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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