The Breitling Watch Blog

I decided to start a new site called Strapaholics, since I have found myself gravitating more and more towards watch straps in recent years. At first, every single watch in my collection was on a bracelet, but lately, that number has become more like 50/50. Half my collection is watch straps now, and I want to bring strapmakers and strap collectors together now. I don’t want to just focus on Panerai Straps.. I want to focus on all sorts of straps… Everyone is welcome, come to the site and join the forum!!

We finally got them in.. the limited edition BreitlingSource Forum watch, a Customized Steinhart Nav B-Uhr with a unique dial, and a special engraving on the back of the watch. Check it out!

The proverbial wristshot. The 47mm sized case might be a bit large for my 6.75″ wrist, but this is the first Limited Edition Forum watch, put together by Altair from our forum, and Gunter from Steinhart watches in Germany. It came to my door this morning, Christmas Eve! What a nice surprise.

Notice the dark grey Lumed Arabics, combined with a grey dial, and beautiful scripted Limited Edition lettering on the front. Combination brushed and polished case. These details are often much more appreciated when you are designing the watch yourself.

A photo from the other side. For good measure.

The black riveted pilot strap is a nubuck/sueded finish, and complements the watch REALLY well. I think aside from possibly a Dark grey/Black nubuck Crocodile rivet strap, there wouldn’t be anything I prefer more with the possible exception of a Bracelet maybe.

The Diamon crown isn’t machined as well as an IWC Big Pilot.. but its not bad. I wouldn’t mind an Onion crown as an option however.. I like the big round onions too.

A nice shot of the ETA/Unitas 6497 movement, with Cote de Geneves striping and beveled gears. Its a step up from the base level Unitas Movements that I have owned before. It also has my name, and the Limited Edition of 15 number engraved on the back as well. Very nice!

Thanks to Altair and Gunter for putting this one together!

Richemont has opened a second school of watchmaking, this one in Hong Kong. The art of watchmaking has become much more popular with as mechanical watches once again become status symbols and coveted objects of desire, even more so than they ever were before.

Visit the IOSW site here to see their info on the new school in Hong Kong. The first school that Richmont opened was in Texas, USA.

The partnership between the bladesmith Johan Gustafsson and watchmaker Patrik Sjögren aims to provide truly unique watches with inspiration from the cold north of Scandinavia.

GoS proudly presents Blizzard and Aurora, two new designs based on an dramatic explosion Damascus steel pattern. Both dials are etched to enrich the contrasts but while the Blizzard is uncolored, the dial of Aurora has been given a lustrous green-orange color to resemble northern lights, Aurora Borealis. Traditional Lappish techniques has been used to make the reindeer strap of Aurora, which leather has been naturally tanned without any chemicals.

The watches are equipped with a beautifully finished Unitas/ETA 6498 pocket watch movement. The finishing has been done by the swiss company Soprod, that also have further improved the movement to chronometre grade standard with a screwed balance.

Specifications Blizzard – GoS 010:
– Case: 44mmx12mm
– Lug width: 22mm
– Glass: Flat sapphire glass (case back mineral)
– Movement: Swiss manual movement ETA 6498-1
– Modifications by Soprod
– Cote de Geneve finishing
– chronometre grade adaptations, screwed balance
– Dial: Hand forged Damascus steel with a hand shaped chapter ring in grade-5 titanium
– Crown: Oversize in Damascus stainless steel with large gold fitted diamond
– Hands: polished steel finish
– Polished stainless steel mesh strap

Specifications Aurora – GoS 009:
– Case: 44mmx12mm
– Lug width: 22mm
– Glass: Flat sapphire glass (case back mineral)
– Movement: Swiss manual movement ETA 6498-1
– Modifications by Soprod
– Cote de Geneve finishing
– chronometre grade adaptations, screwed balance
– Dial: Hand forged Damascus steel with grade-5 titanium index markers.
– Crown: Oversize in Damascus stainless steel with large gold fitted diamond
– Hands: Polished and blued
– Handcrafted and naturally tanned reindeer strap with traditional Lappish tin ornamentation

Find out more about these watches here:
http://www.urmakare.eu/pressrelease/GoS-watches-Blizzard-Aurora.pdf

I love Zenith watches. The Defy watches, the Chronomasters, everything. The Academy watch is Zenith’s premier line, and the Academy Zero-G Tourbillion is the lastest addition. Using the Caliber 8801 El Primero Tourbillon movement, this watch beats at 36,000vph, and offers a 3-Dimensional Tourbillon cage. Platinum rotor and 160-part gyroscopic carriage are just some of the features.

With this model Zenith rotated the movement 45-degrees to to place the Tourbillon Cage at 4:30 and the Time at 10:30. This gives the watch a very nice offset look.