Entries by Joshua Munchow

Leroy Chronomètre à Tourbillon: A Proverbial Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing

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Now, I know you are thinking, the Leroy Chronomètre à Tourbillon seems like a nice enough watch.

And at first glance it is.

If you have gotten close enough to gaze at the beautiful enamel and understand the secrets hidden within the dial, then there is a good chance you will see and understand the real goods – those that make you wonder what is going to be inside the case.

Flipping over the Chronomètre à Tourbillon you find an unassuming hunter case back, but getting it open, again, precludes a secret: a hidden button underneath the crown. Pressing that button throws you back and rocks your world.

Sensuality & Bell & Ross: Vintage WWI Heure Sautante

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It’s understood that different things and experiences can be sensual for different people, and yet sensuality can’t ever be wholly objective since everyone has his or her own subjective view due to their own physiological differences. My first view of the Bell & Ross Vintage WWI Heure Sautante hit me in what can only be described as a sensual way.

Here’s Why A Watch Strap Is More Than Just An Accessory

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In many machines, there is always one, or yes, maybe a few, components without which the machine becomes something fundamentally different. And so it goes in a wristwatch. You might have noticed that I do not say “watch” and instead say “wristwatch.” This is entirely deliberate as a pocket watch and a wristwatch are two different machines. They share a large amount of components and are definitely related, but one “function critical” component sets them apart. You can see where I am going with this: it’s the watch strap.

Queen For A Day: Breguet Reine De Naples Haute Joaillerie

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The Breguet Reine de Naples collection launched in 2002 following the historic description of an “oblong (repeater) for bracelet.” This now-iconic feminine shape was resurrected 190 years after Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, commissioned Abraham-Louis Breguet to make the repeater for her royal wrist. The Reine de Naples’ oval-shaped case is a rare sight in watchmaking, but it serves to make one of the most memorable watches in production today.

Science Fiction Incarnate: Frank Buchwald’s Nixie Machine For MB&F

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When you think of fantasy and science fiction, what do you think of? I sometimes allow my imagination to drift into the paranormal and early twentieth-century years of discovery. This is the world that inspired the creation of Frank Buchwald’s latest creation for the M.A.D. Gallery, which is, of course, the Nixie Machine, a fantabulous clock featuring rare and giant Nixie tubes produced in the 1960s by the state-owned RFT in East Germany. I can imagine this clock in a variety of fictional settings from the worlds of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and even Isaac Asimov.

Cyrus Klepcys Mars: Bringing Home The Red Planet

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Imagine that you are stranded on Mars. That’s the premise of ‘The Martian,’ a novel by Andy Weir. The watch by Cyrus that will bring us to the red planet is the Klepcys Mars, an awesome dual retrograde timepiece with a miniature rotating Mars beneath the crystal. Though you’ll have to read the book or wait for the movie to know how Watney deals with his situation, one of the cool details of this Klepcys is the three-dimensional Mars that makes one full revolution in a Martian day.

Here’s Why A Watch Is More Like A Motorcycle Than A Car

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This is the first installment in a new series of articles focusing on a single concept. I’m calling it “Here’s Why.” Here I explain here’s why a watch is more like a motorcycle (and an iPod) than a car. To help me find the answers, I spoke to a few serious motorbike riders who also love mechanical watches, such as Bremont ambassador Charley Boorman and motorcycle enthusiast and watch journalist Keith Strandberg. The answers will surprise you.

Mechanical Computers From Then To Now: Greubel Forsey Quantième Perpétuel à Équation

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Calculating large numbers is a pain if all you have handy is your brain and a pencil. This is why people have created systems and objects to make the process easier. The Greubel Forsey Quantième Perpétuel à Équation has a mechanical computer that calculates the dates for the perpetual calendar and equation of time. This is a complete departure from the traditional perpetual calendar mechanism.