Author Archives: Timmy Tan

The Wristwatch Handbook: An important reference

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The Wristwatch Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Mechanical Wristwatches by Ryan Schmidt, published by ACC Art Books Ltd.

When I first thumbed through The Wristwatch Handbook and looked at the images, my initial fear was that it was going to be another cut-and-paste job.

However, such a fear was totally unfounded. Once you begin reading what Ryan Schmidt has to share, the content value of what this book has to offer multiplies exponentially.

For example, did you know that the 24-hour orange-tipped hand for referencing the second time zone (home time) on the Rolex Oyster Explorer II can also be used as a day and night indicator?

This is a useful feature especially for explorers in extreme environments where they cannot easily discern between night and day.

If you own a chronograph watch, do you know what a Compax layout is? How about the Valjoux layout or even the Tri-Compax layout? If the answer is no, then this is the ideal handbook for you as it is a great aid as an educational guide and reference tool.

Did you also know that Patek Philippe’s Ref. 5980 Nautilus chronograph features what is known as the clock-face register, as its combined chronograph hour and minute sub-dial mimicks the layout of a regular watch face.

Discovering why the chronograph sub-dial on Patek Philippe’s Ref. 5980 Nautilus is known as the clock-face register. The Wristwatch Handbook is available at Kinokuniya in Singapore. Kinokuniya is Singapore’s largest bookstore  and this resource-rich horological book is priced at SGD105.93. Photo: © TANG Portfolio / TimeWerke.

Many of the images are of contemporary watches which makes this handbook highly relevant not just for novice watch enthusiasts but for seasoned collectors.

One pleasant surprise was the explanation of resonance watches of which there are only a few in the market.

As John Reardon, International Head of Watches at Christie’s points out: “For the knowledgeable and experienced collector this book opens up the door to other collecting categories that may not have been of interest to you before.”

What must also be noted is that rather than just focus on the big brands, Schmidt has included brands such as Romain Gauthier, MB&F, Louis Moinet, Ball Watch, Parmigiani, Greubel Forsey, Harry Winston, Christophe Claret and Maurice Lacroix. Even the relatively “new kid on the block”, HYT, is featured.

“Rather than just focus on 10 or 20 of the leading brands, the book is brand agnostic. It doesn’t matter what price it retails for, what logo it has on the dial, or what holding company owns the logo, if it does a great job of illustrating a given concept, it gets the attention it deserves,” Schmidt explains.

We are pretty sure that there are many gems in this book that the reader can pick up, be it watch tips or educational information.

The Wristwatch Handbook will not have a place on my bookshelf; it earns itself a permanent place on my work table simply because it will be referenced regularly.

i. More on The Wristwatch Handbook at its official web page at www.wristwatchhandbook.com.
ii. Read what others say about The Wristwatch Handbook.

Azimuth’s SP-1 Crazy Rider: How it works

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Azimuth SP-1 Crazy Rider. Time is told via the hour hand that travels with the chain and the minute hand that revolves around a fixed wheel. Photo: © TANG Portfolio / TimeWerke. Elfa / Timmy.

Azimuth’s SP-1 Crazy Rider features an innovative chain transmission system that is not only aesthetical but functional.

The chain transmission drives the hour and minute hands. The minute hand is found on the right and it is fixed onto the wheel. It completes one rotation every hour and the minutes are read off the conventional way.

The shorter hour hand is affixed onto the revolving chain and therefore travels with it, completing one round in 24 hours. It is what Azimuth terms a dial with a “true 24-hour scale”.

Time is therefore told by first taking note of the hour hand and the hour index it is pointing to, to read the hours, followed by a look at the minute hand to read the minutes in the conventional manner.

When worn on the left wrist with a long sleeve and half the case partially covered, one can still read the time easily from 7am to 5pm during office hours on the Azimuth SP-1 Crazy Rider’s 24-hour dial display. Photo: © TANG Portfolio / TimeWerke. Elfa / Timmy.

Of course, the rather unconventional time-telling takes some getting used to. For example, eleven o’clock (hour hand at 11 on the 24-hour scale, minute hand at 60 on the minute track reference) may appear to be 2 o’clock if based on the conventional way of reading time.

However, after having worn the Crazy Rider for a day or two, one will be able to familiarise oneself with its display.

If worn on the left wrist and a long-sleeved shirt with the Crazy Rider half-exposed, it may appear as a round watchcase. But this is not to be – the Crazy Rider has an unusual asymmetrical case that is designed to resemble a motorcycle engine. It is actually shaped like the infinity symbol and has a porthole-style bezel with exposed screws.

More importantly, With half the case partially covered, one can still read the time easily from 7am to 5pm during office hours.

After work and with sleeves rolled back, the Crazy Rider can be enjoyed in its full glory with time easily read off the dial. The hour and minute hands are applied with SuperLuminova for time-reading legibility in the dark.

Azimuth’s SP-1 Crazy Rider is equipped with the robust ETA 2836-2 self-winding movement that has been modified. Photo: © TANG Portfolio / TimeWerke. Elfa / Timmy.

From the rear, the movement of the Crazy Rider has been designed to look like an engine block. The automatic movement has been re-engineered for the Crazy Rider.

The base automatic movement is the highly robust ETA 2836-2. This can be seen if one can catch a good look at the movement which bears the ETA symbol and movement reference number.

Those who had attended the inaugural Watch Collector’s Masterclass in May 2016 conducted by HMF or Horloger Machines Fabrique, which is also a unit of Azimuth, ought to know as they were taught that this is one method identifying a watch movement.

The Crazy Rider’s chain drive system can be viewed as being inspired by either motorcycles or bicycles; it is up to each and every customer and what drives them towards such timepieces.

Another related article on timewerke.com that may be of interest:
i. Azimuth SP-1 Crazy Rider: Crazily Creative