Getting a chance to check out  and review this watch for a while was really a dream come true. I recall when I wrote about it a while ago here when it was first announced. I knew then that I really wanted to wear one. The full limited edition of the Louis Moinet Jules Verne Instrument watches is finally out, and Louis Moinet  even has created the artistic steampunk Vernoscope set that comes with four special pieces. My opinion is that Jules Verne style watches are going to be a big part of Louis Moinet's future, and it all starts here.

So what is the Jules Vernes Instrument watch? A vintage sci-fi relic? A luxury steampunk creation? Or just a cool watch influenced by the father of sci-fi? All of the above really. I want to say early that there are two versions of the watch from a complication standpoint. These are the Jules Verne Instrument # 1 and the Jules Verne Instrument # 2. If you don't know what you are looking for in the watch, it can honestly be a bit of a pain to tell the difference between the two. Each of them have modified Valjoux 7750 automatic movements with a special module on them. The Instrument # 1 has a module that has a GMT hand at the subdial at 9 o'clock, while the Instrument # 2 has a rattrapante (split second chronograph) built onto the 12 hour chronograph that is already part of the Valjoux 7750. Both versions have upgraded date functions. What is the upgrade? Well basically you can adjust the date either forward or backwards. Plus, operating the small date hand on the dial located at 3 o'clock is buttery smooth. Really, it is a joy to adjust the date. I never thought I would say that with that particular function, but it is true. The company that makes the special modules does so for a few brands, but movements like this are hard to find.

Louis Moinet chose the Valjoux 7750 movement for its durability, reliability, and to be honest , value. While the Louis Moinet Jules Verne Instrument watches aren't cheap, they could have been much more expensive. What I love about the choice of using a work-horse movement with a module, is that you get the best of a few worlds. The functions added by the modules in the movements are well integrated, perform nicely, and feel durable. These are important factors to me. As you can see, this is the Instrument # 2, which means that it has a split second chronograph. Here is how it works. You start the chronograph as normal. At any point, you press the pusher located at 10 o'clock and a little hand underneath the chronograph seconds hand stops. You can then start or stop it whenever you like and be able to measure a separate 60 seconds total, while the standard 12 hour chronograph is still running. It basically gives you the ability to time a shorter measurement without having to stop the main chronograph. It is pretty useful in certain situations. Likewise, with the Instrument # 1, having an adjustable GMT hour hand is useful for having a second timezone, or as an AM/PM indicator. Going back to the movement for a moment, you can see it through the sapphire caseback window on the back of the watch. It uses some blued screws, perlage polish, and a specially engraved rotor for decoration. Overall, with a movement such as this at this price level, I am satisfied.

The functions of the watch are laid out nicely, and I like the design of the applied gold ring or semi rings in the dial. The dial itself comes in silver or black, and I hear is a pain in the ass to engrave. Louis Moinet had to located the right supplier that could do the signature "Louis Moinet sunburst" design on the dial (and automatic rotor). It looks really good, and I am glad that Louis Moinet went to the effort of finding someone who could do it. The hands are all really thin and mean to look like Jules Verne era industrial gauges. The thin arrow hour and minute hands appear clear as day in some lighting situations, and blend in with the face in other situations. This is a quirk with the dial that makes it less that legible in certain lighting situations, but it still always look so good. From an artistic standpoint the dial is beautiful. Though like the issue with the hands, there are some other readability problems. The dial has no lume, and the small gold dots on the minute scale look like that are supposed to be hour indicators, but actually aren't. They are placed between the hours. The minute indicators double as hour indicators. This can be a bit confusing to the eye sometimes. What really does help legibility is the properly sized hands in terms of length, and the dial is still very useful given all that is going on. Even with these quirks, the dial provides so much visual pleasure (not to mention compliments) that it is hard to resist wearing it often.

I am really in love with the watch case. It is big at about 46.5mm wide with a case that has several different materials in it. Most of the case is brushed grade 5 titanium. Then it has 18k rose gold, as well as some polished steel. One of the first things you notice about the case is the fold out chronograph pushers. There really isn't much to say about them, they fold out, work just as described, and fold back in securely. I love the intricately designed large crown. It has steel and gold in it, and an engraved fleur de lys Louis Moinet logo in it. The bezel is also very nicely done in steel with that 18k rose gold ring and trim. Finish on the case is very nice, and it overall is a great look that fits well thanks to its gentle curvature.

You can further appreciate the lugless approach that the design takes. The alligator strap is connected underneath, making for a seamless look. Opposite the crown is a curious element of the design. There is a little porthole made with more detail that you might expect. Underneath that sapphire crystal window is a flat cut piece of gray stone. I admit that this element of the watch could have been designed a bit better (so that the rock in there looks more like a piece of rock rather than part of the case), but you can't deny that what it is makes you want one of these watches. The stone in there is a piece of the moon. Real moon rock, and not even harvested from the moon. We actually have more moon rock that we got from the moon than this type of stone. This is a piece of the moon that feel from the moon to the earth. How did it do that you ask? Well it wasn't easy. Basically, what had to happen at some point was a meteorite needed to slam into the moon, hitting it so hard that a piece breaks off and goes into space. That moon rock projectile needs to fly toward the earth, and hit the earth after surviving the fall into the atmosphere the breaks up most meteorites. After all that, this rocks needs to survive the elements and be found by someone. Of course, it goes without saying that such a stone isn't cheap, and not exactly easy to come by. Ultra rare, and you can have a little piece of one right on your wrist in this watch. It is all very fitting as the watch is a direct homage to Jules Verne's "From the Earth to the Moon." Gimmicky? A bit. But darn it the gimmick works on me like honey to a bear. I love the idea, and it makes me feel awesome to show it off to people. Needless to say it usually result in an impressed person asking "who makes that? It is really cool."

All the titanium in the watch makes it lighter than it would be if it was all steel or gold. So it isn't that heavy, and it is pretty comfy to wear. The alligator strap is done in an interesting way. It is actually coated with vulcanized rubber. That way it is more durable, but has the signature reptile look to it. Also, it has a neat technical flavor that goes with the watch itself. It is connected below with a largish folding butterfly clasp. The deployment clasp has a good looking design, and secures perfectly, but seems to look a bit like it is going to open up. It doesn't at all, but something about the design could be refined a bit to give it a more compact look. Just another quirk the watch has, but honestly these quirks help give it character, and I don't think they will bar people otherwise interesting in the pieces from getting one.

It feels as though I should provide some literary summation points for this watch. Especially given how much of a cool fantasy piece it is. Jules Verne was called crazy in his day, and then years later it turns out he was mostly correct in his methods about how we actually did most of the things he dreamed up. Sure, there aren't "Mysterious Islands" with giant crabs living on them, but we did travel to the moon in a rocket similar to what he imagined, and we did travel to the depth of the oceans in a submersible vessel similar to his drawings. So what does that say about the watch? Perhaps it is a testament to big dreamers. One who imagines how things might be, and predicts how we might accomplish them. The steampunk look of the watch signals the beginning of modern science and engineering as we know it. In that sense it is almost a historical throw-back. However you see the watch, it is a looker and a real emotionally charged work of art. I love the thing.

Each of the Louis Moinet Jules Verne Instrument watches is available with either a black or silver dial and limited to 60 pieces. That means there are 240 of the limited edition watches available. I also hear that there are a few blue and Havana (tobacco brown) dials available in even more limited editions. Prices for the watch at about $18,900 each - and pretty darn worth it if you have the means and the dreams.

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Back a few years ago when the money flowed like wine - the luxury watch world was known to take generous, deep sips from the pool. It was a gold age of new ideas, brands and designs. A promising brand that might not reach the next decade is DeWitt. I've always liked the majority of their designs, and found their philosophy intriguing. This is one of their coolest models in my opinion. A neat looking perpetual calendar watch with a GMT hand. Sure, it is an expensive watch, but it is a relic from an era - communicating the exuberance of an era, which hearkening back to the roaring 20s with its art deco look.

The 43mm case came in two variants (matched to a black or white textured dial). The cases either had white or rose gold, mixed with black ceramic and polished titanium. I've checked out these pieces before, and they are nicely made with really bold designs. I love the quasi-checkered bezels iconic to the brand.

The five symmetrical subdials are beautifully arranged with straight forward functions all for the perpetual calendar. These include dials for the date, month, day of the week, leap year indicator, and synchronized 24 hour hand (acts like an AM/PM indicator). You then have the unique looking moon phase indicator. The plate over the moon phase disc is made out of silicium and has a copy of an actual galaxy applied to it. This lush blue always looked so nice using mother of pearl (that has been cut in half) as the moon pieces. The moon phase indicator is set against a segment of the dial that has a "starry" backdrop. This is done with goldfluss - and looks quite cool.

Inside the watch is actually and automatic movement. Aside from the perpetual calendar functions and the time, the watch has an easy to read GMT hand in red. You don't see too many watches with these features that really highlight the GMT complication. The movement is the DeWitt DW7021. Few will argue that the watch is pretty. Can you see yourself wearing a piece like this? Hard to say. I could probably pull it out off, but people might think me the ambassador from the planet luxicon. Price for the DeWitt Academia Quantieme Perpetual Nebula GMT watch was close to $100,000 when it was introduced a few years ago. One is available here on James List, and if you are interested I highly recommend working to negotiate a good price of 30-40% off.

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Corum just sent me shout-out on this new Tourbillon watch that will be released a few days at Basel 2010. Thus, there will be at least two new tourbillon watches from Corum this year - this Ti-Bridge Tourbillon, and the Admiral's Cup Minute Repeater Tourbillon. While I have really only noticed that "Corum key" logo on the Admiral's Cup models, now it shows up on this new Ti-Bridge, as the top of the cage over what appears to be a flying tourbillon. I must admit that it looks pretty cool. The in-house made movement is very thin in the standard horizontal fashion of the timepiece line. The movement should be made of mostly titanium, and looks to have double barrels (for at least 50-60 hours of power reserve), and of course is manually wound.

Like all Ti-Bridge watches the case is going to be beautifully finished. It is really a piece of art and feels so smooth in the hands. You can see all the different forms of titanium in various polishes. The dial looks like it is a screen being framed by the case. A nice "Corum" logo is engraved into bridge on the movement - I like the slightly restyled logo. Looks pretty sharp next to the key emblem.

It is hard to convey just how cool a design the Corum Ti-Bridge watches are. They are fashioney watches, but nice ones at that. What I mean is that they aren't function first designs. You have the hands on the dial but no scales for them. This is a watch that is all about how it looks on the wrist and the beauty of the very small movement.

Corum is being intentionally scant about the details. Not sure about the dimensions or price, or other special features. But here is the sneak peek and the goodness that is coming up. I look forward to checking it out in a few days.

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For the last few years Seiko has not only been impressing me with their sport watches, but also their more formal offerings. The recently (over the last few years) revamped Premier collection has a number of attractive looking pieces for both men and women. The watches have a smooth gracefulness to the case design, along with a very modern size. I fear that most "classy" watches out there are still too small for my tastes, but this timepiece is an exception.

At 43mm wide, the size feels very proper given the style of the watch. Last year the big release in the Premier watch collection was the Moon Phase Direct Drive that I discussed here. I loved the amount of complications that it injected into the design as well as the inclusion of the Kinetic Direct Drive movement. This model before you is in rose gold-toned steel, offering a less complex dial, and a more affordable price.

The movement is a Seiko Kinetic Perpetual Auto Relay. The quartz movement has an "accumulator" like a battery, and a battery that is charged via a rotor in the back of the watch and also has a special system that lets the watch "sleep" for up to four years. It is an interesting hybrid between mechanical and electronic. You don't need to change the battery in the movement like normal quartz watches (though the watch might need servicing eventually, like most any watch). The Auto Relay system will activate once the watch is inactive for 24 hours. I presume this means that the rotor in the watch does not turn. While in sleep mode the watch hands will cease to move, but the watch will still keep track of the time and date. It can do this for up to four years on a full charge. The moment the watch is picked up and moved again, the Auto Relay system will automatically move all the hands in the right position again. How cool is that? Talk about power efficiency. It is a very logical complication to place into such a movement.

Inside the watch is the Seiko Caliber 7D56 movement (which is available in some other nicer Seiko watches as well). You already know it is a Kinetic and has Auto Relay, but it is also has a perpetual calendar complication. This provides that the watch always displays the accurate date, and will not need to be adjusted until the year 2100. Information on the dial includes the time (with central seconds hand), big-date (large sized date window that uses two discs and is located close to 12 o'clock), the month, a leap year indicator, and 24 hour hand (useful, among other things, for AM/PM indication).

The visible applied hour indicators are similar to the large polished ones used on the high-end Seiko Ananta watches, and look very nice next to the white on black Roman numerals. One of the more interesting design elements of the dial is thematically borrowed from the Audemars Piguet Millenary line of the watches. The Roman hour numerals on the bottom of the dial are large than those on the top. While in the opposite position, the applied gold-tone hour indicators are larger on the top and smaller on the bottom. This creates an oblong look to these rings within rings. Despite appearing a bit asymmetric, the dial is perfectly centered. Plus, you get a mixture of baton hour markers and Roman numeral hour markers.

The men's Seiko Premier case style has always appealed to me, and I like the rose gold mixed with black. It has always been a very substantial and proud look. I particularly like the design of the lugs. Fit and finish of the Seiko Premier watches is also very good, always feeling like a watch more expensive than they actually are. Naturally the crystal is sapphire, and the case has 100 meters of water resistance. The Seiko Premier Kinetic Perpetual watch is matched to a black crocodile skin textured embossed leather strap with a matching steel deployment clasp. The watch reference number is SNP036P1 and will retail for 980 euros in Europe (available in Japan, and some other parts of the world as well. Look these this new Seiko model soon.

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Like the new graphic? Finally you get something to look at each time I announce a new episode of the podcast. In the 17th installment of HourTime, we talk about the new Casio PAW 5000 (analog Pathfinder) watch, and go over styles of watch collecting, and tips on how to collect.

Listen to the HourTime show watch podcast episode 17 here.

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This is the newest celestial watch from Ulysse Nardin. Announced about a year ago, I wanted to wait until closer to when you might be able to get one before discussing it. I believe that it is the most polished and refined of their celestial watches yet - even though it is not the most ambitious in terms of the information it displays. You can read about at least two other Ulysse Nardin celestial information watches I discussed here, and here. A celestial watch in short is a timepiece that provides information about something happening off of Earth. This usually involves something about the placement of the sun, moon, or planets in the solar system. Once in a while you get other information that is related such as equinoxes and other such periods.

I've had trouble reading more celestial watches because A) I am not used to reading information like that, and B) because I am not an astronomer. The pictured Ulysse Nardin Moonstruck is different actually. It uses a friendly visual system to indicate to you what you are looking at. Right there in the middle of the watch is an image of Earth. Right away you get a good idea of what you are looking at, and that the indicators around it relate to the perspective you would have while being on Earth. As such, you have two main celestial indicators on the dial - the moon and the sun. As to the moon, it is a bit more complicated. It not only shows the relative position of the moon around the Earth, but the phase of the moon as well. Therefore, there is a small orb on the dial of the Moonstruck watch. It spins on its own axis revealing the phase of the moon, and it also spins on a disc around the large Earth disc in the middle of the dial. To combat the fact that a true moon phase cycle is actually 29.53124 days long (not the 29.5 days you typically see), Ulysse Nardin has instituted a gear system in to the watch so that you really only need to adjust the moonphase indicator on the Moonstruck watch each 120 years or so.

Now it gets really cool. Notice the disc that has the little sun image on it. This also revolves around the Earth on the watch. The position of the sun is actually placed properly so that you can imagine light shining from it to the moon. Thus the "lit" side of the moon orb will always face the sun disc. See what I mean? Thus, the moon orb on its disc is made to turn so that the lit section always faces the Earth and the sun is placed properly as it would be in relation to the Earth to show you how its light is lighting up the moon from our terrestrial perspective. Sorry if any of this is getting complicated. Study the images a bit and it will all be clear!

So the sun moves around the Earth each 24 hours, showing you the relative position of the sun around the Earth. Remember that the view of the globe is from its "top." Other functions on the watch include a GMT indicator disc (and hand) as well as a date hand (the date indicators are placed in gold on the blued bezel). Least we forget the hands for the actual time. For the hour and minute hands, they are bold and lume covered. The sapphire crystal has gold lines applied to it for each of the 12 hours so that telling the time is not that hard.

The GMT disc gets a little complex, because it moves as well. It does this to show the time around the globe, and can also be used in conjunction with the sun placement indicator disc. Part of Ulysse Nardin's in-house made and designed UN 106 automatic movement (inside the watch) is their special GMT + / - system that allows the GMT hand to move in either "direction" so that you don't need to go around in a full instance to get the  desired second time zone indication that you want. This is done via pushers on the side of the case. For a bit more about the creation of the movement and the people behind it, you can ready my colleague Elizabeth Doerr's discussion on World Tempus here. By the way, follow in Ulysse Nardin's tradition of upping the technical ante of its movements, the caliber UN 106 movement uses plenty of silicium (such as for the escapement and hairspring). This means such parts don't require lubricant.

There are other aspects to the Moonstruck watch's indications that I haven't quite gotten into. These include being able to determine things like the tides or seasonal data that understanding the position of the sun and moon in relation to the Earth can indicate. These aren't explicit functions of the watch, but the layout allows for you to determine this information with a little skill. If you want to invest in one of these limited edition watches, no doubt you'll study up on these things. By the way, the watch itself is 46mm wide and comes in a limited edition of 500 pieces in 18k red gold, and 500 pieces in platinum. The watch is fitted to a custom alligator strap with matching gold or platinum clasp. The Ulysse Nardin is undeniably a cool watch. It is also a very pretty watch. Wearing it will not lead you to looking like a rich nerd like some of the other luxury celestial watches. Price? Around 50,000 euros for the gold version.

See Ulysse Nardin watches on eBay here.

See Ulysse Nardin watches on Amazon here.

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

Best Match Time: ending soonest Time: newly listed Price: lowest first Price: highest first Price + Shipping: lowest first Price + Shipping: highest first

ULYSSE NARDIN BLUE WAVE LIMITED CHRONOMETR 18 ROSE GOLD    US $10,900.00

ULYSSE NARDIN CHRONOMETER SAN MARCO HOUR STRIKER, NO. 4    US $36,000.00

ULYSSE NARDIN Executive Dual Time 43mm Rubber Watch NIB    US $5,875.00

Ulysse Nardin GMT Big Date Executive Dual Time Leather    US $5,300.00

Gents 18ky Ulysse Nardin San Marco Gigante Watch 276-55    US $5,835.00

Gents Steel Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Ltd. Ed.    US $3,025.00

View Page:   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17

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Struck by the Moonstruck? Ulysse Nardin Moonstruck watch that is. I don't even know if I have published my article on the Moonstruck watch yet. I am shamelessly behind on publishing articles. I will get to the Moonstruck watch soon even though that is a model from last year. The El Toro is sort of a follow up model. It uses the same case and dimensions. Though the dial and complications are all different. Ulysse Nardin has created a pretty cool luxury watch here. It feels modern by not too strange. Very characteristic of the brand, though still novel. The El Toro watch features a GMT hand as well as a perpetual calendar - with w two digit year indicator. Comes in an gold or platinum case. For more information, prices, and my assessment of this piece, read my full article about the Ulysse Nardin El Toro watch at Haute Living here.

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

Best Match Time: ending soonest Time: newly listed Price: lowest first Price: highest first Price + Shipping: lowest first Price + Shipping: highest first

ULYSSE NARDIN BLUE WAVE LIMITED CHRONOMETR 18 ROSE GOLD    US $10,900.00

ULYSSE NARDIN CHRONOMETER SAN MARCO HOUR STRIKER, NO. 4    US $36,000.00

ULYSSE NARDIN Executive Dual Time 43mm Rubber Watch NIB    US $5,875.00

Ulysse Nardin GMT Big Date Executive Dual Time Leather    US $5,300.00

Gents 18ky Ulysse Nardin San Marco Gigante Watch 276-55    US $5,835.00

Gents Steel Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Ltd. Ed.    US $3,025.00

View Page:   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17

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Back in January, while in Geneva, I got to happily molest the entire collection of MB&F watches. Those lovely Horological Machines were willing participants, and I fondled them with care and admiration. I think the biggest question I got to answer for myself was "are these watches wearable?" Well, in short, the answer is yes - mostly. I should begin with explaining what the point of MB&F watches are as I understand it.

MB&F expresses that their mission is neither to make traditional practical watches or men's jewelry. Looking at their designs and listening to MB&F founder Max Busser (and his colleagues) and it is clear that these are luxury mechanical toys based on a lifetime's appreciate of sci-fi and men's fantasy pop culture. Spaceships, battles axes, robots, gadgets, and everything else in this mix are part of the timepieces' inspiration. The "HM" part of the model names that stands for "horological machine," that pretty much sums it up. These are machines that tell the time. They are worn as watches, and the real allure to them is the machine part of it. MB&F watches do some cool things, but are less about complex innovation in function, as they are about design innovations.

Take the newest HM2 model for example. The "SV" version that is. SV stands for sapphire vision. You can see a nice image of it in the flesh here. The entire front plate of the watch is made from an incredibly hard to make single piece of synthetic sapphire crystal.  What is the point of it other than to show that MB&F suppliers are willing to engage in highly time consuming acts to please the brand (actually it was a pain for them to find a supplier for this)? It is all about being able to see the mechanical innards of the automatic mechanical watch. Being able to appreciate what goes into the design and execution of the machine. MB&F isn't super concerned about traditional horological considerations such as rate results or things of that nature. Sure they want their pieces to tell the time reasonably well, but even good legibility isn't what they are thinking about. It just occurred to me that MB&F watch designers are in some ways the exact opposite of the Seiko watch engineers. Both talented, but with really different goals.

MB&F wants to take all type of pop culture fixtures that men have good associations with (well, not just men), and make watches that embody that spirit in way not previously attainable. Grew up watching Star Wars and always wanted a droid all your own? MB&F takes that designer robotic look and is somehow able to get it on your wrist in a totally non-geeky way. When I wrote about the HM3 a while ago here for example, I showed you how the face of the watch resembles a mechanical face. Others see it as a spaceship. However you see it, the same genre applies.

Each of the MB&F watches have eyes on the dial - I have a feeling most ever new MB&F watch will have a "face" of the the face. Even with the original HM1, you can see a pair of googly eyes. The HM1 is still the most expensive MB&F watch. It is the only tourbillon of the trio, and it has some very expensive sapphire bridges. That design looked crazy when it was revealed a few years ago. Today it almost looks tame by comparison to the HM2 and HM3.

Of course the exception is the very tasteful HM2.2 Alain Silberstein watch. That highly limited edition piece (also seen here) is meant to look a bit like an old fashioned camera box gone "watch." Alain Silberstein really was able to just do whatever he wanted with the piece, and I love the result. I understand that another special collaboration between MB&F and another design is on its way soon. This will involve the HM3 and will have some frog-like looks I am told.

In a short time I will get to check out the newest MB&F watch, the HM4. Rumors abound about its look, and MB&F is being predictably tight lipped about it. What I do know is that it will be quite spaceship inspired, again. It will be a well-hyped and much deserved high-profile piece. In fact the people behind MB&F are part of the horological "machine." Max Busser himself basically travels all the time. Meeting with collectors and retailers, he is the face and steam behind the brand - along with those that travel with him. What impresses me is the passion he inserts into the designs and the personal communication of the brand. He preaches his work better and with more energy in one year than most do over an entire career. I really admire that. So while yes, there is a lot of "image" behind MB&F watches, it is an image that they deserved.

Going back to my initial question of whether the watches are wearable. Physically they are. Not really as giant on the wrist as you think they are. I tired to give you good illustrations of that fact by wearing the watches myself. And to be seen in them? Well the good news is if you had to wear a crazy avant garde luxury timepiece, and MB&F would probably cut it so well it should be at or near the top of your list. MB&F is really a modern phenomenon, and I am happy to keep sharing their progress with you. Now which of their watches could you (most) see yourself wearing?

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Poor us who would love to wear this watch but cannot afford it (now or ever). A truly cool design that I think will appeal to a legion of watch lovers and traditionally non-watch lover's alike. The time is sold in a simple digital manner on four discs. Because there are four numerals (assume it said like 11:25 for the full four numbers). And this is why the brand is called 4N. I think it is sort of funny how brands come about with a plan of just selling one watch. Basically all future 4N watches can only have 4 numerals right? You see this type of one watch brand pretty often in the watch world. Once in a while the brand does well enough to make more models.

The model name of the watch is something a bit weird like 4N-MVT01/D01/42 - at least I think. I am just going to call it the 4N, just like I call the Cabestan Vertical Tourbillon Winch watch, the Cabestan watch. Inside the 4N watch is the MVT01 movement. Which is not a particularly clever way of indicating that it is their first movement. It is supposed to be in-house made to boot. The movement is manually wound and the hours and minutes are supposed to be jumping hours and minutes. I am actually surprised by this because the only such watch that I know to do this is the A. Lange & Sohne Lange Zeitwerk watch - which was really hard to make and took a really long time to properly engineer. It seems a bit hard to believe that 4N would get it right so quickly when Lange clearly isn't giving away and secrets.

To accomplish the jumping hours and minutes, the watch would need a sophisticated constant force escapement - which apparently it has. This allows for a steady surge of power from the movement to move the discs without effecting the rate of the movement. The term literally means "constant force" (uninterrupted) from the mainspring to the movement. More than likely 4N is still working out the kinks in the watch as I don't think it is commercially available yet.  The digital numerals are supposed to be very large. Something like 5.5mm wide each. Though I have a feeling that this has been scaled down a bit. A neat looking frame (applied to the back of the sapphire crystal) tells you exactly where to read the time. Functionally, the watch is supposed to be quite easy to use. There is a crown on the right side of the case and two pushers on the left side of the case. Those pushers are used to adjust the minutes or hours (each one advances either the minutes or hours by one increment with each push).

In almost a widescreen TV style case, the 4N watch will be available in 18k white gold, platinum, and likely two other materials. The movement is made up mostly of titanium, aluminum alloys, and carbon fiber. There is really no denying how cool it looks. The relatively simple shape of the case is augmented by the complex lug structures. A genius design move making the watch really feel special. It almost goes without saying that the watch is quite special.

François Quentin is the man behind the design and the brand. He is also well known for being one of the main guys behind Hautlence, as well as the designer of one of my favorite high-end fashion watches. That being the Louis Vuitton Tambour (especially the Diver). The 4N watch be available (at some point) in a limited edition of just 16 pieces of each model (not sure how many models). How much will this cool mechanical digital watch cost? Hard to predict. Though I would be surprised if it was a penny under $80,000, and could easily be several times that. I am waiting for a working version to get my hands on.

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