Hooray! finally a 24 h IWC. Now, if the Fed will just send me some of that extra cash they keep flooding the market with ;-)
Cheers from Isobars.
Cheers from Isobars.
What an excellent complication to add. In IWC tradition it is good to see the focus on accuracy, with sidereal time only deviating by 11.5 seconds over a year.
I hope we see further (and larger) images of the rear of the watch.
Cheers from the cellar
this is snapped from the video:
Fantastic - I love it, even if I don't have much use for Sidereal time, or the Perpetual Calendar telling me it is day number 211 :-)
I love it for the looks and for the complicated engineering required - SUBLIME!!!
Siderale time: the greatest accomplishment would be a mechanical watch that deviates by just 11.5 seconds a year.
Spectacular watch. This is what I like to see from IWC. Wonderful complications, beautifully executed. Now where did I put that lottery ticket?
regards,
Dan
is the watch already available in the flagship store in Hong Kong? hope you guys can let me know! :) if it is then I'm flying there asap
You better win the jackpot. LOL
not yesterday, no.
thanks Master Shing for the insight! :) i cannot wait for this marvelous piece to land in the flagship in HK :)
This is really a great masterpiece of watchmaking art.
This weekend i had the opportunity to see a similar masterpiece. In Esslingen we have one of the oldest mechanical astromonic clocks in Germany. It is dated from 1589. And since this weekend we also have a copy of the most precise mechanical astronomical clock, the Harmonices Mundi in our city hall. I has been donated by Festo, a company near Esslingen there the clock has been developed to the city. If you ever are near Esslingen take a look at it!
Franz, really cool link - that Harmonices Mundi sure is something too.
Not as small and uaseable as the Siderale, but fantastic still - thanks for sharing!
I'm sitting here having a quiet moment and enjoying the world of IWC and this great Forum. Under the "About IWC" header I found an older article from Business Week where a number of "most expensive" watches were shown.
Take a look at this Panerai - images.businessweek.com/ss/10/04/0406_most_expensive_watches/7.htm
Kindof similar features to the Siderale, but not even close to as great looking in my opinion (and I do like Panerais - I'm the owner of two :-))
How much just for the box that it comes in? Lol
The box is as amazing as this watch.
And Siderale time has been done before - but again the IWC trumps the mighty PP in my opinion!!
images.businessweek.com/ss/10/04/0406_most_expensive_watches/24.htm
And Siderale time has been done before - but again the IWC trumps the mighty PP in my opinion!!
images.businessweek.com/ss/10/04/0406_most_expensive_watches/24.htm
Well, if you compare the both, at least the PP has a more practical date indication, and you don't need to take the watch off your wrist to see it. For about the same price, that is a pre in my opinion.
Kind regards,
Paul
The date indication on the Siderale is really intended for setting the starchart, which is why it has that unusual format. I find it awkward to read, too, but talked to the people involved who explained that to me. It's something that one needs to see "in action" to fully understand.
Also, the last I checked the Ref. 5002 Patek is more than 25% more expensive than the Siderale, which in absolute dollars or francs or Euros is a big difference. And yes, they're both tourbillons, which some people don't appreciate fully, but there is a big horological difference with IWC's constant force, over-sized, jump seconds tourbillon on the dial side. To say nothing of the night/day function via color change.
That said, they are both super-incredible watches. I'll gladly take either. Or better yet, both.
The date indication on the Siderale is really intended for setting the starchart, which is why it has that unusual format. I find it awkward to read, too, but talked to the people involved who explained that to me. It's something that one needs to see "in action" to fully understand.
OK Michael, let's say that the Sidérale is not seriously intended to be sold, I guess you need a bit of a money problem to consider buying it. To me the Sidérale is a "triumph of technique", an endeavour to find out what you can do with a very complex problem, that really almost nobody needs to get solved. But the result of that endeavour may be useful for future developments: I at least think that the constant force tourbillon could be seen in other watches too. And let's not forget the image building resulting from this project, I think that is great: after quite a while IWC proves again that it is on the pinnacle of cutting-edge watch technology. Seeing it this way, who would care about its double sided croc strap?
Kind regards,
Paul
The Siderale is seriously intended to be sold, although in limited quantities and made-to-order.
All fine mechanical watches are intended as triumphs of technique, and people at the upper-end (no matter how to define that) buy them for their craft. Ever since the advent of quartz, all functions of mechanical watches can be done better and for far less otherwise.
That of course not mean that practicality has no value. But, really, in the scheme of things my Regulateur Tourbillon is a needless affectation --unless one values craft.
I really appreciate that it's not only a piece of marvelous engineering, but it is truly a piece of art - a fairly practical piece of art because it can be used every day :-)(even if some of the aspects are "less" practical)
And not to forget, it's a thing of real beauty as well :-)
The watch is personalised because of the setting about the place where you live at that moment, so you get your own information on the "skyline", and sunrise and sunset. I wonder: when you move to another town or country, is it possible to get the watch reset to the new parameters: is that a simple operation, or does this mean a maybe expensive overhaul of the watch?
Kind regards,
Paul
Moving has been considered by IWC. The adjustment is not that mechanically complicated, but it requires preparation of a new star chart, which is completely individualized. Since this takes some time and since most people don't move that often, it might be time for an overhaul as well --and I don't even want to ask about that ;)