Design

Brazillian architect David Guerra has completed a remodel of a 1980’s house in Brazil — via CONTEMPORIST

The house [dRN Arquitectos] lies as a strange element in the shore, an unfamiliar object resting on the site, as if it was ready to take off with a strong wind. Its undefined geometry is not attached to the ground, the connections to its terrain are defined by its interior views to the outside. On the first floor a rhythmic repetition of wood columns carries the structure to the perimeter, liberating part of the floor plan. This over structured density of columns fragments the views of the surroundings, while its moving shadows change the interiors throughout the day — via ArchDaily

Takeshi Hosaka Architects have designed the Inside Out house in Tokyo, Japan — via CONTEMPORIST

Christie’s is going to conduct its annual Green Auction. The Swiss watchmaker Girard-Perregaux donates for the noble cause its special edition Girard-Perregaux ww.tc World Wide Time Control Chronograph for Green Auction automatic watch.

The watch, which is limited to only one piece, differs from the normal ww.tc with the color scheme of its dial (it is done in white with the night time zone on its 24-hour scale painted green, not black) and a set of new hands: while those on the original model were baton-shaped, these one are leaf-shaped.

Also, the central chronograph hand is arrow-tipped and has a counter-weight on its rear part.

Its transparent case back is covered with a sapphire crystal and sports a green auction hand engraving — via World Watch Review

The new Armand Nicolet L10 is powered by a modified historic movement that was manufactured 50 years ago by an almost forgotten Swiss ebauche maker Fabrique d’Horlogerie de Fontainemelon.

The movement in question is the FHF 72 from 1960s. Before installation, the hand-wound movement was equipped with Incabloc shock absorber, finished with perlage, decorated with Surface Vagues and gold engravings and renamed as AN710A.

Built on 17 rubies and comprising 98 parts, this is a relatively slow-beating movement with its balance wheel making 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour.

The case is installed in a rather compact stainless steel case 40 mm in diameter and only 8 mm in height (there will also be a two-toned version of the same dimensions with its winding crown and bezel made of 18-carat rose gold) — via World Watch Review

During the Baselworld 2011 show, the two Dutch watchmakers Tim and Bart Grönefeld are going to present their new Gronefeld One Hertz hand-wound watch that features a rare dead-seconds complication.

What’s dead seconds?

A normal mechanical watch has its second hand (if available) making VPH/3600 times per second.

If your timekeeper’s balance wheel beats at 28,800 vph (which is almost a standard for a contemporary movement,) then the seconds hand on your watch makes 28,800 / 3600 = 8 small steps to travel from one mark on the minute track to the other.

That’s why it is called a sweep second: it runs so fast that its jumps look like a continuous, flowing movement that differentiates mechanical watches from the majority of electric timepieces.

On the other hand, dead seconds complication makes the second hand make precisely 1 “big” step per second, like a quartz watch does.

Although the complication is not very popular now because a quartz watch is not deemed “cool” any more, it is still not an easy task to accomplish — via World Watch Review

Skeleton cutlery, designed by André Lassen, hand made by Raven Armoury — via Raven Armoury

Made by David Sokosh of Clinton Hill clocks. He’s been a master watchmaker for years and recently decided to start making his own wristwatches.

Best part is these watches are pretty affordable! All are between $400-$600.

If you want to check them out in person David is at the Brooklyn Flea every weekend… or check his website — via Start With Typewriters

Patek Philippe is expanding its classic chronograph collection with the introduction of a new perpetual calendar model. The Patek Ref. 5270 is fitted with a column wheel chronograph movement and, like all the brand’s grand complications, has two interchangeable backs: one in sapphire crystal that reveals the complexity of the movement and the elegance of its finishing, the other, a white gold solid back that can be personalized with a dedication or an engraving — via Perpetuelle.com Blog

Part of the row that builds the boundary of one of the best golf courses in Spain, that of the Real Club de Golf de Sevilla, the plot offered magnificent views to the greenery, lakes and sun, southward. The owners were absolutely aware of this, so they placed us only one main requirement: Every room at the house should enjoy the views; a goal to achieve that eventually would be the leading thread to weave our design concept [Salvador Cejudo] — via ArchDaily

A grand debut for the Aquanaut series: the Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time (Ref. 5164A). This adds to the Aquanaut collection a new Travel Time model with two hour hands for two time zones – local time and home time – and a new self-winding movement, Patek Caliber 324 S C FUS. The dial sports two day/night indicators and an analog date. The Patek 5164 price is $32,300 — via Perpetuelle.com Blog

The tower is a site-specific artwork located at the Oliver Ranch in Alexander Valley. Designed by the artist Ann Hamilton, with Jensen Architects/ Jensen & Macy Architects as architect of record, the tower was imagined as a space for performance — via ArchDaily

The Swiss watchmaker has officially presented its new range of watches built with modified historic movements inside. The Armand Nicolet L09 in rose gold and DLC titanium (Ref. S619N-BU-G9610) is one of the new trio of sporty timekeepers.

The movement in question is the caliber AN0711A. According to the company’s press release, it is based on the Unitas UT 600 movement that was made in 1957 and, till now, awaited its fate in the Swiss company’s warehouse — via World Watch Review

The new observation tower on the River Mur (Southern Styria, Austria) opened to the public just in time for the beginning of spring 2010. The design for the sculptural structure set amidst the landscape of the European habitat system Green Belt was developed by the Munich-based architects and landscape architects, terrain:loenhart&mayr, who are renowned for the new and trend-setting Olympic Ski Jump in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. With the look-out on the banks of the River Mur, the observation tower offers access to the ecology of the surrounding floodplain forest and lets visitors experience the river catchment, which changes according to the intensity of the water’s flow — via ArchDaily

The folks at Parker Brothers Choppers have put together a bike that’s the baddest Big Wheel since The Shining.

It’s based on the Green Machine, the toy all the cool kids on our block got to ride when we were kindergartners with tricycles. It’s got a massive 45-inch front wheel and, just like the real thing, steers from the rear. Power comes from an 80-cubic inch Harley-Davidson Evo engine — via Wired.com

This year, Rolex is going to resurrect the beautiful Tudor Advisor alarm automatic wrist watch. The new iteration of the historic model will be sold as the Tudor Heritage Advisor.

As one might have expected, the new watch carefully preserves the DNA of the original, but comes in a much larger case.

While the Advisor from 1957 was available in a small by today’s standards 34 mm case, the new Heritage Advisor comes in a more impressive 42 mm body.

Made of stainless steel and titanium, the new case offers a nice mixture of polished and satin-finished surfaces that provide the watch with more depth and make it look even more interesting — via World Watch Review