Posts Tagged ‘Watch’
On-The-Wrist Review: Longio SG3824A Flying Tourbillon
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Recently there’s been a fair bit of discussion about the real value of a tourbillon complication here on The Watch Lounge and it was very positive to see reader’s voicing their opinions and getting involved in the discussion. What you may not realise was that the original catalyst for that article was a new timepiece we were lucky enough to get our hands on from Hong Kong based manufacturer Longio Watch Company. What makes this piece special is that not only is it fitted with a Chinese-made Seagull movement with flying tourbillon complication, but the actual case, dial, and so forth have all been made in-house. And to be honest, they haven’t done too bad a job.
On-The-Wrist
It’s no secret that China has been making watches, especially copies of high-end brands, for quite some time now. However, what is starting to happen is that these companies which traditionally manufactured components for European brands are starting to enter the luxury watch market themselves, with their own original branded products.
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Longio is one such company, offering timepieces with a high-end complications such as tourbillons at far more affordable prices than any European brand has ever been able (or willing) to offer. The piece we received for review is identified simply as Ref SG3824A and features a manual-wind movement with Flying Tourbillon complication with Moonphase and Date.
Overall, on first impressions we have to say this is a pretty nice looking timepiece. The case is very well made and has a nice, solid feel to it and similarly the rubber strap is of good quality and very comfortable (an area many cheaper brands often cut corners.) The watch sits well on the wrist and the crown feels firm and secure when winding the piece. A sapphire exhibition case back gives a rather disappointing view of the movement which hasn’t really been decorated at all and is mostly hidden.
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Unfortunately the dial, however, is no where near as impressive as the case it is housed in. Described by the brand as a “black cut-out dial with black indices” it looks exactly that, a few pieces of plastic which have been cut into shape and then layered over the top of each other.
This is a major sticking point in my book as you spend most of your time looking at the dial and the poor finish really cheapens the overall feel of the watch, which isn’t necessarily a fair representation of the quality. Similarly, both the hour and minute hands and moon-phase complication lack the polished-finish you would get in a European made watch which again is quite disappointing. Add to that the completely ineffective pushers located at 2 and 4 o’clock for the date and moonphase respectively, which despite several futile attempts, I could not get to function in any noticeable way and you soon see there are a few areas for improvement on this particular piece.
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Obviously though the key selling point of this piece is the flying tourbillon complication, and it is undeniably eye-catching (if not lacking somewhat in accuracy, rated at +30/-30 per day.) As it rotates through its 60-second arc you eye can’t help but be drawn to its graceful trajectory, time and time again, and in my opinion this really saves the piece. The tourbillon itself is well-made and well-finished and it is possible to observe it in action from both the front and rear of the case.
Certainly this is a brand that is capable of making a good quality timepiece, there just not quite there yet.
Regardless, brands like Longio still have a veritable up-hill battle on their hands when it comes to overcoming all the damage done to China’s reputation as a result of years of producing cheap, unreliable goods and the country’s supposed inability to be creative. Harder still will be the job of convincing their own countrymen, who are presently enamoured with European luxury brands, that their product is worthy of patronage.
© The Watch Lounge
The Final Word
Undeniably Chinese manufacturers have continued to improve and certainly produced some top quality “homage” pieces over the last few years, however, these were priced at a much lower point in the market. A point, which some would argue, consumers felt comfortable paying. This new breed of luxury brands though is looking to raise the bar again. The timepiece we have here for review today for example will run you closer to $3k – $4k as opposed to the few hundred you would’ve have paid for the homage pieces.
Still, there will be those out there who simply appreciate and admire the tourbillon complication even though they (like most of us) could never hope to own one from one of the high-end Swiss watch manufactures and so these new pieces from Chinese brands like Longio could really provide a realistic alternative. They are fairly well-priced for what they are although you will get zero brand recognition, which may be a good thing if you’re not too proud about wearing a Chinese made timepiece.
What do you think? Leave a comment. | Filed under New This Week, Watch Reviews
Van Cleef & Arpels And Ladies Watches: The Love Story Continues
Four years on from the birth of the highly desirable Poetic Complications series, luxury jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels has held a special event at their exquisite boutique in Place Vendôme, Paris to celebrate the release of three new evolutionary additions to this stunning range. We were fortunate enough to receive an invite to attend this exclusive event and we were not disappointed. To put it simply, the new pieces are absolutely breathtaking!
A Special Presentation
The spirit of these new pieces remains the same : Van Cleef & Arpels is intent on providing women with a new way to observe the passing of time. Timepieces created in a style which has been especially designed for her, and not just a simple variation of an existing model originally designed for men. Laurent Picciotto, founder of Chronopassion and ambassador of the collection, is here to make sure of that. His thoughts on the matter are quite clear, “For too long, Switzerland has been misogynous and macho”.
No arguments here.
In order to achieve this noble ambition, the brand has adopted a slightly different approach from traditional watchmakers. From the beginning, the focus is on design: one doesn’t start from a technical perspective, but instead from a creative idea. Then, they see if it’s realizable.
“Consequently, everything starts in the designer office”, underlines Louis de Meckenheim, Watch Marketing Manager, Van Cleef & Arpels. “The conception starts with jewellers and designers, and then we turn to to the movement makers, to see what is feasible, and what could become an issue”.
The brand offers poetic variations around time, realized through timepieces for which pure technics are pushed into the background. Love, magic, Paris, a starry sky, are just some of the variations of these Poetic Complications, allowing every woman the opportunity to comprehend time according to her own sense of style and sophistication.
And by all accounts the range of customers is quite diverse.
“It would be very difficult for us to define the average standard of our clients. Our youngest have less than 20 years !”, smiles the jeweller. “Even if we thought we were offering a single purchase experience to our clients, we see some of them coming year after year to discover what we had created for them as variations around the theme of time”.
Today, Van Cleef & Arpels offers about twenty references in its Poetic Complications range, each presented in limited quantities of around 100 units per year.
Nevertheless, do not allow yourself to be fooled by the stunning beauty of these pieces: whilst the sense of poetry created by each watch remains the focal point, the technical complexity of these pieces is equally as impressive.
A fact that is sure to appeal not only to the lucky owners but also their male counterparts, who often accompany their beloved when they are considering buying a sophisticated watch.
Thus, most of the models presented today, mainly built on an ETA base, include a fly-back complication. However, we are not talking about a flying-back swords here. Not at all! Swords don’t exist in the Poetic Complications world. Here we are talking about magic wands, butterflies, stars and fairy wings. At Van Cleef & Arpels, we don’t just look at the hour, we watch the passing of time. The two are not the same thing at all.
“We wanted to create watches that could go with our clients in their changing vision of time during their life”, analyses de Meckenheim. “Ladies don’t have the same link to time at 30 as they do at 60. Thus, our models are designed to offer different levels of time interpretation, in order to stay in perfect harmony with the life of our clients”.
Conceptually therefore each client will discover, as the years go by, a multitude of details designed by Van Cleef & Arpels : from the ruby that will appear only one time per year on a given day in May, to the slightest vibration of the butterflies when hitting the first second of each minute, through to the fleeting kiss of lovers, each watch contains its own hidden secrets waiting to be discovered along the years.
The Final Word
It’s hard not to be completely drawn in by Van Cleef & Arpels presentation of its Poetic Complications. It’s now a mature collection, remarkably made and combining the best qualities of the brand’s jeweller and watchmaker DNA. Each piece offers a unique poetic proposition, encompassing a subtle and rare elegance, with its own personality integrated at the same time into a consistent collection.
So stunningly exquisite that some would ask why women watches have not been designed like this before…
If you would like to keep up-to-date with everything happening at Van Cleef & Arpels make sure you become a fan on their Facebook Page and subscribe to their Twitter feed.
Hublot Big Bang Tutti Frutti – Who Said Classy Can’t Be Colorful?
As you are all no doubt aware Basel World will be upon us in a matter of weeks, with the world’s best watch and jewellery brands coming together in Switzerland to unveil their latest creations. We’ve covered a few of the ones that have really caught our fancy so far and will continue to do so in the lead up to the show. To date though, the focus has predominantly been on men’s watches and so we thought it was high time we brought you a ladies’ watch, and what a striking piece it is! Gentleman, you would be well advised not to let your wives or girlfriends read this.
You have been warned.
Colorful and Bold
Scheduled to be presented at Basel World this year, the new Big Bang Steel Tutti Frutti from Swiss watch maker Hublot is nothing short of stunning. Bold and colorful without being overwhelming, this latest piece exudes an exotic sense of style and power. At the same time the color-scheme is resolutely feminine, lending a touch of softness to this piece not always seen in oversized ladies’ models.
Presented on a pink alligator strap, the case is made of stainless steel with satin-finished endpieces. The beautifully simplistic fine mother of pearl dial is surrounded by 48 baguette-cut pink sapphires, providing the perfect blend of elegance and attitude and ensuring that this is a timepiece that will grab attention.
As we touched on before it is slightly large for a ladies piece at 41mm but there has been a growing trend toward women wearing 40 – 42mm men’s watches over the last year or two and we think given its bold design it is actually perfectly sized.
Powered by a mechanical automatic winding Hublot Calibre HUB4300 movement with chronograph function, this piece is not only attractive but also sophisticated and practical. Highly desirable qualities in any context!
The Final Word
Certainly this new piece from uber popular watch maker Hublot is not for everyone tastes and we daresay that it would take a certain kind of individual to pull it off. However, that’s exactly who its been designed for; strong, confident women who are looking for a distinctive way to express their own sense of style.
Unlike other ladies’ pieces we’ve seen in the past, the Big Bang Tutti Frutti combines a sense of sportiness and attitude with a touch of elegance, whilst all the time remaining absolutely feminine.
We love it! The question is, do you?
Having The Best Of Both Worlds – Reconvilier Hercules Golf Master
Golf enthusiasts take note – now that Tag Heuer’s Golf watch has fallen into disrepute (thanks to the meteoric demise of a certain superstar’s reputation), we have a new and improved option for you that we think is far more stylish. And useful! You see not only will this new piece from Swiss watch maker Reconvilier inform you of the time with one look at its simplistically attractive dial, it will also tell you the distance to the front edge or center of the green.
All you have to do is flip it over!
How Does It Work?
The technology used in the Hercules Golf Master is not really that new and is really quite simple, relatively speaking. A base station that is kept in your bag communicates with this stylish timepiece, allowing it to obtain golf course data before the start of the game. Once you’re on the course, the data is relayed automatically from this base station to the watch through the magic of GPS and calculates your position. It then displays the distance from the green in meters or yards.
As you can see in the above image the digital readout also shows the regular time as well as distance to the green, so you don’t need to be constantly flipping the dial over to see what time it is. However, when you finish the game and its time to show off down at the Club lounge, the “Rotax” mechanism allows the watch face to be removed and flipped 180° to showcase what is a very good-looking analogue dial.
Although the practice of using pocket-sized rangfinders and so forth has been going on for some time now, to date we have not seen this technology combined into such a classic looking and at the same time, functional, piece.
Being true Swiss watch makers though, Reconvilier hasn’t overlooked the finer details required in a good quality timepiece. The Hercules Golf Master is powered by an automatic ETA 2892A movement which has been certified by the COSC as a chronometer and is available in either a stainless steel or titanium 45mm case. There a three dial colors to choose from, white, black or grey, and the analogue display shows hours, minutes, seconds and the date.
The watch is finished off on a black or white rubber strap, with either a steel or titanium folding clasp (depending on the type of case material you choose.)
Reconvilier will be presenting this watch at Basel World this year and so there is availability on pricing at this stage. We think it would probably be reasonable to expect somewhere between $2,500 – $5,000.
The Final Word
This really promises to be an excellent watch that delivers even doses of functionality and classic style. Many other practical watches like this incorporate the digital display and the analogue display into the one dial (like the Tissot Touch Series for example), which is fine when you’re out diving or on the green but can really detract from a piece’s overall appeal when it comes time to come in for champagne and canapés. The Hercules Golf Master overcomes this issue beautifully offering the wearer the best of both worlds without the need to compromise.
It’s a shame Tiger Woods didn’t have one of these, surely it would have satisfied his insatiable appetite for having it all!
The Tyndall Watch From Newcomer Xetum – Less Is More
Late last year a new watch brand was launched, pioneered by founder and head designer Jeff Kuo. Simply called Xetum, this funky new brand offers a novel take on minimalist watch design without compromising on functionality or quality. Each piece is well thought out and well put together, and just as importantly, well priced. Today, we thought we’d take a closer look at a particular model that caught our fancy, the brand new Xetum Tyndall.
A Brief Background
Before we start talking about the Tyndall in earnest, it is probably worthwhile giving you a brief background on this newcomer. Based in the U.S. one of the things that makes Xetum’s pieces unique (and that first caught our attention) is that they are all designed in, and therefore influenced by, their home city of San Francisco. Yet, in recognition of their strong desire to only produce top quality watches all pieces are manufactured and put together in Switzerland.
This may seem like a relatively minor point but in a crowded market this can really make a difference and help a particular brand out. The reason for this is that because Jeff Kuo is from San Francisco his ideas about design, form and functionality have been influenced by a whole different set of factors, as opposed to say a designer based in Switzerland. Often it is said that someone looking from the outside in can bring a fresh perspective and that is what’s happened here.
It’s not that one is better than the other, it’s just simply a different point of view and that’s what makes it so appealing. That and the fact the watches look great!
Keeping It Simple
One of the first things you notice when you look at either of Xetum’s initial two models is how simple and easy they are to read. For example the Tyndall features a 24-hour time display as well as a subsidiary seconds dial and a date function yet somehow the dial avoids appearing crowded or confusing. The choice of font and layout ensure that reading the time is a breeze and will not require you to squint at your wrist for several seconds trying to figure out the time, an issue further addressed by the anti-reflective coated sapphire crystal.
The design is simple and attractive and works for pretty much any occasion, be it a black tie dinner, a day at the office or on the golf course with friends. A good-looking watch without being too bold, the Tyndall is perfectly sized at 40mm, almost pre-empting the subtle shift we are now seeing away from oversized watches. The large ornate crown, designed with reference to the brand’s hexagonal logo, helps form the signature look of the piece whilst at the same time retaining the subtle appeal.
Nothing on this watch is overdone, everything is just as it should be.
Although not immediately obvious in the pictures the case is actually more of an oval shape, as opposed to the traditional round shape. Yet another subtle point of differentiation. In addition, the case has been designed without lugs and thus the strap attaches directly, further streamlining the design.
Powering the Tyndall is a nicely decorated Swiss ETA 2895-2 movement which is visible through the exhibition case back. And for the finishing touch the Tyndall is fitted with a naturally tanned leather strap that features a unique, and eco-friendly, Italian cork lining. The clasp is a push-button butterfly deployment that is signed with the Xetum logo.
Keeping all of the above in mind, the Tyndall represents excellent value at US$1,395 and is available to buy direct from Xetum.
The Final Word
As I’ve said before on here countless times, I love finding new watch brands that aren’t afraid to do something a little different but without compromising on quality. Xetum is an excellent example of such a brand and it will be very exciting to see what they come up with next. Well presented and sensibly priced it’s hard to think of a reason really why you shouldn’t add one of these to your collection.
If you would like more information check out Xetum’s official website.
And as a sneak peek, we will be speaking with Xetum founder and head designer Jeff Kuo in the not too distant future, so if you have any questions in particular you would like us to ask Jeff please write them in the comments section below or send us an email!
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