Time for a new sub species from the genus of ZIIIRO watches
Meet the Proton, a rare timepiece found in three varieties
The ZIIIRO Proton is a cool timepiece displaying time using two
transparent gradient discs, blue color representing the hour and yellow
displaying the minute. By overlapping both gradients, it creates a new
array of green color that will catch attention. Like a sunset... The colors change gradually, with no clear beginning and no clear end. The Proton is fully interchangeable with all
watches from the bracelet series. Available in three colors of
transparent, transparent-smoke and milky-white.
American
timepiece manufacturer DEVON has earned a reputation for turning out
dazzling designs that challenge industry conventions and create buzz all
around the world. Their debut watch, the Tread 1 recently made its way
to the finals of the highly respected GRAND PRIX D'HORLOGERIE DE GENEVE
in the category of Best Design and Concept Watch - a feat never before
achieved by an American watch brand. Since then people the world over
have been wondering what might be coming next from this independent and
bold newcomer, and now their wait is over. Today at the Baselworld
Exposition, the world's largest watch show, DEVON has unveiled its
follow-up timepiece, the Tread 2.
"Our
products are designed, developed, engineered and manufactured in
Southern California with American aerospace engineers and suppliers who
are not constrained by tradition or status-quo but are accustomed to
pushing the boundaries of what's been done before," said Scott Devon,
the company's founder.
Tread 2 continues to use of the Tread 1's patented movement
technology employing an innovative system of fiberglass-reinforced nylon
Time Belts. The belts are only 2/1000th's of an inch thick and are a
technology appropriated directly out of the cockpits of airliners like
the Boeing 747 where they indicated vital measurements such as air speed
and fluid levels. the belts are mounted on a central chassis and
driven by two extremely compact microstep motors. These motors and all
other watch functions are controlled by a microcontroller, essentially
an extremely compact computer inside the heart of the watch. Loaded
with DEVON's proprietary software, this computer manages all of the
timepiece's functions and ensure precision time-keeping, the preliminary
testing of which indicates an unusually accurate tolerance of only one
half-second per day.
To make
the watch practical DEVON has designed the movement to be what it calls a
"hybrid" - combining a highly mechanical masterpiece of moving parts
with a system that stores extra energy in a lithium-polymer battery pack
rather than a mainspring. This innovation allow the Tread 2 to be
offered at a relatively affordable starting price of around $10k while
also offering a very generous power reserve estimated at up to fourteen
days no single charge. As with the Tread 1, when a recharge is
necessary, simply placing the watch onto its charging cradle will
wirelessly charge the battery through the use of electromagnetic
induction in only a few hours.
Other innovations seen on the Tread 2 include a one-of-a-kind
clamp system used to secure the bezel to the case, the crown's
unmistakably unique articulating arm and jeweled bearings in the
movement's pulley system that ensure free and easy movement with no
lubrication necessary.
• Lithium polymer rechargeable battery lasts up to 2 weeks
• Inductive wireless charging system
About Devon Works, LLC
Led
by founder Scott Devon and headquartered in Los Angeles, California,
Devon Works, LLC is a design lab dedicated to creating innovative luxury
products that exemplify the American spirit. Devon Works began with the
design of the exclusive Devon GTX supercar and continued with the
revolutionary Tread 1 timepiece.
The follow-up to the successful Tread One, the new Tread Two was just introduced at Baselworld 2012. Here is a video of the incredible machine as explained by Devon Works chief engineer Jeff Stephenson. -video and copy thanks to HODINKEE
California company Devon Works is following up on their popular Devon Tread 1 watch with a second generation, the Tread 2, this year at Baselworld. Both issues have been addressed with the Tread 2
without compromising any of the original charm. While in Basel last
week, we sat down with Devon engineer Jeff Stephenson for an explanation
of some of the new features.
The first thing you'll notice
about the Tread 2 are its far more manageable dimensions. Further
helping in the practicality department is the new crown system which
uses an articulating arm to access many of the watches features. The arm
adds a nice visual touch to the new case design as well, which is
constructed of multiple pieces varying in texture. Another big change is
the removal of the seconds belt. However, this does remove the most animated element of the watch;
but if you're missing that bit you can put the minutes belt into a
seconds mode.
The Tread 2 also has the capacity to enter
"chronograph" mode, which zeros the minute belt and sets the hour at 12.
From there you can time events as you would any chronograph. Watch
above as Jeff explains.
It's important to note here that the Tread 2 is not yet in final
form. Some of the functions are still being hammered out, as are a
variety of possible color combinations. Look for a final Tread 2 to hit
the market later this year, and we're told pricing will be around
$10,000 - $7,000 less than the Tread 1.
The
DEVON Tread 1 was nominated for the GRAND PRIX D’HORLOGERIE DE GENÈVE
in 2010 for Best Design and Concept Watch among a field of very storied
and esteemed brands, the first time an American watch company had ever
been included in the competition.Now DEVON is building upon the success of the Tread 1 with another groundbreaking design called Tread 2.The
Tread 2 will deliver DEVON’s patent-pending Time Belt technology in a
package that’s more sophisticated than the avante-garde Tread 1.
“As
with the Tread 1, the DEVON Tread 2 will continue to be developed
within the United States Aerospace industry's network of suppliers and
engineers.We’ve become known for
pushing the envelope of acceptability, and The Tread 2 incorporates
many innovative features that have never before been seen in the world
of haute horlogerie,” said Scott Devon, the company’s founder.
A
few of the most obvious innovations are a one-of-a-kind clamp system
that is used to secure the bezel to the case, the four distinctive lugs
which help to define the shape of the watch as well as the crown’s
unmistakably unique articulating arm. All of these features give the
Tread 2 a unique depth of character.
The movement, similar to the Tread 1, relies heavily on aerospace technology.For
instance, the glass-reinforced Nylon Time Belts used to display the
current time were adapted directly from aircraft instrumentation. The
belt assemblies remain mounted on a central chassis, which allows for
the perfect clearance of the moving parts while creating the illusion
that the parts are floating within the case. Two extremely compact
micro-step motors drive the movement of the hour and minute belts with
efficiency, exacting power, and steadfast accuracy. The lubricant-free
pulley system moves freely thanks to the integration of jeweled
bearings.
A
temperature-compensating and calibrated quartz crystal provides an
extremely accurate time-keeping signal to the onboard microprocessor
that controls the movement’s two micro-step motors. Power for this
“Visual Symphony” is provided by a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery.
When a recharge is necessary, simply placing the watch onto its
charging cradle will wirelessly charge the battery through the use of
electromagnetic induction.
DEVON will be debuting the watch at March’s Baselworld Watch and Jewelry Show in private showings to retailers and press.Production will begin shortly thereafter and deliveries are scheduled to commence in June, 2012.
