Ventura - new models to arrive in summer 2011

[rewolf]

I hope this becomes reality:
http://www.ventura.ch/eu_de/shop.html
They now combine the sparc's microgenerator system with the v-tec.
Result: the SPARC MGS digital W 51 S (plus some more variants).
Could be my next watch if they finally make the scroll-wheel really well operable.





BTW: I was quite surprised to find some of my Ventura photos (posted here and on dwf.cc) in the Hungarian óra ékszer magazin.
http://www.ventura.ch/eu_de/ventura-in-the-press.html
http://www.ventura.ch/publish/INTHEPRESS/en/#/7/
Page 7 (article "Hanne Wettstein és a Ventura"): the v-tec Kappa, the d-sparc px (both photos, the fingers you can see are mine), and the photo incorrectly titled "Alpha" (actually it's the Kappa). IMO this says all about the quality of that magazine...

[Huertecilla]

Although I appreciate it for the technical excersize itself as art pour l´art, even though it is an imo pointless excersize, I do not appreciate the aesthetics of the rotor on display.
It is akin to a plexi panel in a car bonnet; rather naff exhibitionist.

To complete the aesthetic gripes I don´t understand why the two sides are neither marketly differing nor really symetric. I háte that neither fish nor meat.

[Bad Juju]

You know, after looking at these again... they kind of remind me of a prop watch that might have been used in a 70s or early 80s sci fi movie. The rotor looks like it would have been a spinning magnetic media disk or something like that. :)

[rewolf]

I just keep on thinking about why they didn't use a solar cell instead of the rotor.
Look at the Seiko EPD (SDGA001): it is solar powered, has backlight, alarm, is radio-controlled, and has much less space available for solar cells than the Ventura above. I believe the Ventura could easily powered by a solar cell of an area as big as the rotor window. Unless the module consumes way too much power: the "europa star" article in "Ventura in the Press" linked above states "a power reserve of around 45 hours for up to five years in the manual switch-off position" - 45h (!!??) would be very poor and definately keep me from buying one. The french article on page 10 (LUXE, Viva la Ventura) states "avec une réserve de marche d'une année" (one year power reserve) - great!. On page 13 th English article "The Guide 2011" states "45-day power reserve" - good.

Anyway - a solar cell would be just as good, even better: lighter, no wear, maintainance-free, and cheaper. But I think this was simply a marketing decision - they WANTED something mechanical in that watch to attract a certain group of customers....

[LEDluvr]

rewolf wrote:

Anyway - a solar cell would be just as good, even better: lighter, no wear, maintainance-free, and cheaper. But I think this was simply a marketing decision - they WANTED something mechanical in that watch to attract a certain group of customers....

I was thinking the same thing -solar makes all the sense in the world, mechanial not so much. My guess is the same as yours, it must be primarily a 'briliant marketing ploy' to attract all the 'I really want a digital watch but need a mechanical element in the desgin' crowd.
A year from now the same marketing geniuses that came up with this idea will be scratching their heads wondering why these watches didn't catch on. The least Ventura could do is make both a mechanical power and a solar power verison - then see which is more popular.

[Huertecilla]

I But I think this was simply a marketing decision - they WANTED something mechanical in that watch to attract a certain group of customers....

And that is all.

The Hamilton Pulsomatic cheelily branded as ´automatic´ has been launched in Ventura´s wake.

[retroleds]

Fantasy Driver(I was really bored, eh?)


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[ronaldheld]

You could do thermocouples and get the energy that way.

[Huertecilla]

Bulova used a thermocouple to power a quartz watch and a decade later Seiko launched a thermic model too.
Neither caught the imagination of the public.

´Kinetic´ and solar are currently the only autogenerators.
It beats logic that the automonous solid state solar watches have not spread like wildfire.
It goes agaínst logic even that there are now two solid state electronic watches with ´kinetic´ sold.
But then, it is horologic....

[xevious]

While I appreciate the exercise of showing how motion can be converted to electrical energy in a miniature device like a watch, it has been proven that solar recharging is more efficient and reliable. Personally, I'd like to see a multi-function LCD watch with additional solar cells to support extended function use without the risk of severely taxing the secondary battery.