The Aevig
Balaur has experienced a long gestation with more than one bizarre plot
twist along the way. I won't rehash the whole story today (you can read
more here). Suffice to say it involved a friendly watch forum completion, an unsatisfactory prototype, allegations of a knock-off levied against a watchmaking giant, and a tense showdown
between Aevig's Chip Yuen and a flock of SeaGulls at the 2016 Hong Kong
Watch and Clock Fair. Certainly not the usual route from concept to
production. Was all this drama worth it? Chip lent me a pair of
prototypes so I could find out for myself.
The Balaur is a dual-crown, 300m
diver with an internal GMT/timing bezel, powered by a Swiss ETA 2824-2, a
hacking and hand winding 25 jewel automatic with a 28.8k bph beat rate.
The Balaur's stainless steel case measures 42mm wide, 49mm long, and
13.5mm thick with a double domed sapphire crystal. A signed, screw-down
crown at 4 o'clock sets the movement, and a triple-gasket push-pull
crown at 2 o'clock operates the bezel. I found the crowns to be a little
stiff in their operation, but this will be corrected before production.
Chip also tells me the gap between crown and case will be tighter.
The case is round with lugs that
taper sharply before terminating in a 90-degree angle. They flow in a
steep arc from the central barrel, wrapping the wearer's wrist and
minimizing the overall footprint. A fixed, angular bezel surrounds the
dial. All surfaces are brushed except for a polished chamfer that runs
the length of the case, diminishing at the lugs into just a glinting
whisper at the tips. These elements coordinate to make the 42mm appear
sleeker and more tailored than most diver's watches.
"Balaur" is a dragon from European
folklore. Its snakelike likeness appears on the case back in a
particularly detailed and high relief stamping. Up front, the center
links of the bracelet are raised, beveled, and polished on three sides,
evoking an alligator's bony hornback ridge. It is a clever detail that
gives the bracelet a unique look that ties into the overall theme
without being obviously reptilian. I loved the look on the prototypes,
and Chip tells me the finished product will be even better as the links
will be three separate pieces and the center will be more than 1mm
thicker allowing for a more pronounced edge. It will still have solid
links, screwed link pins, and 22-20mm taper, but will feature a
ratcheting clasp instead of the prototype's push-button flip-lock. With
all of these changes, I can't say that I have evaluated the bracelet,
but I do like the overall design concept and have no reason to believe
the changes will do anything but improve what is already a quality
unit.
Like the case and bracelet, the
Balaur's dial presents an attractive face that is surprisingly nuanced.
Nothing on the dial shouts at you. Rather, it all works seamlessly to
draw you in and make you love it, even if you don't immediately
understand why. The internal bezel has hours on the upper surface and
minutes on the angled return, marked with a series of dots. All are
printed in white except for contrasting orange numbers on the fives.
There are only two choices of dial color, blue and black, both with
applied polished rectangular markers. Dial text consists of the brand
name and logo up top, model name in lowercase and "Automatic" in red
below it. Aevig watches never have standard handsets. The Balaur has
polished, semi-skeletonized hands that are faceted and filled with lume.
The paddle tip on the second hand adds a spot of mustard yellow to the
palate.
Chip has never been afraid to
explore the Pantone chart, so the blue is not the typical Navy or Royal,
but a muted tone with hints of gray and green that are complemented by
its BWG9 lume. The black dial is black of course, lumed with creamy C3.
Both performed well in low light, but the lighter C3 provided better
contrast than the blue-green BGW9.
I could not let the watches go with
trying a strap swap. Drilled lugs make it easy, and I was pleased to
discover the spring bar perches are positioned just right so that there
is ample room for a NATO but not so much space that a two-piece strap
would leave an unsightly gap. A Bradystraps sailcloth suited its
tailored look, while a distressed Gunny leather NATO played up its
vintage appeal.
There are many workmanlike
watchmakers in the microbrand world these days, creating watches that
fit well within the confines of convention. Their products are often
quite attractive, even if they are derivative. Then there are the watch
artists, expanding our horizons with innovative designs or spinning
traditional designs in exciting new ways. Chip is one of the artists,
and the Balaur is yet more proof. The more you examine it, the more you
appreciate his talent.
The Balaur will sell for €695 (@
$756 USD) at full price including VAT (21%), but you can pre-order now
for €550 (@ $598 USD) until December 2016.
vedere di piu
rolex imitazioni e
replica Chopard
La scorsa settimana, Blancpain ha presentato la sua iniziativa "Ocean impegno" a Cap d'Antibes, nel sud della Francia. Questo programma unire il produzione 's varie attività volte a salvaguardare e proteggere gli oceani del mondo, nonché di aumentare la consapevolezza del pubblico attraverso l'esplorazione dell'oceano.
