amn Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Here are a few pics I took of my own UN watch - I read RobbieG's instructions but don't seem to have mastered the execution yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shundi Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Very nice....I love that dial! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Is that a gen? Sorry this might be a stupid question, but I know next to nothing about UN... gens or reps. I've only seen Robbies watches. Either way it looks great man... congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbreene Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Beautiful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b16a2 Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Wow that is nice! It's good to see we have a few UN fans on here, they make beautiful timepieces! Is that a gen? Sorry this might be a stupid question, but I know next to nothing about UN... gens or reps. I've only seen Robbies watches. Either way it looks great man... congrats! It is indeed a genuine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidestro Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Yes, By-Tor, it is the real McCoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Then "Double-Congrats"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobbieG Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Glad to be of inspiration - do you mean to take the photos or buy the watch or both? In any case, congrats! Do tell the story of how you came to get the piece. Did you have it for a while and are just shooting it now or is it new to you. And why the Blue Wave MMC? Did you want the non-dive bezel variety, or the size, color, all polishedbracelet? Give us the details man! PS: One of the things I have always loved about the 1846/Marine line is you can always get EXACTLY what you want. Bezel/No Bezel, dial tectures and colors, chrono/non chrono, romans/arabics/batons, different bracelets, different hands, brushed/polished finishes, and sizes - 38, 41, 42.7, 43, 44, 45MM. Absolutely something for everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyDee Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Super jealous I been trying to get my hands on a Ulysse Nardin Blue Seal "Limited Edition" of course I don't have $$$ for the real deal - so im looking for a rep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samurai Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Very nice....love the watch.....excellent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowball Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 UN catalog extract 2007 I think it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolfire Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 I think it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidestro Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 UN catalog extract 2007 I think it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadtorrent Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 It looks like a 2892 movement with the anodized bridges/plates (or whatever you call those parts) and rotor. Is this correct? I know it's not a rep...I'm just curious about the movement. RobbieG will have the answer here...does UN use their own movements for the pieces with complications and the ETA movements for the others...or do the movements with complications still use the ETA ebauches?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyDee Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 UN catalog extract 2007 I think it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadtorrent Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 WOW - I WANT IT! where can I get it From your local UN AD. It's not out in rep form in any quality worth buying. You can probably get a cheap $50 version from Dubai or some crappy dealer out there...but that would be wasting your money if you're going for accuracy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amn Posted March 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 It is a gen - boxes papers certificates etc from an AD. I've had it now for a few years. This is part of the 'Blue' series of UN Maxi Marine chronographs. It started with the Blue Max and continued with this one - the Blue Wave, which was part of a limited edition of 1846 and is no longer made and was sold out at the AD's in 2006 (Now cannot be seen in the current catalogue - only in the Archived section online). The other watch shown by Fidestro/Snowball is one in the MMC series that came later - Blue Surf. The current Blue watch is the Blue Seal as mentioned by JoeyDee. I got mine in Switzerland and bought the watch with standard blue rubber strap with ti fittings and the stainless steel bracelet as a kind of impulse purchase while on biking holiday in the Swiss Alps. I was window shopping one evening - it caught my eye, and ...well you know how it is. I had a couple of gen rolex (Sub and Explorer) at the time and was blown away by the detail,colour, quality of finish and elegance of UN's non Dive-bezel design. Since then I have tried to reduce the cost of my serial obsessions by becoming interested in reps. I meant that RobbieG's photography was the inspiration for me to try to take and post some decent pictures. I recognise that I've some way to go but the details he posted of how to do it did help. Thanks for all the comments Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyDee Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 You can probably get a cheap $50 version from Dubai or some crappy dealer out there...but that would be wasting your money if you're going for accuracy. That's so weird! How did you know I was from Dubai (well, technically I'm from Canada, but worked in Dubai for 3 years, and a month ago moved to LA!).... And no, there isn't any UN reps in Dubai - I been to "Karama" where they got all kinds of reps and they don't have any UN - atleast not that I know off or seen... -Joey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobbieG Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 It looks like a 2892 movement with the anodized bridges/plates (or whatever you call those parts) and rotor. Is this correct? I know it's not a rep...I'm just curious about the movement. RobbieG will have the answer here...does UN use their own movements for the pieces with complications and the ETA movements for the others...or do the movements with complications still use the ETA ebauches?? Both Toad, yes. Most of the high complications are in house and the 1846 line uses 2892 and 2894 ebauches. The watch in this thread is a 2892 with seconds at 6 and PR module. The way they do it is they start with the 2892 base and get the Chronometer cert on that raw. Then they build the modules and hand finish everything in house after and do final regulation in house. I make this distinction because manufactories can buy a highly finished ebauches in this basic configuration complete - almost. Let me explain: - The 2892-A2 proper has center seconds and date at 3, but... - The 2891 has center seconds and complete perpetual calendar, leap year and moonphase - The 2893 has center seconds and GMT time central disc - The 2895 has seconds at 6 and date at 3 - The 2896 has center seconds and a 2 disc Big Date at 3 - The 2897 has center seconds and PR display at 7 So as you can see you could almost just buy a high finsihed variant and get it certified and be done. But they like to start with certing the base and fitting all the modules seperately so they can layout the dials the way they want. So for this watch instead of using the 2895 they still use the 2892. This gives them ultimate flexibilty and allows them to offer so many variants of the 1846 line. It is just genius use of the whole point of what ebauches are for. I'm doing a thread soon on the whole myth about ebauches and how the world thinks only companies that use ETA ebauches are somehow substandard or something. Meanwhile everyone - Patek, AP, Vacheron et. al. use ebauches for many or all their "bread and butter" flagship watches - they just use JLC, Piguet and Lemaina ebauches but really for other reasons and NOT because they are supierior quality. For example I hear all the time people talking about some Patek or Vacheron perpetual calendars and calling them in house. Meanwhile many of those complications are bought as ebauche modules. Even ETA has a perpetual calendar movement - the 2891 for example. And they are expensive and not easy to make and they do have to be assembled and adjusted and it takes a good deal of time. But still, they are not in house. The fact is there are very little totally in house manufactories. JLC, Lange, Glashutte, Zenith, Rolex and a few more of course but not many... For these watches simply put, the design of the 2892 is the best thing by far available on the market for these designs. The line couldn't exist without it because none of the ebauches I just mentioned HAVE the parts needed to make them, nor is it practical to construct them all from scratch. Better to just figure out how to design all the placements and fit which is no picnic really. OK rant over... So anyway, they take the 2892, cert it, then PUT a seconds module from the 2896 at 6, the PR module from the 2897 at 12, and the date module from the original 2892 at 6 as well. The 2892 ebauche they buy has no date though - just the main plate, wheels and balance really - which is why they can cert them pre build really. And of course they don't buy those other ebauches but just the modules from ETA. Here is my 1846 MMD and as all can see it is the same. And as an aside, even my Dual Time is also done by the same process. They start with the raw 2892, the seconds at 6 module (2895), the Big Date module (2896) which they place at 2, the GMT disc (2893) which they place at 9, and then they build their own patented sync module that ties everything together and moves the date in sync forward and BACKWARD across midnight. The bottom line is that I don't think anyone could argue that the 2892 is an AMAZING movement. Just bulletproof and personally I would rather have it in the watch than anything not so well designed to be modular such as something from JLC like the 889 or something. Nothing wrong with it, but it isn't as complete and UN couldn't offer as much with it. ETA has just thought it out so well. But UN should really be given praise for figuring out how to make the best use of it and deliver several lines of watches with totally different designs so elegantly. Just perfect use of the system. Everyone should do this so well - no matter the ebauche. I would like to see say Vacheron do the same depth with some of the Lemania ebauches. I just have never seen anyone do something so completely in understanding and implementing as UN has here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidestro Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 I am amazed that they can get the COSC cert before the other work is done and still be allowed to call it a Chronometer. You would almost expect a competitor to complain about that process. I know other manufacturers send in the base movement as well for certification before it is ever installed in a watch, but they don't usually add as many complications as what the ones here show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobbieG Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Yeah, a lot do that. But if you think about it the rate issues don't figure to change with the adds unless it stops. As long as the two points of the energy leaving the mainspring barrel and the acceptance of that energy at the balance. The complications don't tap the energy source in a way that can interfere with rate which is all COSC cares about. The reason is they don't want to be responsible for fouling decorations or to be resonsible for expensive mods. As an aside, UN gives these really cool full color COSC certificates with thier watches in these cool navy leather stitched portfolios. You can see part of it under the watch in my first MMD shoot I did. Anyway, when you look at my MMD one the date my movement was certified is two prior to when my watch was built when I vetted the serial number. This isn't hard to do because of low production. The MMD is their biggest seller and they have still not made and sold even 1000 of them each year since launching them in 2004. Oh, and it is still keeping the same +.7 a day in all positions. Not bad at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidestro Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 I don't understand why all of the manufacturers who receive the COSC cert don't make more of a presentation out of the cert. I had to ASK Omega to even get mine and they came through the mail, apart from the watch. Breitling gives a cert but it is not as nice as the one that I got with my Omega or you have posted above. Why go to the effort to have them certified and then use it as a selling point if you are going to obscure the original certificate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobbieG Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Agreed. If nothing else they make great props for pics, but it does show care of the manufactory too. It is cool to know your movement was treated as its own entity and made its own journey to La Chaux-de-Fonds and only 3% of the worlds production ever do. An exclusive club of sorts. Who cares about the rate really as it isn't permanent or anything. It is about care (and caring), which is the whole deal in any fine goods if you ask me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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