Technical specs from HYT:

• Movement: Mechanical hand-wound, exclusive HYT calibre, 28,800 vph, 4 Hz, 35 jewels, bridges hand-chamfered and adorned with Côtes de Genève, rhodiumed bellows, 65-hour power reserve

• Functions: Retrograde fluid hours, minutes, seconds

• Case: Titanium; diameter: 48.8 mm, thickness: 17.9 mm brushed, bead-blasted and satin-brushed finish, rubber-clad screw-lock crown, titanium crown guard, screw-locked added lugs, metal dome at 06:00

• Crystal: Cambered sapphire crystal with glareproofed interior, screw-down sapphire back 

• Dial: Unstructured, silver-toned opaline, fluid hours, luminescent hands and hour-markers regulator at 12:00, small seconds wheel at 09:30, power-reserve indicator at 02:30 

• Strap: Hand-sewn leather-lined canvas, pin buckle

• Other versions: Black DLC-coated titanium case, 5N 18K red gold case

For more information, visit HYT Watches

Finnish Watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva keeps outdoing himself! Check out the first glimpses of the 'Northern Stars' collection, a limited (only 10!) edition of watches including his (now iconic) trademark dimensional moonphase display. I asked Stepan to describe this bold new concept, "It is about the Northern Stars, what I see during the coldest moments of the (Finnish) winter when looking at the sky."




For more information about purchasing a Sarpaneva Northern Star watch, visit the Sarpaneva website www.sarpanevawatches.com - or if you are attending Baselworld like us, be sure to stop by Stepan's booth (Booth C01 in Hall 5.1 together with Kari Voutilainen, Grönefeld, Romain Gauthier, Kees Engelbart, Urban Jurgensen) and see these Moon-men in person before anyone else in the world!

And on another note, check out this just released short film for the Sarpaneva 'Moonshine' collection! Very cool...

Seeing a sneak peek of this prototype at Baselworld had my eyes pop out quite similarly to the Frog's bulbous displays. Originally based upon the HM3 Sidewinder & Starcruiser released last year, this alternative version features innovative domes for hours and minutes.

MB&F is the only "haute" brand I know that doesn't take themselves too seriously. They build fascinating machines blending humor and style. Sure it's an exclusive club to belong to but the inspiration is free.

MB&F will only craft 32 Frog movements this year: a limited edition of 12 pieces in black titanium (with green gold rotor) and 20 pieces of a non-limited titanium version (with blue gold rotor).

Haute horlogerie is (usually) a very restrained and serious business; however one of Maximilian Büsser main goals in creating MB&F was to bring a child's sense of awe and sense of playfulness into high-end watchmaking. There is no doubting that with the HM3 Frog, MB&F have certainly achieved that aim . . . and more! The protruding eyes of the (amphibian) frog enable it to see in many directions without having to turn its head. The bulbous domes of the HM3 Frog have the opposite, but no less important, feature of enabling the time to be easily seen from many angles without having to turn the wrist. The Frog differs substantially from HM3 in that it is the aluminum domes that rotate under the sapphire crystals in the Frog, whereas it is the hour and minute hands that rotate around their respective stationary cones on HM3.

Rotating domes of this size and shape posed MB&F with a number of technical challenges. The hour and minute domes are machined from solid aluminium - chosen for its optimal strength to weight ratio. The domes weigh in at just over 0.5g. They are milled first from the outside and then the inside to arrive at a paper-thin wall thickness of just 0.28 mm, which reduces their energy requirements to an absolute minimum.

Even the fabrication of the semi-spherical sapphire crystal domes was incredibly demanding and only recently even possible at all. This is due to the fact that any slight imperfection in the sapphire might introduce a disconcerting magnification effect. The sapphire has to be shaped and polished to be perfectly uniform.

The Frog's unusual method of indicating time necessitated the development of a new gear train for the HM3 engine. This was because the aluminum hour dome of the Frog rotates in 12 hours compared to the 24 hour revolution of the HM3 hour hand. And as the oversized date wheel is driven from the hours, the gearing driving the date had to be reworked as well.

The Frog may portray the time in a playful manner, but there is nothing but serious and meticulous attention to detail and care regarding the fine hand-finishing of the high-tuned engine purring within its lightweight high-tech titanium case. A close inspection of the case is rewarded with carefully thought out detailing including a figure 8 engraved around the domes that mirrors the form of the display back(revealing dual ceramic bearings); distinctive clover-head white gold screws; and an engraved arrow discreetly indicating the easy to read over-sized date.

If the viewer's gaze manages to break away from the obiculate indications, it is likely to be arrested by the brightly-coloured 22K gold battle-axe winding rotor or the intricacies of the thoroughbred movement beneath.
The HM3 Frog is available in Grade 5 titanium with blued rotor or a limited edition of 12 featuring mark-resistant black-coated titanium with green rotor.

HM3 Frog – Technical Specifications
Horological Machine No3 Frog

Movement:
Three-dimensional horological engine designed by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht/Agenhor;
Girard-Perregaux oscillator and gear
Balance oscillating at 28,800 bph.
22K blued rose gold battle-axe shaped ‘mystery’ automatic winding rotor
Hour and minutes information transmitted via ceramic ball bearings to rotating domes.
Number of jewels: 36 (all functional)
Number of components: 304

Functions:
Hour and day/night indicator on one dome (aluminium dome rotating in 12 hours)
Minutes on second dome (aluminium dome rotating in 60 minutes)
Date around the movement

Case:
Grade 5 titanium/blue 22K gold rotor; limited edition of 12 black titanium/green 22K gold (black treated with mark-resistant silicon oxide)
Screwed-down crown
Dimensions (exclusive of crown and lugs): 47mm x 50mm x 16mm
Number of case components: 53

Sapphire crystals:
Domes and both display backs with anti-reflective treatment on both faces.
Domes for indications: in aluminium, 0.58g

Dials:
Rotating aluminium domes, stationary hands

Strap & Buckle:
Black hand-stitched alligator with 18K white gold & titanium custom designed deployment buckle


Visit MB&F Website

All MB&F Stories

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"One of the horological highlights of Baselworld has to be the incredible rebellion T-1000 featuring 1000 hour power reserve, 6 mainspring barrels, two tiny chains, a double hairspring, titanium case and aluminum chassis."

Special thanks to Ian Skellern of UNDERTHEDIAL for his images and descriptions.


The force require to wind the T-1000 is very light and there is a tactile clicking ratchet sound as the lever is moved up and down.

On both sides of the T-1000 movement, a tiny chain distributes power between 3 barrels.



REBELLION T-1000

With a mind-blowing power reserve of more than 1,000 hours - that's more than 40 days - the T-1OOO doesn't simply push back the boundaries of the possible, it destroys them and creates its own reality.

Baselworld, March 2010 – After the successful presentation in January of The Predator, their first watch with a round case, Rebellion launched themselves into the creation of a never-before-realized challenge: creating a watch with a power reserve of more than 1,000 hours!

The T-1OOO – birth of a challenge
It was in June 2008, after the famous 24 hours of Le Mans car race, in an atmosphere rich with the smell of motor oil and hot engines, that the team at Rebellion thought, "If we can transform these fine-tuned racing thoroughbreds into 24-hour long distance endurance racers, why not do the same with a watch? Why not see just how long the power reserve could be?"
Sporting a body of pure design
The body of the T-1OOO was designed in a collaboration of Eric Giroud and Rebellion. The case was developed concurrently with the movement to ensure completely harmonious integration. There is a sensation of flying as the viewer gazes down through the massive opening to the vertical roller-borne time indications below. Attention then plunges towards 6 o'clock, where the inclined double balance releases the immense power at a precisely controlled rate. A window in the side of the case reveals one of the mainspring barrels, with markers providing a natural "Fuel Gauge" of the state of the power reserve.

Controlling the power
Housed three on each side of the body are the six mainspring barrels providing T-1OOO with its colossal energy reserve. The over-sized winding lever endows the T-1OOO with a strong and virile identity as well as an ergonomically tactile pleasure while "filling the tank". The streamlined downward taper of the case from the centre to 6 o'clock furnishes further evidence of Rebellion's car racing pedigree. A pedigree reinforced by the fact that a patented time-setting clutch activated by a push button in the crown makes setting the time as simple (and as pleasurable) as changing gears. The three rounded structures each side of the case provide a hint to the complex engineering within, while the innovative architecture of the majestic case is in perfect tune with the demand for exceptional contemporary horology.
A true racing machine
The power reserve of more than 1,000 hours is possible thanks to the six mainspring barrels that provide the T-1OOO with its exceptional capacity. In a patented system of energy distribution, six barrels are wound in parallel via a central prop shaft driving two chains, but they discharge in series (2 x 3) to optimize a regular power supply to the regulator. The technical ability behind the realization of this elegant technical solution came directly from Rebellion's long experience in endurance car racing and the Rebellion Racing team.

T-1OOO - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Limited edition: 100 pieces
• Calibre: REB T-1000, manual winding with integrated winding lever
• Jewels: 14 ceramic & 22 rubies
• Balance: double hairspring inclined at 39°
• Winding system: Patented system of six mainsprings wound in parallel by chain and prop shaft.
• The barrels discharge power in series to provide an optimal torque curve.
• Indications: hours and minutes displayed on rollers
• Power reserve: 1'000+ hours provided by six (2 x 3) vertical mainspring barrels
• Number of components: 693 for the chassis
• Balance frequency: 18'000 bph (2.5Hz)
• Material: case in titanium and chassis in aluminium
• Dimensions: 46,7 mm X 46,9 mm / 19,5 mm
• Crown: time-setting mechanism using patented push-button clutch system
• Water resistance: 50 metres
• Strap: black alligator leather
• Buckle: patented folding clasp with micrometric push button regulation allowing easy adjustment of length on the wrist.

Rebellion Timepieces Website


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In July 2010 MB&F will unveil its most radical Machine to date: The HM4 - Horological Machine No4 - "Thunderbolt".

As this image of the Engine of "Thunderbolt" reveals, Horological Machine No4 will feature a calibre that is a complete departure from any watch movement known today.

Max just forwarded me these early images of the movement and mentioned:

"I think people will start finally understanding why we call our movements “engines”.

I wanted to present the Engine alone so that all attention can be given to this amazing piece of machinery/horology. The whole idea of MB&F being about creating “kinetic art which gives time”, this HM4 engine symbolizes pretty well our creative philosophy."

Visit MB&F website

MB&F (Maximilian Busser & Friends) was founded in 2005 by Maximilian Busser, former Managing Director of Harry Winston Rare Time Pieces and creator of the revolutionary Opus series. By harnessing the power of the Friends, dedicated collectives of the top independent artisans and watchmakers in Switzerland, MB&F creates contemporary time-telling mechanical sculptures. Each MB&F Horological Machine represents the best of the best in the world of watches. By giving full credit to the all star team creating each Machine, the pieces become a showpiece for the most cutting edge designs, the best finishing, the integration of new technologies, in all the highest quality possible.






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An interesting new concept watch from new brand 4N is being developed by François Quentin, one of the co-founders of the very cool independent watch brand HAUTLENCE.

4N was born from the desire to create a simple digital display and propose a mechanical alternative to analogue timepieces with moving hands. The name of the brand is derived from "4 Numbers", which refers to the four digits on a digital counter which represent the tens of hours, hours, tens of minutes and minutes. For more, visit the official 4N website.

Limited edition of 16 in 18-carat white gold and 16 in platinum

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I'm looking forward to seeing this in person at Baselworld in a few weeks!

"Thomas had a problem:
How to make the visibility of the tourbillon even better than his present watches.
The solution:
Just tuck everything except the tourbillon out of the way."

-Watchprosite

"A vision. That is normally the beginning of a time sculpture manufactured by Thomas Prescher. Guided by the idea to improve the perfect visibility of the central elements of his multi Axis Tourbillon Thomas Prescher composed a new breathtaking piece of art.

Only time, Tourbillon, calendar and oscillating weight are visible. The movement is completely hidden.

Place to hide the movement was found left and right in the case, hidden by the bezel. Because the space is very limited the parts of the movement had to be located on both sides.

Later, resting in a hammock the idea was born to create an automatic movement with horizontal swinging oscillating weight. To crown this exceptional piece of art, it was a logical decision to choose something special for the heart of this watch. The escapement with its beating balance has to be a flying Double Axis Tourbillon with constant force.

The idea to add a calendar to this creation came while observing some people entering a giant swing. They could move on the surface of the swing. Why not create an oscillating weight with integrated calendar indications and let the gravity take the calendar on the oscillating weight remains always horizontal.

Respecting the aspects of harmony was an important point. Two crowns were used to keep the beauty of symmetry with. One crown is used for winding and the other for setting time and calendar. Both crowns build the main symmetry axis. Now it was necessary to build the optical balance between the oscillating weight on one side and the indication of time on the other side. For that reason a three dimensional moon was placed between the two barrels, indicating the hours and minutes.
Finally, placed on a turning axis, held by a carrying arm the carriage is rotating around itself. These two synchronized motions create a gyro scoping image immediately taking full attention.


Photos by Watchprosite
Visit PuristPro for more details or watchmaker Thomas Prescher Haute Horlogerie website


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