Grail Watch

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Two Movements, One Case: Alexander Shorokhoff Levels and Los Craneos

September 14, 2020 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Regular readers of Grail Watch know that I have a particular fascination with watches that contain multiple separate movements in a single case. Ever since the Nappey Jumelles Times and Ardath Long Distance of the 1960s, watch makers have used compact “ladies” movements in oversized travel watches for men. Now a modern maker, Alexander Shorokhoff, has done the same, first with the Los Craneos an now with the new Levels model.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Alexander Shorokhoff, Alexander Shorokhoff Levels, Alexander Shorokhoff Los Craneos, dual timezone, ETA 2671

More Movements, One Case

June 4, 2020 By Stephen Leave a Comment

I’ve recently written about the odd but surprisingly frequent practice of casing two movements into a single watch. From Nappey to Ardath to respected brands like Hermes and Cartier, many companies have used twin movements in a single watch. But what about squeezing in three, four, or more movements? The development of compact and inexpensive quartz movements made that possible in the 1980s, and this has lead to the creation of many novel oddballs.

Filed Under: Commentary, History Tagged With: Colani, Colani Apogee, Delaneau, Façonnable, Glycine, Glycine Airman, Glycine Airman 7, IceLink, Jean d'Eve, Raymond Weil, Raymond Weil Trianon

Two Movements, One Case: Ardath Long Distance

April 23, 2020 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Yesterday I talked about the Nappey Jumelles Times, the first dual timezone watch to use two separate movements in a single case. Although that model was quite obscure, today’s watch is much more famous. Ardath took Nappey’s formula and made it famous, producing a line of Long Distance watches that lasted a decade, including special models for Muslims and homemakers, and a cool sports model that reappeared in the 1990s!

Filed Under: Commentary, History Tagged With: Ardath, Ardath Hostess Long Distance, Ardath Long Distance, Ardath Super Long Distance, Ardath Wisdom, dual timezone, ETA 2551, ETA 2651, FEF 430, Islam, Nappey Jumelles Times, Royce Twin

Two Movements, One Case: Nappey Jumelles Times

April 17, 2020 By Stephen 2 Comments

You’ve probably never heard of Nappey or the Jumelles Times (“Twin Time”) watch, and for good reason: It was an obscure model in the 1960s that went nowhere. But the idea of a watch with multiple dials showing different timezones has become a common complication today. And it all came from this watch!

Filed Under: Commentary, History Tagged With: Ardath Long Distance, Besançon, GMT, Heuroplan, Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Duoface, LIP, Maurice Lacroix Grand Guichet GMT, Nappey, Nappey Jumelles Times, Nomos Tangomat GMT, Rolex GMT-Master, Royce Twin, Salon de Besançon, Tour de France

Xeric Xeriscope: An Amusing Piece of Junk

April 25, 2018 By Stephen 8 Comments

The Xeric Xeriscope is not an enjoyable watch. Mine was $349 on Kickstarter, and I feel it’s not worth even that. The finishing and usability is so bad I can’t even enjoy the novelty of the open heart carousel movement. I thought I knew what I was getting, but I didn’t know it would be this bad.

Filed Under: Collection, Reviews, Watch A Day Tagged With: Carousel, China, Chinese, dual timezone, Kickstarter, Open Heart, power reserve indicator, PTS Resources, PTS ST-1201, Wachismo, Watches.com, Xeric, Xeric Xeriscope

Maurice Lacroix Grand Guichet GMT: Grand, Not GMT

April 23, 2018 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Yesterday on “Watch A Day” I presented my first mechanical watch. Today I’m presenting my first Swiss mechanical. This Maurice Lacroix Grand Guichet GMT has an excellent Swiss movement, a useful complication, and Swiss build quality. But it’s not a GMT and the big date isn’t very big at all.

Filed Under: Collection, Watch A Day Tagged With: Big Date, ETA 2892, ETA 2892-A2, GMT, Maurice Lacroix, Maurice Lacroix Grand Guichet GMT, Maurice Lacroix Les Classiques, second timezone

Montblanc Homage to Nicolas Rieussec: Attainable Complications

April 13, 2018 By Stephen Leave a Comment

The last few “Watch A Day” choices were quite inexpensive, but today’s watch is affordable only compared to other options in its class. The Montblanc Homage to Nicolas Rieussec combines unique complications, a special manufacture movement, and an eye-catching look at an attainable if not exactly affordable price. It’s also a comfortable, useful watch for traveling.

Filed Under: Collection, Reviews, Watch A Day Tagged With: Chronograph, column wheel, Complicated Watches, Complication, double barrel, dual timezone, GMT, Homage to Nicolas Rieussec, Horology, Luxury Brands, MB R200, monopusher, Montblanc, Montblanc Star, Nicolas Rieussec, Richemont, vertical clutch, Watch Calibre, Watches

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Duo: Classic Elegance Incarnate

April 6, 2018 By Stephen 1 Comment

Today’s watch is a wonderful travel companion, a versatile and elegant accessory, and a true classic: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Duo. This was my first high-end watch and cemented in me a love for Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Filed Under: Collection, Watch A Day Tagged With: 854/1, GMT, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, Reverso

Nomos Tangomat GMT: Easy Traveler

April 4, 2018 By Stephen Leave a Comment

GMT or multi-timezone watches are one of my favorite complications, but many are so complex (with additional hands and dials) that they’re hard to use. Not so the Nomos Tangomat GMT with its integrated pushbutton time zone feature. In fact, you’d be forgiven for overlooking this handy and well-executed complication despite the clean Germanic look of the Nomos!

Filed Under: Collection, Watch A Day Tagged With: DUW 5201, GMT, manufacture, Nomos, Nomos Xi, Tangomat, Tangomat GMT

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