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Laurent Ferrier introduces a brand-new collection in an
unexpected sporty style to celebrate 40 years since the brand’s founders
raced together at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 10 years since the
conception of its very first tourbillon.
A FRIENDSHIP FOUNDED ON THE TRACK
Laurent Ferrier is best known today as a master independent
watchmaker, but rewind 40 years to the 1970s and his name was more
likely to be seen on the roster of some of the most prestigious motor
races. He competed in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans seven times,
coming first in the two-litre prototype category in 1977.
It was
during this period that he met fellow driver and industrialist François
Servanin. The two men shared a passion for both speed and mechanics
which cemented their friendship and in 1979 they raced together behind
the wheel of a Porsche 935T from the Kramer racing team, coming an
overall third in the competition. Their performance was all the more
remarkable considering that many of their competitors were professional
Formula 1 drivers.
The two gentlemen’s love for mechanics never waned, leading them
to form the Laurent Ferrier watch brand in 2009. Today they remember
the beginning of their friendship and motor racing adventures with this
brand-new limited edition Tourbillon Grand Sport that captures the
spirit of 1970s motor racing.
AGRAND SPORT DESIGN
The Tourbillon Grand Sport catches the eye with its smoked
taupe-coloured dial and orange luminescent hands and indexes that
respect the brand’s love for elegance and finesse, while offering a
sportier and more powerful design.
The dial is protected by a spherical
tinted sapphire crystal that softens the dial and provides a beautifully
rounded profile when viewed from the side.
COMFORT IN MIND
The 44mm stainless-steel case, with its cushion-shaped bezel against a
slightly tonneau middle case, features all the design codes of a Laurent
Ferrier timepiece with smooth rounded lines and a refined aesthetic,
but it also presents a powerful new design with increased strength and
character.
Like all of his creations, Laurent Ferrier designed the Tourbillon Grand
Sport case for the wrist so that it would be extremely comfortable and a
pleasure to wear throughout the day. Every aspect of the experience of
wearing the watch has been considered, from the sensation of winding the
crown in the morning, to checking the time while driving home at night.
A closer look reveals refined crown guards, sporty bolts on the case
back and highly polished parts next to satin finished elements that
accentuate the attention to detail and exceptional workmanship that has
gone into the fabrication of this unique case.
A KEEN SENSE OF DETAIL
The year 2019 is not only the anniversary of the founders’ motor racing
careers, it is also the 10th anniversary of the conception of the
brand’s first tourbillon. It is for this reason that the Tourbillon
Grand Sport features this highly-appreciated complication.
The tourbillon device created by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1801 is fitted with a double balance spring. The two reversed-fitted balance-springs neutralise the lateral displacement of the balance axis, while the tourbillon compensates for the variations in rate in all vertical positions. Associating these two devices combines their advantages and ensures impressively high rating precision.
Laurent Ferrier has also developed its own escapement mechanism. In
association with the tourbillon, with a specifically adapted
construction and a rigorous choice of materials and manual adjustments,
the regulating organ ensures excellent precision. The Tourbillon caliber
is indeed chronometer-certified by the Besançon Observatory.
The
mechanical hand-wound movement, entirely developed and produced within
the Laurent Ferrier workshops, is fitted with a double balance-spring
tourbillon crafted in the finest traditional manner. Visible exclusively
through the sapphire caseback, the mechanism is not a mere aesthetic
enhancement, but also discreetly serves its former functional purpose of
guaranteeing the precision and reliability of the regulating system.
The calibre construction is inspired by the major 19th century
chronometry models with their manual-winding system featuring a
long-blade-type ratchet pawl system distinguished by the delicate
mechanical clicking sound emitted during winding. The movement has been
given a horizontal satin-brushed finish with a ruthenium touch for a
sportier allure and has been finished with extreme care, as evidenced by
the manual decoration on the tourbillon carriage bridge. The design of
the bridges is inspired by pocket-watches and the decoration is executed
in keeping with the finest watchmaking traditions, including 30
hand-crafted interior angles.
The Tourbillon Grand Sport comes in
a limited edition of 12 pieces, is water-resistant to 100 metres and is
fitted with a taupe-coloured rubber strap with a new deployant buckle
with three blades for additional ease and comfort on the wrist. Each
edition will also come with a very special box including a commemorative
plaque.
Movement
Manual winding Calibre FBN 619.01 Power reserve: 80-hour
- Hours and minutes in the centre
- Small seconds at 6 o’clock on tourbillon frame pivot
- Tourbillon rotating cage visible through sapphire case back
- Horizontal satin brushed bridges with a ruthenium treatmentIndications: Hours, minutes, small seconds at 6 o’clock
• Movement diameter: 14’’’ = (Ø 31.60 mm)
• Movement thickness: 5.57 mm • Number of parts: 188
• Number of jewels: 23
• Frequency: 21,600vph (3Hz) Movement decoration
• Côtes de Genève pattern on the bridges and the circular graining on the mainplate,
flanks are hand-drawn, wheel spokes are bevelled, screw heads are
polished, and interior angles of the balance-cock are hand crafted with a
burin. Tourbillon features
Tourbillon, opposite double balance spring
“Swiss” lever escapement
Balance at variable geometry, with screw
Tourbillon frame carrier in periphery Case
Stainless steel
Dimensions: 44 mm 3 parts, middle, bezel and bottom hooked
Sapphire bottom, tourbillon movement vision
Water resistant at 100 meters
Tinted sapphire glass
Satin finishing on the sides and polished bezel
Sporty bolts on the case back Dial
Brown gradient with nickel opalin in the center
Small second at 6 o’clock Indexes: 18K/750 210Pd white gold with orange superluminova Hands 18K/750 210Pd white gold Hours and minutes: ‘’Assegai-shaped’’ with orange superluminova Seconds: baton-type Strap
Brown rubber strap
Taupe, folding clasp
Unique Limited to only 12 pieces
--------------------------------- PressRelease- 2019
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------------------------------------------- Laurent Ferrier SA
Ms Jessica Gasser
Route de Saint Julien 150 1228 Plan Les Ouates Switzerland
SIHH 2019. Over its 264 years of horological excellence, Vacheron Constantin has established an unshakeable reputation for meaningful innovation in technical and design domains. Today defining the future of fine mechanical watchmaking, Vacheron Constantin presents the Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar, a timepiece that can adapt to its wearer’s needs.
When worn, the Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar beats at a high frequency that is aligned with modern active lifestyles, displaying the hours, minutes, date, month, leap year cycle and power reserve on its dial. When the watch is not being worn, its in-house developed calibre 3610 QPcan be slowed down in order to guarantee an extended power reserve of at least 65 days.
One of the most basic assumptions of mechanical watchmaking used to be
that the energy output of the mainspring barrel had a fixed timespan,
with very little deviation from the stated power reserve. The Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar
transforms the mainspring into a source of variable energy levels,
giving fine mechanical watchmaking a completely new degree of
versatility.
Drawing on 264 years of horological expertise, Vacheron Constantin has achieved this innovative coup by giving the Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar two balances, each operating at a different frequency that has never been used before by the Maison. A pusher at the 8 o’clock position allows the wearer to easily switch from one frequency to another, depending on activity level. When the watch is on the wrist, the wearer will get the most out of it by keeping it in Active mode, which features a 5Hz (36,000vph) balance and 4 days of power reserve.
If the watch is to be taken off and left unworn for some time, it can be switched to Standby mode, which runs on a second balance with a drastically reduced frequency of 1.2Hz (8,640vph). This allows the maximum power reserve to be extended to at least 65 days. At any point during the Standby mode running time, the Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar can be switched back to Active mode and reworn, with all its calendar indications perfectly up to date.
About the perpetual calendar
The perpetual calendar is commonly considered as the most practical out of all the high complications. A complex mechanism that can correctly display all date information despite variable months and leap years, the perpetual calendar has an everyday relevance and utility. Up until now, however, the relevance and utility of the perpetual calendar have been restricted by the limits of conventional mainspring technology, making it necessary in most cases to set a perpetual calendar watch each time before it is worn.
Now, a hand-wound perpetual calendar can be set flat on a table and picked up more than two months later, still displaying the correct date and month. The Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar brings true significance to the “perpetual” part of its name and charts a new course of timeless innovation.
Power and Control with the Twin Beat® System
The Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar utilises a patent-pending mechanical system that enables instantaneous switching between Active mode (5Hz, 36,000vph) and Standby mode (1.2Hz, 8,640vph) without interrupting the ability of the movement to keep time.
This system is inspired by the seasonal system from the Japanese Edo Period (1603 – 1868), which divided day and night into six segments, of which the length varied from day to night and from one season to another. Clocks from this period were equipped with a single or double foliot balance enabling automatic changes in their operating speed. A similar Japanese lantern clock from the very beginning of 18th century, belonging to the Musée International d’Horlogerie based in Switzerland, is exhibited on Vacheron Constantin’s booth at the SIHH 2019.
Crucial to the operation of the Twin Beat® system is the mode selector that operates on an all-or-nothing principle, allowing only one balance to oscillate at a time. Additionally, the all-or-nothing construction ensures that the switch is instantaneous, with no lag when transitioning from one mode to the other. This guarantees that the timekeeping operations of the calibre 3610 QP are never interrupted, even for a fraction of a second, and that the time display remains as precise as possible.
Both the Active (5Hz, 36,000vph) and Standby (1.2Hz, 8,640vph) balances are driven by the same mainspring barrel, which is the most efficient way of distributing energy and the only way to have a single power-reserve indication. This high prioritisation of efficiency is central to the Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar, particularly with the Twin Beat® system and what it represents.
The other side of the Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar’s optimised energy consumption is its 1.2Hz (8,640vph) Standby mode, which steps in during long periods of stasis when the watch is laid flat and a high-frequency balance would only drain the mainspring with no added advantage.
Putting the Perpetual in the Perpetual Calendar
In order to fully leverage the advantages of the user-controlled Twin Beat® system in maximising the potential power reserve, the perpetual calendar mechanism was reworked to use as little energy as possible.
Jumping indications are notorious for their parasitic influence on the balance of a movement. The energy requirements for their jumps cut into the energy going towards the balance, and in many cases the balance loses amplitude and the chronometry of the entire movement is compromised. This effect can be exaggerated in a watch with multiple jumping indications, such as a perpetual calendar timepiece.
In the Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar, Vacheron Constantin has implemented instantaneous jumping indications for the date, month and leap year. Simultaneously, the jumping mechanism (patent-pending) has been completely redesigned, utilising a sprung dual-gear compound system that requires four times less torque than a conventional jumping display. With this improvement, even at midnight on New Year’s Eve when all three indications jump instantaneously, the effect on the amplitude of the active balance is negligible.
Other Technical Challenges
In order to support the main features of the Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar — the blockbuster perpetual calendar and the innovative Twin Beat® system — a number of other mechanical issues had to be addressed.
With the Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar, Vacheron Constantin has moved beyond the conventional range of oscillator frequencies for the first time. In doing so, new in-house areas of research and development were opened concerning the fundamental principles of mechanical timekeeping regulation.
As a result, a new hairspring was created specifically for the needs of the highly sensitive Standby balance (1.2Hz, 8,640vph), with cross-sectional dimensions of 0.0774mm by 0.0159mm, comparable to the finest examples of human hair. The hairspring of the Standby balance is nearly four times smaller in cross section and exponentially more delicate than the hairspring of the Active balance (5Hz, 36,000vph).
Although the display of the hours and minutes may seem to be the most straightforward part of the Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar, they are far from simple or conventional. Because the calibre 3610 QP has two balance wheels, only one of which is allowed to oscillate at one time, the hour and minute hands have to draw variable information from two gear trains for one reading of the time. This is accomplished by a gear differential that allows the hands to read more than one input source of timekeeping data.
A second differential is mounted on the barrel for the dual purpose of winding the mainspring and also reducing the mainspring torque as it is directed towards the Standby mode balance (armed with a delicate hairspring created especially for the slow-beat balance). Two final differentials translate the power reserve into the subdial that indicates remaining mainspring wind.
Despite all this, the 480-component calibre 3610 QP measures only 6mm in height and 32mm in diameter, an impressive feat of micro-engineering on its own. With the Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar, Vacheron Constant further expands its considerable savoir-faire in compact movement construction.
Made by Design
Despite the pedigree of the classic case design in platinum and the prestige of a high complication, the Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar deliberately embraces a modern aesthetic take on age-old finishing techniques.
Movement plates and bridges are decorated with Côtes de Genève and then treated with NAC, a dark coating that offers superior resistance and durability compared with other similar-looking treatments.
On the dial, the very 18th-century art of engine turning and frosted finish are transmuted into clean radial guillochage and sand-blasted surfaces. In order to perfectly achieve this union of tradition and modernity, the dial is made in two main segments in a multi-stage process. A gold dial segment is decorated with hand-guillochage, and then fitted within an outer segment of sapphire crystal. Gold hour indexes are then set into the sapphire-crystal dial segment, which is further laser-engraved and ink-filled for a sleek, seamless appearance.
This balance of classic case design, combined with contemporary dial and movement aesthetics, complements the underlying theme of the Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar — unequalled historical savoir-faire channelled through timeless innovation.
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TechnicalSpecifications
Model : TRADITIONNELLE Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar
REFERENCE 3200T/000P-B578
CALIBRE 3610 QP
Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical, manual-winding
32mm (14 ¼) diameter, 6mm thick 5Hz (36,000 vibrations/hour), 1.2Hz (8,640 vibrations/hour) 480 components 64 jewels
Active mode (5Hz frequency): approximately 4 days of power reserve
Standby mode (1.2Hz frequency): approximately 65 days of power reserve
Hallmark of Geneva certified timepiece INDICATIONS
Hours, minutes, instantaneous perpetual calendar, power reserve, frequency mode CASE 950platinum
Diameter 42mm, 12.3mm thick
Transparent sapphire-crystal caseback
Water-resistance tested at a pressure of 3 bar (approx. 30m) DIAL
Gold hand-guilloché slate-coloured dial (inner part)
and transparent sapphire-crystal dial
18k white-gold applied hour markers, 18k white-gold hours and minutes hands
Black oxidised gold power-reserve, date, month and frequency-mode hands STRAP
Grey Mississippiensis alligator leather strap with alligator inner shell, hand-stitched, saddle-finish,
large square scales CLASP Pin buckle in 950 platinum, polished half Maltese cross-shaped
Available exclusively from Vacheron Constantinboutiques
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--------------------------------- PressRelease- 2019
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-------------------------------------------------- Vacheron Constantin
Press Department
10, Chemin du Tourbillon
P.O. Box 95
CH-1228
Plan-les-Ouates/Geneva
Tel. +41 22 930 20 05
Fax +41 22 930 20 06 press@vacheron-constantin.com
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