Tuesday, March 19, 2024

MAURICE LACROIX – MASTERPIECE Skeleton LABEL NOIR Special Edition

MAURICE LACROIXMASTERPIECE Skeleton LABEL NOIR Black DLC Steel 43 Special Edition - 2024

Maurice Lacroix x Label Noir
Masterpiece Skeleton Label Noir

Created in partnership with Label Noir, Maurice Lacroix unveils a new version of its MASTERPIECE Skeleton. Equipped with a highly refined in-house movement, this model reveals many components usually hidden from view. Label Noir has played with light and shade, disclosure and stealth, as well as black and white hues, skilfully juxtaposing contrasts. The resultant watch, the MASTERPIECE Skeleton Label Noir, limited to 288 pieces, showcases the creativity of both brands and the wisdom of being inventive.

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In 2020, Maurice Lacroix, the brand from the Franches Montagnes, collaborated with the Geneva-based watchmaker, Label Noir. This inaugural collaboration, a reinterpretation of the urban-themed AIKON, sold out within minutes of being released. Keen to repeat this achievement, Maurice Lacroix has, once again, joined forces with the watch personalisation specialist.

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Emmanuel Curti - Label Noir

Founded in 2011, Label Noir has gained a reputation for revisiting existing designs, masterfully working with a palette of black and white to deliver a new and unique expression of style. Occasionally the Genevan firm employs a pop of colour to evoke excitement; however, it is the brand’s judicious application of monochromatic hues that has led to its work attracting much critical acclaim.

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While Maurice Lacroix employs some incredibly creative individuals, working at its headquarters in Saignelégier, it also recognises the benefits of collaborating with other parties, drawing on their inventive talents. Indeed, Maurice Lacroix has worked closely with Monocle, Wallpaper and even collaborated with Stoff and Schnapps to produce Aikonic Gin! Now, Maurice Lacroix has joined forces with Label Noir and reimagined the MASTERPIECE Skeleton in a new and exciting way.

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Skeleton watches can trace their roots to the 18th century. The traditional technique for openworking a movement involves removing superfluous metal by using handsaws and files. The resultant movement possesses an attractive filigreed appearance. However, on some occasions, the material removed adjacent to critical components, such as jewel beds, screws and the gear train, impaired reliability and created unwanted flex. Maurice Lacroix designed and developed its own in-house movement that addressed these potential issues.

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The Jura-based brand optimised the design of the movement within the MASTERPIECE Skeleton using CAD (Computer Aided Design), calculating the forces acting on each part of its structure. The mainplate and bridges are made using a modern-day CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine, ensuring the resultant calibre remains stable, precise and reliable.

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This contemporary skeleton timepiece, featuring a hand-wound movement, reveals numerous components typically hidden from view. The keyless works, motion works and gear train are freely shown. The spring barrel features an openworked cap, affording sight of the mainspring in various states of tension. 

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Adjacent to 12 o’clock, the wearer can see the screwed balance wheel oscillate to and fro, the hairspring breathe and the pallet lever engage with the escape wheel. Indeed, the MASTERPIECE Skeleton Label Noir indulges the onlooker with a spellbinding mechanical performance, a spectacle heightened with Label Noir’s masterful use of contrasting tones.

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Consistent with other MASTERPIECE models, the ultimate expression of Maurice Lacroix ownership, the Manufacture ML134 calibre is adorned with Grand Colimaçon, sand-blasted finishing and bridges with polished edges. 

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The Manufacture movement and the final assembly of the MASTERPIECE Skeleton Label Noir takes place in the company’s own workshops. Refinement and Swiss quality are much in evidence, while the watch delivers high-perceived value, a characteristic common to all Maurice Lacroix models.

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An exhibition caseback allows light to pass through the movement, illuminating every interior contour. The case of the MASTERPIECE Skeleton Label Noir is coated in the firm’s trademark black and anthracite matte DLC and measures 43mm in diameter, imbuing the watch with much wrist-presence. The timepiece comes presented on a matching M-branded black nylon strap paired with a folding clasp.

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Stéphane Waser, Managing Director of Maurice Lacroix, remarks, “At Maurice Lacroix, we strive to be inventive in everything we do. Nevertheless, we recognise that, on some occasions, collaborating with other creative individuals can deliver a synergistic outcome. The AIKON Label Noir reimagined our popular urban watch with an interesting use of black and grey hues. All examples of this model promptly sold. On this occasion, we decided to use one of our in-house movements that we designed, developed. We skilfully assemble this movement at our site in Saignelégier. The Masterpiece Skeleton Label Noir is limited to just 288 pieces and, based on its prepossessing appearance, I suspect they will also be quickly snapped up by avid collectors.”

YOUR TIME IS NOW WITH MAURICE LACROIX

For almost 50 years, Maurice Lacroix has demonstrated all of its watchmaking expertise, crafting watches within the brand’s Manufacture in Saignelégier, Switzerland. Having won more than fifteen awards, the brand has demonstrated an innovative, avant-garde and perfectionist spirit over the years. Maurice Lacroix’s culture is indeed to offer affordable watches, with iconic design and high perceived value.  In 2016, Maurice Lacroix reinterpreted its iconic model of the 90s, the Calypso, releasing the AIKON. Modern and daring, the AIKON is made for a generation of Millennials who are connected, cosmopolitan and talented. This ambitious generation is setting out to conquer the world’s cities, embracing their unique spirit. 
 
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A constant source of inspiration for the Maurice Lacroix creative team, an active and urban brand, that thrives in the electric energy of these cities. With this in mind, Maurice Lacroix chooses to associate its image with a set of activities that allow consumers to experience the unique vitality of city life.
 
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Model: MASTERPIECE Skeleton Label Noir Edition


Ref     MP7228-DLB04-090-2
Case
Diameter     43mm
Height     13 mm
Material     Black DLC stainless steel
Case description     
Brushed and polished stainless steel case  with a gunmetal DLC coating and an open caseback. 
Bezel and crown with a black DLC coating. 
White line on the crown and decal on the front and back glasses
Case setting     No
Water resistance     5 ATM
 Dial & Hands 
Sapphire. Skeleton
Hands : Matte black-plated, white super-luminova
SPECIAL 
Hands : Black-plated second hand
Movement    
Caliber: Manufacture manual ML134
Vibration: 18,000 vibrations per hour, 2.5 Hz
Power reserve: 45 hours
Jewels: 17
Functions     Hour, minute, second, open heart
Decorations    
Black sunbrushed plate with sandblasting at the bottom of the pockets, engraving "Maurice Lacroix" with white lacque, black 3/4 bridge with Grand colimaçon 
Strap / Bracelet    
Black nylon strap with black sandblasted M-logo, white stitching and Easychange system
Buckle     Stainless steel butterfly buckle with a gunmetal DLC coating on top cover


 🔰 Special Edition     Limited edition of 288

🔴 Price: MSRP: $ 7.950 / € 7,350 EUR / 6.900 CHF💰

⚠️ Warranty :    5 years 

Launch year     2024

 #YourTimeIsNow #MasterYourTime

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Press release 2024
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www.LabelNoirdesign.com
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International PR Manager
Lucie Notari
Phone +41 78 638 70 09
lucie.notari@mauricelacroix.com
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Maurice Lacroix S. A.
Thurgauerstrasse 40
CH-8050 Zürich
Phone +41 (0)44 209 11 11
Fax +41 (0)44 209 12 52
info@mauricelacroix.com
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Monday, March 18, 2024

RENAUD TIXIER – CHAPTER 1 ‘Monday’ Automatic Micro-rotor

 

RENAUD TIXIERCHAPTER 1Monday’ Rose or White Gold 40.8 mm Automatic Micro-rotor 2024

A WATCH BRAND IS BORN

Witness a meeting of two minds and generations in exceptional watchmaking as Dominique Renaud, a pioneer of contemporary horology and Julien Tixier, a prodigious young talent, forge a creative alliance.
 

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heir shared ambition is to revisit seven core horological principles, starting with the crucial aspect of energy. Their inaugural creation, a three-hand watch christened ‘Monday,’ showcases their first innovation: a kinetic engine micro-rotor that pushes the boundaries of micromechanics.

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Key Takeaways:

  • - A new watch brand: Based in Nyon, Switzerland, and dedicated to fundamental research in horology, emerges among the peaks of the Swiss independent watchmaking landscape.
     
  • - Two inventive minds: Dominique Renaud and Julien Tixier are setting out to expand the horizons of Haute Horlogerie, leveraging the extensive skills each has acquired on the journey that led to this moment;
     
  • - A clear objective: to re-think the fundamentals of micromechanics and apply innovative concepts to fundamental watchmaking principles that have been taken for granted and often remained unchallenged;
     
  • - The first innovation: the micro-rotor engine, a breakthrough in the key area of energy that significantly enhances winding efficiency and overall energy-generating and transmitting performance.
     
  • - The first creation: Renaud Tixier’s inaugural ‘Monday’ watch, a 40.8-mm three-hand model that revisits the concept of the micro-rotor with an in-depth exploration of the vital aspect of energy.

A PIVOTAL ENCOUNTER, A NATURAL PROGRESSION

Renaud Tixier epitomizes a unique alliance in the world of horology, the natural next step in the friendship of two extraordinary watchmakers, combining their expertise in watchmaking, invention, and creativity, from conception to execution: Dominique Renaud, an innovator who was instrumental in the renaissance of Haute Horlogerie in the late 1980s; and Julien Tixier, watchmaker extraordinaire and a leading figure of his generation, born in the 1990s.
 

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Dominique Renaud was the driving force behind Renaud & Papi (co-created in 1986 with his friend Giulio Papi), the first-ever independent movement developer and manufacturer in horology. Renaud & Papi was responsible for numerous groundbreaking creations that have marked contemporary watchmaking history, contributing to the growth and glory of prestigious Maisons such as IWC, Lange & Söhne, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Audemars Piguet, and Richard Mille. 

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Around the turn of the millennium, as the firm entered into the orbit of Audemars Piguet, Renaud & Papi was the springboard for many talented watchmakers who have since become key figures in independent creative watchmaking, including Robert Greubel (of Greubel Forsey), Andreas Strehler, and Bart Grönefeld. Following Audemars Piguet’s acquisition of Renaud & Papi in 2000, Dominique Renaud pursued the path of an independent and relocated to the south of France. He returned to Switzerland about twelve years later to focus on developing his own inventions. It was during this time that he met a young watchmaker whose talents left an indelible impression on him: Julien Tixier.
 
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Dominique Renaud
and Julien Tixier discover their deep connection at the workbench, combining their talents to create several exceptional timepieces in tandem. The ways in which the two complement each other are as uncanny as they are evident: together, they possess the combined creative power of an R&D laboratory and a manufacturing workshop.
 
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In 2020 and again in 2023, they collaborated to create two exceptional unique timepieces: Tempus Fugit and the simplified and modular secular perpetual calendar for Furlan Marri. The birth of a brand bearing their names was not a surprise, but rather the natural result of a genuine and unique affinity for the art of watchmaking.
 
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In 2023, Dominique Renaud and Julien Tixier decided to formalize their synergy by founding their brand, Renaud Tixier, supported by a production and distribution structure, the Manufacture Dominique Renaud.

CHAPTER 1: ‘MONDAY

‘Monday’, the inaugural creation and first chapter of Renaud Tixier’s journey, delves into the most sensitive aspect of mechanical watches, energy generation, by revisiting a classic of Haute Horlogerie: the micro-rotor. Their first milestone is an invention that transforms a weakness into a strength – through the dancer, a micro-rotor engine at the heart of the winding mechanism.

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For this first timepiece, Dominique Renaud chose to tackle the most fundamental aspect of mechanical watches: energy. He went back to the origin of this energy — the rotor of the automatic watch, a mechanism that has seen little development since its industrial standardization in the 1930s and 40s.
 
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He then narrowed his focus to the micro-rotor, which represents a higher level of horological sophistication compared to the larger, mass-produced rotors that are commonly used. The micro-rotor is smaller, more elegant, and does not obscure the mechanics. There is a downside, however: it is a more delicate and less efficient winding system.
 
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Before starting to work on improvements, Dominique Renaud identified the key weakness: to function properly, the micro-rotor requires a large amplitude of movement. Yet, the wristwatch is constantly subjected to opposing forces: all the small jolts naturally caused or encountered by the wearer – like typing on a keyboard or gesturing during a conversation, for instance – that constantly halt the rotor’s acceleration.
 
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This led him to the crucial question: how to harness all the energy generated by the wearer, including restoring the energy from these constant minor shocks that a traditional micro-rotor is unable to convert?

ADANCER IN THE SPOTLIGHT

With the goal of finding a solution within the realm of micromechanics, without relying on any external technology, Dominique Renaud envisaged a watchmaker's response. He began by searching for a space where he could operate. He found it at the heart of the rotor, where only the periphery is active and the center is, in fact, underutilized. 

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Thus, it was at the center of the rotor that he decided to install the auxiliary mechanism. This mechanism had to fulfill a very simple sequence: to optimize the use of energy released by the rotor and harness even the slightest joule to power the watch. As usual, Dominique Renaud visualized the problem in his mind, and the solution emerged naturally: a central ‘engine’ for the micro-rotor. This propeller, animated by an intelligent and flexible spring, literally dances at the heart of the mechanism, aptly named the "dancer."
 
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Having established this basic principle, Dominique Renaud further refined his vision by focusing on another ‘trait’ for his ‘dancer’. By adding a ‘leg’ and a ‘foot’, he could make the dancer serve both as an engine and a shock absorber. The corollary is that the system acts as an active safety feature, capable of absorbing the most violent shocks and converting their energy, much like the strings of a tennis racket, which store energy and then release it like a catapult.
 
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The mechanical principle is elegantly simple, while the aesthetic display is as mesmerizing as an automaton – a mechanical choreography led by the ‘dancer’ and its flywheel.
 
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Technically, the ‘dancer’ is a high-flying athlete. It consists of several parts, with complex geometries, even though they perform elementary functions. A large spiral connects the central axis to the innovative mechanism, acting as a catapult. Another spring arm extends from the axis in the opposite direction: a kind of foot with a heel, which hits a stop in the event of a severe shock, serving as the shock absorber.
 
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On the axis, the spring operates like a notched clamp, with an upper jaw shaped like a hanger. This hanger acts as an active safety device: it is rigid under normal conditions and secures flywheel to the axis. In the event of a shock, the foot hits the stop and presses on the hanger, which disengages from the axis and the repositions once the shock has passed and stored energy is released.

EXECUTION

As is customary with Dominique Renaud, the experts and specialists working with him have to get used to navigating terrain that has not yet been mapped by theory. Watchmaker Julien Tixier is already well-versed in this practice. Other members of the collective, engine builder Alexandre Bugnon and prototype watchmaker Sébastien Rousseau, have come to discover this, too.
 

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This is understandable, since, in principle, any element added to a mechanism designed to be as free as possible is a constraint – it adds friction and hinders the mechanism’s proper functioning. However, in this instance, the opposite occurs: the constraint generates energy.
 
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True to form for Dominique Renaud, the invention is first tested on a large-scale model – the calculations come later. And this is where the real challenge begins, as the usual calculation methods for the micro-rotors do not apply here.
 
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On the model, there is no doubt that the mechanism enhances the efficiency of the micro-rotor. This improvement is expected to be confirmed by the watch prototype. By how much? It is too early to say: no existing control tool is capable of quantifying the difference it will make.

AESTHETIC CHOICES

 The ‘Monday’ project goes beyond mere invention. It involves a completely new caliber that has been designed, developed and created around the ‘dancer’ micro-rotor, showcasing this innovative mechanism – and illuminating its significance. Here, mechanics are at the heart of the design, with the focal point on energy generation – from the micro-rotor to the barrel, and from the barrel to the balance wheel.
 

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The ‘dancer’ takes center stage in this horological performance. Its natural elasticity is echoed by the unusual architecture of the bridges – light and arched like catapults – stretched over the micro-rotor, gear train, and the balance wheel. The finishes set the stage for a contemporary production, with each detail aiming for perfection: beveling by hand, mirror-polished titanium, a palladium balance wheel.
 
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The dial face captures the essence, in a sober and classic display to highlight the timepiece’s inventiveness and make its reading as clear as possible. At nine o’clock, the dial reveals the micro-rotor’s hidden face; a small seconds counter corresponds at four o’clock.
 
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‘Monday’ intertwines its technical narrative within a classical framework. The result is an elegantly simple and pure timepiece, drawing inspiration from neo-classical architecture – a harmonious blend of traditional aesthetics and cutting-edge horology.
 
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All of Monday's technical discourse is embedded within a classically crafted ensemble: Monday presents itself as an elegant creation, minimalist and pure, drawing inspiration from neo-classical architecture to evince the artistry and engineering behind the caliber – and the innovation.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS   

Model:   Renaud Tixier CHAPTER 1Monday

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Reference: RTVI2023  –  5N+ Rose Gold 


Movement
Reference:           
RTVI2023              
Winding:              
Automatic, ‘Dancer’ micro-rotor
Power reserve:     
60+ hours  
Regulating organ: 
Palladium screw balance                
Functions:            
Central hours and minutes with small seconds at 4 o’clock                                        
Diameter:             36.8 mm               
Thickness:             6.86 mm               
Frequency:           
2.5 Hz (18,000 vph)
Components:       
315
Jewels:                 
30             
Case
Material:             
 
5N+ rose gold or white gold           
Dimensions:         
40.8 mm
Thickness:             11 mm       
Crystal:                
Sapphire                
Case back:            
Open, sapphire crystal
Water resistance:  3 ATM, approx. 30 m, 100 ft
Dial
Sunburst /grained
Slate gray or silver

Strap & Buckle
Calfskin or alligator
Black, chocolate or navy blue
Hand-stitched, folded edge
Tone-on-tone stitching
Buckle in
5N+ rose gold or white gold
 

🔴Price  79,000 CHF 💰 
(83,300 EUR / 89,750 USD – based on exchange rates at time of writing, not binding, prices not including VAT) 


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Press Release - 2024
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International Press Contact
Marie Ansel / 289 Consulting
marie.mailto:ansel@289consulting.com /
Tel. +41 79 522 12 30 
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