Relojes con mecanismos extraordinarios

 

We're officially launching The Vault, a curated collection of high end independent mechanical watch brands. Watchismo is an authorized dealer of timepieces from Devon, Azimuth, Meccaniche Veloci, RSW, Ritmo Mvndo and U-Boat watches. Many more brands and independent watchmakers are being added soon, so be sure to check out The Vault at Watchismo... 'The Times they are a-changin'.

DEVON is a reinvention of the watch. The Tread 1, daring and inventive, represents the exploratory American spirit. The exposed movement is a mesmerizing display of the patented interwoven system of conveyor belts. This series of belts includes critical elements that allow the optical recognition system to know every belt position at all times.

AZIMUTH starts with a thought; a contemplation of our place on this planet. A mathematical term which defines the arc of a horizon from a reference point, it is a mode of measurement used by astrologers, navigators and military men to survey their bearings. But more importantly, Azimuth represents a cerebral pursuit - a reflection of Time and Space as determined by the word's Arabic roots, which translates to mean "route taken by a traveler".

U-BOAT Watches, just like their original namesake, these watches are bold, aggressive and oversized. These timepieces embody force and style and reveal the unique personality of the man behind the revival, Italo Fontana. Every individual U-Boat watch is handcrafted in Italy and each tiny detail is overseen by Italo Fontana himself.

MECCANICHE VELOCI is Italian for "Mechanical Speed", these are time machines that expertly combine motoring engineering and the sophisticated, high-end world of watches. In short, a solid project driven by a powerful vocation – a deep passion for engines.

RITMO MVNDO - Architecture, geography and time integrated by commonality of culture, heritage and history are hallmarks of RITMO wristwatches. The offering provides fresh, innovative inspiration fit for any modern lifestyle. With unique details such as Persepolis’ orbital cases or special edition diamond models RITMO Italian and Swiss techniques redefine the independent watch market.

RSW's neo-brutalist design pays homage to futurism, oblique architecture, the super computers and the first electronic musical instruments. Anxious to create a timeless object, it is also a male symbol and not easily transferable. At the same time, serious and unique, mature and childish. Outland is presented like a strong and very masculine watch without complexity, a courageous contemporary object turned towards the future. RSW develops the theme of the compass in the way of indicating time.

Watchismo Times: Watchismo Has Unlocked The Vault - Devon, Azimuth, RSW, Meccaniche Veloci, U-Boat Watches and More!

Increíble capa dorada hecha con seda de tela de araña

 

Since the end of January, visitors to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London have been able to marvel at Simon Peers and Nicholas Godley’s wonderful exhibition: A superb, golden spider-silk cape.

The sumptuous garment took over three years to create, from collecting the 1.2 million female Madagascan golden orb spiders needed to make the naturally-coloured yellow silk, to the hand-weaving and hand-embroidering of the cape itself.

Peers and Godley, a Briton and an American who have lived in Madagascar for a number of years, also created the hand-operated machine for extracting silk from the spiders, based on a design from over a century ago.

“There was a certain madness in launching into something like this,” says Peers. “In 300 years, the very few eccentric people who had tried it had fallen by the wayside because it's just too much really. The fact that it was such a huge challenge was part of the appeal.”

The spiders were collected individually in the wild, kept alive, and then harnessed and milked. Each one produced between 30 and 50 metres of thread, taking 25 minutes to extract, before being released back into nature.

“We maybe had 60 to 80 people every day looking for spiders to collect,” says Peers. “Then the whole process of extracting – ‘silking’ or milking – involved a number of people.

“And there are another group of people involved with transforming the silk, plus the weavers and embroiderers and so forth. So there were a lot of people involved in this story.”

The spiders are big enough to fill the palm of your hand, while their eyes are only able to vaguely detect changes in light, meaning they are almost blind. All varieties of Golden orb spiders, not just the Madagascan variety, produce the fantastic, yellow-coloured silk from which the cape was made.

“This is the invisibility cloak,” says Peers. “You literally cannot feel it. It’s quite extraordinary. I think one of the reasons for that is that if you get a cross-section of the silk you can see it’s perfectly cylindrical, unlike that produced by the Chinese silk worm which has got an irregular, triangular cross-section.” 

But why make, specifically, a cape from this incredible material?

“The choice of the cape was because it’s a familiar garment, but at the same time it’s slightly unfamiliar because not many people actually put capes on,” says Peers. 

“In early childhood you read nursery rhymes which have spiders in. There is something of that fairytale aspect to this I think. There’s also a link to the comic book super heroes, the cape and the Spiderman; a sort of amusing nod in that direction.
“But then there’s also an element of ritual about it, a sort of dalmatic or chasuble of a priestly robe of some sort. So the cape lent itself to one’s imagination in terms of rights and rituals.

“The spider also features in a lot of mythology and a lot of ancient cultures saw the spider as the creator of the cosmos, so part of the idea is the spider creating a paradise, which is the garden represented by the embroidered flowering.”
Peers adds: “This cape isn’t about fashion. This is about creating something extraordinary, magical and unique. It is a one-off and we’re privileged to have been part of something where you can say ‘no one else has done it’.”
‘Golden Spider Silk’ is on display at the V&A Museum in London until June 5th, 2012 -  admission is free.

For more information, please visit: www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/g/golden-spider-silk/

A Parallel World - Maximilian Büsser & Friends