De Rijke x Miffy - And now the Revolution Piece Too

So it started with my first encounter with the De Rijke Miffy at one of our gatherings. A fellow collector brought his as a microbrand offering which was sold out for awhile already. Intrigued, I looked up the brand and as luck would have it, they were relaunching the next batch and I snagged an orange piece.

De Rijke is a Dutch brand and what's the national colour of the Netherlands? Orange, of course! Having my first piece and enjoying it, I wanted a second piece for my significant other. In came Revolution with their collaboration with De Rijke with a very unique Miffy moonphase - the Black & Pink.

First, a little about De Rijke and their timepieces. Based in the city of Dordrecht, Netherlands the brand is named after their founder Laurens De Rijke. Crafted for drivers, you will notice the crown positioned at 2 o'clock. But therein lies a surprise. More about that later.

The difference between the "regular" version and this Black & Pink version is the clear centre featuring a translucent sapphire glass showing off the moonphase disc.

The Black & Pink versus the "original"...

The surprise is how the case is constructed to reveal some interesting details. The innovative construction allows the case to slide from 2 o'clock by up to 90 degrees, revealing some information. At 2 o'clock, you can see the words Revolution engraved on the case.

Turn it to clockwise reveal the limitation number... ultra cool...

The pink is not "shocking pink" but what my wife calls soothing pink

Now for more pictures of the original "Orange"...

Miffy sitting on the moon!

Markers are very well done - pops up and is luminous.

Limited to 25 pieces, they have been long sold out...

Now for another shot of the duo...

Paired with a grey strap, I wish they had come with shorter straps since it is "made for ladies"... The original strap was too long and I had to purchase a second strap from De Rijke to fit my wife's wrist.

You may visit the De Rijke collection for an idea of all their creations.

The Revolution version is also supporting a worthwhile cause, with €250 from each sold watch going towards supporting the Singapore Breast Cancer Foundation. Do your part for a worthwhile cause... get a Miffy Black & Pink.

Watches I Have Come Across - Moritz Grossmann Tremblage

Throughout my watch collecting journey, I have been blessed to have come across many timepieces and I intend to document them in this photo essay. These are timepieces I don't own but have been fortunate to be able to see, feel, touch and photograph them. This time, I feature the Moritz Grossmann Tremblage

The Tremblage is a special timepiece with hand hammered dial work.

This edition comes with special purple hands

Nice details on the dial side

Then comes the movement - the manual winding Calibre 100.1

And the finishing is sublime...

Lovely iteration that comes in rose gold or steel case. For more information, please visit The Tremblage webpage of Moritz Grossmann.

Visiting Martin Luxury

Ever wonder how pre-owned dealers ensure the watches they sell are in good condition? Well, many have in-house watch specialists who are able to take apart and service watches including perpetual calendar. Such was the case with my IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar which I had sent to Martin Luxury located at Golden Landmark Hotel.

And while I was there, I had the opportunity to view his latest collection. And what a range of timepieces available there. The one that stuck out the most is the A. Lange & Sohne Double Split Flyback Chronograph. Wow!!!

The depth of the movement, the construction, the beauty...Stunning!

The finishing on the movement is also top notch.

The unmistakable Double Split Flyback Chronograph...

The other impresisve piece has to be the Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire Constant Force. Winner of the Men's Watch Prize of the GPHG 2016 edition, the constant force features an eight seconds constant force mechanism that provides constant force to the balance wheel.

The manual winding watch comes with 35 hours of power reserve when fully wound. With a constant force complication, the main spring gives off a constant power to the balance wheel throughout its entire power reserve thereby ensuring a consistent amplitude leading to a more accurate timepiece.

The 8 seconds remontoire release system at the 9 o'clock position (picture above). For more information about this amazing complication (all sold out), kindly visit the Grönefeld website.

And the movement construction is another eye pleasing calibre... Limited to only 188 pieces, this range is fully sold out which means it is only available on the secondary market.

And if you look closely (and if you have been to the Netherlands), you will be able to see the "building gables" in the form of the bridges.

Impressive movement construction worthy of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) winner in 2016. And from there, the Grönefeld brothers have gone from strength to strength, the latest being the Grönograaf. But up next is another Grönefeld timepieces - the 1941 Principia.

This is the "entry level" Grönefeld timepiece but it is no slouch. Definitely not. And it comes with an automatic movement.

Up next is the Zenith Defy El Primero 21 chronograph.

This version comes with a white rubber strap - what a handsome piece.

Another surprise is this H. Moser Endeavour Tourbillon with a blue fumé dial.

The Tourbillon is constructed with a double hairspring as evident in this picture below.

If you like a classic timepiece with a Tourbillon, consider this.

I wish they would make it with a manual winding movement but in this case, the Moser comes with an automatic movement.

Another resurgent brand is Daniel Roth and this Masters chronograph from the 1990s.

This steel version comes with a salmon dial.

Fitted with the automatic calibre DR500, this steel piece is a cool 41mm with a steel bracelet to boot.

Some pieces are only avaialble in the secondary market and just like the Daniel Roth, so is this Cartier Tortue Monopoussoir Chronograph.

The manual winding chronograph comes from the Collection Privé Cartier Paris aka the CPCP collection. White gold case with a column wheel chronograph

Given my limited time, I could only take photos of that many pieces on display. But these are some of the more interesting and rare pieces on sale at Martin Luxury.

For me, the A Lange & Sohne Douple Split Flyback Chronograph is the most handsome of the lot, especially when you take a look at the movement. What's your favourite?