Featherlight and wafer-thin can nonetheless be an excessive amount of, as evidenced by the well-known scene from the 1983 Monty Python film The That means of Life during which Mr. Creosote explodes after consuming a wafer-thin after-dinner mint. One factor did certainly explode after I first appeared on the ultra-purple Behrens Extremely-Gentle 11G — my thoughts. How can one thing so odd appear and feel so good? And is that this skinny, mild, and colourful watch an excessive amount of?
Till now, the Behrens Extremely-Gentle 11G has existed in black, white, and crimson. There was additionally a inexperienced iteration, “The Timeless Bamboo” Juice Neighborhood Channel special-edition watch, a run of 48 bamboo-inspired watches. Purple is the newest colorway, and it’s a restricted version unique to Blue Lake Watches. It could be the quirkiest and most shocking coloration, but it surely’s additionally my favourite. That’s bizarre in itself as a result of purple isn’t a coloration. That’s what Sir Isaac Newton’s Concept of Gentle proved. Crimson, orange, yellow, inexperienced, blue, indigo, and violet are within the coloration spectrum. Purple is nowhere to be discovered. That’s as a result of purple is non-spectral, that means you need to use the time period “purple” to explain any shade of coloration between crimson and blue. At Fratello HQ, “purple” is certainly the phrase to explain this model of the Behrens Extremely-Gentle 11G, an version made particularly for Blue Lake Watches.
Getting a style of the ultra-purple Behrens Extremely-Gentle 11G
The Extremely-Gentle 11G (BHR030) is a part of the Behrens Inventor collection, during which we additionally discover the Ultra-Light 20G. That titanium creation is just not precisely a “porker,” however the modern Chinese language watch model from Shenzhen needed to push the boundaries of lightness even additional. That’s why the oldsters there ditched titanium in favor of SPSCF. This materials, which makes up the case, is a diamond-coated carbon fiber developed solely by Behrens. The fabric isn’t just mild however, due to the coating, additionally onerous — a vital high quality for a watch this skinny and this mild. The load didn’t undergo an excessive amount of underneath the coating, although, as the load of the watch with out the strap is a mere 11 grams.
The nonexistent coloration purple appears candy and tender, and since it gained’t color-match something you put on, it’s going to appear to be the cherry — or, ought to I say, blackberry — on the cake. In different phrases, the ultra-purple Extremely-Gentle 11G will look ultra-special while you put on it. That’s how I felt, anyway. I didn’t really feel the watch on my wrist, however my eye definitely noticed it very repeatedly, after which my mind authorised. And so did my fellow Fratelli. Even those with a tender spot for classic stuff and/or basic designs seen it with a glance of approval.
Contained in the hu-inspired trapezoidal case
The 11G’s asymmetrical trapezoidal purple carbon case has a 42mm span on the longest facet. Its 38mm diameter means it’s not too broad, and with its slim 5.2mm profile, it’s something however thick. One other quantity I ought to point out is the three ATM water resistance. In different phrases, you are able to do nearly something with this featherweight besides aquatic actions. A little bit of water or rain gained’t damage it, however you most likely gained’t need to put on it for diving or waterskiing, for example. Anyway, the form is attention-grabbing. The trapezoid is impressed by an historic Chinese language historic instrument, the hu, a slender pill worn on the belt throughout the Tang dynasty and utilized by Chinese language ministers of tradition and martial arts to file notes and orders.
The Extremely-Gentle 11G’s case is curved and skinny, similar to the hu. As a result of the motion and the case are built-in (extra on that slightly later), the watch is skinny. As a result of it’s curved, the watch follows the form of the wrist. The aim of the curved type is to create a watch that matches gracefully and comfortably. Behrens has handed that take a look at with flying colours.
Just like the 20G, the motion contained in the 11G is the in-house caliber BM02, consisting of fairly just a few titanium motion components. Although I wrote “inside,” that isn’t fairly correct. The hand-wound motion is the watch. The curved again of the watch additionally features because the motion’s base plate, so what you see isn’t just a really skinny and delicate motion. In case you observe carefully, additionally, you will discover that the BM02 caliber is curved. Every connecting gear has a slight angle distinction of 15 levels.
Sporting the purple Behrens Extremely-Gentle 11G
Earlier than I strapped the Behrens Extremely-Gentle 11G to my wrist, the watch had already achieved one thing vital. It put a giant smile on my face and captured my consideration. It form of appears like a toy, however I’ve nothing however good recollections of toys. I have to admit that the carbon-based SPSCF materials additionally feels prefer it may very well be used to create toys, but it surely doesn’t really feel low cost or fragile. It simply takes a little bit of getting used to.
It does make you are feeling that you simply’re sporting one thing particular in your wrist. The mixture of coloration and lightness does that, as does the face of the watch. Underneath the curved sapphire crystal, the watch/motion, with its skeletonized gear-train bridges, reveals itself in all its delicate mechanical glory.
Studying the time, like sporting the watch, takes a little bit of getting used to. The watch reveals retrograde hours on the underside left and retrograde minutes on the underside proper. Possibly it’s onerous to focus on the timekeeping features with all these uncovered gears. Concerning these gears, all of them acquired a particular clear coating for sturdiness. To find out when to prime up the motion’s 38-hour energy reserve, have a look at the top-left nook the place the facility reserve indicator sits. The three red-tipped palms offering useful data are a neat little sprinkle of additional coloration in an already vibrant timepiece.
Closing ideas on the Behrens Extremely-Gentle 11G
Two questions want answering. First, did the ultra-light and ultra-bright 11G persuade me it’s a critical watch? Second, would I pay US$11,800 for a watch like this? The primary query could be very simple to reply. Sure, the Behrens Extremely-Gentle 11G is a really critical watch. The design, the idea, the development, and the execution are glorious. Behrens created a captivating, enjoyable, and technically fascinating timepiece. On the identical time, it additionally entertains with its daring and authentic design.
The US$11,800 price ticket on a watch that’s among the many world’s lightest mechanical timepieces isn’t overly heavy. Does this imply the Behrens Extremely-Gentle 11G is a “poor man’s” Richard Mille? Nicely, based mostly on weight, the lightest Richard Mille on the market, the RM27-01, the first-ever watch the model constructed for tennis star Rafael Nadal, has nothing on the Behrens. Why would you pay a whole lot of 1000’s of {dollars} for a watch weighing a “hefty” 18.3 grams?
I do know luxurious watches are usually not nearly chilly numbers, however nonetheless, based mostly on appears, originality, and technical capabilities, the Extremely-Gentle 11G is a watch that deserves respect. This very purple, very mild, and really skinny Behrens wants an open thoughts to understand it, however I can promise you that after you open it, the watch will reward you. First, it’s going to convey an enormous smile to your face, and in my ebook, that’s a wonderful begin. You could find it on the market solely from Behren’s official EU vendor, Blue Lake Watches.
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