Watch Evaluation: Behrens Rotary | aBlogtoWatch

Combustion engine devotees love to speak concerning the unimaginable ingenuity of the rotary engine. The attention-grabbing form and movement of the rotary system are to visually-minded designers simply as fascinating as a rotary engine’s benefits over customary piston-operated combustion ones. Fascinated by quirky but round motion patterns, this Behrens Rotary wristwatch just isn’t the primary time a mechanical watch show has been impressed by a rotary engine — although it’s a significantly attention-grabbing and, for the type, reasonably priced, manifestation of a rotary engine watch. Behrens initially launched the Rotary watch in 2020.

I consider that the show of the Behrens Rotary is impressed by that of the C3H5N3O9 watch from 2013. These are exceptionally uncommon (although I did get to put on one, and it was cool) and have been produced as a collaboration between MB&F and URWERK. The Behrens Rotary continues this visible legacy with a high-end, however far more accessible, rotary engine dial from the revolutionary Chinese language watchmaker.

The mechanism of the Behrens Rotary features a base Swiss Made Sellita SW200-1 automated motion. On prime of that, there’s a bespoke module produced by Behrens that creates the rotary engine time show. It even features a date indicator window (that’s straightforward to overlook in case you aren’t on the lookout for it) and rotary engine-style fingers for the hours and minutes. Although the fingers function in full round motions, the time is instructed on semi-circular scales at reverse ends of the dials. The three triangular suggestions of the fingers are painted with luminant and function the indicator fingers.

The standard and ending of the dial elements are impressively good and the mechanics appear to work effectively. Behrens makes use of all the identical supplies as comparable watches from Switzerland together with artificial ruby palettes. The dial appears to be like very cool, and studying the time this manner is enjoyable and never too tough. One of many odder issues on the dial is the type of the utilized Arabic numerals. They’re legible, and I like how they appear, however for a watch that, to me, is at the least modern, even futuristic, I really feel a tinge of cognitive dissonance on the considerably festive and ornate font.

Flip the watch over, and you may see the automated motion by way of the sapphire crystal window. Conserving on theme, Behrens consists of an automated rotor that appears just like the triangular rotary engine phase. The motion operates at 4Hz and, I consider, nonetheless has about two days of energy reserve even with the added module system.

For the Rotary watch, Behrens selected a sophisticated metal case that has a proper, however not boring, design. Extra so, it has a contemporary visible language, versus a extra retro-style case. I feel I’d have additionally favored to see a sportier or extra “industrial” case to go along with the “engine” theme of the watch. That stated, there may be nonetheless quite a lot of enjoyable available sporting this watch. Particularly since it’s a very intentional inventive and mechanical expression by Behrens.

The finely polished and brushed metal case is 42mm-wide and about 14mm-thick. A lot of that’s due to the box-style sapphire crystal which additionally replaces many of the bezel. With out the crystal, the case is just about 8mm-thick, so when sporting it, it doesn’t truly look all that thick. The case can be water-proof to 50 meters and a lug-to-lug distance of about 51mm. Locations on quick-release spring bars, the Rotary case has a black crocodile pores and skin (properly made with a gentle calfskin liner) strap. Clearly, Behrens was going for a dressier search for this timepiece.

The C3H5N3O9 watch that this Behrens Rotary is predicated on just isn’t solely unavailable for probably the most half but in addition value slightly below $200,000 USD if I recall appropriately (and that was 10 years in the past). Behrens creates a high-end and unique mechanical expertise, however one that’s not so stratospherically-price that it instantly alienates the vast majority of customers. For that purpose alone I recognize that firms like Behrens are doing the very attention-grabbing work of democratizing among the world’s extra distinctive mechanical time shows and mechanisms on the market. Behrens affords a satisfying reply to their query of “what if we made a rotary engine dial watch,” with this timepiece, and I feel it deserves a robust look – particularly by those that are significantly within the story of the rotary combustion engine. Worth for the Behrens Rotary reference BHR022 watch is $4,955 USD. Be taught extra on the Behrens watches web site right here.