 |
PM |  | |
Quote | | |
Reply | | |
Full Topic | |
| Joined: | Mon May 12th, 2008 |
| Location: | Bay Area, California USA |
| Posts: | 426 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
recently, and I thought I would post some thoughts, a mini review I
guess...Please pardon the less than professional pics; I am not a photographer so these are my own, hand held, no light tent, etc...sorry! All the dust and fingerprints, etc are mine!
First off, this is the most expensive watch Debaufre offers, at
$1,450. Being able to put it through its' paces is one of the
benefits of having a connection to the home office!
There was only one production run limited to 20 pieces, and each is numbered on the caseback. There are also 20 Steinharts in this same style, similarly numbered.
Specification wise, it is nothing special...a 48mm case housing a
Unitas 6497...as many of you know, this type of setup is not unique
in the Debaufre lineup.
However, this is where the similarity to other Debaufre offerings
ends...This is a very special piece, no matter how you look at it!
First and most obvious is the fact that this is a "skeleton" type
watch, i.e. there is no "hard dial" on the front, and it uses an
exhibition caseback as well. For the record, both the front AND the
back are sapphire!
But if you look more closely, starting from the front, you can tell
that this is a bit unique compared to other "skeleton" watches. It
has been custom made, by hand, with an exquisite level of detail in
the skeleton process.
There are small, discrete markers attached to the chapter
ring at 5 minute intervals, further reducing clutter on the dial.
The sub seconds at 6 is a discrete blue/lume hand as well.
In order to fully emphasize the dial, or lack thereof
, the blued hands are also "skeletonized" except for the tips, which are filled
with lume.
Looking from the back you can see just how much the movement has been
detailed; compared to the stock 6497 you can see how much has been
"carved off" duing the customization process.
The pics below with the yellow background show even more clearly how
much space there is between the components.
This 48mm offering includes a modest onion style crown, quite
different from the oversized diamond style found in, for example, the
NavB Classic Unitas, or the over-sized "ring" version found on the
Marine Timer. It is easy to grip and wind despite the relatively
small size.
I don't know what else to say, other than this watch is very, very
unique, even among well made skeleton watches. If you are a fan of
this type of watch, I am pretty sure you would love this one. And if
you have never seen a good skeleton up close...well, it would be
worth a look if you ever get a chance to see one.