Antoine Preziuso - GTS Grand Tourbillon Sport

 Antoine Preziuso - GTS Grand Tourbillon Sport

At the upcoming Baselworld show, which begins March 8th, Antoine Preziuso will unveil the Grand Tourbillon Sport GTS. 

The GTS comes in a 52 x 45 mm tonneau shaped case made of ChromeCobalt (Co-Cr), which is a very strong cobalt and chromium alloy. Powering the GTS is hand-wound caliber APG/28T with 19 jewels, a frequency of 21,600 vph (3Hz) and a power reserve of 110-hours. Functions include hours, minutes and tourbillon seconds. A sapphire crystal on the front and back allow a view into the beautifully finished skeleton movement. Water-resistance is 30 meters. Comes with a black crocodile strap with red top-stitching and a folding clasp.

The GTS Grand Tourbillon Sport features a tactile rounded tonneau case measuring 52 x 45mm, constructed from ChromeCobalt, a tough, techy alloy.  The shapes and styling are reminiscent of racing cars, a passion of its creator – note the “speedo” open-worked hands, a blast of red against the look-see dial, and of course, the showcase tourbillon at 6 o’clock.

Inside is the APG/28T hand-wound Calibre with 110 hours of power reserve, water resistant to 30m.

The Antoine Preziuso GTS Grand Tourbillon Sport comes presented on a black crocodile leather strap with red stitching.

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www.antoine-preziuso.com 

Angular Momentum - Poetic Interworlds

 Angular Momentum watch company uses the unique “Verre Èglomisé“ ornamentation technique in its exclusive masterpieces' production. This technique implies application of miniature paintings on the back sides of the watches' crystals of dials. “Verre Èglomisé“ technique was elaborated and is used only by Angular Momentum of Switzerland brand. The patented Revolving Hour-disk "à Souscription" time indication system (patent number CH686988) enables the company's craftsmen to create beautiful miniature masterpieces, not interferring with the hour and minute hands. The timepieces' indications can be read through one or more apertures, carved in the crystal.
For some watch aficionados with extensive collections and for high watchmaking art lovers it's the top of exclusivity to have a bespoke timepiece. Custom-made timepieces creation is not a novelty in watchmaking, bespoke time measuring instruments have been made as long as collectors have existed. Since this strive for uniqueness has become more and more prolific in watchmaking, the company has found a way to make its products even more exclusive, creating single piece watches, bringing the ability to meet someone with the same timepiece to zero.
Angular Momentum watches can be bought through a small but exclusive high-end jewelery boutiques network in many different countries of the world and, of course, at Angular Momentum boutiques in Switzerland.

 Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ...

 Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ...

The Poetic Interworlds collection
The artisan pieces from this collection contain small symbolic objects, placed over dials, between the inner sapphire plates and the outer protective sapphire crystals.

The Sparrow model from the Poetic Interworlds collection
A small sparrow in flight is hovering above this model's dial. The sparrow is a symbol of hope, freedom, fertility, the renewal of life, resurrection, finding your true love, keeping the evil spirits away and many more. A sparrow symbolizes travelling to long distances and always returning home as well.
The model's two-body case is made of 18-carat white gold, the dial is made of solid mother-of-pearl and supplied with polished “bâton” style white gold numeric indexes.

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The hands are made of white gold as well. The 7-mm crown is equipped with a cabochon amethyst. The Swiss Poetic Interworlds Sparrow wrist watch contains a figure of a sparrow, executed in the Japanese lacquer „takamaki“ high relief, dusted with gold and platinum of four colours. There's a cabochon onyx, installed in the sparrow's eye.

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The figure is placed on a sapphire 0,4 mm plate above the dial under the protective sapphire crystal with a double curve. This unique timepiece is equipped with the historical hand-rewound FHF 96 caliber. The case's diameter is 40,1 mm, the watch's thickness is 13,2 mm.
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www.AngularMomentum.com

Jaeger-LeCoultre - Masterful Minute Repeater

Jaeger-LeCoultre – Masterful Minute Repeater

In 2005, the launch of the Master Minute Repeater Antoine LeCoultre (Calibre 947) had already created a sensation with its patented crystal gong, constituting a major breakthrough in the world of watch sound. The gong heel was soldered to the watch’s sapphire crystal so as to make the most of the sapphire crystal’s properties of velocity to magnify the intensity and purity of the sound vibrations emitted.

After several years of research aimed at creating the purest sound possible, Jaeger-LeCoultre perfected a totally new shape of gong, used for the first time ever on the Master Minute Repeater watch in 2007. Consisting of a single part extending from the heel to the actual gong itself, this new design has a square cross-section rather than the traditional round cross-section, and a larger surface area that comes into contact with the hammer, which for its part can also strike with increased force. The gongs meanwhile were made out of a material for which Jaeger- LeCoultre possessed, and still possesses, the exclusive and confidential formula.

A succession of technical innovations were inspired by the Calibre 947, which consolidated its place in the history of watch sound when in 2009 Jaeger-LeCoultre unveiled the first minute repeater watch with a two-week power reserve combined with a regulator display.

The magnitude of the project that the watchmakers had taken on gradually revealed itself during the course of a series of detailed studies undertaken with a view to achieving a sound hitherto unknown for a minute repeater watch. The first priority was to define the characteristics of the sound required and to establish parameters for it.

Sound is made up of four main components.

The volume is the strength of the sound as it is perceived. Expressed in decibels, it represents the sound pressure level to which the ear is exposed. It is a direct function of the acoustic pressure exercised on the eardrum. A variation of 10 decibels represents a doubling of the pressure exercised on the eardrum, and therefore a doubling of the perceived volume.

The second component of a sound is its duration. This represents the time that elapses until the sound emitted loses 20 decibels. The durations measured are of the order of a few hundred milliseconds.

The two other characteristics of a sound are its richness and pitch. The richness depends on the number of partials (or tones) perceived. The higher the number of partials, the more the sound is colourful and harmonious. The pitch corresponds to how high and harmonious is the value of the note struck, and to the respect for the principle of a third between two notes.

At the Manufacture, all measurements are taken using a microphone placed at a given distance from the sound source, but also with the assistance of a laser so as to obtain measurements that are not disturbed by the ambient medium.

Jaeger-LeCoultre specialists have studied each of these parameters so as to obtain the best possible combination. The result is quite simply breathtaking. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition à Répétitions Minutes produces a sound that has never been heard before in a wristwatch. With 64 decibels, durations of over 600 milliseconds and a richness of 9 partials, the sound produced surpasses any performance previously obtained with a wristwatch.

Even the least musically-inclined listener will immediately notice the difference.

While minute repeater construction is a subjective art form at some companies, at Jaeger-LeCoultre it is absolutely a science. The Vallée de Joux manufacture can produce sheaves of research results on what constitutes optimum sound, and how to reproduce it on a consistent basis. Also typical of their approach has been to use new mechanical constructions—like the first silent regulators of the late 19th century—to get the best acoustic results. Their latest Master Grande Tradition à Répétition Minutes ($287,700) includes several of these. Like the brand’s recent-generation repeaters, the gongs are anchored to the crystal for amplification. This model also contains the flat-faced gongs Jaeger-LeCoultre explored in its Grande Sonnerie a few years ago.

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Technical specifications:

Movement
• mechanical hand-wound movement,
Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 947, crafted, assembled and decorated by hand
• 21,600 vibrations per hour
• 15-day power reserve
• 413 parts
• 43 jewels
• 8.95 mm in height
• 34.7 mm in diameter
Functions
• hours, minutes, minute repeater, power reserve, barrel torque indication
Dial
• gold-plated, openworked
• rhodium-plated applique markers Hands
• dauphine type Crown and push-piece
• 1 crown for winding the watch, and for setting the hours and minutes
• 1 catch to activate the minute repeater
Case
• ø 44 mm, thickness: 15.6 mm
• 18-carat pink gold
• sapphire crystals
• water-resistance: 5 bar
Straps
• chocolate-brown alligator-skin strap with pin buckle in 18-carat gold
Reference
• Q50125 50 18-carat pink gold

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www.facebook.com - Jaeger-LeCoultre
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www.Jaeger-LeCoultre.com

TAG Heuer - Mikrogirder 2000 Chronograph

TAG Heuer - Mikrogirder 2000 Chronograph






















Meet the TAG Heuer Mikrogirder 2000 Concept watch- a dual-assortment, ultra high-beat watch with a Chronograph beating at 7.2 million times every hour, meaning that the watch can time events to 5/ 10,000th of a second. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the new TAG Heuer Mikrogirder is not that TAG Heuer have put out a watch twice as fast as the Mirkotimer- it’s the fact that they’ve done it with a movement that- again- reinvents mechanical movements. The 2011 Mikrotimer had no balance wheel. The 2009 Pendulum had no hairspring. The 2012 Mikrogirder has neither.
 

As you’d expect, the party trick of the Mikrogirder is the flying central chronograph hand, which rotates twice 20 times per second- twice as fast as the Mirkotimer.

TAG Heuer talk about the movement in terms of being accurate to 5/10,000th of a second, rather than 1/ 2,000th of a second. Same thing you might say, but the claim is that for the first time it is possible to break apart the 1/ 10,000th fraction of time. Having said that, there is a large “2000″ at the top of the dial and in the name, so you can see it however you prefer.

Reading the Mikrogirder

The Mikrogirder has a different dial layout to the Mikrotimer, so let’s step through the sub-dials that you see above:

• 12 o’clock Sub-Dial: This measures Seconds. Each marker represents 3 seconds, so the hand rotates once every 90 seconds
• 3 o’clock sub-dial: This shows seconds plus 1/10th of a second – one complete revolution of this hand is equal to three seconds
• The Flying central hand shows time in 1/100th, 1/ 1000th and 5/10,000th of  a second

To get the timed event you have to add together the 12 o’clock and 3 o’clock readings (giving you x.x seconds) and then add the reading from the flying hand. While its hard to see from the photo above, the flying hand in the photo shows 285 1/10,000th of a second…meaning that the dial above shows 0.0285 seconds (a theoretical example of course, given normal human reaction times).

Mikrogirder Movement

 The magic to this watch is the movement, and in particular the regulating system. Look at the watch from the back and it looks the same as the Mikrograph and the Mikrotimer- and indeed it uses the same layout- two barrels/ assortments: one for the Chronograph and one for the Watch.
The Chronograph beats 7.2 million times per hour- or 1,000hz.

Compared with the Mikrotimer’s design, the new concept watch comes with some interesting changes. Firstly, you can notice a crown and chronograph pushers located on the top of the case. The shape of the case is asymmetrical, which is also a distinctive feature, taken from vintage Heuer stop-watches.
The dial with a nice anthracite finish features two chrono sub-dials. The sub-dial at the 12 o’clock position counts seconds. Each marker represents interval of 3 seconds and a hand rotates once every 90 seconds. The sub-dial at the 3 o’clock position displays seconds plus 1/10th of a second – one spin of a hand is equal to three seconds. The Flying central hand counts time with 1/100th, 1/ 1000th and 5/10000th of a second accuracy.

www.calibre11.com 
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baselworld.tagheuer.com
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www.facebook.com - TAG Heuer 
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www.TAGheuer.com

SIHH 2012: New Officine Panerai Radiomir

Panerai - Radiomir 1940

 

 

Vintage looks were a hot trend among the exhibiting brands at this year’s SIHH watch fair in Geneva, and Panerai was no exception. However, unlike so many of its contemporaries, whose vintage-style models are characterized by smaller dimensions and thinner cases, Panerai’s are even bigger than some of its modern watches. Case in point: the new Radiomir 1940 Oro Rosso 47 mm Special Edition. 

 PAM 00398 – RADIOMIR 1940 ORO ROSSO – 47 MM

 

Panerai’s history, as many of its diehard fans know, begins in the 1930s in Florence, as a maker of timepieces for Italian naval divers to use for underwater missions. Most of the early Radiomir models had strap attachments made from steel wires welded to the case, but some models made in 1940 had a different case design in which the lugs were formed from the same block of steel as the case, making them stronger and more solid and also resulting in the case itself being larger.

 These gargantuan yet classic dimensions are replicated in the 47-mm diameter, polished, rose-gold case of the Radiomir 1940 Oro Rosso (Italian for “red gold”), whose shorter, Paneristi-friendly reference number is PAM 00398. The gold used for the case is 5NPt, an alloy with an unusually high percentage of copper (24.1 percent) for a richer, redder hue. A smattering of platinum in the alloy (.4 percent) aids in protecting the case against oxidation. The screw-down crown on the right side of the case bears the vintage “OP” logo for “Officine Panerai.”
 The brown dial contrasts nicely with the rose-gold case and echoes the color of the brown alligator strap. Like other Radiomir dials, it uses Panerai’s signature “sandwich” construction, in which two thin plates surround a layer of Super-LumiNova. The Arabic numerals and hour indices are perforated apertures on the upper plate, allowing the luminosity to shine through. The hour and minutes hands, as well as the small seconds hand on the subdial at 9 o’clock, are also coated with Super-LumiNova. The engraved logo on the dial is executed in 1940 period lettering and the case and reference numbers are engraved between the lugs. The curved crystal above the dial also contributes to the historical authenticity: it’s made out of 3-mm-thick Plexiglas, like the one in its historical predecessor, rather than sapphire.
 The movement in the watch also contributes to its vintage appeal: Panerai’s OP XXVII, which is based on a caliber made by the legendary Swiss movement specialist Minerva, now owned by Montblanc, Panerai’s sister brand in the Richemont Group. The manual-wind 16 3/4-ligne caliber is visible through a sapphire caseback window. Among its attributes are a variable inertia balance with swan’s neck micrometric regulator, a Kif Parechoc anti-shock device, and a Glucydur balance that beats at 18,000 vph. It has a power reserve of 55 hours.
 The Radiomir 1940 Oro Rosso is offered in a limited edition of 100 pieces, at a retail price of $55,500 each. There is also a Radiomir 1940 Special Edition in a steel case (PAM 00399), with a polished finish and a black dial, also limited to 100 pieces, that retails for $29,800. For the first 50 numbered models of each, Panerai has created 50 boxed sets containing both watches; the boxes are priced at $85,300.
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PAM 00395  –  RADIOMIR 8 DAYS GMT ORO ROSSO – 45 MM

 

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PAM 00399 – RADIOMIR 1940 – 47 MM

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PAM 00424  – RADIOMIR CALIFORNIA 3 DAYS – 47 MM

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PAM 00425  – RADIOMIR   S.L.C.  3 DAYS – 47 MM

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PAM 00448  – RADIOMIR CALIFORNIA  3 DAYS – 47 MM

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PAM 00449  –  RADIOMIR S.L.C.  3 DAYS – 47 MM

panerai.watchprosite.com 
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www.Paneraicollection.com

Hublot - King Power Unico GMT

The now famed Unico manufacture chronograph movement has undergone its first ever evolution. Its base will now house a GMT function, which has been entirely developed and manufactured in-house by Hublot.
The main technical feature of this GMT complication is that is gives the time in the different time zones using an expert set of 4 rotating aluminium discs. They are controlled by a push-button housed in the case middle at 2 o’clock which allows the discs to be simultaneously positioned, allowing the time in the city, selected from the 14 available, to be instantly and directly read.

 With an elegant, practical and functional design, the King Power Unico GMT has a 48 mm dial and is available in two versions, ceramic or King Gold red gold ceramic, featuring a dial which is easy to read despite the wealth of indications it contains, and which allows the beautiful mechanics of the calibre to be admired. With a 72-hour power reserve, this watch will appeal to travellers with an appreciation of fine contemporary watchmaking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hublot - King Power Unico GMT Watch Technical Details

• References 771.CI.1170.RX (ceramic version); 771.OM.1170.RX (gold version)
• Series Not limited
• Case “King Power” – 48 mm in diameter; Micro-blasted black ceramic or satin-finished 18K King Gold
• Bezel Black ceramic with circular satin finish and black rubber moulding; Engraved city names
• Crystal Sapphire with interior/exterior anti-reflective coating
• Bezel lug Black composite resin
• Lateral inserts Black composite resin
• Screw Black PVD titanium
• Crown Black PVD titanium or 18K King Gold with black rubber insert
• Push-buttons 2 o’clock: Black PVD titanium or 18K King Gold with black rubber insert
• Case-back Micro-blasted black ceramic or satin-finished 18K King Gold
• Water resistance 10 ATM, i.e. approx 100 metres
• Dial Matt black skeleton with city indications; 4 rotating aluminium discs with hour indications
• Hands Satin-finished, with black Superluminova™
• Movement HUB 1220 UNICO Base with GMT function; Developed and manufactured in-house by Hublot, self-winding
• Oscillating weight Openworked with black PVD coating, tungsten segment
• Power reserve 72 hours
• Strap Adjustable articulated black rubber strap
• Clasp King Power micro-blasted black PVD titanium deployant buckle, cap in micro-blasted black PVD titanium, decorative plate in micro-blasted black ceramic; Gold version: 18K King Gold decorative plate and cap

http://hublotnation.com

Montblanc - TimeWriter II Bi-Fréquence 1000 Chronographe

 Montblanc - TimeWriter II Bi-Fréquence 1000 Chronographe

 

The biggest novelty of Montblanc this year is the new Timewriter II. A bi-annual project that resulted in the Timewriter I, Metamorphosis, two years ago. This year it’s a chronograph again, but now one that can measure up to 1/1000th of  a second. 

The ‘Timewriter project’ is something Institut Minerva does together with a young watchmaker who does not have the opportunity to create his own idea, because he simply doesn’t have the resources. The Timewriter II is created in collaboration with Bartomeu Gomila and shows a new approach to measuring time to a precision of 1/1000th of a second.

Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ... 

How does it work? Let’s start with describing how the Timewriter II Bi-Fréquence is started and stopped. Like many chronographs produced  in the Montblanc Manufacture in Villeret, the chronograph is operated by a mono-pusher. The pusher is not in the crown, but positioned on the top side of the case, above the 12 o’clock position. The crown is used for winding and setting (when pulled out) the watch. If the crown is turned counter-clockwise (when in the winding position), the mainspring for the chronograph function is being powered.
The time is displayed by the central hour and minute hand and can be read on the small concentric Roman hour markers. The real feat of the watch is of course the chronograph and reading the elapsed chronograph time has been given much attention in the design.

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There are three positions that keep track of the recorded time, or actually four. The minutes and seconds are displayed on one axis at the 6 o’clock position; the seconds are displayed on the black ring with white and red markers and the minute counter records up to 15 minutes and can be read from the inner white circle.
The 1/100th seconds are indicated by the large red central seconds hand and can be read on the outside track that goes from 0 to 100. The 1/1000th seconds are indicated by the red arrow in the dashboard-like display.  Once the chronograph is stopped the red arrow will jump from the N (neutral) position to the actual measured 1/1000th of a second.
                                                                               
And there is one more indicator to the right side of the dial. That is actually the power reserve indicator of the chronograph. Because of the incredible speed, this part of the movement uses a lot of power and the power reserve is limited to 45 minutes (which is actually a lot when compared to ‘the’ other chronograph that measures to 1/1000th). Since this indicator measures the power reserve very precise, it can also be used as a 45 minutes counter. If one wants to measure a longer time than 45 minutes, it’s possible to wind the chronograph while it’s running.

Yesterday I had the chance to talk with mr. Alexander Schmiedt, Director of Watches at Montblanc,and asked him to explain the Timewriter II Bi-Fréquence.

           

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The name already indicates that this watch has two balances, each with a different frequency, hence Bi-Fréquence. The balance for the ‘normal time’, a classical screw balance with Philips terminal curve, has a diameter of 11,4 mm and vibrates at 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour (2.5 hertz). The other balance is for the chronograph and has a frequency of 360,000 (!!) semi-oscillations per hour (50 hertz). This is an incredibly high frequency and a large balance could not keep up with this kind of speed. Therefore the chronograph balance is much smaller, with a diameter of 6 mm.

 Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ... 

 Now the big question is of course how to measure 1/1000th of a second, while the ‘normal’ chronograph parts are able to measure up to 1/100th of a second. The Spanish watchmaker Bartomeu Gomila was inspired by a childhood memory: as a boy on the island of Menorca, Bartomeu loved to play with a big wooden hoop, which he would roll along the beach either by repeatedly pushing it with his hand or striking it with a little stick. He soon realized that he could keep the hoop rolling in a uniform rotary motion if he continually gave it equally strong impulses at equally timed intervals.

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As Montblanc describes it: The secret was a balance with a frequency of 50 hertz (360,000 A/h). This rapid oscillator completes 100 to-and-from motions per second, i.e. 50 times in one direction and 50 times in the other. This tempo not only guides the motion of the trotteuse in the Montblanc TimeWriter II Chronographe Bi-Fréquence 1,000, it also sets the pace for delivering an impulse of energy that sets into rotation an innovative wheel in the gear-train, the so-called “thousandths wheel” (mobile de millième). Powered in this fashion, it rotates around its own axis at a uniform speed of ten rotations per second and thus provides the resolution with which hundredths of a second can be further subdivided into sets of ten increments. The chronograph function is controlled by a two-level column-wheel: one level guides the start, stop and zero-return functions; the other level controls the thousandths wheel.

This solution offers big advantages which make it far superior to every conventional mechanism that has ever been used to measure thousandths of seconds with the aid of a 500-hertz oscillating body. First of all, a frequency of just 50 hertz generates considerably less friction and drastically reduces wear. Furthermore the chronograph now has much more power reserve and this long-lasting power reserve also contributes to the regularity of the amplitude of the hundredths-of-a-second balance which, in turn, enhances the precision of the time measuring.


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The movement itself is a piece of art, with beautifully designed bridges and simply gorgeous hand-finishing. The bridges are finished with Côte de Genève and beveled and the mainplate shows pèrlage. The picture above shows a rendering of what the finished movement will look like, when it’s ready. At the SIHH we got some hands-on time with a fully working prototype and we were very impressed by this concept of measuring time to a precision of 1/1000th of a second.


   Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ...   BIG FOTO

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world.Montblanc.com

Jaeger-LeCoultre - Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon

Jaeger-LeCoultre - Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon


At the SIHH 2012, the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre presents three new timepieces in its Master Control line, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. It was indeed in 1992 that the Grande Maison in the Vallée de Joux introduced this classically inspired line named after a merciless set of tests, the 1000 Hours Control, introduced that same year in order to guarantee the reliability, the sturdiness and the precision of its timepieces, even in the most extreme conditions.

 

  Since 1833, watchmaking inventiveness has had a firm home base in the Vallée de Joux. That was the year the brilliant young Antoine Lecoultre founded his own establishment in Le Sentier, dedicated to the production of horological components. He had just developed a revolutionary machine designed to cut pinions, a key element of watch mechanisms. It represented a decisive breakthrough that paved the way for movement standardisation and series production. This first venture off the beaten track set an invaluable precedent, and remains an enduring source of inspiration for the founders’ successors. Antoine LeCoultre did not take the success with which his first efforts were rewarded as an encouragement to rest on his laurels – quite the contrary. He extended production to encompass other timepiece components and constantly sought out new means of enhancing production quality. Barely ten years went by before he developed the millionometer, the first instrument capable of making micron-accurate measurements corresponding to one millionth of a metre. The invention was to have a considerable impact in that, as well as ensuring greatly improved precision, it also served to incorporate within pocket-watches certain horological complications that previous generations could only dream of. The new accomplishments generated great enthusiasm and the Vallée de Joux, the cradle of Fine Watchmaking, soon earned the nickname of the “Valley of Complications” – a title that has remained unchallenged ever since.

The pink gold case frames a dial on which the observer’s gaze is inexorably drawn towards the tourbillon at 6 o’clock. This imposing and majestic device testifies to the exceptional precision of the Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon, as well as to the inventive strength of the Manufacture that propelled the tourbillon, invented in the latter years of the 18th century, firmly into the 21st century. In 2004, the Gyrotourbillon caused a sensation by introducing the world’s first spherical tourbillon. Four years later, the Grande Maison in the Vallée de Joux unveiled the Reverso Gyrotourbillon, the first three-dimensional tourbillon to feature a cylindrical balance-spring. Barely twelve months later, Jaeger-LeCoultre presented the Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication combining a flying tourbillon and celestial indications in the form of a sidereal zodiac calendar. This extraordinary range of inventions is of course anything but coincidental.

Six years ago, the Master Tourbillon returned to the roots of the tourbillon, of which the primary function consists in optimising the precision and the reliability of a timepiece by compensating for the detrimental effects of gravity on the regulating organ. Its tourbillon is distinguished by its generous dimensions and its high frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, which remains a rarity for a tourbillon movement. It also features a diaphanously light titanium carriage weighing a mere 0.33 grams and representing an undeniable asset in reducing the energy required by a barrel that is wound by a rotor mounted on ceramic ball bearings. This high-precision instrument won first prize in the Chronométrie 2009 international timing competition.

In 2012, the Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon featuring this same tourbillon is an anthem of praise to this prestigious device. In this stupendously slender execution, it is held by a filigree-worked bridge providing an exquisite view of its perfectly proportioned orbit. Set against an eggshell-white dial, the applied pink gold hour-markers retain the modesty required to avoid distracting the gaze from the true focus of attention. The gold hour and minute hands accompany the small seconds at 6 o’clock which, interdependent with the rotations of the tourbillon, performs a complete turn once a minute. The result of decades of patient research and development appears in a state of perfection and simplicity such that no one admiring it could possibly imagine the efforts involved in making it. This is indeed the hallmark of all authentic masterpieces. In homage to this artistic and technological accomplishment, the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre will offer the Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon exclusively with a pink gold case measuring 40 mm in diameter and measuring an incredible thin 11.3 millimeters.

Throughout its rich history, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s inventiveness has been attested by the filing of almost 400 patents. More eloquently than any other, this statistic illustrates the tirelessly innovative momentum of the Manufacture, although it only takes on its true significance when one recalls that 80 of them have been awarded for decisive breakthroughs made since the dawn of the third millennium. For the Grande Maison in the Vallée de Joux, the acceleration of history is no mere myth.

For twenty years, the strict demands of the 1000 Hours Control have been conducting rigorous test procedures on all Master Control models, which embody the latest developments stemming from the research undertaken in the Manufacture’s laboratories. For two decades, the performances and the reliability of the timepieces in the Master Control line have been enthusiastically welcomed by the public and by horological experts who salute their avant-garde technology. In 2012, three new timepieces celebrate a watch line that has truly come of age. Each expresses a particular aspect of the vast range of expertise cultivated within the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre: prodigious horological classicism conveyed through a minimalist expression radiating breathtaking beauty; a contemporary expression of the power reserve in an ultra-thin case; and a tourbillon featuring a slenderness that is an outstanding feat in its own right.

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www.jaeger-lecoultre.com

TIMEMACHINIST - MARK II BRONZE

Prototype

Case- Naval Bronze
54mm dia
22mm tall (25mm overall)
338grams
37mm or 24mm locking, quick release strap


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Timemachinist-Watches

JAEGER-LE-COULTRE - Duometre a Spherotourbillon

JAEGER-LE-COULTRE - Duometre a Spherotourbillon

Jaeger-LeCoultre continues to be one of my favorite watchmakers. Form and function coalesce to produce the most striking timepieces. Take for example the gorgeous Spherotourbillon. Most tourbillons, many agree, aren't practical in a wristwatch. Its standard design coupled with the position in which a wristwatch is worn combine to produce a watch, that while technically brilliant, does little in the realm of improved accuracy.

In the past decade several watchmakers, including Greubel Forsey, Jaeger LeCoultre, and Zenith have tried to solve this issue by creating innovative multi-axis tourbillons that provide superb accuracy no matter the position in which they are worn.

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Jaeger LeCoultre's Gyrotourbillon 2 is one of my favorite timepieces of all time. Not just for being drop-dead gorgeous, but for having a truly useful tourbillon.

The Spherotourbillon from the Duometre collection (which feature two separate mechanisms) is Jaeger's latest attempt at combining form and function in an elegant timepiece.

A pusher located at 2, when activated in conjunction with a pulled-out crown, provides a reset for the seconds hand with no loss of precision. This innovation produces a tourbillon like no other. The tourbillon itself is inclined at 20 degrees and spins on two axes - one rotates every 15 seconds, the other every 30 seconds.

Another masterpiece from JLC. Not as awesome as the Gyro 2, but still very special.

  http://www.revo-online.com

  Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ...

Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ...

















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