I like Mechanical watches as they are made by tedious effort as the Swiss finest grail of horological pursuits. Most of the mechanical watches is always repairable, not like some of the quartz watch that the microprocessor chip may be dead after 45 years due to the copper diffusion up to the gold plated PCB substrates, or the moisture absorption of the PCB that causes Oxidation on the electrical joints? But somehow your mechanical watch though is sealed in a sturdy case; completely no moisture can enter, after many years of operation, the finest smooth surface will have more or less some accumulated wear and tear, the finest grade lubrication oil made from Whale, the oil would dry after years of temperature changes and ten million of mechanical contacts. Cartier is a name used to be linked up with Beautiful design, inlayed with a lot of diamonds, using a lot of different precious metal to build their watches. A “appearance of badly twisted watch” that has laid with some diamonds in a quartz movement can be selling at HKD$500,000.00. And who cares it is built with what kind of watches movement inside the beautiful cases, Cartier, Piaget, ETA, Jaeger … For years the Cartier is not a leader for his watches accuracy, precision and mechanical design excellence. Time has changed; Cartier is seeking all ways for build up a technological level to come in par with the best Swiss watch makers. Is there a need to create complete service free, adjustment free watch and requires no regulation during the whole life of the watch?! In fact this is the design concept of this Watch.. ID One from Cartier, ID means Innovation Development No. 1! We can see a lot of new technology was built in this Balloon Bleu shaped 46mm wide Concept watch in spacey sounding material called Niobium Titanium, a kind of Titanium Alloy that goes well with your skin, highly resistant to the your sweat, light and yet strong! Zerodur Hairspring that is made of Ceramic and Glass that is insensitive to change of temperature, no effect under magnetic field, an essential factor for good time keeping ability. Cartier has applied Carbon Crystal to make the balance wheel, escape wheel and lever. Carbon Crystal is a diamond-like material with adorable hardness. And no need to be lubricated. Cartier has equipped the Id one with an exclusive escapement cage that is effectively shock resistant; they use the most common plastic like material to act as shock absorber to the escapement cage. Plastic in a watch, that has is not new already as AP has been broadly introduced many colorful plastic like material for building their watches! But Honestly, I still feel that Plastic inside the watch may not be good enough to give ma a kind of secure feeling that the Plastic would not deformed after years, would not be creating some plastic debris that would be a kind of contamination to the watch. And this kind of technology would be one day able to use Machine to turn out part in a second and then the people would just have to assemble the pieces one by one and that wild be a Swiss watch you can only buy years of your salaries! Will that day come? I am sure that it might be soon!!? So Please keep you Patek Philippe in a good condition as the price will be appreciate even faster after 20 years, only you have to worry there may not be many good skillful mechanics that can take care your watch as it was built 40 years Ago.
HK Snob
