Louis Moinet: Memoris
The world's first Chronograph-Watch.
'Memoris.'
It's important to note a particular distinction here. Louis Moinet (circa 1768-1853) is now the known inventor of the very first ever, wold renown, original chronograph.
Now, in 2015 the Louis Moinet company has invented the chronograph all over again.
What's unique about Memoris is that the function of the movement and the aesthetic are uniquely designed to have the Chronograph shine, and the record of time as supplement.
The watch not only celebrates a new vision for the chronograph function, it will be around for the 200th anniversary of the chronograph next year in 2016 as well as the 10th anniversary of the Louis Moinet Atelier.
Adding to the grandeur of Memoris is the nomination for the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie of Geneva. It would be an exceptional year for the chronograph.
My gif at top is a simple nod to the beauty of the Memoris. The smoothness of motion, the complexity visible in the exposed function, those are for the realm of reality. Though, Louis Moinet has produced several artistic videos showing the Memoris and the history of the brand.
History of the Chronograph. The first 3 minutes are beautiful the rest is simply interesting.
Check out the Memoris on the Louis Moinet website
Vortic Watches: American Made
Vote Vortic Watches in the Martha Stewart, American Made contest to help them win $10K.
Vortic Watches is a new American Made watch company. Less than a year old but still filled with over a century of American history.
Vortic converts antique, American made, railroad-era pocket watches into 100% Made in USA, one-of-a-kind wristwatches using 3D printed steel. And you have a chance to help them grow.
Click the sketch below to vote for Vortic Watches.
When R.T. first contacted me I pulled up the Vortic website and mulled over the concept for a day. The more I thought about it, the more I fell in love with the idea.
Your Great Grandfather, or Great Great Grandfather could have owned one of these pocket watches and Vortic is giving us the opportunity to use them again, to wear them on our wrists, to take history with us as we continually push toward the future.
If you haven't yet, click this link to vote for Vortic in the Martha Stewart, American Made contest.
Less than a year old and I cannot wait to see what Vortic has in store for future American Made wrist watches.
Hanhart Pioneer Monocontrol 2
MOVEMENT
Automatic chronograph movement HAN3911 (bicompax), increased crown-to-button spacing and single-button conversion, 28,800 vibrations per hour, 4 Hz, 28 jewels, rotor with a skeletonised Hanhart logo, power reserve of min. 42 hours
FUNCTIONS
Small seconds at 9 o’clock, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, date display at 6 o’clock
CASE
Stainless steel, red button, fluted, bidirectional rotating bezel with red marking, convex sapphire glass, anti-reflective on both sides, screwed-down case back, diameter 42 mm, height 15 mm, water-resistant to 10 bar/100 m
DIAL
Black, with Super-LumiNova®-coated luminous numerals and hands
STRAP
Calfskin with riveting, brown or black, pin buckle made from stainless steel
Hanhart Pioneer Monocontrol 1
Hanhart
The Painting
The Process
MOVEMENT
Automatic chronograph movement HAN3911 (bicompax), increased crown-to-button spacing and single-button conversion, 28,800 vibrations per hour, 4 Hz, 28 jewels, rotor with a skeletonised Hanhart logo, power reserve of min. 42 hours
FUNCTIONS
Small seconds at 9 o’clock, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, date display at 6 o’clock
CASE
Stainless steel, red button, fluted, bidirectional rotating bezel with red marking, convex sapphire glass, anti-reflective on both sides, screwed-down case back, diameter 42 mm, height 15 mm, water-resistant to 10 bar/100 m
DIAL
Black, with Super-LumiNova®-coated luminous numerals and hands
STRAP
Calfskin with riveting, brown or black, pin buckle made from stainless steel
GLOVES
Fratelli Orsini
Hanhart
From D-Day to the Watches Project
This Hanhart Military watch was commissioned by Joe Savage.
I asked him about the story of the watch and all he gave me was this link from the Daily Mail. Honestly I thought it was a bit lazy but as I began reading I was immediately intrigued.
The account told here is taken directly from the article in the Daily Mail written by Mark Duell.
The premise of the article was looking at four German Military watches that were being placed at auction.
‘My father was an RAF intelligence officer and his job was to interrogate German airmen who had been captured.
He spoke German and pressed the men for worthwhile information such as the equipment the Luftwaffe were using.
He had to search them and one prisoner had his watch wrapped around something that wasn’t his wrist because he was so desperate not to lose it.
My father ended up having it and kept it as a souvenir or as part of the spoils of war. When my father died over 20 years ago we had a clear out of his things and acquired his four watches.’
Auctioneer Richard Bromell said,
‘The vendor’s father, from Manchester, was of Dutch origin and spoke fluent French, German, Dutch, and towards the end of the Second World War Russian too.’
‘As an officer in the RAF, and as a linguist, he is believed to have worked in MI19, the division formed from MI9 as the enemy prisoner of war interrogation department.
‘He arrived in France 11 days after the D-Day landings and interviewed rounded up German prisoners, which is when it is believed he “acquired” these four Luftwaffe pilots’ watches.’
The vendor, who is from the Somerset area, said,
‘If you wind them up they do start to tick but they would need to be repaired as they haven’t been properly used for 70 years. These watches have been locked up in a drawer for many years.
You can’t go on hoarding things forever and I don’t have any romantic association with them, so I think it is best to pass them on.’
Mr Bromell, of auctioneers Charterhouse in Sherborne, Dorset, which is selling the watches, said,
‘They are four high quality wristwatches used by German pilots and navigators in the war.
They need some work doing to them to get them going again. However, with all the watches being quite similar the vendor isn’t sure which one was recovered from the PoW’s underpants.’
The owner’s father worked in Lloyds Bank before the war, and after it had ended he joined the family business which supplied animal feeds.
To read the original article and see photographs of the four German watches that were at auction then click HERE.
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Eterna Vintage
This Eterna watch commissioned by Cyrux.
When I asked Cyrux to tell me a story about his Eterna this is what he had to say,
'It is an Eterna that my Grandfather purchased during his first business trip abroad in the 60's. It has never been serviced and nothing has been replaced. It's all original and I love the fact that it's scratched and cracked.
My Grandfather gave it to my dad and my dad gave it to me when I moved to Australia in 2003.
It is not worth much but it's very sentimental to me. I thank you for doing the painting for me so that I can share it with others when they come and visit.'
The aging and wearing was important for Cyrux. It was made clear to me that the crack over 11 and the scratch over 3 be made apparent.
Cyrux and I share a love of story. Every watch has a story. Every watch has something to share with it's owner, whether it is newly manufactured or has been through a war, or is simply being passed from father to son.
I love watches like this Eterna. One where the price doesn't matter.
It could have been a $30,000 watch and with the same story and I would have loved it the same.
Watches passed down through the generations maintain a value that is simply priceless. It could be sold at auction but no amount would do history the justice it deserves.
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Omega Seamaster Fashion
This Moda-Horlogerie style Omega Seamaster painting was commissioned by Nick.
Nick wished to be identified only by his first name. This is what he had to say about his Omega Seamaster.
'My first foray into horology began when I was given a high-end Hublot counterfeit timepiece as a gift in college (gasp) and was told that even discerning individuals would not be able to tell the difference.
As a curious person, this immediately caused me to wonder 'well, then what is the difference?'
This led to me various watch blogs and over time I came to appreciate what an art-form horology is and that in reality, any discerning person would immediately be able to tell the difference between a counterfeit and a legitimate timepiece if, save other tells, they were to look at the movement.
I became fascinated with watch movements as I began to view horology as one of the last bastions of hand-crafted machinery that practically speaking, cannot be bested by fully automated production lines, nor should it be.
As I continued to develop an appreciation for high-end watch movements I came across the Omega 8500 movement, which was built from the ground up around George Daniel's co-axial escapement.
I began to fall in love with the intrinsic value of the fully in-house, utilitarian movement that in my mind, was an example of the culmination of hundreds of years of human innovation.
After lusting after this watch for some time but never being able to afford it, I resolved to one day purchase it when I had "made it" in my respective industry. This day came much sooner than I had expected, and I wear the watch to remind myself to set goals, achieve them, and then to continue setting new ones.
The clock keeps ticking, if you will.'
-Nick
Here is a side by side of the Omega Seamaster and the Moda-Horlogerie Perpetual Moon it is modeled after.
The Moda-Horlogerie style paintings are my favorite. There is more artistry in creating a scene and story than simply capturing the architecture of a watch. A watch, in my estimation is meant for its utility and everything else about it is developed to tell a story.
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Boca MMXII
Watch-making or rather watch-painting has become a favorite past-time of mine.
After painting my first 100 watches, which you can see in the 100 Watches Gallery, I just couldn't stop.
There are so many watches, so many companies and so many passionate people that stopping would mean missing an entire community of amazing people.
Boca MMXII is a part of that community.
Alessandro of bocatime.com approached me with two of his watches to recreate. What is particularly special about Boca is the watch straps. These beautiful leather braided straps are hand woven with quality Mexican craftsmanship.
Boca matches Italian design with Mexican craftsmanship to provide a unique watch experience.
Below you will see the Grand Traveler with the bright Tobacco wristband on the left and on the right is the Riviera Black with Black wristband.
Grand Traveler in Beige
Riviera Black