Maurice De Mauriac and AZ Fine Time

Once upon a time (well, about 8 or 9 years ago)…  The owner of AZ Fine Time, Mitchel Hirsh, made his yearly ritual of attending the Basel Fair.  Usually, there are meetings to be had with current manufactures, and then the rest of the time is spent seeking out the latest and greatest that had not found their way to our store.  Mitchel loves unique and unusual brands, and spends much of his time wandering around the independent watch makers section of the show.  On his journey, he stumbled upon a single unit display with a man named Daniel Driefuss standing next to it.  This was Mitchel’s 1st introduction to the brand Maurice De Mauriac.

Maurice De Mauriac

Daniel took the time to explain his watches and the love he puts into his brand.  Mitchel was so impressed, he bought a watch for himself right there on the spot.  Shortly after, they went for coffee to further discuss, not only the brand, but to get to know each other.  Needless to say, they hit it off right away and became good friends.  After the show, they went back to Zurich where Daniel took Mitchel on a tour of his Atelier (workshop), which is not only a retail front where Daniel sells his watches, but also where his watches are built.  They were in the workshop til 3am having a great time and checking out all of Daniels amazing watches.  Since then, Mitchel and Daniel have been great friends and very much like brothers.

Maurice De Mauriac

For those not familiar with Maurice De Mauriac watches…  They are located in Zurich Switzerland.  Daniel utilizes only 4 watch makers at his Atelier, all trained by IWC and only make about 1 watch a day.  One of the best parts is that he will actually build custom designed pieces right on the spot for you.  Let’s say you love one of his deisngs, but prefer a PVD case vs steel  or domed crystal vs flat.  Daniel makes that happen. There are also many ways to elaborate on that.  Daniels workshop is filled with many different straps, dials, crystals, hands and other parts for his clients to choose from.  Some of the more interesting concepts Daniel has developed are interchangeable bezels, where you can have white diamonds, black diamonds, 18kt gold, or just a plain steel or titanium bezel.   He also has an assortment of  colored crystals, should you want to have a nice tint to your watch.  Now he even has his own proprietary movement known as the “black movement”, which is interchangeable with a Valjoux 7750 (that he uses regularly).   Daniel is also very meticulous about timing.  All his watches are tested to perform within the same deviation rate as COSC.

Maurice De Mauriac

I attended the Basel Fair with Mitchel this year and had the opportunity to meet Daniel myself.  We met at a very nice cigar bar in Les Rois Trois (3 Kings) hotel.  While it was fun looking at all of the watches at the fair, there is nothing like sitting down, enjoying a nice scotch and cigar, and having total focus on the watches in front of you.  They were honestly some of the coolest designs I saw while in Switzerland.  Meeting Daniel was also a great experience.  He explained his watches with such passion, unlike any manufacture I have ever met.  He has a deep love for what he does and it shines in every way.

I started working for AZ Fine Time near 8 years ago.  This was my 1st introduction to Maurice De Mauriac and I have since loved his timepieces.  In fact, the 1st watch I ever sold was an 18kt gold Chronograph Moonphase, so there is some sentimental value there for me as well.  Now, knowing Daniel and seeing the passion he has for what he does, it means even more.  Daniel is many things.  An inspired designer, a talented watchmaker, a devoted family man, and of course a long time friend of AZ Fine Time.

Maurice De Mauriac

We are proud to have Maurice De Mauriac watches here in our store and to one of the only, and oldest, dealers in the states for them.  Please feel free to contact us should you have any questions in regards to these amazing timepieces.

Maurice De Mauriac

Please CLICK HERE to see all the pictures

Thanks for reading!

Joe

AZ Fine Time

1-800-486-3996

Seiko Ananta “Kumadori” Limited Edition SRQ015

In Japan, there is a classical form of theater know as Kabuki.  Kabuki theater is a drama expressed through song and dance, where the actors use face paint to describe their roll in the production.  This face paint, referred to as Kumadori, makes it easy to distinguish characters using colors to symbolize the identity.  Blues represent spirits, greys and browns represent animals or monsters, the villain is often painted with black beards and purple veins, and most importantly… Red indicates the hero.  The red paint is a symbol of  virtue and power.  Seiko has used this inspiration in the latest edition to the Ananta series.  The Seiko Ananta Kumadori Limited Edition SRQ015.

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

With this new introduction, Seiko has gone to Mr Isshu Tamura to help express the heroic timepiece.  For those who are not familiar, Mr. Tamura is a renowned Japanese Maki-E lacquer artist who has done some tremendous work.  Best known for his work for Sailor pens, Mr. Tamura also executed the lacquer dial on last years limited edition Seiko Ananta Diver SRQ013.  While last years work was strictly black Maki-E lacquer, the new Seiko Ananta Kumadori SRQ015 has incorporated the red lacquer striping around the sub-dials still having the hand painted and polished black background.  The black gives the dial tremendous depth, while the heroic red lacquer appears to jump off the face,  and also adds legibility to the chronograph and small seconds sub-dials.

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

The Seiko Ananta Kumadori SRQ015 uses the same, very  impressive, 8R28 movement found in the rest of the Ananta series.  There are many advantages to the 8R28 compared to most other automatic chronograph watches.  Using a vertical clutch and column wheel to ensure a precise start to the chronograph, with no lag when the chrono is engaged.  The other advantages to this system is that you can run the chrono all day to show off the sweeping second hand, not having to worry about damage or added accuracy deviation.  The 8R28 also uses a three pointed hammer, to guarantee the chrono hour, minute, and second hand all fly back and reset precisely, all in perfect sync with each other.   The movement consists of 34 jewels, has over 45 hours of power reserve, and a rate of 28,800 beats per hour.

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

Another added feature on the Seiko Ananta Kumadori Limited Edition SRQ015 that you will not find on any other Ananta is a Telemeter.  The Telemeter can be found on the outer edge of the dial.  This tool is used to measure distance of an event, based on sight and sound.  The device is used by starting the chronograph when you see an event occur (such as lightning or a bomb drop), and stopping the chronograph when the noise from the event has come to a stop.  Wherever the chronograph is stopped, it will indicate the distance of the event in kilometers.

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

The case and bracelet are finished in a black hard coating, that exhibits both a brushed and polished look.  The polished attributes of the watch look very much so like the black lacquer used on the dial.  A perfect compliment indeed.  The coating is over 1,000 hv and just as durable as any PVD process.  This is the same black coating that was used on the SRQ013, which I own personally, and know from putting it to the test is incredibly durable.

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

Overall, another amazing timepiece that Seiko has added to their roster.  Both looks and mechanics are top of the line and make for a great collectable.  Only 800 pieces were made and will certainly sell out soon.  To see more, feel free to check them out on HERE on AZ Fine Time.

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015

Seiko Ananta ‘Kumadori’ Chonograph Limited Edition SRQ015