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Corum Bubble

In the year 2000 Corum introduced the Bubble, an oversized replica watches uk sale with an even larger crystal. It was so radical it became the must-have timepiece of the new millennium. Now, exactly 15 years later, the Bubble makes a triumphal return, sealing its place as a pillar of Corum’s watchmaking heritage.

At the turn of the century watchmaking was a universe away from what it is today. Big watches were scarce, unconventionally shaped watches almost unheard of. The tectonic shift began as the 21st century dawned, with Corum riding on the top of the wave that would soon sweep watchmaking.

At Baselworld 2000 the Bubble was unveiled, an unparalleled 44 mm in diameter with a towering sapphire crystal so tall it distorted the dial. With a size and shape totally unprecedented in Swiss replica watchmaking, the Bubble was an instant hit.

The Bubble was the brainchild of the late Severin Wunderman, a relentlessly creative entrepreneur who acquired Corum that very same year. Wunderman, who survived both the Holocaust and cancer, had a roving, creative mind. In one instance, he was inspired by an experimental deep-sea dive watch from the 1960s, which was fitted with an enormous domed crystal to withstand the pressure of the ocean. That formed the genesis of the Bubble, one of the most recognizable wristwatches of its time.

While the Bubble was unquestionably unique, its unorthodox design was merely an extension of Corum’s long-established philosophy. Since its founding in 1955, Corum consistently excelled at designing totally original timepieces, ranging from the Rolls-Royce, shaped like the luxury automobile’s front grille, to the Golden Bridge, distinguished by its remarkably tiny, baguette-shaped movement.

Despite being a mere 15 years old, the Bubble is major part of the brand’s heritage, deserving of elevation into a hall of fame. The Bubble has now been revived as part of the Corum Heritage collection, putting it alongside other landmark timepieces like the extra-thin Coin Swiss fake watches online.

While retaining all the design codes of the original, the 2015 Bubble is not a mere replica of its predecessor. Fitted with a rubber-ringed, spherical crown, the case is a collection of smooth, rounded lines, just like the original.

But it has been enlarged to 47 mm, lending it impressively striking proportions, especially as it stands some 18.8 mm high, crystal included. But, as always, practicality was high on the mind of the development team, which paired the oversized case with short, curved lugs, allowing it to hug the wrist snugly.

A remarkable 8 mm high, this sapphire crystal is one of the largest of any watch. Sapphire is a material so extraordinarily hard it has to be cut with a diamond-tipped tool. This in itself is challenging enough that even when machining ordinary, flat Breitling fake watches uk crystals the job can take hours. Crafting the mountainous crystal of the Bubble requires exponentially more work. The task starts with cutting a block of crystal, then grinding it into a bubble-like shape, and finally polishing the crystal to flawless clarity with absolutely no optical imperfections.

Because the sapphire crystal is so tall, it acts as a lens, both magnifying and distorting the dial. Corum’s designers took advantage of this by designing a dial with a clever, op art (short for “optical art”) motif. Taking inspiration from Hungarian-born French artist Victor Vasarely, founder of the op art movement, the dial is decorated with squares in graduated sizes that grow larger toward the center of the dial.

Op art desired to create static patterns that gave the impression of movement or surprising, contradictory perspectives. Likewise, the dial of the Bubble is perfectly flat, formed from a lacquered, brass disc stamped with the cube motif, but appears sharply domed. In fact, it looks so rounded it might pass for the top of a sphere.

This arresting op art dial will be fitted only to a pair of limited edition, PVD-coated versions of the Bubble, each made in an exclusive run of just 350 pieces. The first is the Bubble Vintage, housed in a bronze-tone, PVD-coated case paired with Super-LumiNova treated for a vintage effect. A modern fake watches store made to look like an antique from an indistinct era, the Bubble Vintage is a nod to the original Bubble now 15 years old.

Taking another perspective is the Bubble All Black, clad entirely in a glossy black PVD coating, matched by a matte black dial, along with charcoal-colored indices and hands. The Bubble All Black removes all distraction, making a monochromatic statement that emphasizes the iconic shape of the Bubble.

Part of the regular collection of timepieces, the third model in the Bubble collection does away with the dial entirely. A skeletonized movement takes its place, with the domed sapphire crystal providing a magnified view of the exposed wheels of the CO0082 self-winding movement.

All of the Bubble timepieces are fitted with rubber straps topped with leather: calfskin for the op art editions and alligator skin in the case of the skeleton. And each is fitted with a buckle matching the case finish.

Zenith at BaselWorld, or back to the future

150th anniversary. Episode 1. On 18th March, Zenith Manufacture, headed up by Jean-Claude Biver, President of the LVMH Watch Divisiond and Aldo Magada, CEO and President of the brand, started the celebrations to mark its 150th anniversary year at BaselWorld 2015. At 3 pm precisely, a year of experiences, events and Swiss replica watchmaking innovation began…

Blériot, Gandhi and the Rolling Stones were in attendance.

Since 1865,Zenith has built its story around ordinary heroes and extraordinary characters. It is a story of freedom, exploration, boundaries pushed and records broken. Ever further, higher, faster, spanning all territories and oceans, on rails, into space and out towards the stars, to read it is to immerse oneself in a vast, human tapestry, both geographical and technological.

And few brands have had the privilege of meeting Blériot, Gandhi, Mucha or the Rolling Stones; of voyaging through stories whose narratives create History in the truest sense, breaking the sound barrier, crossing the globe from pole to pole, stories in which breathtakingly small components are masterfully built into revolutionary mechanisms, accounts of thrilling races on the high seas and behind the wheel of collectors’ cars.

Such is the odyssey recounted in the anniversary book previewed at the press conference. Written by Joël Duval, a passionate Swiss replica watches uk collector, this livre-objet, which comes in a luxury case, tells the story of the Manufacture in 400 pages and 650 illustrations, most of which have never been seen before. Published by Éditions Albin Michel, it will be available on 26th March.

The arrival of new heroes.

While the past is the theme of the anniversary book and retrospective film, there is no room for nostalgia. To celebrate the Manufacture’s 150th anniversary, Aldo Magada has presented its history and heroes, but the accent is firmly on the 150 years to come. That’s the beauty of Zenith’s history: it’s a never-ending story…

Félix Baumgartner and his new challenges

Let’s not forget that, when Félix Baumgartner leapt from the stratosphere, reaching a speed of 1357.6 km/h and becoming the first man to exceed the speed of sound in free-fall, he did so while wearing the El Primero Stratos Flyback Striking 10th chronograph. Setting a number of other records, he also gathered precious data to aid the future of space exploration.

Aldo Magada has announced that Félix is continuing his adventure with Zenith. In what way? His recent experiences as a driver could be one avenue. A new passion to be pursued alongside the brand, always driven by a desire to surpass himself, or simply to follow his dream!

Driver Erik Comas and his passion for beautiful mechanisms.

As any connoisseur of mechanical excellence knows, Zenith is the brand of the elite driver. It was for this kind of hero that it conceived and created the wrist cheap replica watches uk.

Formula 3 champion in 1988 and F1 driver from 1991 to 1994, since 2000 Erik Comas has been earning himself a distinguished place in the historic car championships behind the wheel of his Lancia Stratos. An official Zenith partner, he is set to compete in the Italian and European championships from April to September 2015.

The adventures continue with Eric Abidal.

Footballer Eric Abidal, along with his Foundation, will be the next personality to join forces with the Manufacture. This new partnership marks the start of a brand new chapter. Zenith will be investing in areas it has not yet explored. A fresh example of the determination and enterprising spirit to which the brand’s illustrious founder continues to hold firm.

Once upon a time, in 150 years…

BaselWorld was also notably an opportunity for the brand to set the tone for the years to come. Aldo Magada reiterated his desire to focus the brand on its expertise and central function as a watchmaking Manufacture. While high-precision mechanisms (obvious examples are the El Primero and Elite movements, or the revolutionary gravity control module) still hold a place of honour, Zenith wants to move with the times. The brand’s aim with regard to future development: to perpetuate the founder’s spirit using today’s talent to create ever bolder but also more modern replica fake watches uk.

Future episodes: early and late April for the development of partnerships with Erik Comas and Eric Abidal. To be continued….

Girard-Perregaux – Neo-Tourbillon with Three Bridges and DLC titanium case

A contemporary reinterpretation of movement architecture designed by Girard-Perregaux in the nineteenth century, the Neo-Tourbillon with Three Bridges and DLC titanium case definitively places the Manufacture in the third millennium and puts the cheap replica watches uk mechanism on the level of kinetic art.

Daring has always been the watchword of exceptional people who defy established rules to create new paradigms by sheer force of conviction. Iconic since its inception, the Tourbillon with Three Bridges has imposed its unrivalled and minimalist architecture on the whole profession for the past 150 years. At the dawning of this new millennium, the time had come to make a change and uphold the magic of a sustainable idea. With the Neo-Tourbillon developed by the Manufacturer’s watchmaking teams, form has evolved in tune with contemporary tastes, but the architectural principle of perfection, which focuses on the essentials, remains just as powerful. Designed with the will to always move forward in compliance with the values dear to watch enthusiasts, the Neo-Tourbillon with Three Bridges endorses the technological potential mastered by the Manufacture, honouring the past and proving itself worthy of the future.

Between past and present

One look is enough to understand that the Neo-Tourbillon is primarily the expression of a stylistic principle around which it is possible to compose without ever deviating from the blueprint. The new aesthetic used to magnify the ethereal mechanism plays with the graphic codes of the era to attract and maintain attention. It also uses the best that avant-garde technology and materials have to offer. The new bridge design, through its curves, emphasises the omnipotence of this dynamic as expressed in the geometric design of bridges in the Swiss replica watches uk presented in 1889 by Constant Girard-Perregaux at the Universal Exhibition in Paris, which went on to win a gold medal.

A bridge to the future

The structure of the bridges, openworked in such a way as to give an insight into each detail, is an ethereal celebration of the mechanism. Machined in titanium, a metal nearly half the weight of steel, each bridge is sand-blasted and then PVD-treated to give a materiality to this fine construction, which is a tribute to contemporary architecture and sometimes defies the rules of universal gravitation. Yet this is quite logical as the Tourbillon, supported by its sculptural arch, performs a timed revolution that has the fascinating property of releasing the balance spring from the effects of gravity.

Framed by gravity

To maximise the effect of depth and catch the eye – and thereby the soul -, engineers and best replica watches uk makers have reworked the plate, also sand-blasted and black treated, in order to concentrate perspectives and light in its centre. This centre is contrasted and fractal, formed by a succession of three intertwining light grey circles. The sophisticated plate is designed like a frame and protected by a super-convex crystal dispensing the need for the case to include a bezel and thus emphasising a very large and magnificent Tourbillon cage. Also made in titanium, as in traditional steel versions, it offers fine watchmaking finishing with “traits tirés” surfaces and hand chamfered ridges. Performing a full rotation in one minute, this 14.44 mm diameter part, comprising 80 components and weighing only 0.25 grams, takes with it in its timed circle a balance spring adjusted by a set of gold screws, oscillating at 3 Hz through a spiral with a Phillips terminal curve.

The art of handling figures and numbers

As a perfect equation, the calibre of the Neo-Tourbillon with Three Bridges has a striking mathematical construction. A fleeting observation could suggest that this movement, called the GP09400, consists of only a few parts. In reality, it takes 245 to bring it to life. Distributed into subsets, they facilitate servicing of this heart finished to fine watchmaking standards. It is also the result of a large-scale development involving exclusive technical solutions, for some selected options such as automatic winding.

Tremendous endurance

Here for example, the platinum rotor that rewinds the barrel spring in one direction is placed beneath it and not around its drum as applied by the Manufacturer on certain other Tourbillon with Three Bridges models. This reviewed positioning guarantees the cheap Rolex replica watches uk a power reserve of 60 hours by the use of a larger diameter barrel drum, capable of holding a much longer spring.  Aware of the stylistic choices made, watchmakers have removed the teeth on the drum and replaced them with a screwed wheel. Engraved and chamfered, this wheel has six arms, assembled like turbine blades, to form a unique décor whose pattern is repeated as a kind of signature on the other visible wheels in the movement.

The Neo-Tourbillon in substance

Obviously, the Neo-Tourbillon with Three Bridges adorned with a 45 mm case in titanium DLC, water resistant to 30 metres and worn on an alligator strap has a transparent case-back. It allows enthusiasts to get to the heart of the components, some of which have been specifically designed to capture specific shapes of the Tourbillons with Three Bridges. Thus, on the case-back, an arrow-shaped bridge completely crosses the movement. Likewise, the ratchet at 12 o’clock reproduces the shape of a lyre and all the parts of the calibre, in addition to playing with multiples of three, have contemporary finishes treated according to the strictest traditional replica watches uk online making rules.

Inside Rolex Bienne

The first thing that strikes you is its sheer size. The Rolex movement-making complex, on the Swiss replica watches uk outskirts of Bienne, Switzerland, is a study in gigantism. It consists of four monolithic buildings, occupying 170,000 cubic meters of space. It’s imposing, and, with its air of impregnability, a little mysterious.

We ride out there one February afternoon because Rolex has agreed to give us, two editors, a tour of the facility, a mainplate-to-hairspring view of how it makes its movements, 750,000-plus of them per year.

Before the tour, we receive a background briefing, a combination of live presentation and film. It takes place in a proportionately large auditorium attached to what is surely the biggest cheap replica watches-company reception area we’ve ever been in: a two-story-high, light-filled atrium with a Rolex-green marble floor.

This complex, Manufacture des Montres Rolex SA, located in an industrial zone called Champs-de-Boujean, is the sister of Rolex SA in Geneva, which makes cases, bracelets and dials; assembles the watches; and does the company’s gem-setting. Rolex corporate headquarters are also in Geneva.

Rolex Daytona Caliber 4130

Here in Bienne, about 2,000 employees make movement components, 50 million of them per year, assemble the movements, and send them to Switzerland’s chronometer-testing agency, COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres) to receive chronometer certification. (All Rolex-made movements receive certification except for most in the Cellini collection — although Cellini Prince models are COSC-certified.) Rolex replica watches sale Bienne then ships the movements to Rolex Geneva for casing. The four Bienne buildings, set against the backdrop of the Jura mountains, are called Rolex III, IV, V and VI. (Rolex I and II are old, former factory buildings near the center of Bienne. Rolex no longer owns them.) The company also has a factory in the town of Le Locle, employing 150 people, where some movement assembly takes place.

Until 2004, Rolex Bienne and Rolex Geneva had different owners. The former belonged to the descendants of Jean Aegler, whose Aegler SA factory in Bienne provided movements to Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf starting in 1905. Rolex Geneva was, and still is, owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, which Wilsdorf established in 1945.

Several years ago, Rolex Geneva bought the Bienne facility and the two were merged. That move, along with Rolex’s long-term project of acquiring many of its suppliers of components and equipment, has transformed the company into a vertically integrated manufacture.

Class over, we set out on the tour. It will have a theme, says François Paschoud, one of the facility’s technical directors: We will be following the manufacturing steps of Rolex’s famous Caliber 4130, the chronograph movement that Rolex launched in 2000 to replace the Zenith El Primero caliber it had been using in its Cosmograph Daytona models. That introduction was a latest replica watches uk major event for Rolex; it meant that from that point on all movements used in the Rolex brand were made in-house.

Brand to Watch: Angelus Returns

Baselworld is the peak time of year for the launch of new replica watches uk. But every so often it also serves as the coming-out party for a new brand that’s entering the market. Such is the case for Angelus, a name with serious watchmaking history. Angelus was a Swiss brand of some repute until (like many of its compatriots) it was wiped out by the quartz revolution in the 1970s. Now it’s making a return under notable new management. At Baselworld, Angelus will launch with its first new watch, the U10 Tourbillon Lumière. But in order to appreciate this accomplishment, we have to take a look at where the brand comes from.

Angelus Manufacture 560

Angelus was founded by the brothers Albert and Gustav Stolz in 1891, in Le Locle. The Stolzes had studied under Henri Sandoz of the Tavannes Watch Company, and began their own company at a time when the cheap replica watches uk business was booming. In the coming decades they established Angelus as a respected maker of both watches and watch movements. By the 1930s, its chronographs had become a major part of the business, and would become the brand’s most renowned creations. Angelus quickly adopted the design (conceived by Breitling) of a two-pusher chronograph, like this one from 1935.

Angelus 1935 Chronograph 560

The brand also became known for its portable clocks and table clocks with eight-day power reserves and a host of functions, like alarm, barometer and thermometer. But the watch that would make everything possible for Angelus was the Chronodato. In 1942, the company introduced the first widely-produced chronograph wristwatch with calendar function. The top Montblanc replica watches had a bicompax design to display the running seconds and a 45-minute counter; a date hand circled the dial, and month and day were displayed in apertures at 12 and 6 o’clock, respectively.

Angelus 1942 Chronodato 560The Chronodato paved the way for the brand’s pièce de résistance in 1948: the Chrono-Datoluxe. Using Angelus’s caliber SF250, the Chrono-Datoluxe again had a bicompax chronograph display, to which it added a moon-phase at 6 o’clock. But the watch’s real significance was that it was the first serially produced Swiss replica watches uk with a digital date display. Two numeral disks rotated underneath the window between 11 and 12 o’clock, right beside a day display.

Angelus 1948 Chrono-Datoluxe (3x) 560

Angelus had made a name for itself, but its time in the sun was unfortunately brief. By the end of the 1960s the Swiss watch industry was in decline, and that process was severely accelerated by the advent of quartz replica watches uk sale. Production was shut down in the 1970s; Angelus became known as a darling of vintage-watch collectors.

It wasn’t until 2011 that it found new owners. And not just anyone: Manufacture La Joux-Perret. The highly regarded movement maker, based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, makes original calibers for a number of clients. It also has its own brand, Arnold & Son, which creates manufacture movements in the same facility. So Angelus seems to be in very good hands.

The new Angelus is run out of the same La Chaux-de-Fonds site as La Joux-Perret and Arnold & Son. Like those companies, it is also directed by CEO Frédéric Wenger and technical director Sébastien Chaulmontet.

But since La Joux-Perret already has a powerful small brand in the form of Arnold & Son – and one that has produced a host of innovative and distinct replica fake watches uk based on its golden-age watchmaking heritage – what is left for Angelus to do in this new incarnation. The answer: something completely different.

Angelus_U10 Tourbillon Lumière_soldier 560

The U10 Tourbillon Lumière looks unlike anything to have come out of the La Joux-Perret factories to date. It has an almost sci-fi appearance, with its 62.75-mm-long stainless steel case and seven separate sapphire crystals. Angelus refers to it as a “deconstructed movement,” with its tourbillon sitting apart from the rest of the mechanism. The inside of the tourbillon chamber has a matte black PVD finish to add to the dramatic effect. It is a flying tourbillon suspended above a titanium bridge.

Angelus_U10 Tourbillon Lumière_case profile 560

The U10 has a 90-hour power reserve, thanks to two serially mounted barrels. Caliber A100 has 38 jewels and beats at 18,000 vph. It is a manual-wind movement, and you can monitor the level of wind via a separate display window on the side of the case. The movement is finely finished, as can be seen through the caseback crystal.

Angelus_U10 Tourbillon Lumière_back 560

The dial, which displays hours, minutes and dead-beat seconds, is concave with a spoke-like design for the minutes track. The hands, as well as the indexes, are coated with Super-LumiNova that glows white and blue.

In total, the U10 case is 38 mm lug-to-lug and 15 mm thick. It makes a very imposing statement on a black alligator strap, which has a steel folding buckle. If someone is walking towards you wearing an Angelus, there will be no mistaking it. However, the chance of seeing one on the street is still minimal: only 25 pieces of this limited edition will be produced. Hopefully this is the first of many brave new releases from the revamped Angelus.

Angelus_U10 Tourbillon Lumière_runabout 560