PART 4: Lost city of gold, found!

Right away Romain feels a change in the weather - Destination South America. What land borders Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the southeast, Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west? This is where our journey begins in the land of Peru.

When we look back in history in this area, the The Mesoamerican civilization, known as the Inca Empire, was located in the Andes mountains. The Incans gave their empire the name, 'Land of the Four Quarters' , or the Tahuantinsuyu Empire. It stretched north to south along the high mountainous Andean range from Colombia to Chile, and reached west to east from the dry coastal desert called Atacama to the steamy Amazonian rain forest. Stretching 2,500 miles, the Inca Empire had a short life of only about a hundred years. Most of what is known of their culture comes from early Spanish accounts and archeological finds. When the Spanish conquered the Inca in 1532, they were a small ethnic group based in Cusco, ruling more than 12 million from 100 different cultures, and speaking at least 20 languages. The Inca used gifts as well as spears to demonstrate power to potential subjects.

Northwest of Cusco, on the crest of the mountain is Machu Picchu, which has an altitude of 11,800 ft. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor (1438–1472). Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", it is perhaps the most familiar icon of the Inca World. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in South America, one of the most visited tourist attractions in all of Latin America . As we continue on southwesterly , ahead of us is Choquequirao, which means "cradle of gold" in Quechua, although this is probably not its original Inca name. It is another "lost city of the Incas" located high on a ridge spur ,above the raging glacier-fed Apurimac River on the Salkantay Mountain Range in the Province La Convención in the Cusco. The site is reached by a two-day hike from outside Cusco, ( known as the Choquequirao Trek ). In one of the earlier blogs we showed how you could find North using RGM's Model # 254 North Pointer GMT in the Northern Hemisphere - its a little different in the Southern - heres how:

To find north while you are in the southern hemisphere: Hold the watch parralel to the ground. Point the 12 o'clock position so it is pointed at the sun. The point half-way between the hour hand and the 12 o'clock position will be north. Note: During daylight savings time you may want to use the 1 o'clock position to get a more accurate bearing. Crossing the border into Bolivia we continue South to Copacabana. It is the main Bolivian town on the shore of Lake Titicaca , from where boats leave for Isla del Sol , the sacred Inca island. With winter upon us here in Mount Joy , Penna - it's nice to hear the words , " the island of the sun", Isla del Sol is an island in the southern part of Lake Titicaca. Geographically, the terrain is harsh. It is a rocky, hilly island. There are no motor vehicles or paved roads on the island. No better place for RGM's North Pointer GMT to be in this rugged South American adventure. Continue with RGM's North Pointer and Romain as we continue our Journey in the Southern hemisphere of South America , when we make our way North to Columbia.

PART 3: New Frontier

After his trek across the United States , Romain takes a turn North, headed for a new frontier. The land of Canada occupies a position chiefly in the North Temperate Zone, though extending to the Arctic regions. Canada has a long history of trails. From the first footpaths of the original natives to today's Trans Canada Trail, trails have played a part in Canadian lives since the founding - first for commerce and transportation, now for recreation and adventure. In every region of the country there are trails to take you away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Leaving the Grizzly in Yellowstone National Park , Romain meets a Canadian cousin ( or a warning of their presence .)

It is closely related to the brown bear , with many body characteristics adapted for cold temperatures for moving across snow, ice, and open water, and for hunting the seal which make up most of its diet. Although most polar bears are born on land, they spend most of their time at sea (hence their scientific name meaning " maritime bear".) They can hunt consistently only from sea ice, so spend much of the year on the frozen sea. Romain was glad not to run into this family member , like he did in Yellowstone.

The Arctic North (northern parts of Canada and Alaska) is a cruel environment for men and machine. For planes it is no different. The weather creates all sorts of hazards. The terrain offers its own variety of opportinuties for disaster. Nice to see the North Pointer continuing North with no problems, keeping Romain on course. The Ottawa Valley Region covers much of the southeastern portion of the province. Most rivers flow east to the Ottawa River, although a few that flow to Lake Ontario have been added for convenience. The region lacks big, well known waterfalls, but contains a large number of small, picturesque ones - many of which are known only by the locals. But when it comes to well known ones , nothing compares to the North territories very own Niagara Falls. The mighty river plunges over a cliff of dolostone and shale. Niagara Falls is the second largest falls on the globe next to Victoria Falls in southern Africa. One fifth of all the fresh water in the world lies in the four Upper Great Lakes-Michigan, Huron , Superior and Erie. All the outflow empties into the Niagara river and eventually cascades over the falls. Pictured with the North Pointer is the Canadian "Horseshoe" Falls. ( Length of brink: 2,600 ft. , height 167 ft. , volume of water: est. 600,000 U.S. gallons per second.) Romain leaves this vast Northern Frontier for a real change in the weather - Next, South America.

PART 2: Northwest U.S. and into Canada

Please continue to follow -RGM's North Pointer GMT and Romain Oudot -As they Navigate the World.

In part 1 we introduced you to Romain Oudot, a 22 year old French adventurer on an around the world journey.

After crossing the American mid-west, we now find Romain in the northwest United States in Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone was made a national park by President Grant in 1872 and was the first national park in the world. It is centered on the largest Super Volcano on the continent and includes one the largest high-altitude mountain lakes. The park includes some of the most beautiful and rugged terrain the USA has to offer. It comprises of geothermal hot springs, multiple rivers and canyons, lava flows, and waterfalls.

Also found in the parks are thousands of species of animals and plants. Free range elk, bison, wolves, and the greatly revered Grizzly bear can be found roaming in the park. Yellowstone also encompasses the largest petrified forest in the world. Trees become petrified when they are covered in volcanic ash and turn from wood to minerals.

Romain also visited the peak of Mount Washburn. The summit is one of the highest points in the park at 10,243 feet above sea level. At that altitude there is only 60% of the oxygen as there is at sea level. After visiting Yellowstone he moved on to the pacific northwest visiting Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The next leg of Romain‘s trip takes him across Canada, over the great lakes, and back to New York City where he will depart for South America.

In such a environment of extremes such as Yellowstone, Romain is equipped with perfect watch for the job.

The rugged RGM 254 with its anti-reflective sapphire crystal makes reading the 24 hour GMT dial easy in even the brightest sunlight. The stainless steel case protects the movement from whatever conditions you can throw at it and the utilitarian rubber strap keeps the watch securely on one’s wrist. These features, along with a host of others, like the North pointer hand, make the 254 a true adventure’s watch!

To find out more about the RGM 254 or any other model in the RGM lineup please visit our website at www.RGMWatches.com or call 717-653-9799.

PART 1.Travel Around the World with...

The Around the World Journey of the North Pointer

Travels with Romain Oudot and RGM

Romain Oudot is an adventurous twenty-two year old furniture craftsman from the small, Eastern village of Grande Combe Chateleu, France. Several years ago Romain decided to set a goal for himself to travel around the world. Towards that end he took an extra job and recently, before setting off on this historic journey, he sold most everything he owns. Since August, Romain has been traveling, via London around the United States. He’ll spend the next two months seeing sites in the US and Canada when in November, he meets up with some other travelers to begin his global trek.

Last week Romain stopped in to RGM where he picked up a RGM #254 North Pointer to help him on his journey. RGM is pleased to sponsor Romain with this watch and over the coming months we’ll be following him as he travels around the world, ending in late March or early April, back in France.

The RGM #254 is the North Pointer for a reason. The "North Pointer" aspect of the watch and the large "N" on the GMT hand. This is more than just for show, but you can actually determine the direction of North with the watch. This is something that can be done with any such GMT watch if you can see the sun. Place the watch in a flat horizontal position (face of the watch facing the sky). Find the sun, and then point the regular hour hand of the watch toward the sun. The GMT hand should be pointing North.

In the grand tradition of rugged instrument watches, RGM Watch Company is excited to see the North Pointer GMT, RGM Reference 254 on its next adventure.

In addition to visiting RGM to pick up his North Pointer, Romain stopped in at Lancaster’s Clipper Stadium to see some Lancaster Barnstormer’s baseball team. South central Pennsylvania is not only famous for high-end watches but what are perhaps the most well known motorcycles on the planet Harley-Davidson. Romain visited the Harley-Davidson factory in nearby York. Of course, he took along his North Pointer.

Leaving Lancaster Romain traveled to Chicago visiting their famous Millennium Park. The park is home to one of the most sophisticated outdoor venues in the country, the famous Pritzker Center designed by star architect Frank Gehry. The 24-acre park, once a railroad yard now houses performance venues where the Grant Park Symphony practices and plays as well many other events. The Park is also home to several pieces of unique monumental sculpture, which you can see in Romain’s photos, such as the amazing Cloud Gate, a 110-ton seamless, mirror polished, stainless steel elliptical sculpture.

From Chicago Romain continued his westward travels stopping at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota’s beautiful Black Hills. Here Romain’s North Pointer is juxtaposed with the iconic American memorial. Mount Rushmore is carved from the live granite of the Black Hills. The sixty-foot high presidential portraits were the dream of sculptor Gutzon Borglum, who began the construction in 1927 with the help of 400 workers. The project was taken over by the National Park Service in 1933. Gutzon Borglum died in 1939. Construction was stopped in 1941 by Gutzon’s son, Lincoln Borglum. Originally Gutzon has intended to present the president from the waist up but mounting costs and Gutzon’s death prevented that. At the base of mount Rushmore lies the small South Dakota city of Keystone, there is a museum there commemorating Borglum’s efforts.

From the Black Hills of South Dakota, over the prairie grasslands and infamous badlands, Romain made his way to what is perhaps the most famous of American Parks. Stay tuned as we conitnue our Journey with RGM's North Pointer and Romain in Yellowstone National Park.

History in the Watchmaking.

The latest in the family of RGM chronographs is Reference 400, a new automatic with design cues that hearken back to some of the glory days of classic auto racing. This self-winding marvel blends a functional layout with eye-catching color to produce a bold statement resulting from distinct harmonious elements. Ref. 400 chronographs represent a slight departure from the previous Professional models, but the attention to detail and the quality remain indisputably RGM. Brushed and polished case elements, a new style of bezel, and the layered construction of the dial are all indications that significant thought and energy has been expended into producing a sporty chronograph with few peers. p>

The effect of this watch is clearly influenced by designs of decades past—the age of racing Cobras, the GT40, and CanAm series come to mind--while the product is distinctly modern. This is ensured by the use of sapphire crystals front & back, anti-reflective coatings and the most up-to-date Valgranges Cal. A07.211 movement. Watches in the Ref. 400 series are available from RGM immediately. Options include dial color choices (Blue, Black, Silver, Orange), various colors and materials for straps, and the willingness of RGM to create custom versions of their watches for discerning customers. Keep an eye on the company web site (RGMwatches.com) and their Facebook page for updates and additional information.

The stainless steel case measures 43.2 mm across and has a thickness of just under 16 mm. A large, easily grasped crown screws into the case for extra protection. Housed behind the uniquely decorated case back is a top-quality automatic movement - the industry standard for accuracy and reliability.

RGM Professional Dive Watch

There are many pastimes and professions that call for a rugged timepiece - those activities performed at high altitude, in extremely hot or cold temperatures, in close proximity to electrical or magnetic fields, or perhaps merely those which might result in one's watch becoming scraped, scratched, dinged or submersed. As you would expect, the industry provides specialized timepieces for engineers, athletes, pilots, and almost any other sort of vocation you can imagine. There is one style of watch, however, which appears to be most universal in both its usefulness and appeal to those in need of a durable wristwatch and those who collect them. This is the Professional Diver's Watch.

At RGM, the idea of making a dive watch has been germinating for several years. A significant amount of intense thought, market research, and design work culminates in producing the RGM Professional Automatic Diver: Model 300. The Model 300 is a rugged tool watch intended to withstand hazardous duty or extreme environments to which it is exposed. The new RGM diver is water resistant to 2500 feet - thanks to its sturdy construction, 5-mm thick sapphire crystal and double-gasket seals at the crown and case back - and is also anti-magnetic. The traditional combination of a matte black dial with black rotating bezel has been updated with highly luminous hands and dial markings, because legibility under difficult circumstances can be a matter of safety, not just convenience.

The stainless steel case measures 43.2 mm across and has a thickness of just under 16 mm. A large, easily grasped crown screws into the case for extra protection. Housed behind the uniquely decorated case back is a top-quality automatic movement - the industry standard for accuracy and reliability.

RGM Pennsylvania Series Tourbillon

Here at RGM we are continuing to uphold the finest traditions of American horology by introducing the Pennsylvania Tourbillon, our new flagship mechanical movement made here in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. The new Pennsylvania Tourbillon is signified by the state’s symbol, a keystone, surrounding a capital T, which will adorn watches in the first serially produced American Tourbillon watches ever made. Following on the heels of America’s first high grade mechanical movement in four decades, our RGM Caliber 801, the Pennsylvania Tourbillon represents significant advances in domestic watchmaking. The watch is not only made in the U.S.A., but is created and built in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania – one of the few traditional watchmaking centers of American watchmaking since the 1800s.

The new model will be produced in a small numbered series, both as a standard model and for custom orders. Housed in a 43 mm x 12 mm case of either steelor 18k gold, the movement is a symphony of layers, showcasing many of the great elements of traditional watchmaking typical of RGM. Finely polished components share space with brushed elements and perlage. Wheel cocks borrow their shape from the RGM 801 and from classic American movements of yesteryear. The spokes of the wheels continue this theme. A 7-tooth click and winding wheels with wolf’s teeth are immersed in plates with subtle striped damaskeening. The movement is made of the finest quality traditional watchmaking materials such as German Silver, Gold, Silver, and Black Polished Steel.> All of these elements are juxtaposed among that which may be the most surprising of all: the label U.S.A. Never before has an American watchmaker introduced a series of Tourbillon wristwatches based upon a proprietary caliber. To do so, and to create them domestically, is an historic accomplishment.

Additional remarkable features of this watch include hand-applied decoration such as guilloché (done on our antique rose engines), an inset hour and minute dial whose placement nicely balances the exposed Tourbillon, and a small curved sapphire window on the side of the case to allow a third view of the miniature ‘whirlwind’, the Pennsylvania Tourbillon’s cage, which is this model’s namesake.

The Tourbillon is considered to be one of the most challenging of watch mechanisms to make, and is valued for its engineering and hand finishing.

We are one of only a few watchmakers in the world who make custom watches, so customization and personalization are encouraged.

Take a moment to watch this short interview with Roland Murphy as he describes some of the thought process behind the construction of the Pennsylvania Tourbillon.

Join us on June 16th at 6:30 p.m. at the NAWCC Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia, Pennsylvania, to see this new Tourbillon and the RGM collection first hand.