Horological Meandering

I've had the privilege of owning this beauty for a month now and I am still in awe of her character. Never before has one of my watches had such a personality. With a 42x12mm case, this large-proportioned dress watch is certainly an attention getter. She is extremely comfortable and versatile, suited for dress or casual - definitely a watch worth having. I was once torn between the Dornblüth 99.2 and the IWC 5001 but now I know which one has a rightful place in my collection. One can’t ignore the character created by an independent watchmaker. The attention to design and detail is top notch. The burl presentation box is superb and unique, reminiscent of a ship deck chronometer. The power reserve module is composed of minimal parts and shows hours since last wind, not hours remaining. The sunken second hand is engineered to be in the center of the 9’clock area of the dial. These refinements were created by Dieter and Dirk in late 1999. The power reserve module was inspired by the spiral bevel gear found in the rear axle differential of a car. The color of the heat-blued steel hands is as deep as the ocean. The domed sapphire crystal allows for a crisp view of the silver dial with raised numerals. The reverse side of this watch is what really takes your breath away. The gorgeous rose gold movement features a ¾ plate, screwed balance wheel, swan neck regulator, blued screws, gold chatons, beveled edges, hand-engraved balance cock and hand-engraved “D. Dornblüth & Sohn, Kalbe i/S.A." I often find myself gazing at both sides of the watch throughout the day and forget to notice the time it measures. I am very happy with my 99.2 and plan to hold on to her for quite some time. Hope you enjoyed the mini-review and now for some photos:

                   

their watches, or the pics i've seen of them, seem to be of high quality and very well finished, but reasonably priced so are likely to be recession proof if anything can be.

nice watch, nice pics thanks

Graham

. . . of one of my personal favorites . . . I'm still kicking myself for not making the sacrifices to acquire an 04.0 when they were available! Cordially, Art

I appreciate your insights on a brand I am not too familiar with. I will have to pay more attention to Dornblüth from now on!

Metaphysician, the face shown to the public is very attractive but it is the unadorned backside which is absolutely stunning!  You are quite right that when showing a Dornblueth to others it is the turning over of the watch which elicits spontaneous exclamations of admiration.

Dr. No, there will surely be an opportunity on the secondary market for an 04.0--you will get another chance! 

tempusfugit

I agree with all you are saying.  I bought a 99.0 about 6 months ago and I can tell you the workmanship/cost ratio is outstanding.  It is simple, yet finished...simply elegent.  I love the watch and it is my most worn watch today and it is about 1/15th the cost of my most expensive. 

You've taken some great pics. Thanks for sharing them. I really admire the Dornblueths and would like to add one to my collection at some point. I like your 99.2 very much, and I also admire the 99.1.

Best,

Jed

Congrats, and thanks a lot for sharing with us your love on this piece!

Best,

Nicolas

 

 

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I have been eyeing Dornbluths very closely lately and am very tempted to purchase one myself.  It was nice to hear how impressed you have been with yours.  If I may, I would love to contact you "off-line" about the steps you took to purchase yours.

Thank you again!

Paul