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Post by boscoe on Nov 11, 2007 21:42:34 GMT -5
Okay, I'm announcing the Unofficial General Forum Watch of the Year competition. The rules are simple.
1. Nominate the timepiece you think is the 2007 Watch of the Year. You don't have to own it. Nominations can be based on style, engineering, movement or horological significance. Or all of the above. 2. Open to all brands in all price ranges. But the model MUST have been introduced for the first time in 2007. 3. No fakes or replicas, of course.
I'll close this off in mid December and then set up a vote.
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Post by boscoe on Nov 11, 2007 21:47:06 GMT -5
My one and only nomination is the Seiko 6R15 Diver, which was introduced in April of 2007. While this is a Japan-only model, it is readily available to the watch geek community at-large. And certainly more attainable than a $30,000 Patek. I think the Seiko 6R15 deserves to be Watch of the Year because it offers a major upgrade in the movement over the watch series it replaces. In addition, it has world-class fit and finish and lume. The design is refreshing, too. Not another Rolex Sub clone. Lastly, there's price: under $400, though the weak dollar has boosted it a bit.
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jdp87
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Posts: 105
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Post by jdp87 on Nov 12, 2007 13:50:57 GMT -5
I would have nominated the audemars MC12 millenary, for helping bring ap away from the royal oak, but since im sure that was 06, I will have to nominate the patek Ref. 5159, the retrograde date perpetual, a very cool watch (im a sucker for those retrogrades)
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Post by foghorn on Nov 12, 2007 14:08:22 GMT -5
I'm gonna have to think about this one.
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james13
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"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." --HST
Posts: 219
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Post by james13 on Nov 12, 2007 14:10:47 GMT -5
I am going to have to go with this one-- love those tubes. The BALL Engineer Master II Diver TMT provides the simplest safest solution for timing a dive. The rotating inner bezel operates with a screwed-down crown to ensure that the bezel cannot move under water. The red-colored O-rings seal the case for deep diving to 300 meters and also provide a handy visual cue that the crown is not completely screwed in. The BALL Engineer Master II Diver TMT is capable of measuring environmental temperature from –30 to 110°F (-35 to 45°C) with a precision of 3% that is only achievable by a mechanical thermometer. The measurement is easily read from the round indicator at 6 o’clock. The BALL caliber 9018 movement that powers the watch ensures it will function perfectly from –40 to 140°F (-40 to 60°C) without any adverse affect on accuracy. The black color of the Diver TMT case is not simply a matter of style. The Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) of the case provides several benefits. Metals coated with DLC exhibit impressive hardness, low friction, high resistance to wear, and even electrical insulation. Research shows that DLC dramatically improves the performance and life of any material. For deep diving, illumination is necessary to read the diver’s timepiece. At the depth of 100 meters that Guillaume reaches on a regular basis, the ambient light is about 1% of surface light. Recreational and professional Scuba Divers can often reach depths far lower. With 41 BALL micro gas tubes integrated into the rotating bezel, the diver will never have to worry about lighting again. The dial and hands also feature our micro gas tubes, giving a total of 53. “Engineer Master II Diver TMT” Automatic Series (Limited edition of 2006 pieces worldwide) Reference number: DT1020A-PAJ-BK Movement: Automatic BALL Cal. 9018 Cold temperature endurance to -40°C Functions: Hours, minutes, sweep seconds; date; bidirectional rotating inner bezel; thermometric indicator ranging from -35°C to 45°C; 53 micro gas tubes on hour, minute, second hands and dial for night reading capability Case: Stainless steel case with Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC); diameter 42mm; height 14.9mm; anti-reflective sapphire crystal; screwed-in crown, water-resistant to 300m; antimagnetic to 4,800A/m; shock-resistant – withstands 5,000Gs shock test Band: Rubber strap Dial: Black
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Post by Scott D on Nov 12, 2007 14:54:10 GMT -5
Well to pick just one outstanding watch of the year is extremely difficult. But, I think for my choice it needs to be the IWC Da Vinci Kurt Klaus Perpetual Calendar, a tribute to Kurt's 50 years of technical achievements with IWC. Available in a limited edition of 50 pieces in platinum & 500 pieces in rose gold. The Da Vinci has been in production since the '70's, but 2007 sees an entirely new version of the Da Vinci Perpetual including a new tonneau design and new completely IWC-manufactured chronograph movement. The Da Vinci Perpetual is programmed to not need any adjusting of the calendar date for 500 years. The Da Vinci records chronograph time in 1/8 of a second, moon phase, day, date, month decade, century & millennium - yet can be set using only the crown. One of the most advanced moon phases available in a wristwatch, being accurate to within 1 lunar day every 122 years. For all of its complexity, the perpetual calendar movement consists of only 83 components. And a technical tid-bit: The millennium date wheel trains reduction ration is 1:6,315,840,000. In the course of 100 years the balance will complete the 25,228,800,000 vibrations required to move the century slide a mere 1.2mm's. For all this, the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar gets my vote for 2007 Watch of the Year!!! Photo Credit IWC Photo Credit wbarker
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jdp87
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Posts: 105
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Post by jdp87 on Nov 12, 2007 17:09:40 GMT -5
that is one nice iwc!
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Post by meijin on Nov 12, 2007 22:06:55 GMT -5
I'd like to nominate the Philip Admirale. The textured white dial is beautiful. The 8 piece stacked case design is very unusual. It is powered by the amazing Valjoux 7750...sapphire front and back of course...fit and finish on the watch is something you would expect in a watch costing much more. And given the price (right around $600), you just can't go wrong...especially with the way movement prices are going. Michael
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Post by bullandvodka on Nov 13, 2007 0:12:16 GMT -5
I'd nominate the Rolex GMT-II with ceramic bezel. It is a modernist take on a 50 year old classic and straddles tradition with modern technology and sentiment. It is expensive, but an in-house wonder of swiss craftsmanship.
(I love Boscoe's Seiko too, hoping for one in my stocking come x-mas)
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Yuyan (Yan)
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Yuyan Aug'07 23rd bday at Prego
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Post by Yuyan (Yan) on Nov 13, 2007 9:53:20 GMT -5
i will need to think about this...looking back in the year 2007...........
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Post by boscoe on Nov 13, 2007 10:02:28 GMT -5
You have time Yuyan. It's an interesting concept. Some of the nominations have already got me thinking - or rethinking my choice.
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Yuyan (Yan)
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Yuyan Aug'07 23rd bday at Prego
Posts: 123
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Post by Yuyan (Yan) on Nov 13, 2007 23:57:43 GMT -5
Hmmm.... I think.... this is difficult. the IWC Da Vinci perpetual calendar that Scott mentioned is really one of a kind. But I would go for this -- Breguet La Tradition 7047BA/11/9ZU. Is this a 2007 or 2006 watch? I know this is just a dream-watch for me. but I really like it. What can I say? Breguet is THE watchmaker for tourbillons and many other complications. Any of his works are works of art and tradition. Quoted from official website: ' TRADITION wristwatch in 18-carat yellow gold. Hand-wound movement with tourbillon and fusee-chain transmission. Off-centred silvered-gold dial, hand engraved on a rose-engine. Power-reserve indicator on the barrel drum. Breguet overcoil. Sapphire caseback.' Quoted from lacotedesmontres.com website: Tradition Breguet Tourbillon a Rocket Réf. Ref. : 7047BA/11/9ZU : 7047BA/11/9ZU Case: Round 18-carat yellow gold to build finely grooved. Sapphire. Diameter 41mm. Fasteners rounded and welded, bolted bars. Water resistant to 30 meters. Dial : 18-karat gold silver, eccentric to 7am and guilloché by hand. Individually numbered and signed Breguet. Tour hours in Roman numerals. Tourbillon 60 seconds 1h. Needles Breguet from "apple" hollowed blued steel. Movement: . Manually wound with Whirlpool. Numbered and signed Breguet. Cal. 569. 16 lignes. 43 rubies. Frequency 3 Hz Reserve de marche to 50 hours with an indication of the reserve walk on the drum barrel. Couple assured constant over the whole of the watch with a transmission fusée-chaîne. Upper deck of the cage vorticity titanium. Barrette whirlwind form BREGUET non-magnetic stainless steel. Escape to anchor online. Balancier BREGUET titanium 4 screws precious gold. Spiral BREGUET. Fitted in 6 positions. this is just the very high end watch for me. I would re-think again about the lower end....
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Post by Scott D on Nov 14, 2007 7:53:03 GMT -5
Hey Yuyan, Wow, what a watch!!! I think that is the '06 though. Or at least it's not in the '07 book. They seem to have 'reversed' it in '07, putting the dial on the top instead of the bottom. BTW, have you seen the twin Rotating Tourbillon? Twin Tourbillons, with one being fixed to the hour hand. So as the hand rotates around the dial, so does the tourbillon with it. Each work independently, connected via a differential gear. Quite a watch.... It's the 5347PT/11/9ZU
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Yuyan (Yan)
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Yuyan Aug'07 23rd bday at Prego
Posts: 123
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Post by Yuyan (Yan) on Nov 14, 2007 10:07:30 GMT -5
Hey Yuyan, Wow, what a watch!!! I think that is the '06 though. Or at least it's not in the '07 book. They seem to have 'reversed' it in '07, putting the dial on the top instead of the bottom. BTW, have you seen the twin Rotating Tourbillon? Twin Tourbillons, with one being fixed to the hour hand. So as the hand rotates around the dial, so does the tourbillon with it. Each work independently, connected via a differential gear. Quite a watch.... It's the 5347PT/11/9ZU the '07 watch you are referring to is this? and no, have not seen the twin tourbillons personally yet. but have seen the 7027 one though on someone's wrist. and i must say, it is really more than just a WOW watch!!!! anyway.....at 30grand! what can i expect?? hahahaha..
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Post by Scott D on Nov 14, 2007 10:18:23 GMT -5
Yea, that's it.... Very nice..... And very much outside my budget....
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