Apparently the 4th of July comes a bit late this year as Perrelet has just released a very American watch that celebrates our stars and stripes. See, if the Swiss can love America I am sure there is hope for our economy. Just send some of those excess Francs you guys keep whining about.”Boohoo! Our money is sooo valuable!” They truly are an oppressed people.
A little pivoting latch hinges from the centre line of the crown, providing a way for the wearer to pull it out of the case wall and make alterations in the habitual fashion.The watch has traditional lugs however they participate with a black rubberized strap which reinforces the modern persona of the watch. I particularly enjoy the stainless steel folding clasp that has again been medicated with DLC coating.The motion P-181 is self-winding and made by sister firm, Soprod. A sapphire caseback affords a view of the movement.The aforementioned Turbine doesn’t exude energy into the spring, it’s purely aesthetic. This is because the speed of the Turbine will be dropped if connected to the movement.A conventional rotor features over the movement. I use the word, “conventional”, guardedly since it is pleasingly introduced, partly skeletonized and featuring the brand’s logo to the centre.The bridges beneath the rotor are adorned with Côtes de Genève motif. Blue colored screws, rubies and gold colored balance provide a palette of colours to delight any fan of horology.Perlage attributes on the plate, attesting to the quality completing of the product.I such as the Perrelet Turbine 1047/2 since it’s a breath of fresh air. The originality of the design garners attention from both specialists and non-experts alike.I accept the styling may not be to everybody’s taste, but I find its layout language engaging and also a great means of bringing prospective buyers to the brand.I confess to preferring some of the more customary offerings from Perrelet, but they would not necessarily cause tongues to wag as feverishly as the Turbine.
This cool new watch makes me happy to look at and is a special rendition of the newer Turbine XL watch. Perrelet also released two special edition (also limited) Turbine (non XL) watches that I will discuss in another post. What is exactly is up with the comically buff Uncle Sam? Why is he so pissed off? And who does our patriarch of patriots wish to punch? At least we know he puts on a Perrelet when getting pugilistic.
The Turbine XL America (see more stuff here) is 50mm wide in DLC black coated steel (ref. A4015/1). The outer bezel has blue sections with white stars (50 of them! Notice how the sections have either 8 or 9 stars to achieve this number) while the dial under the spinning turbine has red and white stripes. The red, white, and blue theme works well, and for all its whimsy, this watch actually works and looks darn cool in my opinion.
Insider the watch is a Perrelet P-181 Double Rotor automatic movement which you can see through the rear of the watch. It is attached to a black rubber strap and is generally agreed to be comfortable and fun. Perrelet will produce just 777 pieces in this limited edition Turbine America collection. Price is $7,000.