Monday, May 29, 2017

BOVET – DIMIER Récital 20 Astérium® 10-day Flying Tourbillon Edition



















BOVETDIMIER Récital 20 Astérium® 10-day Flying Tourbillon Night Sky Annual Calendar with Astronomical Gold 46mm Limited Edition


In 2016, BOVET 1822 presented the Récital 18 Shooting Star®, which made headlines for its innovative time display. The many accolades attributed to this timepiece attest to its peerless identity and accomplishments.

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BOVETDIMIER Recital 18 Shooting Star®
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The Récital 20 Astérium® seamlessly continues the tradition set by its illustrious predecessor, reprising the characteristic shaped case to present an unprecedented mechanical display that showcases the volumes and decoration of the timepiece. What is more, the diptych now formed by these two timepieces takes us on a genuine philosophical journey to the edges of time and space. For with these timepieces, Pascal Raffy and the BOVET 1822 watchmakers invite us to explore the universe and the origins of time itself. While the watchmakers chose to soar above and offer a celestial view of our planet with its 24 time zones visible at a glance for the Shooting Star, they have returned to Earth for this masterpiece and lifted their eyes to the skies.

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The notions of time and space are intricately bound and inextricably linked. To observe space is to observe time: the present and the past, all the way back to our origins and to those of the universe. Since the dawn of humanity, it is from this observation that we have gleaned all our intellectual, scientific and even spiritual knowledge. Our fascination with time and space has enabled us to achieve our wildest dreams and has brought us our greatest discoveries in science, astronomy, space exploration and, of course, fine watchmaking.

Far more than just speculative investors, true collectors love time itself. Their passion extends to both time-measuring instruments and to the philosophical, universal dimension of time. It is for these aficionados that Pascal Raffy and the craftsmen at BOVET 1822 have designed, developed and manufactured the journey to the heavens that is the Récital 20 Astérium®.

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Time is defined by the position of the stars in the sky. Based on this undeniable fact, the night sky was chosen to play the ‘starring’ role in this new exceptional timepiece. Faithful to the underlying principles governing complication development at BOVET 1822, this sky map was designed to be functional, precise and intuitive all at once. With this in mind, the BOVET 1822 technicians opted to map out the stars and constellations visible from the Earth on a dome of translucent blue quartz, on which they are laser-engraved before being coated in Super-LumiNova® to create a dazzling true-to life sky. To ensure utmost realism, the highest stars in the sky are depicted at the top of the dome while the lowest stars nearer the horizon appear on the periphery of the display aperture.

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Yet, this unrivalled exactitude in time display would count for little had Pascal Raffy and his artisans not applied the same rigor to the mechanical precision of the timepiece. To this end, they devised a sidereal calendar. The duration of a complete Earthly orbit (known as a sidereal year) is 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes and 9.77 seconds, or an unchanging 365.25 days. For obvious reasons, the Gregorian calendar was obliged to round down the number of days in a year to 365 and to compensate for the remaining hours by adding an extra day every four years, giving us our leap years. While the Gregorian calendar is perfect for governing our everyday lives, it differs by 0.25 days per year from sidereal reality before resynchronizing every four years. The calendars usually employed in watchmaking – perpetual or otherwise – are all based on the Gregorian calendar, and the use of such a mechanism to drive a night sky results in a significant cumulative error when displaying the time.

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The night sky and the collection of sidereal indications on the Astérium® are thus governed by an annual calendar calculated on a 365.25-day cycle to reflect the real duration of one full terrestrial orbit. Thanks to this combination of display and horological exactitude, the instantaneous position of the stars in the sky is thus displayed with unrivalled precision.






While complex ingenuity went into developing the Astérium®, its mechanism and winding device are designed to be simple, intuitive and reliable, as can be seen by merely turning the timepiece over and looking through the transparent sapphire crystal covering the entire movement. It features a host of graduations linked to the astronomic indications through which a single central hand travels. This hand is driven directly by the annual calendar, and therefore performs a complete rotation once every 365.25 days. An annual calendar (dates and months) is graduated on the case-back bezel and serves to precisely regulate the night sky. Rapidly setting the annual calendar with the crown disconnects the hours and minutes hands, and enables both the position of the night sky and thus all sidereal information to be adjusted both quickly and easily. To do this, the wearer simply moves the central hand forward until it reflects the correct date before adjusting the time with the crown in its middle position. This operation takes far less time than adjusting a perpetual calendar would, and does not require a corrector. The same hand also travels along a graduation indicating the signs of the zodiac, symbolized by the constellations in front of which the sun appears throughout the year – hence the delicately hand-engraved sun that is riveted to the part of the hand that passes over this section. The seasons are also indicated further inside the timepiece, as are the solstices and equinoxes.

Returning to the front of the timepiece unveils some new additional indications. The lower left- and right-hand sections of the night sky overlook two double hemispheric indicators, while on the left, an hemispheric precision moon phase lingers above the equation of time indicator.

The duration of the true solar day – which corresponds to the exact interval of time between two passages of the sun at its zenith at an identical given point – varies throughout the year. In fact, the Earth takes exactly and consistently 23 hours and 56 minutes to rotate 360° on its own axis. But depending on the Earth’s position in its orbital ellipse, the sun will appear either earlier or later at the zenith at this identical point relative to the average 24-hour solar day.


The following diagram represents a situation in which the sun is late compared to the average solar day:

  • 1 to 2 = 360° = 23 hrs 56 mins
  • 1 to 3 = true solar day = > 24 hrs
  • The sun is late






















Depending on the Earth’s position in its orbital ellipse, two periods in which the sun is late will therefore be interrupted by two periods in which the sun is early in relation to our average solar day, as is demonstrated by the following equation of time curve:


















It is precisely the curve in this picture that the equation of time hand indicates on the Astérium®. Of course, for greater accuracy and precision, this is also driven by the annual calendar rather than a usual perpetual calendar.

On the lower right-hand section of the night sky is a double hemispheric indicator positioned symmetrically opposite the moon phase and equation of time displays. This shows the power reserve and its ten days of autonomy via an internal dome that evolves beneath a fixed hour-marker. The retrograde minutes hand is positioned above it and displayed on the periphery.

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In accordance with astral time, the hours pass concentrically across the night sky on a 24-hour dial that is positioned beneath the night sky and visible through the transparent quartz. To ensure intuitive use and optimal legibility, the hours hand has been designed to execute three functions simultaneously: it indicates the time, points to the north to facilitate map-reading, and carries the elliptical window characteristic of the night sky. Following the curves of the sapphire dome, this triple hand alone symbolizes the Manufacture’s truly diverse range of skills. From its development and its many delicate hand-crafted decorative flourishes to the hi-tech virtuosity that went into its machining, the creation of this hand is a concentration of technical feats all masterfully realized by the BOVET 1822 artisans.

Finally, the seconds hand – indicating the base unit by which the precision of all time measurements is judged – is driven by the patented double face flying tourbillon.

Despite its complexity, setting this timepiece is as quick and easy as for a timepiece with a simple calendar mechanism. The same applies when determining the position of the stars in the sky. To do this, simply point the arrow of the sky map hand northwards. The ellipse opened by this sky map hand outlines the part of the sky that is visible from the wearer’s position at the moment of observation, assuming that the observer is positioned in the center of the elliptical window and enjoys a 360° view.

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Whatever the field, the very essence of art lies in an artist’s ability to simplify something that is inherently complex. In this sense, BOVET 1822 watchmakers have demonstrated true artistry in the Astérium®. Once again, by building on their exceptional experience and infusing their work with cutting-edge research, they have driven back the boundaries of perfection.

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A single barrel regulates the energy of the timepiece and maintains the oscillations of the balance wheel at 18,000 vph for an autonomy of 10 days. This power reserve remains entirely unaffected by the many indications and the technical intricacy of their displays. The moon phase and power reserve domes, as well as the quartz night sky dome, are adjusted by patented variable micrometric bearing-blocks composed of ruby runners. This ingenious mechanism is extremely energy-efficient and has already proven its worth in the movement of the Récital 18 Shooting Star®.

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The patented double face tourbillon which regulates the Récital 20 Astérium® is equipped with a variable inertia balance wheel. The six collets distributed along the surface of the felly help refine dynamic adjustment for even better chronometry. And once completed and adjusted, each balance wheel is carefully selected and paired with the balance-spring with which it will form the best possible pairing. Through their perfectly mastered manufacture of traditional balance wheel and balance-springs, BOVET 1822 watchmakers continue to constantly redefine the boundaries of isochronism and chronometry. The three arches on the bridge of the titanium carriage – all rounded-off and polished by hand – expertly protect the heart of the timepiece. Their design is suggestive of a Gothic vault, of a cathedral without a roof open to the universal magic of stellar mechanics.

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The layout of this side of the movement follows the inclination of the bezel that characterizes this case design. The tourbillon carriage wheel and the seconds hour-marker screwed onto it are on the same level as the plate. Two levels of bridges then fan out from the center of the tourbillon carriage. The upper bridges are screwed to the bottom level by hand-polished pillars, which ensure harmonious volumes and draw the gaze. Finally, the three domes overlook the entire movement, offering a panoramic view of time and space that is both poetic and original.

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The decor of the movement matches its ingenuity and innovative structure. For maximum elegance, the Manufacture’s engravers have chosen highly subtle and delicate chiseling to decorate the surface of the bridges and plate. The surface demonstrates all the finesse of graining and all the brilliance of a ‘bris de verre’ motif. This contrasts perfectly with the framework of polished angles tracing the contours of the bridges, and guarantees a clear reading of both the night sky and the sapphire rear dial, all the while affording the admiring observer a clear view of the movement’s architecture and decoration.

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Only sixty Astérium® movements will be manufactured across all versions, including requests for unique pieces. This figure is no accident, of course: the number sixty has underpinned geometry, geography, astronomy and the measurement of time since the dawn of science.

Collectors can choose from red gold, white gold or platinum cases, which can be customized by the Manufacture’s artisans in a tradition that has distinguished BOVET 1822 for 195 years.

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Much more than just a new timepiece, the Récital 20 Astérium® tourbillon symbolizes the universal and eternal message of time and space, and the fascinating choreography of their celestial ballet.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Collection:  DIMIER

Model: Récital 20 Astérium® 
10-Day Flying Tourbillon Night Sky Annual Calendar with Astronomical Functions

Ref. R20N001 18K Red Gold Edition



























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Ref. R20N002 18K White Gold Edition





























Limited Edition of 60 movements


CASE
Type     DIMIER
Case Material    18K red or white gold or platinum 950/1000
Diameter    46mm
Thickness (With Glasses)   18.3mm
Thickness (Without Glasses)  7.5-14.3mm
Gold Weight    73.49gr (red gold) / 76.90gr white gold)
Crown    sapphire
Water Resistance    30m
MOVEMENT
Caliber    17DM02-SKY
Type    Hand-wound
Diameter    17’’’
Frequency    18’000 vph
Power reserve    10 days
Tourbillon       1 minute, flying tourbillon
Functions   
Hours (24h), retrograde minutes, seconds on tourbillon, annual calendar, night sky,
equation of time, precision moon phase indicator, season, solstice and equinox indicator,
astrological zodiac indicator and power reserve indicator
Dial
Blue sapphire convex and transparent sapphire
STRAP
Bracelet    Full skin alligator
Buckle    18K red or white gold ardillon

PATENTS
Display mechanism with radial guidance
Double face tourbillon

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Press release - 2017
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Friday, May 26, 2017

BLANCPAIN – Tribute To Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC Edition


BLANCPAIN – Tribute To Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC Automatique Limited Edition

Blancpain re-interprets one of its vintage pieces from the 1950s, the Fifty Fathoms with a water-tightness indicator.

The history of the Fifty Fathoms brings together two lineages. First is that of Jean-Jacques Fiechter a passionate diver who was Blancpain’s CEO for three decades, 1950-1980. The second is that of Captain RobertBobMaloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaud, founders of the French Navy’s combat swimmers corps and who were searching for a reliable watch for their underwater missions.

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In the early 1950s, Jean-Jacques Fiechter was a sport diving pioneer. Based on his personal underwater experiences, he came to understand that a diver’s life depended upon a reliable timekeeping instrument and he saw that none existed in the marketplace. As head of Blancpain, he tasked his watchmaking team with addressing the challenges of measuring time in the underwater environment. The rst criteria was obvious: water resistance. To solve the problem, he set about conceiving a double sealed crown system.

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Without a screw holding down the crown, this served to protect the watch from water penetration in the event that the crown were accidently to be pulled during a dive. The presence of the second interior seal worked to guarantee the timepiece’s water tightness. Jean-Jacques Fiechter registered a patent for this invention. A second patent was awarded for the sealing system for the caseback. This had indeed been a recurring problem with other pre-existing systems because of the way in which the “O” ring, used to seal the caseback, might become twisted when the back was screwed into the case. In order to eliminate this risk, Fiechter invented a channel into which the “O” ring would be inserted and held in position by an additional metallic disk.

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He then addressed another problem: a secured rotating bezel that could be used to measure the time of a dive. His idea was to rotate the bezel so as to place its zero index opposite the minutes hand. In this way, the diver could read the passage of time while underwater using the minutes hand to read markings on the bezel.

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Here too, security was front and center in Fiechter’s thinking. Any accidental movement of the bezel could induce a timing error with dramatic consequences. Fiechter therefore perfected a blocking mechanism which would prevent accidental rotation of the bezel. For this he received another patent. Later, Blancpain introduced a uni-directional rotating bezel, a world- rst feature which also ensured safety during a dive.

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Readability was also recognized a vital factor, in particular during dives in cloudy water. So Jean-Jacques Fiechter came up with the idea of endowing the Fifty Fathoms with large diameter and giving it the bold contrast of white luminescent indexes and hands set against a black background. Automatic winding of the movement was also seen as essential in this construction, as it would reduce the wear of the crown against its seals in comparison to manual winding.

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In parallel, beginning in 1952, Bob Maloubier and Claude Riffaud began their quest to nd a watch suited for their aquatic missions. The two of cers envisaged nding a watch that would become an indispensable piece of equipment for their divers. Working together, they assembled a list of speci c criteria for an instrument that would meet their requirements. The rst tests which they conducted with water-resistant French watches were disastrous. These watches were far too small, the dials were hard to read, and the cases were far from water proof.

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The paths of these two sets of visionaries nally crossed. In 1953, Blancpain was able to deliver to the French team a watch for testing that fully met their criteria. The watch performed brilliantly in all of the tests and it became one of the essential pieces of equipment for the French combat swimmers corps. Later, the same occurred for naval forces around the world. It was a unique timepiece: the Fifty Fathoms.

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Fifty Fathoms The Dive and Watch History 1953

Jean-Jacques Fiechter continued with his pre-occupation for diver safety and soon incorporated an additional feature for his watches: a circular water-tightness indicator.

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If, by chance, liquid were to leak into the watch case, a disk at 6 o’clock would signal the problem by changing its color from white to red. This water-tightness indicator was present on the dial of the Fifty Fathoms model called the MIL-SPEC 1, which was introduced in 1957-58 to meet the strict requirements of the military.

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Beginning in 1958, the American Navy tested a variety of different watches with the goal of drawing up speci cations for a timepiece to be used in their underwater missions.

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Following those tests, the Fifty Fathoms became the standard-issue watch on the wrists of American combat swimmers, as well as the reference point for future production to take place in the US.

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Meanwhile, Blancpain obtained contracts to equip members of the elite UDT and the Navy Seals with MIL-SPEC 1 watches. Later on, in the early 1960s, those evolved into the MIL-SPEC 2 and, using the name “Tornek-Rayville”, the TR-900. The water-tightness indicator became a requirement of the American Navy, and was incorporated in all these models.

The new 2017 model

The “Tribute to Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC” is tted with Blancpain’s in-house automatic winding caliber 1151, comprising 210 components including two series-coupled mainspring barrels and offering a four-day power reserve.

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Nestled into its stainless steel 40mm case, the movement as well as its solid gold winding rotor with a NAC coating (a platinum alloy) and Blancpain logo, are visible through the clear sapphire case back. The balance-spring is in silicon, a material that offers many advantages. Firstly, its low density makes it lighter and thus more shock-resistant. In addition, it is impervious to magnetic elds. The resulting balance spring is ideally shaped, thereby ensuring improved isochronism performance of the movement, resulting in enhanced timekeeping precision.

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Original 1953 Fifty Fathoms watch

This new model naturally features the entire set of technical characteristics of a watch dedicated to diving, established by the original 1953 Fifty Fathoms and later followed by the entire watch industry.

Its black dial features indexes in Super-LuminNova® and a water-tight- ness indicator recalling the designs of the 1950s MIL-SPEC 1. The unidirectional rotating bezel covered in scratch-resistant sapphire, a Blancpain innovation which rst appeared in 2003 with the 50th Anniversary Fifty Fathoms, protects the luminescent indications underneath.

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This timepiece is water resistant to 30 bar, which is equivalent to 300 meters.

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It is limited to 500 examples and is offered with a NATO strap, sail cloth strap, or steel bracelet with a secure buckle.

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Technical specifications
References:  5008-1130-B52A
Collection: Fifty Fathoms

Model: MIL-SPEC Edition 

Limited edition of 500

Case
Stainless steel satin-brushed
Unidirectional satin-brushed steel bezel, ceramic insert
Diameter:  40.30 mm
Thickness: 13.23 mm
Water-resistant: 30 ATM/300m/1000ft
Between horns:  20.00 mm
Back:   Sapphire crystal
Antimagnetic properties
Dial
Black dial
Date and seconds
Liquidmetal® hour-markers
Round indexes in Super-LuminNova® 
Disk between 4 and 5 o'clock
Functions                
Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date 
Movement
Calibre 1151
Self-winding 
Ultra-slim
Calibre diameter: 27.40.mm
Calibre thickness: 3.25 mm

Power reserve in hours: 96 hours
Jewels: 28
2 mainspring barrels
Glucydur free sprung balance with gold regulation screws
Secured movement
Components: 210

Strap
Sail canvas or a NATO strap
Pin Buckle engraved with the BLANCPAIN logo.
(*Available steel bracelet with a secure buckle)

Limited edition
500

Price: $14,000 USD) or a steel bracelet with a secure buckle ($16,200 USD)

*Each bar corresponds to a 10-metre water column.
* Blancpain reserves the right to modify this model and its technical characteristics.

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Press release - 2017
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Blancpain S.A.
Le Rocher 12
1348 Le Brassus
Suisse
International PR: Aude Rosati
Tel.  (+41) 21 796 3636
Fax (+41) 21 796 3637
E-mail: pr@blancpain.com
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