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Pix

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  6. Small review of my Breguet Tourbillon

    in Other Watch Reviews

    Posted

    Thx all, thx for putting this into place BT :)

    I think indeed that simple pictures of a Tourbillon movement won't give the right feeling of what it is really.

    Chinese or not, imagine that you can touch for 600 dollars what's usually worth more than 50 000. Of course, I'm not comparing this to a gen, that would be a mistake. But it actually catches attention the same way a gen would and is just as hypnotizing.

  7. Small review of my Breguet Tourbillon

    in Other Watch Reviews

    Posted

    Hi Folks,

    after a small teaser with this movie, it is time to come with a pictorial and a brief review of one of my latest aquisitions.

    1. So, how did I go to a Chinese Tourbillon ?

    Well, that's a long story : I have always wanted to own such a noble complication in my collection, as, Chinese or not, these movements look like real jewels. They do not copy an existing movement, but are a development by themselves. "They". Because there are actually many variations, which can be summarized as follows (source)

    To make it as short as possible :

    History

    The tourbillon was invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1795 as a means of correcting positional errors in chronometer pocket-watches. For the next century it served this practical function in the highest grade of watches. The advent of the wristwatch rendered the 2-dimensional correction of the tourbillon obsolete.

    In the mid-1980s, after quartz watches had become the norm on most markets, there was a revival of interest in mechanical watches as a niche/luxury/ special-interest market. The tourbillon makes a comeback ; not as a practical enhancement, but simply an expression of the watchmaker's craft.

    The first Chinese tourbillon was the 1993 'Mystery Tourbillon' by Hong Kong's master watchmaker Kiu Tai Yu, formerly of the Suzhou Watch Factory. Master Kiu's tourbillons may be considered pure art as they were never intended for general sale. In 1995 the Beijing Watch Factory created their first tourbillon prototype however this was not developed for production.

    Current Chinese Developments

    Beijing TB01-2 : In 1995, the Beijing Watch Factory revisited the tourbillon concept and reworked it for limited production. The result was the TB01-2 flying carrousel-tourbillon, currently the most expensive production Chinese tourbillon on the market. It features a titanium flying tourbillon cage, and is usually elaborately decorated on both dial and movement. Beijing have also developed a double-tourbillon.

    Liaoning 5010 : Costing much less and thus reaching a much wider market, this calibre has enjoyed great success cased-up by Million Smart Enterprises for a variety of new international brands.

    Shanghai : The Shanghai Watch Industry Corporation launched their Classic Tourbillon as an exclusive Shanghai-branded product only, however they have since followed the trend and offered this somewhat expensive movement for sale to other watch companies. Returning to Breguet's original idea, this movement features a large balance-wheel on a common axis to the tourbillon cage. In 2007 Shanghai revealed their amazing Orbital Tourbillon, which features either one or two tourbillons mounted on a 12-hour carrousel platform.

    PTS Resources FD-3032 : This was the first Chinese tourbillon to be reviewed online. Clearly built to a budget, and featuring components from the humble Standard movement, it is nonetheless as impressive as any tourbillon that actually works. In 2007 PTS presented a prototype '12 Hour Karrousel' movement of unusual design and much higher grade.

    Sea-Gull ST80 : Most Chinese tourbillons owe something to the Blancpain flying carrousel-tourbillon design, but this is the one with the closest physical resemblance. Of higher quality than all but the TB01-2, the ST80 is still very competitively priced. The newer ST82 features a common axis tourbillon similar to the Shanghai. Auto-winding is now available on both. In 2006 Sea-Gull released their ST8080 double tourbillon withone carrousel-tourbillon and one common axis.

    Dixmont DG-8000 : A latecomer to the field, Dixmont-Guangzhou have focussed on auto-winding on their tourbillons. The escapement appears so similar to that of the ST80 that it is likely that they buy Sea-Gull parts for their movements. The DG-8001 is similar but with a common-axis tourbillon.

    Tourbillon terminology

    Tourbillon

    In the tourbillon, invented by Breguet in 1795, the escapement (balance, escape wheel, etc.) is mounted on a carriage which carries a pinion driven by the third wheel. The fourth wheel is fixed and is concentric with the carriage shaft. The escape wheel pinion meshes with the fixed fourth wheel which will cause the pinion to rotate and operate the escape wheel and balance in the normal way.

    It must be born in mind that tourbillons are intended only to correct pocket-watch positional errors which are largely 2-dimensional when carried in a waistcoat pocket. A wristwatch experiences many more varied and frequent positional shifts in normal use.

    Karrusel

    In the karrusel by Bonniksen (UK patent 21421 of 1892) the carriage is mounted on a karrusel wheel driven by the third wheel pinion. The fourth wheel staff passes through the centre of the karrusel bearing to allow the fourth wheel pinion to mesh with the third wheel and power is transmitted to the escapement in the normal way rather than through the carriage rotation as in the tourbillon. The rate of rotation of the karrusel is about once per hour compared with the tourbillon which may rotate once per minute. Both these designs require considerable skill to manufacture, and are only found in watches of high quality.

    In official chronometer trials in the 1890s-1900s, karrusels consistently out-performed tourbillons. This seems to be because the longer period of rotation consumed less energy and achieved a more representative correction to the positional shifts normally experienced by a pocket-watch.

    Flying Tourbillon

    This describes a tourbillon carriage that is supported only at the back so that from the dial side it appears to be floating with no visible means of support. The lack of a bridge on the dial side also helps reduce the height of the tourbillon sub-assembly.

    Carrousel-tourbillon

    This now widely-used term was introduced by Blancpain to describe an otherwise conventional 1-minute tourbillon in which the axis of the balance was offset from the axis of the tourbillon carriage, giving the tourbillon a more karrusel-like appearance. The reason for this modification appears to be to reduce the overall height of the tourbillon.

    Flying carrousel-tourbillons were the first type of tourbillon attempted by the Chinese watch industry, no doubt on account of the aesthetics of such an arrangement.

    Freak

    Ulysse-Nardin describe the escapement on their

  13. Okay, who wants to write a small description of this one?

    in The Omega Area

    Posted

    I know, another dealer has one over $500. Not sure how, with a standard ETA 2836. the price is justified :huh:

    Last summer (OK it's almost one year ago) I paid my gen Tissot PRS-516 something like 260-280 dollars, new (and probably serviced), with this movement inside.

    Currently you find these between 300 and 350.

    I can't see any good reason why this Omega costs so much, especially that :

    - we're never sure it's not a clone ETA

    - if it's a gen 2836, we don't know if it's used or surplus

    When the same case has both movements available (Asia or ETA), I have learnt with success to go to the Asia movement.

    398 is too high and 500 is a scam.

    Don't buy it, its price will decrease. <_<

  15. HBB : comparison shots Version1 vs Version2

    in Other Brands Area

    Posted

    This one

    16dialv2yw7yl0.jpg

    Although that was not the first purpose of this review, here are other differences with the gen, regarding the V2 (the V1 has some also) :

    (describing what's different on the V2)

    - blued screws (although not all it seems)

    - datewheel font too bold (but too thin on the V1)

    - black rotor screw (although I saw this on some gens too)

    - Limited Edition engraving

    - different texture on the dial

    - missing "matter" engraving : Hublot is writing Gold, carbon, Ceramic, Titanium etc...

    amongst others.

    But this remains a great rep.

  17. Watchmark HBB ceramic rose gold, ummmm

    in Other Brands Area

    Posted

    Well spotted ! :mellow:

    From my side I have not noticed it as I was comparing my V1 to this V2, not to the gen. I'll update my post.

    As it was not remarked till today, I'd say this is because that's really not the first thing one looks at, and that's valid for you too :

    to spot a rep HBB, I'm going to the DW and the dial and of course the caseback, which is wrong too (LIMITED EDITION marking). At the end, the conclusion I did is IMO still valid : those having paid for the "plain" version won't regret it, but the V2 is a very good alternative for those who don't want to spend an insane amount of money on a 7750 replica.

    At the end, you can always tell it's really a LIMITED EDITION ^_^

    The screws are a real problem indeed. What did you use to tighten them ?

  22. Dive watch lust

    in Other Brands Area

    Posted

    Hi Pix

    Did you try this watch under water (shower, bath or swimmingpool)? and the Oris one ?

    Interested.. :rolleyes:

    Honestly ?

    No, I never wear my reps under water.... ^_^

    It would make sense to have them pressure tested.

    It seems that SD4K had his Oris tested at 5 ATM (had no tool to go further)

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