC.

The dials of all of them are quintessentially Cartier, with their Roman numerals, guilloché dial and blue sapphire winding crown. With these first models the new cases are available in pink gold or stainless steel, and come with black, grey or white dials.

 

I don’t yet have the Australian prices but as a general indication, USD prices are $6,250 for the stainless steel time only model, $19,300 for time only in 18K rose gold, $8,750 for the time zone model, and $89,500 for the Flying Tourbillon.

The new Cartier Drive comes with its own hashtags and a request by Cartier to “Share your drive with @Cartier on social: #DrivedeCartier #WhatsYourDrive”.

Secondly we have the model with he retrograde second time zone, day/ night indicator and large date. It uses the in-house Calibre 1904-FU MC, created in 2014 and launched in a Rotonde case. As I noted at the time, that the functions are all operated by a single crown will be appealing to many, and for those who prefer their cases in non-round shapes, you may find this more appealing than the Rotonde version.

The base model first. Inside the 40.00mm x 41.00mm case is the automatic in-house Calibre 1904-PS MC movement that was launched in 2010 and most notably, made its inaugural appearance in the highly successful Calibre de Cartier collection. With a 48-hour power reserve, this is now a solidly road tested movement and one of Cartier’s ‘backbone’ movements of today.

Lastly we come to the Drive de Cartier Flying Tourbillon replica watch, in which resides the manual wind Calibre 9452 MC. If you seem to recall Horologium writing about a Cartier Flying Tourbillon not so long ago you are not mistaken. It was in the form of a diamond bedecked Clé, 2015’s new case shape from Cartier. This one is obviously a bit more versatile to wear, not to mention a good deal cheaper, than that version.

If you look at the link above, you will see that the large date, retrograde and small seconds are no longer ‘eating into’ the numerals – they have now done away with the half numbers. To my mind it looks a lot cleaner and better this way.

 

So, bearing in mind my comment from the earlier post about the positioning of that other cushion-shaped replica watch, what do you think?

The Cartier Drive collection will be available from May 2016. Keep an eye out at your local Cartier boutique/ authorised dealer or at this link for updates.