How Does a Mystery Watch Work?
How Does a Mystery Watch Work?
Mystery watches—you’ve probably seen them on one watch blog or another, but do you know how they tick? The hands appear as if they’re floating, not connected to any part of the watch movement. It's almost like the watches are running on magic. Although the hands aren’t connected directly to the movement, they’re still receiving their power from the winding of the watch.
Confused? So were we. Until we discovered that the hands ARE connected to the movement, but not in the way that you might think. The hands are sandwiched between two transparent sapphire disks. There are two independent sapphire disks, one for the hour hand and one for the minute hand. This allows the hands to “move” independently from one another. The sapphire disks connect to the movement, and as the disks move, it appears that the hour hand and minute hand also move.
Because the sapphire disks are transparent, the wearer cannot see how the hands are moving. Instead, it seems as if the hands move independently from the movement—definitely not something you see every day.
Interested in a mystery watch? Cartier and Konstantin Chaykin produce some of our favorite mystery dials. Check out some of our favorite mystery watches below.
Konstantin Chaykin Levitas
The Konstantin Chaykin Levitas comes in either white gold or rose gold, and buyers can choose between a polished or diamond-set bezel. This watch comes in a variety of designs, but they're all powered by the KMR 03-1 caliber that boasts 21,600 vibrations per hour, 33 jewels, and a 42-hour power reserve. Buyers can see this movement at work through the sapphire case back.
Konstantin Chaykin Levitas Moon Phase
The Konstantin Chaykin Levitas Moon Phase is available in a 44 mm rose gold case. In contrast to the original Levitas, this Konstantin Chaykin watch features a moon phase at three o'clock. The watch is powered by the KMR 02-0 caliber, which boasts a frequency of 18,000 vibrations per hour, 29 jewels, and a 33-hour power reserve. This movement can be seen through a sapphire case back.
Cartier Rotonde De Cartier Mysterious Hour
The Cartier Rotonde De Cartier Mysterious Hour Watch is available in rose gold or white gold, and it features Cartier's signature Roman numerals and their railway track index. The watch is powered by Cartier's handwound 9981 MC, which boasts 158 components, 27 jewels, 28,800 vibrations per hour, and a 48-hour power reserve. This watch includes a sapphire case back.
Cartier Rotonde De Cartier Astromysterieux
The Cartier Rotonde De Cartier Astromysterieux is available in palladium, a watch case material not seen very often. Palladium watches are lightweight, hypoallergenic, and easy to finish and polish. This watch is powered by the handwound caliber 9462 MC, which boasts 408 parts including 188 ball-bearings and 25 jewels. The movement runs on 21,600 vibrations per hour, and the power reserve lasts for approximately 50 hours. This watch includes a sapphire case back.