Few timepieces bridge the gap of Roaring Twenties andapos;art decoandapos; and retrograde complications of today as effortlessly as Bailyand#44; Stuhrling Originalandapos;s newest addition to its Classic Collection.Named for Francis Baily a 19th century astronomer who discovered the reason for the astral phenomenon (which emerges fleetingly during a solar eclipse) known as andapos;Bailyandapos;s Beadsand#44;andapos; Baily shares with its namesake the ability to push the boundaries of conventional thinking-with awe inspiring results.From its commandingand#44; yet streamlined 42-millimeter wide surgical-grade stainless steel case with a beveled bezel to its signed crown and rectangular pusher (for the day of the week)and#44; you immediately realize the andapos;starting pointandapos; for Baily was a clean sheet of paper-with no preconceived notions or indisputable rules of andapos;thatandapos;s how it has to be.andapos;The result? A timepiece that proves even advanced complications like a day with date retrograde does not have to compromise aesthetic sensibilities. And all it takes to be convinced is a casual glimpse at its face. Despite the wealth of information and detailingand#44; the timeand#44; day and date can be attained at a glance. Though thanks to its striking designand#44; Baily is one timepiece that invariably ends up being pondered and admired rather than garnering a casual look. Fact is andapos;even its details have details.andapos; Examine the andapos;shutter-likeandapos; horizontal bars that span Bailyandapos;s face and youandapos;ll notice that theyandapos;re actually composed of meticulously created circular andapos;grainingandapos; patterns (a.k.a. Cotes De Geneve).From there your eye will invariably travel to the multi-function sub-dial at six oandapos;clock which displays andapos;small secondsandapos; and a day-of-the-week indicator. At first youandapos;ll probably find the striking effect of its concentric circles more than a bit hypnotic. Though that will quickly turn into unabashed respect when you realize the commitment to design continuity has been carried through to even the most subtle of nuances-like the hands. Case in point: the calendar-related functions (day and date) are indicated via red-tipped arrowhead-style handsand#44; while the simple-time is indicated with classic andapos;Dauphineandapos; style hands. Elegant in their simplicityand#44; the timeless Dauphine design is augmented by Luminova for easy reading day and night.If this is the level of thinking that went into the design of the handsand#44; a part of watch-making that most brands view as mere andapos;accentsand#44;andapos; one can only imagine the endless hours invested in creating the striking timekeeping experience of Baily. Its hand-applied Arabic numerals at twelveand#44; four and eight sit on three almost elliptical rings that seem to converge at six oandapos;clock. While the effects of these rings against the horizontal bars that traverse the face make for the kind of breakthrough visual counterpoint that graphic and industrial designers will often base careers onand#44; they are more than a design statement; they also serve to create an andapos;amphitheatre-likeandapos; stage for the retrograde date function. Unquestionably Stuhrling Originalandapos;s watchmakers did not want to obscure the retrograde function of their proprietary ST-90011 self-winding mechanical movement at the usual three or six oandapos;clock position as with most date retrogrades. Insteadand#44; the unique date complication is positioned andapos;front and centerandapos; to make reading the date (and watching the retrograde andapos;do itsandapos; thingandapos;) as easy as possible.Speaking of andapos;doing its thingand#44;andapos; the centerpiece of the highly detailed engraved case-back is Stuhrling Originalandapos;s own Krysterna crystal. More than providing unparalleled protection from the elements - which is why a crystal of Krysterna is on the front as welland#44; the exhibition case-back serves as a andapos;viewing por
Comments
Add Comment