Blown Away Watch Premier by Fred Hager

Over 20 years ago in 1997 Fred Hager was in trouble with the original Collectors’ Workshop owners, Rich Bloch and Nick Ruggiero, because they claimed (with authority) that Mr. Hager was ripping off their original Perfect Time which was introduced in 1982 and the first ad I saw in Genii was in May 1983. Well since then the basic effect for Perfect Time has been copied many times. The only current version, with the exception of the authentic CW one, that I know of is in fact this item, Blown Away. So you have to give Mr. Hager some respect for staying power.

Both Perfect Time and Blown Away actually keep the correct time so the main difference between the two versions is that Blown Away has a cycle time of 45 seconds vs 70 on the current Perfect Time. Depending on your routine the extra 25 seconds could be significant. Also, one of Blown Away’s unique features is that a spectator can hold the watch with the gimmicked $1 bill shielding the time while it is also triggering the watch. When the bill is blown away, spectator can examine bill.  I’m not sure I would ever use this feature, but it is there for the brave.

I’m a great supporter of the rights of original inventors.  Rich Bloch himself says that Collector’s Workshop was shut down from their hey day of 13 workers primarily because of Intellectual Property theft.  However, even if CW had a patent out on Perfect Time it would have expired almost 16 years ago and anyone would be free to create the same effect today. Of course magic is a little different and there are very few patents issued due to the cost and cottage industry nature of magic itself. So the best we can hope for is recognition and respect and where possible only buy from the originators. That being said if you have been creating and selling the same effect for over 20 years maybe you deserve some credit.

This watch appears to be well made, if a little lighter than you would expect based on the size of the watch.  I prefer the look of Blown Away and if I was to perform this effect I would probably choose this over Perfect Time assuming all else is equal.  Though to be honest I’ve always wanted a version of the other classic time prediction from CW: Gift of Time in watch form, but not like the Cesaral one.  Maybe one day George Robinson will deliver that bad boy and finally we can stop looking.

Effect: The Pro Wristwatch has the same appearance as the Premier with its 48-second high octane V8 engine that you can stop and start whenever you want. You also have “wiggle room” to fine-tune the ‘movement’. Predict with precision and confidence! The handsome two-tone bracelet is a classy alternative to leather straps & complements the stylish, sporty look of the watch. It doesn’t have a thin “girlie” appearance and will be a watch you’ll be proud to wear day after day.

You can even predict the time while the spectator holds the watch. We offer over 20 ‘trigger’ devices that allow you to perform without touching any part of the watch. They offer something for everyone and for every setting. High impact mentalism that’s defies explanation! Satisfaction Guaranteed – or your money back.

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