D. CANDAUX – 1740 - Half Hunter Flying Tourbillon Titanium 43 mm Edition
The reinterpretation of a classic
The new 1740 Half Hunter Tourbillon by the independent watchmaker David Candaux for Baselworld 2018, rep-resents his contemporary reinterpretation of the classic half-hunter pocketwatch form as it was used in the stressful, active environments found on land and the seven seas.
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David’s particular inspiration were the forms found on an-tique captain’s watches, as well as many seafaring instruments such as compasses, wherein the viewing area, par-tially encased in metal, only allowed port-holes for viewing the required indications. In this manner, the half hunter form provided excellent protection of the dial glass, hands and movement from shocks under extreme conditions, anywhere they might be experienced.
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This new tourbillon creation by
David Candaux taps into the historical period when horology was still perceived as a major science, and watchmaking fell under the realm of mathematics, philosophy and astronomy. This was an era when the quest for accurate timekeeping occupied the minds of the greatest inventors of European civilization. The
1740 Half Hunter Tourbillon pays homage to these precision instruments of the past, timepieces that were in use by the explorers and master mariners of the
18th and
19th centuries. A novelty of the time, these highly accurate timepieces allowed ship’s captains to literally and physically carry the time of their departure harbor with them, and therefore calculate the longitude of their location at sea easily without requiring star-gazing, ephemerides, astro-nomical tables and several hours of navigational calculations.
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With this history at hand, the
1740 Half Hunter Tourbillon goes a step further, representing a more radical stylistic interpretation and technical advancement in comparison to the classic historical half- hunter concept; simultane-ously it represents a more futuristic development to the first models of the present
1740 collection.
NEW VISUAL IMPULSES
The first visual aspect one notices is the incredibly finely executed, complex decoration of the front face of the watchcase. It has been given a handmade, engine-turned guilloche pattern named
Pointe du Risoux that deliber-ately recalls the patterns of the local Risoux fir tree forest that surrounds the Candaux atelier as seen from the air.
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Created as a contemporary approach to antique guilloche traditions, this pattern was not only meant to be visually inspirational; it was also deliberately designed to invite the user to sensually engage with its complex surface, add-ing another level of interaction between the timepiece and its owner. With a subtle and completely contemporary touch, this guilloche patterned front cover has been created in high palladium content 18K white gold. This precious metal is one of
David’s favorites due to its subtle glow, and subdued, introverted elegance.
ASYMMETRICAL DISPLAY
Set into this magnificently adorned front cover of guilloche finished 18K white gold, the timekeeping indications and open view of the tourbillon have been placed under two tiny spherical, convex shaped portholes of specially machined sapphire glass, with the power reserve situated under a small, separate arch of sapphire glass at the top edge of the case front.
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The hours and minutes are read on a spherical, convex micro-dial under the rightmost sapphire dome with its two curving hands of hand finished and blued steel that precisely follow the curving dial’s exact form. The fully visible, The fully visible, twice-inclined flying tourbillon is situated under the sapphire dome on the left, providing running seconds via a blued index placed on the edge of the tourbillon cage.
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The mesmerizing beauty of the fully visible, twice-inclined flying tourbillon is situated under the sapphire dome on the left, providing running seconds via a blued index placed on the edge of the tourbillon cage. The mesmerizing beauty of the fully visible, patented and tilted tourbillon, echoes the display of the three dimensional hours and minutes window.
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It perfectly and harmo-niously balances the symmetry of the front, directly evoking the half hunter timepieces and marine compasses of previous centuries. In addition to these details, the entire front of the
1740 Half Hunter Tourbillon has been gently and almost imperceptibly inclined; standing slightly higher in the case at the 12 o’clock position and lower towards 6 o’clock.
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This unusually positioned bezel comfortably enhances reading the time,
thus providing an optimized field of view for the user. Like the
original
1740 model, the
1740 Half Hunter Tourbillon is also fitted at 6 o’clock with the unique retractable crown, for which
David Candaux has received two patents.
MOVEMENT DETAILS
THE DAVID CANDAUX INCLINED BI-PLAN TOURBILLON
The 60-seconds flying tourbillon has been designed using a ceramic ball bearing inclined at 3 degrees from the hor-izontal. Within another construction inside the tourbillon’s grade-5 titanium cage, the balance has been placed in a position with another 30 degrees inclination, hence the name ‘bi-plan’ flying tourbillon.
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The result provides a definitive improvement on the standard, horizontally orientated tourbillon construction found in wristwatches today. The original tourbillon design, as used in pocketwatches, was conceived for dealing with the forces of gravity from mainly vertical positions in breast pockets.
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The situation today is totally different: as used in wristwatches, the tourbillon must adjust to the angles and movements of our contemporary lifestyle and daily life, as experienced on the human wrist and all of its tilted or angular positions - whilst sitting, reading, arms on the desk whilst behind the computer, or walking and running.
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David Candaux’s bi-plan flying tourbillon was created in such a way as to ensure a continual change in position of the cage and of the regulating organ in relation to these types of wrist positions people normally use in daily life, thus optimising its capacity to compensate the influence of gravity that could affect chronometric results. Following the best practices possible, the curve of the spiral has been given a
Breguet overcoil ending in a
Phillips terminal curve, thus optimizing the balance spring’s poise and functionality, with a resultant lower friction on the balance staff in every vertical position.
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The spiral extremity of the spring is maintained by a stud specially developed for this time-piece in order to guarantee reliable, long-term fixation. Details like these ensure the optimal long-term functioning of the movement and guarantee the quality of chronometric results.
MOVEMENT AND CASE IN GRADE-5 TITANIUM
With a view towards long-term perfection and durability, this metal is one of David’s favorites due to its superla-tive, high strength/hardness ratio, and its immutable characteristics combined with lightness. The extreme tensile strength of titanium makes all the traditional milling process as well as hand finishing operations for the case and movement parts such as polishing, satin-finishing, brushing and anglage much more time consuming, costly and dif-ficult to achieve.
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Furthermore, the milling operations to create these parts must be executed using special multi-axis machines fitted with fire extinguishers, since the titanium debris created during the cutting process can become flammable.
BALANCE
The aerodynamically designed balance wheel in beryllium copper (
CuBe2), is fitted with variable inertia adjustment thanks to four 18K gold screws and a load screw also in beryllium copper, which can be adjusted by the watchmaker during assembly and timing control. The modification of the balance wheel’s inertia in this manner allows the watch-maker to speed up or slow down the balance wheel’s beat, and thus regulate the timepiece’s accurate running, as well as fixate its ideal parameters for long-term stability.
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The use of variable inertia adjustment for the balance eliminates the need for a moveable index to adjust the balance spring, which can, under certain conditions, alter its position after the watch receives a shock or impact.
INCLINED CALIBER CONSTRUCTION
The
1740 Half Hunter Tourbillon caliber has been entirely designed in house by
David Candaux - a rare occurrence in contemporary Swiss watchmaking. This innovative movement, protected by several patents, answers mechanically to the philosophy behind the
1740 collection with its asymmetrical approach to aesthetics and the art of chronome-try.
No detail has been spared exacting scrutiny. For example, the technical imperatives linked to the secret, retract-able crown, mean that the entire gear train and bridges have been inclined at 3 degrees in relation to the horizontal in order to accommodate it.
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This reinterpretation of the standard principles of movement construction has impact on the position of the bridges in relation to each other. Due to this variation, each of these bridges is inclined at 3 degrees. Thus, the view of the movement’s interior surface is no longer uniformly horizontal, but shows a cascading effect. As a result, this innovative constructional feature has the added
benefit of accentuating the finishing of all the individual movement
parts, amplifying each ray of light reflecting off its surface.
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Furthermore, these sparkling reflections also highlight the
Côtes du Solliat, a new type of decoration elaborated by
David Candaux. Due to their notable width, and therefore demanding to create, each single band mastered by skilful hands gives the subtle impression of being composed of three separate bands.
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All the
23 inner
angles and edges of the tourbillon movement are hand finished with
traditionally executed anglage, a typical trademark of the
Vallée du Joux’s traditional watchmaking culture, thus making the perfect execution of the movement all the more difficult to achieve.
ESCAPEMENT
The escapement has also been fully developed and designed by
David Candaux. His respect for history led him to use the old escapement centerings from the
Vallée de Joux tradition. This type of centering is based on non-equidis-tant points of axial reference, unlike those developed for contemporary or industrially produced escapements that are mainly based on equidistant points of reference.
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Such a non-equidistant geometry improves escapement effi-ciency and imparts a refined, aesthetic and practical shape to the anchor’s pallet jewels. The different entrance and exit degrees of lift imparted by this system also guarantee the flow of optimal impulse energy to the balance wheel. Last but not least, a new, optimized geometry for the escapement wheel teeth also improve the global efficiency of the escapement mechanism.
WHEELS AND PINIONS
In total, the movement of the
1740 Half Hunter Tourbillon comprises
287 individual components, each of which is finished respecting the most demanding standards of traditional high-end watchmaking.
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In this way, the wheels comply with the highest quality requirements and
are chamfered, beveled and circular-grained on both sides. As for the
pinions, they are polished on a wooden grinding wheel and given a groove
just behind the pivot. This historical technique ensures that the
lubricating oil remains in place.
ENGRAVED TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
In order to ensure the long-term continuity of the movement in the centuries to come, all the technical specifica-tions required to restore or service the calibre have been micro-engraved on the flank of the grade-5 titanium base-plate for future generations.
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The specifications of the regulating organ, its
CGS number (height of
the blade of the balance-spring), its inertia, the lift angle and the
quality indicator can be found engraved in relief on the fixed second
wheel. All these inscriptions are hand engraved and require more than
150 hours to complete.
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It is clear that the
1740 Half Hunter Tourbillon represents a uniquely personal vision of contemporary haute hor-logerie by
David Candaux, which combines both patrimony and creativity.
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The result is a horological state-of-the-art, ultimate model of
21st century
mechanical watchmaking. These are timepieces that retain all of the
quality and unique character of the traditional watchmaking arts as
practiced in the
Vallée du Joux by past generations, created in the present, and destined for the future.
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TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
MOVEMENT
Inclined, manual-winding tourbillon movement
Dimensions: 16 ¼ lignes (diameter 35 mm x 6.20 mm high)
Materials: Grade 5 titanium plate and bridges. Untreated titanium and blued titanium for the tourbillon cage
Going train, wheels and bridges inclined at
3 degrees to the horizontal (patent-pending design).
Double winding barrel with
55 hours power reserve
Stainless steel, mirror-polished power reserve bridge
Frequency: 21,600 vph (
3Hz)
Number of jewels: 47, with polished sinks and gold chatons
Number of parts: 287
Finest traditional watchmaking craft with hand-made chamfering and anglage,
hand-polishing, flanks brushing and unique
Côtes du Solliat effect
ESCAPEMENT Bi-plan tourbillon
- Single-axis, titanium bi-plan flying tourbillon at 9 o’clock: with cage inclined 3 degrees in relation to the horizontal, balance inclined at 30 degrees in relation to the cage
- Variable inertia balance
- Breguet overcoil spring with Philips terminal curve
- Cascade effect-profiled titanium movement
- Constant energy supply by double barrel
- Power reserve indication by conic camshaft system
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FUNCTIONS AND INDICATORS
- Hours and minutes on a separate, domed counter
- Seconds hand via tourbillon cage at 9 o’clock
- Bi-plan tourbillon
- Power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock
ENERGY SUPPLY
- Roughly 55 hours.
- Chronometry: stops automatically when there is insufficient energy.
- Indication by camshaft system (patent-pending).
CROWN
Secret and retractable, unlocking via pressure
3 positions: neutral, reset, and winding
31 parts.
FRONT BEZEL, WATCH FACE
- Semi-spherical hours and minutes dials
- 18K high palladium content white gold indexes chamfered and polished by hand
- Grade 5 titanium decorated with engine-turned Pointe du Risoux
HANDS
-
Hours: conical and curved, dagger-shaped, in natural steel, chamfered, polished and blued by hand
-
Minutes: conical and curved, dagger-shaped, in natural steel, chamfered, polished and blued by hand
-
Central seconds: in flame-blued 18K white gold, chamfered and polished by hand
-
Power reserve: dagger-shaped, in 18K white gold, chamfered and polished by hand
CASE
- Hours and minutes: “syringe” shape, made of steel, shaped and polished by hand, flame-blued.
-
Central second: made of steel, shaped and polished by hand, flame-blued.
-
Power supply: inverted “syringe” shape, shaped and polished by hand, flame-blued.
CASE
- Asymmetric, bassinet-shaped
-
Grade-5 titanium
-
Diameter: 43 mm
-
Total thickness: 12.60 mm
- 2 semi-spherical sapphire windows and 1 anti-reflective glass; sapphire case back
- Caseback with clipped olivette at 6 o’clock
- Fine satin-finishing and hand executed polishing
WATERPROOFING
- Guaranteed water resisitant to 30 meters
WATCH-STRAP
- Made of large scale alligator leather
- Entirely hand-made
BUCKLE
- Pin buckle
- In stainless steel 316L and titanium
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Press Release -
2018
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D. CANDAUX
Rue Du Village 24
CH-1347 Le Solliat
Switzerland
Telephone Number +41 79
425 85 85
Email Address
info@dcandaux.ch
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