For 2010 Cabestan brings us something totally new. A fantastic new design dreamed up by talented watch designer Jean-François Ruchonnet. Yes, of course, the watch is similar to Cabestan’s previous model, the Winch Tourbillon Vertical watch – but is actually more affordable (relatively speaking of course). Gone is the tourbillon, complex winch mechanism and double sapphire crystal over the movement on the face of the watch. Also, instead of the fusee chain transmission is a new gear-shaft style transmission. Cabestan watches are incredibly well finished and made. Much of this is thanks to their in-house master technician Eric Coudray. A classic watch maker by all accords who takes incredible pride in his work.

The idea of the Nostromo is be more accessible, mechanically fascinating, and user-friendly. Plus, Cabestan loves the idea of basing the name and design on the spaceship from the classic Alien movie. Time is remarkably easy to read. There are several drums on the dial that are engraved with numerals. These serve to indicate the hours, minutes, and seconds. There is a fourth drum used to indicate the 50 hour power reserve. Cabestan has included a jumping hour complication to make reading the hours even easier. This is all thanks to the new in-house made and designed Calibre CAB PG 160 manually wound movement. The movement bridges are done in black with much of the mechanics in polished steel. This is to highlight those features. Check out the awesome looking drive-shaft on the right of the dial (it is also viewable through the side right sapphire crystal window). This moves power from the mainspring barrel to the rest of the movement.

Winding the watch is much more simple that the previous Cabestan watch. The top right capstan is unscrewed and pops out – turning it into a standard crown for winding and adjusting the watch. The Winch Tourbillon Vertical actually (later models) actually came with a separate winch winding unit. The entire watch case (not sure of the dimensions right now, but I would guess no winder than 40mm) is in black PVD coated titanium. Note that presence of the sapphire crystal over the dial and again on the both sides of the watch as well as the rear – for the best view of the movement possible.

One of the coolest parts of the Nostromo watch is what happens to it in the dark. Unlike most watches that just have luminant over the hands and numerals, the Nostromo has SuperLumiNova applied in many places on the movement and on the strap itself. The idea is to have luminant inside of bridges, and in various little areas to create a sensational sense of depth in the dark. Like something right our of a sci-fi universe, the Cabestan Nostromo is meant to wildly glow at night. Cabestan’s owner and Ruchonnet feel that this will look really cool in the clubs. The internal luminant seem to be done in black as not to look pale green during the day.

What you are left with is a very cool design and a classically made movement, though its execution is unorthodox. Unlike many brands that offer interesting movements but leave you worried about afters-sales service, Cabestan is a true watch maker, who is there to service their pieces themselves. The Nostromo is due for release very soon with an estimated price of about 150,000 Swiss Francs.

Technical details straight from Cabestan:

FUNCTIONS
– HOURS, MINUTES, SECONDS READ FROM THREE ENGRAVED ROTARY DRUMS
– POWER RESERVE INDICATOR ON AN ENGRAVED ROTARY DRUM (50 HOURS)
MOVEMENT
– FULLY MECHANICAL MOVEMENT CALIBRE CAB PG 160 WITH SWISS ANCHOR ESCAPEMENT
– FREQUENCY: 21 600 ALT/H OR 3 HZ
– 37 RUBIES
– BREGUET BALANCE-SPRING; MOBILE GENEVA STUD
– WINDING UP AND TIME SETTING USING AN EXTRACTING CROWN
– VERTICAL GEAR SYSTEM, HOLLOW BRIDGES, DRIVE SHAFT WITH CONICAL GEARS, SPECIALLY MACHINED BARREL
– SUPERLUMINOVA COATING INSIDE THE BRIDGES & WINDOWS, ALSO ON OTHER SURFACES
– FULLY HAND FINISHED: BEVELLING, POLISHING, DRAWING, GRAINING AND HOOPING
CASE
– BLACK PVD TITANIUM CASE
– ONE FUNCTIONAL CAPSTAN WITH EXTRACTING CROWN & THREE ORNAMENTAL CAPSTANS
– TWO SIDE WINDOWS WITH SAPPHIRE CRYSTALS
– CASE BACK IN SAPPHIRE
STRAP & BUCKLE
– FOLDING BUCKLE WITH DUAL CAPSTANS
– HIGH QUALITY TWO-LAYER RUBBER STRAP WITH BLACK SUPERLUMINOVA COATING