BOVET – VIRTUOSO IX Double Time Zone Tourbillon

BOVET – Fleurier Grandes Complications VIRTUOSO IX Double Time Zone 10-Day Power Reserve Big Date Flying Tourbillon


When imagining a new timepiece, BOVET 1822 owner Mr. Raffy relentlessly weighs contemporary interpretation against the Maison’s historical heritage to ensure coherence and harmony.

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Considering the watchmaking practice of the Bovet brothers at the dawn of the 19th century reveals how perfectly they mastered traditional watchmaking and the decorative arts of the Académie. At the same time, they expressed a very contemporary and innovative vision, both technically and stylistically.

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If art and watchmaking experts recognize the work of the Bovet brothers in all its diversity, it is because the common denominator between academic tradition and innovation has always been uncompromising quality, in the service of reliability, chronometry, elegance, and good taste. Mr. Raffy has tasked himself with achieving this same subtle balance in the design of the Tourbillon Amadéo Fleurier Virtuoso IX.

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This all-new caliber is housed in a 46.30 mm diameter Fleurier Amadéo convertible case. A true icon of the Maison, the Amadéo system transforms the timepiece into a reversible wristwatch, a pocket watch, or a table clock without the use of any tools. Additionally, the Virtuoso IX case is equipped with a fascinating new mechanism, allowing the case back to be opened simply by applying pressure to the crown. The proven ergonomics of the Fleurier case make this timepiece suited for everyday wear. In the same vein, its features  and complications will always be of use to the collector, both over time and throughout his travels.

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The dial is meticulously organized for clarity, yet exudes a unique style. Only the minute hand is centered on the dial. The hour hand is offset at 2 o’clock, and a second hour hand, the 24- hour hand, displays a second time zone at 10 o’clock. Both local time and the secondary time zone thus share the minute hand. A corresponding indicator displays the second time zone’s city name. Two lateral correctors make adjusting and selecting a time zone easy, all while taking into account the differences between daylight savings time and standard time.

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Logically, a big date indication is included with these complications, positioned on the right side of the dial. Its aperture opens wide without separating the tens from the units. The ingenuity of the Maison’s watchmakers allows the date to be displayed as big as possible while minimizing the space required for its mechanism.

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The power reserve indicator sits at 8 o’clock, balancing the big date indicator and notifying the wearer at a glance just how much of the 10-day power supply remains.

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The timepiece boasts an entirely new face on the reverse side. Though no dial is present, the hours and minutes are centered directly over the complex movement. The openwork bridges evoke the iconic architecture of 19th century BOVET movements, each surface engraved with a sparkling "bris de verre" motif. Once engraved, chamfered, and entirely decorated, the bridges are coated with a blue CVD treatment, which contrasts beautifully with the rhodium plate. This color combination was a favorite of the Bovet brothers usually employed on mirror-finished or finely engraved surfaces.

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On this same face, those with a keen-eye for detail will notice a circular opening at 12 o’clock that reveals an uncommon mechanism. The twice-patented spherical differential winding system generates 10 days of power reserve for the Virtuoso IX from a single barrel. This feature demonstrates how the technicians and watchmakers at Maison BOVET have completely mastered the art of power reserve. The drawback of such a feat would be the time required to wind this type of spring. The differential spherical system ingeniously solves  this issue by halving the number of turns of the crown required to fully wind the timepiece, without increasing the torque of the winding mechanism.

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For optimal chronometry, the movement is regulated by the patented double face flying tourbillon. In this innovative construction, the tourbillon’s fixed point is at the center of its axis. Its distribution on either side of the balance-spring and escapement significantly reduces the lever arm effect and improves the chronometry. The variable-inertia balance-wheel is based on the traditional balance-spring made in the Manufacture BOVET 1822 workshops, a science that less than ten watchmakers in the world have mastered. By manufacturing balance springs in house, BOVET 1822 can achieve complete quality control and the best performance possible by perfectly pairing the balance-wheel and balance-spring. Between technical and aesthetic refinement, the bridge carriage alone requires two days of labor to decorate and to round the arms before the faceted sapphire is set.

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The true face of the timepiece, the dial, is by definition the focal component. With the Virtuoso IX, the Maison’s dial craftsmen once again showcase the extent of their combined talent. The base of the dial is finely guilloched with a sumptuous fan motif. Eight layers of translucent lacquer are then applied before the surface of the dial is polished. The flinqué dial is bathed in blue tones and highlights, reminiscent of the richness of 19th century enamels. As much for readability as for elegance, the hour contours and second gradations display both a circular satin and rhodium finish. The Virtuoso IX is available in red gold or platinum.

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The Virtuoso IX represents the culmination of two centuries of uncompromising artisanal watchmaking history and art in its noblest form, its ingenuity underlined by four unique patents. In keeping with the technical achievements and classical elegance championed by the Bovet brothers, these innovations serve: comfort, reliability, precision, elegance and aesthetics. After all, at BOVET, innovation has been an tradition since 1822.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Model: VIRTUOSO IX Double Time Zone 10-Day Power Reserve Big Date Flying Tourbillon

Reference Number      AIVIX001, 18K red gold
Reference Number      AIVIX004, Platinum

CASE
Type    Amadéo® convertible system
Diameter    46.30 mm
Thickness    16 mm
Material    18K red or Platinum
Bracelet    Full skin alligator
Buckle    18K red or white gold ardillon
Chain    18K red or white gold
Water resistance    30m

MOVEMENT
Caliber    17BM04-DFR
Type    Hand wound movement
Diameter    16’’’
Frequency    18,000V/h
Power reserve    10 days
Tourbillon    1-minute flying tourbillon
Functions         
Off centered hours, minutes, seconds on tourbillon,
big date, power reserve indicator,
second time zone with 24-hour hand and 24-city disc,
reversed hand-fitting (hours, minutes)

DIALS    Blue flinqué and engraved blued bridges on the back side

GUARANTEE    5 years

PATENTS    Amadeo® convertible case Spherical winding system
Tridimensional toothing with multiple gearing Double face tourbillon


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Press release - 2019
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Bovet LLC  - U.S.A
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N. Miami Beach. FL 33160, USA

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Phone: +1 888 909 1822

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Rue Pierre-Fatio 5
1204 Geneva, Switzerland

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Phone: +41 22 930 25 88

T + 41 22 731 46 38

F + 41 22 731 46 86

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Jaeger-LeCoultre – MASTER Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel

Jaeger-LeCoultre – MASTER Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel Minute Repeater White Gold Limited Edition

Jaeger-LeCoultre practices the Art of Precision with the new Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel

Jaeger-LeCoultre was founded in 1833 in the Vallée de Joux, the cradle of complicated Swiss watchmaking. Since then, it has relentlessly pursued innovation in aid of precision timekeeping. One of the first inventions of founder Antoine LeCoultre was the millionometer, the first instrument able to measure the micron. 

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Ambitious and industry-defining innovation, combined with haut-de-gamme finishing and artistry, are honoured traditions at Jaeger-LeCoultre, which has created more than 1,200 watch calibres to date, counts 180 different watchmaking and watch-related skills as part of its in-house expertise, has over 400 registered patents and has revived age-old decorative techniques such as guillochage and grand feu enamelling in its in-house Métiers Rares atelier. The 2019 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie will see La Grande Maison present the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel, the first multi-axis tourbillon with a constant-force mechanism, Westminster chime and perpetual calendar.

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Key points of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel

•     The fifth multi-axis tourbillon from Jaeger-LeCoultre, with a size reduction in the redesigned tourbillon component to create a more wearable watch
•     A Westminster carillon minute repeater that replicates the chime of the famed Big Ben clock tower in London, with a silence-reduction mechanism to optimise melody cadence
•     Incorporates a one-minute constant-force mechanism to provide consistent energy to the sensitive tourbillon, resulting in a precisely jumping minute hand and a more precise minute repeater mechanism
•     A sleek new contemporary aesthetic that pairs traditional haut-de-gamme finishing with modern, wearable watches at the top of the mechanical watchmaking hierarchy

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The Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel is the latest generation of multi-axis tourbillon to emerge from Jaeger-LeCoultre, following the 2004 Master Gyrotourbillon 1, the 2008 Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2, the 2013 Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon 3 Jubilee and the 2016 Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon.


Precision tourbillons are a noted speciality of Jaeger-LeCoultre, as proven by the 2009 Concours International de Chronométrie timing competition, in which the top two prizes were awarded to Jaeger-LeCoultre. The strength in creating high-precision tourbillons goes hand-in-hand with the mastery required to engineer the visually spectacular Gyrotourbillon watches. Even with the considerable energy demands of the large multi-axis tourbillon, chronometric performance must not be affected. Reconciling the needs of the Gyrotourbillon with impeccable chronometric requirements is a balancing feat that can only be accomplished with the experience and skill of a 186-year-old watchmaking manufacture.

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Further advancing the art of multi-axis tourbillons, the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel features a tourbillon that is significantly smaller than those in the preceding Gyrotourbillon timepieces. As a rule, reducing the size of a mechanism also reduces its error tolerance, which is why successful miniaturisation efforts are so highly valued and complex. In creating a smaller tourbillon, Jaeger-LeCoultre has created a truly wearable Gyrotourbillon, bringing high complication out of the watch safe and onto the wrist for everyday enjoyment.

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The Westminster chime is familiar to everyone as the famous melody of the Big Ben clock at the Palace of Westminster in London. Its four-phrase melody is composed of four notes played in different sequences and different quantities at each quarter of the hour. The Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel uses four sets of gongs and hammers to create the Westminster chime to indicate the quarters when the minute repeater is activated, incorporating a complex mechanism that places it at the most prestigious tier of chiming watches.

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The most beautiful chime can be marred by interruptions and gaps of silence between the strikes. In order to create a chime of unmatched euphony, the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel has a silence-reduction function built into its chiming mechanism. This ensures that even when the full set of Westminster quarters is not struck, there is no time delay corresponding to the missing quarters before the minutes are struck. In every instance of the chime when the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel is activated, the hour strikes, quarter strikes and minute strikes are seamlessly joined.

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Precision lies at the heart of the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel, with a one-minute constant-force mechanism that provides a consistent level of power for the energy-hungry tourbillon without affecting its chronometric ability. The constant-force mechanism consists of a spring, known classically as a remontoir d’égalité, that is periodically re-armed by the mainspring and acts as a secondary power source to protect the regulating organ of the movement.

In the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel, the constant-force mechanism has an additional advantage. It regulates the motion of the minute wheel, creating a jumping minutes hand that offers greater precision in time display. More significantly, the mechanism that controls the minute strike also follows this one-minute jumping system, which completely eliminates the chiming error that can occur when the repeater is activated between minutes, when the chime played and the time shown can be one minute apart.

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Besides the multi-axis tourbillon, which highlights the cinematic virtuosity of fine watchmaking at Jaeger-LeCoultre, and the minute repeater, which showcases in-house mastery of the most sophisticated complications, the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel also features the one horological function with the greatest everyday relevance and pragmatic value — the perpetual calendar. As the name suggests, the perpetual calendar is designed to work in perpetuity. It automatically displays the correct date without the need for manual adjustment between months of different lengths. It even takes into account the extra day at the end of February during leap years. The most common configuration of the perpetual calendar mechanism can only be adjusted in one direction, but the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel emphasises the experience and convenience of the user, and its date can be adjusted forwards or backwards without harming the movement. The pointer-style date indication further reinforces the precision aspect of the timepiece, as it jumps over the tourbillon aperture in order to provide the best possible view of the visually stunning rotating escapement.

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The Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel is the result of 186 years of fine watchmaking expertise and a spirit of innovation that continues to this day. Reflecting the blend of patrimony and modernity is the design of the watch, which emphasises the round profile of the Master Grande Tradition case. A retractable minute repeater pusher, first seen in the Master Ultra Thin Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon, preserves the smooth lines of the case. Hand guillochage, fine hammering (martelage) and grand feu enamel are part of the canon of fine watchmaking finish and have been practiced at Jaeger-LeCoultre throughout its history — most outstandingly in the dazzling Hybris Artistica collection. In the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel, however, these finishes are expressed in a subtle and contemporary way, culminating in the openworked dial — produced either in a striking deep-blue grand feu enamel or in a more classic silver-grained version — showcasing the mesmerising multi-axis tourbillon. These age-old techniques are skilfully practised by master artisans from the in-house Metiers Rares atelier of Jaeger-LeCoultre, where haut-de-gamme traditional finish is also applied to the movement by hand.

The Sound of Precision

There are extremely few watchmaking manufactures that possess in-house expertise in sonnerie wristwatches. There are even fewer that have been making them since 1870, accumulating one and a half centuries of experience and savoir-faire. There is only one watchmaking manufacture in the world that has over 200 chiming watch calibers in its historical and modern inventory — La Grande Maison du Sentier.

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The Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel brings together a panoply of chiming innovations and improvements that were first debuted by Jaeger-LeCoultre, representing the epitome of horological creativity and ingenuity at La Grande Maison.

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In the 19th century, repeater chimes were regulated primarily by an anchor-and-flywheel mechanism, which resulted in a characteristic buzz that can be heard underlying the chime of antique repeaters and some modern watches that still use the old system. Jaeger-LeCoultre patented a new silent strike governer in 1895 that uses friction and centripetal forces to regulate chiming. Today, this mechanism is used in the majority of chiming watches, including the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel.

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The minute repeater of the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel also benefits from more recent innovations, such as the patented crystal gongs that first appeared in the Master Minute Repeater Antoine LeCoultre in 2005. These crystal gongs were welded to the dial crystal of the watch, capitalising on the superior sound transmission qualities of synthetic sapphire crystal to produce the loudest and clearest wristwatch chime ever created. Trebuchet hammers, articulated and sprung to deliver strong and quick strikes to the gongs, can be found in the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel, as they first appeared in the only other Westminster chime wristwatch of Jaeger-LeCoultre, the 2009 Hybris Mechanica Duomètre à Grande Sonnerie. Gongs with circular cross sections are the norm in minute repeater watches, but the square cross-section gongs seen in the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel are engineered to provide the greatest area of contact with the striking hammers, and have been a mainstay of Jaeger-LeCoultre chiming watches since 2006.

The Whirlwind of Precision

Of utmost importance in any watch movement is the regulating organ, the balance and hairspring assembly that allows a watch to measure time in precise beats. The tourbillon is a chronometric amplifier that can improve the timekeeping performance of a regulator by averaging out its positional errors. The in-house expertise of Jaeger-LeCoultre in tourbillons is unmatched, extending over a range of rotating escapements from the award-winning classic tourbillon calibre 978, the unbridged flying tourbillon, the various multi-axis Gyrotourbillon watches, the inclined-axis Sphérotoubillon and the groundbreaking flying tourbillon with flying balance in the Master Ultra Thin Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon.

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Along with this unparalleled variety of tourbillons comes an equally profound understanding of hairspring technology, which Jaeger-LeCoultre has developed with its own in-house tools to form the sophisticated spherical hairsprings used in some of its most evolved tourbillon watches.

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The Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel takes this exploration of precision to a new level with its constant-force mechanism. With the inclusion of the constant-force spring remontoir, the focus on precision is expanded far beyond the whirling dimensions of the tourbillon and its precision regulation. The Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel constant-force mechanism highlights the precision of power delivery in one-minute cycles, the precision of time display in the jumping minutes hand and the precision of the repeater chime.

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TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Model: MASTER® Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel Gold


Reference: Q52534E1 - Blue
Reference: Q5253420 - Silver

Movement
Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre: 184 - Manual-winding
Components : 1050, 
Vibrations per hour : 28800, 
Jewels : 126, Barrel : 2, 
Height : 8.90 mm
Power reserve: 52 h
Case
White gold
Dimensions: 43 mm
Thickness: 14.08 mm
Water resistance: 3 bar
Case Back: Open
Functions
Hour/Minute, Jumping Date, Two-way perpetual calendar (Day/Date/Month/Year),
Gyrotourbillon, Minute repeater with Westminster chime
Dial
Blue guilloché enamel or Silver grained 
Recto Hands Baguette
Strap
Blue Leather
Gold folding-clasp

Limitation: 18 pieces


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Press releases - 2019
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