Wednesday, November 25, 2015

A. Lange & Söhne – ZEITWERK Minute Repeater the perfect sound of time

A. Lange & Söhne ZEITWERK Minute Repeater the perfect sound of time

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The perfect sound of time

The ZEITWERK MINUTE REPEATER is the first mechanical watch that pairs a jumping numerals display with a decimal minute repeater. But it is not just an amazing horological work of art: it is also a fine-tuned mechanical musical instrument for the wrist. The first few of these watches are now being delivered to select showrooms.

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Musical instruments have been crafted in Saxony for centuries, especially around the town of Markneukirchen in the Vogtlandkreis district, where more than 100 workshops still uphold this tradition today. By definition, an exceptional music experience is based on purity of sound. Just like master instrument makers, the product developers at A. Lange & Söhne are keen on achieving perfect sonority, for instance in the new ZEITWERK MINUTE REPEATER.

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In a chiming watch, as in musical instruments, the physical laws that govern acoustic phenomena are key to achieving sounds of superior quality and reverberant volume. The case material, the size and shape of the gongs, the way they are secured to the movement, the number of moving parts – every detail counts. Special measuring technologies and a musically trained ear are essential in the development of a minute repeater for optimising the individual acoustic parameters down to the finest of nuances. It begins with loudness.

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The volume of the sound must be perceptible but not overbearing. Its fullness and purity must be compelling to the connoisseur. The rhythm and cadence of the sounds should express pleasant musicality. 

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The gongs must harmonize perfectly with one another. All the while, any chatter of the striking mechanism must be reduced to the absolute minimum. It was a formidable challenge for Lange's product developers to fulfil all of these criteria.

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But even during the assembly of the ZEITWERK MINUTE REPEATER, the watchmakers must perform numerous adjustments.

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As is commonplace for high-end musical instruments, the gongs are tuned exclusively by hand until they thoroughly harmonise with each other. In the end, they both sound full and pure – so the future owners of one of these masterpieces can look forward to a splendid experience in sonority.

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Technical Specifications

Model:  ZEITWERK Minute Repeater
Ref: 147.025F

Movement 
Lange manufacture calibre L043.5;
Manually wound, crafted to the most exacting Lange quality standards,
decorated and assembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions;
three quarter plate made of untreated German silver;
balance cock engraved by hand; constant-force escapement
Movement dimensions:
Diameter: 37.7 millimetres; height: 10.9 millimetres
Movement parts: 771
Jewels: 93
Screwed gold chatons: 3
Escapement: Lever escapement
Oscillator: 
Shock-resistant balance wheel with eccentric poising weights;
balance spring manufactured in-house, frequency of 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour;
precision beat adjustment system with lateral setscrew and whiplash spring
Power reserve: 36 hours when fully wound if the striking mechanism is not activated
Functions 
Time display in hours and minutes with precisely jumping numeral discs,
subsidiary seconds with stop seconds, power reserve indicator,
striking mechanism with decimal minute repeater
Operating elements 
Crown for winding the watch and setting the time; pusher for activating the striking mechanism
Case 
Platinum
Diameter: 44.2 millimetres; height: 14.1 millimetres
Crystal and back: Sapphire crystal (Mohs hardness 9) 
Dial 
Solid silver, rhodié
Time Bridge: Black rhodiumed German silver
Hand: Rhodiumed gold 
Strap 
Hand-stitched alligator leather strap, black
Buckle: Lange deployant buckle in platinum
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Contact information for the media
Arnd Einhorn, Director Press and PR
* Tel.: +49 (0)35053 44 5505
* E-mail: presse@lange-soehne.com
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Tuesday, November 24, 2015

BREGUET – Tradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde 7097

















BREGUETTradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde 7097 White Gold NEW

In 2005, Breguet launched its iconic Tradition collection with the 7027 model, the first timepiece to showcase the mechanisms of the movement on top of the baseplate. Much imitated but never equalled, this collection has since filled out and this year welcomes an outstanding new model: the Tradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde 7097. 

The new watch, like the rest of the collection, is inspired by the “subscription watches” and recalls the genius of Abraham-Louis Breguet who first produced these one-hand watches in 1796. They were fitted with a very simple movement and sold by subscription: a down payment of a quarter of the price on order and the balance on delivery. Abraham-Louis Breguet also used the movements of his “subscription” watches for his first tact watches.

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The Tradition 7097 pays further tribute to the mechanisms of the “subscription” and tact watches by revealing the bridges, wheels, escapement, barrel and other components of the movement, which are usually hidden beneath the baseplate. Trim embellishments enhance the visual balance displayed by the symmetrical bridges. The bridges and baseplate are peened according to a decorative technique that requires rare skill and faultless execution to achieve a regular and uniform finish. The gold winding rotor borrows its style from the movements of the period while a conventional engine-turned hobnail pattern, done by hand, highlights a dial in silvered gold offset at 12 o'clock. This type of dial can be found on many of the tact watches that Abraham-Louis Breguet made from 1799 onwards.

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 The new model gets its name from the retrograde seconds hand at 10 o'clock, which supplements the hours and minutes shown by Breguet-style open-tipped hands in blued steel. Breguet’s watchmakers show off the complication with the help of a circular-brushed semi-circle that also makes the other indications easy to read. To maintain the symmetry, the pare-chute is located at 4 o'clock. This Breguet invention, which protects the balance staff from shocks, can be identified at a glance as the emblematic feature of the Tradition collection. It is the forbear of all the shock-protection devices in use today, including the Incabloc system.

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Nor does the new reference 7097 lag behind when it comes to the latest technology. Its 40mm case houses a movement with an inverted in-line lever escapement with silicon pallets and a silicon Breguet overcoil balance spring that ensure exceptional stability of rate.

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The Tradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde 7097 watch is the result of the technical and aesthetic excellence that Breguet consistently strives for in its modernisation of historical devices. Its austere styling honours the traditions of the brand, while its technical features are the prerogative of a watchmaking company that is resolutely building its future.

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Technical details

Model: Breguet Tradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde 7097 White Gold

Ref. 7097BB/G1/9WU

Case
18-carat white gold with delicately fluted case band
Sapphire-crystal caseback
40mm diameter
Welded lugs with screw bars
Water resistant to 3 bar (30m)
Dial
18-carat gold, silvered and engine-turned by hand, off-centre at 12 o'clock
Individually numbered and signed BREGUET
Chapter-ring with Roman numerals
Retrograde small seconds at 10 o'clock
Blued-steel BREGUET open-tipped hands 
Movement
Self-winding. Numbered and signed BREGUET
Caliber: Cal. 505SR1.
14½ lignes. 38 jewels
50-hour power-reserve
Straight-line inverted lever escapement with silicon pallets
BREGUET overcoil balance spring in silicon
3Hz frequency
Adjusted in 6 positions
Strap
Leather strap
Versions
Also available in 18-carat rose gold
Reference 7097BR/G1/9WU

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