Linde Werdelin SpidoSpeed Black Diamond Watch

Linde Werdelin releases a bejeweled watch for men. I first noticed it on the wrist of Jorn Werdelin at this year's Baselworld watch show. They often play with designs as an experiment to see what might make the next cool limited edition piece. I wasn't sure if this was one of those experiments. A lot of the time brand owners and CEOs like to produce exclusive pieces reserved just for them. A watch with black diamonds and a mother-of-pearl dial is precisely the type of thing that Jorn might produce just one of for himself to wear. We now learn that Linde Werdelin will produce 50 of them.







The watch is the Linde Werdelin SpidoSpeed Black Diamond watch. It is based on the original Linde Werdelin SpidoSpeed Chronograph the we fully reviewed here. The SpidoSpeed Chronograph is the brand's first ever chronograph watch. It is based on the Spidolite collection and was quite cool when it was first debuted. Now it gets a bit dressed up with diamonds. For their chronograph watch Linde Werdelin chose a Concepto caliber 2251 automatic chronograph movement with a custom rotor.

If you notice my hands-on images of the SpidoSpeed Black Diamond different a little bit from the final version. Two differences I can spot are the color of the brand logo as well as the hour and minute hands. For the final version the logo gets a dark application and the hour and minute hands are in blued steel. The rest of the hands retain that matte finished gray tone. I do agree with the changes and think that the blued hands go quite nicely with the black diamonds and mother-of-pearl dial.







It isn't particularly easy to make a men's jewelry watch that western guys would wear. Black diamonds are a good way to make a piece look less feminine. However, not everyone appreciates black diamonds the same way. Why? Well they don't have the same luxury cache as white diamonds, and they are also not clearly diamonds. You can get the same effect from black sapphires for example. Nevertheless, men's jewelry wear from makers such as Shambala have proven that black diamonds certainly have a place in "men's luxury."

The SpidoSpeed Black Diamond contains 48 black diamonds on the bezel and a single black diamond on the chronograph hour register. What is it doing there? There used to be a letter "R" in that place which stood for "Rock" or "Reef" which are Linde Werdelin's computerized wearable instruments for land exploration or diving. The "R" being pleased at 4 and a half hours indicates how long it takes those gadgets to fully recharge the battery when plugged in. And now you have a diamond to remind you.




The SpidoSpeed Black Diamond case is 44mm wide in a black DLC coated steel case. Like the Spidolite before it the case is "skeletonized." The case is water resistant to 100 meters and comes with a beautiful black calf leather strap with portholes. The marketing pictures do not do it justice at all, so it is a good thing I have some real pictures of it. Are you a fan of black (Tahitian" mother-of-pearl? Unlike normal mother-of-pearl it offers a darker but still lustrous look which can be nice when used correctly. I think it is a good fit on this watch. What Linde Werdelin was able to do in my opinion is create a form of men's jewelry watch that isn't girly, remains sporty, and also has a unique look to it. Price for the 50 piece limited edition Linde Werdelin SpidoSpeed Black Diamond watch is $27,500.

Tag Heuer Aquaracer 500m Ceramic Watch

Tag Heuer has been producing the Aquaracer line of divers for the better part of 20 years and the range has always promoted models to both the enthusiast and mass market buyers. Over the course of its lifespan, the Aquaracer has transitioned from a sport diver to an appealing option for buyers looking for a nicely made entry point into the world of luxury divers. In 2009, Tag Heuer launched the Aquaracer 500m WAJ series, an aggressive and very sporty design that was definitely more diver than dress watch and was something of a callback to Heuer's roots in commercial diving. This year, Tag Heuer has released the next generation of their 500m diver (reference WAK) and has dropped much of the styling cues that made the well-received 2009 WAJ range stand out from other Aquaracer models. These new ceramic bezel-clad 500m divers are much more reminiscent of the often overshadowed WAN series 300m divers, which are the dressy sub-a-likes in the previous generation of Tag Heuer divers.







This new 500m Aquaracer is an odd update to the previous model. In what some would consider an act of sheer lunacy, Tag Heuer has downsized the new 500m WAK diver to 41mm compared with the 43mm case seen on the WAJ series (44mm on the chronograph versions). The distinctive rubberized bezel of the WAJ series has been swapped out for a svelte ceramic bezel that has the same look as the aluminum bezel fitted to the 300m WAN series. Power for the three-hand models will still be sourced via the Tag Heuer Calibre 5 which is either an ETA 2824 or a Sellita SW200 (these movements are essentially interchangeable).







Having previously owned a Tag Heuer Aquaracer WAN2110 300m diver, I rather like this new model with its more subtle dial design, smaller case and the simple fact that its sapphire crystal is not adorned with a clops magnifier. The 300m WAN2110 is thin, simple and nicely made, essentially everything that a dress-diver buyer is looking for. What concerns me is the thought of having a Tag Heuer dress diver, but no sportier older brother. The WAN 300m makes more sense when you know, in the back of your mind, that while you chose the dressy option, the same company makes a tougher and more aggressive 500m model like 2009's WAJ series. I am quite sure that the new WAK is a serious diver, what with its 500m water resistance and SMP-like HeV manual release at 10 o'clock on the case side, but the "last gen" 300m and 500m Aquaracers complimented each other nicely. Those used to the previous generation models are encouraged to "try before they buy" as the new Aquaracers are more a re-think than evolution on the existing collection.










Regardless of previous models, the new 2012 Tag Heuer 500m WAK ceramic models will be available in versions including the black dial WAK2110, a blue/stainless WAK2111, a blue dial two-tone WAK2120, and my favorite the all black WAK2180 (seen above). With pricing starting at $2500 USD for the steel models, the all black model will sell for roughly $2800 with the two-tone model topping off the range around $3100 USD this new 500m Aquaracer carries essentially the same price tag as the 2009 versions. What isn't clear is if this new 500m variant is meant to replace the 2009 series or if it is simply a supplemental addition to the Aquaracer family. I definitely like the looks of the new model and they have the features and price tag to make for a very successful version of Tag Heuer's mass market diver.

URWERK UR-210 Watch Reminds You To Stop Being Lazy

Urwerk is tired of your lazy ass sitting on the couch. That is why their small team in Switzerland has developed a brand new complication dedicated to getting you up and moving. This model UR-210 watch could quite possibly be the most expensive exercise timepiece ever developed. Any I don't think it is recommended that you strenuously exercise while wearing it either.

The new timepiece from the exclusive Swiss brand is the UR-210, and follows in the visual and technical footsteps of URWERKS other models. However, the design evolution here is very apparent and I think futurism lovers are going to find the technical design of the UR-210 to be among the most delicious they have seen in a while.




Let's jump into the timepiece's innovations first. The new complication has been coined the "Winding Efficiency Indicator" by Urwerk. The name makes sense but is unlikely to explain exactly what the complication is meant to do (i.e. turn your watch into a whiny wife). This winding efficiency indicator is coupled to the power reserve indicator and measures the amount of power you are generating via the automatic movement over the last two hours. As you know, automatic movements use a weighted rotor to wind a mechanical watch while you move your wrist around. If you don't move your wrist around then you don't charge up the movement.

The UR-210 also includes a power reserve indicator to tell you how much power is left in the movement. As I said the winding efficiency indicator (patent pending!) is connected to the power reserve indicator and looks at the overall power you have generated over each previous two hour period. That information is then displayed as an average on an indicator bar that goes from green (you keep shaking that beautiful booty) to red (you probably just ate an entire cauldron of fondue and can't get up. Or perhaps you are lazy! It is 5:30am and in Switzerland you must be awake!). The idea is that you know how much power you have generally been generating for the movement - you the human power generator.




Once you glance over at the watch and realize you are in the red zone you can start moving your arm around. But there is yet another feature to play with. Urwerk utilizes a rotor winding efficiency selector on the back of the watch that allows you to decide how sensitive the rotor is. On a light setting the slightest movement will wind the mainspring. On a more tight setting you'll need to move around harder to wind the movement. There is also a stop function where you can totally block the rotor in the event you are engaged in some type of high-shock activity. And to think, high-end $100,000 plus watches were supposed to make life better, not more complicated? Despite the interesting intent of the complication, it is extremely clever and you have to praise Urwerk for developing the concept into reality.

Urwerk's signature satellite time display system has evolved a bit, but those familiar with the brand can still easily read the watch. I happen to really like the new dial and thing it is beautiful. I love the more technical angles and modernity... as well as visual balance. You may notice that the size of the "hand" is larger than before. It uses a new housing system to support the hour marker units. Nevertheless, the retrograde function is still design to shoot back to it starting position with incredible speed. The indicators are also coated in lots of SuperLumiNova.



The case is made from steel and titanium, and is just over 43mm wide. It is a large, but not totally huge timepiece. Once again you not only have a cool looking watch case but also a lovely three-dimensional dial to look into. In mostly titanium this initial version of the UR-210 can be thought of as the "naked" model. You can fully expect to see models in black, and in other treatments in the near future. Urwerk makes no reference of "limited edition," so I consider this to be a new standard model in their collection.

Urwerk timepieces have always been a bit wild and crazy. Even for me. They are toys for the ultra rich with wide tastes. Among the many luxury timepieces out there with margins that make you ill, Urwerk seems to genuinely offer a boutique, exclusive experience that offer features and technical know-how that no one else can match. It might be expensive, but at least you are getting what you pay for. Now as the UR-210 suggest, get off your ass and make some money to afford one. Price will be about 137,000 Swiss Francs. I look forward to some hands-on time with a UR-210 soon.


UR‐210 ‐ Technical Specifications from URWERK
Case
Material: Titanium and steel
Dimensions: Width 43.8mm, length 53.6mm, thickness 17.8mm
Glasses: Sapphire crystal
Water resistance: 30m/100’/3ATM
Surface finishes: Satin finish
Movement
Caliber UR‐7.10
Jewels: 51
Escapement: Swiss lever
Balance: Monometallic
Frequency 28,800v/h, 4Hz
Balance spring: Flat
Power source: Single mainspring barrel
Power reserve: 39 hours
Winding system: Self‐winding coupled to turbines
Materials: Plate in ARCAP P40; 3D minute hand in aluminum with brass counterweight; central cylindrical spiral in spring‐steel; hour satellites in aluminium; central carrousel and screws in Titanium Grade 5. Surface finishes Circular graining, sandblasted, circular and straight satin‐finished plate; satin‐finished and diamond‐polished satellites; beveled and polished screw heads.
Indications
Patented revolving satellite complication with wandering hour and three‐dimensional retrograde minute hand; power reserve indicator; winding efficiency indicator (patent pending). Super‐LumiNova treatment on markers, dials, indexes, hands, and satellites

Controls
Two‐position winding crown
On the back: winding efficiency selector

Antoine Martin Tourbillon Quantieme Perpetual Watch Hands-On

The second watch from newer high-end brand Antoine Martin is the Tourbillon Quantieme Perpetual. It basically takes everything you (may) have liked about the Perpetual Calendar from last year and includes a tourbillon. The new layout of the dial also suggested a regulator style display of time. What is cool about the Tourbillon Quantieme Perpetual? Well it isn't boring, the movement is really complicated and made by Martin Braun, and it is has a super-sized flying tourbillon. Horogasm! I talked about it first here on Centurion.

I covered the Antoine Martin Perpetual Calendar watch in detail here. You can see that the Tourbillon Quantieme Perpetual uses the same large 46mm wide case - which of course implies that the same basic aesthetic theme is used in this even more high-end piece. While the Perpetual Calendar opts for relative symmetry and expansive free space on the dial, the Tourbillon Quantieme Perpetual is about packing as many large elements on the dial as possible. Actually, rarely do you ever see so little space dedicated to the perpetual calendar displays. Gotta love how it is packed in there so neatly.







Let's step back a bit and revisit the overall concept of the watch and the brand thus far. Martin Braun is a movement designer and exists among a select group of elite thinkers who are really doing cool things mechanically but in a way that has the movements actually working. The Antoine Martin brand could have easily been classical in theme but eschewed that in favor of a more masculine concept. With nicely made movements and a bold concept that doesn't come across as trendy or temporary, I think the look and feel of the brand certainly has a place in the high-end world.

Note that the watches you are seeing here are prototypes. An obvious way to see this is via the unfinished casebacks of the watches. There you'll see a power reserve indicator - and nothing else for the time being. While I like these watches, they do suck to photograph - seriously. Too many shiny parts at different levels. What I am trying to say is that they look better in person than in these candid photos. The cases are in 18k white or rose gold - with either light or dark dials. Perhaps in the next year or two there will be some titanium and more "sporty" models available.







The focus in each of these watches is the tourbillon. Martin Braun has always favored large balance wheels, and now he is doing the same with a really large tourbillon balance wheel - which is 14.1mm wide. Still, it is very light at just 0.62 grams. That is almost nothing for all 65 parts. While the balance spring is not in silicium, other parts are. This includes the pallet lever, escape wheel, and impulse pin. These elements in silicium (silicon) will help the calibre 39.002 movement be more accurate and durable over time. The movement is manually wound and has a power reserve of six days.

At the very top of the dial on the Tourbillon Quantieme Perpetual you will see windows for the day and month and, sandwiched between them is a leap year indicator. Antoine Martin uses a retrograde hand for the date. The main hand on the dial is used to display the minutes, while a subsidiary dial at about 9 o'clock is used for the hours. The spinning tourbillon doubles as the seconds indicator. The design of the watch has the sapphire crystal really close to the tourbillon offering a really nice view of the complication in action. While the design of this watch may be beguiling, it is true haute horlogerie and a really interesting timepiece overall. A nice step forward for the new brand with their first tourbillon.

Habring² Doppel 2.0 Watch

I don't know why it took me until now to cover Habring² here on aBlogtoRead.com. You've heard about German watch makers, but what about Austrian ones? Well now you have. These guys are pretty cool - and certainly unique. Imagine if Sinn and Tutima had a cousin across the border. Similar but different, that German speaking cousin regularly wore bowties. That would be Habring². I mean all is good except for the little mathematical "squared number 2" numeral next to the name. I get that it is a team of Maria Kristina Habring and Richard Habring - but did they need to choose a character that requires like 10 minutes to figure out how to enter into a text document?

If Habring² was a mathematical equation I think the result would be Germanic mechanical sentiments times nouveau design classicism equals whatever you see here. That makes sense right? I never did very well in abstract math. With highly limited production numbers, the best pieces are watches like this Doppel 2.0 (redundant) chronograph watch with what I believe is an in-house movement and slick design.



The Doppel 2.0 watch celebrates the split seconds chronograph in a basic, stripped down way that is not overly minimalistic or boring. Split second chronographs are also called rattrapante chronographs - and their purpose is to offer an additional one minute chronograph that can run while the main chronograph is marking time. This is done with a dedicated "split" hand that usually activates a second chronograph seconds hand located under the main hand. It is an ideal mechanism for those who want to measure short durations while measuring something else. While uncommon in mechanical chronographs today - most digital stopwatches feature a "split time" function that evolved from the split second mechanical chronograph.

Inside the Habring² Doppel 2.0 watch is a new movement that I believe was developed and produced in-house by Habring². Actually, the precise nature of the movement is unclear to me. What I think is more likely is that Habring² - at their workshop - modifies and decorates a base ETA chronograph (or otherwise) movement. The result is the Habring² caliber A08MR manually wound split second chronograph with 48 hours of power reserve and regulated-to-chronometer specs. The movement can be admired through the sapphire crystal caseback.




The watch itself will come in a 42mm wide steel case. Attractive, the design is rather low-key with vintage style plunger pushers. The split second pusher is on the left side of the case. The case is water resistant to 50 meters and has a sapphire crystal. According to Habring², the case has the watch serial number engraved on the case between the lugs.

The dial design is sexy and clean, with an obvious retro appeal. Colors are modern however, and the watch feels more Madison Avenue than it does "history book find". Habring² used larger silvered subdials which look more modern, as does that clean look of the dial - which still feels instrument panel like. Hands are pretty well sized and legibility is high. The thin hands and hour markers are coated with luminant. How do you feel about the aviator style "12" and "6" Arabic hour numerals? I rather like the touch.




Habring² will offer three dial color options - being blue, brown or gray. The attached leather strap with lighter brown/orange contrast stitching feels very "Louis Vuitton" in hue. Each color version of the Doppel 2.0 feels well-executed and I think Habring² will do well with this range. According to them they will produce only 20 pieces of the Doppel 2.0 watch each year. That is pretty Austrio-exclusive. Price is 6,000 Euros.