Tuesday, September 30, 2014

OFFICINE PANERAI – RADIOMIR 1940 3 DAYS AUTOMATIC ORO ROSSO - 45mm PAM573
















OFFICINE PANERAI RADIOMIR 1940 3 DAYS AUTOMATIC ORO ROSSO - 45mm PAM573 NEW
 
RADIOMIR 1940: A CLASSIC OF MODERNITY

A design can be timeless. It can be a witness and protagonist of the period in which it was born but at the same time it is still contemporary. It is a design classic. Whether it is the fruit of the ingenuity of a maestro or whether it is born almost spontaneously from the function for which it is intended, a design classic is immediately recognisable for the strength and the naturalness with which it imposes itself on the collective imagination.

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Officine Panerai’s Radiomir 1940 has the authority of a classic of modernity. Its simple, quintessential form tells the story of the years in which it was designed while maintaining its unchanging up-to-date character. Its design stands out for its functional rigour and the simplicity of its lines, free of decorative excess: features which in 1940 were related to a new way of life and a world of evolving values which in the following years would lead to the international recognition of Italian industrial design.

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Created to satisfy the demanding requirements of the specialist underwater forces of the Royal Italian Navy, the Radiomir 1940 today still has the characteristics of solidity, endurance and reliability that are the hallmarks of a timekeeping instrument designed for military use. The design of the case and dial have the same overall quality and the identical iconic power as the original, demonstrating the great versatility of a classic which is today enriched with the highest technical content of luxury contemporary watchmaking from the Officine Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel.

The purity and rigour of Italian design and a new sophisticated in-house automatic movement with a decentralised rotating weight

The Radiomir 1940 is presented for the first time with an automatic movement, the new P.4000 calibre which is the latest creation of the Officine Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel. The distinctive feature of the new calibre is its off-centre oscillating weight, winding in both directions. With a diameter of 13¾ lignes and just 3.95 mm thick, it has been developed to integrate perfectly with the proportions of the Radiomir 1940 case. The result is the Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic, the new Officine Panerai timepiece which is available in steel (PAM000572) or in red gold (PAM000573). It is a perfect choice for people looking for a watch that is faithful to the history of Panerai, as well as being suitable for the most elegant occasions with its classic, minimalist design.

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The new P.4000 calibre is the first Panerai automatic movement with an off-centre micro-rotor. This means that the rotor is smaller in diameter than the calibre itself: a sophisticated technical solution which enables the movement – and therefore the watch itself – to be much thinner. In the model with a steel case, the oscillating weight is made of tungsten, a shiny, high density metal, qualities which make it aesthetically appealing and ideal for applications requiring a material with a high specific weight. In the red gold model, the rotor is made of 22 carat red gold.

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Its elegant finish and decoration can be appreciated through the sapphire crystal porthole fitted in the back. Next to the oscillating weight is the balance wheel, which oscillates at a frequency of 4 Hz, and a large bridge concealing much of the mechanism, making the structure of the movement exceptionally stable. With two spring barrels connected in series, the P.4000 calibre has a power reserve of at least three days, and it is also fitted with the device which stops the balance wheel when the winding crown is pulled out to set the time, useful for synchronising the watch exactly.

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The new Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic models embody the characteristics and qualities which make every Panerai watch unique but at the same time immediately recognisable. The case re-presents that of some of the historic models created by Panerai in around 1940.

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It is 45 mm in diameter and is made of AISI 316L stainless steel, or of 5Npt red gold, an alloy which has a higher proportion of copper than usual and a small amount of platinum which helps to reduce any oxidation of the metal.

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The lugs are formed out of the same block as the case and they adapt perfectly to the line of the wrist, ensuring maximum comfort for wearers of the watch. The large polished bezel surrounds a classic dial providing excellent legibility, with its minimalist design and its structure of superimposed plates sandwiching the luminous substance between them.

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This construction means that the hour figures and the baton markers cut in the upper plates shine with great brilliance. As has been traditional with Panerai since the 1940s, the seconds hand rotates in a small sub-dial at 9 o’clock on the dial, which is black in the steel version and brown in the red gold version.

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The Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic is water-resistant to ten bar (around 100 metres) in the steel version and five bar (around 50 metres) in the red gold version, and it is supplied with an alligator strap, black or brown respectively.

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TECHINCAL SPECIFICATIONS

 

Movement: Automatic mechanical,
Panerai P.4000 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai,
13¾ lignes, 3.95 mm thick, 31 jewels, Glucydur® balance,
28,800 alternations/hour. KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device.
Power reserve 3 days, two barrels.
203 components.
Functions:
Hours, minutes, small seconds.
Case: Diameter 45 mm, 18 ct. polished red gold.
Screw-down winding crown personalized OP.
Bezel: 18 ct. polished red gold.
Back: See-through sapphire crystal.
Dial:
Brown with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers.
Seconds at 9 o’clock.
Crystal:
Sapphire, made of corundum, 1.4 mm thick.
Anti-reflective coating.
Water-resistance: 5 bar (~ 50 metres).
Strap: PANERAI personalised alligator strap and 18 ct. polished red gold buckle.
Reference: PAM00573.


THE P.4000 MOVEMENT

The Officine Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel presents its first automatic movement with a decentralised oscillating weight: all the solidity of an Officine Panerai calibre with a thickness of only 3.95 mm


Officine Panerai presents the P.4000 calibre, the first automatic movement with an off-centre micro-rotor completely developed and made in the manufacture at Neuchâtel. This design means that the rotor is mounted off-centre and is therefore smaller in diameter than the calibre itself: a sophisticated technical solution enabling the thickness of the movement to be substantially reduced. The small oscillating weight is inserted within the movement rather than superimposed upon it and the result is a calibre which preserves all the Panerai characteristics of accuracy, reliability and solidity but with a thickness of only 3.95 mm.

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With a diameter of 13¾ lignes (31 mm), the new calibre has a large bridge which is flanked by the small oscillating weight winding in both directions and the balance cock. The latter has twin supports, more secure and stronger than the customary overhanging balance cock with a single support. The supports have two screws for adjusting the vertical play of the balance staff. The balance wheel oscillates at 28,800 alternations per hour (equivalent to a frequency of 4 Hz).

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It is  a balance wheel with variable inertia, that is, with screws enabling the rate to be adjusted precisely without altering the relationship of the balance spring and the bridge. Fitted with 31 jewels, the movement has a power reserve of at least three days, as a result of having two spring barrels connected in series. It is also fitted with the device which stops the balance wheel when the winding crown is pulled out, for synchronising the watch exactly.

Functions
  • Hours, minutes, small seconds
Technical specification 
  • Automatic mechanical
  • Off-centered rotor made of tungsten or 22 ct. red gold
  • 13¾ lignes in diameter
  • Thickness 3.95 mm
  • 31 jewels
  • 28,800 alternations/hour
  • KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device
  • Power reserve 3 days
  • Two spring barrels
  • Stop balance wheel
  • 203 components
The P.4000 calibre is produced in two versions which differ in the kind of finish, the engraving and the material of the micro-rotor. The first, for models with a steel case, has bridges with a horizontally brushed finish, blue engraving and an oscillating weight of tungsten alloy, with relief decoration on the matt surface. The second version is for the models with a gold case and it has bridges with a circular brushed finish, gilded engraving and a rotor of 22 carat gold, with clous de Paris hobnail finish and polished decorations in relief on the brushed surface.

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VACHERON CONSTANTIN – MAÎTRE CABINOTIER ASTRONOMICA















VACHERON CONSTANTIN MAÎTRE CABINOTIER ASTRONOMICA
Limited Edition NEW

THE HEAVENLY ART OF REACHING FOR THE STARS

Vacheron Constantin once again challenged its most experienced master-watchmakers to create an extremely sophisticated Grande Complication wristwatch, equipped with an exceptional set of functions. They took on this terrific technical challenge to create a one-of-a-kind model named “Maître Cabinotier Astronomica”. This impressive feat of miniaturisation, driven by manual-winding Calibre 2755-B1, brings together 15 of the most demanding Haute Horlogerie complications and gives pride of place to astronomical functions. It is also the very first representative of a new and highly exclusive range of models crafted in the spirit of Geneva’s 18th century cabinotiers, combining exclusive production, personalisation and masterful accomplishments. This exceptional movement embodying a compendium of horological excellence and bearing the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva is housed within a 47 mm-diameter, 19.1 mm-thick white case.

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Inspired by the world’s most complicated wristwatch that paid eloquent tribute in 2005 to the 250th anniversary of the Geneva-based Manufacture – Vacheron Constantin’s very famous Tour de l’Ile, the unique Maître Cabinotier Astronomica watch once again demonstrates the remarkable expertise Vacheron Constantin has acquired in the art of combining multiple complications within an extremely small space. Boldly reaching for the stars, Calibre 2755-B1 is one of the most complex ever made by the Manufacture and features a number of unusual – mainly astronomical – complications. This mechanical manual-winding movement with a 58-hour power reserve offers an original combination of 15 complications driven by 839 parts, while measuring a modest 33.90 mm in diameter and 12.15 mm thick. These many useful functions, which can be read off on both the dial side and the back of this watch, constitute an authentic technical feat. Firstly by incorporating the specific mechanisms of the 15 complications within a wristwatch and ensuring that they run to perfection; secondly in terms of ensuring optimal legibility and comfort on the wrist; and thirdly by maintaining a sophisticated design and taut, sleek lines. Moreover, both this unique wristwatch and its movement bear the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva. Summing up the refined skills mastered by the Manufacture since 1755, this Grande Complication model named Maître Cabinotier Astronomica also evokes the spirit of the “Atelier Cabinotiers” created by Vacheron Constantin in 2006. This extremely specialised service of creating bespoke Haute Horlogerie watches reconnects with the time when Geneva’s highly specialised watchmaking artisans – the cabinotiers – plied their trade in attic-type workshops as they crafted unique watches commissioned by prestigious clients. The one-of-a-kind Maître Cabinotier Astronomica is a natural heir to this philosophy of combining watchmaking excellence with personalisation in accordance with customers’ individual wishes.

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STAGING A SUMMIT MEETING BETWEEN GRANDE COMPLICATION HOROLOGY AND ASTRONOMICAL INDICATIONS

Minute repeater, equation of time, tourbillon, perpetual calendar, date, day of the week, month, leap years, power reserve, sunrise and sunset times. In addition to the hours and minutes, no less than 11 complications are displayed with both clarity and distinction on the front, or dial side. Two of the most sophisticated major Haute Horlogerie complications – the minute repeater and the tourbillon – pairs with various astronomical-type complex functions: a perpetual calendar, an equation of time, as well as indications of sunrise and sunset times. Among these captivating complications, the minute repeater deserves particular attention, in that it is fitted with an ingenious centripetal flying strike governor, developed by the Manufacture Vacheron Constantin. Perfectly silent and preventing undue wear of the frequently solicited striking mechanism, it serves to regulate the duration of the musical sequence in order to ensure that the notes chimed for the hours, quarters and minutes are both melodious and distinctly audible when the hammers strike the gongs.

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In addition to the minute repeater, the dial reveals a stunning tourbillon at 6 o’clock, equipped in the traditional manner with a carriage shaped like a Maltese cross, Manufacture’s emblem. The tourbillon rotates at a rate of one complete turn per minute, making light of gravity in order to improve the movement’s precision and also serving as a small seconds display. Meanwhile, the perpetual calendar, the “memory of time to come” is capable of keeping up with the complexities of the Gregorian calendar without any need for human intervention other than a date change every 400 years. The displays are symmetrically arranged with the day of the week appearing at 9 o’clock, the month at 12 o’clock and the date at 3 o’clock, while the leap-year indicator is discreetly positioned at 1 o’clock.

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Equipping the watch with an equation of time, another fascinating complication shown by means of a short hand positioned at 10.30, also calls for considerable expertise. It serves to measure the difference in minutes between solar time and standard legal time. While humankind decided for practical reasons to divide each year into 365.25 days, each day into 24 hours and each hour into 60 minutes, the time as shown by the sun, or “true” time, differs according to the day of the year. This lag or advance varies daily, while remaining within the -16 to +16 minute range. This exceptional timepiece also has another type of astronomical complication that is a rarity in the field of horology: sunrise and sunset times. Involving a particularly delicate development process, this complication provides an accurate indication of this information for a given location on Earth – which in turn means that client must first choose the city for which he wishes to have the sunrise and sunrise times. The display of this “customised complication” is rigorously symmetrical, with sunrise appearing at 8 o’clock and sunset at 4 o’clock.

REVEALING THE MYSTERIES OF THE COSMOS

The back of this timepiece is just as fascinating as the front, since it features four complications and displays seven useful and interesting functions: a sky chart, the solstice, the equinox, sidereal time, the age and phases of the moon, the seasons, and the zodiac signs, forming a set of stellar complications that are extremely rare in the Haute Horlogerie firmament. This rare dial exclusively dedicated to displaying astronomical functions is built on two levels. The central disc bears a sky chart of the northern hemisphere, as well as the four cardinal points. Through two South and North openings, it symmetrically displays the months of the year and sidereal time, corresponding to “true” time. The latter indication is a necessity for watchmakers and enables them to adjust the sky chart according to the reference city chosen by the sole client. A small hand sweeping around the rim of the first dial level shows the age of the moon, meaning the number of days since the last full moon. Meanwhile, the second dial provides an array of extremely interesting astronomical functions.

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A long and slender central hand, tipped with a sun on its counterweight, rotates around the dial in pointing to the date on the outer rim of the disc. It also indicates the zodiac sign, the season, and finally the equinox or the solstice corresponding to the current date. While an equinox is distinguished by the equal duration of day and night, a solstice corresponds to a minimum or maximum length of day and occurs twice a year somewhere around June 21st for the summer solstice and December 21st for its winter counterpart. The days on either side of the summer solstice are the longest of the year, while those near the winter solstice are the shortest. The equinoxes are the two days of the year when the sun changes hemisphere and passes over the equator at its exact zenith. A year comprises two equinoxes: one between March 19th and 21st, and the other between September 22nd and 23rd. These dates are regarded as corresponding to the beginning of spring and autumn.


UNIQUE BY ITS VERY ESSENCE

A superlative movement in every sense of the term, equipping a unique watch and adaptable to the reference city of the owner for whom it is intended, Calibre 2755-B1 once again proves the exceptional mastery and the capacity for innovation of the Manufacture Vacheron Constantin. While pushing technical limits to new extremes, it remains consistently attentive to the user friendliness of a timepiece, even when it offers a large number of complications.

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The engineers and master-watchmakers have developed a calibre fitting smoothly inside a case graced with slender lines despite the multitude of parts required by such an elaborate mechanism. The characteristics of the white gold case are designed to ensure the remarkable sound quality of the minute repeater. Moreover, providing a pleasantly balanced and readable display of these multiple functions is a tour de force in itself.

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The entirely in-house developed and produced Calibre 2755-B1 perfectly reflects the philosophy of excellence that Vacheron Constantin applies to conceiving and making its Grande Complication models. Each part is finely adjusted and harmonised so as to guarantee optimal performances, making each movement a unique masterpiece. Its impressive level of finishing is expressed through meticulously hand-bevelled bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève, a circular-grained mainplate, as well as the smoothly rounded-off tourbillon carriage bar.

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Like the watch as a whole, the movement bears the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva certifying that it meets the numerous highly demanding criteria of this supremely independent label that offers a guarantee of provenance, top-notch precision, durability and watchmaking expertise. This symbol of horological perfection notably signifies that the movement decoration is entirely hand-crafted. This highly unusual combination of 15 particular complications within a single watch demands a degree of mastery that is truly exceptional in the spheres of Haute Horlogerie. In light of its complexity and originality, the Maître Cabinotier Astronomica is quite naturally issued as a limited edition of one.

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TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Model: MAITRE CABINOTIER ASTRONOMICA 

Reference: 80174/000G-9995
Hallmark of Geneva certified timepiece
Caliber 
  • 2755-B1
  • Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
  • Mechanical, manual-winding
  • 33.9 mm (14’’’ ¾) diameter
  • 12.15 mm thick
  • Approximately 58 hours of power reserve
  • 2.5Hz (18,000 vibrations/hour)
  • 839 components
  • 42 jewels
Indications 
Hours, minutes
Small second at 6 o’clock on tourbillon carriage
15 complications:
  • 1. Minute repeater
  • 2. Tourbillon
  • 3-7. Perpetual calendar (date, day of the week, month, leap year)
  • 8. Power reserve
  • 9. Equation of time
  • 10. Sunrise time
  • 11. Sunset time
  • 12. Sky chart
  • 13. Age and phases of the moon
  • 14. Sidereal hours and minutes
  • 15. Seasons, zodiac signs
Setting 
Hours and minutes adjustment: winding crown (2 positions)
Moon phase adjustment: correction push-piece on the case
Perpetual calendar adjustment: two correction push-pieces on the case
Sky chart adjustment: with crown and screwed-down push-piece
Case 
18K white gold
47 mm diameter, 19.1 mm thick
Dials 
18K white gold, slate-colored opaline
18K white gold applied hour-markers
18K white gold hands
Strap 
Black Mississippiensis alligator leather,
Hand-stitched, saddle-finish, large square scales
Clasp 
18K white gold triple-blade folding clasp
Polished half Maltese cross-shaped
Box 
Prestige winder box made of Makassar wood
Accessories 
Delivered with a corrector pen, a magnifying glass and a resonator of sound « La Musique du Temps » enhancing the sound and the harmony notes of Vacheron Constantin minute repeater
Unique timepiece
« Pièce unique » engraved on caseback

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