Friday, March 8, 2019

BREITLING – PREMIER B01 Chronograph Bentley Centenary Edition

BREITLINGPREMIER B01 Chronograph BENTLEY Centenary Limited Edition

Breitling and Britain’s Bentley Motors enjoy the longest-ever partnership between a watch brand and an automo­bile manufacturer. In fact, it dates back to 2003, when Bentley, the world’s most admired luxury car brand, launched the very first Continental GT.

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Every detail in this unrivaled grand tourer reflected Bentley’s ongoing commitment to quality, luxury, and performance, and, fittingly, the company chose Breitling to design the onboard clock. It was the beginning of an important partnership for both brands, and now Breitling has announced the release of the Premier Bentley Centenary Limited Edition, which celebrates 100 years of luxury motoring excellence.

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Breitling’s partnership with Bentley Motors can be traced back to 2002, when the iconic automobile brand was designing its legendary Continental GT. Bentley commissioned Breitling to create an onboard clock that would reflect the unparalleled luxury, peerless quality, and extraordinary performance of the new grand tourer, which was debuted in 2003.

At this year’s Geneva International Motor Show, Breitling introduced the Premier Bentley Centenary Limited Edition wristwatch on March 5, 2019, to commemorate the partnership and celebrate Bentley’s 100 years of luxury motoring excellence.

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Breitling CEO Georges Kern says the new watch reflects the values his brand shares with the legendary British automaker: “We’re proud of our partnership with Bentley. Both companies are known for quality, performance, and design excellence, and both are built on powerful legacies. The Premier Bentley Centenary Limited Edition is a celebration of Bentley’s history, its luxury, and its incredible racing pedigree, as well as its important, intimate connection to Breitling.”

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In 2018, Breitling introduced the ⏩ Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Bentley British Racing Green, a striking wristwatch with a distinctive British racing green dial.

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 The Breitling Premier Bentley Centenary Limited Edition

The Breitling Premier Bentley Centenary Limited Edition is an exceptional member of the Swiss watch brand’s elegant Premier collection. Produced in 18 k red gold and stainless-steel versions, some outstanding design features distinguish these limited-edition timepieces from all others. 

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The elegant, unique brown elm burl dial with black subdials (a chronograph minute counter at 3 o’clock and a small-second subdial at 9 o’clock) is particularly eye-catching. These contrasting subdials indicate that the watches are powered by Breitling’s flagship Manufacture Caliber 01. The in-house mechanical movement delivers an impressive power reserve of approximately 70 hours.

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The movement is visible through a unique transparent caseback featuring a Bentley logo. The 18 k red gold version is engraved with a “ONE OF 200” inscription, while the stainless-steel version is inscribed “ONE OF 1000”, confirmation of the edition sizes for the watches.

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The dial features a white tachymeter scale on a black inner bezel around the dial, with a red tachymeter inscription.

The Breitling Premier Bentley Centenary Limited Edition
in 18 k red gold is presented on a brown leather strap whose pattern and stitching were inspired by the seats in a Bentley. The stainless-steel version will be avail­able on the brown Bentley-inspired leather strap as well or on a stainless-steel bracelet.

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On the left-hand side of the 42-millimeter stainless-­steel case is a plate with an engraved “Bentley” inscription, whose design is based on the dashboard of the historic supercharged 1929 BlowerBentley.

The Breitling Premier Bentley Centenary Limited Edition is a COSC-certified chronometer, an independent confirmation of its precision.

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The Breitling Premier: Elegant Watches for Men and Women of Style, Purpose, and Action


In the 1940s, Breitling introduced its first collection of truly elegant watches, which were defined by their fashionable flair. The new Breitling Premier collection combines purpose with style, delivering quality, performance, and timeless design that are worthy of the watch brand’s proud legacy.

 Celebrating a Motoring Legacy

At the Geneva International Motor Show, Bentley celebrated its 100th anniversary with the introduction of the Centenary Limited Edition – Continental GT Number 9 Edition by Mulliner. On the same day, Breitling launched the Breitling Premier Bentley Centenary Limited Edition.

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Adrian Hallmark, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors, commented: “The long-standing collaboration between Bentley and Breitling is a sterling example of how brands with shared values work together in an authentic way – the performance of both is enhanced. While we are certainly celebrating our past in our centenary year, our focus is on a future characterized by our passion for innovation. It is exciting to introduce our Centenary Limited Edition – Continental GT Number 9 Edition at the same time and in the same place that Breitling is launching its Premier Bentley Centenary Limited Edition watch. These two releases define both companies’ unwavering commitment to technological excellence, expert craftsmanship, and a pioneering spirit.


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While Bentley is known for its luxurious road cars, the brand also has an impressive history on the track. Between 1924 and 1930, the famous Bentley Boys and Girls won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race five times. That success, however, is not only a part of the brand’s distant past. In 2003, Bentley returned to Le Mans and took the first and second place finishes. At that edition of the world’s most famous endurance race, Breitling was Team Bentley’s proud main sponsor.

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Sir Tim Birkin was one of the legendary Bentley Boys, and it was in the No. 9 – his own car – that he raced and broke records in. It was his vision that brought a supercharger to a Bentley. While the official name of the car was “4½ Litre Supercharged,” they soon became widely known and admired as the “BlowerBentleys.

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Perhaps the greatest of all the Blower’s races was the 1930 Le Mans, where Sir Tim drove the second of the five Birkin team cars, registration UU 5872 and carrying race number 9.

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In celebration of the car and its driver, the Bentley Continental GT Number 9 Edition by Mulliner features a wood insert from the seat of his iconic 1930 No. 9 Le Mans race car. Set in resin and situated in the middle of the center dial of the rotating display, it adds a tantalizing piece of history to each Limited Edition.

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When Sir Tim Birkin’s car was being restored, it was necessary to replace the wood insert, making the original wood available for a place of honor in the new automobiles.

Breitling’s Connection to a Rich Racing Tradition

The wooden dials that contribute to the allure of the Premier Bentley Centenary Limited Edition watches are an important link to the wood inserts in the new Continental GT Number 9 Edition and, by extension, to the days in which the original Bentley Boys and Girls attracted so much attention with their successes on the track and their headline-making antics when they were not racing.

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The Breitling Premier Bentley Centenary Limited Edition watches are a stunning celebration of two great luxury brands that are appreciated around the globe for their design, their performance, and their history.

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Technical Specifications

Model :  PREMIER B01 Chronograph Bentley Centenary Edition

Reference: RB01181A1Q1X1

WATCH MOVEMENT
Caliber: Breitling Manufacture Caliber
B01
Diameter: 30 millimeters
Depth: 7.2 millimeters
Winder: automatic with dual-acting ball-bearing rotor
Power reserve: approximately 70 hours
Number of components: 346
Balance frequency: 28,800 a/h or 4 hertz
Chronograph:
Ratchet wheel control, vertical coupling, 1/4th second,
30-minute and 12-hour counters
Display: hour, minute, second, window date
Certification: COSC-certified
CASE
Material: 18 k red gold
Diameter: 42 millimeters
Height: 13.65 millimeters
Water resistance: up to 10 bar (100 meters)
Glass: sapphire, convex, double anti-reflective
Caseback: screwed, sapphire glass
Crown: non-screw-locked, two gaskets
Bezel: bidirectional with circular slide rule
DIAL/HANDS
Brown elm burl with black contrasting fields for permanent seconds and
30-minute totalizer Super-LumiNova® luminescent hour and minute hands
STRAP
Brown Bentley-inspired strap with pin buckle

Limited Edition - Only 200-Pieces
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Reference: AB01181A1Q1A1 AB01181A1Q1X1, or AB01181A1Q1X2

WATCH MOVEMENT
Caliber: Breitling Manufacture Caliber
B01
Diameter: 30 millimeters
Depth: 7.2 millimeters
Winder: automatic with dual-acting ball-bearing rotor
Power reserve: approximately 70 hours
Number of components: 346
Balance frequency: 28,800 a/h or 4 hertz
Chronograph:
Ratchet wheel control, vertical coupling, 1/4th second,
30-minute and 12-hour counters
Display: hour, minute, second, window date
Certification: COSC-certified
CASE
Material: stainless steel
Diameter: 42 millimeters
Height: 13.65 millimeters
Water resistance: up to 10 bar (100 meters)
Glass: sapphire, convex, double anti-reflective
Caseback: screwed, sapphire glass
Crown: non-screw-locked, two gaskets
Bezel: bidirectional with circular slide rule
DIAL/HANDS
Brown elm burl with black contrasting fields for permanent seconds and
30-minute totalizer Super-LumiNova® luminescent hour and minute hands
STRAP
Brown Bentley-inspired strap with pin buckle or folding buckle or stainless-steel bracelet
with folding clasp

Limited Edition - 1000-Pieces

 
🔴 #premierstyle
🔴 #bentley100years


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Julia Marozzi
Head of Lifestyle Communications
BENTLEY MOTORS LIMITED
Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 3PL, UK
Telephone: +44 203 705 20 47
Mobile: +44 778 998 82 58
E-mail: julia.marozzi@bentley.co.uk
www.bentleymedia.com
www.bentleymotors.com


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Press Release - 2019
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ROMY HEBDEN
Head of Public Relations

BREITLING SA
Schlachthausstrasse 2
2540 Grenchen
Switzerland
Telephone: +41 32 654 54 54
Mobile: +41 79 731 90 28
E-mail: romy.hebden@breitling.com
Check our website at www.breitling.com
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www.Breitling.com

Thursday, March 7, 2019

Ulysse Nardin – FREAK neXt Concept
















Ulysse NardinFREAK neXt Flying Oscillator Platinum and Titanium 45mm Concept watch - 2019



THE NEXT TECHNOLOGICAL MILESTONE IN THE FREAK’S HISTORY: 
A NEW FLYING CAROUSSEL BAGUETTE MOVEMENT EQUIPPED 
WITH A 3D-FLYING OSCILLATOR USING SILICIUM FLEXIBLE BLADES.

The latest model in the iconic "FREAK" collection, the "FREAK neXt" watch marks a new technical feat for Ulysse Nardin. This prototype watch, a showcase for Ulysse Nardin's technological expertise and the flexible silicium blade technology in particular, sets the tone for a new generation of FREAK models to come, where innovation is taken to the Xtreme. Discover this new chapter in the Freak collection, combining all the most iconic innovations of the FREAK VISION model with an extraordinary new 3D flying oscillator!

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March 62019, London – At a press conference held beneath the minimalistic curves of London's Serpentine Gallery, in the presence of Patrick Pruniaux, the watch brand's CEO and Stéphane Von Gunten, Research and Innovation Director, Ulysse Nardin unveiled its latest concept watch, the FREAK neXt: a concentrate of technologies in the same spirit as past innovations.

Ulysse Nardin has been at the cutting edge of watchmaking since its foundation in 1846. Technological exploration is more than a method, it is a philosophy, a raison d’être, a daily driving force.

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With the new FREAK neXt concept watch, the Swiss manufacture proves that the adventurous spirit of the FREAK collection is very much alive and driving Ulysse Nardin's technical departments more than ever. The new FREAK neXt is the current quintessence of all the technical and watchmaking skills of the Ulysse Nardin Manufacture, unveiling an oscillator of truly spectacular design.


WHAT’S NEXT ?

So what's the latest from the depths of Ulysse Nardin's new "laboratory on the wrist"? After 10 years of continued research, development and improvements in collaboration with Sigatec – a firm co-owned by Ulysse Nardin that specializes in the production of silicium micro-components – the Manufacture is now in a position to present what appears to be the pinnacle of a paradigm shift in mechanical watchmaking that began in 2015 with the Ulysse Anchor flying escapement: the new neXt flying oscillator.

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THE "NEXT" FLYING OSCILLATOR AND ITS 3D DESIGN

First came Ulysse Nardin's flying tourbillon and flying anchor escapement. Now, we present the flying oscillator!

"The balance wheel regulates even better as it has a great moment of inertia and performs rapid oscillations of great amplitude."     Léopold Defossez

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That is precisely the challenge that the new FREAK neXt has successfully taken on. Toying with the limits of the physics of materials, the new Freak neXt flying oscillator presents an entirely innovative 3D design. Based on flexible mechanisms using the elasticity of silicium blades, a principle that is truly mastered by Ulysse Nardin, this oscillating regulating device does away with the central pivot, its center literally suspended in mid-air. The central idea of this regulating organ is to totally eliminate the axis of the balance wheel in order to create a virtual pivot point. This is a radical development that hugely improves the traditional principle of balance spring regulation introduced in the 17th century.

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The neXt flying oscillator, with its 3D multi-layer construction – four layers of blades and a solid layer that serves as a flywheel – is a highly significant technological development for watchmaking research. This new oscillator eliminates the necessity for pivots and jewels. The new FREAK features a "suspended" beating heart that "levitates" without a balance-cock (balance bridge). The direct result of this system is none other than the total elimination of friction on the bearings, optimizing the global quality factor and therefore the movement's energy consumption. The only remaining friction is with the air. No more – or very little – friction, no more contact, no more wear, no more oil.

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Made up of 32 silicium micro-blades measuring 16 micrometers in width, connected to one another without contact with the mainplate – forming 16 triangles superimposed in 4 parallel layers – the oscillator beats to a highly efficient frequency of 12 Hz, for a remarkable 70-hour power reserve. The frequency has been multiplied by 3 while at the same time increasing the power reserve by 30%. This incredible technical feat is made possible thanks to the elimination of friction, particularly given the fact that the energy consumption depends on the frequency, cubed (if the frequency is doubled, the consumption is multiplied by 8).

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But this major innovation comes as no surprise. It is the last stage in a decade of developments for FREAK concept watches at Ulysse Nardin with the 2014 launch of the Ulysse Anchor escapement, followed by the Grinder, also fitted with blades, presented in 2017 on the Freak InnoVision 2 model.

ABOUT THE ULYSSE ANCHOR ESCAPEMENT

The Ulysse Anchor escapement is based on the principle of flexible mechanisms using the elasticity of leaf springs. This constant escapement, made entirely of silicium, presents a circular frame with a fixed anchor at its center that pivots without friction. It is held in the air by two tiny silicium leaves, perpendicular to one another, which are tensioned in order to bend and maintain them in a bistable state. The result is a positive energy balance during the angle of lift that maintains constant oscillations of the balance without being influenced by the variations of the engine torque.


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ABOUT THE GRINDER

The self-winding "Grinder" system has revolutionized energy transmission as it is twice as efficient as existing systems. The "Grinder" uses the smallest of wrist movements. The oscillating weight is connected to a frame carrying four clicks or blades, which gives the self-winding system twice the angular stroke (like a bicycle fitted with four pedals instead of two). A flexible guiding mechanism considerably limits friction.

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SPACE-INSPIRED DESIGN & EXTRA WHITE MINIMALISM

A true architectural gem, the FREAK neXt has a high-tech, ultra-contemporary look. It is in immaculate white with phosphorescent touches, applied by Ulysse Nardin's designers to highlight their latest invention.

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The bridge of the baguette movement (the finishing gear train) has a slightly trapezoidal shape inspired by the spaceships from Star Wars, and is framed by four luminescent tubes filled with Superluminova for a phosphorescence effect that is visible only at night. A small logo in the colors of Ulysse Nardin – positioned on a transparent lens made from glass using a subtractive 3D production process – completes the decoration of the baguette movement. Contrasting with the celestial purity of the dominant white, the 3D multi-layer oscillator is chameleon-like: depending on the angle from which it is viewed, it presents glistening blue, purple or green reflections.

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The new FREAK neXt comes with a white Superluminova bezel, white Superluminova shafts at the sides, as well as a white automatic winding support on the back of the watch. The rubber strap is also white with white stitching and dark blue “point-de-bride” stitches. Evoking purity, simplicity and minimalism, the FREAK neXt is dressed in platinum and titanium. This watch, which is not available for sale, demonstrates the brand's commitment to extending and enriching its collection by taking its watchmaking eXpertise to the next level. This is a watch whose call of adventure will tempt any self-respecting modern-day Ulysses. The highly sophisticated mechanism, which will be incorporated into commercial products by the end of the year, opens up new, unexplored horizons for Ulysse Nardin.

NEXT IS FOR... X FACTOR

In the New Year, Ulysse Nardin added the "X factor" to its collections and watchmaking. The first letter in the name of the popular Xbox, showing where to sign in legal documents, the symbol of a chromosome, a generation, an intersection, multiplication, marking the spot on treasure maps: the 24th letter of the alphabet lets the imagination run wild. X represents the unknown, unspecified or variable factor. X is for eXploration, eXtraordinary, eXcess, eXperience, eXcitement, eXtreme and compleX. More than just a slogan, it is a declaration, reminding us of the boldness and creativity embodied by the new FREAK neXt.

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FREAK VISION

The FREAK neXt is not the only new model introduced to the FREAK family. Today, the FREAK VISION is dressed in new clothes: black (in titanium) or rose gold – satin-brushed or polished. The first self-winding watch in the collection showcases the revolutionary innovations unveiled by Ulysse Nardin with its "InnoVision 2" concept watch. The most significant include an ultra-light silicium balance wheel with nickel inertia-blocks and stabilizing micro-blades, and a new case, topped with a box-domed sapphire crystal.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Collection FREAK 

Model name:  FREAK neXt

References   2505-250/00   

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 References   2505-250/00.1   

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Movement         
Caliber UN-25X
Automatic movement with Grinder, a revolutionary system twice as efficient as existing systems
Functions/Specifications  
12 Hz oscillating frequency, silicium flying balance wheel with nickel elements
Oscillator with flexible pivot point, with virtual axis: no axis, no pivots, no bearings.
No friction, no need to lubricate the pivots.
High quality factor, increased power reserve
Improved efficiency in vertical position
(no difference in amplitude between the horizontal and vertical positions of the watch)
Silicium finishing gear train
Power reserve            70 hours
Case           
Platinum and titanium, with sandblasted and satin or polished finish
Diameter 45 mm, Height 14.1 mm,
Water resistance        30 m
Case-back
    View of the "Grinder" through the sapphire crystal, white central bridge
Bezel                White rubber-coated bezel with green SLN
Strap
Rubber with central openwork and titanium folding clasp or
White alligator skin with blue “point-de-bride” stitches and Velcro fastening

Price  
              N/A – Concept watch


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Press Release - 2019
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Ulysse Nardin SA
Marketing Department
Rue du Jardin 3
2400 Le Locle
Switzerland
T :+4132 930 74 00
F :+4132 930 74 21
 

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