LOUIS MOINET – SIDERALIS Double Tourbillon Limited Edition

LOUIS MOINET – SIDERALIS Double Tourbillon White Gold Limited Edition NEW

Sideralis by Louis Moinet - An interstellar 

inverted double tourbillon

Baselworld 2016

“Sideralis is an invitation to embark on an interstellar journey – a whole new kind of discovery that’s singularly technical and poetic”

In unveiling the Ateliers’ latest creation, Louis Moinet’s CEO Jean-Marie Schaller waxes lyrical – and that speaks volumes in itself.

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The timepiece in question defies comparison, simply because to date, Sideralis does not have any equivalent anywhere in the world of watchmaking, and is protected by two patent applications. And over and above purely technical considerations, Sideralis makes an unequivocal statement: Louis Moinet is perhaps the last fully-independent firm to be investing in new components with the sole aim of inspiring awe among lovers of fine watches.

Sidereal – and staggering

Sideralis is structured around two especially extraordinary tourbillons:

Special feature number one

Both of these tourbillons are oversized, with cages measuring 14.9 mm – half as big again as the average. This is the largest assembly of two tourbillons ever to have existed. “Aside from our exacting chronometric standards, this approach adds a fascinating visual dimension to the watch; a touch of magic that we’ve decided to gift to lovers of fine watches, just so they can contemplate beauty and horological art in all its splendour,” explains Jean-Marie Schaller.

Special feature number two

The two tourbillons are designed to be physically above the movement – above the dial, even. The two raised cages are large as life and wholly visible, revealing balance wheels with beautifully styled screws – and an absolutely incomparable aesthetic appearance.

Special feature number three

The tourbillons rotate in opposite directions. The continuous coming and going, side by side, is not just for stylistic reasons; the counter-rotation provides the motive power required for the star mechanism – the Sideralis complication.

Now, tourbillons move the planets

For the first time ever, a complication is driven by a double tourbillon: a time dial, situated at 12 o’clock, comprising two discs, one atop the other. The top one features a tiny hand-painted picture. This hand-crafted marvel depicts the universe and its constellations of stars and planets, painted one by one on a dark blue sidereal background. The animation completes one counter-clockwise rotation every 60 seconds.

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At 12 o’clock on this upper disc there is a circular opening, through which can be glimpsed the three planets painted on the lower disc, seen to be rotating in the opposite direction at the same speed. The feature represents a wholly new conceptual and artistic approach. 
Mars, Mercury and the Moon – physically present

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Through the opening, the lower disc reveals the planet

Mars, the Moon, and Mercury in succession. “These three bodies have not been chosen at random,” says Jean-Marie Schaller. “Each of the micro-paintings includes genuine dust from the heavenly body in question: a fragment of Mars, moon dust, and extremely rare fragments of the Rosetta Stone, whose scientific name is Sahara 99555. This stone has travelled across the universe to reach us: it’s the oldest known to mankind, believed by the scientific community to have come from Mercury and to be four and half billion years old. Fragments of meteorites from Mars, the Moon and Sahara 99555 also appear on the lower disc, positioned between the planets, floating in the cosmos, or included in a hand-painted shooting star.”

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The inverted double tourbillon, powering an exclusive complication, is an unprecedented innovation, with two patents pending to protect it. The Sideralis caliber is also fully exclusive to Louis Moinet, mounted on a hand-painted aventurine dial that matches the universe depicted on the time disc. Sideralis comes in a 47.4 mm grey gold case – and in a limited edition of just 28 watches.

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Technical specifications:

Model: SIDERALIS

Collection:  Limited Edition to 28 exemplaires 

Reference:  LM-46.70.20

Sideralis is an interstellar inverted double Tourbillon,  powering an exclusive complication:  
a sideral mechanism. This animation displays successively Mars,
The Moon, Mercury and authentic meteorites in a hand-crafted universe.

Movement
Exclusive and patented double Tourbillon with animated sideral Mechanism by  Louis Moinet®
Winding: Manual double Tourbillon
Mechanical exclusive Louis Moinet calibre LM46,
Interstellar inverted double Tourbillon
Frequency: 21,600 vph / 3Hz
Power reserve: 72 hours
Jewels: 36
Balance: Glucydur, screwed
Functions
Hours, minutes, interstellar inverted double Tourbillon
Case
Material: 18K White Gold
Original Louis Moinet® design featuring six-screw bezel
Original design by Louis Moinet®, made up of 59 parts
Case diameter: 47.40 mm
Water-resistance: 30 metres
Caseback: Secured with 6 screws, engraved with individual number and Louis Moinet markings
Crystals: Two anti-reflective sapphire crystals
Patent-pending crown guard
Sapphire crystal and back
Crystals: Two sapphire crystals with anti-reflective treatment
Dial
This animation displays successively Mars,
The Moon, Mercury and authentic meteorites in a hand-crafted universe.
Central Gouttes de Rosée hour and minute hands, gold-treated
Inverted double Tourbillon
Strap
Louisiana alligator leather, hand-sewn, 24mm width between lugs.
Folding clasp: 18-carat.

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ALPINA – SEASTRONG Diver Heritage

ALPINA – SEASTRONG Diver Heritage NEW

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THE ALPINA SEASTRONG DIVER HERITAGE

Almost half a century after its first appearance, the Alpina "Seastrong 10" Super Compressor diving watch finds its way back into the Alpina collection as the "Seastrong Diver Heritage". More than a replica, a modern interpretation of a Swiss watchmaking classic.

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The Story
"When the water-resistant watch came on the market 15 years ago, some people thought it was just another crazy fashion or a sales gimmick. After all it is not absolutely necessary to wear your watch in the bath …" According to the German specialist magazine Uhrmacher-Woche.

In the year these watches first appeared, 1942, things looked very different. Women and men would value their wristwatch as an almost indispensable companion in all situations of life. Naturally, contact with water could not be ruled out. The technicians of the Swiss watch manufacturer Alpina therefore saw this as a challenge. Their dealers and their customers wanted wristwatches with water-resistant cases. Following several years of development work, the sporty and functional "Alpina 4" was therefore presented for the first time in 1938. The numeral stood for four impressive quality characteristics. Firstly, the timepiece had antimagnetic properties. An "Incabloc" impact protection device protected the delicate pivots of the balance wheel from breakage. Thirdly, the highly resilient case was made of stainless steel. Finally came the fourth and particularly important argument for purchasing the Alpina 4", in the form of a "Geneva" type water-resistant case. Its specially designed crown was patented. In spite of its outstanding qualities, however, this of course could not yet be described as a genuine diving watch. The presentation of such a watch by Alpina would have to wait a further 30 years.

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In this way, we learn from the annals of the art of watchmaking, the era of this type of wristwatch began. Not least because of the underwater equipment available, the pressure-tightness initially only extended to ten bar. Shortly afterwards instruments for professional use came on the scene, which easily withstood depths of up to 200 metres.

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Because air supply is always limited, time spent under water is extremely precious. To ensure the hours, minutes and seconds can be easily read, and as a reminder to divers to return to the surface in good time, product designers not only provided their diving wristwatches with striking illuminated dials and hands, but also incorporated a useful rotating bezel. For safety reasons, the rotating bezel can now exclusively be turned in an anticlockwise direction. In this way the time for remaining under water as displayed by the watch can only be reduced in the event of an accidental change, never increased. Because the inventor company had placed their unilaterally positioned rotating bezel under patent protection in the 1950s, their competitors either had to be content with copies that could be displaced on both sides, or proceed in a completely new direction.

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This is precisely the option chosen by Ervin Piquerez SA (EPSA), based in Bassecourt in Switzerland. In 1956 the experienced watchmaking company presented a design of a new kind (which was therefore also patented). As usual, the back was also screwed together with the middle. In addition, however, the "Super Compressor", water-resistant to twenty bar, boasted a truly innovative special feature: an integrated spring mechanism prevented compression and the damage that this could cause to the rubber sealing ring when the case was being screwed down. But the name "Compressor" was also associated with a further characteristic: increasing diving depth and the increasing water pressure associated therewith press the two parts of the case ever more firmly together. The outstanding features of this newcomer also included two crowns, one for winding and adjusting the hands, the other for deliberately adjusting the internal diving time rotating ring in both directions. The sophisticated design really made sense. Accidental actions and incorrect operation of the "device for individual preselection of a diving time" (as specified by the relevant standard) were almost impossible. A third advantage consisted in a relatively flat design of the watches, which was both functional and elegant.

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No wonder that the EPSA has been able to secure many well known watch manufacturers as its customers over the years. One of these customers – closing the circle, as it were – was Alpina. In 1967 the cooperative brought its highly regarded "Alpina 10" on to the market. The "Super Compressor" case, water-resistant to up to twenty bar, housed the 572C automatic calibre. The extremely pressure-tight "Super Compressor" case is instantly recognisable from the outside by the grid pattern on both crowns, and on the inner side of the case back by the stylised depiction of a diving helmet.

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The 2016 Seastrong Diver Heritage

Just 50 years later, the highly regarded diving watch is back in the Alpina Collection, this time as the "Seastrong Diver Heritage". Its illustrious predecessor from the 1960s is recalled in two operating elements in the right case flank and the rotating ring which was (at that time, for good reason) shifted into the inside of the case. With the help of the crown, the rotating ring can be quickly and easily adjusted at "2". The 60 minute division is also useful for non divers. For example, the arrow can be positioned so that the approaching hour hand indicates when parking time is running out. Thanks to the modern case design, the classic stainless steel case (now increased to a diameter of 42 millimetres) with its engraved screwed case back resists water pressure up to 30 bar, corresponding to a diving depth of 300 m/1000ft.

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The modern AL-525 automatic calibre ensures timekeeping. This is the equally reliable, robust and accurate SW 200 from Sellita. Alpina has refined it with its customary attention to detail, giving the ball bearing mounted rotor the asymmetric form signature to the brand. The balance wheel completes 28,800 vibrations per hour. Fully wound, it has 38 hours of power reserve. Choosing a dial style may proof difficult. Admirers of the retro look will go for the traditional light-dark contrast design. Those who love elegant understatement will prefer the exclusively dark option.

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For more information on our watches, please visit our website or feel free to contact us directly.
You can email Mrs Annabel Corlay at corlay@alpina-watches.com

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Technical Specifications

Model: SEASTRONG Diver Heritage

Reference: AL-525S4H6 Silver color dial
Reference: AL-525G4H6 Dark grey color dial

Movement       
Caliber AL-525 automatic
26 jewels,
38 hours power reserve,
28,800 alt/h
Functions                
Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date
Case               
Stainless steel case with internal turning ring
42 mm diameter, 12.3 mm thickness
Scratch – resistant glassbox sapphire crystal
Water-resistant 30 ATM/300m/1000ft
Engraved case-back
Screw-down crowns and caseback 
Dial   

• Silver color dial with applied silver color indexes

    Internal black color ring with applied luminous indexes  

• Dark grey color dial with applied silver color indexes

Internal dark navy color ring with applied luminous indexes

Date window at 4’ o clock
White luminous coated hours, minutes and seconds hands
Strap   
Black leather strap water-resistant

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