Categories
A. Lange & Söhne Replica

HANDS-ON : A replica custom Lang Heyne FriedrichIII

LangHeyne4

For admirers of German replica watchmaking the brands that most commonly seem to first spring to mind are A.Lange & Söhne if we’re talking luxury, and names such as Glashütte Original, Sinn, Stowa and Nomos to name but a few, when covering other points on the spectrum. One brand that is very much still under the radar, which on one level I can understand but another, not, is the small independent brand Lang & Heyne.

Situated in Saxony, Lang & Heyne is small and resolutely committed to a particular aesthetic and replica watchmaking style that is self-evident in their pieces and which would have not have looked out of place a century or more ago, especially in the pocket replica watches that inspire them.. Even the names that they choose for their models, those of Saxonian rulers, are in tune with this very classical and perhaps to some, old-fashioned philosophy.

So who are Lang & Heyne? Well the ‘Lang’ is Marco Lang, a fifth generation replica watchmaker whose father Rolf has a histroy as head restorer in the Mathematics and Physics Cabinet (Mathematisch Physikalischer Salon) collection and as an instructor at A. Lange & Söhne amongst other things.

Marco Lang started off his cheap replica watchmaking career in Glashütte before working on pendulum clocks for seven years and then returning to Dresden, where he started a business restoring replica watches. It was Rolf Lang who introduced his son to Mirko Heyne, his first apprentice at Lange.

Thus Lang & Heyne was born, with Marco Lang’s restoration business shutting shop in 2003. Mirko Heyne long ago left the brand he co-founded (and ended up at Nomos, but I do not know whether he is still there, so if you have an update to this please leave a comment), but Marco Lang is still very much there, and the classical replica watchmaking vision remains in this very small company that only produces perhaps three or four dozen replica watches a year.

In 2013 he released the Friedrich III, which was essentially the same as the steel Friedrich II but with a roman numeral black dial. If you look at his website you will notice a rather distinctive centre lug to his models, but replica watches can be specially ordered without the center lug. Today’s replica watch started off as a Friedrich III but with the addition of various customised features such as a special order fired enamel dial with customised layout and double lugs.

So what are the core features of the Friedrich III? Well it is 40mm, and this replica watch is a lot thinner than I had expected. For some reason I was anticipating a replica watch with a very strong wrist presence, when it actual fact it is fairly slim, light, and very much as the ‘dress replica watch’ vibe on the wrist.

The enamel dial on this piece is white (which may at first glance make it look like the Johann model) unlike the standard black and silver dial of the Friedrich III, with beautiful elongated Roman numerals and polished blued cathedral hands. The blued minute numerals are also custom to this piee.

Inside is the manual wind Calibre VI (18,000 VPH) with its Breguet spring and swan neck regulator. Power reserve is forty-eight hours. As is the case with the dial and lugs, Marco Lang can do customisation of the movement in terms of engraving.

Lang & Heynes truly are one of those brands that you have to make a concerted effort to seek out in terms of having a hands-on experience. They don’t exactly have a large worldwide network of authorised dealers and I doubt that their small annual production would be able to cope with more than the dozen odd they have worldwide (of which nine are in Germany/ Switzerland/ Italy). I made one failed attempt to see some of their pieces at The Lavish Attic in Hong Kong, so it was good to be able to look at this piece at leisure.

So what did I think? Lang & Heyne are a brand which has been on my radar for a couple of years because their aesthetics appeal to me, but due to lack of ‘in the metal’ experience, they have been in the background. Being able to handle one increased my admiration for them – this is a beautiful looking replica watch that radiates quality and craftsmanship, and from all reports, the ordering process was professional, friendly, and smooth.

Watch people often like to muse about a ‘one replica watch’. What this ‘one replica watch’ would be, for those of us who are fortunate to own more than one and struggle to work out what we’d choose if we had to get rid of all but one, is going to be very much dependant on budget, lifestyle, and personal preferences, but if you are looking for the ‘one replica watch’ that is a versatile dress replica watch and pretty much guaranteed to still look fresh in a few decades, you could do a lot worse than looking at a Lang & Heyne.

Categories
Swiss Replica

REPLICA KARI VOUTILAINEN : Vingt-8 GMT 6 with blue guillochédial

KariGMTGuilloche2

To meet him, Kari Voutilainen is a very modest man. Low key, much like his much-heralded replica watches, which hold a special place amongst collectors, especially those who are patrons and supporters of independent replica watchmakers.

His workshop does not make many stylish replica watches, with production numbers reputed to be 40-50 pieces a year. There is no mistaking a Voutilainen replica watch, with their distinctive attributes of the case/ tear-drop lugs and of course his interpretation of Breguet hands.

There are a number of owners of Voutilainen replica watches in Australia, but today’s post isn’t about one of the pieces owned by my friends, it is about the 39mm sized Vingt-8 GMT 6 with with blue guilloché dial that I had the opportunity to see when I crossed paths with Kari Voutilainen earlier this year.

The GMT-6 has a movement that derives from the Vingt-8 model, but also featuring a GMT indicator at 6 o’clock. This function is realised via a rotating disc (revolving once every twenty-four hours) that shows a second time-zone and a day/ night indicator, and activated by depressing the crown; one press advances it by one hour. The new calibre has more than seventy new components when compared to the Vingt-8 movement and is not a module but an entirely new calibre.

The movement uses a direct impulse escapement with two escapement wheels, which give direct impulse to the free sprung balance beating at 18,000VPH. Power reserve is 65 hours.

The finish of the in-house movement is worth noting; the bridges with their frosting, hand-chamfered edges and hand polished screws balance wheel…it is very clean, with that renowned Voutilainen finishing.

The Vingt-8 GMT has had various dials and decorations, including engine-turned and engraved, to cite two examples. This one is blue engine-turned guilloché. For those who don’t know, guilloché is a decorative technique in which a very precise, intricate and repetitive pattern is mechanically engraved via engine turning through the use of something called a rose engine lathe. If you ever have the good fortune to attend one of the major replica watch fairs, you may see someone demonstrating a rose engine lathe in one of the booths.

One of the advantages of buying an independent replica watch such as this is the capacity for customisation, so if the dials you see on his website for this GMT aren’t exactly what you are looking for, you can always ask if some tweaks might be possible.

Oh, and you might also be able to pick your new replica watch up from KariVoutilainen himself.

Categories
Swiss Replica

A look at some ‘jump hour’ replica watches

VCJumpHour5

Inspired by conversations online with English replica watch and clock collector AlanL and Sydney enthusiast Danny, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at a Jaeger-LeCoultre SIHH 2013 novelties dinner (about which I will cover in a separate post), this post is to share with you some examples, ranging from the cheap and cheerful to the haute horology, of luxury replica watches that use ‘direct read’ and ‘jump hour’ methods of time display.

The term ‘jump hour’ is actually quite specific in definition, referring exactly to that, an hour indicator that jumps from one hour to the next, but popular horological nomenclature seems to also include, as ‘jump hours’, those replica watches where the hour slides (on a rotating disc) rather than jumps, so to be inclusive, I shall include some of these ‘direct’ read’ pieces as well.

I have a particular fondness for this type of time display. This post is not intended to be a representative example of these types of replica watches, nor am I going to go into the technical details about each piece. They are here simply to be shared, enjoyed, and for those of you who haven’t ever considered replica watches with time displayed via anything other than hands, to perhaps provide you with some inspiration for your next purchase.

As I have a particular fondness for these replica watches, some of them are my own. Others belong to friends, and there are a few which I have featured in previous posts.

We start off in the 1970s, a rich period for inexpensive and simply designed direct read replica watches, many of which looked similar to this Lucerne model.

Also from the 1970s, from a brand known more for its ‘Cricket Replica Watch’, is this unusual specimen.

The pair in this next photo are from different periods, and I’ve previously written about them here. They are, from left to right, the MB&F HM5 with its bi-directional jumping hours with inverted indications, and the popular-in-niche-1970s-jump-hour-circles Amida Digitrend that inspired the HM5.

HM5w

The source of many beautiful jump hours during its history, this one is from the maison of Vacheron Constantin and one of my favourite jump hours. It is incredibly elegant and contains the renowned calibre 1120. Although directly inspired by a 1929 pocket replica watch, if you look at examples of Vacheron’s 19th century jump hour pocket replica watches, you can see the lineage of this 1994 replica watch.

This next replica watch is another one of my favourite jump hour replica watches (one of my favourite replica watches in general), and one that I can’t get enough of. I am fortunate to know someone with one, and it is every bit as drop dead gorgeous ‘in the metal’ as it is in photos.

Goldpfeil, which some of you, like myself, may know more as a leather goods brand, had a very interesting collaboration with independent replica watchmakers called the ‘Seven Masters’ collection, of which this was a part. This Vianney Halter jump hour moon phase is one of the two Goldpfeils on my ‘dream list’. The hour is indicated by the large number, the minutes and seconds on the large dial, and the moonphase indicator in the circle. Winding the crown forwards advances the time; winding it backwards adjusts the moon phase hand. The case is polished, satin brushed, matte and the small hammered marks which, it is rumoured, were all hand-hammered by Vianney Halter himself.

Gerald Genta has been a brand that has enjoyed using jump hour displays in a playful way, such as in this trio of examples.

One of the famous Genta Mickey Mouse models.

The next direct read is Montblanc’s Nicholas Rieussec Rising Hours, a SIHH 2013 launch about which I have previously written here.

NicolasRieussec5

To end with is something modern, cheap, and cheerful. This direct read originally came on a white rubber strap, but I think the orange FOSSIL NATO is a more interesting combination.

If you ever find yourself in Geneva and visiting the Patek Philippe Museum, look out for the collection of old Vacheron Constantin jump pocket replica watches there. They really are a joy to behold.

Categories
Swiss Replica

HANDS-ON : Kari Voutilainen’sVingt-8 replica watch

Vingt8d

Horologium has a particular fondness for independent replica watchmaking and today we bring another example, courtesy of a local collector who kindly brought his new toy along when we met for a coffee.

Kari Voutilainen, born in 1962, is a Finnish replica watchmaker residing in Môtiers, Switzerland. After having started at the renowned Finnish replica watchmaking school Tapiola, which his countryman Stepan Sarpaneva also attended, he went to Switzerland for WOSTEP (to which he would later return as a teacher) and eventually, started his own independent replica watchmaking business in 2002.

Admirers of his replica watches speak most about modern classicism, technical beauty and finishing. The Voutilainen Vingt-8 with which I spent some time was introduced in 2011, and seen as a successor to the very popular Observatoire.

The in-house movement of the Vingt-8 was designed, built, fabricated, finished and assembled in its entirety in the Voutilainen workshop. Measuring 30mm x 5.60mm it features a main plate and bridges made from German silver, and wheels of rose gold. However, neither the silver nor gold are treated.

The Vingt-8 movement utilises a direct impulse escapement designed by Voutilainen that requires less energy and has a power reserve of fifty hours, the technical aspects of which you can read more here on his website. The movement is, of course, hand finished. In looking at it with a loupe through the caseback it is evident from a close look that this is a handmade and finished piece.

The luxury replica watch case is handmade from strips of gold with an interesting point of difference. The edges are higher than the centre for practical reasons – in thinking about how replica watches are worn, the design takes into account that most of the wear and tear happens on the side, where the replica watch is likely to be placed (e.g. replica watch photos?), and through polishing. The extra metal is allowance for this loss.

Each dial is engine-turned for two days, resulting in a surface with three different textures. Each hand takes a day to craft. These are replica watches for which you have to wait for about a year, and this is one of the reasons why. Every Vingt-8 is made to order, meaning that there is the opportunity to customise as well as select dial colours and surfaces. The owner of this piece spent a number of months corresponding with Kari Voutilainen about colour and dial (finishing) choices, as well as one small personal ‘mark’ that you will not notice.

The Vingt-8 looks similar to the Observatoire, including the tear drop lugs. Its owner does not own ‘safe queens’; every replica watch (and he is a keen supporter of independent replica watchmakers) takes its turn as a ‘daily wearer’. This one, he reports, has been very comfortable to wear, sitting low and the tear drop lugs neatly, over his wrist. He has also found it a very versatile replica watch, able to be worn both with work day wear and more casually on weekends. One of the aspects about it that he’s loved the most is that it is discreet. It is distinctive and recognisable to ‘watchnerds’ but otherwise slips under the radar.

The owner also had the privilege and joy of picking it up not only in person from Kari Voutilainen but at the workshop. As I have mentioned before, one of the perks of ‘going independent’ is the very personal relationship you can develop with your replica watch and its makers, especially for replica watches where there is an amount of personalisation available, as in this case.

The Vingt-8 is available in red gold, white gold and platinum. If you are interested, contact Kari Voutilainen via his website.

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

HANDS-ON Greubel Forsey’sGMT Replica Watch

GFGMT1

Earlier this year when I was in London I visited Marcus Replica Watches, a replica watchnerd ‘destination’ London boutique on Bond St that carries many brands but in particular, is known for being the supporter of a number of ‘independents’. In the decade of its existence it has grown into a powerhouse and destination for many visiting replica watch enthusiasts.

I had visited them on my last trip to London a couple of years ago but this time I had Liam as my host. He not only took me on a tour of the boutique but very graciously showed me more replica watches than I could absorb in one sitting, including some rare pieces. This post is about the first replica watch I saw, the Greubel Forsey GMT in white gold.

This was only the second time that I’d handled Greubel Forsey pieces and as ever, the finishing on them is one of the things that really stands out for me. The GMT, which I’d seen in photos, is actually even more striking ‘in the metal’. The rotating globe is hard to properly capture in a photo not for any dimensional reason but because it is difficult to capture a proper ‘sense’ of it. Its colour and its sheer physicality are bold but it still manages to maintain a feeling of delicacy.

You can get a more complete view of the globe through a window at the side of the case. It makes a complete (anti-clockwise) rotation every twenty-four hours.

Although of a decent thickness (16.14mm) for obvious reasons, the case itself is only 43.50mm. Nonetheless, because of its thickness, it does sit with a marked presence on the wrist, as is the case with all Greubel Forsey pieces.

The GMT in this post is white gold (it also comes in 5N red gold). It has an asymmetrical convex synthetic sapphire crystal, along with a transparent case back of the same through which you can see the hand-wound Greubel Forsey Calibre GF05 with 72 hour power reserve and patented tourbillon. The movement is 9.80mm thick and has 443 parts. The mainplates are nickel silver, as are the bridges. The tourbillon has 87 parts, inclined at a 25 degree angle and 24-second rotation. The tourbillon cage has titanium cage bridges and a gold counterweight.

Functionally, the GMT has a second time zone indicator at 10 o’clock and a 24 time zone world time display. The rotating glove is titanium with a Universal Time display. There is also a Summer time indicator and day/ night indicator. The dominant hour and minute dial is in frosted gold with anthracite treatment. The hour-ring is also white gold, the hour and minute hands in polished gold with Super-Luminova. Similarly, the smaller sub dials are also in gold, as is the GMT indicator, but the small seconds and power-reserve hands are in blued-steel. The second time zone indicator is a red triangle, to the top left of the dial.

Turning over the GMT reveals the a ‘worldtime’ disc bearing the names of 24 cities. Aligning the relevant city with the local hour on the outer chapter ring – or inner ring for cities with summer time – sets the dial-side globe in the correct position. I didn’t get a good photo of the case back, so here’s a stock photo of it in lieu.

This is a replica watch that is every bit as beautiful ‘in the metal’ as it is in photos, but as I mentioned above, it is also one that is difficult to capture the ‘spirit’ of in photos. Greubel Forsey’s GMT is not for the faint of wrist (or for that matter, of wallet), but should the opportunity arise to be able look at it, as it did with me during my visit to Marcus, take it.

Categories
Swiss Replica

Replica Devon Works’ Tread1 Hands On

Bulletproof electro-mechanical American belts and motors powered by a lithium battery that is rechargeable via a magnetic-induction dock. What else but the Devon Tread 1? Announced in 2010, it arrived in Australia last year, but I had not managed to see it until recently.

As is now well known, time is illustrated on the Devon Tread via the use of belts (the eponymous treads) and read through windows placed over the belts.

Incredibly large but surprisingly ‘light’ given its size and presence, its stainless steel case is 53.3mm by 47mm and 19mm thick, the crystal is polycarbonate (hence the bullet-proof comments, as it is the same material used for bullet-proof glass).

Part gadget and part replica watch, inside the Tread 1 is quartz based assortment of microstep motors, belts, and a processor, which controls the functions and all the motors. The belts are driven by four tiny motors, which are co-ordinated by an on board microprocessor. The ‘crown’ at the bottom of the replica watch is more akin to a on/ off button. Just for good measure, the window is made of a bulletproof polycarbonate.

This film supplied by Devon shows its operation; as time passes, a motorised tread moves. As mentioned, the replica watch is powered by a lithium polymer battery. It has an approximately two week power life, and is recharged by placing the replica watch on top of a magnetic induction charger. Naturally, its somewhat of an energy guzzler, but the Tread 1 does include a quiet ‘off’ mode. When it is in this energy saving mode, the replica watch stops showing the time and goes silent. It is still ‘telling’ the time, but it doesn’t show it until you reactivate the replica watch.

This is a replica watch meant to attract attention, and it certainly does that. Placed in its own section of the retailer’s window, it was impossible to miss and on the wrist, impossible to ignore.

There are four iterations of Devon Works’ Tread 1, called A – F. Stainless steel with different treatment (polished, brushed, DLC) and since its release, a Tread 2 has also come out.

The brand is named for its founder and creative majordomo Scott Devon, and not for any Australian link. If you want to see this replica watch ‘in the metal’, and it is worth taking a look at, there is one here in Sydney at Vendome Wollahra’s CBD boutique. It is definitely a niche timepiece, and not just because of its size and distinctiveness, but regardless of whether it’s your type of timekeeping tea or not, you have to admire its design and technical inventiveness.

[Thanks go to MsBrownMouse for the wristshot for this post]

Categories
MBF Replica

Replica MBF Machine Madness

One of the really special parts of the cheap replica watch world are the independent brands. Although they may not be as widely known in Australia as they should be, they have definitely had a profile here, largely through the active online presence of many Australian replica watch enthusiasts, some of whom also own ‘Indies’.

One of the most well independents is Max Busser’s M&F. It is difficult to open a replica watch magazine or go to a replica watch related blog or website without reading about a Horological or Legacy Machine. This is a brand with some serious fans. I had never had an opportunity to see them ‘in the metal’, so it was with great pleasure and excitement that I accepted an invitation from The Hour Glass in Sydney, who have just become MB&F’s newest authorised dealer, to spend some time with Max Busser and his replica watches.

I shall write more about meeting Max later; this first post is to give you a glimpse of six MB&F replica watches, and to share my thoughts about seeing them for the first time. With such unconventional designs, an important question will always be about wearability, so this will be my main focus.

These are the MB&F Machines with which I spent an interesting and glorious late afternoon interlude. The technical specifications of them can be found at MB&F’s website here :

Firstly, we have a family photo.

How much MB&F fun can one person have?

HM01 in White Gold and Ruthenium

Dimensions: length 41mm, width 64mm, height 14mm

With 376 parts, 7-day power reserve and an elevated central tourbillon, the Machine that started it all, the HM1, is a big replica watch. Max said to me that he designs all his replica watches for his wrist, they are intended to be worn. I am not sure how my wrist compares to the average female wrist, even with the glove on, but I don’t have a petite wrist, not a particularly large one.

It sits large but reasonably comfortably and not too highly, which is good, but it’s probably designed to be worn a bit higher up the wrist area than I have it in this photo. It’s fun, and probably the most conservative, in retrospect, of all of MB&F’s creations to date.

HM02 in Black Ceramic and Red Gold – Ltd edition of 33

Dimensions (exclusive of crown and lugs): 59mm x 38mm x 13mm

There are 450 parts in this Machine, with instantaneous jumping hour, concentric retrograde minutes, retrograde date, bi-hemisphere moonphase.

This is, I believe, is the final one of these available for sale at any AD, so if you want to take a look at it, get in quick. Differently proportioned to the HM1, it is more sleek, more steampunk, but still long in terms of wrist real estate. It’s very striking contrast of colour and texture, and I am particularly taken with the ‘matte-ness’ of ceramic component.

HM03 Sidewinder in White Gold and Titanium

Dimensions (exclusive of crown and lugs): 47mm x 50mm x 16mm

This is one half of a famous duo. The ‘Sidewinder’ has the cones lined perpendicular to the arm, and ‘Starcruiser’ has the cones in line with the arm. With hour and day/ night indicator on one cone, minutes on the second cone and date around the movement, this Machine is all about being able to see inside it. When it came out, everyone seemed to be debating whether they preferred the Sidewinder or Starcruiser, but I’d just been thinking about how big they looked.

As it turns out yes they are large, but they actually not only sit pretty comfortably, including on a woman’s wrist (see photo), but they do not look as large as you’d think. I was much more taken with this than I had anticipated I would be. It had quite a different impact on me ‘in the metal’, the whimsy shone through in a way that is not possible when you’re just looking at photos.

(thank you to my wrist model, whose wrist is a bit smaller than mine)

HM04 Thunderbolt in Titanium

Dimensions: 54mm wide x 52mm long x 24mm high

With 311 parts, this aviation-inspired Horological Machine features hours and minutes (right dial) and a power reserve indicator (left dial) with separate crowns for time setting and winding.

When seen in real life, the impact (not to mention the replica watch) is definitely high, and it was only in being able to see it that the talk about it having its genesis in Max Büsser’s childhood passion for model plane kits made sense. This is a replica watch you want to take off and play around with.

It’s a very visceral replica watch, the HM4, and sweetly plane-nerdy.

It’s great fun to play with, but of all the MB&F Machines I saw, this was the only one that was difficult for me personally to contemplate, though I’ve seen a photo of it on a friend’s (male) wrist and it looked fine. It carries a bit more heft and sits a lot higher than I had expected that it would, but it also seemed to be heavier than the others.

Legacy Machine no 1 – red gold and white gold

Ah my domed beauties …. I never thought I’d have the pleasure of your company.

“What would have happened if I had been born in 1867 instead of 1967? In the early 1900s the first wristwatches appear and I would want to create three-dimensional machines for the wrist, but there are no Grendizers, Star Wars or fighter jets for my inspiration. But I do have pocket replica watches, the Eiffel Tower and Jules Verne, so what might my 1911 machine look like? It has to be round and it has to be three-dimensional: Legacy Machine N°1 was my answer.” Maximilian Büsser

Appearing to be the most ‘conservative’ of MB&F’s machine creations, it is in fact not conservative at all, with a wonderful marriage of splendid classicism with a edge of an almost industrial modernity.

At a comfortably (and almost small) 44mm with a unique vertical power reserve of 45 hours, it features completely independent dual time zones displayed on two dials. The left crown at 8 o’clock is for setting the time on the left dial, the right crown at 4 o’clock is for setting time of right dial and for winding.

Available in 18k red gold or 18k white gold, my heart belongs to the white gold version. The red gold version bears the warmth associated with that metal, but the clean sharp sleekness of the white gold seems more modern.

Oh and I’m clearly not alone in being enamoured of the LM1 – there is a worldwide waiting list already …

Many thanks to Ching and The Hour Glass for the opportunity to see these replica watches. As well as being a lot of fun, it made me realise that Max was right when he said that he designed them to be wearable – they actually are.

Oh and just in case you’re wondering about the sizing issue, some 20 odd percent of MB&F owners are women.