The Breitling Watch Blog

Just posted a Youtube video of my Eterna Cambridge Pulsometer Automatic Chronograph watch. I haven’t had a chance to do a write-up on this beautiful little watch, but will probably put one up one of these days. This is one of my favourite Eternas, and has one of those dials that everyone comments on when they see it. Its a bit on the small size at 38mm, but wears pretty good when mounted on a Di-Modell Chronissimo or something like that. Hope you guys enjoy the review!

As an avid pianist when I was younger, and a great appreciator of classical music now in my older age, I was very pleased and surprised to see a Steinway & Sons watch! Little did I know that this company has been around now for a few years now (around 2007 I believe), and makes some VERY interesting watches that pay tremendous tribute to the Piano in their design. I can’t afford their pianos (Mine is a Yamaha Baby Grand), but maybe I can afford their watches… Where there’s a will, there’s a way!

The company only has produced 3 models, the most recent model of which is quite the achievement. The watch is called the Model C Seconde Metronomique and features a 1 second Metronome on the dial! Absolutely ingenius and so pertinent to the brand. The previous Model D and Model M watches are more focused on paying tribute to the aesthetics of the Steinway Grand and are beautiful watches in their own right.

The Model C Seconde Metronomique has been released in a few different versions and features the same case as the other models, measuring 43mm x 26mm and 30m Water Resistance. The movement has the following specs:

Steinway caliber C60
Jewels: 19
VPH: 21,600
Power Reserve: 38hrs

Very Amazing stuff!!

Steinway Watches Video (French):

Steinway Watches Website:
http://www.steinwaywatches.com/

Been rocking my PAM320 since I picked it up a month or two ago and it has been really hitting the spot! I have never been quite this satisfied with any Panerai I’ve owned. While I tend to feel like the manual winding models are more faithful to the heritage of the brand, I do find the automatic movement very convenient. The super-domed sapphire crystal models with the manual winding 7 day movements would be even better I think.

There’s my PAM320 shown mounted on a beautiful Dangerous9 strap, the first aftermarket strap I put on this watch. Beautiful 1950’s style case with the slightly curved crystal and sandwich dial. The case is so well made and the edges are finished perfectly. I am familiar with the difficulties of finishing cases, and the 1950’s case is not an easy case to manufacture and finish well.

The device protecting the crown has the “REG TM” marking on it, which is a feature I really like. This marking only appears on 1950 style cases. In the above shot you can see the crisp lines of the case, which are very impressive when you see it in person.

Here’s a shot of the dial mounted on a black Strapluxe strap. The 320 features 12-hr GMT hand, small seconds, date, power reserve indicator on the back, and seconds reset. Whenever the crown is pulled out all the way, the second hand resets to 0, which is a pretty cool feature. The sandwich dial glows like a torch.. I love how it glows when I get to the underground parking on my way to work in the morning.

And here’s the requisite exhibition back shot of the Panerai P.9001 Movement. The fantastic in-house movements from Panerai wouldn’t be the same without a display back. While they are not necessarily the prettiest movements, I love the large bridge plates, as they remind me of the 3/4 plate style watches popular with German manufacture. The way Panerai finishes their movements has a functional and simplistic beauty to them.

And the last shot here, with my PAM90 before I sold it. I have to admit that since selling the 90, I have not missed it because the 320 more than fills any void left by the 90. It has everything the PAM90 had and more. I much prefer the rear power reserve indicator as the cleaner dial is better looking to me. Combine the nearly perfect movement (in terms or features) and the amazing case work on this model and the perfect size, this is definately the perfect Panerai for me in this price range.

Among the Swiss Watch companies developing their own watch movements is Alpina. This Alpina Nightlife Club Regulator is pretty cool, and looks better than most Alpinas I’ve seen in the past, while still preserving their trademark look.

Their new Nightlife Club Regulator features the Alpina AL950 movement which features:

25 rubies
Glucydur Balance
Alternances 28,800 /h
Nivarox A Spiral
Regulateur Hour Hand decentered at 10:30
Date-by-Hand at 6 O’Clock
Bridges decorated with Côtes de Genève
Platine and bridges Rhodium plated
Blue screws
42-hour power reserve

The unique rotor resembles the bumper winds of yore, and has a very nice asthetic. The Alpina Nightlife Club features a 44mm stainless steel case, sapphire crystal and 100m water resistance. A very pleasing and wearable watch from Alpina. In my opinion, a nicer overall design than many of their past efforts.

Also known as the “Nicolas Cage Watch”, the Mont Blanc Timewalker Chronograph Automatic is a very noticable watch when on the wrist. It never fails to catch someones eye, and garners a compliment quite often. It is probably one of Mont Blanc’s most striking case designs, with immaculate attention to detail.

This particular specimen features beautifully polished rose gold hands with a thin slit of lume, and matching rose gold arabics and indices on a semi-gloss black dial. Mounted on the strong, yet lightweight hollow chain-style bracelet, the watch really has a unique style to it that is 100% Mont Blanc.

As you can see, the sapphire crystal is not AR coated on the Timewalker Chronograph, but it is domed and mounted in a very thin bezel giving the 43mm diameter watch a larger wrist presence than similar sized watches. The watch features a very high quality three-piece case construction that I was not expecting initially. The quality of the case is very impressive to me – Mont Blanc did a great job with that.

As you can see, Mont Blanc did not miss any opportunities to insert their logo on every piece of the watch that they could – even the lug ends have a bead-blasted Mont Blanc star on them! A very nice touch and done very tastefully in my opinion. The machined-out lugs look great as well, with the interior surfaces all bead blasted as well.

Any of course no Mont Blanc watch would be complete without the signed Mont Blanc crown. While I’m not a big collector of Mont Blanc products, I do have to admit that the signed crown adds level of prestige and pedigree to the watch that is desirable. The watch overall achieves a unique and pleasant identity which is often rare in the watch world.

The Sapphire exhibition back shows off the decorated Valjoux 7753 movement modified by Montblanc. It is pretty standard with the date change mechanism mounted at 10 o’clock via a recessed pusher.

And finally the wrist shot! Shown on my 6.75″ wrist, the watch really does “pop” out and demand your attention. The lugs are short on this model compared to other similarly sized watches, making the watch fit well on even smaller wrists. After wearing this watch for a while I don’t think that it is for me. The watch has a style that is perhaps a bit shiny without being entirely dressy yet without being “tool” enough for me, like Breitling. Beautiful watch, but it won’t be a keeper for me.