The delicate inner workings of a mechanical watch handle magnetic fields—especially those generated the industrial electromagnets used in hospitals and power stations— about as well as two liters of Diet Coke handles a tube of Mentos. That is, not well.
And when exposed in the massive fields generated in research institutes like CERN, that watch is liable to fly clean off your wrist. So beginning in the late 1950's Rolex developed the Rolex Milgauss, a watch with a built-in Faraday cage of non-ferrous metal surrounding the magnetically vulnerable movement. The design was nothing less than revolutionary, able to withstand 1000 Gauss without damage, and remained the standard in timepiece magnetic counter-measures for the next six decades.
However, Omega has taken the Faraday cage concept to its logical conclusion with the new Seamaster Aqua Terra watch. Touted as the world's first fully anti-magnetic watch, the Seamaster AT's movement is constructed completely out of non-ferrous material. This imparts a staggering 15,000 Gauss resistance to magnetic fields—sturdy enough to be worn even in CERN itself. Omega hasn't announced pricing yet but should begin shipping later this year.
I wonder if they're using one of those new silicium escapements with silicon mainspring. The rest could be crafted out of titanium or tungsten carbide.
I like the Shinola design quite a bit. I'm disappointed to see they're using inexpensive quartz movements in watches they want to retail from $400-$800. The horween leather straps are baller. My hope is that they'll someday make a Detroit-made mechanical movement. It just seems fitting.
I like the Shinola design quite a bit. I'm disappointed to see they're using inexpensive quartz movements in watches they want to retail from $400-$800. The horween leather straps are baller. My hope is that they'll someday make a Detroit-made mechanical movement. It just seems fitting.
See, if they really wanted to be cool they'd license the Ronda 2538 microrotor movement and build it in tha D. Decorated nicely, they could play off it quite well.
I just don't have a lot of love or respect for companies that play on the ignorance of consumers, either by playing into Swiss Mythology, or by charging an exorbitant sum for the actual cost of materials, tooling and marketing. It shows a lack of respect for the consumer, or even a deliberate (some would say malicious) choice to prey on the unwitting.
Further reading on their site says they're using the 705 movement also. Again, it's roughly $12 and quartz.
You know, I'd be perfectly content if they cloned the trusty ETA 2824 and made it in Michigan. Everyone else has copied it. It'd be a good starting place.
Indeed. Many of those old Swiss movements are well outside of patent/copy protection, and are so simple that even a new watchmaker could make meaningful modifications to save cost, add new complications, or even add aesthetics to them. I would much rather see a "made in Detroit" movement, without hiding its Swiss heritage. People already buy so heavily into the prestige of Swiss watchmaking, I don't think they'd bat a lash if their tagline was:
"Imagined by Switzerland. Made in Detroit." or something like that. Just fucking be honest.
My SOKI gamble arrived this morning and it's ever so pretty. Showed it to a coworker who is now digging through the cheap chinese mechanicals ebay search when I told him "I could sell this to you for $50 and walk away with $32 in profit". Well, he was after he picked his jaw up off of the floor.
The only potential issue I see (outside of the spurious dial cutout on the left) is that the auto-winder weight seems pretty anemic. I'll probably have to wind it more often than I do the Jaragar.
Does it keep time well? I think that's one of the big issues with the gamblebrands. I was considering Fizele watch and read a thread where the owner said his Fizele lost 20 minutes one time when he went for a run. Did not buy.
Comments
http://gizmodo.com/5976880/omegas-new-anti+magnetic-watch-doesnt-need-a-faraday-cageit-is-a-faraday-cage
The delicate inner workings of a mechanical watch handle magnetic fields—especially those generated the industrial electromagnets used in hospitals and power stations— about as well as two liters of Diet Coke handles a tube of Mentos. That is, not well.
And when exposed in the massive fields generated in research institutes like CERN, that watch is liable to fly clean off your wrist. So beginning in the late 1950's Rolex developed the Rolex Milgauss, a watch with a built-in Faraday cage of non-ferrous metal surrounding the magnetically vulnerable movement. The design was nothing less than revolutionary, able to withstand 1000 Gauss without damage, and remained the standard in timepiece magnetic counter-measures for the next six decades.
However, Omega has taken the Faraday cage concept to its logical conclusion with the new Seamaster Aqua Terra watch. Touted as the world's first fully anti-magnetic watch, the Seamaster AT's movement is constructed completely out of non-ferrous material. This imparts a staggering 15,000 Gauss resistance to magnetic fields—sturdy enough to be worn even in CERN itself. Omega hasn't announced pricing yet but should begin shipping later this year.
http://www.longislandwatch.com/Orient_CFNAA005W_Dress_Watch_p/cfnaa005w.htm
http://www.longislandwatch.com/Orient_EV0S005W_Dress_Watch_p/ev0s005w.htm
http://www.longislandwatch.com/Orient_ER27008W_Dress_Watch_p/er27008w.htm
here is the back side
Definitely confirmed that it's Tongji based on the bridge running as a crossbar along the back.
http://www.watchpartssupply.com/harley-ronda-1069-movement-p-956.html
http://www.christophlorenz.de/img/watch/movements/r/ronda/Ronda_2538_Harley.jpg
You know, I'd be perfectly content if they cloned the trusty ETA 2824 and made it in Michigan. Everyone else has copied it. It'd be a good starting place.
"Imagined by Switzerland. Made in Detroit." or something like that. Just fucking be honest.
Pics!
https://plus.google.com/u/0/113261456539286394780/posts/hmUvzwzhJ4Z
The only potential issue I see (outside of the spurious dial cutout on the left) is that the auto-winder weight seems pretty anemic. I'll probably have to wind it more often than I do the Jaragar.