Within this feature from your Feb 2013 problem, we have a look in the Montblanc TimeWalker TwinFly Chronograph, using its two central passed-time flyback hands original photos supplied by Zuckerfabrik Fotodesign.
This Year, Montblanc revealed the Montblanc TimeWalker TwinFly Chronograph, which consists of a quality known as the Megabytes LL100. The movement comes with an unusual feature: a middle-mounted passed-minutes hands. Such hands were common before the mid-seventies, but have since become rare. More rare still: the passed-minutes hands, such as the passed-seconds hands, is really a flyback hands. This selection may be the supply of the title “TwinFly.”
The Megabytes LL100 has certain features that is similar to Montblanc’s MBR chronograph calibers, that are utilized in the brand’s Rieussec watches. (Released in 2008, their noticably feature may be the two rotating disks accustomed to display passed seconds and minutes.) These functions range from the gear train’s translations, the subassembly for that escapement, the column wheel and vertical disk coupling for that chronograph, the setting products for that time-zone display and date and also the movement’s two serially arranged barrels.
The Mb LL100 has certain features that’s much like Montblanc’s MBR chronograph calibers, which are found in the brand’s Rieussec watches. (Launched in 2008, their noticably feature might be the 2 rotating disks familiar with display passed seconds and minutes.) These characteristics are the gear train’s translations, the subassembly for your escapement, the column wheel and vertical disk coupling for your chronograph, the setting items for your time-zone display and date as well as the movement’s two serially arranged barrels.
Time in your house time zone is proven on the 24-hour subdial situated at 12 o’clock. This subdial is big enough therefore the Arabic hour markers are simple to read. Daytime hrs arc over the upper semicircle. The numeral 12 around the primary dial plays a dual role because it is also utilized as the 12 around the 24-hour subdial. The sunray-like lines represent the sunlit hrs within the inner, upper segment from the circle. Night time reaches the cheapest point around the arc. Stars represent evening within the lower, inner area of the subdial. Although these adornments are visible only from certain angles, we found them appealing. The arrangement from the daytime and night time hrs appears quite sensible, too. When we momentarily ignore daylight not waste time along with other astronomical particulars, we are able to state that it’s noon once the sun increases to the greatest point on the horizon and night time if this descends towards the cheapest one underneath the horizon.
To create the 2nd time zone, pull the crown to the outermost position after which transform it to create the hour hands in to the proper position around the subdial. This Montblanc Timewalker watch includes a stop-seconds function, so that you can synchronize it having a time signal. After that you can return the primary hour hands to the correct position through the quick-totally reset function, while using crown drawn to its middle position.
Although you will find no odd amounts within the ring of hrs for that second time zone, the even-designated hrs are relatively readable. Exactly the same can’t be stated for that applied indices that mark the hrs around the primary dial. They’re plated with shiny rhodium, however the matte black background appears to swallow them up whenever you consider the dial from some angles or when light stands out around the dial in in a certain style. It appears the designers at Montblanc recognized that there might be issues with the legibility from the shows and also the visibility from the skeletonized, partially faceted hands: the organization has released two new versions from the Montblanc TimeWalker TwinFly with grey dials which are much simpler to see (they’re named “Greytech”).
Night time legibility is nice but we felt the designers might have overlooked the luminous markings for that chronograph’s passed-minutes scale, that is situated within the inner area of the dial. They serve no purpose since the passed-minutes hands doesn’t glow at nighttime.
The slits decline in the hour and minutes hands usually are meant to enhance the visibility from the chronograph’s passed-minutes scale. (The passed-seconds scale is around the flange across the fringe of the dial.) However this solution has its own disadvantages. Skeletonized hands aren’t really necessary since the passed-minutes scale around the Montblanc Timewalker TwinFly has already been bigger and much more conspicuously situated than on conventional chronographs. When the passed-minutes hands is stopped directly above one of these simple slits, it covers the slit itself. Within the toughest-to-read position, the passed minutes can’t be read before you peer via a watchmaker’s loupe and discover the small outermost finish of the mostly hidden index mark underneath the passed-minutes hands. But this is a really rare occurrence.
Generally, the look appears to operate. Because of their red-colored segments, the chronograph hands remain remarkably readable, despite their slenderness. The red-colored tip from the passed-seconds hands stretches exactly far enough to satisfy the interior finish of every full-seconds index. The marks for fractions of seconds are adjusted to complement the 4-hertz tempo from the movement, however the passed-seconds hands isn’t quite lengthy enough to achieve the interior finishes of those fractional markings. The red-colored, inner portion of the passed-minutes hands also doesn’t extend far enough to achieve the interior finishes from the marks on its scale: we’re able to find pointless why the interior portion of this hands, instead of its tip, is colored red-colored. Sometimes the passed-minutes counter, such as the regular time display, is difficult to see. This hand’s silvery tip isn’t easy to understand, which means you sometimes need to estimate its precise position. This minor flaw detracts somewhat in the advantages provided by the passed-minutes circle, which isn’t only large, but can also be adjusted for an hour to coincide with the path of the regular minutes display. Five- and 10-minute batches are marked by numbers for better legibility. We loved the passed-minutes circle about this Montblanc Timewalker watch doesn’t hinder the arc for that second time zone or using the subdial for that constantly running seconds at 6 o’clock, even though the circle two times crosses all these indications. We compliment they on the nice job here.
The small hands around the constantly running seconds subdial, such as the other hands, may also be difficult to see. If you wish to make sure your watch continues to be running, you’re best examining the chronograph’s passed-seconds hands. This hands is bigger compared to one around the seconds subdial and, presuming that it is moving, its red-colored tip is definitely easy to understand. In addition, due to the movement’s design, it’s not a problem to help keep the chronograph running constantly. The vertical disk coupling guarantees the flow of one’s between your movement and also the chronograph is efficient and doesn’t cause excessive put on. And also the enhanced profiles around the gears’ teeth lead to efficiency and occasional put on. However, don’t underestimate just how much energy it requires to energy four central hands. Beginning in the 4th wheel, the vertical coupling produces an association towards the passed-seconds wheel after that, an intervening wheel determines another link with the passed-minutes wheel. Variously formed teeth be sure that the hands for the passed seconds and minutes turn continually. Additionally to those hands as well as their designated wheels, two heart cams also turn: they actually return the chronograph’s central hands towards the zero position. This is achieved with one spring-borne lever, which functions on hearts once the chronograph’s hands are totally reset to zero.
The movement’s two barrels provide 72 hrs of energy. In comparison having a single barrel, they compensate better for that improvement in torque that happens once the chronograph is switched on / off. This, consequently, keeps the amplitude more stable and accomplishes a much better-balanced rate. Indeed, we found there is very little improvement in the speed once the chronograph was running. Using the chronograph switched on / off, correspondingly, our timing machine calculated average daily gains of 8.7 and 9. seconds. The amplitude was remarkably stable: it averaged 290 levels, having a difference of roughly 45 levels between your flat positions and also the hanging ones. Our putting on test reaffirmed the outcomes proven by our timing machine. Around the wrist, the Montblanc TimeWalker TwinFly Chronograph, usually fully wound, acquired typically 8.8 seconds each day if the chronograph was off or on. This performance isn’t quite accurate enough for COSC certification, however it shows very uniform rate behavior in most situations.
The movement, which measures 31 mm across and it is 7.9 mm thick, is located inside a shiny stainless-steel situation that’s 42.9 mm wide. The bezel is narrow, departing lots of space for that dial to show time and it is other functions. The very is domed making of azure that’s nonreflective on sides. The rear includes a window of azure and it is attached by six screws. The situation is water-resistant against 30 meters, that is somewhat low for any sports watch. It appears most impressive when seen in the side. From that position, you can observe the watch’s skeletonized lugs, an element available on other watches within the Montblanc TimeWalker collection. Due to the way in which they’re built, these lugs should be screwed towards the situation. Concave above and convex below, they appear very attractive as well as be sure that the 15.4-mm-thick situation could be easily shackled by its wearer’s wrist. The bracelet, made from stainless, is safely attached towards the lugs by socket screws with heads formed such as the brand’s logo design, which signifies the snow cap on Mont Blanc. The bracelet is distinctive in the design, mixing narrow and wide links to produce what seem like paint rollers when seen in the side. It features a double-folding clasp that may be easily opened up by pushing its lateral pressure points.
Montblanc’s logo design can also be present like a lacquer inlay around the crown, that is cut with grooves and squares along its sides. This can be used crown to by hand wind the timepiece easily. The situation includes a slightly conical shape, therefore the crown’s tube makes its way into the inside from the situation using a type of cylinder, that is flush using the situation and therefore invisible once the watch is seen previously mentioned, but stretches a little within the rear. We have an indentation there so a finger nail can be simply ended up between it and also the side to extract the crown. The date, which seems in whitened on the black area inside a window at 9 o’clock, changes progressively instead of immediately, beginning about half an hour before night time and ending roughly an hour after.
The chronograph works nicely using two round pushers with rounded tops. Gentle pressure around the push-piece at 2 o’clock begins and stops the stop-watch function. A little bit more pressure is required to trigger the flyback and totally reset function by pressing the pusher at 4 o’clock. This appears somewhat unpredicted for any column-wheel chronograph, however the switching processes run safely. And even when you cannot see together with your human eye alone what Montblanc describes because the “spectacular return from the chronograph’s two centrally axial passed-time hands,” you can’t help but feel respect for thus much high-mechanical technology and it is manifestations about this watch’s dial. The only real flaw (and it is not only a superficial one) may be the from time to time poor legibility, which Montblanc fortunately has taken steps to enhance.
