ZENITH – ACADEMY GEORGES FAVRE-JACOT Limited Edition
ACADEMY
Georges Favre-Jacot
150 years is a milestone worth celebrating
An asset as precious now as in yesteryear: daring…
One of
the first industrial watch Manufactures in the modern sense of the term was
born in a small Swiss village. To fully grasp the revolution such a company
represented at the time, it is well worth trying to imagine the winter of 1864
in Le Locle, nestling in the Neuchâtel mountains. Like every other year, the
season was far too harsh for tilling the soil and drove farmers to become
watchmakers. In 1865, Georges Favre-Jacot, a youthful native of the village
barely 22 years of age, founded his watch factory. It was not the first, nor
the only one, but it would change forever the way of producing watches. He had
spacious light-filled workshops built in a location where they still stand
today. They were the first to be fitted with electric lighting and he assembled
all the region’s key talents there. Over the years, the factory grew into an international
company renowned for the excellence of its production and Georges Favre-Jacot
became a captain of industry such as one encounters only a handful per century.
Throughout the period the firm remained under his wise guidance, this youthful visionary
would consistently instil a unique mind-set into his teams.
Daring is
the mother of innovation…
The
daring cultivated by a company is a state of mind that must flow from the top
down. The “Zenith spirit”, the famous enterprising spirit of George Favre-Jacot,
passed on by subsequent generations, became a genetic code nurtured by a whole
host of artisans at the height of their powers. The very ones who would enable
the Manufacture to set a number of records, including an absolute all-time one:
300 patents, 600 movement variations and 2,333 prizes in the field of chronometry
(precision timekeeping).
Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ... BIG FOTO
Innovation
inspires artisans…
1969.
Six months before humankind’s first steps on the moon, the Zenith master-watchmakers
introduced the world’s first integrated automatic chronograph movement. While
it was the first of its kind, it was also the most accurate, since it beat at
the hitherto unprecedented frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour. The aptly
named El Primero chronograph movement has since given its name to an entire
Zenith collection and equipped a number of Haute Horlogerie models. While it
has now earned the status of an industry benchmark, the Manufacture has never
ceased surpassing itself in the demanding field of precision.
Artisans
add their own touch of mastery…
The
best means of alleviating the loss of amplitude of a movement that is winding
down is to compensate for the progressively reduced force of its barrel. Two years
of research and development enabled the Zenith magicians to accommodate within
the tiny space of a wristwatch a 300 year-old system: the fusée and chain
mechanism. The helical shape of its fusée means that the mechanism is able to
keep the driving force perfectly stable, even during the letting down of the
spring. The chain ensuring transmission between the barrel and the fusée
comprises 575 parts and measures 18 cm long. Double links alternate with
intermediate links to create a highly complex structure that enables the chain,
once rewound, to withstand an over three-kilo traction force. Throughout the
power reserve (at least 50 hours), the mainspring transmits its energy to the
fusée via the chain which coils around the barrel. By adjusting the variations in
tension, the fusée regularises the force distributed to the going train and
then to the silicon escape-wheel. The size and the cone-like shape of the fusée stem from particularly complex calculations
performed for each of its seven construction stages.Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ... BIG FOTO
Mastery
engenders daring…
To mark
Zenith’s 150th anniversary, the Academy Georges Favre-Jacot offers a
magnificent compendium of the multiple skills exercised within the Manufacture.
More than a mere tribute, this Haute Horlogerie model testifies to a profound
respect for the spirit of the founder without whom nothing would have ever have
taken shape.
On the
technical side, the Academy Georges Favre-Jacot naturally houses – what else? –
a high-frequency hand-wound El Primero 4810 movement. Occupying the entire
lower right-hand side of the dial, the power-reserve display between 4 and 5
o’clock topped by the inscriptions “Force constante” and “High frequency”, gives
an immediate indication of the movement’s high quality. To its left, the small
seconds subdial between 7 and 8 o’clock bears the logo of the Manufacture with
the guiding star.
The finest talents of the Manufacture were enlisted in achieving this masterpiece logically issued on this exceptional occasion in a 150-piece limited edition. The incredible technical sophistication of the Academy Georges Favre-Jacot is teamed with an equally refined aesthetic approach to its exterior, combining modern lines with perfect proportions, while evoking the brand’s glorious past. The 18-carat rose gold case, along with the brown alligator leather strap, undoubtedly contribute to its noble bearing. The slender bezel rims a grained silver-toned dial crafted according to the finest watchmaking traditions. The hours and minutes hands are blued, while the seven hour-markers are gold-plated and facetted.
Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ... BIG FOTO
Daring,
today as in yesteryear
150
years of creations infused with a sense of daring and an enterprising spirit
deserve a celebration! 2015 will be a festive year brimming with events that
will be announced in due course. Watch this space…---------------------------------------
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Model: Academy Georges Favre-Jacot
150 Piece Limited Edition
Fusee and chain transmission linked to the barrel to ensure constant force
797 parts
Cosc-certified movement
Reference: 18.2210.4810/01.C713
Movement:
El Primero 4810, hand-wound
Calibre: 16 ½’’’ (diameter: 37 mm)
Thickness: 5.90 mm
Parts: 222 ( 575 for the fusée and chain system)
Jewels: 30
Frequency: 36,000 vph (5 Hz)
Power reserve: 50 hours minimum
Over 50-hour power reserve
Functions:
Hours and minutes
Fusée and chain transmission linked to the barrel
Small seconds between 7 and 8 o’clock
Power reserve between 4 and 5 o’clock
Case:
Material: 18-carat rose gold
Diameter: 45 mm
Thickness: 14.35 mm
Glass: cambered sapphire crystal glareproofed on both sides
Case-back: Power-reserve Bridge adorned motifs and inscriptions featuring the line engraving technique
Water resistance: 3 ATM
Dial: grained silver-toned
Hour-markers: gold-plated rhodium, facetted
Hands: blued
Dial:
Aventurine and Turquoise Dial
Depiction of Felix Baumgartner’s jump
Stratosphere in aventurine
Earth in blue turquoise
Felix Baumgartner emerging from the capsule: hand-chased and engraved gold
Hands: rhodiumed and facetted
Hour-markers: white lacquered
Strap:
Brown alligator leather with protective rubber lining
Triple-blade folding clasp in 18-carat rose gold
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