Friday, March 20, 2015

MIDO – All Dial Special Edition

















MIDOAll Dial Chronometer Special Edition NEW

A resolutely contemporary design combined with the best technology

The All Dial is adorned in the Mido colours and equipped with a movement featuring cutting-edge technology. The sporty All Dial Special Edition couples contemporary design with unflinching precision. A model of proven robustness, it is endowed with a matt black dial embellished with touches of orange – colours that contrast perfectly with its steel case and bracelet. The timepiece is powered by a COSC-certified Caliber 80 that ensures up to 80 hours of power reserve and will appeal to fine watchmaking aficionados and experienced sportsmen alike. Drawing inspiration from the visionary architecture of the Colosseum in Rome, the All Dial Special Edition has been designed to withstand the effects of time, just like Italy’s most famous monument.

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The watchmaker Mido was inspired by the extraordinary architecture of the Colosseum for the design of its All Dial collection. The collection evokes the visionary, timeless form of the immense amphitheatre, one the most famous monuments in Roman history. The ingenious concept behind the Colosseum was transposed to the design of the dial and case, which illustrates the unique character of the All Dial timepieces.

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The All Dial Special Edition honours all the values that have forged Mido’s reputation: timeless, modern design, precise and reliable movement, and robust materials. This new model offers a matt black dial, lifted by subtle touches of orange on the edges of the indexes and the three hands. Besides this nod to the Mido colours, the All Dial Special Edition meets the brand’s most exacting standards in terms of technology. It is fitted with a Caliber 80, a new automatic movement exclusive to the Swatch Group, which ensures up to 80 hours of power reserve. In addition to such exceptional autonomy, this timepiece is a formidable precision instrument, as its certification from the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (the official Swiss chronometer testing institute) demonstrates. This all-steel model with its contemporary design will win over not only lovers of fine watchmaking but experienced sportsmen, too.

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Making direct reference to Rome’s Colosseum, the dial of the All Dial Special Edition is made up of various levels, evoking the circular shapes designed by the architects of the renowned monument. The generous opening of the steel case enables the space on the dial to be optimised, ensuring perfect readability. With a diameter of 42 mm, it is protected by an anti-reflective sapphire crystal treated on both sides.
The crown is screwed, while an aperture at 3 o’clock displays the day and date. This model also features a transparent case back through which the COSC-certified mechanical movement can be admired. The movement is finely decorated with blued screws, while its oscillating weight is adorned with Geneva stripes and the engraved Mido logo. Water-resistant up to a pressure of 10 bar (100 m / 330 ft), the All Dial Special Edition is fitted with a stainless steel bracelet.

The All Dial Special Edition comes in a presentation case specially created for the timepiece.

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TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Ref: M8340.4.18.19 All Dial Special Edition 42mm

Movement   
Automatic Mido Caliber 80 (ETA C07.621 base) COSC certified chronometer,
11½’’’, Ø25.60 mm, height: 5.22 mm, 25 jewels, 21,600 A/H,
NIVACHOC shock-absorber, NIVAFLEX NM mainspring,
ELINCHRON II balance-spring.
Finely decorated chronometer movement with blued screws,
decorated oscillating weight with Geneva stripes and engraved Mido logo. 
Functions  
HMSD+Day.
Adjusted on 5 different positions for a high accuracy.
Up to 80 hours of power reserve. 
Case   
Stainless steel 316L, Ø42 mm,
2 pieces, sapphire crystal with an anti-reflecting treatment on both sides,
screwed crown and case back,
transparent case back to see the finely decorated and chronometer movement,
engraved serial number,
water-resistant up to a pressure of 10 bar (100  m / 330 ft).
Dial   
Matt black, indexes individually applied,
indexes with orange Super-LumiNova®,
day and date at 3 o’clock 
Hands   
Flat diamond cut,
hour and minute hands with orange Super-LumiNova® for easy readability at night.
Strap
Stainless steel 316L with stainless steel folding clasp.
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Press Release
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press.mido.ch 
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www.Mido.ch

Thursday, March 19, 2015

De Bethune – DB25 Quetzalcoatl














De BethuneDB25 Quetzalcoatl Limited Edition NEW


Press release: Baselworld 2015

Quetzalcoatl coils around the heart of time

Quetzalcoatl is a composite name in the Nahuatl* language derived from quetzalli and used to describe the large, precious green feathers of the sacred quetzal bird; and coatl, meaning snake. It is one of the main divinities of the Mesoamerican civilisations and the feathered serpent, its most iconic incarnation, reigned for many long centuries over pre-Columbian America.

This powerful symbol of Mesoamerican culture was the core of worship and sacred rituals. The related myths and legends appear in the writings of the colonial period. In conjunction with the evening star, it was considered to govern the cycle of time from dawn to dusk. This deity of the summer winds was naturally closely associated with agriculture and in particular with corn farming, as well as being the sovereign protector of goldsmiths and artisans, and the inventor of the calendar.

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Stemming from an age-old tradition of artistic crafts and engraving, the solid gold dial of the DB25 Quetzalcoatl, exquisitely fashioned by the gifted engraver Michelle Rothen – based on drawings by David Zanetta – is a natural continuation of the brand founders’ research and exploration. Above and beyond fine craftsmanship and the exercise in style, the ultimate aim is to enable owners to wear on their wrist a portion of the history of humankind, steeped in legends, emotions and universal culture.

The symbolic unity around Quetzalcoatl, formed by the sculpted solid gold hands, takes on an almost mystical aura and enlivens the heart of the dial that constantly evolves in tune with the passing of time. The latter is read off by the tip of the serpent’s head, while its tail indicates the minutes. Quetzalcoatl appears coiled in the centre of the model in varying positions in step with the ever-changing times of day. This fascinating vision, magnified by the microlight finishing on the dial centre, endows this creation with exceptional depth and mystery.

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The aesthetic construction gives pride of place to an element that is steadily becoming the unmistakable hallmark of the Manufacture: research on materials and the way light reflects off their finishes – at time radiantly glowing like the circular guilloché motif on the central part; and at others matt, such as the soft patina on the hour indicators formed by a series of temples viewed from the sky. Nothing escapes the keen eye of David Zanetta; nothing is too slender, too subtle or too elaborate in this bold endeavour to reproduce several centuries of history within the modest few square centimetres available on the dial.

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This historical dimension is clearly perceptible thanks to an unusual perspective that provides an aerial view of the ruins of the Aztec temples from the city of Tenochtitlan. This highly personal vision of the archaeological site naturally leads one to step back and adopt a certain observation distance imposed by the higher vantage point.

The various finishes of the mirror-polished bridges adorned with De Bethune decorations highlight the silicon heart of the patented annual balance of Calibre DB2005, alongside a number of innovations and patents from the Manufacture.

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This mechanical hand-wound movement beating at a frequency of 4 Hertz is equipped with a self-regulating twin barrel ensuring a 6-day power reserve, the famous triple pare-chute shock-absorbing system protecting the regulating organ, a silicon escape-wheel and a balance-spring with flat terminal curve ensuring optimal concentric development.


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While some will see it as a model bearing the effigy of a Mesoamerican culture in pre-Columbian America and others will be touched by the symbolism of Quetzalcoatl, all will admire the meticulous care and detail devoted to the engraving. This benevolent deity that has given rise to countless legends and sacred myths is more relevant than ever in the present age. Symbolising the union of body and mind – by associating Earth represented by the serpent and the Sky depicted by the feathers – it interprets an eminently contemporary theme that will take on its full meaning on the wrist of a few enlightened connoisseurs.

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Technical Specifications

Ref: DB25AWY
DB25 Quetzalcoatl
20-piece limited edition

Calibre DB2005
mechanical hand-wound movement
Power reserve: 6 days
Diameter: 30 mm
173 parts
Hand decoration, hand-chamfered and mirror-polished steel parts Côtes De Bethune
Self-regulating twin barrel
Titanium/platinum balance – balance-spring with flat terminal curve
Triple pare-chute shock-absorbing system
Silicon escape-wheel

Jewelling: 27 jewels
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour 
Functions
Hours – minutes
Case 
White gold, drum-shaped – diameter 44 mm – thickness 12.50 mm
Attachments: hollowed lugs
Glass:
Sapphire crystal, 1800 Vickers hardness with double anti-reflective treatment
Crown at 3 o’clock, setting in two positions
Back:
Open – DB2005 calibre
Mirror-polished bridges and Côtes De Bethune 
Display 
Dial:
In solid gold hand-engraved by Michèle Rothen and composed of two parts: hours ring with figures inspired by buildings from the Tenochtitlan Templo Mayor; and central part with De Bethune microlight guilloché
Hands:
In solid gold hand-engraved featuring Quetzalcoatl whose changing position according to time.
The snake’s head shows the hours and the tail of the snake indicates the minutes
Strap 
Extra-supple alligator leather with pin buckle

*Manufacture De Bethune patents and innovations

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Press release Geneva 2015
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De Bethune Geneva Office
25 Grand-Rue 1204 Geneva
Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 310 22 71
Fax: +41 22 310 33 40
Contact Katidja Valy
katidja.valy@debethune.com
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www.DeBethune.ch