Chronometer term is used to denote a very precise watch. These watches usually have a deviation of less than 5 seconds per day. Only watches that pass the Official Swiss Testing Office for Chronometers (COSC) test standards may use the chronometer word. The test consists of having the watch in observation for a few days in several positions and different temperatures to ensure the watch will keep precise time under extremes conditions. Watches that are Chronometer certified usually come with the COSC certificate. For many years Rolex has been the largest producer of Chronometer certified watches.

Official Swiss Testing Office Chronometer Certificate

Rolex Submariner with Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified written on the dial

All mechanical watches, automatic or manual wind have a power reserve. Power reserve is the charge the watch has before it needs to be wound again. In the case of automatic watches they automatically charge themselves when the wearer is moving. However when the watch does not move or when the watch is manual the power reserve takes place to ensure the watch will keep the accurate time. Usually modern automatic watches have between 36 and 42 hours of reserve energy. The question is how would you know how much power the watch has left before it has to be wound again? The Power Reserve Display function informs the wearer how much power he has left. This is very useful especially for manually wound watches. Usually a color graph bar is located on the dial (face) of the watch, however there are other types of displays that may show how much charge it has with words.

Glycine Incursore watch with Graph Bar Power Reserve

Jaeger LeCoultre Master Reserve de Marche with Numerical Power Reserve

TW Steel has just introduced another line to the new CEO Collection,  The “Tonneau”. In the watch world a Tonneau means the  wristwatch has a  barrel-shaped showcase and two convex sides, hence the name.  It resembles pretty much Richard Mille’s Tonneau design with its 8 hexagonal shaped screws on the case, as well as the crown that looks identical. However it does have its TW  signature with its bigger size  ,the  “futuristic “  lines of the side of the case, and nice color contrast that TW chose to use on the watches. The CEO line is really a good option for those who want to wear a watch that looks like a 6 digit figure watch but really costs under $1,000.  They come in five different flavors, below are the models with their respective Retail Prices:

• CE2001 Black face and Black Leather band $895
• CE2002 Black Face PVD Case with Rose Gold Tones and Black Leather Band $895
• CE2003 White Face Pink Gold Tone with Brown Leather Band  $895
• CE2004 Black Face with Gold Tone and Black Leather Band $895
• CE2005 Black Face with Stainless Steel Bracelet $995

TW Steel CEO Tonneau on the left and Richard Mille Felipe Massa on the right

TW Steel CEO Tonneau CE2001

TW Steel CEO Tonneau CE2002

TW Steel CEO Tonneau CE2003

TW Steel CEO Tonneau CE2004

TW Steel CEO Tonneau CE2005

The crown is simply the knob usually located at the right hand side of the case at three o’clock. It can also be located at the other side or any other position depending on model and manufacturer, as well have more than one crown. The crown is used to wind the watches as well as set functions on the watch such as time, day, and date. Other functions could be set when the watch has more than one crown. Since water can enter the case through the crown when performing strenuous activities, some majority of water proof watches use screw-down crowns. On some sporty models like divers, an extra security feature is used, which is the crown guard. Below are a few crowns, positions, and features:

Watch with open Crown

Watch with closed Crown

Opened Crown displaying the Screw-down and Guard feature

Closed Crown with Screw-down and Guard feature

Watch with multiple Crowns

Azimuth is well known for making unusual timepieces. It is with pleasure that we present to you the SP-1 Mecanique Roulette. This watch was introduced in 2009 at the inauguration of Asia’s greatest casino in Singapore. This beatiful timepiece is not only a wristwatch but a roulette game. It is really an asset for casino, especially roulette players. The roulette works by pressing the dice shaped crown that activates the white ball to spin on the dial and stop at a random number.

The watch comes in an automatic ETA Caliber 2842 base. It has power reserve of 40 hours and was modified to have the three-dimensional roulette game. It displays the hours, and minutes and roulette game is located at the seconds hand that is activated and pressing the crown.

The case resembles a roulette table with its flat rectangular shape. It is 35 X 55 mm and 15 mm in height. On the back case it reads “Beat the Casino” and on the bottom of the back case there is a sapphire crystal that displays a partial view of the movement, actually you are able to see the balance wheel.

This watch is available in a limited edition of 500 pieces and price tag of $3,450. So will you be the proud owner of this one of a kind design?

Azimuth SP-1 Mecanique Roulette

If you are looking for a unique watch with complications and top of the line craftmanship then look no further. This Mammoth of 50 mm comes in 18k Pink Gold on a Manual winding movement. The movement is equipped with a tourbillon for maximum precision and a chornograph. The face is made of carbon fiber and beautifully displays the tourbillon on the lower right hand side. The face also features a power reserve indicator. The rectangular shape case 44 X50 mm is flyback , meaning that it shows the movement on the backcase. The rubber band and the maxim depth of 100 meters makes it also a good option for diving. The watch is definitely unique since only 30 pieces were made in the world. This dream watch has a retail cost $250,000.

Bell & Ross BR01 Minuteur Tourbillon Watch