The Best of BaselWorld 2013

Glashutte Original PanomaticLunar Tourbillon (40mm)

Girard Perregaux 1966 Colum Wheel Chronograph (40mm)

Patek 5307P Minute Repeater, Perpetual Calendar, Tourbillon (41mm)

Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon (42mm)

Grand Seiko SBGW043 White Gold (38mm)

Omega Speedmaster '57 Reissue (41.5mm)

Swatch Sistem51 

• World premiere: fully automated assembly of a mechanical movement

• 51 components – Swatch’s lucky number

• 1 central screw

• 90 hour power reserve

• Swatch – 100% Swiss made

Zenith Pilot Montre D'Aeronef Type 20 (40mm!!)

03.1930.681/21.C723

5900 CHF

H. Moser Nomad (40.8mm)

Patek Philippe 5227 Calatrava in Rose gold with officer's case (39mm)

Meditation on Quartz Watches, Patek, Omega, and the importance of diversity

A short video blog entry regarding quartz watches.
Complete with an awkward video thumbnail!

Part 2/2: Review of Grand Seiko SBGM031 (SBGM021/SBGM023): The watch!

Part 1 outlined the technical aspects of the movement

I've had the GMT strapped to my wrist nearly every day for over 2 months now and it's time for a proper review. It's the only watch I've worn for the past 2 months and I've travelled with it.
Retail price for limited edition SBGM031 with blue dial is 6,300 USD, SBGM021 with brown strap and ivory dial is 5,900 USD, and SBGM021 with medal bracelet is 6,300 USD. There are now official GS retailers in the USA including World Lux.

The movement:
To me, the movement is the most important part of the watch, although I had gone through the technical and engineering features of the movement, I'd like to discuss its performance in daily wear. On the wrist and laid crown right at night, it gained 1 minute in a month, however it gains approximately 7 seconds a day laid flat. Performance is adequate to excellent by any measure.
The balance is not free sprung but Grand Seiko is known to use a flat hairspring with a lossier curve which helps with chronometric rate.

The finishing is good, but the rotor is concealing too much of the bridges for a proper view. It would have been preferable for the spokes of the full rotor to be narrower to get a better view. The plates are sharply finished without anglage anywhere to be seen. The tokyo stripe finish on the plates is pleasing to look at and highly reflective. The skeletonized escapement is difficult to see or photograph through the full rotor but quite interesting under a loupe. 

Overall, I would say the technical finish of the movement is similar to what you would find in a Jaeger LeCoultre or Caliber 39 Glashütte Original (review of that coming up eventually too). 

The case:
The case is a wonder to behold, it has smooth edges and is highly polished. The forged steel is also very hard and scratches from changing straps have been much shallower than my previous experience. The polish is very high and you can easily use the case as a mirror in a pinch. The caseback is held on with large screws and laser engraved lettering. Perhaps deeper actual engraving would have been a nice touch but Seiko most likely had no other choice due to the very small letters. Overall the case is as good if not better as any Patek I've handled

The crystals:
The front crystal is what really sets the watch apart, it is raised up approximately 1.5mm and domed. The vintage appeal of the crystal is great and since it's uncoated sapphire, I've yet to have issues with scratching.

The dial:
The navy blue lacquer dial is very nice. The applied markers are highly polished and there are only 2 microscopic bits of dust (very, very small barely visible at 10x). I wish there were fewer words on the dial and perhaps it had only GS at the top and Grand Seiko, GMT on the bottom. the 24 hour lettering is almost invisible which keeps the dial uncluttered. The massive sword hands are brushed at the top and polished on the sides. The seconds hand is nicely rounded, but the sides of the hand are not highly polished and could be better. The GMT hand is a gilt matte gold and balances the colors nicely. 

Strap and buckle:
This is where I was slightly disappointed. The strap is made of nice, polished royal blue porosus crocodile, but when bent, the spaces between the scales cracks to show the white underneath the leather. The clasp is nice but bulky, while the idea of an integrated tang/deployant buckle is great in theory, in practice, the deployant bulges up too high for my comfort. I have very sensitive wrists and ende up opting for my traditional polished stingray strap with a very smooth and small tang buckle. The clasp is well made, just not very comfortable.

Occasionally I like to practice a bit of blasphemy, and I wear the watch on a NATO strap too (photo at the bottom).

Functionality:
The watch is indeed a true GMT, there is no quickset date but the 12-hour hand can be adjusted in 1 hour increments in either direction, regardless of the time of day. The 24-hour hand is adjusted with the minute hand and can be set as either GMT or home time. The hacking mechanism works nicely and the keyless works feels good. (The true engineering competency of the works will have to be commented on by a watchmaker who's looked into the watch).

Wearing comfort:
The watch is very thick at 39.5 mm diameter and 13.5 mm thick, it's not too top heavy and sits quite nicely on the wrist, although I'll admit that it has a wrist presence and you'll notice that there's something strapped to your wrist. 

Excellent size for ~6.5 inch wrist

Blasphemously worn on a NATO strap

Overall, it's a great watch and I'm sure the ivory dialed version has its own beauty to offer. Personally I preferred the blue dial since it nicely conceals the 24 hour lettering. Anyone interested in the ivory version should definitely also look at SJX's review of the SBGM003 (older version of the 021).

*** Since posting this on the PuristSPro site, I had a response questioning my opinions as below:  
------

I would respectfully like to clarify a few parts of your review:

1. would be interested to hear how you arrived at the 

conclusion that the "technical finish of the movement is similar to what you would find in a Jaeger LeCoultre or Caliber 39 Glashütte Original". How did you arrive at that conclusion given:

- you did not examine the movement past manufacture-provided photographs 

- you cannot see much through the back because of the full rotor

- you did not examine the perlage

- you acknowledge there is no anglage

- the dial-side finish is rudimentary

- majority of jewels seen in manufacture photos=non-chamfered setting

IMO you did JLC and GO a disservice with that offhand comparison - perhaps a better comparison would be to IWC.

2. is the case really "forged"? Forging means to be hammered or other adopt a shape because of localised compressive forces. This is in all likelihood cast, machined, and then polished, but not forged. Tempering is not the same as forging. Would be glad to be corrected if the case is indeed "forged". 

3. is the case really "as good if not better as any Patek I've handled" - really? A Patek? Aside from the fact that you're comparing a SS Seiko to a PP in SS (how many have you personally handled?), it is not difficult to achieve a "mirror" finish - as anyone any Tissot or Swatch Irony owner knows.

It is however difficult to achieve sharp case edges (c.f. old dog leg Constellations), a pleasing balance of brushed and polished surfaces with clean boundaries between the 2 (c.f. some Langes), and a unique case design which is appealing to the eye. All of which this watch does not have.

4. the dial is a design-wise, a dog's breakfast. 4 or 5 different fonts crammed onto a dial with 2 chapter rings, and all on a <40mm watch with a thicker bezel. I agree the colour is nice. Dust on a dial is not acceptable IMO in a $6000 watch.

My response is:

In JLC, I did of course not meant their grande complication watches but rather calibers like the 899 or even the 859.

Glashutte cal 39 is really quite similarly finished. I've attached a photo of a cal 39 and 829 which you can compare to Cazalea's photos.

The case is forged, here is a link to KIH's articles about the VFA and Patek which mentions it: 

home.watchprosite.com

patek.watchprosite.com

There is very little anglage on most basic level movements from JLC, and IWC as well. Sometimes there will be a rounded matte finish (as is on the caliber 975) but I don't personally find a round matte finish any more appealing than a sharply cut straight edge. If you read part 1 you will see that there is perlage on the mainplate (a new feature of the 9S6X calibers) and laser engraved GS on the brushed dial side.

That type of dust (2 barely visible at 10x) is IMHO acceptable, this is a conversation that's been had a number of times and there's no need to beat a dead horse here. A review of the patek caliber 215 from the old Purist's site in fact found a fiber in a jewel.

http://www.tp178.com/jd/patek-3919/

The various prices of the Patek 1518 at auction since 2010

Today (April 10th 2013) Antiquorum auctioned off two Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronographs of the same reference: 1518. I had written about Patek's long line of perpetual calendar chronographs here. It's interesting to note that in the past 3 years Antiquorum has auctioned off at least four Patek Philippe ref. 1518 out of a total 281 ever made (4 of which were in stainless steel). 

According to antiquorum the 1518 were produced in four series as such:
- First series: with applied gold Arabic numerals from 1941 to 1954.
- Second series: presented at the Basel Fair in 1942 with enameled hour indexes, the 12 in applied gold Arabic numerals.
- Third series: with applied gold indexes, the 12 in applied gold Arabic numerals.
- Fourth series: with applied gold baton indexes.

On June 10th 2010, a yellow gold example was sold for 282,000 USD
http://catalog.antiquorum.com/catalog.html?action=load&lotid=362&auctionid=236

On May 16th 2011, Christies offered a pink gold example with a rare pink dial, which sold for 1,143,000 CHF (1,285,180 USD at the time)

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/watches/patek-philippe-an-exceptional-18k-pink-gold-5431034-details.aspx

On November 13th 2011, Sotheby's offered a unique yellow gold Clarin Mustad 1518, with a pink dial and an original 18k brick bracelet, which sold for unknown final value (estimate 890,000-1,330,000 USD)

http://www.sothebys.com/en/catalogues/ecatalogue.html/2011/important-watches#/r=/en/ecat.fhtml.GE1104.html+r.m=/en/ecat.lot.GE1104.html/260+r.o=/en/ecat.notes.GE1104.html/260/

On November 11th 2012, another yellow gold example was sold for 266,500 CHF (~286,500 USD)

http://catalog.antiquorum.com/catalog.html?action=load&lotid=612&auctionid=267

Today (April 10th 2013, antiquorum offered two examples. The first in yellow gold with its original 18k yellow gold bracelet, which sold for 197,500 USD (substantially lower than one would expect).

http://mycatalog.antiquorum.com/catalog.html?action=load&lotid=98&auctionid=271

At the same auction, a rose 1518 with its bracelet was sold for substantially more at 794,500 USD

http://mycatalog.antiquorum.com/catalog.html?action=load&lotid=99&auctionid=271

So why the variation in price?

It seems to be just the whim of the market, and if a similarly rare or unique piece is considered valuable. One can draw a parallel with art, where no real benchmark is set and the price can be as wildly high or mildly low as demand wills it.

A shocking affair: Distinguishing between academics and application in horology.

Extreme sports are probably the favorite marketing tool of watchmakers, after all, are they not exposed to great shocks and incredible g forces? Pilots are a favorite, sustaining g forces of up to 12gs, making an average male weighing 70 kg exert 12 times (~8,400 newtons) his usual force on himself. However, we must realize that the g forces that a watch strapped to your swinging arm will experience much of the same g forces that a fighter pilot experiences. Since the invention and widespread use of incabloc, diashock, and kif shock protection systems, claiming a watch to be more shock resistant than others is largely meaningless. The balance staff is the most fragile part of the watch, being far smaller than the other pivots, and is well protected to survive 5000+ Gs.

ALthough advertised as extra shock resistant, Richard Mille uses the same incabloc as...

Your run of the mil ETA 2824

Such is the case with most claims of technological advancements in horology, the constant force escapement, Cartier's vacuum sealed ID2, use of fusee and chaine and tourbillon movements. These are theoretical, academic, and artistic exercises rather than true improvements in timekeeping. After all, the ETA 2824, when adjusted well past COSC standards, is the most accurate movement around. Even though tourbillon movements score higher in chronometer contests, their rotational rate compensation is negated by the movements of the wearer's arm.

A Lange & Söhne's fusee and chain is a superb academic exercise

Girard Perregaux's constant force escapement is an excellent idea

This is not to say that development of theoretical improvements in time keeping should not continue, after all, it's what drives the industry. Even the mighty 2824 is feeble in accuracy when compared to The Citizen's +/- 5 seconds a day. This is not the point of modern watchmaking. The accuracy race is done, as long as watches are well made and regulated, real life accuracy should not present a real problem. What we are buying are ideas and exercises in academia, and there's nothing wrong with that.

In praise of ETA: An heirloom workhorse

While I was still fiddling with fake Rolexes and Breitlings back in junior high, I repeatedly stumbled upon an ugly, old watch that didn't run. It said "Klaiber Automatic - 17 Jewels Waterproof Incalboc - Swiss Made" on the dial. This was a few years ago before I knew much about any type of watch. Last year, while visiting home, I dug out the watch and learned that it was my grandfather's "getting-into-college" gift for my dad from 1982, and that it had been lying in the storage room for at least 20 years. I gave it a few winds and shakes and it didn't seem to work, so I opened the case back and immediately was greeted by a whirling noise (presumably the mainspring unwinding). With the back open, I gave it a few more winds and to my surprise, after 30 years, it ran again.

To my surprise, there was no visible corrosion in the movement which was good enough for me. The rubber gaskets had completely disintegrated and stuck onto the case and caseback and the nickel plating on the brass case had worn off significantly. The spring bars had also failed and the shoddy bracelet was very loose. To my delight, the unmodified and bare ETA 2789 movement (ancestor of the ubiquitous 2824) was the higher 25 jewel version instead of the 17 jewel as indicated on the dial. The lume even still glowed, albeit very weakly.

ETA 2789

25 Jewels!

 First thing the next day I braved the Beijing cold and searched for a watchmaker who would service the movement. The first two turned me down outright, saying "it couldn't be done", which was ludicrous since over 25 million of the movement had been made and spare parts would be easy to find. The third told me it would take 2 months, much too long since I was coming back to the US. Finally I found a shop with two southern Chinese watchmakers who would service the movement and replace the deteriorated crown for 120 dollars. "Are you in a hurry?" he asked with a thick southern accent. "Kind of, what do you mean?" I asked, slightly confused. "Well, if you're in a hurry come on Monday (in 2 days), if not, come on Tuesday." I quickly said "I'll come tuesday after work", took the receipt, and left. 

No corrosion anywhere

On Tuesday, I picked up the watch which was running strong as it did some 30 years ago. With some self adjustment I managed to get it to better than COSC (or even Patek Philippe seal) performance with a 260 degree amplitude. A new leather strap gave the watch that funky retro look.

Superb performance!

Brass base metal showing through nickel plating, case back is stainless steel

To think that my grandfather had spent what was at least several months wage on this watch is more than intriguing for me. Not only was this the dark ages of mechanical horology, it was the dark ages of China, when foreign goods could only be bought in a special store or while traveling abroad (an extremely rare phenomena at the time). I may not have been passed down a Patek or Vacheron, but thinking in context, this was arguably rarer in China than Patek in the west. It looks beat up, but at heart, it's still beating strong.

Beijing Watch Factory (BWAF) Beihai Limited Edition Overview

The Beijing Watch Factory (BWAF) Beihai is a very popular limited edition Chinese Watch. Released in 2008 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the manufacturer, the piece features distinct lugs, a pressed silver dial, and the manufacturer's top of the line SB-18 time only movement.

The specifications
Movement SB18-3
Movement 26.5 mm diameter (~12 ligne), 3.86 mm thick
Based on Miyota 8200 (not official)
Power reserve of 42+ hours
Hacking, manual wind
21,600 vph
38 mm x 9mm case
Water resistant 3 atm
Genuine lizard strap, turned edge, fully stitched, lined in full grain leather
Tang buckle with the tiananmen logo stamped underneath.
Limited edition of 2008 pieces
Production started in 2008 (not all 2008 pieces were made in the same year)

The Movement

(Aftermarket stingray strap that's not even the right width on my own Beihai)

The most distinct feature of the Beihai is the movement
Some analysis suggests that the movement is based on the Citizen/Miyota 8200, but BWAF says it's in house. I think this is quite similar to the Nomos alpha movement based on the Peseux 7001. The modifications to the movement, even if it's not totally in house, are extensive. 

There are striped finishes (Cote de Pekin?) on the 3/4 plate and 4 screwed on gold chatons. All screws are heat blued. The swan neck fine rate adjustment is real and even the tiny micrometer screw is blued. The baseplate has a perlage finish. There is no anglage on the plates but overall the finish is much better than can be expected of a sub-1000 dollar watch. The stripes are relatively shallow and the perlage is not quite as fine as some of the swiss brands, but overall the finish is very unique and well executed. From what I am told, the gold chatons are real and screwed in.
The movement retaining ring is metal, which is a nice touch.
I am told that servicing costs only around 100 USD, which is an absolute bargain compared to any swiss brand.

The same SB-18 movement is also used in the variety of art watches BWAF makes, including many hand painted enamel dials and cloisonne dials that retail in excess of 10,000 dollars. A solid gold version of the movement was used in a 200,000 dollar special edition Athena watch.

The watch



Since it's intended as a dress watch, 38mm is, in my opinion, the perfect size. The case is finely made with a screw in case back and comfortable onion shaped crown. The fancy lugs are 
reminiscent of watches from the 1950's. The crystal is very slightly domed which creates a high quality feel. All markers are applied on the dial, and the symmetry of the dial is well executed. The caseback engraving is deep instead of shallowly etched.

Compared to the Zhufeng, the watch is better although more expensive. They use the same movement (the store says the beihai gets the "better" grade ones, but I'm quite skeptical). The key difference for me is the wearing comfort. The zhufeng has a rounded back that doesn't sit as well as the beihai's flatter back.

The strap is of surprisingly good quality and alone would cost at least 150 dollars to buy, fortunately BWAF sells them for around 100 which is a bargain. The edges are turned (instead of cut) and fully stitched so I would expect the strap to last a good length of time, even with daily wear. I have worn mine for about 40 days total so far and there is no sign of wear on the strap except the inevitable creasing.

A wristshot on my 6.5 inch wrist