Review

PyroLume’s Copperhead & Son of Movement

Doctor of Dreams

Many watch enthusiasts will know the feeling; the desire to own a one of a kind watch, tailored to your own ideas and taste. Making this desire a reality is quite a challenge, with as biggest hurdle; money. There are various companies that can and will cater to your need for a custom made watch, but their prices are usually high and most watch enthusiasts will not be able to spend this amount of money on a watch. But there is hope….all you need is a visit to the doctor!

This may sound strange, but your ticket to an affordable, custom-made watch can actually be obtained from a doctor, or to be more specific, an anesthesiologist. Confused? Well, to make it even more confusing; these watches come from New Jersey, USA. This is the home of Pejman Foroush, practicing anesthesiologist and watchmaker.

While in his work he guides patients safely through an operation, in his spare time he creates dreams for watch collectors under the name of “PyroLume”. So, does that make him yet another amateur that tinkers on watches in his attic? Definitely not. Although well aware of his current limitations, he has two main specialties that set him apart from the rest.

True PyroLume dials

First there is his passion for dials. As no other does Pejman realize that the dial is the face of the watch, and one of the most powerful parts to give it its identity. This believe made him experiment with a wide variety of materials ranging from carbon fiber to more exotic choices like mother-of-pearl and meteorite. All these dials come with an extraordinary design for the numerals and markers, creating the unique PyroLume look.

PyroLume sports watch with Mother of Pearl dial

Secondly, there is his expertise in luminous compounds, hence the name PyroLume. To compliment his bold dial designs Pejman created his own line of luminous compounds. He does this by mixing these Swiss made compounds with dye, solvents and binders according to his own recipes. The result is not only a wide variety of colors (including pitch black!) but also luminous hands and markers that do provide you with a glow that literal last all night long!

For the rest he relies on various suppliers to provide him with parts that he cannot make himself. This has as great advantage that the overall quality is very good. The down side might be that it limit your options a bit, but you do get an almost unbeatable price for that in return and still own a watch tailored to your own tastes and wishes.

Of course this all may sound like the good doctor has a found a nice recipe, but is it really the cure for that burning desire for a high quality, custom-made watch? Lets put two examples to the test.

First up is a watch that got the name “Copperhead”. The name is a reference not only to the snake, but can also be taken quite literal; the dial is actually made of copper.

Overall appearance

This copper dial is also the main attraction of this watch, yet it is not the only one. Also the large, flieger-styled case commands attention. The two combined give a very powerful combination. They surprisingly fit the theme together, although that was also the aim; to create a flieger watch with a twist, or two, because with the Copperhead we are not only breaking with the traditional black dial, but also gave a  PyroLume twist on the traditional dial lay-out, in particular the triangle that marks 12 o’clock.

Copperhead in full

Feature

The features of the Copperhead are very trimmed down. Apart from the dial and case, the watch only has an hour and minute hand. This to accomplish a clean-cut dial, with nothing distracting. There is one other feature, but that one can be found at the back of the watch in the form of a glass back, which provides an unobstructed view of the watch movement.

Dial/hands

The dial of the Copperhead is created from a solid piece of copper, where the markers are cut out by a CNC machine. The markers are filled inwith  custom made luminous compounds, although they appear to be all the same color in daylight, at night the hour markers and hands turn green, while the rest and the two dots above the 12 o’clock triangle turn blue. They do this in such an intense way that it is quite a spectacular sight that not many other watches offer.

Raw dial

The magnificent dial design is created by engine turning. Interesting about the method that Pejman used to create this dial, is that there is no physical contact between the polisher and the dial. The whole dial is covered in a mineral oil that has a fine abrasive material suspended in it. A simple viscous coupling spins this substance against the dial creating the desired effect. In this case the off set was determined in such a way that the rounds would fall over each other in such a way that it looks like the scales of reptile, another reference to it’s name.

Close up: the Copperhead dial

Despite the unconventional dial are the hands shaped in classic, flieger-style. Their segmented shape works well in combination with the case, and they are very easy to spot on the copper dial. They also provide enough room for quite a glow, with PyroLume’s luminous compound.

Case

The stainless case is made in Germany and features many interesting details. First of all it is completely brushed, giving the watch a nice satin look that makes the dial pop even more. Secondly, there is this big, diamond shaped crown that measures a whopping 5 mm, making it very distinct.

A very nice way to house a movement

Ironically, the case itself is not even that large. With a diameter of 42 mm, it is one of the smaller cases to hold the 36.6 mm Unitas movement. This movement can be admired in full through the mineral glass back.

Apart from the crown, also other features add to the Flieger-style feeling of this watch. One is the coin edge bezel that gives the watch a distinct look, the other one are the screws that are used to secure the strap. They are fully functional, so no pushpin is hidden between the lugs.

Sizes

0.Diameter 8 to 2:                                 42 mm

0.Diameter 9 to 3 including crown: 47 mm

0.Lug width:                                           22 mm

0.Buckle width:                                      20 mm

0.Thickness:                                           11 mm

Movement

No corners where cut when it came to the movement. Although a Unitas 6497 is not a very unlikely choice for a flieger-styled watch like the Copperhead, this particular Unitas movement was actually supplied by Soprod. This name might ring a bell, most likely in reference with Panerai. It was Soprod that supplied Panerai with customized Unitas-movements for several of its models.

A perfect fit; the Unitas 6497

The movement features Geneva striping and blued screws, creating a very appealing sight especially since the blue screws give a dynamic contrast with the red of the 5 jewels at are visible from the back of the movement.

Although the movement has the option of adding a second’s hand, the Copperhead has not one. This is done to keep the dial as clean as possible, and to get the maximum effect of the engine turned copper. However this didn’t held Pejamn back to regulate the Copperhead to a daily deviation of only 1 second a day, and makes the watch a very reliable companion.

Strap

The strap is custom made for this watch by Inspire Workshop. When going through such trouble to have a watch custom made, it does not make sense to settle for a regular strap.

The strap itself is quite a personality, but with a lug width of 22 mm this is almost unavoidable. Despite the elegant look of the dial did the strap mainly had as its purpose to reinforce the vintage look of the watch. A horn back crocodile strap certainly gets that done, and also adds a exotic sense to the watch.

Strap & dial; an interesting match

The light brown color of the strap softens its look a little bit, so that it is a nice match with the dial color. Off white stitching was chosen to complement the color of the markers.

On the wrist

That the Copperhead is a personality in its own right certainly becomes clear on the wrist. Despite its relatively modest diameter of 42 mm it does wear quite larger. This is mainly created by the large dial, but also by the prominent lugs and large crown. Where the lugs definitely add to the wearing comfort of the Copperhead, it is the crown that takes some of this away. Due to its size it is rubbing against the wrist when moving, causing occasional discomfort.

On the other hand is the crown a delight to use. Winding the movement is not only butter smooth, but also very easy since you actually have something to hold on to. This makes also the setting of the watch an easy task.

The black hands provide a nice contrast with the dial, making reading the time something that can be done in a glance, and thanks to the rich luminous compound it doesn’t matter whether it’s day or night. The makers also play a big part in this. With its easy detectible 12 o’clock marker, your brain only needs an instance to decipher the correct time.

A true PyroLume

But the real star is of course the dial itself. Always playing with the light, never looking the same; it is a first class eye catcher. The earthly tone of the copper gives the dial a rich, warm color that is even enhanced by the use of AR-coating on the sapphire glass. People are instantly drawn by the scale design of the engine turned dial. Its almost like it lures people to look at it. Definitely be ready to expect a lot of glances and comments at your watch, when wearing a watch like this. Also be prepared to spend a great deal of time looking at the dial yourself, since it is not only luring other people to look at it…..

The second watch is called Son of Movement. This in reference to a painting by Rene Magritte, the surrealistic, Belgium painter that adorns this watch in a special, and unexpected way.

Overall appearance

Next to the Copperhead is the Son of Movement much bolder. Its industrialist design can hardly be called elegant, yet everything seems to serve a purpose. At the same time this gives the watch a more modern look, also because of the black dial combined with the black strap. It may all look a bit minimalistic at the first glance, but the Son of Movement houses a couple of “detailed surprises”.

A bold statement yet with many subtle details

Feature

The watch has little features that come into view right away. It brings the watch back to its essence. 3 hands to tell time, that’s it. Again this was done to create a clean and balanced dial, that speaks its power by “less is more”. It’s main feature can once again be found at the back, for the discretion of its owner to see and enjoy, although this time it is not only the movement that stands out..

Dial/hands

The dial looks solid black from a distance but at close range it reveals its true nature. It is actually carbon fiber, giving the dial a beautiful wave pattern in monochrome colors. This really gives the dial more depth and personality, then when it was just a plain black dial.

Carbon dial before installation in the case

Personality is also something given to this watch by the impressive dial design. The minute markers go round the dial like a fan, while four bold numerals identify the hours. A careful observer can even see a slight difference in color between the blue and green luminous compound, making it even easier to tell time. Although the movement supports a date-function, this was not incorporated in the dial to maintain balance and integrity.

Monochrome with bright blue steel

The hands are quite slender, obstructing as little of the dial as possible, yet at the same time clearly indicating the time. They are blued, which give a special effect on the  black carbon fiber dial. Again this is something that takes a second look to realize, except when the light hits them at the right angle and they turn bright blue.

The idea for blued hands on a black dial came actually from a Panerai. The limited edition PAM 172 already did this in 2003. The striking effect it had on me was the inspiration to also do this on the Son of Movement.

Case

The case is quite exceptional. It exists out of 3 pieces that are bolted together by four screws on the corners. An interesting dynamic is formed by the fact that the back- and front plate not only cover the lugs almost completely, but also stick out a bit on the side. This creates a beautiful architecture adds a nice dose of charisma.

The parts that make up the case

Since the lugs are a bit tucked away under the watch, it gives the impression that the strap seamlessly goes over into the case. Fortunately it does not limit the straps movements as some 1970’s watches did where the strap went almost into the case. For the rest the lugs are pretty straight forward, almost blunt in their design. A pushpin holds the strap in place.

Bold yet beautiful

The crown is rather small compared to the case, but that has the additional benefit that it does not interfere greatly with the design of the case. It is crafted in the same style and provides more then enough grip to easily set and wind the watch.

A crown for interesting architecture

A slope ring divides the case from the sapphire crystal that adorns the front of the watch. A smart move, because it is a very simple yet elegant way of adding more depth into the case design.

Sizes

0.Diameter 8 to 2:                                 47 mm

0.Diameter 9 to 3 including crown: 46 mm

0.Lug width:                                           22 mm

0.Buckle width:                                      20 mm

0.Thickness:                                           14 mm

Movement

Where the Copperhead relied on a manual wind movement does the Son of Movement use an automatic movement. Again Swiss quality was preferred in the form of the reliable ETA 2824-2. A very “raw” version was chosen, so a minimum in decorations to match the design of the rest of the watch. This workhorse movement is a perfect fit for this bold watch.

Source of inspiration; Magritte’s Son of Man

Don’t take that “fit” too literal because with a diameter of 25.6 mm it can almost swim in the case of the Son of Movement, and that opens up some other options. Another specialty of PyroLume are engravings, more often then not of an impressive nature. The large size of the Son of Movement provides more then enough space to do this. But what if we take the engraving to the next level and let it interact with the movement?

CNC engraving by PyroLume

To do this we turned to the work of Belgium painter Rene Magritte (1898 – 1967), whose surrealistic work include a painting he made in 1964 of himself wearing a suit and a bowler hat. In front of the face is a distinct, hovering, green apple that hides most of the facial features. Magritte called this painting “Le Fils de l’Homme” or in English; “Son of Man”.

Original design for caseback

This painting became the inspiration for the back of the watch.  Because of the relatively small diameter of the movement, a glass back was created. Around this the outline of a man in a suit with a bowler hat was expertly engraved. In this case it is not an apple that makes the face invisible, but the watch movement. To keep the movement into place a custom, stainless steel movement holder was crafted. In reference to the Magritte painting, the watch got the name “Son of Movement”, which is also engraved on the back.

Stainless steel movement holder to make sure that the ETA 2824-2 doesn’t go anywhere

Apart from these engravings does the Son of Movement also feature the TimetatioN-logo. This logo has been around for quite some years, but only recently got worldwide recognition with the launch of TimetatioN.com. This is the first time it is actually used on a watch.

CAD drawing towards final case back design

Also the fact that this watch is a “piece unique” is visible at the back, where it shows that this watch is No.1 in a limited edition of 1. Last but most certainly not least is also the country of birth of the Son of Movement engraved in the case back.

Son of Movement’s engraved back

Strap

Also the strap for Son of Movement is custom made by Inspire Workshop. Although it is again a horn back crocodile, the black color camouflages this quite a bit. Nevertheless has the strap quite a presence. Again, a 22mm wide strap can hardly help this.

The horn back crocodile has one unexpected advantage; although it is in good harmony with the rest of the watch, it kind of tones down the industrial look of the watch, making it easier to blend in with different type of clothing. Blending in is of course a bit of an overstatement taken the size of the watch.

Interesting dynamics; black & blue, natural & industrial

To complement the hands, the strap was fitted with dark blue stitching. For the casual eye this will not stand out, but overall is makes for a more complete balance between watch and strap.

On the wrist

The Son of Movement is surprisingly comfortable to wear. The back is completely flat and rests nicely against the wrist. It’s weight or size does not bother one little bit. It is almost like the watch becomes weightless as soon as it is strapped on. Of course, it has a substantial presence on the wrist, but this is mainly due to the looks of the watch.

Details make the watch; deep engravings on the back

Again, the PyroLume dial design proofs it is value in day to day life. Under almost every circumstance it is easy to read the time at a glance. Even when it has not been exposed too much light it still radiates enough to tell time, even in tricky circumstances like for example twilight.

Easy to read from dusk till dawn

One other thing that stands really out about this watch is the fact that it is not intimidating. Big watches often have the tendency to look overpowering, while the Son of Movement seems more soften down on the wrist. Two aspects play a main part in this. First there are the slope edges on the top plate of the case. They reflect the light in such a way that the silhouette of the watch is nicely outlined and give it a soft, rounded look. Secondly it is again the smart dial design that, together with the case, divide the watch in segments that are very pleasing for the eye. This all brings an almost unmatched balance in the overall design of the watch.

Price

Custom watches have custom prices, yet the average price PyroLume charges for one of it’s custom watches often does not even get you a seat at the table of one of the Swiss entry level brands. Of course individual choices can run up the price, but not merely as fast as one would think. PyroLume’s starting point is about $350,-, with an average for $650,- for its more elaborate pieces with Swiss mechanical movements.

Competition

Custom made watches at this price level are rare, especially those who can actually provide you with Swiss movements, engravings and custom materials for dials. Even established Swiss brands have difficulty providing watches for this price without the customization.

Two of a kind, yet each with a unique character

Conclusion

Is watch making back in the USA? After RGM and Kobold now PyroLume is the hottest new addition in the desert that was once an innovative watch making country called the USA. With these pioneers it is finding its way back to its roots and re-establish the once renowned reputation.

PyroLume’s innovative approach really set it apart from many mainstream brands. The materials used for the dials are exotic and sometimes even unexpected, the designs stunning and innovative, it’s engravings the cherry on top. His expertise in luminous compounds literal shows, and provide easy reading of the time under almost all circumstances.

Something good is coming from the USA

The best move Pejman did was to focus on his strengths and find suppliers for the additional parts. This ensures a very high building quality, especially in reference to it’s price. It literal brings a well made, custom watch in the reach of the vast majority of the watch collecting community, and rightfully credits him to carry the title of doctor of dreams.

You can find PyroLume at PyroLume.com

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