Wempe Glashütte I/SA Iron Walker TideIn addition to precise timekeeping, the new Iron Walker Tide watch from the Wempe Glashütte I/SA Iron Walker series offers a function vital for sailors.
On a unique inset rotating bezel it shows how much time will elapse before the next low tide and the next high tide.
Wempe has collaborated with the artist Friedrich-Karl Fäsing to develop a tide bezel that makes the tidal rhythm visible.
The principle behind the tide bezel initially proved its worth in the Zeitmeister Sport Tides Automatic of 2019. It was optimized for the Iron Walker Tide, and as an inset bezel it now offers even more reliability for the simple display of a complicated phenomenon.
The tides are astronomically determined, as are the alternation of day and night and the division of the year into twelve months. High and low tide alternate regularly, but they do not fit into our 24-hour rhythm. The time between each high tide and the next one averages 12 hours and 25 minutes.
Thus, the tides shift by around 50 minutes every day. This rhythm cannot be internalized, because additional factors determine the tidal rhythm along every coast. That’s why the precise times of the high and low tides must be looked up again and again in the tables of the regional tidal calendars.
The Iron Walker Tide watch (reference WI210001) provides a precise and continuously updated overview of the tidal rhythm. The wearer simply uses the crown that is marked in blue and located at 2 o’clock to set the HT (High Tide) marker at the time of the next high water mark.
The hour hand now points to the current phase of the tide and shows how many hours are left before the next high tide and the one after that. Only after low tide (LT) has been reached is the bezel reset to mark the next high tide.
The principle behind the functional inset bezel can also be found in the Iron Walker Automatic Diver’s Watch, whose design was recently honored with the Red Dot Award.
Both of its crowns are screwed down, ensuring the watch a water resistance of 30 bar and makes it impossible to adjust the tide bezel inadvertently.
A prominent flank protection element between the crowns protects them from strong impacts. The extension element that is integrated into the folding clasp of the stainless-steel bracelet can be used to strap the watch over the sleeve of a jacket or a wetsuit.
The bright luminous mass on the hands and the hour markers makes it easier to tell the time even in dim light. Last but not least, the colored marking and the engraving of the functional crown at 2 o’clock underscore the “tool watch” character of this model.
The Iron Walker Tide is powered by a Swiss self-winding movement. In the Wempe watch-making ateliers in the town of Glashütte in Saxony, the movement is provided with a fine adjustment developed in-house and configured so precisely that it can pass the stringent test procedure at this watchmaking town’s historic observatory and thus become a certified chronometer according to ISO 3159.
Wempe provides each Iron Walker Tide watch with a tide calendar.
Technical details
Model: Wempe Glashütte I/SA Iron Walker Tide
Reference WI210001
Movement
Caliber ETA 2892-A2
Balance frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour, 4hertz
Movement dimensions: round, Ø26.6mm; 11½‘‘‘; height3.6mm
Escapement: Swiss lever escapement
Power reserve: approx.50hours
Chronometry: German chronometer officially tested according to ISO 3159 standard
Functions
Hour, minute, center seconds, date
Operating elements
2 screw-in crowns
Case
Stainless steel
Diameter: 42m
Water-resistant to 30bar
Crystal: sapphire crystal
Dial
Black, hour makers with Super-LumiNova®
Inset tides bezel
Hands: Rhodium-plated and coated with Super-LumiNova®
Wristband
Stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp, safety catch and extension element
Suggested retail price
3,470USD/ 2,995EUR/ 2,635GBP
