Introducing: The Pita Barcelona Molinos Orbital Classic Edition

July 27, 2018

Pita Barcelona is a family-run watchmaking enterprise in Catalonia region of Spain, headed by Aniceto Jimenez, a master watchmaker and AHCI member, and his son Daniel Jimenez. Pita is a small marque that looks for creative displays and solutions to engineering problems whenever it creates a new watch. And the company's latest timepiece, which we're introducing here today, is no exception.?The Molinos Orbital Classic Edition depicts the time using a completely handless system of planetary gears. The hours are marked by 12 black diamonds that surround the outer edge of the dial and a geared wheel rotating in the center of the dial, one spoke of which has been singled out to act as an hour hand, in a manner not unlike how tourbillon cages often serve double duty as a seconds display. The minutes are displayed the same way via another, larger wheel, also turning on the central axis. These two wheels are connected to a third wheel, whose upper and lower layers of teeth have been calculated to turn the minutes wheel once per hour and hours wheel twice per day. The teeth on the outer edge of the wheel depicting the minutes appear to have no function whatsoever. It looks like they are there for purely aesthetic reasons. You'll notice that there is no crown on this watch C?that's because the time is set via the Pita Time Setting Mechanism, which is built into the caseback. Initial Thoughts A display such as this one is going to appeal to a certain type of collector who appreciates seeing how mechanisms function and finds value in a mechanism that functions as a display too. Of course, this is a kind of gimmick, but it's also a pretty well executed one, and it's from an independent brand that goes about its business in a pretty under-the-radar way. The Molinos Orbital Classic edition is limited to just 71 examples, with the brand taking pre-orders now. The price is 7,750, which feels fair given everything I've stated above. From the side you can see both the stacking of the orbital gears and the edge of the proprietary setting system. The Basics Brand: Pita BarcelonaModel: Molinos Orbital Classic EditionDiameter: 39mmThickness: 11mmCase Material: 904 stainless steelDial Color: Black night DLCIndexes: Black diamondsLume: NoneWater Resistance: 30 metersStrap/Bracelet: Black Louisiana crocodile strap This is definitely an unconventional watch for someone who wants something a bit different. The Movement Caliber: Pita W6.6 with planetary gear moduleFunctions: Hours, minutesPower Reserve: 42 hoursWinding: Bi-directional automatic windingFrequency: 4 Hz (28,800 vph)Jewels: 25 Pricing & Availability Price: 7,750, including international shippingAvailability: Taking orders nowLimited Edition: 71 piecesFor more click here.