The Multimatic’s Many Complications

The watch is powered by the Miyota 9100, which has 26 jewels, a 40-hour power reserve, and a 4Hz beat rate. As most of us know, Miyota’s are known for their reliability, and the 9 Series are a solid choice for a mid-range automatic movement. This 9100 variant is equipped with a plethora of features. In addition to displaying the hours and minutes, the calibre has a date complication, a power reserve indicator, and three subdials displaying the day, month and 24-hour time. It’s a lot to cram onto a watch, but I think Waldhoff manage it rather well. And the reason I think it works is that the rose gold accents used on the sub-dials and hands contrast really well against the rich green of the dial. 

A Detailed Dial 

The design of the dial is rather complex, with the hour markers and minute track placed on a raised outer ring that serves to give the watch some nice depth. Meanwhile, the main dial is stamped with an interesting pattern that looks very art deco in style. I personally feel as though this over-complicates the dial somewhat, as there’s already a lot going on with the power reserve indicator and sub-dials. However, as I said earlier, I don’t think it noticeably impacts the legibility of those complications, which are on the whole pretty easy to read. The only exception is the 24-hour sub-dial at 6 o’clock, which doesn’t have any numbers printed on it, so it’s really difficult to tell exactly where the hand is pointing. Though, on a positive note, the sub-dial does feature a neat little globe printed on it that really pops against the green and gold of the dial. I must admit that the green is a bit too vibrant for me, but the Multimatic is available in several other more conservative colours, and the finishing of the dial is pretty good. 

When it comes to night-time legibility, only the hands of the Multimatic are lumed. The hands on the sub-dials don’t glow too brightly, but the hour and minute hands have a stronger glow and are much easier to read in the dark.

The Multimatic’s Case And How It Wears

The case measures 41mm across and is 11.4mm thick, with a lug-to-lug of 47.5mm. With its thin lugs, the Multimatic II wears rather nicely, and it offers a good amount of presence on the wrist without being overpowering. The overall design of the case looks deceptively simple when viewed from the top, but it’s got an interesting side view with vertical brushed slats milled against a polished channel. 

On its underside, the Multimatic has a display case back, through which you can see the Miyota movement. Waldhoff has gone to the trouble of having the movement’s rotor decorated, which helps to make both the movement and watch feel a bit more premium. 

As it’s essentially a dress watch, the Multimatic only has 30m of water resistance, but it’s hardly the watch you want to take for a swim anyway. However, it does have a flat sapphire crystal that will provide decent scratch resistance. 

When it comes to the leather strap, it’s nice and thick and feels pretty durable, but its faux alligator surface does feel a bit plasticky. The strap is also pretty stiff straight out of the box, though it will probably break in and soften with regular wear. Fortunately, the strap has quick-release spring bars, so it will be easy to swap it out for something more premium if that’s something you want to do.

Final Thoughts

Overall the Multimatic II makes for an ideal statement piece. It’s not too big, but it has a decent amount of presence and the punchy gold and green colour scheme of this option only enhance the watch’s eye-catching styling. The same goes for the intricate dial, and I think the stamped art deco pattern really helps to make the watch look more premium. 

On the flip side, I think that the strap could be nicer and a bit more supple. I also feel that with a retail price of $789 (approximately £643), the watch is priced a little on the high side for the overall package it offers. 

However, value is subjective, and the watch has a fair few points in its favour if you like the design. The movement and other specifications are all spot on, and the design is original, which is always good to see. So, if you like the look of the Multimatic II and are after a watch packed with complications, then it’s a solid pick. 

You can read more about the Multimatic II on Waldhoff’s website here.

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A tourbillon expands upon a standard escapement of a mechanical movement to make it more accurate and does this by negating the negative effects of gravity upon it. With a normal escapement, it usually behaves slightly differently depending on the position of the watch – so for instance, it’ll be more or less accurate if the watch is face-up, down, or on its side etc. With a tourbillon, because the escapement is in a rotating cage, there’s never one specific angle where the watch is more or less accurate. 

Anyway, enough about the technical aspect of a tourbillon, let’s take a look at this watch we have in front of us. 

The video review

At slightly over £1000, it seems quite pricey at a glance, but tourbillons always demand a higher price; there’s no way around that. In actual fact, it’s a fairly reasonable price. Sure, there are cheaper tourbillons, but they tend to be extremely plain; certainly not to the same level of opulence as this watch. I mean, look at it. Gold, blue, and mother of pearl. All of these things equate to a luxurious appearance, and it does not disappoint.

There is one thing worth highlighting before we get into the nitty-gritty. How could it say “Made in Germany” on the dial, but house a Chinese movement, the Peacock 5213? Well, the rules are not the same as “Swiss Made”, which requires a Swiss movement. As long as it’s physically manufactured in Germany, that’s all that’s required.

From the moment I laid eyes on the Ultramatic, I was mesmerised. A tourbillon is going to do that to most of us. But it’s not just that central rotating focal point – the entire package is lavish.

It’s not a small watch by any means, but then again it’s not the kind of watch that’s designed to be “undercover” or “reserved”. The 42.5mm diameter is about the limit of what I’m happy to go to comfortably with my 7” wrist, however, the lug to lug length in comparison is shorter than expected, which helps the wearability. The height of 13.8mm is on the tall side; it’s not particularly slender so it won’t easily slide under a shirt cuff.

There’s a great amount of depth to the dial, thanks to a higher outer layer with a bevelled inner edge, detailed deep-set subdials, and of course, the rotating cage of the tourbillon itself. 

The hands are a strong, elegant pitched dauphine shape filled with lume. I like the way the minute hand-stretched more or less right to the outer edge of the dial. There’s no running seconds hand, so no real way of setting it perfectly to the second. 

Usually, I can’t stand 24-hour indicators (for me, they’re the most pointless complication). But the artwork of the globe behind it is a delight to behold and an inspired design choice. 

My main disappointment with this watch is the applied logo. It cheapens an otherwise stunning watch, as it’s so flat and feeble looking, especially when it’s sitting right next to the thicker applied hour markers.

One surprisingly delightful aspect of the Ultramatic is the blue mother of pearl base of the centre of the dial. It’s not overpowering or tacky looking, but rather, it provides a delicate array of markings and reflections, ranging from a deep blue to a searing teal.

The gold plated case has a distinctive ribbed / coin edge around the sides, which reminds me of some serious Breguet vibes – that’s certainly not a problem, as it supports the grand feeling the watch provides. The case has a really surprising water-resistance of 150m – I would have fully expected it to only have a poor rating of 50m. 

Whilst the Peacock 5213 Co-Axial Tourbillon movement is Chinese made, it is most certainly not “cheap-and-cheerful”. Peacock has quite a good reputation, with high-quality control. It has a beat rate of 21.6k bph (6 ticks per second), 29 jewels, 40-hour power reserve, hand and automatic winding capabilities, and a custom sticker applied to the rotor. I would have preferred something a bit more fancy such as an engraving. Whilst I’m not expecting COSC specs, I would have preferred a better accuracy than the +13 sec/day this one is coming in at.

The strap is a deep, lavish blue that matches the dial to perfection. It works so well with the rose gold case, it’s a refreshing alternative to the usual black and steel combo. The leather is thick, but also supple, it’s comfortable, and I much prefer a matte finish like this to a shiny patent. The rose gold buckle is a slightly modified butterfly clasp – in that two sides open up, but one is larger than the other and contains the top bar, with the logo deeply engraved within. It’s very secure, easy to use, and straightforward to adjust.

Final comments

This is a stunning example of a watch looking much more expensive than it is. Yes, I realise it still costs just over £1000, but for a tourbillon, built to this level? No punches have been pulled here, and it genuinely looks and feels fantastic. 

The specs

• Dimensions: 42.5mm diameter x 13.8mm height x 50mm lug to lug
• Weight: 116g
• Water resistance rating: 15ATM / 150m
• Movement: Peacock 5213 Co-Axial Tourbillon 
• Accuracy: +13 sec/day
• Lug width: 22mm
• Price: $1499 / ~£1080
• Available from: https://manufaktur-waldhoff.de/collections/ultramatic-special-edition/products/ultramatic-carbon-bay-rg-limited

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Like most watch enthusiasts, I can’t fail to immediately notice that tourbillon.

As complications go, the tourbillon may not be the most difficult to produce, or the most expensive, or even the most useful, but it remains a highly desirable one. When Arbraham-Louis Breguet created the first one in 1795 he solved a very real problem. A watch resting in the same upright position all day long in your waistcoat pocket would be subject to the effects of gravity on the escapement and balance wheel, leading to deviations in the time-keeping. Inside a tourbillon cage, the entire escapement and balance wheel rotate about their axis to ensure all vertical positions are experienced equally. While Haute Horlogerie watchmakers have added a second and even third axes to the tourbillon, its usefulness waned the moment we started to wear watches on our wrists. Our natural daily movements abate the problems that the tourbillon was necessary to solve.

The tourbillon remains an expensive complication though, with the cheapest Swiss offerings starting well in excess of £10,000 so it’s no surprise to see that any affordable tourbillon watch is going to house a Chinese calibre. The Hangzou 3452 is a manual winding, twin-barrel movement which should be good for 80 hours of power reserve on a full wind (I didn’t specifically test this, but know that it was still ticking away 72 hours later) and beats at 28,800 bph. Determining accuracy is a little trickier though, but over the course of 7 days I was able to report the watch had gained less than 30 seconds in total which is plenty good enough for me.

Aside from the tourbillon, the rest of the skeletonised movement is impressively decorated, with the rear of the watch almost as nice as the front.

I’m not always the biggest fan of skeleton watches as the ability to tell the time is often compromised and the watch becomes more a piece of artistry than a functional tool. Legibility is certainly compromised in the case of the Waldhoff Imperial Diamond Silver here, but the distinction of the hands above the swirling patterns of the movement are a lot more pronounced in person than can be appreciated in photographs.

The hands and stick indices are certainly legible in low light when the SuperLuminova glows. The combination of glowing green lume, which appears to applied to the underside of the hands too, and the shadowed patterns of the dial are especially pleasing.

My first impressions of the case were primarily related to its size. At 43mm in diameter and just under 50mm lug to lug it is perhaps slightly bigger than I would like, but then again it’s a bold looking watch. The 14mm thickness of the watch is very noticeable though, especially on the wrist.

It’s only when taking the time to study the case construction than I began to really appreciate it. The top section of the stainless steel frame is surrounded by a slightly bulbous sapphire barrel, with the interestingly shaped lugs arching down to meet the bottom section at the lug tips where they are screwed in place. There are many ways to try to hide the height of a watch, but this idea of encasing it in sapphire to make a feature of it is a new one on me.

The Waldhoff comes on a black calf leather strap with deployant clasp and quick release spring bars. It’s comfortable enough but the very formal look isn’t necessarily to my taste, and a more colourful strap would potentially draw attention away from the watch itself. A tourbillon watch with a skeletonised dial in a sapphire case is going to be a statement piece, and maybe it’s best for the strap to sit quietly in the background.

Although time-telling isn’t difficult, it’s no surprise that a quick glance usually turns into a more lingering look to appreciate the movement. The price of $2,230 (or roughly £1,700 at the time of writing) is more than I’d usually like to spend on a ‘statement’ or ‘conversation’ piece, but as far as tourbillons go you’d be part pressed to find one with as much going on for less money.

Watch the video review:

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The Hangzhou 7500 is actually the best thing about this watch. Amazing specs (80-hour power reserve, 28.8k bph) – plus it’s a bit different to the usual skeletonised movements you find in affordable watches. Let’s check it out.

The specs

• Dimensions: 44mm diameter x 11.8mm height x 50mm lug to lug
• Weight: 87g
• Water resistance rating: 5ATM / 50m
• Movement: Hangzhou 7500
• Accuracy: +7.5 sec/day
• Lug width: 22mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: $439 / ~£335
• Available from: https://manufaktur-waldhoff.de/collections/mawa-multimatic/products/the-capital-obsidian-black

The video review

The case

The case, being 44mm, is most definitely on the large side – in particular for a dress watch. The oversized dimensions are a very modern approach to an otherwise fairly classy timepiece.

The case in itself is a simple barrel with a few ridges and indents: two on the bezel and one below the crown. Personally, I like the detailing as they split up an otherwise rather plain case and keeps things interesting. It’s fully polished as you’d expect for a dress / smart watch.

There’s a very thin bezel, so it’s practically all dial – providing a great immersive viewing experience. The slender lugs are surprisingly angular, bringing in a dash of modern styling.

The flat sapphire crystal does a fairly good job of keeping reflections at bay, allowing you to view the detailed dial pretty well.

The push-pull crown is rather cute; it’s dainty, but it doesn’t look silly. It also sports good grip and is easy to manipulate, plus the logo is embossed on the end.

The caseback is all about the movement – a large exhibition window takes centre stage. Various specifics surround it in a brushed ring.

The dial

Let’s face it, the dial is all about the movement. The black open bridges provide a pretty awesome industrial and mechanical view.

The large barrel at 12 houses the whopping 80 hours per reserve and the steel provides a light backdrop to the black bridges.

The balance wheel at 6 is reminiscent of a tourbillon, due to its position and the surrounding detailing.

The hands and little pips at the base of the hour markers are filled with Swiss TriTec lume, which is pretty disappointing. But, lume is usually the least important part of a dress watch.

The hands are a quintessential pitched dauphine shape, perfectly suitable in this setting. The second hand features a smart Manufaktur Waldhoff logo as the counterweight.

The outer edge is another level of pleasant detail; with a concentric circular pattern and the applied hour markers and logo. The markers aren’t the deepest, I would have preferred a more solid construction.

The strap

The strap is probably the least impressive part of the watch. It’s distinctively average; nothing special – but also not the worst strap in the world.

It has a matte alligator stamp finish to it, which is my preference over shiny patent leather. It’s not overly supple or flexible, but it’s good enough to feel comfortable on the wrist.

The polished tang buckle has clearly had some thought put into it – I like the embellishments and details such as the ridged border, cut out corners, and the logo engraved on the one side.

The movement

After some serious digging and research, I determined that the movement is the Hangzhou 7500 (they don’t specify the movement on the website).

Further details can be found here: http://www.ptsresources.com/watch_automatic_02.htm

It looks impressively manufactured, even up close. The specs are even more impressive; with a whopping 80 hours power reserve, 21 jewels, and a high beat rate of 28.8k bph (8 ticks per second).

It’s a lovely breath of fresh air to see a new skeleton movement being used, especially with those specs. As I mentioned in the intro, this is one of the best things going for the watch.

Final comments

Skeleton watches are a difficult play in the affordable market. Sometimes they can just look cheap, and most of the time they’re limited to a small number of certain movements. This is why the Manufaktur Waldhoff Capital Obsidian is a cool, fresh alternative. The strap isn’t the best, but I wouldn’t let that get in the way of an otherwise great watch.

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The specs

• Dimensions: 42mm diameter x 12.5mm height x 49mm lug to lug
• Weight: 80g
• Movement: Seiko NH38
• Accuracy: +65 sec / day
• Lug width: 20mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: £295 / $368
• Available from: http://manufaktur-waldhoff.de/index.php/mwf-2-regent-72.html

The case

The case of the Regent is a standard barrel shape, with fully polished top and sides; the bottom and caseback are brushed to split up the lines. The reasonably deep depth of 12.5mm is counteracted by the curvaceous lugs which ensure a tight fit to the wrist.

Sitting on top of the case is a flat sapphire coated K1 crystal raised above bezel. It has really good AR, which is also helped by a light dial – I’ve found visibility and clarity is always excellent.

The push-pull crown is a rounded affair that provides good grip and allows quick and easy hand winding. It’s polished to match the case, with the badge logo engraved on the end.

The caseback features a large exhibition window which is likely to be mineral crystal, and is secured in place with 4 screws. Various specifics are deeply engraved surrounding it.

The general shape of the case isn’t really anything to get too excited about, but the quality of the finishing is pretty good.

The dial

The dial is constructed of a dual layered metallic dial offering depth and texture. The top layer surrounding the central disc has a circular brushed finish, and is flanked by another higher layer. The central disc has linear engraving, much like a pin-stripe suit.

Applied roman numerals hour markers are located at 12, 3, 6 and 9, whilst the rest are batons. Lumed pips are located at their base.

The hands are pitched, straight forward batons with a slight narrowing at the tip. The seconds hand has a delicate badge acting as its counterweight.

There is a pleasant open heart at 9, through which you can see through the case. It has a neat and impressively done steel border surrounding it.

The applied badge logo within the top half is a bit on the thin side unfortunately. This is such a shame as everything else on the dial is made to such a high standard.

The strap

The strap is made of beautifully soft genuine calf leather. I love the tobacco colour; it goes with the silver dial and case very well.

The tang buckle has an intriguing cut out of the corners and the badge logo engraved on one side of the top bar.

The strap also boasts quick release pins, which I always like to see – they make swapping straps out so easy, quick and painless.

The movement

The movement powering the Regent is the Seiko NH38 – the bigger brother of the NH35. You don’t see the 38 too often, mainly because it’s exactly the same bar the open balance wheel (open heart) and the omission of a day / date indicator. It’s surprisingly well finished.

The specs include a beat rate of 21.6k bph, 41 hours power reserve, and 21 jewels.

The movement also has a custom application on the rotor – it seems to be a sticker, but looks pleasant nonetheless and is a good thing that they’ve made the effort.

Final comments

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the Manufaktur Waldhoff Regent. It’s quite the impressive purchase at £295 / $368: German Made, good specs, and impressive fit and finish. The only bad thing to mention is the quality of the applied logo – if only it was at the same standard as the rest of the dial.

However, it is easy to look past that and appreciate the timepiece as a whole – whilst some may see the 42mm diameter as too large for a dress watch, I’m happy with it – and I’m sure it’ll make anyone who purchases it a happy man too.

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