high-end quartz

Quinting "Mysterious" Watches Hands-On

One of the most interesting watch movements around is made by Swiss Quinting. It is a quartz movement that is barely visible. Look at the watch and you just won't get how it works. The dials are totally transparent and you can see right through them as the hands of the watch seem to float in space. Quinting makes the movements and the watches. The movements are quartz based and actually fitted inside the watch around the dial in the case. It uses a series of motors that move sapphire crystals that the hands are attached to. Complex models like the Chronograph use many, totally parallel sapphire discs to achieve the functionality. The design is flawless and the engineering is very clever.

I got to handle the watches at the Geneva Time Exhibition in January. They had their diverse line up of models in various case sizes and tones. Some of them are richly decorated in diamonds and are in gold. The watches typically aren't too little, but rather come in healthy sizes (for men and women). You really get an appreciation for how difficult it was to make the watches when you wear them. Seeing your wrist through the watch without any gears or pieces really goes to the heart of the "Mysterious" part of the name. Their new watch for 2010 uses an interesting set of two discs that have "spokes" on them. These turn in opposite directions and help regulate each other in terms of the watch accuracy. What it means for you is a cool looking dial that is constantly moving. Quinting also makes movements for other brands that want to showcase their technology. For example they produced a watch for Dior that I discussed here. Prices for these watch is pretty expensive for a quartz movement, but they have the craftsmanship of a nicer mechanical watch. I'd say the prices for non jewelery versions are typically in the $5,000 - $10,000 range.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Quinting watches