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U-BOAT presents a version of the acclaimed Darkmoon model, in 44.80 mm steel, with a grey and black shaded dial, hands and numbers treated with white luminova.
Modern and a classic of timeless elegance, grey is a nuance that could not be missing in the Darkmoon watch collection of the Tuscan Maison. Hence the creation of the new DARKMOON 44MM GREY SS, a watch that boasts, under the domed sapphire crystal, a shaded grey painted dial, emphasised by the iconic three-dimensional vision given by the "Oil Immersion" concept.
The 44.80 mm AISI 316L steel case is in fact filled with a special oil, which combined with the floating compensation bubble for temperature variations, creates an amplified view of the dial, as in the absence of glass, combined with a harmonious contrast given by the black hands and indexes and by the white numbers, all treated with white luminova.
The precision of the Swiss Ronda 712.3 quartz movement, lubricated in oil bath, allows the time-only function, while the case-back is characterised by the innovative locking system (Locking Ring System) with quick battery replacement.
The watch, waterproof to 50 meters, is completed by an ultra-resistant black vulcanised rubber strap customised with the embossed Maison logo with a pin buckle.
The elegance of grey, the concept of "Oil Immersion" and the three-dimensional effect of the dial, all combined in a model ready to be worn on your wrist.
Ref. 9149 MOVEMENT Swiss precision of theRonda 712.3 quartz movement, lubricated with oil bath. FUNCTIONS: hours, minutes, screw-down crown. CASE Stainless steel AISI 316L Diameter 44,80mm. Completely filled with a special oil that emphasizes the dial, creating the illusion of the absence of glass, and an optical effect of an higher legibility. Visible air bubble on the dial to compensate the temperature variations. Distinguishing crown on left side. BACK: innovative locking system (Locking ring system) with quick battery replacement. WATER RESISTANCE:50 mt, 5 ATM. DIAL grey black painted metal, hands, numbers and indexes treated with white luminova. CRYSTAL: domed sapphire. STRAP Ultra-resistant vulcanised rubber, in black color, personalised with the logo of the Maison in relief. Width 22/20 mm. Strap: ref. 8351/Z. Steel tongue buckle. Buckle: ref. 9518
RaúlPAGÈS – Régulateur à détenteRP1Exclusive Piece2022
The beginning of 2022 is marked by the presentation of the third
creation of independent watchmaker Raúl Pagès: the Régulateur à détente
RP1. Entirely developed and manufactured in his workshop in Les Brenets
(Switzerland), it is equipped with a brand-new precision movement with a
pivoted detent escapement with anti-tripping device.
This escapement is
the Holy Grail of precision chronometry and its miniaturisation in the
format of a wristwatch is a rare feat. With its characteristic dial,
this timepiece pays tribute to the emblematic precision regulators that
Raúl Pagès reinterprets here in a contemporary aesthetic. An exclusive
piece that combines tradition, precision and beauty, all values dear to
its creator.
The Régulateur à détente RP1 in detail
The Pagès Régulateur à détente: technicality, quality and tradition
As
a true master craftsman, Raúl Pagès has entirely conceived, designed
and produced the Régulateur à détente RP1 with his own hands in his
workshop in Les Brenets (Switzerland). This exceptional timepiece meets
the most demanding criteria of traditional fine watchmaking and
handcrafting. Equipped with a brand new calibre fitted with a pivoted
detent escapement, the Régulateur à détente RP1 is in line with the
tradition of exceptional chronometers.
The great precision of the
movement is matched by the choice of display: the regulator. An iconic
dial of high-level chronometry, the regulator offers its own space for
each of its hands: hours, minutes and seconds. Each indication thus has
its own dial. The three hands follow their own rhythm to give an
extremely precise time indication.
The minutes hand dominates and
enlivens the centre of the dial, while the hours and seconds are located
at 12 and 6 o’clock respectively – or rather at 60 and 30 minutes.
Elegance, purity and the detent escapement were the three key words that
came to Raúl Pagès’ mind when he created this new calibre. Technically,
the detent escapement is said to be “free” because the balance is not
subjected to any stress during its additional arc. The advantage of this
system, compared to the traditional Swiss lever escapement, is that the
escape wheel transmits its force directly to the balance wheel, giving
it a much better mechanical efficiency.
The movement: outstanding and entirely designed and produced in-house
A technical tour de force
The
Régulateur à détente RP1 movement is a major accomplishment in terms of
miniaturisation and horological craftsmanship. This new calibre houses
the rarest and most difficult escapement to make: the pivoted detent
escapement. Extremely rare in today’s world, Raúl Pagès has not only
designed this escapement himself but also hand-made it.
This
movement is therefore doubly “in-house”, since not only the ébauche but
also the regulating organ are made in-house. This escapement alone
defines the Régulateur à détente RP1 and gives it its letters of
nobility. The entire architecture of the calibre has been designed to
house it in the best possible way and to give it maximum emphasis. Thus,
Raúl Pagès has opted for a unique construction, positioning the seconds
wheel on the dial side of the main plate.
This judicious choice
confers an innovative and mysterious aspect to the movement, as the
kinematic chain appears to be interrupted. In addition, this technical
trick allows a masterful view of the escapement wheel and the perfect
positioning of the detent bridge. Equipped with a gold counterweight,
the pivoted detent has been optimised to be particularly well balanced
and thus meet modern chronometric requirements. Raúl Pagès has of course
also addressed and solved the major problem faced by the detent
escapement in a wristwatch: shock resistance.
The Régulateur à
détente RP1 is therefore equipped with a patented system that prevents
the escape wheel from leaving the rest position when the watch is
shaken.
To this end, the detent is equipped with a beak, which
cooperates with a third roller on the balance shaft. In the event of a
shock, the beak of the detent rests on the roller and thus prevents the
escapement from tripping. The low frequency (18,000 vibrations per hour)
of the large 13.30 mm-diameter balance wheel enables every detail of
the escapement’s operation to be appreciated. The balance wheel is
equipped with a Breguet balance spring with a Philips terminal curve,
which allows the balance spring to deploy concentrically.
Adjustment
weights in 18k gold allow the fine adjustment of the rate by modifying
the inertia of the balance wheel. To understand the extreme complexity
of this escapement, one need only examines the detent unlocking spring,
which is only 0.02 mm thick. What is more, this spring is entirely
formed by hand. Finally, its adjustment must be extremely meticulous
because even a slightly too high tension would immediately stop the
balance wheel.
Exceptional finishings
The architecture of the
movement and the finishings are not to be overlooked. Numerous drawings
were made in Raúl Pagès’ sketchbook and, like a sculptor, tests were
carried out “file in hand” before finding the ideal layout and shape of
the bridges. Special attention was also paid to the choice of materials
and finishes for each of the bridges and the main plate.
Both the
detent and balance wheel bridges are made of mirror-polished steel and
each has four inward angles. Their extreme openwork design provides an
exceptional view of the escapement. The other bridges are made of nickel
silver, frosted and bevelled. Each anglage is then entirely polished by
hand with gentian wood. This exceptional finishing enhances the inward
and outward angles while sublimating the play of light of the movement’s
curves.
All 171 elements of the watch enhance the traditional
know-how of fine watchmaking and show extreme care thanks to the
hand-made finish. Every component, visible or not, is bevelled,
polished, satin-finished or circular-grained by hand.
An example
of mastery in the craft, the entire gear train is countersunk, bevelled
and circled on both sides. The barrel has a circular-grained cover and a
snailed drum, while the interior is polished.
The finishing of
the ratchet and crown wheel is also breath-taking. Each tooth, each
screw sinking is bevelled and polished, contrasting beautifully with the
matte finish of the frosted surface. The steel click, mirror-polished
and hand-bevelled, is a reference to the most noble and complicated
historical pocket watches.
Such operations require prodigious expertise and know-how, particularly for the hand decoration of all the parts.
The dial: a technical and modernist composition
Passionate
about art history and architecture, Raúl Pagès pays tribute to the
modernist forms and colours sublimated by the famous architect Le
Corbusier. The dial features a unique architectural and chromatic
composition.
The minute divisions are cantilevered, bringing
lightness to the flange. Its black colour contrasts with the main plane
and allows a clear reading of the minutes. The seconds dial has an outer
diamond polished chamfer and is set back from the main plane. Its blue
colour is called cerulean blue 59 and represents, in the iconography of
Le Corbusier, the sky and the sea; it comes from his colour palette
Polychromie Architecturale created in 1959.
The hour ring is beautifully circled and has diamond polished edges, inside and out.
The
handmade hands are also beautifully rounded and polished, and the domed
fixing screws give the elegance of 19th century precision timepieces to
the dial.
This subtle play of depth and colour creates a refined
architecture full of subtlety, a constant found in previous Raúl Pagès
creations.
The case:
a harmonious design Perfectly
adjusted to the movement, the case reflects the refined and modern
aesthetic of Soberly Onyx, Raúl Pagès’ first timepiece. While
maintaining the sobriety that made it so successful, the case diameter
has been changed to 38.5 mm. Raúl explains it this way: “The dimensions
of the case follow the classic principles of architectural aesthetics.
It’s all about proportions. The relationship between the bezel, the lugs
and the dial allowed me to give this case perfect proportions”.
The
finish of the case is also brilliantly interpreted: The top of the
lugs, the bezel and the case back are polished, while the case middle is
satin-finished, giving the Régulateur à détenteRP1 case a contrast and
alternation of subtle and technical surface-finishes. The choice of the
sapphire crystal, known as ” glass box”, is also noteworthy, bringing
threedimensionality and sensuality to the touch of the piece.
The
lugs screwed to the case middle of this timepiece also refer to the
technicality of traditional marine chronometers, clearly making the
Régulateur à détente RP1 an unusual piece that perfectly combines
tradition and modernity
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Profile of Raúl Pagès
Raúl Pagès, independent watchmaker, designer, artist
Raúl Pagès is an independent Swiss watchmaker (movement designer and restorer). In 2005 he obtained his diploma of watchmaker-restorer in antique watchmaking with honours, then in 2006 his diploma of designer in watch complications at the CIFOM in Le Locle. For more than 15 years he has been working on the restoration of horological masterpieces belonging to the most prestigious collections in the world. This technical and historical expertise allow him today to offer masterpieces that perfectly combine tradition and modernity.
In 2012, he decided to set up his own workshop in order to manufacture entirely by hand the 352 components of his now iconic " Tortue " automaton. Building on this experience, he embarked on the manufacture of a limited series of 10 pieces "Soberly Onyx", his first timepiece, in 2016. In 2017, he also became a member of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI). As an accomplished musician, and a lover of art history and 20th century design history, Raúl Pagès explores the time measurement and its history as a multi-faceted artist. A rigorous and meticulous technician, he innovates and designs exceptional watchmaking mechanisms.
The regulator and the detent escapement, some historical references
The regulator appeared in the 18th century and is considered the emblem of all precision clocks. It marked the beginning of a new era in which time was measured to the nearest second. With its emblematic dial, which historically served as a reference and standard for setting the time of watches, the regulator is synonymous with exceptional timepieces in watchmaking history.
Presented to the Academy of Sciences in 1748 by Pierre Leroy, the detent escapement became essential when maritime nations competed for the construction of the most accurate mechanical time instrument possible, allowing the most reliable determination of the geographical position at sea. This is why this escapement is found in marine chronometers and precision pocket watches. ----------------------------------------------- TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Model: Regulateur a detenteRP1
Display Sandblasted, diamond and nickel-plated dial Black nickel-plated minutes flange Diamond-polished, circular-grained and rhodium plated hours flange Seconds dial matt lacquered, cerulean blue 59 Hardened steel hands: chamfered, rounded-off and polished Domed and polished fixing screws Case Material: 316Lstainless steel Polished bezel, top of lugs and back Satin-finished case middle Bevelled and polished lug screws Dimensions: 38.5 mm x 10.2 mm (with sapphire crystal) Between lugs: 19mm Water resistance: 3atm - 30m - 100 ft Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, bezel and caseback Movement In-house movement with manual winding Escapement: pivoted detent with anti-tripping system Balance: variable inertia with four 18K gold weights Dimensions: 33.6 mm x 5.6 mm Power reserve: 47 hours Number of jewels: 17 Number of components: 171 Balance frequency: 18,000 vibrations per hour / 2.5 Hz Component materials: nickel silver and steel Treatments: nickel plating and gold plating Finishing: haute horlogerie, hand-made Strap and buckle Supplied with two hand-stitched straps in black and beige leather with blue stitching, fitted with bars featuring a tool-free removal system. 316L stainless steel buckle with "Pagès" logo engraving