Ulysse Nardin Freak X OPS

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Since releasing the original Freak, replica watch brand Ulysse Nardin has used the collection to push the boundaries of time display and use of materials. When the Freak X debuted a few years ago, the brand created what it called an “everyday Freak,” with a traditional crown and a lower price point. It recently added Freak X OPS to the Freak X series. I’ve always found this line interesting and was excited to use it myself.

As with all other Freak models, the distinction between the traditional dial, hands and movement is almost indistinguishable. Green luminous hour markers extend outward from a track with machined gear teeth and meet a slanted machined metal scale ring with minute markers. The time is displayed by “hands” extending from the movement itself, most of which can be seen from the front of the watch. The visible silicon escapement beats at 21,600 vph as the entire mechanism rotates over time. The assembly is located beneath the boxed sapphire crystal and consists of 405 parts. Despite the massive mass of this mechanism, the UN-230 in-house movement offers a 72-hour power reserve (helped by the self-winding rotor visible through the sapphire case back).

The hour indicators protrude from the center, while the one-hour orbital rotating tourbillon forms the balance of the minute hand. You might think that this complication would make reading the time difficult, and you’d be right. Although the green tips of the indicators have lume applied to them, they are still quite dark during the day, and the lume isn’t particularly bright either. The hour hand may also be obscured by the tourbillon at certain times of the day. I do think I’ll get used to it over a longer period of time, but this isn’t a tool watch. It is more like a piece of mechanical art that can tell time.

I do find this app to be nicer looking than a typical skeleton replica watch. It has an extreme sense of depth for a watch that’s not too thick, and I still found it sharper than many such watches. Plus, because it has a solid dial, there’s no arm hair amplification that often occurs in other dialless watches.

While I find reading the time inconvenient, I do find the Freak X OPS a pleasure to wear. The first thing you notice when you pick it up is how light it is. The outer shell (complete with numbered side panels) is made from the brand’s “Magma” carbon fiber. The watch’s tactical-looking green and black pattern (made from a mix of carbon and green resin) surrounds an internal titanium skeleton. The green nylon hook and loop strap further reduces weight and makes the watch more comfortable to wear. It’s very light but still has the feel of a solid build quality.

At 43mm wide and 13.88mm thick, the Freak X is no small watch. However, its dark color and feathery weight make it visually constricted. It feels like it wraps around the wrist rather than sitting on it.

Ulysse Nardin Freak X OPS is not cheap for most people. That being said, it’s priced lower than the original Freak but still offers a tourbillon, a visible movement, and a novel time display. I love watches right out of the box and unique colors and case materials, so I could immediately see the appeal of the Freak X OPS. While I wouldn’t consider this to be someone’s only watch, I find it to be a compelling alternative to more obviously sporty watches from more popular brands. It’s unique, but not as eye-catching as a Hublot.

New Hublot Big Bang Unico Full Magic Gold

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Music and mythology, Einstein and astrology: it all began with the Big Bang!

When the word “big bang” is mentioned, different people will have different associations. For many, it may bring to mind the hit American TV sitcom that aired from 2007 to 2019, while cheap watches for men lovers may immediately think of the Hublot Big Bang, a collection that has become the watchmaker’s watch since its launch in 2005. synonymous with the brand. Additionally, Belgian cosmologist and father of the Big Bang theory, Georges Lemaitre, advanced the idea that the expansion of the universe arose from the explosion of a single particle. Today, however, we focus on Hublot’s recently released Hublot Big Bang Unico Full Magic Gold, a 2023 edition that showcases the brand’s grandeur and innovative use of materials.

In 2015, Hublot released the Big Bang Unico Full Magic Gold to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Big Bang. This particular timepiece is finished in Hublot’s scratch-resistant Magic Gold and is powered by the proprietary Unico movement, which boasts a visible dial-side column-wheel chronograph with a dual-clutch mechanism.

Now, in 2023, we’re witnessing the return of the iconic concept for its 18th year – a major milestone akin to the legal drinking age for high alcohol in Switzerland. Humor aside, let’s dive into the meat of this new release. Big Bang Unico Full Magic Gold embodies the essence of Hublot, embodies the brand’s creative philosophy and fusion of innovative materials. hublot cheap watches

The “magic gold” used in this timepiece is a finely crafted gold alloy. It involves compressing a ceramic powder called boron nitride in a mold and subjecting it to temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees Celsius in a furnace. The heat melts the ceramic particles, creating a porous structure. Liquid 24K gold is then infused into the material under high pressure. The resulting composite is gold standard 18K pure and contains a substantial amount of gold.

The new generation Big Bang Unico Full Magic Gold comes in a 44mm case crafted from this extraordinary magic gold. Its unique shape, sandwich construction and oversized buttons create a unique visual identity. The bezel is also made of magic gold, and the six misaligned functional screws are particularly eye-catching, adding a touch of personality to the design. The skeletonized dial pays homage to the previous model, but this time there is no red accents to distinguish it from the 2015 edition.

Powering the timepiece is the self-winding chronograph Unico 2 movement, which consists of 354 components. The HUB1280 Unico integrated flyback chronograph movement runs at 28,800vph for accurate timekeeping. Additionally, the movement offers a 72-hour power reserve for extended use before needing to be wound up. The Big Bang Unico Full Magic Gold comes with an interchangeable rubber strap using Hublot’s own One Click system and is secured on the wrist with a black ceramic and black titanium deployant clasp.fine cheap watches

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS – HUBLOT BIG BANG UNICO FULL MAGIC GOLD
Case: Diameter 42mm x Thickness 14.5mm – Magic Gold Alloy, polished – Black side protectors – Magic Gold bezel with 6 H-shaped screws – AR treated sapphire crystal front and rear – 100m water resistance
Dial: Skeletonized – 60-minute counter at 3 o’clock – Small seconds at 9 o’clock – Date window at 3 o’clock – Exposed column wheel at 6 o’clock – Hour markers and numerals on peripheral flange and Super -LumiNova-treated hands-Central chronograph seconds hand with open oval tip and Hublot weight
Movement: Caliber HUB1280 – in-house, automatic flyback chronograph with column wheel – 354 components, 43 jewels – 28,800vph – 72 hours power reserve – hours, minutes, running seconds, chronograph
Strap: Black structured rubber lining – black ceramic and black titanium plated deployant clasp
Ref: 421.MX.1130.RX

Rolex’s upgrade this time can be said to be “unprecedented”

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In the eyes of many people, Rolex is actually a bit stubborn, and many watches are sold for decades without much change, which has also attracted a lot of complaints from watch friends. And cheap Rolex seems to have heard everyone’s voice. The new watch released this year has some visible changes, especially the “left-handed” Sprite circle that everyone didn’t expect, which is really surprising. But in addition to this highly regarded “Sprite Circle” GMT, there is also a watch that has undergone very big changes and upgrades. This change can be said to be “unprecedented” for Rolex.

Among Rolex’s new watches this year, the new green and black “Sprite Circle” GMT and the new Airmaster are the two new watches that attract the most attention from players. In addition to these two sports models, there is also a heavyweight Rolex that has undergone a major facelift this year, which is Rolex’s new platinum weekday calendar DAY DATE. The new platinum DAY DATE uses a new dogtooth bezel, replacing the previous polished bezel.

Rolex platinum DAY DATE used dog tooth ring for the first time.

Rolex DAY DATE, since its birth in 1956, has launched a platinum case model. You know, from 1956 to 2021, in the past 65 years, the Rolex DAY DATE platinum case model has been using a polished bezel and has not changed.

As a result, the gold DAY DATE, rose gold DAY DATE, and platinum DAY DATE all use a dog-tooth bezel, but the platinum DAY DATE uses a polished bezel. As soon as you see the DAY DATE with the “polished bezel”, you can recognize it at a glance. This is the most expensive platinum case DD in the DAY DATE family.

But things changed this year (2022). Rolex replaced the platinum shell DAY DATE with a “dog tooth ring” and completely discontinued the “grinding ring” platinum DD. A break with a 65-year-old tradition. From then on, the Rolex DAY DATE family, regardless of gold, platinum, rose gold, or platinum, has no polished bezel, and the dog tooth ring “unifies the rivers and lakes” (except for the dog tooth, the bezel is diamond-encrusted).

Why does Rolex only use dog teeth ring for platinum DD to this day?

Because, Rolex couldn’t make platinum dog teeth ring before.

Platinum is the most valuable precious metal in watches. Compared with 18K gold such as gold, platinum, and rose gold, platinum has a high melting point and high hardness, making it difficult to recast and polish. Platinum is expensive and difficult to machine. This is why, among the famous watches, the platinum case is 30% or more higher than the public price of the 18K gold case for the same watch.

Rolex dog teeth ring, with a large number of facets and all polished, 18K gold is easy to make because it is relatively soft. In the past, platinum has not made dog tooth rings, and can only use a relatively simple polished bezel for more than 60 years. From the actual effect, the dog tooth ring has a large number of reflective surfaces, and the effect is definitely better than a simple polished bezel. It was reported before that Rolex finally broke through the manufacturing technology of platinum dog teeth, so this year, the dog teeth ring was completely changed on the platinum DAY DATE.

Rolex’s new platinum DD comes in two sizes, 40mm and 36mm.

40mm version, model number 228236.

36mm version, model number 128236.

The two models, 40mm and 36mm, are dog-tooth rings, head bracelets, and use the iconic “ice blue” dial of Rolex platinum watches. Whenever you see a Rolex with an “ice blue” dial, whether it is a DAY DATE or a Daytona, you can instantly recognize that this is a platinum Rolex. It should be noted here that in addition to the ice blue plate, Rolex’s platinum DAY DATE also has a white plate, a black plate, a silver plate, a green plate, and a gray plate, but only “ice blue” is the exclusive color of Rolex platinum watches.

Apart from the size difference, the biggest difference between the 40mm and 36mm models is the dial hour markers.

40 mm 228238: Use Rolex’s latest three-dimensional Roman numeral hour markers. The three-dimensional time scale has multiple facets, and the three-dimensional effect is very strong and very sharp. At present, this new time scale is only used on the 40mm DD.

36mm 128236: Use the regular Roman hour markers before Rolex. Although it is also a three-dimensional hour-marker, the hour-marker is only polished on the front. This kind of Roman numerals, the log-type DATEJUST is also used, and it is only used on the 36 mm size on the DAY DATE.

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In terms of size selection, the size of the gold watch is smaller, and the sense of formal wear will be stronger, and 36mm is no problem. The 40mm DAY DATE is updated in terms of design language, and 40mm can be given priority. Here I want to say one more thing, platinum watches are very heavy, even heavier than 18K gold. I have worn a friend’s platinum Rolex, platinum head platinum chain, very heavy.

The new 40mm and 36mm platinum dog tooth DDs both use Rolex’s new generation of 32 series automatic movements (3255 movement). The 32 series movement uses the new Chronergy escapement, which improves the efficiency of the movement and enhances the power of the mainspring. While maintaining 70 hours of power, it has the standard of the Rolex Super Observatory, with an error of +2/-2 seconds per day. And continue to use the Rolex blue niobium hairspring to maintain outstanding anti-magnetic ability. At present, Rolex has popularized the new generation 32 series automatic movement across the board. It has been 7 years since its launch in 2015, and the performance of the movement has passed the test of time. The small crown in the middle of SWISS MADE at 6 o’clock on the dial is a sign of the use of the new 32 series movement.

Although the market of Rolex sports models is now higher, DAY DATE has always been the flagship style of Rolex. This time, the dog-tooth ring replaced the grinding ring, and some players also said that they still prefer the platinum DD of the previous grinding ring.