Baselworld 2013: Konstantin Chaykin Cinema – motion picture animation wristwatch

Russian independent watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin presents the Cinema, a wristwatch incorporating a zoopraxiscope. This shows a short animation of a rider on a galloping horse, visible through the window at six o’clock.

With a steel case shaped like a vintage camera, the Konstantin Chaykin Cinema Watch contains an animation mechanism with a disc, which is engraved with 12 images of a galloping horse. The disc spins at the rate of one frame per 0.07 seconds in order to create the animation. This mechanism is activated by the pusher at nine o’clock. Viewed through the aperture at six o’clock, the animation shows the horse in much as the same style as an old-fashioned motion picture. Also built into the animation mechanism is a shutter which blocks off the first few seconds of the animation to prevent a blurred image from appearing as the disc just begins to spin. Created as a tribute to Eadweard Muybridge, the 19th century photography pioneer, the Konstantin Chaykin Cinema Watch has two movements, one for the time and the other for the animation. Each movement has its own barrel, both of which are wound by turning the crown in different directions, clockwise for the time and vice-versa for the animation. The time movement has a 48 hour power reserve, while the animation will run for 20 seconds.

Visible through the back is the decorated, form movement. Notable features include the two jewels set in screwed, gold chatons. All of that is inside a moderately sized case that is 32 mm wide and 42.5 mm long, with a height of 7.5 mm. The price for the Cinema Watch will be approximately EUR50,000, with the final price to be announced during Baselworld 2013. – SJX

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Baselworld 2013: MB&F MegaWind – the HM3 re-engineered (details and price)

MB&F announces the MegaWind – this is the HM3 upgraded. It now has a larger rotor and more importantly, a more legible, rotating-disc time display.

The best selling Horological Machine according to MB&F has been revamped. Though still easily recognisable as the HM3, the MegaWind has two key differences, and one less obvious one. Most practical of the changes is the new time display. Drawing inspiration from the bug-eyed HM3 Frog, the MegaWind has a fixed pointer which indicates the time on two revolving cones made from razor-thin aluminium. 

The time reads 8:45.

The first HM3 had fixed cones and a revolving hand to indicate the time, which made reading the time difficult. In addition to the new time display, the MegaWind has an enlarged mystery rotor, which now extends well over the edge of the Girard-Perregaux 3100 base movement. Made from titanium with 22k-gold, ‘battle-axe’ shaped weights, the size of the rotor means the HM3 no longer has a date function, which is the third difference with the original HM3.

The oversized battle-axe rotor

Available in white or rose gold, the MegaWind is only available in the Starcruiser format with the crown at 12 o’clock, unlike the first HM3 which was also available as the Sidewinder with the crown at nine o’clock. The MegaWind retails for the same as the previous HM3, at CHF79,000, or about USD85,000. – SJX

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Up Close With The Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle Chronograph Boutique Exclusive Edition (pricing and live photos)

Vacheron Constantin did not unveil many new men’s watches at SIHH 2013, but did add some variants of existing models, including this boutique exclusive version of the Patrimony Traditionnelle chronograph with a grey dial. This has a vintage style, two-tone case in white gold with rose gold crown and pushers.

Ordinarily available in a two-tone case with silver dial (and also with an all white or rose gold case), the boutique exclusive edition of the Patrimony Traditionnelle chronograph has grained, grey dial.  The subtle tone of the dial matches the rose gold hands and indices well.

Inside is the cal. 1141, which is actually the Lemania 2310. VC finishes the calibre to its high standards, thus qualifying it for the Geneva Seal. The movement is attractively and wonderful in its details, though it is too small for the 42 mm case.

20 years ago the Lemania 2310 was the only refined, manual wind chronograph movement available, and practically every high-end brand used it, including Patek Philippe, Breguet, Daniel Roth, Roger Dubuis and of course VC.  Today as most brands have in-house chronograph calibres, it has become uncommon and VC is one of the few brands outside of the Swatch Group (which owns Lemania and has since merged it into Breguet) to use the movement. That being said, I have heard rumours for several years that VC is working on its own hand-wind chronograph movement. The latest news is that the development is already finished, and VC is now working on testing and industrialisation of the movement. In the realm of high-end chronograph, Patek Philippe arguably has a longer, and richer, history. And Patek also has a track record of being first, for instance with the ref. 1518 which was the first chronograph with perpetual calendar wristwatch. VC needs an in-house chronograph movement to put it on equal footing in contemporary watchmaking. The Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle chronograph Boutique Exclusive retails for CHF54,362.88, or about USD58,000. It is only available from VC boutiques. – SJX

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