The Reason
A classically designed art deco styled, meteorite, jumping hours timepiece.
Introduction
David Rutten is the designer and brand name of this timepiece. Born in 1974 Brussels, Belgium in an Art-Deco neighbourhood, this style is one of his major influences combined along with science-fiction.
Functions
Manual wound, 5 day power reserve with instantaneous jumping hours mechanism.
“Less than 1% of meteorites found are octahedrites (the type used in the Streamline) and of sufficient size and pattern to be used to produce the case.” David Rutten
Technical Specifications
Meteorite case, octahedrite. Dimensions: 37mm wide, 53mm long (lug included), 12mm thick. Polished titanium case back and winding crown. Sapphire glasses with anti-reflective coating. Total weight 120gr. Hardness of the finished meteorite similar to diamond.
DR01 calibre with jumping-hours. Diameter 33.3mm. 8mm thick including discs. Frequency 28800 VPH (4hz). 120-hours power reserve.
The large 6 represents the hours. The second ring of numbers in the centre, the minutes. The final central ring partially covered by the vertical pointing triangle, the seconds indication.
Profile showing the titanium case back and crown contrasted against the meteorite bezel.
The branding of the watch due to the design of the case and jumping hours indication is not viewed on the front of the watch. Instead it can be read on the case back as well as the gold plate screwed onto the meteorite case at 6 o’clock between the integrated shoulders.
Despite the seemingly fractured nature of the meteorite bezel the movement sits in, the case remains water resistant to 30 meters depth.
What at first glance appears to be a coat of arms is a Gothic styled doorway with steps leading to the stars and Saturn.
Produced in a limited production run of 88 numbered examples, shown engraved on the gold plate below the David Rutten name.
The DR01 Calibre is originally based on the Swiss movement SH21 made by the Christopher Ward brand with Synergie Horlogère. This version however, with the unusual bridge design combined with the jump-hour module is unique to David Rutten.
The large square rear plate with the engraving is held in place by four stainless steel screws which pass through the plate and case back, screwing into the meteorite front of the case holding the assembly together.
The case back removed revealing the round movement.
The hidden surface of the case back showing the black seal used to make the case back water resistant once assembled.
The movement is held in place by two stainless steel screws and casing clamps.
The movement removed from the case. The winding stem and crown not yet return to the movement.
The primary pieces that constitute the case.
The sapphire is cemented into the case from the front side. From the back, the inner dial section is held in place by two screws and clamps.
The inner unpolished lattice structure of the meteorite can be seen clearly.
The three discs in full view.
The seconds and minutes discs removed. Both are held in place by friction fits onto the movements canon pinion and seconds wheel extended pivot. The final hour disc is screwed onto a the hour cam by four screws.
With the four screws removed from the centre of the hour disc it can be removed showing the view of the mechanism.
In the very centre of the image, in the cutout of the module is a spring loaded beak that pushes against a snail shaped cam that turns once every hour. The beak is connected to the operating lever. On the hour it drops and pushes the star-shaped hour cam instantly by twelfth of a rotation to display a new hour.
The star shaped cam carries the hour disc. The central lever is the operating lever. The spring to the right arms the operating lever.
The jump hour module removed from the base movement.
The snail shaped cam in the centre of the movement drives the operating movement. The centre pipe the cam sits on carries the minute disc.
The beak shown in the cutout is screwed to the operating lever and rests on the snail shaped cam when assembled onto the movement.
The two vertical posts at 8 and 2 o’clock fix the module on the base movement.
The operating lever and the bridge that holds it in place removed.
The long spring above the star shaped cam indexes it.
Recto-verso of the operating lever. The central beak pushes onto the snail shaped cam. The end beak pushes the star shaped cam every hour.
The back of the movement only partially viewed when the watch is fully assembled. The main 3/4 style bridge holds in place the two barrels and train. All of the angles are polished manually.
The decoration crossing the surface of the 3/4 bridge are Geneva stripes alined with its geometric skeletonised form.
The ‘A’ shaped lever on the balance cock acts as a micro-regulator for timing. The small screw head at its base is an excentric plug friction fitted into the cock, when turned moves the index left or right allowing for small adjustments to be made to the going rate of the watch.
SH21 is the original reference for the main-plate. The reference 0007307 is a unique serial number for identification of the movement in the companies archives.
The balance and balance cock removed.
The Swiss anchor and its cock removed.
The 3/4 train bridge removed revealing the full train and part of the winding mechanism.
The winding system for the two barrels is an unusual approach. To the left of the stem and winding crown are two gears, these directly wind the outside teeth of the first barrel which in turn winds the mainspring inside the barrel then turning the barrel arbor and upper ratchet wheel that then wind the second barrel through an intermediate wheel through to the second ratchet wheel and then second mainspring.
Main plate fully assembled with wheels.
Main plate dismantled except for the centre wheel.
The dismantled gears.
Summary
The David Rutten Streamline combines a classic indication of time using jumping hours with a modern mechanism behind it. The case is Art-Deco but executed using meteorite and titanium. The movement is manually wound but with an extended 5 days power reserve. Each element of the watch from jumping hours, case design and material, as well as the base movement function and design push what are classic elements to another level of complexity.
GALLERY
In the grid below are both images used in the description of this page, plus more. Please click on the image to enlarge and see in full.
To learn more about David Rutten