WatchBox Rewound: Manually-Wound Video Round-Up

<p>The Mona Lisa: meticulously created by an expert artisan, eliciting awe from those who have the pleasure to witness its beauty. Imagine a scenario in which a significant obstruction shielded your eyes from viewing half of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterful work at all times. The same idea is in play with an automatic watch. Take the Patek Philippe Caliber 26-330. Each of its 304 hand-placed, black-polished, carefully beveled and chamfered parts could be blocked by the 21k gold unidirectional winding rotor at any time.</p>
<p>Conversely, the components of a manually wound watch are on display at all times, allowing its wearer a view of the soul of the watchmaker. Once your eyes pierce the caseback, you enter their world. You are able to see days, weeks and, sometimes, months of hard work at the bench, realized in a wearable masterpiece. I feel to block view from that is to not fully appreciate the movement in its entirety.</p>
<p>So, what’s the difference? A manually-wound, or hand-wound, movement works just as the name suggests. And while the blocked view of a movement is to me, a drawback, most automatic timepiece owners enjoy the convenience of not having to physically wind the crown to achieve power. An automatic (sometimes referred to as self-winding) movement is powered by a winding mass (or rotor) that, when it spins around the circumference of the caseback, provides power to the mainspring.</p>
<p>Aesthetic enjoyment aside, there is one more factor to consider when debating the merits of a manually wound vs. automatic timepiece: how much the piece will be worn. Once a watch runs out of power reserve, it requires the owner to reset the time. This can be tiresome for highly complicated pieces such as the perpetual calendar. Automatic timepiece owners have the option of using a watch winder, a device that rotates the piece to move the rotor (wind the watch), which effectively eliminates the need for winding and setting after its initial calibration. If the piece will be worn often, and you keep up with winding it, you should not run into this problem.</p>
<p>Is a manually wound watch for you? If you prefer to view the whole movement and don’t mind winding the watch at regular intervals, I’d say buy a manually wound piece. If you’d rather have a watch that’s always ready to go, and don’t mind the look of a rotor, an automatic piece will work well for you. There is, on the other hand, a sort of hybrid between the two: the micro-rotor caliber. The owner will receive all of the benefits of wearing an automatic timepiece, and the smaller rotor will enable you to see more of the movement. I’d check out Chopard, Bulgari, Patek Philippe, and Laurent Ferrier for some great micro-rotor pieces.</p>
<p>To me, there is no better sound than the crisp wind of a watch movement. That feeling when you realize one turn of your thumb and index finger can impulse an expansive gear train is pure magic. Winding a watch is what connects our blind neighbors to the labyrinth we know as a watch movement. It’s a feeling we can all relate to, regardless of what’s on the other side of the dial.</p>
<p>Watch as Tim Mosso, our in-house watch expert, breaks down an exquisite selection of some of our best manually-wound timepieces.</p>
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<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1163811" src="https://watchbox-blog.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/08-30-2021-Manually-Wound-ALangeSohne.jpg?max-w=1024&q=50&auto=format,compress&usm=10&usmrad=3" alt="" width="800" height="521" /></p>
<p><center><iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dyl2BtEhSpA" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></center></p>
<h3>Ref. 101.031</h3>
<p>About the watch: Underneath the handsomely sculpted 38.5mm rose-gold case lies an exquisite, black-galvanized sterling silver dial. Its layout is based on the golden ratio: a mathematical formula derived by Martin Ohm, designed to be the most aesthetically pleasing shape to the human eye. <a href="https://www.thewatchbox.com/shop/4406252.html">The Lange 1</a>, along with the Arkade, Saxonia, and Tourbillon Pour le Mérite, was introduced as part of the Saxon brand’s original lineup at its re-launch in 1990.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1163812" src="https://watchbox-blog.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/08-30-2021-Manually-Wound-FPJourne.jpg?max-w=1024&q=50&auto=format,compress&usm=10&usmrad=3" alt="" width="800" height="521" /></p>
<p><center><iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X4zduixOpQU" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></center></p>
<h3>Chronomètre Bleu</h3>
<p>About the watch: The gradient on the chameleon-like, blue-back dial of the <a href="https://www.thewatchbox.com/shop/4478921.html">Chronomètre Bleu</a> is applied with a proprietary ink, set on a proprietary gel pad at a specific temperature. Only 30% of the created dials will complete the rigorous quality inspection, and travel from the workbench to the completed product. The 39mm case is constructed in tantalum, a cousin of platinum, and one of the hardest metals known to man. Due to its tight molecular structure, tantalum is significantly harder to sculpt and polish, explaining its limited use in the watch industry.</p>
<p> </p>
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<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1163813" src="https://watchbox-blog.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/08-30-2021-Manually-Wound-HMoser.jpg?max-w=1024&q=50&auto=format,compress&usm=10&usmrad=3" alt="" width="800" height="521" /></p>
<p><center><iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WlLD7G-3Mmw" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></center></p>
<h3>Venturer Swiss Mad Limited Edition</h3>
<h3>Ref. 2327-0208</h3>
<p>About the watch: In 2017, during the height of the ‘Swiss Made Crisis,’ a period during which the regulations befitting a watch of the “Swiss Made” mark were loosened, Moser released the Swiss MAD watch, poking fun at an industry whose roots were threatened. A talking piece was unveiled during SIHH that year, featuring a case made of 100% Swiss-Made Swiss cheese. Since the creation of the Swiss MAD watch, Moser removed the “Swiss Made” mark from its dials, a proclamation that proved a proper Swiss Made timepiece need not carry the stamp.</p>
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<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1163814" src="https://watchbox-blog.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/08-30-2021-Manually-Wound-PatekPhilippe.jpg?max-w=1024&q=50&auto=format,compress&usm=10&usmrad=3" alt="" width="800" height="521" /></p>
<p><center><iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IJ-VtQ0KTfc" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></center></p>
<h3>Calatrava Ref. 5116G-001</h3>
<p>About the watch: The Calatrava collection, universally known as one of <a href="https://www.thewatchbox.com/watches/patek-philippe/">Patek’s</a> seminal works, is inspired by the Bauhaus principle: a school of thought aimed to meld mass production and artistic thought which, in turn, shaped European art and architecture throughout the early 1900’s. The first Calatrava, Ref. 96, was introduced by the Jean and Charles Henri Stern, fresh off purchasing the company in 1932, to help Patek push through the calamity of the great depression.</p>
<h3></h3>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1163815" src="https://watchbox-blog.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/08-30-2021-Manually-Wound-GP.jpg?max-w=1024&q=50&auto=format,compress&usm=10&usmrad=3" alt="" width="800" height="521" /></p>
<p><center><iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZKvF02YilMc" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></center></p>
<h3>Constant Escapement L.M. Ref. 93505-21-631-BA6E</h3>
<p>About the watch: <a href="https://www.thewatchbox.com/shop/4285375.html">The constant escapement</a> earned the top prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), the Oscars of watchmaking if you will, in 2013: realizing the success of its 13-year development. It fixes the age-old problem of an escape wheel losing amplitude over time, resulting in inaccurate timekeeping. Its proprietary silicon blade, 6x thinner than a human hair, ensures the balance receives the same amount of energy regardless of how much power is in the mainspring.</p>
<h3><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1163816" src="https://watchbox-blog.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/08-30-2021-Manually-Wound-JLC.jpg?max-w=1024&q=50&auto=format,compress&usm=10&usmrad=3" alt="" width="800" height="521" /></h3>
<p><center><iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L3yznddKYgU" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></center></p>
<h3>Duomètre à Chronographe Ref. Q6011420</h3>
<p>About the watch: With over 180 years of accurate timekeeping, <a href="https://www.thewatchbox.com/watches/jaeger-lecoultre/">Jaeger-LeCoultre</a> is synonymous with quality and a storied history. Limited to only 300 pieces in rose gold, it is safe to say you won’t see another Duomètre ticking away on your morning commute. The dual-wing concept for the Caliber 380, consisting of two individual mechanisms, one for the complications and one for the passing time, was inspired by birds. During development, JLC made an effort to have absolute symmetry on the dial to achieve the best viewing conditions for the complications.</p>

A Lange & Sohne Jaeger-LeCoultre Patek Philippe H. Moser & Cie.

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Ari Beal

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