Watches that show the time in different ways

Not all replica watches review are the same. In fact, some don’t even use traditional hands and dials to tell the time – they go to their own ticks.

We all know that watches range in price, designs, colors and materials from affordable to ultra-high-end haute horlogerie. The problem is, some watches show the time differently than we’re used to. Traditional watches have dials and hands to indicate hours, minutes and seconds. But many watches today — especially those created by independent brands — eschew tradition in favor of mesmerizing three-dimensional architectural designs. Here, we take a look at four incredible watches that show the time in different ways.

MB&F Horological Machine No. 10, Bulldog
Swiss independent watch brand MB&F is known for its extraordinary watches. Founder Max Busser relied on his love of space, cars and other objects of inspiration when creating his timepiece machines. One of his machines included a miniature sculpture of an alien that served as a power-reserve indicator, while another had a spaceship-like cylinder with windows at the wide end to indicate the time.

The latest No. 10 clock machine aims to replicate man’s best friend and is aptly nicknamed the Bulldog. Inspired by the stocky French bulldog, MB&F (Max Busser and friends) designed a compact round case with two raised circular domes on the front that resemble a dog’s eyes. One shows the hours and the other shows the minutes. The watch’s lugs are removable so they wrap securely around the wrist and mimic a dog’s legs. Studded collar allows winding and setting time.

Probably the most attractive feature of the Bulldog is its power reserve indicator. Below the front of the case, visible when the watch is tilted slightly, is an articulated jaw – showing the dog’s teeth that open and close according to the watch’s power reserve. Shiny teeth mean the Bulldog is fighting and fully charged, with a power reserve of 45 hours. When the chin is closed, the Bulldog falls and needs to be wound.

The Bulldog’s belly is engraved with a message: “Forget the dog, watch out for the owner.” While it all sounds funny, the watch is actually pretty serious. Crafted in grade 5 titanium or 18-karat 5N rose gold, it houses the intricate 301-part manual-winding movement and features a flying balance wheel visible below the sapphire-domed crystal. The domes that indicate the hours and minutes are made of aluminium so they are light enough to rotate and feature Super-LumiNova technology for easy reading.

HYT H5
Indie watch brand HYT, best known for its fluid-mechanical timepieces, uses fluid flowing through capillaries to tell time. Essentially, these watches house mechanical movements, as well as bellows that push fluid through capillaries as needed. Since its founding almost a decade ago in 2012, the brand has created many different versions of its fascinating watches. Most intriguing include its double bellows version and the recent Soonow Rainbow collection, featuring a variety of colors and a circular 3D skull pattern case and background set with rainbow gems.

From a technical standpoint, though, the latest HYT H5 watch is probably the most complicated. After several years of development, this watch uses a different liquid than previous versions and has a new mechanical transmission system inside the new Calibre 501 movement. Essentially, the coloured fluid flows out of the bellows from the lower left corner and flows around the dial until it reaches the lower right corner – passing through each hour of the 12-hour tracking cycle. When the 12 hours are complete, instead of going into the bellows on the right, it rewinds back to the starting point – a visual delight.

This inversion of the fluid – usually available in red, blue, green, black or other shades – is achieved through a cam and lever system used in conjunction with a patented fluid module. Another nuance of the watch: every time the fluid returns to the bellows, it mixes into a new concentration of molecules before being pushed back into the capillaries. The highly scientific brand has gathered a cult following.

Hublot MP-05 LaFerrari
Hublot’s first MP-05 LaFerrari was introduced to the world in 2013 as a tribute to this supercar. Hublot worked closely with Ferrari Design Director Flavio Manzoni to create a super movement that mirrors the car. The movement has a tourbillon (which compensates for timing errors due to the influence of gravity when the watch is in a specific position on the wrist) and an escapement pulled from the rest of the movement and revealed through a cylindrical opening. It also boasts a record 50-day power reserve thanks to 11 tandem barrels that are similar to the car’s mechanics. The movement, which is still used in LaFerrari watches today, has a massive 637 parts.

Since its first release, Hublot has regularly created new versions of the beloved LaFerrari – perhaps the most appealing of which is the transparent sapphire case that requires around 600 hours of machining time. The case alone was 18 months in the making. It appears to be the perfect house for the most complex three-dimensional movement to date, and it appears to be suspended in space. The tool on the watch looks like a miniature drill. The unique time display is located on the moving cams to the left and right of the barrel. The power reserve is shown on the left and the hours and minutes are shown on the right.

Urwerk UR-100 Gold
The Swiss independent brand Urwerk, known for its use of satellite discs and spheres in watchmaking, has been in the spotlight since its inception in 1997. Among its many watches, the UR-100 is the most sought after by collectors because of its space-age appeal. Recently released in 18-karat gold, the Urwerk UR-100 watch, nicknamed C-3P0 by fans (after the Star Wars droids), has a domed sapphire crystal through which the wearer can check the time.

That time, though, was a complicated but highly readable journey around the dial. The master watchmaker uses three rotating satellites, each with the hour numerals on it. As the satellite turns and rotates, the precise hour is displayed in the center of the satellite, above 6:00 on the regular dial. The minutes are displayed in a domed ring (from 4:00-8:00 on the dial) and a white-tipped red arrow points to them. When the arrow pointer reaches 60, it displays some astronomical information behind the sub-dial, including the distance traveled by the Earth. replica watches luxury