The Romain Jerome range is rather extensive - far beyond the Titanic DNA range we are so familiar with. Two watches featured here - one a complication and another a cultural link to the past.
Mr Manuel Emch of Romain Jerome told me an interesting story of how the Moon Orbiter came to being.
It started with the lugs - yes, the lugs! He wanted a watch lug to be exceptional and comfortable for the wearer so they started with the lugs and how the lugs integrate into the case. The lugs look like pneumatic cylinders of a car suspension system.
The watch initially came with a time only concept but the more time they took to develop the watch, the more they felt the need to add a complication and thereby finally incorporating a flying tourbillon! Some moon dust has been incorporated into the blacken dial of the watch. The watch case has elements from the Apollo 11 space shuttle.
At the six o'clock position is a power reserve and like the hour and minutes hands are red lacquered. The flying tourbillon resembles a space craft orbiting. The open case back displays the rotor and parts of the watch mechanism.
On the left side of the watch case features a window that showcases the orbiting tourbillon.
And here is a wristshot of the 44.5mm x 48.5mm watch which is limited to 25 pieces.
What comes next harks back to the days when we spent much time at the games arcade playing games like Pacman. Pacman must be one of the most recognizable games even today and has spawned several merchandize. RJ thought it was a good idea to bring back Pacman Fever to reach a different group of watch enthusiasts. Even the presentation box is made to look like a game console. Enter Games DNA.
The Pacman has some special features like a lug system consisting of a ball-and-socket joint resembling those of the lunar module. The case is made from steel fused with some elements of the Apollo 11.
The dial is a three layered dial construction and in engraved with a pixelated matrix. The case has elements from the Apollo 11. In this edition, the "ghosts" are blackened while another version has the "monsters" in their traditional colors - pink, red, orange and blue. There is even a version with the cherries. How is that for details.
At the case back is a section of the moon as visible from Geneva. The moon is made from moon rock fused with silver. RJ calls it Moon Silver. The Pacman comes in several iterations all limited.
Another well known game Space Invaders is also featured under the Games DNA range. Here is one example of the purple Space Invader. There are a total of 7 types of Space Invader with each being a Limited Edition.
The red buttons of the games console are original buttons from the arcade consoles and RJ has kept stock of these buttons. When you repeated hit the buttons like you would firing at the aliens, you get the same sound of the original console. How cool is that?
The artistic touch of CEO Manuel Emch is evident in the watches of Romain Jerome. He likes to bring cultures together through his work but at the same time wants to challenge boundaries in what he calls positive provocation. Take a read at my earlier post on other Romain Jerome timepieces.
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