Micro GTG with another watch loving mate and an interesting insight ...

First micro GTG for my JLC MC EWC... with a brother watch from Richemont stable. IWC Ceramic Doppelchronograph Top Gun... Met up with a good mate who was a former colleague and who is potentially heading down the slippery slope of watch collecting ;)

micro gtgs or gtgs are of course par for the course... he did share about his experience with his friend's watch though and .... WOWIE... its the quenttin from a certain Jacob Arabo of Jacob & Co. (in the news recently for all the wrong reasons... drug dealers and stuff) anyway based on the pic and on his take of it, this watch is FREAKIN HUGE! Its like a clock on your wrist. Probably have to be an American football player to pull this one off.

Jacob & Co are of course responsible for some of the most hideous timepieces ever created so this was a refreshing change in my mind. Going head to head with the Cabestan almost and looked pretty fine... However with its size, it probably won't be worn by anyone other than Arnie(BIG WATCH LOVER) or similar sized guys :)

my friends pic

official pic

official pic

The Quenttin Limited Edition

Case: 18K White Gold, 18K Rose Gold, Magnesium
Size: 56 x 47 x 21.5 mm
Bezel & Case: White, Rose Gold or Magnesium with carbon fiber applications on the side of the watch
Movement: Vertical mechanical movement with manual winding escapement, incorporates Swiss anchor mounted in a Tourbillion cage. This cage is suspended without roller bearings and positioned vertically. Winds with integrated key, external hand key or motorized in the box.
Caliber: 5
Power Reserve: 31 day power reserve (744 hours), supplied by the energy of 7 barrels and displayed through vertical rolls
Jewels: 40
Functions: Indications of hours, minutes, power reserve is made by vertical disks assembled coaxially
Crystal: Sapphire
Water Resistance: 100ft / 30m
Special Features: On-off key for time set up or winding; external access to the Tourbillion for fine-tuning; Tourbillion cage visible on the edge of the clock
Strap: Rubber
Warranty: 2 years
Limited Edition Series: 99 pieces in White Gold, 18 pieces in Rose Gold, 18 pieces in Magnesium, Platinum on request

Source: J&Co Site

GOTCHA!!! Jaeger LeCoultre Master Compressor Extreme World Chronograph

Damn what a mouthful and what a watch... Designed by the lovely Magali (her uhm ... uh surname, Metrailler, is another mouthful ;) ... vavavavoom ...

I prefer this to many of the newer designs she came out with after this, but of course she is an outstanding designer with many years ahead of her in the watch industry... hmm and she does have to stick to JLC's line's design uh lines etc so it may be about revamping stuff and if some of em were sucky to begin with then... but i digress... (and of course suckiness is subjective)

So this is my promotion watch and is a gift for myself for climbing another rung up the corporate ladder... (watch nuts love coming up with special and weird occasions to celebrate a purchase)

come to papa... hot doggie

very easy to figure out functions and set the worldtime. done in a cinch and so very easy to read time around the world. LOVE IT :-*

obligatory hairy wrist shot... its more suited for larger wristed
members of the species especially for the rubber strap as it
is structured slightly rigidly for a few cm after the lugs...
excellent strap change mechanism that should be on ALL watches

and pictured here too is my first promotion watch and one
I will never part with...will be a gift to my son someday
it had to be this of course :) Rolex Submariner

been thinking more and more of this one lately...

hmm the big bang may have to wait awhile... after news of my promotion, I may have to answer the call for this baby first ;) I know its been around for some time and me still wanting it may mean its more than just an impulsive buy on my part... hmmm ... whatever the case, I thinks its class :)

Source: 1st-watch time, 2nd-unknown.on a revolution article of the jlc mc ewc :)

A personal reflection of Jean-Claude Biver (the short version)

[Note: This is the short version because I didn’t want to burden you with details or make you wonder why I keep going on about how great this man is. For that we have to meet up at an event where Mr Biver is speaking and you will know what its all about. However if after that encounter you end up buying Big Bangs, please don’t blame me for it and so the short version follows… ]

My encounters with JC Biver was first virtually through the net. People are amazed at this man and how he finds the time and energy to be in touch with both his customers and critics on Horomundi and on Timezone Hublot forums. He connects with his customers, lets them know they are taken care of in getting one of his watches and responds to critics with a openness and humility that just blows this observer(and former critic ) away.

But it is with hearing this man speak that you learn more of him (if he is willing to share, which I believe he is on most occasions) more of his ideas and vision and from his energy and passion, you can tell that this is a man who is going to see not only more current success but create ongoing legacies in the course of his life's work.

On the man then… I think you first have to begin with a very knowledgeable and keen mind, of seeking out opportunity where others don’t even see it, as with Blancpain which he bought with a teenie-tiny amount of money and made it a success and as with Hublot, realising the true potential of not only fusion but of conveying the future in these watches and invariably making the Big Bang the huge success that it has become. Then you realise the charisma of the man, the unpretentious charm, the strength and the will. And while taking all this in, you will be marveling at the passion and the drive obvious not only in what he has achieved to date (from his humble start in the post office to Audemars Piguet, to the revival of Blancpain, bringing glamour and celebrity to Omega and to reinventing fusion with Hublot) but in how he carries himself and approaches life, which would put many a younger person to shame.

In his speech for the dinner that night, Mr Biver made an interesting statement that resonated with me and it was that his watches represented a ‘disconnect from the past and a connection to the future’ and he related some wonderful and humorous real life stories of Hublot owners reflecting this. If I may I would like to take that a little further and say that it is in Hublot and in the Big Bang that Mr Biver is giving us a realisation of his vision of a “connection to the future taking the best of the past, and a disconnect from all that is irrelevant and inconsequential of the past.”

I believe he is realising this vision with Hublot each day and planning ahead, as can be seen in the commitment to establish a strong manufactory, so that there will be an ongoing legacy and a great future for Hublot and of the watches they create, and my hats off to him for that.

I end off by saying that if I were a betting man, I would put good money down that with anything that Mr Biver is helming, its gonna be a sure thing and its also going to be very safe to say that...

‘you ain’t seen nothing yet’

Mr Biver, if you're reading this, all the best to you and your team, and I very much look forward to our next meeting. Bien amicalement.

Cheers
Raphmeister

one of my absolutest favouritest watches ever...

i am talking about the RB2 baby!!!!

no words can do it justice... but do allow me a short ramble ;) some watches you see and say cool... but some you see and go "DAMN" about 10-20 times and want them to be yours. this is firmly placed in that latter category forever probably... when i had it in my hands i jus shot like a 100ish photos cause of its gorgeousity. enuff words for now... the more decent pics out of this short fling with the RB2 Ti.

oh my... Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barichello II in Titanium

check out the design cues from F1...

sub dials have hands with the colors of the brazilian flag
to tie it with Rubens Barichello (a very average F1 driver)
to have a watch as beautiful as this with his name on it...

with another gorgeous ROO... the best rubberclad by far RG

a nice AP trio

for a good cause: addressing poverty in nicaragua

hi all, it was brought to my attention that a one of a kind timepiece from Girard Perregaux has been donated for a raffle to a worthy charitable cause to address poverty in Nicaragua. More details can be found on both their site click here and will be found on horomundi.com's GP forum site soon (link will be up for this once its available)

Everyone can participate, no matter what country they reside in so do contribute if you are inclined to do so or looking to possibly win this piece unique.

“Virtus White” is an utterly exclusive piece handcrafted by Girard-Perregaux for ANF. The only one ever manufactured of its kind, this extraordinary watch was created to strengthen ANF’s efforts of providing hope and relief to children and families such as those affected by Hurricane Felix. Through the Foundation’s “Bright Future Reconstruction Fund” and relief operations, ANF seeks to rebuild lives and create new sources of opportunity. All suggested contributions of $100 made to the Foundation will merit participation in this historic drawing for Girard-Perregaux’s “Virtus White.”

The winner will be announced at ANF’s Annual Gala on the night of December 1st, 2007.

Virtus was born from the collaboration of two distinguished organizations, Girard-Perregaux and American Nicaraguan Foundation. The name itself finds its roots in Latin expressing virtue, character, valor, simplicity, and strength in the face of adversity. Reflecting these characteristics in its work, ANF confronts the day-to-day obstacles of working to eradicate extreme poverty in Nicaragua, never faltering, and always providing dynamic solutions to dynamic problems.

Few names in the rarefied world of Swiss “Haute Horlogerie” are as evocative and historical as GIRARD-PERREGAUX. The activities of this “Maison” trace as far back as 1791, giving it more than two centuries of heritage and uninterrupted operations. GIRARD-PERREGAUX is one of the last, few, true Swiss watch “Manufactures” (from the Latin, “Hand Made”), taking a holistic approach to watch-making and building an authentic product with its own genuine identity, rather than an anonymous assembly of components.

Source: All information from the www.aidnicaragua.org site

unable to get this one out of my head... a little birdie told me...

makes me feel like buying the cheapest urwerk out there in 103 guise and taking a black magic marker to it... uhhhh right... :) the 103 blackbird. for more horological masterpieces, checkout www.urwerk.com

blackbird by day

blackbird by night