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  • Ressence Refreshes Their Most Affordable Watch, Breguet Modernizes Their Expensive Watch, Von Doren Releases a Watch Based on A Cult Movie AndAtelier Wen Partners With Revolution

Ressence Refreshes Their Most Affordable Watch, Breguet Modernizes Their Expensive Watch, Von Doren Releases a Watch Based on A Cult Movie AndAtelier Wen Partners With Revolution

The Belgian/Swiss indie manufacturer proves why they make future classics

Author

Vuk Radic
April 18, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

Hey friends, you know that feeling after a hard week when you’re completely drained and have nothing to offer? That’s how the watch industry feels after Watches and Wonders, with nothing to offer. But It’s About Time is here to dig up all the news available, so let’s get to it.

In this issue:

  • Ressence goes (sage) green

  • Breguet modernizes their perpetual calendar

  • Norway’s Most Popular Movie inspires a vintage chrono

  • Atelier Wen + Revolution pay homage to Chinese manufacture

Today’s reading time: 5 minutes and 1 second

👂What’s new

1/ 

You might want to say that you don’t like Ressence watches. But don’t worry, I’m here to tell you you’re wrong. Because Ressence makes some of the best watches in the world. From the mesmirising fully rotating dial of the Ressence Type 1 to the world-proofness of the Type 5 diver, I love them all. Then there’s the Type 8 collection, where Ressence takes all of their neatest tricks (except for the oil-filled dial) and slaps them all into their most affordable watch.

Now they’ve released a new version of the Type 8, the Type 8s in a sage-green version of the minimalist watch. The 42.9mm titanium case is only 11mm thick. That thickness might not garner praise on other watches, but when you see the side profile of the Type 8s, it’s impressively thin considering how domed the dial and sapphire crystal are. Something that rounded should be much thicker.

The Type 8 offers the simplest of Ressence unique dials - the outer minutes track, and the hour indices ring of the sub-dial act as fixed chapter rings. The discs within rotate throughout the day, creating a satellite display of the hours and minutes. As the minutes disc rotates throughout the day, the hours sub-dial will rotate around the dial with it – making the display very dynamic. But, ultimately, the hours hand disc will make one full rotation every 24 hours and the minutes hand disc once every hour.

The Ressence Type 8S is available now for purchase. Price is set at CHF 12,500.

2/

Breguet is introducing an update to their Classique Quantième Perpétuel 5327 from 2004. It retains the same name, with a new reference - 7372. While it shares the same base calibre, it comes with a redesigned and more contemporary dial, with fewer counters and a more compact moon phase display.

The silvered gold dial is decorated with a Clous de Paris (hobnail) guilloché pattern in the centre that is more subtle and thinner than its predecessor – a style that has been introduced with the Tourbillon Extra-Plat Anniversaire 5365. The dial of the new Classique Perpetual Calendar 7327 compresses the information into five counters. The watch can be had in white or rose gold in 39mm cases, just 9.13mm thick. The white gold model is paired with a midnight blue strap, and the rose gold with a brown strap, both with folding clasps.

The Breguet Classique Quantième Perpétuel 7327 is priced at CHF 78,300.

3/

The Von Doren Il Tempo Gigante Automatisk Kronograf is not a newly released watch. The brand initially unveiled it in January and has since sold out the first run of 100 pieces. Now, they are gearing up production for another sale which is expected to sell out just as fast, and pretty much every pieces is likely to go to Norway. Why Norway? Because the watch is an hommage to the Il Tempo Gigante race car that shows up in the Flåklypa Gran Prix (or The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix) stop motion movie.

1975’s Flåklypa Gran Prix is the most popular film in Norway. It is traditionally shown every single year on December 25th, every kid in Norway loves it and it is part of popular culture. So no surprise that the Norwegian watch brand Von Doren was able to sell them all out as fast.

While being an homage to the beloved film, the Tempo Gigante also pulls of an homage to 1960s and 70s motorsport inspired chronographs with a perforated leather strap, colorful dial and case shape. While looking vintage, it’s dimensions are not as much of a throwback - 41 × 15.9mm in a steel case, with brushed and polished finishes. Inside the case beats an automatic La Joux-Perret L112 Top Grade movement.

The price is €2,995, and whether that’s too high or reasonable for you might depend on where you’re from. If you’re Norwegian, it’s an instant sell. For the rest of us - maybe? All together, 577 pieces will be made with either a black or a brown dial.

4/

It’s a weird story, that of Atelier Wen. It is a passion project of two french men who saw that Chinese watchmaking is capable of more than just mass producing movements in a range of price points. They looked deeper and saw craftsmanship that they wanted to show to the world.

Wei Koh from Revolution magazine recognized these efforts and pushed the two to collaborate on a limited edition watch that turns out to be an interesting value proposition, considering the titanium case and hand guilloché dial.

The Wen x Revolution Perception Xi is housed in a matte-brushed and highly polished titanium case and bracelet, while the dial is executed in a stunning red with guilloché à main individually crafted by Master Cheng Yucai. You can get the watch on the bracelet, or on a white rubber strap.

The watch will be limited to 100 pieces and is an actual bargain at $3,400. The watch goes on sale today at 4pm CET, 10am EST.

🫳On hand

Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon

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⚙️Watch Worthy

A look at an off beat, less known watch you might actually like

The movement of the Central Impulse Chronometer is mesmerizing. It is a technically exquisite expression of horological art and is exceptional. The movement takes a contemporary position in the horological lineage and history of the escapements that have come before, as made by other greats. This is appealing.

⏲️Wait a minute

A bunch of links that might or might not have something to do with watches. One thing’s for sure - they’re interesting

  • Read this blurb: When a down-and-out doctor finds his rundown mansion is haunted, he pulls the quintessentially American move: opening the house to the public for a fee. Everything goes wrong from there and tell me you don’t want to go read the article it describes right away.

  • Or, how about this one: 393 Powell Street was a peaceful home until residents started dying in brutal, mysterious ways

  • It’s all about good blurbs today: John D. Lawrence’s movie-star good looks were wasted on playing extras in films such as 1939’s Of Mice and Men. Did his desire for fame lead him to create a quest for fortune in the “The Americana Treasure Map,” a guide to several hidden troves located across the Western Hemisphere? Daniel N. Miller goes on a hunt for the man behind the map

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

You might not like Hodinkee, but their Talking Watches series is a staple in the watch world. To get a look into some of the best collections in the world is a privilege. So, what do you think the director of marketing and development of watcehs for Louis Vuitton, and the son of the richest man in the world, has in his watch box?

💵Pre-loved precision

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