Reservoir x LabelNoir Meets Popeye the Sailor Man: A Playful And Comparatively Reasonably priced Bounce Hour – Retrograde Minute Complication, “I Yam What I Yam And That’s All What I Am”

There’s something fascinating about leap hour watches, particularly when mixed with a retrograde minute hand. There’s something risky about this complication, as all its energy is launched in a fraction of a second. On the identical time, additionally it is a fragile complication that’s fairly difficult to make.

Managing the vitality wanted to vary the hour disk and let the minute hand return again to zero concurrently and immediately is difficult. It asks for a strong motion, but additionally one which could be very finely tuned. When the hour disk is even the slightest fraction off, it is going to be annoyingly seen, and the identical with a minute hand that doesn’t return correctly to its beginning place.

Reservoir x LabelNoir Popeye

That’s the reason Reservoir, an knowledgeable on this complication, teamed up with LabelNoir and selected Popeye the Sailor Man as the most recent theme for a timepiece, following the superb model that includes Blake & Mortimer.

Spinach, please

Reservoir chooses rightly, as many people have fond (childhood) recollections of this charismatic cartoon character, Popeye the Sailor Man. Along with the lady of his affection, Olive Oyl, and Swee’Pea and his arch nemesis Bluto, Popeye entered the world on January 17, 1929, within the “Thimble Theatre” comedian collection by E.C. Segar. Virtually a century outdated, Popeye has proved its endurance and remained related. Together with his love for spinach, he can now even be thought of a trailblazer. In some ways, so is Reservoir.

Reservoir x LabelNoir Popeye

Whereas this leap hour motion just isn’t unique to Reservoir, they’ve made it their very own in a singular and playful manner. Like their very own model of Popeye, they’ve given it spinach and put a highlight on it. On the identical time, Reservoir wrapped the watch in enticing packaging to please seasoned watch collectors whereas attracting new ones.  

Reservoir x LabelNoir Popeye on the wrist

The Popeye model contains a 41.5mm case, which continues to be sufficiently small to be worn comfortably, but gives loads of area to showcase the comedian character and spotlight the distinctive problems. The bezel is comparatively skinny to maximise dial area and is coated with gray Diamond-Like-Carbon. Often known as DLC, this coating each places extra emphasis on the dial and enhances the luxurious expertise. Whereas it’s intentionally whimsical, the execution is what you anticipate from a high-end watch model.

Reservoir x LabelNoir Popeye

Paint it Popeye

Popeye is hand-painted on the dial, which is kind of a feat. His muscled arm, full with an anchor tattoo, factors firmly in direction of the proper minute, which will be learn with an amazing diploma of precision.

Reservoir x LabelNoir Popeye dial element

The window for the hour disk is massive, making it very straightforward to learn. Reservoir additionally picked a font suiting the character and this makes for a visual union between the dial and the hour disk. Due to the black DLC-coated case and crown, there’s a minimal of distraction, making Popeye the eye-catcher.

Shifting a leap hour

There’s a sapphire insert with a Popeye software in the back of the Reservoir x LabelNoir Popeye. The caseback is firmly secured with 5 screws and coated with gray DLC. The water resistance of this timepiece is 5ATM/50 meters, and whereas a watch like that is no diver, I ponder if there wasn’t an choice to bump it as much as 10ATM/100 meters. Popeye is, in any case, a sailor, and this Reservoir is kind of a sporty watch. 

Again of the Reservoir x LabelNoir Popeye

A leap hour with retrograde minute hand requires a robust and dependable motion, and Reservoir has this lined with its caliber RSV-240. The bottom caliber is the La Joux-Perret G100 computerized motion, working at 28,800 VpH/4Hz and providing a beneficiant energy reserve of 56 hours. It’s fitted with a proprietary module developed along with the Swiss manufacture of Telos. This provides the timepiece each the facility and delicate options required to create a dependable leap hour watch with retrograde minute hand.

Reservoir x LabelNoir Popeye

The worth is correct

I don’t normally talk about costs as a result of that’s like evaluating several types of fruit. Nevertheless, the €4,700 that Reservoir is asking for this Popeye timepiece is kind of affordable. You not solely get a well-executed watch with a singular set of problems, however additionally it is restricted to 200 items.

Reservoir x LabelNoir Popeye case

The Reservoir x LabelNoir Popeye is available in a lovely field with all of the characters from the comedian on it, in addition to a chunk of embroidery and a chrome-painted determine of our hero. The timepiece itself is executed with a watch for element and a specific sort of ardour we regularly see with smaller and unique manufacturers like Reservoir.

Reservoir x LabelNoir Popeye

The cherry, or ought to I say spinach, on high is, in my view, the taupe gray nubuck leather-based strap with contrasting crimson stitching, completed off by a buckle with gray DLC coating. 

For extra info, please go to www.reservoir-watch.com/vintage-watch-collection/partnership/#popeye

Fast Details: Reservoir x LabelNoir Popeye
Case: 41.5 mm, stainless-steel with gray DLC-coating
Motion: computerized Caliber RSV-240 (base LJP-G100 base), 56-hour energy reserve, 4 Hz/28,800 vph frequency; Télôs Watch S.A.module, unique to Reservoir
Features: hacking retrograde minutes, leaping hours;
Limitation: 200 items
Worth: €4,700

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