Watch brandsWatch wikiWatch videosVariousWatch calendarSaved articles
PopularRolexOmegaPatek PhilippeAudemars PiguetTudorGrand SeikoCartierSeikoIWCTAG HeuerBreitlingJaeger-LeCoultreA. Lange & SohneZenith

Results for Vallée de Joux

23,050 articles · 2,602 videos found · page 565 of 856

The Best Cameras for Watch Photography Worn & Wound
Apr 1, 2024

The Best Cameras for Watch Photography

Fact: your smartphone has a fantastic camera. It’s highly capable of making the photos that you want. Believe it or not, many folks shoot images with their smartphones and then send the images to retouching agencies to be worked on. But if you want to make beautiful images of your watch that speak to people in a love language that only watch enthusiasts understand, you’ve come to the right place. It’s a badge of honor not to need to work on an image in post-production. To do that, you’ll need to embrace a dedicated camera. Truth be told, your lighting is the most important thing in watch photography. Peruse the r/watches subreddit, and you’ll see tons of wrist shots. The angles are perfect: facing the camera, first-person, and slightly angled away from the light source to soften the effects. So why get a dedicated camera? It starts with lens selection, and we then grab our divers watches and plunge into features like image stabilization, film simulations, Real-Time LUT, artistic effects, pixel quality, optical quality, etc. Truly, if you tried to time my explanation of how each feature benefits you on a chronograph, the watch wouldn’t be able to measure it accurately. If you’re in the northern hemisphere, we think that working with south-facing light is best overall. Try to find a window or a spot with southern-light. I mean, plants love it because it’s consistent. When there’s a cloudy day, it’s also appropriately soft yet strong enough to bring out th...

Read article
The Speake Marin Ripples Infinity Date is One of the Best Named Watches and Coolest Under the Rader Integrated Bracelet Sports Watch Options Around Worn & Wound
Grand Seiko comes Apr 1, 2024

The Speake Marin Ripples Infinity Date is One of the Best Named Watches and Coolest Under the Rader Integrated Bracelet Sports Watch Options Around

I have a small obsession with watch naming conventions. I’m absolutely fascinated by the decisions brands make in what to call their watches. Some brands, for example, use only reference numbers, and collectors wind up giving the most popular watches nicknames (Grand Seiko comes to mind, although last year saw a notable exception to the rule). Then there are countless brands that incorporate language of adventure, particularly on high seas, into watch names: the Submariner, the Supermarine, the Sea-Rambler, and on, and on, and on, and on. And of course there are brands that steal a strategy from car manufacturers (or is it the other way around?) and give their watches names in one of the Romance Languages, an attempt to instill a sense of class and taste. But what I like are the simple and punchy names that get right to the root of what the watch is about. Memorable, sometimes funny names that communicate an ethos and make you go, “Oh yeah, of course,” all at once. The Speake Marin Ripples is one of my all time favorites.  The Ripples is Speake Marin’s take on the integrated bracelet sports watch, a category that seems about as far afield as you might get from the brand’s roots, but that’s a story for another day. In my opinion, the Ripple is one of the most distinctive integrated bracelet designs to come on the scene in this recent period during which everyone under the sun has tried their hand at this type of watch. It belongs, I think, in the same conversat...

Read article
The Breitling Navitimer Evolves into a No-Frills GMT SJX Watches
Breitling Navitimer Evolves into Apr 1, 2024

The Breitling Navitimer Evolves into a No-Frills GMT

To celebrate its 140th anniversary, Breitling is launching the Navitimer Automatic GMT 41. Zooming into the watch, the signature slide-rule bezel is still present, although this Navitimer omits the chronograph and replaces it with a GMT function. Featuring a 41 mm case in either stainless steel or 18k rose gold, it retains the classic Navitimer style, albeit with a cleaner look without the chronograph sub-dials. Initial Thoughts After revamping the Navitimer in 2022, Breitling gave its trademark aviator’s chronograph more vintage-inspired aesthetics, including more compact cases. Given that the Navitimer is synonymous with the chronograph, it’s not unreasonable to criticise the GMT has having lost some of the spirit of the original. However, I dig the cleaner aesthetics without the pushers and the triple registers. And this is also more affordable. Most Navitimer chronographs are equipped with the in-house B01 movement, resulting in an hefty entry price of US$9,600. The Navitimer Automatic GMT 41 is equipped with an ETA calibre, resulting in a slightly more affordable price that starts at US$6,200 on a stainless steel bracelet. Many other brands in this price bracket now utilise in-house or heavily improved movements, which puts this at a disadvantage in terms of mechanics. That puts it in the middle of the pack for accessible GMT watches: not as affordable as a Longines or the same value proposition as a Tudor, but it has the advantage of the classic Navitimer look th...

Read article
The Ulysse Nardin Freak – The Saga of a Scientific Timepiece Part III SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Mar 31, 2024

The Ulysse Nardin Freak – The Saga of a Scientific Timepiece Part III

An outlandish concept that originally sprang from the mind of Carole Forestier Kasapi, the Ulysse Nardin Freak of 2001 was perfected by Dr Ludwig Oechslin and then made reality thanks to the advent of silicon in watchmaking. Lightweight and magnetism resistant, silicon was used for the escape wheels but that was only the beginning of the story. [This story, the third and final instalment in the series, details the history of silicium, the proprietary Ulysse Nardin silicium hairspring, and the patented Grinder rotor. The Saga of a Scientific Timepiece Part I covers the origins of the Freak, from its conception to realisation, as well as its distinguishing characteristics, namely the inventive movement construction and unique escapement. Part II deals with the evolution of the unique, high-performance escapement.] Silicon, Silicium, Silinvar Now used interchangeably with silicon, silicium is actually French for “silicon”, but now it is also used as the trade name for the proprietary form of silicon used by Ulysse Nardin for movement components, namely silicon with a hard oxide outer layer that gives the material thermocompensating properties. Silicium was developed by Swiss scientific institute Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique (CSEM) in collaboration with Ulysse Nardin. Notably, the material is also known as Silinvar, which resulted from a separated but related CSEM project backed by a consortium made up of Rolex, Patek Philippe and Swatch Group. As a ...

Read article
Watches, Stories, & Gear: the New Dune Video Game, Updated GR Cameras from Ricoh, and Stephen King’s Carrie Turns 50 Worn & Wound
Mar 30, 2024

Watches, Stories, & Gear: the New Dune Video Game, Updated GR Cameras from Ricoh, and Stephen King’s Carrie Turns 50

“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Share your story ideas or interesting finds by emailing us at info@wornandwound.com Springsteen Comes to the Big Screen  From The Bear, to the Boss. News broke this week that Jeremy Allen White, who has shot to stardom for his role as the chef Carmie in The Bear, is in talks to play Bruce Springsteen in a film about the making of Nebraska, his stripped down, acoustic album released in 1982. Various movie projects covering Springsteen’s life and career have been floated for years, but this time a star being attached to the project along with a director (Scott Cooper) has Hollywood buzzing that this one could take off. Read more at Pitchfork here. The Kinds of Kindness Trailer  OK, this is how you cut a trailer. Hot on the heels of Poor Things, filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone are back later this year with a follow up: Kinds of Kindness. What’s it about? We have no idea, but the stylish trailer set to “Sweet Dreams” and featuring glimpses of each member of the all star cast (including Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley, also featured in Poor Things) is evocative enough to have us pretty excited to see what Lanthimos has cooked up. Trailers too often giv...

Read article
The Unintentional Watch Collector: An Unplanned Watch Collection Spanning Eight Decades Quill & Pad
Casio ns Mar 30, 2024

The Unintentional Watch Collector: An Unplanned Watch Collection Spanning Eight Decades

Colin Alexander Smith never set out to collect watches; in fact, he suspects that deep down he aspires to being a one-watch guy. He has only bought himself a new watch on two occasions in his life. Nevertheless, through a combination of new and used purchases, gifts, hand-me-downs, and inherited pieces, Colin has managed to accumulate a selection of watches that rather neatly spans eight consecutive decades of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Find out what is behind each of these watches remaining in Colin's collection right here.

Read article
Brew’s Metric Chronograph is Now Available in Titanium Worn & Wound
Brew s Metric Chronograph Mar 29, 2024

Brew’s Metric Chronograph is Now Available in Titanium

Brew’s Metric line continues to grow, with the introduction of the first version of the Meca-Quartz chronograph in titanium. The Metric, as we’ve seen through several earlier iterations, has proven to be a fantastic canvas for Brew founder Jonathan Ferrer’s design chops, and now the watch takes on another slightly different shape (not literally, it’s the same 36mm case) in a new metal. This marks Brew’s first use of titanium, so they’re breaking the dam a bit here, and we can’t help but wonder what might be coming in our favorite lightweight metal.  But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. The new titanium Metric has a subdued black dial with red accents that complement the utilitarian vibe of a titanium sports watch. The overall feeling you get here is one of a certain tactical sensibility, rather than the colorful playground of the earliest Metrics. The subdials are recessed for an added sense of depth, and the word “Titanium” appears, curved over the 6:00 subdial, proudly announcing the use of a new material.  Brew has gone with a simple brushed finish for the case and bracelet of the titanium Metric, which makes a lot of sense for a few reasons. First, this kind of presentation will just always work with titanium, which has an inherently sporty quality to it. Second, it surely keeps costs down. Somehow, the titanium version of the Metric is only priced at only a small premium over the stainless steel versions, coming in at $495. That’s a pr...

Read article
Just A Minute With The Citizen Aqualand Worn & Wound
Citizen Aqualand “Just Mar 29, 2024

Just A Minute With The Citizen Aqualand

“Just a Minute” is a short-form video series designed to present all the facts about our favorite products in under 60 seconds. These are easy to consume and provide quick but meaningful rundowns on everything you need to know. As always, we encourage you to join our rewards program to earn points and save with every purchase. The Windup Watch Shop team is also available to schedule a consultation with you and answer any questions you have. It’s not often you get the chance to own an innovative and iconic dive watch, but the Citizen Promaster Aqualand is exactly that. True to its original 1985 design, the modern Aqualand retains its hybrid analog digital display and pressure gauge, design cues that have withstood the test of time and make for an eminently capable dive watch to this day. Thanks to its depth meter and alarm/stopwatch functionality, the Aqualand is the same cool dive watch it was in the mid-1980s. Get the inside scoop by watching our video on the Promaster Aqualand below. “Just a Minute” is a short-form video series designed to present all the facts about our favorite products in under 60 seconds. These are easy to consume and provide quick but meaningful rundowns on everything you need to know. As always, we encourage you to join our rewards program to earn points and save with every purchase. The Windup Watch Shop team is also available to schedule a consultation with you and answer any questions you have. It’s not often you get the chance to ow...

Read article
Aquastar’s New Benthos 500 Founder’s Edition is the Release Dive Watch Fans Have Been Waiting For Worn & Wound
Mar 29, 2024

Aquastar’s New Benthos 500 Founder’s Edition is the Release Dive Watch Fans Have Been Waiting For

If you’ve been following the reestablishment of Aquastar over the last few years, today marks an important milestone in the brand’s new chapter. After a series of well regarded divers offering takes on both Aquastar’s actual history and a sort of imagined version of it, we’ve finally come to the Benthos, perhaps the brand’s most famous watch, at least among the cult of divers and sports watch fanatics who have always held the brand in such high regard. This release, the Benthos 500 Founder’s Edition, very much feels like the watch that Aquastar has been building toward for the last few years, and it’s quite impressive in the metal.  First, a little background on the Benthos for those unfamiliar with its history. The Benthos was introduced in 1970 as a diving chronograph, but it uses one of the most uncommon executions of what is a fairly common complication that we can recall. This is a monopusher chronograph with a centrally mounted minute hand, and no chronograph seconds hands. That means that when you activate the chronograph, the user has the strange experience of wondering if anything just happened. But wait a minute, and you’ll see that minute hand tick over to the first minute marker, and the functionality here becomes a little more clear.  For most divers who would need to engage a chronograph underwater, it’s the minutes that truly matter, and a chronograph like this gives you exactly what you need, and none of what you don’t. The other piece...

Read article
Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts 2024 on Show in Geneva SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts 2024 Mar 29, 2024

Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts 2024 on Show in Geneva

Continuing its annual tradition, Patek Philippe is exhibiting the year’s Rare Handcrafts its Geneva Salon from April 13 to 27, alongside the final few days of Watches & Wonders. Aside from the 82 watches and clocks – the largest Rare Handcrafts collection ever presented – the engravers and enamellers will be on hand to demonstrate their craft. The timepieces in the exhibition, comprising seven Dome Clocks, three table clocks, nine pocket watches, and 43 wristwatches, showcase the brand’s mastery of traditional techniques, ranging from the familiar like cloisonné and champlevé, to those less often encountered in watchmaking, such as wood marquetry and Longwy enamel on faience. As has long been the case for the Rare Handcrafts collection, all of the timepieces on show are available in theory, but typically allocated to the best clients. The Rare Handcrafts collection will be exhibited in three sections, each grouped according to the particular timepiece form. Upon entering the Salon, guests will encounter a dozen Calatrava wristwatches with enamel dials bearing the constellations of the zodiac, executed in a range of techniques, namely grisaille, cloisonné, and paillonné. The Napoleon room The exhibition continues into the Napoleon room facing Lake Geneva. Here are the watches inspired by nature, including the pocket watch ref. 995/143G-001 “Portrait of a White Egret” with a wood marquetry dial. The ref. 995/143G-001 with its matching stand The last section ...

Read article
Christopher Ward Introduces the C63 Valour Chronograph Worn & Wound
Christopher Ward Introduces Mar 28, 2024

Christopher Ward Introduces the C63 Valour Chronograph

Christopher Ward is expanding its military watch line, with the new C63 Valour chronograph. Past Christopher Ward military watches have paid tribute to the British Army, Navy, and Air Force. The C63 Valour is the first watch in Christopher Ward’s lineup dedicated to all three branches. In creating the C63 Valour, watch designer Will Brackfield turned to “the British Military quartz watches of the 1980s, with applied and polished numerals.” The C63 Valour similarly features applied numerals and an applied logo in steel that pop against the black dial. In military watches, legibility is key, and it’s clear the C63 Valour draws on pilot watches in particular with its large Arabic numerals. It’s a minimalist watch face, with a lot of information laid out very simply, making it easy to read and a pleasure to look at. Lumed hour and minute hands make sure that it’s easy to read even at night. The three branches are represented on the watch in the steel subdials, which feature a light blue hand for the Air Force, a dark blue hand for the Navy, and a red hand for the Army. The caseback also features the three heraldic crests of the military branches, along with the queen’s crown in honor of the late Queen Elizabeth II. The watch features a 39mm stainless steel case with a lug-to-lug of 45.8mm. Inside is a battery-powered movement with a lifespan of three years and accuracy of plus or minus 10 seconds a year. Fitting for a watch that also pays tribute to the Royal Nav...

Read article
Tudor taps into the “daring spirit” of its ambassadors for new Black Bay Chrono Pink Time+Tide
Tudor taps into Mar 28, 2024

Tudor taps into the “daring spirit” of its ambassadors for new Black Bay Chrono Pink

Tudor has launched a new Black Bay Chrono Pink inspired by ambassadors David Beckham’s Inter Miami CF and Jay Chou’s love for pink. It is not just a dial evolution, it is also presented on a five-link bracelet with a T-fit clasp – a first for the range. Unfortunately, Tudor claims “only a small number … ContinuedThe post Tudor taps into the “daring spirit” of its ambassadors for new Black Bay Chrono Pink appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Read article
Hot-Take: Tudor Unveils A New Pink-Dialed Black Bay Chrono On A Five-Link Bracelet Fratello
Tudor Unveils Mar 28, 2024

Hot-Take: Tudor Unveils A New Pink-Dialed Black Bay Chrono On A Five-Link Bracelet

Less than two weeks out from Watches and Wonders, Tudor has jumped the starting gun with a pre-show introduction. This pink-dialed Black Bay Chrono is also the version of this model we’re seeing for the first time on the brand’s five-link (don’t call it Jubilee) bracelet. Its distinct shade of pink sets it aside from […] Visit Hot-Take: Tudor Unveils A New Pink-Dialed Black Bay Chrono On A Five-Link Bracelet to read the full article.

Read article
[Video] The Rado Anatom, and What the Next Vintage Watch Revival Might Look Like Worn & Wound
Rado Anatom Mar 28, 2024

[Video] The Rado Anatom, and What the Next Vintage Watch Revival Might Look Like

When you write about watches for a living, it’s impossible not to think about the concept of vintage reissues and vintage inspired watches on an almost daily basis. For the last ten years, at least, vintage inspired watches have been the key driving force in the watch market, even if you take a somewhat narrow view of what a “vintage inspired” watch really is. They have been ubiquitous for a long time now.  But that’s changing. We no longer live in an environment where every other watch that finds its way into my inbox is based on a design from the middle of the last century. They’re still there, to be sure, but it’s not nearly as overwhelming as it once was. It’s been gratifying to see many brands, a lot of them small and making watches at affordable price points, introduce popular contemporary designs that are original and have resonated strongly with the community. By the same token, the best makers of watches inspired by designs from the 1950s and 1960s have established themselves more firmly, and carved out niches for themselves in the enthusiast community where their watches don’t feel like knock-offs, but part of a long tradition, and possessed of their own unique design language.  It occurs to me though that my perspective on this could simply be that of someone who is getting older. I’ve rounded 40 now, and am shocked on a weekly basis to learn that albums and movies that meant a lot to me in high school and college are now celebrating 20 and 2...

Read article
Introducing – The New Chronoswiss Strike Two Series with Horizontal Regulator Layout Monochrome
Chronoswiss Mar 28, 2024

Introducing – The New Chronoswiss Strike Two Series with Horizontal Regulator Layout

The allure of contemporary Chronoswiss designs is palpable to watch enthusiasts, as evidenced by the plethora of limited-edition models marked as sold out in the company’s online catalogue, which offers both cutting-edge models and classic designs in peaceful coexistence. The new Strike Two series unveils yet another bridge between the brand’s esteemed past, exemplified by […]

Read article
The First Overseas Stop for Grand Seiko “Alive in Time Through the Five Senses” SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Alive Mar 28, 2024

The First Overseas Stop for Grand Seiko “Alive in Time Through the Five Senses”

In its first stop outside of Japan, Alive in Time Through the Five Senses just concluded in Singapore, with other cities possibly being on the cards. Conceived to present the spirit of the brand by engaging all five senses, the exhibition was made up of five sections: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. The exhibition began with sight, where guests were greeted by watchmakers Satoshi Hiraga and Ikukiyo Komatsu, representing the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi and Shinshu Watch Studio respectively. The former specialises in mechanical movements, while the latter is responsible for Spring Drive, so each watchmaker demonstrated his speciality: Mr Hiraga worked on a 9S automatic calibre while Mr Komatsu on a 9R Spring Drive movement. Also on display was the third Grand Seiko movement family, the 9F Quartz. The visual transitioned to the aural in the sound section where visitors were treated to an immersive film experience depicting the 340 parts of the Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon. Despite the impressive mechanical complexity of the Kodo, one of the distinguishing elements of the movement is its 16-beat rhythm resulting from the overlapping ticks and tocks of both the escapement and the remontoir. The exhibition continued in the area dedicated to touch simulating a precisely prepared Zen garden. Guests could try various Grand Seiko models – and take the obligatory wrist shot against the tranquil beauty of the garden. The taste and smell area concluded the experience with...

Read article
Breitling Superocean and Superocean Heritage: The Ultimate Guide Teddy Baldassarre
Breitling Mar 27, 2024

Breitling Superocean and Superocean Heritage: The Ultimate Guide

Historically, Breitling is a watchmaker known for two horological specialties: aviation watches and chronographs. In its most famous timepieces, in fact, like the Navitimer and Chronomat, the two genres elegantly merge into an iconic whole. While this is still largely the case today, Breitling has also staked out for itself a successful and impactful niche in the category of dive watches; its robust and stylish Superocean collection, introduced in 1957 during the early heyday of recreational diving, continues to command a large and avid audience today. Now divided into two distinctively different yet historically related families - the Superocean and Superocean Heritage - and offering both three-hand and chronograph models in a steadily growing array of sizes, materials, and colorways, Breitling’s seaworthy fleet offers a sporty option for just about everyone. Here is a brief history of the Superocean and a guide to the modern collection. 1957: Ref. 1004 Diver and Ref. 807 Chronograph The launch of the original Superocean, Breitling’s first purpose-built divers’ watch, in 1957, was timed to commemorate 25 years at the helm of the company for Willy Breitling, the only son of founder Gaston Breitling and the inventor of such enduring classics as the Chronomat and Navitimer. Commercially, it was also driven by the growing popularity of scuba diving as a hobby and the subsequent market desire for wristwatches that could be worn underwater. Several of that genre’s p...

Read article
Five Excellent Vintage-Inspired Watches For Modern Collectors Worn & Wound
Mar 27, 2024

Five Excellent Vintage-Inspired Watches For Modern Collectors

It’s hard to overstate the role vintage watches have played in the rise of watch enthusiasm over the last few years. Watch brands continue to tap into their archives as they reimagine yesterday’s hits with today’s modern technology. That combination of classic design with robust engineering is one of the reasons retro-inspired watches continue to be so popular, and today we take a look at five examples of vintage-inspired watches done right. As always, we encourage you to join our rewards program to earn points and save with every purchase. The Windup Watch Shop team is also available to schedule a consultation with you and answer any questions you have. It’s hard to overstate the role vintage watches have played in the rise of watch enthusiasm over the last few years. Watch brands continue to tap into their archives as they reimagine yesterday’s hits with today’s modern technology. That combination of classic design with robust engineering is one of the reasons retro-inspired watches continue to be so popular, and today we take a look at five examples of vintage-inspired watches done right. As always, we encourage you to join our rewards program to earn points and save with every purchase. The Windup Watch Shop team is also available to schedule a consultation with you and answer any questions you have. The post Five Excellent Vintage-Inspired Watches For Modern Collectors appeared first on Worn & Wound.

Read article
Dear Watch Fans, Pace Yourselves And Beat The FOMO - A Watch Is Not A Pair Of Sneakers Fratello
Mar 27, 2024

Dear Watch Fans, Pace Yourselves And Beat The FOMO - A Watch Is Not A Pair Of Sneakers

Dear watch fans, it’s time to take a breather. Just sit back, relax, and listen to the 8-track - and you can do that while listening to Me’shell Ndegéocello’s song “I’m Diggin’ You (Like an Old Soul Record).” The reason I’m writing this is that the fast-paced digital world seems to be taking its toll […] Visit Dear Watch Fans, Pace Yourselves And Beat The FOMO - A Watch Is Not A Pair Of Sneakers to read the full article.

Read article
Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement with Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Girard-Perregaux Revolution
Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement Mar 27, 2024

Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement with Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Girard-Perregaux

In 2013, Girard-Perregaux debuted the acclaimed Constant Escapement L.M., earning the prestigious ‘Aiguille D’Or’ at GPHG, which is a mechanism that delivered remarkable rate stability irrespective of the available energy. Wei and Girard-Perregaux CEO Patrick Pruniaux explore the Maison’s latest innovation, the Neo Constant Escapement. Enhancing the already remarkable Constant Escapement, it features aesthetic and […]

Read article
The Ulysse Nardin Freak – The Saga of a Scientific Timepiece Part II SJX Watches
Ulysse Nardin Freak – Mar 26, 2024

The Ulysse Nardin Freak – The Saga of a Scientific Timepiece Part II

Having explored the origins of the Ulysse Nardin Freak, from its concept by Carole Forestier Kasapi to its realisation by Dr Ludwig Oechslin, we now turn to the Freak’s more recent innovations, starting with the Dual Ulysse Escapement. [This story explains the evolution of the unique, high-performance escapement of the Freak. Part I, covers the origins of the Freak, from its conception to realisation, as well as its distinguishing characteristics, namely the inventive movement construction and innovative escapement. Part III details the history of silicium, the proprietary Ulysse Nardin silicium hairspring, and the patented Grinder rotor.] A new and improved version of the Dual Direct escapement in the original 2001 Freak, the Dual Ulysse made its debut in 2005 inside the Freak 28’000 V/H, colloquially known as the Freak 2. Slightly larger than the original model but otherwise very similar, the Freak 2 operated at 28,000 beats per hour (4 Hz), a higher frequency than the 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz) of the original Freak. One of the factors which made possible the increase in frequency was the revised escapement christened the Dual Ulysse Escapement. A diagram showing the key parts of the Dual Ulysse Escapement. Image – Ulysse Nardin The Dual Ulysse Escapement Another creation of Dr Oechslin’s, the Dual Ulysse departs from the classical natural escapement à la Breguet that the original Dual Direct Escapement was based on, but it still bears some resemblance to its...

Read article