New IWC Minute Repeater 524204 - Josh

[Toadtorrent]

Josh appears to have his prelim announcement of a new IWC Minute Repeater. This has a very simple dial with running secs@6 which I think looks reasonably elegant. I like the look of the more symmetrical power reserve dial...but that's me.

Unfortunately, they seem to have screwed up in a few ways. The numeral hour markers are narrower than the gen:

Gen

of course the movement doesn't look the same, but it still looks nice on the rep...but I don't think IWC spells their name "INTS 3NATIONAL WATCH CO."

DOH!!

[jot9011]

But does it actually function as a minute repeater? Now that would be cool.

[Martyd3]

But does it actually function as a minute repeater? Now that would be cool.

I seriously doubt that. Just functioning will be a good thing

[Toadtorrent]

Yeah...not likely a functioning minute repeater. I don't think I've heard of a rep minute repeater movement. Funny that...they can do rep tourby's...but not a minute repeater. Go figger!

[pirvan]

Edited October 29, 2008 by pirvan

[hexman]

I have also never seen a rep/low quality minute repeater watch. You mention that you've seen tourbs but not minute repeater reps, this is because mechanically, the Chinese tourbillions are quite simple mechanically. They use a carriage type tourbillion that due to its robustness compared to fine swiss tourbs, are quite simple to assemble and manufacture. High end tourbs have almost excessive decoration and finesse, most assemblies comprising of 80+ parts weighing less than 3 grams. Minute repeaters on the other hand not only require more parts (which I don't think is too much of an issue for the chinese) but they require superior watchmaking knowledge and rationale to understand how the innards work and how to regulate the whole movement together. Minute repeaters, in my opinion, are the pinnacle of watchmaking complications. A real time, variable, hour, minute, striker.... WOW!!!

Yeah...not likely a functioning minute repeater. I don't think I've heard of a rep minute repeater movement. Funny that...they can do rep tourby's...but not a minute repeater. Go figger!

[vric]

for stupid people like me: What is a minute repeter?

[hexman]

Here's a good example. It's basically a watch that can tell time in the dark/for blind people by using hammers that strike against the gongs. First it strikes the hours, then the quarters (three strikes mean 45 minutes, 2 mean 30, etc) and then it strikes the minuts, that you add to the quarters. Its highly complicated and very fine!

for stupid people like me: What is a minute repeter?

[Corgi]

Good catch on the mis-spelling, I didn't catch that one!

[Shundi]

Wow...that's pretty bad...