AndrewD[HoMe Moderator]
12829
At least it's Invenit et fecit !
Jan 21, 2011,23:29 PM
I love the industrial design and the open dial with lots of depth. The rear looks good too, and the side sapphire lets in light and provides another view on the Tourbillon. Sure, the architecture is familiar, but the design is different enough to be its own piece. And at 43x13 odd millimeters, it's going to feel quite different on the wrist to the relatively svelte Journe, even the 40mm 'giant'.
The poor man's FPJ? It's available in steel and gold, and depending on the finish - which is hard to assess in pictures - it could be a bargain. How much 'value' one places on the unique combination of remontoir (+/- dead second) and Tourbillon in the Journe is a personal thing. And of course the Journe Tourbillon is not the bargain it used to be, but that company and model is now much more established.
Roland has done a great job with this first RGM Tourbillon. I would be interested to know how much 'value' is placed on the 'made in America' tag these days, particularly in the US, which I assume is the major market.
Always great to see serious watchmaking outside of the usual modern centers of Switzerland, Germany (and Japan).
Andrew
Comments:
view entire thread
Roland Murphy RGM at the GTE 2011
By: DonCorson : January 21st, 2011-10:12
I didn't know it when I was there, but afterwards this watch got my best of show award. (An award so exclusive that there is no prize). This RGM tourbillon is simply the best staging of watchmaking skills I have seen in a while. It is not a tourbillon los...
Fingers crossed
By: davidcast77 : January 21st, 2011-14:44
Thanks for the pics Don, I have loosely followed RGM for the past 3 years but have just never been able to pull the trigger. Until the introduction of the 801 american-made movement their most intriguing piece was the 222 using rebuilt Hamilton movements....
"The poor man's FPJ tourbillon"!...
By: pplater : January 21st, 2011-16:30
Terrific watch. If, as expected, that dial is more legible 'live' than it is under the glare of display lights then it deserves to be hugely successful. Cheers, pplater.
At least it's Invenit et fecit !
By: AndrewD : January 21st, 2011-23:29
I love the industrial design and the open dial with lots of depth. The rear looks good too, and the side sapphire lets in light and provides another view on the Tourbillon. Sure, the architecture is familiar, but the design is different enough to be its o...
Is this the 2nd truly American tourbillon ever ?
By: grumio : January 23rd, 2011-02:00
With the first being Gene Clark ? It almost surprising that it has taken as long as it has for an American maker like RGM to appear with their own tourbillon, and particularly one that is not a re-working of or a homage to earlier designs. These are some ...
RGM has always been careful
By: aaronm : January 23rd, 2011-19:39
with their claims, I wonder if they are using the "First serially-produced Tourbillion" as a hedge in case some early 20th century pieces are out there. Enough modern master watchmakers have made their own tourbillon pocket-watch that I'd be surprised if ...
American Tourbillons
By: theCROWNprince : January 27th, 2011-15:27
RGM should be applauded for their work producing such a wonderful project. The tourbillon and 801 appear to be using largely 6497 components but i believe I had read Roland was planning to cut his own gears later. Not that this matters for performance of ...
fantastic post!
By: SteveH : January 27th, 2011-16:38
that inclined tourbillon is uber-cool
Wheel cutting
By: pretorrien : February 1st, 2011-07:46
The Tourbillon wheels are cut inhouse by RGM wolf tooth too. This message has been edited by pretorrien on 2011-02-01 07:48:28 This message has been edited by pretorrien on 2011-02-01 08:17:26...
Agreed, Don
By: RobCH : January 28th, 2011-09:37
That tourbillon (and Mr Murphy) impressed me last week too... Great photos, thanks.
