Replicas de Relojes suizos, las mejores replicas de relojes

Hands-On With The Richard Mille Bonbon Collection RM 07-03 Cupcake, RM 07-03 Marshmallow, And RM 16-01 Fraise Watches

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It might sound creepy and all, but I sometimes wish I were a fly on the wall. Like when the idea for the Richard Mille Bonbon Collection was first raised and presented at the brand’s HQ, or when fellow exhibiting brands at SIHH saw Richard Mille’s swan song at its last SIHH this year. In other words, the Richard Mille RM 07-03 Cupcake, Richard Mille RM 07-03 Marshmallow, and Richard Mille RM 16-01 Fraise are basically destined, and perhaps programmed, to upset people — even though I am sure we would all agree to a watch industry in which such cheeky creativity is the be-all and end-all.

I don’t know. Maybe you think you do, but in reality, you cannot know for sure, either. What I mean is that I still don’t know if the Bonbon Collection is meant as a practical (and ridiculously expensive) joke, or if it is a genuine product created after careful consideration of market research and a deep understanding of a dedicated customer base. It would be tempting to go for the practical joke aspect, especially since Richard Mille is among that handful of brands that could actually pull off such a bonkers move. Just look at that wilfully wonky “SWISS MADE” text in a place where nobody asked for it or the actual cupcake-shaped crown, both on a $130,000 watch.

Or just look at this diabetes-inducing dial, with lollipops and other types of sweets I don’t even know the names of, all crafted by hand and laid over an elaborately machined, high-tech titanium movement that few in the luxury watch industry could even describe how to make — let alone actually make it. For the record, Richard Mille has been relying on Manufacture Vaucher’s expertise for its less complex automatic movements and on APR&P for its complicated calibers. The bipolarity between a child’s dream-diet and ultra-high-end watchmaking is enforced by those thick hands, which are so shockingly massive and elaborate they could give a seasoned hand-manufacturer sleepless nights over the prospect of a wasted life.

Forcing the prospect of an elaborate joke aside, could this be a product that has come to be after Richard Mille has taken a good look at the ultra-high-end luxury accessories market, its current trends and hot-sellers, as well as the heartfelt wishes of its established customer base? Maybe all it wanted to do is design a funky, colorful, and cheerful watch that would cater exactly to them? Ariel said it best when he referred to these as jewelry items in our hands-on video from when we saw the Richard Mille Bonbon collection at SIHH 2019.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe luxury jewelry, in general, not only gets a pass for being this playful and creative but is also by and large encouraged to be exactly that. By contrast, according to some, creativity in watchmaking should be limited to shaping the plates in a hand-wound chronograph movement a bit differently… Maybe a red chronograph seconds hand is acceptable.

This has set the foundations of an environment that is often hostile and extremely critical of watches of arguably weird and unusual bursts of creativity. As such, over the years we have seen hot-selling brands get severely criticized by those so insistent on a, ahem, more traditional taste. Some historic brands, as well as quick-to-the-top ones, had been motivated by their success to release increasingly bolder new watches that they thought their brands were strong enough to take. Franck Muller and Audemars Piguet immediately come to mind with different versions of their own mistakes — and having suffered for them big time. The difference between them and Richard Mille is that, apparently, the Richard Mille brand is robust enough to bear such a cheeky twist on its core designs — though it is notable that RM has left the famed RM-11 well clear of this adventure.

Just look at where the world’s leading high-end fashion houses are taking women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories and you will see how basically none of the established ultra-high-end watch brands are offering anything that would even loosely fit into the world of bold proportions and crazy colors dictated by fashion companies and followed with immediate effect the world over.

In line with the painful absence of actually trendy women’s watches, I have trouble imagining these pieces spending too long on the shelves. As far as women’s watches are concerned, none of the established brands come close to such borderline ridiculous levels of creativity. These days, Cartier and Bulgari are playing it too much within the confinements of their own DNA, while Patek Philippe and Jaeger-LeCoultre are limited to mixing neatly executed craft with vaguely emotional inspirations, mostly cheesy stuff such as the fish of the seas, or the aurora borealis. The world’s fashion-conscious rich simply can’t fit those into their daily rotation of expensive clothing — and so those watches, with very few exceptions, only really pass muster within the dimension of horology but don’t make enough of an impact outside. Sad, but true. Richard Mille goes all the way, into and through the wall, and gives its peers what they apparently want/need these days.

These being Richard Mille watches, they are of course chock full of high-tech and also highly refined details. Countless layers of variable thickness of Carbon TPT make up the bi-color cases of the Fruits collection, while TZP Ceramic is used to create the creamy-soft cases of the Sweets collection. To make the dials, a total of 3,000 hand-painted and hand-lacquered miniature sculptures were made and a new “sugar coating” effect was developed using powdered enamel and the fine sand from hourglasses — apparently. It’s old-school artisanship wrapped inside Carbon TPT.

So, why should we watch lovers care about this weird collection of outrageously expensive candy watches? Because they shock us into remembering that haute horlogerie and delicate crafts need not only be used to create derivative watches that somehow, I suspect, get a pass and these won’t. But something is telling me that the small workshop that made the 3,000 colorful dial components had a field day meeting this challenge, as opposed to painting the gazillionth cheesy enamel image onto a round dial. Just guessing.

To answer the original question, I think the solution is that the Richard Mille Bonbon Collection is a mix of both: It is a practical joke crafted after carefully gauging the number of established and tentative Richard Mille customers who have their black Centurions erect and ready for a swipe to be part of an elaborate joke like this. It’s horological entertainment performed at unrivaled levels of quality in execution, topped off with the showoff power of the Richard Mille name. Give me a reason why that wouldn’t work.

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 007 James Bond On Her Majesty’s Secret Service Watch

Fresh off the press is a new Omega Seamaster dedicated to James Bond, Agent 007. The latest Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 007 James Bond On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is presented for the 50th anniversary of the sixth movie in the James Bond Series. Whether you are a fan of that specific movie, James Bond, or “just” the Seamaster, this reference 210.22.42.20.01.004 is packed with interesting details that you’ll want to know about, so let us discover them now.

Omega has been the official watch of James Bond ever since 1995, beginning with GoldenEye — that’s a solid run of 25 years and 8 feature films. Still, Omega reaching back to pre-Omega days of the franchise is a fascinating choice, given that pre-1995 James Bond was mostly known as a Rolex man. Perhaps Omega wants the world to see them marking James Bond — all of it — their territory now, and given that 25-year track record, that isn’t quite so much of an over-reach as it might at first appear.

That quarter of a century marked not only 8 movies, but a fair number of special edition commercially available Seamaster watches dedicated to its role alongside James Bond. As such, by now Omega has this practice nailed down and knows exactly how many 007-derived details to pour into its limited editions, balancing between neither making the watches gimmicky, nor leaving them uninteresting for fans of 007 and 007-themed Omega watches.

Consequently, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 007 James Bond On Her Majesty’s Secret Service offers six notable details to have fans reaching for their wallets in excitement. First, and perhaps most apparently, there is the dial itself: crafted from spiral-brushed black ceramic (not lacquered brass, but solid ceramic), it features James Bond’s iconic gun barrel design, laser engraved into the ceramic. The very center of the spiral is in fact exactly 9mm wide, hinting at the size of the common cartridge used in pistols… Even though, apparently, Bond in the movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service used a Walther PPK with a .32 ACP cartridge that actually means a slightly smaller diameter of 7.65mm. To Omega’s credit, the Walther PPK has indeed also been manufactured with a 9mm caliber and Bond has used plenty of 9mm guns later on, so if you are a fan of the more modern Bond, this detail is for you. Plus, it has to be said that the dial does look more proportionate with the slightly wider, 9mm center that they opted for.

Then, at the 12 o’clock position we have a special index inspired by the Bond family coat-of-arms. All indices and hands are crafted from 18kt yellow gold, a fitting choice of material for a 50th anniversary, and are filled with Super-LumiNova with the color-coordinated green minute hand and bezel pip. The rest of the indications show up in bright blue in the dark.

Take a closer look at night and the third feature, “a secret signature” reveals itself: at the 10 o’clock (50-minute) marker, the lume reveals “50,” as another tribute to the 50th anniversary of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. There is a pattern here: the black-on-black gun barrel pattern, the minute detailing of the 12 o’clock marker, and “50” showing up in just one of the indices add up to a neat balancing act between Bond-specific details and everyday wearability.

Fourth, we are looking at a special detail on the date disc, something that will make 007 fans look forward to the 7th of the month that much more: number 7 is painted in the trademark 007 font. Speaking of which, as the fifth feature we are looking at a numbered plate set into the left side of the 42mm wide stainless steel case: an 18kt yellow gold plate, engraved with the unique limited edition number — no “one of 7’007” nonsense here, they are all individually numbered. Once again, Omega is yielding a double edged sword with these limited editions: some customers expect a certain level of exclusivity, but not too much exclusivity otherwise they themselves won’t be able to get their hands on it. So, yes, 7,007 watches is a lot for a limited edition — but not a lot for a global base of Seamaster and James Bond fans.

As the sixth detail comes the caseback. Omega has not supplied caseback images with the release but we were able to secure one from their brief product launch video. The transparent caseback reveals the Omega Master Co-Axial Calibre 8800, an in-house caliber with Master Chronometer certification, 55 hours of power reserve and an in-house tested daily rate between 0 and +5 seconds. Over the neatly decorated movement rests the Bond family crest noting “Orbis Non Sufficit” — i.e. the world is not enough. Rings a bell? It should.

One additional feature of this limited edition Omega Seamaster is its special presentation case that adds the stainless steel bracelet along with the rubber strap, along with a strap changing tool and a travel pouch with the Bond family crest on it. This may be one step too far for some, but truth be told, I’d find no hardship in rocking a Bond-style watch pouch.

To close on a personal note that hopefully you will be able to relate to, I will say that while I’m certainly not the biggest James Bond fan in the world (I just thoroughly enjoy the series), I’d still be very tempted to get this particular Seamaster over the regular one, simply for its exciting, fun, yet elegantly done details which I’d expect to find entertaining down the road. We don’t often see gun barrel patterned ceramic dials on watches, nor coats of arms in indices, and that’s not because they aren’t cool, but because you need a theme to be able to add these to an already successful watch collection. With the James Bond Seamaster, Omega has those bases well and truly covered.

Ocean Crawler Core Diver Watch Reissued In Four Colors

Following on from last year’s sell-out release of the Ocean Crawler Core Diver watch, the brand is back again with a second limited-edition version. This new model, which features several refinements from the original design, will be available in four colors from August 23rd, 2019.

In 2018, Ocean Crawler debuted the Core Diver watch in a run of 500 units. This year’s reissue will see the same number of watches hit the shelves, with each striking colorway strictly limited to 125 units each.

The Core Diver watch has been designed to be the ultimate diving companion. Every single watch has been wet tested to ensure it can withstand depths of up to 2000 feet. When designing the Ocean Crawler Core Diver, the brand considered the needs of water sports enthusiasts, especially those who partake in scuba diving, spearfishing, and ocean-bed exploration, to ensure the watch was not just attractive, but also a functional tool that could withstand the rigors of underwater activity.

Material choices are particularly important for watches that are intended to be subjected to such a challenging environment. As such, Ocean Crawler opted to use a sapphire insert in the unidirectional timing bezel to complement the main sapphire lens, which has been treated with an anti-reflective coating.

Through the 4mm thick sapphire lens, a high contrast display greets the eye. There is a choice of either a blue or gray sun-ray dial. Both boast applied hour markers that have been filled with seven layers of Swiss C3 Lume, which is also applied to the 120-click bezel and the hands. The importance of low-light legibility cannot be overstated, as it is critically important for a diver to be able to read the time that has passed since submersion, no matter the conditions.

For peace of mind, the Ocean Crawler Core Diver is powered by the reliable, self-winding Sellita Sw-200 movement. With an operating frequency of 28,800vph, which equates to 8 ticks per second, the SW-200 is regarded as an industry stalwart and is a popular choice for many sports and adventure watches due to its excellent resistance to shock and time-keeping accuracy when under duress.

Each of the 500 units produced by Ocean Crawler this time around will be individually numbered between 1 and 500. All watches will be made from 316L stainless steel, with the option of either black or blue DLC coatings (on both the case and the shark mesh bracelet). The case measures 44mm across (excluding crown), 50mm lug-to-lug, 15.6mm-thick, with a lug width of 22mm.

Ocean Crawler Core Diver Watch Reissued In Four Colors

Ocean Crawler guarantees that its new Core Diver model will keep precise time for at least five years. The new wave of watches will be available for pre-order between August 23rd and September 12th. During that time, the retail price for these pieces will be $799 per unit. After the pre-order period ends, the price will rise to $999.

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Chronoswiss Flying Grand Regulator Open Gear ReSec “Blue Note” Watch Hands-On

Moments into the aBlogtoWatch meeting with Chronoswiss at Baselworld 2019, I knew what my favorite new watch from the brand was. I was particularly enthused by this “Blue Note” (as I called it) Chronoswiss Flying Grand Regulator Open Gear ReSec watch, which is limited to just 50 pieces. Blue is a popular color right now, and this watch is literally covered with it.

It can be a bit challenging to sort through the many slightly different Chronoswiss regulator models. At times, I can easily confuse two models. For example, can you immediately tell the difference between this Grand Regulator Open Gear ReSec and the Chronoswiss Flying Regulator Open Gear (reviewed on aBlogtoWatch here)? The short answer: the use of a retrograde seconds indicator for the ReSec model, as opposed to the traditional seconds dial for the other watch. So, when selecting a Chronoswiss watch, it pays to choose carefully.

As I mentioned above, “ReSec” is Chronoswiss’ short way of saying “retrograde seconds.” Sometimes you might see this watch with its (deep breath) longer full name, which is “Chronoswiss Flying Grand Regulator Open Gear Retrograde Seconds.” Now you know why I told Chronoswiss, “Just call this particular model the Blue Note.” Doesn’t that sound better? The blue itself is striking, and on the case, it comes in the form of blue DLC-coating over the base steel layer. Chronoswiss pairs the case with a blue Hornback crocodile strap, as well as a blue dial with blue hands. This might be the bluest watch of the year!

Chronoswiss was careful to ensure high levels of legibility on the complicated dial that seems to throw in so many little details. Regulators at their core are all about precision-reading, but the concept often needs to be “sexed up” a bit in order to make for an attractive watch dial. Chronoswiss knows that the “regulator” is sort of their “thing,” so we have experienced a dial that attempts to build on the core concept as much as possible. This is not only represented in the rich three-dimensional look of the dial but also in the “Open Gear” look at part of the movement under the 12 o’clock position, as well as the retrograde seconds hand. One of my favorite dial details are the “columns” of solid luminous material (as opposed to paint), which act as five-minute indicator points. (If this were not a regulator, then they would be the hour markers, of course.)

The Flying Grand Regulator Open Gear ReSec is a watch lover’s collectible lifestyle item that combines a functional spirit with a lot of visual pizazz. With its striking blue design, 44mm-wide (and 13.35mm-thick) case, and multiple levels of decorative elements placed on the dial, such a watch is, in many instances, the polar opposite of a petite vintage sport watch — which is ironic, in a sense, because, underneath the blue and tricked-out dial, the Flying Grand Regulator Open Gear ReSec does look like a large vintage pilot watch in regard to the case and crown.

Longines Legend Diver Watch Now Available In 36mm

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Longines Legend Diver series. I’m a big fan of “super compressor” style cases, and the complementary, bichromatic printing appeals to my fastidious tastes. The Legend Diver collection has its roots in reference 7042, released in 1960. The first re-edition came in 2007 and was followed by an updated date version in 2009, and a PVD-coated version last year. All four releases were 42mm-wide. The Longines Legend Diver 36mm is much more conservatively proportioned and really opens up this model up to a wider audience.

MODERN VINTAGE APPEAL

I think Longines is going to find that, despite pitching this watch as a woman-first alternative to the 42mm version, there will be an awful lot of vintage-vaunting gents in the hunt for this new model.

There is an argument for staying true to the original 7042 and retaining the 42mm case diameter, but the editions from 2007 onward sneakily bulked up the crowns, which, in my opinion, grew the watch significantly on the wrist and made it far less comfortable to wear. As someone who enjoys wearing super compressor or compressor style cases because they move the crowns into a more ergonomic position for flexing the wrist, this annoyed me. It seems likely that the smaller sized 36mm version will circumnavigate this problem with its revised dimensions.

WHAT IS A SUPER COMPRESSOR?

The term “super compressor” is often used (erroneously) to describe any watch with twin crowns. The first watches to feature this design were fitted with special technology that meant the watches got more water resistant as the external pressure on them increased (hence the term “compressor”). The technology was a hit, but largely unnecessary for all the desk divers who just liked the look (and comfort) of crowns at 2 and 4 o’clock. That said, Longines elected to remain faithful to the original by using super compressors in their modern iterations of the 7042.

Super compressor technology was the brainchild of Ervin Piquerez SA (EPSA). It emerged in the 1950s and was popular until the quartz crisis really hit in the ’70s. A super compressor differs from a compressor by having a threaded or bayonet case back as opposed to a snap-on. When the case back is “screwed” down, it stops before it travels as far as it possibly could, due to a spring pushing back against the case middle.

CONCLUSION

This release sees not only a reduced size but also an increased color palette for the Longines Legend Diver watches. This model is available with black, purple fumé, burgundy fumé, tropical (brown fumé), and mother of pearl dials, and a selection of coordinating straps and bracelets.

Remarkably, despite shrinking by 6mm, the Longines Legend Diver 36mm retains the 3 o’clock date function added with the release of its 2009 forerunner. In spite of this, the dial does not appear cluttered in any way and remains one of the most legible and attractive displays on the market today. The price for these new releases starts at $2,150 and runs all the way up to $2,400.

Ulysse Nardin Skeleton X Magma Watch Fuses Carbon And Epoxy To Striking Effect

Well, well, well… What fiery madness is this? With some of the most arresting pack shots of 2019, the Ulysse Nardin Skeleton X Magma watch bursts into reality. And while it looks like it has leaped from Satan’s drawing board to terrorize all humankind, I’m assured that, like the rest of its products, this new piece from Ulysse Nardin started life in Le Locle, Switzerland. And it has no intention of razing society to the ground, apparently.

The most striking aspect of this watch (aside from the sweat-inducing lavascape used in the press images) is the case. Described by the brand as “a carbon-fiber tour-de-force,” this watch will polarize, which is one thing that can be said for sure about this new take on an evermore overused material. On the one hand, it looks a bit like the angry big brother of the Swatch Sistem 51, but on the other, it’s an incredibly badass, characterful watch that has the guts to mix technically impressive horology, brand new material technology, and an attention-grabbing aesthetic.

To achieve this effect, carbon fiber is mixed with red epoxy resin, creating a marbled effect that is unique from piece to piece. This makes the watch housing incredibly light and comfortable on the wrist. Whether this piece goes too far in the weight-saving category, resulting in a product that feels insubstantial is another divisive talking point. When it comes to the weight of watches, my personal feelings vary on a case-by-case basis. If it makes sense with the overall design (as I believe it does with this watch), then I find I’m quite sympathetic to it, but if, as in the case of my beloved Omega Ploprof, it undermines a significant characteristic (however opinion-splitting) of the design, then I’m not so much a fan.

The Ulysse Nardin Skeleton X Magma is 43mm in diameter. The brand pitches this as “compact” (and the price as “accessible”), but this will obviously rankle some. That said, avant-garde designs of this nature tend to appeal to those who like their watches more noticeably proportioned, so this might have been a wise choice.

Technically, the watch is quite impressive. With its manual-winding UN-371 movement, which is heavily skeletonized and integrated to the dial, the Ulysse Nardin Skeleton X Magma leaves little to the imagination. The bright red numerals pair well to the grey hands. Both numerals and hands are treated with Super-LumiNova.Advertisement

Being able to see straight through a watch is always going to divide the consumer population, but with such a generally ambitious concept I think it works pretty well. The four-day power reserve is nice to see, and the Silicium minuterie gear train and 3Hz Silicium balance remind anyone who might have momentarily forgotten that this is a typically futuristic offering from a storied Swiss watchmaker. The price for this ‘hot’ property will be $25,000.

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Durante el fin de semana, le presentamos la colección Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Mécaniques Mécaniques Sauvages, una variedad de más de 20 piezas únicas que combinan los 263 años de experiencia técnica de la empresa con sus reconocidas capacidades de Métier d’Art. Uno de los modelos más intrigantes que vimos mientras estábamos en París para la inauguración fue el Armillary Tourbillon, una bestia literal de un reloj para el que Vacheron ha presentado seis nuevas patentes.

Estas patentes están resaltadas por los indicadores instantáneos de hora y minuto retrógrados en el lado derecho de la esfera. Hay un tourbillon de dos minutos de doble eje colocado dentro de una cruz maltesa, el símbolo icónico de Vacheron Constantin, jaula en el lado opuesto.

El Armillary Tourbillon es similar al Maître Cabinotier Retrograde Armillary Tourbillon de 2016 en varios sentidos. El lanzamiento de 2016 fue la primera vez que vimos una de las complicaciones desarrolladas para el reloj de bolsillo 57260 Vacheron Constantin Reference, también conocido como el reloj más complicado del mundo con 57 complicaciones totales, dentro de un reloj de pulsera, y el nuevo Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon continúa con esta aplicación.

Al igual que el Maître Cabinotier, el nuevo modelo Armillary utiliza un tourbillon de doble eje con una rueda de escape y una palanca de silicio y una jaula de tourbillon de aluminio; Hay una interesante yuxtaposición de la horología clásica y contemporánea en exhibición cuando se combina con las paletas de diamante más tradicionales. Otros detalles incluyen el uso de un resorte de equilibrio esférico. El reloj se destaca aún más a través de una serpiente grabada a mano que se desliza alrededor del exterior de la caja de oro rojo.

Vacheron dice que el precio del modelo está disponible solo a pedido, pero debido a la naturaleza a medida del departamento de Les Cabinotiers, es probable que la serpiente Armillary Tourbillon se haya producido pensando en un cliente.

No se olvide de consultar nuestra cobertura anterior de Mécaniques Sauvages y estar atentos a las novedades más interesantes de la marca en SIHH 2019.

Apuesta de caballero: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Chronograph vs. Montblanc Rieussec

Un cronógrafo de fabricación es sobrio; el otro es poco convencional. Ambos son elegantes. Pero cual es mejor? Comparamos el cronógrafo maestro Jaeger-LeCoultre y el cronógrafo automático Montblanc Nicolas Rieussec en esta función de prueba de los archivos de WatchTime.

¿Cuál es tu tipo? ¿Es clásico o moderno? Llamativo o discreto? El cronógrafo maestro de Jaeger-LeCoultre, de la marca de fábrica de Le Sentier, Suiza, es clásico y discreto.

Debutó en 2010. Cada detalle es hermoso y nada es llamativo o controvertido. Su diseño encarna el sereno sentido de orden que se encuentra en la construcción de relojes tradicionales, lo que lo convierte en el compañero perfecto para usar en la oficina y en ocasiones de gala. Su precio ($ 10,000 *) no es extremadamente alto, y cuando lo uses, no parecerás que hayas perdido el contacto con la realidad.

El segundo reloj en nuestra prueba, el Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Automatic de Montblanc, también es elegante y tiene un precio similar ($ 10,700 *). Pero es difícil categorizar más este reloj. Sus materiales y colores son tenues, pero el diseño inusual de su esfera llama la atención. Debutó en 2011 como un desarrollo adicional del primer calibre de fabricación de Montblanc, el MB R100, que se lanzó en el 2008 Nicolas Rieussec Monopusher Chronograph. Aunque Montblanc tiene su sede en Hamburgo, Alemania, sus relojes se fabrican en los propios talleres de la marca en Le Locle, Suiza.

¿Es el cronógrafo de Montblanc clásico o moderno? Esta pregunta es difícil de responder. La esfera descentrada, con discos de cronógrafo que giran bajo un puente compartido, parece muy contemporánea. Pero, de hecho, esta disposición inusual para el mecanismo del cronómetro recuerda a un predecesor histórico.

En 1821, Nicolas Mathieu Rieussec, que era relojero de la corte real del rey Luis XVIII de Francia, inventó un “cronógrafo” en el sentido más verdadero de la palabra porque su dispositivo revolucionario era un “escritor del tiempo”. (Chronos significa “tiempo”) y graphein significa “escribir”.) Rieussec diseñó un aparato de mesa con una caja de madera que contenía un par de botones y dos discos giratorios: uno para los segundos y otro para los minutos. Por encima de estos diales, sujetó una mano delgada con puntas llenas de tinta unidas a su punta. Rieussec reveló su dispositivo de sincronización en una carrera de caballos en el famoso Campo de Marte en París. Mientras giraban los diales del dispositivo, el cronometrador presionaba un botón en el instante en que un caballo cruzaba la línea de meta, haciendo que las manos tocaran los diales y dejaran pequeñas marcas de tinta. Por primera vez, un cronometrador podría capturar los tiempos de carrera de todos los caballos en la carrera sin apartar la vista de la acción. Los tiempos se pudieron leer después de los discos. Después, simplemente limpió la tinta de los discos y estuvo listo para programar la próxima carrera.

El reloj Rieussec de Montblanc tiene discos giratorios similares y un puente compartido a través del dial. Ambos son rasgos distintivos de la colección de relojes Nicolas Rieussec. Pero en lugar de depositar tinta, el puente del reloj sostiene contadores giratorios y manecillas estacionarias para mostrar los segundos y minutos transcurridos.

Aunque el diseño de la esfera de Montblanc está inspirado históricamente, parece innovador. El modelo que probamos es el más moderno y elegante de los relojes Rieussec actualmente disponibles. Nuestros editores quedaron más impresionados con ella que con las otras versiones, cuyos diales calados los hacen parecer más técnicos que elegantes.

¿Cómo calificaron nuestros relojes de prueba cuando consideramos su artesanía? Encontramos que ambos relojes están en casi el mismo nivel. Sus correas y cierres son simples pero bien diseñados: Jaeger-LeCoultre utiliza un cierre doble sin botones; Montblanc se basa en un cierre excepcionalmente robusto y plegable con botones de seguridad. El resultado es que el reloj de Jaeger-LeCoultre es más cómodo de usar, pero el cierre de Montblanc funciona más fácilmente. Cada cierre es un buen partido para su reloj: el cierre de Jaeger-LeCoultre es más pequeño y plano, mientras que el de Montblanc es más voluminoso y más redondeado.

Tanto los diales como los estuches están diseñados de manera impecable, pero Montblanc tiene más facetas y detalles inusuales. Sin embargo, nos hubiera gustado que el caso de Montblanc tuviera una mayor resistencia al agua: puede soportar solo 30 metros, mientras que el caso de Jaeger-LeCoultre permanece a prueba de agua hasta 50 metros.

Dependiendo de la función que estábamos examinando, encontramos diferencias significativas en la facilidad de uso entre los dos cronógrafos. Jaeger-LeCoultre construye sus clásicos cronógrafos de dos botones con segundos pequeños, una función de paro de segundos y una pantalla de fecha de reinicio rápido. El reloj de Montblanc tiene una indicación de la fecha, así como una manecilla adicional para indicar la hora en una segunda zona horaria y un disco correspondiente de día y noche a las 9 en punto. Estos extras le dan al cronógrafo de Montblanc una gran cantidad de funciones, pero el reloj carece de una manecilla de segundos de funcionamiento continuo y una función de paro de segundos. Y como se trata de un cronógrafo monopulsador, cuando se usa para medir intervalos breves, no permite la temporización aditiva; en su lugar, las funciones de inicio, parada y retorno a cero deben seguirse en secuencia.

Al igual que con muchos otros relojes de doble zona horaria, la fecha de Montblanc se puede restablecer con bastante rapidez tirando de la corona hasta la mitad y luego girándola en sentido horario o antihorario, lo que hace que la manecilla de la hora avance o retroceda en incrementos por hora. El funcionamiento en sentido contrario a las agujas del reloj permite que la fecha se restablezca más rápidamente en algunos casos de lo que podría hacerlo si avanzara un mecanismo convencional de fecha de restablecimiento rápido. Cuando se restablece la zona horaria, la manecilla del segundo, que está esqueleto, permanece inmóvil y continúa mostrando la hora correcta en la zona horaria de su hogar. Esta mano desaparece detrás de la hora principal después de que haya regresado a casa. Tirar de la corona hasta su segunda posición le permite ajustar el tiempo.

Encontramos muy poco contraste entre el dial y las manos en el reloj de Jaeger-LeCoultre para leer fácilmente la hora. Y es difícil leer la hora exacta rápidamente y decir al instante la duración de un intervalo transcurrido con una precisión de hasta el segundo porque hay una escala de medición de pulso, en lugar de números de minutos, alrededor del borde del dial. Sin embargo, los subdiales proporcionan un contraste adecuado y están bien marcados.

Tuvimos algunas dificultades para operar el reloj Jaeger-LeCoultre. La pequeña corona es difícil de sacar, incluso si desliza la uña entre ella y la caja. Además, la manecilla de minutos recién restablecida saltó hacia adelante o hacia atrás cuando presionamos la corona hacia adentro, lo que obligó a repetir el proceso de configuración, un defecto casi imperdonable en un reloj de lujo. Pero nos gustó la función de segundos de parada y los pulsadores con forma, que tienen buenos puntos de presión.

La corona de Montblanc también es un poco difícil de sacar porque las puntas de los dedos tienden a deslizarse fuera de ella. El tamaño de la pieza de empuje del cronógrafo, en el lado izquierdo de la caja, agrega facilidad de uso, pero requiere tan poco esfuerzo para activar su función de “parada” que puede terminar accidentalmente la medición de un intervalo antes de lo previsto.

La segunda zona horaria se muestra en formato de 12 horas en lugar de 24 horas, lo que tiene ventajas y desventajas. La órbita de 12 horas permite que la manecilla de la hora adicional se oculte detrás de la manecilla de la hora principal cuando el reloj se encuentra en la zona horaria de su hogar. Pero pueden surgir problemas cuando intenta descifrar la pantalla que se acompaña día-noche, que es completamente blanca desde el mediodía hasta las 6 p.m. y azul profundo desde la medianoche hasta las 6 a.m. Las secciones azul y blanca se pueden ver dentro de la ventana en cualquier otro momento. Esto significa que cuando son las 7 de la noche (como se ve en la foto al comienzo de este artículo), podría suponer erróneamente que es temprano en la mañana en su zona horaria local: el disco blanco parece estar barriendo el último remanente de la noche azul debajo del borde inferior de la ventana, pero, de hecho, el disco azul se está volviendo hacia arriba para ver la llegada de Herald Evening.

En el lado positivo, el Calibre MB R200 automático merece el crédito por el rendimiento casi perfecto del cronógrafo automático Nicolas Rieussec. Nuestra máquina de sincronización electrónica calculaba ganancias diarias de solo 1.3 segundos en operación normal y 2.3 segundos con el cronógrafo encendido. Las diferencias máximas entre las posiciones fueron tres segundos y un segundo, respectivamente. La pequeña disminución en la amplitud de la balanza después de que el cronógrafo se combinó con el tren de engranajes demostró que todas las partes móviles están cuidadosamente diseñadas y que el mecanismo del cronógrafo utiliza solo una pequeña cantidad de energía. El descenso promedió el 13 por ciento del arco en las dos posiciones planas y solo ocho grados en las cuatro posiciones colgantes. Este reloj no tiene manecilla de segundos de funcionamiento continuo, por lo que su frecuencia en la muñeca solo se pudo probar mientras el cronógrafo estaba funcionando: medimos una ganancia constante de tres segundos por día.

Nuestra máquina de tiempo también confirmó el excelente comportamiento de la velocidad del reloj Jaeger-LeCoultre. Publicó pequeñas ganancias diarias de 2,2 segundos en funcionamiento normal y 1,2 segundos con su cronógrafo en funcionamiento. La amplitud de su balanza disminuyó solo levemente cuando se encendió el cronómetro. No estábamos completamente satisfechos con grandes desviaciones promedio de 16 y 15 segundos, respectivamente, entre las posiciones individuales. La desviación diaria en la muñeca osciló entre -2.5 y +1 segundos.

Ambos calibres de cronógrafo están construidos para ofrecer numerosas ventajas. Cada uno tiene una rueda de columna para asegurar el correcto funcionamiento de los comandos del cronógrafo y cada uno se basa en el acoplamiento vertical, lo que teóricamente (y en este caso, prácticamente, también) evita el estremecimiento que a menudo estropea el inicio limpio de la manecilla de segundos transcurridos de un cronógrafo. Ambos movimientos tienen balances de balanceo libre con tornillos de peso a lo largo de sus llantas. Cada calibre contiene dos barriles, por lo que la autonomía de funcionamiento de ambos relojes es superior a la media: 65 horas para Jaeger-LeCoultre y 72 horas para Montblanc.

El calibre de Jaeger-LeCoultre es más delgado: solo 5.7 mm, comparado con los 8.5 mm de Montblanc. Pero el balace de Montblanc nace bajo un puente. Y un puente, que por definición tiene un soporte en cada extremo, es intrínsecamente más resistente que un martillo de equilibrio en voladizo como el del reloj Jaeger.

Los adornos más elaborados de Montblanc ponen su calibre a la cabeza en la categoría de “calidad de movimiento”. Los bordes de las placas y los puentes no están simplemente biselados, sino que también están pulidos, al igual que las gargantas de los cojinetes de rubí y los orificios para el empulgueras. Montblanc blues sus tornillos. Y los diversos patrones decorativos en el cronógrafo de Montblanc se ven más brillantes que los del calibre de Jaeger-LeCoultre.

La última incorporación de G-SHOCK a la línea MR-G es su más impresionante hasta el momento

Justo a tiempo para las vacaciones, G-SHOCK ha lanzado el MRGG2000R, el primer G-SHOCK que utiliza un innovador mecanismo de bloqueo de tornillo y el primero con una Banda de Fluoro-Caucho Dura Soft. En los últimos años, la colección MR-G se ha convertido en una de las colecciones más interesantes de la marca, con un gran énfasis en la innovación de alto concepto utilizando solo materiales de la más alta calidad.

Dura Soft Fluoro-Rubber Band es un excelente ejemplo de esto, con su material de resina flexible que está texturizado con un patrón tradicional japonés de Bishamon Kikko, Relojes Imitacion que combina formas hexagonales en grupos de tres. Durante siglos, este patrón se ha utilizado en la armadura de Bishamonten, un guerrero japonés que simboliza la fuerza en la batalla.

La Dura Soft Fluoro-Rubber Band y la caja de titanio están conectadas con la primera aplicación mundial de “L / R-ΔLoc” (pronunciado “LR Delta Lock”), que Casio desarrolló conjuntamente con NejiLaw, una compañía conocida por “tornillos que nunca se suelta ”. Basado en un perno L / R, con dos tuercas que se unen y giran en direcciones opuestas, L / R-ΔLoc se desarrolló recientemente para los relojes como un mecanismo revolucionario que evita el aflojamiento debido a la vibración y otras fuerzas.El nuevo cierre desplegable está fabricado en titanio y, junto con el bisel, está recubierto con DLC para aumentar la resistencia a la abrasión. Todas las piezas de titanio también están sujetas a un proceso de endurecimiento de capa profunda, lo que hace que sus superficies sean de cuatro a cinco veces más duras que el titanio simple. La caja de titanio y la cubierta posterior también se tratan con carburo de titanio (TIC) para mejorar la resistencia a la abrasión.

Si bien la construcción y el diseño general del MRGG2000R son indicativos de su calidad superlativa, el reloj también ofrece algunas complicaciones bastante potentes. Para ir junto con su pantalla analógica de indicación de tiempo, el MRGG2000R presenta:

La hora mundial fácil y otros cambios de configuración con la aplicación de teléfono inteligente MR-G Connected.
Ajuste de la hora mediante Bluetooth, señales de satélite GPS y señales de calibración de hora de ondas de radio. El historial de ajustes de hora y cambios de zona horaria también se puede consultar en la aplicación.
Sistema solar de carga solar de gran capacidad. El nivel de carga solar se puede ver gráficamente en la aplicación.
Súper iluminador para una alta visibilidad incluso de noche y con mal tiempo.
Dual Dial World Time, que muestra los tiempos en dos ciudades simultáneamente fuera de la elección de 300 ciudades
Cristal de zafiro resistente a los arañazos con un revestimiento no reflectante en la superficie interior que ofrece una excelente claridad y legibilidad.
Resistencia al agua hasta 200 metros.
Cronómetro, temporizador de cuenta atrás, función de alarma.
Visualización de día y fecha