In the chronograph, there is a very iconic design, called “panda disk”, I think a lot of friends have heard of friends, read, or have, in many chronographs, is still popular with this Kind of design style, it has become a sign, when you see this design, you will think of chronograph, as well as the storm years. Panda at the beginning of the time, not because the designer saw the giant panda in China, suddenly with inspiration, on the rugged design of such a lovely dial, in that mechanical watch function of the pioneering era, the design is often function Dominated. Today, the Panda is a unique value in the chronograph, which includes aesthetic value, historical value, and of course emotional value. When you see a watch with a panda disk, it may also have a higher price, because the watch has a replica watches uk price can not be ignored influence.
What is the panda plate?
So what kind of disk is the panda plate? After half a century, the answer to this question has become more and more, but the core has not changed. The first case, also considered the most orthodox panda disk, that is, dial background is white, 3/6/9 o’clock position of the sub-dial for the black, this disk looks like the panda’s face, black sub-dial as panda Two eyes and nose, so in color and shape is very similar with the panda. This design also has a more balanced version in my opinion, that is, only two secondary discs, respectively, ranked 3/9 o’clock position, was black, 6 o’clock position using calendar window, the same white or silver White for the dial background. These two designs, in my opinion, are very out of color, and is also a day chronograph when the engraved like the form used.
The second case, and the first case on the contrary, dial background black, three sub-plate for the white. This design is also very popular, and also known as the panda disk, as mentioned earlier, the panda disk is not because the design inspiration from the panda was named, so no one suggested that this design can not be so called, but everyone in The reason for it, the reason is obvious. Similarly, this design also has 6 points sub-plate of the table.
In addition to these two, due to the different types of movement, there is a third disk layout, that is, three sub-plate at 6/9/12 o’clock position, there are two cases of white and black. Such a panda need to cross the look like, in the mainstream of the argument, they will be classified as panda disk. But generally such as Portugal 7 such a 6/12 point sub-plate, no 9-point sub-plate of the table, then not so called.
In addition, it was also pointed out that the panda disk is actually more like a generation, as long as the vice and the main disk color to form a strong collision, a bright color, a dark, and vice-disk position was symmetrical arrangement, For the panda plate. But this argument is not fully established, such as the real time of the famous timetable EL PRIMERO, although it has a panda disk, but we see more, should be gray, black, blue three-color deputy plate, this disk Should not be called panda disk.
Where does the panda come from?
Since the panda disk is mainly on the chronograph, then it naturally comes from the chronograph swept the 1960s and 1970s. Chronograph appearance, in fact, dates back to the earlier, but the chronograph swept, but it is in that era, the reason is racing fanatical, driven by the timing of this special time recording tool. Also in that era, several important manufacturers, joint research and development of automatic chronograph, because the manual chronograph if the regular use of chronograph function, you need frequent winding, or may be due to lack of power, resulting in timing or travel time are not allowed, Racing driver is a bit embarrassing, and automatic winding allows the watch in a relatively good power state, timing function can be opened at any time to use, this design greatly improved the practical use of the timing table convenience. Although there is no information that at that time, many watch factory joint research and development of automatic chronograph is to racing, but the coincidence of the two coincidence is not just a coincidence, the market demand is often driven by the development of new concept products factory watch the power Where, let alone a few watch factory joint research and development.
As the panda disk in this period more popular, so in the antique table, panda disk chronograph many are automatic movement, but not absolute, because the panda disk design and movement type is not directly related, but because of historical reasons, They came together for some time. The famous panda chronograph, there are some very typical brand, Hamilton, Rolex replica, TAG Heuer (then only called TAG Heuer), Zenith, Breitling, Omega replica uk, Tradition, West Malaysia, etc., which is very interesting Yes, some brands of chronographs are called “poor calories” (this later said).
Historically, the most famous of these have been launched Panda brand, are the current era of mechanical timing and now the pioneer brand. Start from Cal.11, the general view that Cal.11 is the first watch in the history of automatic watch movement, this movement by several watch factory research and development, including Breitling, Hamilton, Buren, TAG Heuer and DD, equipped with this movement of the watch, was generally named Chrono-matic. Because of this movement, these watch factory has a good automatic chronograph movement, although large and thick.
In the manual movement, the first half of the last century, manual chronograph movement has become more mature, and even today’s manual chronograph movement is also the reference to the design, was very famous several chronograph movement models Valjoux 23 , Valjoux 72, Midea Cal.13-20, Lemania 1873, FP, Longines 13 ZN and 30 CH, and Movado, etc., and these movements are not exclusive to a brand and are also available to other brands The Thanks to these mature manual movement and symmetrical timing disk design, panda disk is also equipped with these movements on the cheap replica watches have been used.
True effort EL PRIMERO movement launched in 1969, and Cal.11 is the same period of the product, it is characterized by increased vibration frequency, in that era is very groundbreaking, from the mainstream 18000VPH, 21600VPH and 28800VPH Three kinds of vibration frequency to come out, increased to 36000VPH, very avant-garde, and this is also an integrated self-winding chronograph movement. Real force when the famous panda disk chronograph, also began to glory in that era.
In addition, the famous Rolex Daytona, there are many panda design, 6262,6263 models to the main, including Paul Newman Daytona. Although Rolex replica uk in the official name of its chronograph for the Daytona series before, it has been out of the timetable, but really hot, is the 1963 Dietong series after the advent of, especially Paul Newman wearing Di Tonga entry, let This series is different. Panda Di is the number of Dietong lovers of the heart of the good, the reason why the panda disk is still very hot today, I would also like the impact of the panda Di, the long section of the classic for decades, the heat diminished.
Panda plate design essence
Through the above, we know that the panda disk is very hot, but also very classic, but the world has so many kinds of disk design, why only the most panda plate obsession? In fact, the panda’s popular, its own essence.
First of all, one of the elements of the panda plate is a strong collision of color. In all these panda dishes, the white master, black, or the opposite color arrangement, there is a benefit, is to allow the functional area and the main time display to distinguish, easy to let the time are very easy to read. If the entire dial has only one color, then it is necessary to carefully read the time, which is obviously not ideal, and the panda disk to solve this problem, but there are clear differences in color, the human eye can be more easily and accurately distinguish information, As many as five pointer chronographs, this is of course important.
Second, symmetry brings a sense of balance. In this aspect of the aesthetic, people tend to accept those symmetrical layout, especially the center of symmetry, because the symmetry represents a sense of balance, people often do not like the imbalance of things, all the classic design, must be in the geometric ratio is balanced The balance is not necessarily 1: 1, the golden section is also a balance. Panda plate balance is very strong, it is a central symmetry, if it is three-eye, and added a geometric triangle aesthetic, and must be inverted triangle, because it is in line with the middle of the dial, the narrow trend below. The reason why the 7750 movement does not mention the kind of 6/9/12 o’clock position of the layout, because it does not meet our conventional perspective under the panda face features.
The two elements of the perfect fusion, the formation of a unique beauty of the panda plate.
So in the end is the white panda good, or black panda good?
As the panda plate has two, for the convenience, I will be the main dish for the white called white panda, the main disk color is black for the black panda. Some people have compared these two designs, through the picture of the way, came to a surprising conclusion.
As can be seen from the comparison chart, black panda in the visual may be better than the white panda. In fact, it can be understood that bright things are more likely to attract the eye, which is phototaxic, white panda main dish is bright, so most of our attention will be attracted by the main disk, affecting the time disk information read, black panda Vice-disc is bright, more likely to attract people to read the timing data, and the main disc because the scale than the secondary plate scale is more obvious, so even the dark master, but the time information is still very easy to read. It can be seen that the “orthodox” white panda may not be the ideal panda design.
Summary: Panda replica watches as a very benchmark in the history of the timing of the dial design, until today there are still very important significance in the auction, the panda table chronograph relative to the general chronograph, more likely to attract buyers. Today, many brands in the pursuit of historical footprint, tap the potential value, often with the panda disk as inspiration, launched complex chronograph. Simple seems to be just a dial design, but enduring, there must be reason.