PANERAI - PAM00526 Luminor 1950 Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanio 47mm

OFFICINE PANERAI - NOVELTIES SIHH 2013

PANERAI - CONTEMPORARY PAM526 Luminor 1950 Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanio - 47mm NEW

THE START OF A VINTAGE YACHT RACE IS A MOMENT OF REMARKABLE BEAUTY.

The boats gather together at the starting line between the buoys, and at this point they are in the hands of  the wind and the skill of the captains and crews.
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Timing is crucial: in the minutes preceding the start, marked by the ritual of the strict countdown of the judges’ flags, the Lords of the sea must line up behind the buoys without crossing the imaginary line before the start.

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From the union of Officine Panerai and the world of classic sailing the Luminor 1950 Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Titanio was born. This is a chronograph with an automatic movement and a three-day power reserve, fitted with the Regatta countdown function, specifically created for yacht racing starts.

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The remarkable simplicity of using the Regatta countdown function is evidence of the excellence of the technical innovation achieved by the new P.9001R automatic chronograph calibre of the new Luminor 1950 Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Titanio. An orange push-button at four o’clock moves the central orange chronograph minute hand back one minute at a time, until it is at the correct position in relation to the length of the countdown.

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On starting the chronograph, by pushing the chronograph stop/start button at ten o’clock, the relative hands begin to move, indicating first the minutes and seconds remaining until the start, and then, when the countdown has finished, the time elapsed since the start of the race. The push-button at eight o’clock ends the time measurement, returning all the chronograph hands to zero. Alternatively, if it is operated while the hands are still moving, it activates the return-to-zero (flyback) function, thus enabling a new time interval to be measured immediately without operating the stop and reset buttons.

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The black dial of the Luminor 1950 Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Titanio has the sandwich structure and the classic Panerai design distinguished by the large linear hour markers and figures, enriched by the elements enabling the indications of the chronograph functions to be read.

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The chronograph hands are central and distinguished from each other by being of different, easily recognised colours, while the orange hand recording the hours turns within the small dial at three o’clock, mirroring the small seconds dial at nine o’clock. The flange carries the scale of up to 15 minutes for the countdown to the start, with the five final minutes picked out in orange, and also the tachymeter scale expressed in knots, enabling the speed of the yacht to be measured over a defined distance.

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The Luminor 1950 case has the characteristic Panerai lever device for protecting the winding crown and is 47 mm in diameter. It is made of brushed titanium, contrasting with the polished bezel. On the back, the sapphire crystal reveals the P.9100/R movement. 

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Water-resistant to 10 atmospheres (about 100 metres), as is to be expected of an advanced instrument for serious sailors, the Luminor 1950 Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Titanio  is part of the Contemporary Collection. It is supplied with a rubber strap, easily replaceable thanks to the patented Officine Panerai system, using the little tool provided.

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Technical Specifications

MOVEMENT

Automatic mechanical, Panerai P.9100/R calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 

13¾ lignes, 9.55 mm thick, 37 jewels, 

Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour.
KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device. 

Power reserve 3 days, two barrels. 328 components.

FUNCTIONS

Hours, minutes, small seconds, flyback chronograph, 

regatta countdown, knots scale for calculation of boat speed, seconds reset.

CASE

Diameter 47 mm, brushed titanium. 

Engraved brushed titanium buttons for the chronograph functions at 10 o’clock and 8 o’clock. Brushed button and orange surface for the regatta function at 4 o’clock.

BEZEL

Polished titanium.

BACK

See-through sapphire crystal.

DEVICE PROTECTING THE CROWN

(protected as trademark) Brushed titanium.

DIAL

Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. 

Chronograph hour counter at 3 o' clock, seconds at 9 o’clock, 

central chronograph seconds and minutes hands.

CRYSTAL

Sapphire, made of corundum, 1.6 mm thick. 

Anti-reflective coating.

WATER-RESISTANCE

10 bar (~ 100 metres).

STRAP

PANERAI personalised rubber strap and trapezoidal brushed titanium buckle. 

Supplied with a second interchangeable strap, a tool for changing the strap and a steel screwdriver.

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TAG Heuer - CARRERA CARBON Calibre 1887 Concept CMC Chronograph

TAG Heuer - CARRERA CARBON Calibre 1887 Concept CMC Chronograph NEW


TAG Heuer unveils the first watch fully manufactured in Carbon Matrix Composite: 19g of Technology

The same hi-tech design as the CARRERA Mikrogirder, with case, back & bezel in lightweight, super-resistant carbon

 The primary source of inspiration for the CARRERA CARBON CALIBRE 1887 CONCEPT CHRONOGRAPH is the original 1963 Carrera--the first sports chronograph designed specifically for professional drivers and sports-car enthusiasts. The case design, however, is based on 2012‘s breakthrough CARRERA MIKROGRIDER, which was named Swiss Watch of the Year at last November’s Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix, winning the prestigious Aiguille d’Or, watchmaking most coveted distinction.

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The CARRERA CARBON CALIBRE 1887 CONCEPT CHRONOGRAPH is one of TAG Heuer’s most futuristic interpretation yet of the iconic Carrera, the motor-sports inspired watch designed by Jack Heuer in 1963. Made of the identical space-age carbon composite pioneered in Formula One and the aerospace industry, and powered by the brand’s in-house designed and manufactured chronograph movement, it is super light and unbelievably resistant. With a case inspired by the award-winning CARRERA MIKROGIRDER, the CARRERA CARBON CALIBRE 1887 CONCEPT CHRONOGRAPH pushes watchmaking design and technology to a new extreme expression of the avant-garde.

The same hi-tech design as the CARRERA Mikrogirder, with case, back &bezel in lightweight, super-resistant carbon

The primary source of inspiration for the CARRERA CARBON CALIBRE 1887 CONCEPT CHRONOGRAPH is the original 1963 Carrera--the first sports chronograph designed specifically for professional drivers and sports-car enthusiasts. The case design, however, is based on 2012‘s breakthrough CARRERA MIKROGRIDER, which was named Swiss Watch of the Year at last November’s Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix, winning the prestigious Aiguille d’Or, watchmaking most coveted distinction.
The CARRERA CARBON CALIBRE 1887 CONCEPT CHRONOGRAPH shares the Mikrogirder’s distinctive asymmetrical “bullhead” case with base horns design. The crown and chronograph pushers are mounted at 12 o’clock, like a classic stopwatch. The fundamental difference, however, is the material used -- Carbon Matrix Composite -- and the extremely complicated miniaturized manufacturing process required to use it -- both world firsts in the watchmaking industry.

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A new manufacturing method, a new level of precision, strength and lightness

The CARRERA CARBON CALIBRE 1887 CONCEPT CHRONOGRAPH’s case, back and bezel are made from thin carbon fibers organized as on a isotropic matrix. The reinforced fabric, which is only 0.007mm thick, is structured to build the components into 3D form, then heated and compacted to transform by a means of a chemical reaction the soft, flexible layers into a super rigid form.
The TAG Heuer manufacturing method, which until now was principally used in F1 and aeronautics, allows for intricate detailing and machining, with fewer geometrical constraints and an exceptionally high degree of precision. The edges of the case middle, for example, are astonishingly detailed. The timepiece will also age much better than a conventional watch, with fewer scratches and signs of wear. Its extreme lightness also translates into ultimate comfort.
Inside ticks the famous CALIBRE 1887, TAG Heuer’s first movement built in-house. Manufactured after 4 years of intensive R&D in 2011 to mark the brand’s 150th anniversary, the integrated column-wheel chronograph movement contains 320 parts. It is a radical re-engineering of one of Edouard Heuer’s greatest contributions to watchmaking: the oscillating pinion of 1887.
Individual weights of components

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Technical Specifications

Movement

        Calibre 1887 – Manufacture movement – Automatic Chronograph - Date

Dial

Carbon Matrix Composite dial with 3 counters:
o chronograph hour at 3 o’clock
o running second at 6 o’clock
o chronograph minute at 9 o’clock
￿ Hand applied ring around chronograph counters with polished edge at 3 and 9 o’clock
￿ Hand-applied arabic numerals
￿ Polished hour and minute hands with luminescent markers
￿ Red tip on central chronograph hands
￿ Tachymeter scale
￿ “CARRERA CAL. 1887” lettering on the dial
￿ Date window at 6 o’clock

Case

￿ Case diameter: 45mm
￿ Specific stop watch inspired case in Carbon Matrix Composite
o Case: 10.5g
o Caseback: 4.35g
o 2 bladehorns: 2.77g
o Bezel: 1.23g
￿ Double-antireflective curved scratch-resistant sapphire crystal
￿ Black titanium carbide push-buttons at 11 and 1 o’clock
￿ Black titanium carbide crown overmolded with rubber at 12 o’clock
￿ Smoked scratch resistant sapphire caseback
￿ Water-resistance: 100 meters

Bracelet

￿ Hi-tech soft touch black alligator strap
￿ Steel folding clasp with safety push buttons

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Montblanc - Collection Villeret 1858 ExoTourbillon Chronograph

MONTBLANC - Villeret 1858 ExoTourbillon Chronograph NEW

This regulator wristwatch combines a large minute-hand and elapsed-seconds hand at the centre of the dial, a small off-centre circle for the hours, a second time zone with day/night indication, a small hand for the continually running seconds and a chronograph with a counter for 30 elapsed minutes.

This Montblanc Collection Villeret 1858 Tourbillon first attracted admiring attention with its patented construction in 2010. Its balance is larger and oscillates on a different plane than the rotating cage. This exclusive timepiece now debuts in an attractive new edition which gives an entirely unprecedented look to its spectacular mechanisms. The 18 karat gold dial, which has a distinctively three-dimensional effect, is available with either black or silver-grey décor and with a finely grained texture that contrasts tastefully with shiny hands, applied subdials and polished steel components. The ExoTourbillon Chronographe is the first watch in Montblanc's Villeret 1858 Collection to unite two of the most avidly admired horological complications: a chronograph function and a tourbillon. Mastery of the difficulty of crafting these complications numbers among the distinguishing characteristics of the Montblanc Manufacture in Villeret, which has here combined the two complications in a highly unusual fashion: the chronograph upholds the lovely tradition with a column-wheel and horizontal coupling, and the four-minute tourbillon boasts a never-before-seen innovation.

Montblanc - Villeret 1858 ExoTourbillon Chronograph Red Golg Limited Edition

Limited Edition of 16 Pieces
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But what exactly does a tourbillon accomplish? Due to the subassembly's architecture, the center of gravity of the balance and balance-spring in every mechanical watch is never absolutely collinear with the center of the balance's axis of rotation. This off-centeredness causes a disadvantage when the watch is in a vertical position: the oscillations of the balance are disturbed by the influence of gravity on its eccentric center of gravity. The ingenious tourbillon mechanism was invented to solve this problem: the balance is borne inside a cage that continually rotates around its own axis. The eccentric center of gravity accordingly orbits the tourbillon's axis of rotation at this same rate. The accelerating effect caused by the Earth's gravity on the center of gravity during the first 180° of the tourbillon's rotation is compensated by an analogous de-accelerating effect during the second 180°. The long-term result is a movement that runs at a regular rate. This clever mechanism underwent further optimization for the ExoTourbillon Chronographe: the balance has been separated from the cage to isolate it from the disturbing movements of the escapement. This separation made it possible to create the world's first tourbillon in which the rotating cage is smaller than the balance, which oscillates outside the cage and on a higher plane. This architecture also inspired the watch's name, which includes the Greek prefix exo, meaning outside. The balance in this unconventional configuration is borne between two jewels - it is neither cantilevered ("flying") nor is it borne between two bridges - while the tourbillon turns at the foot of the axis in a two-point bearing. 

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The reason for this most elaborate construction is that the traditionally large and massive balance would have required a comparably large rotating cage if it had been positioned within a conventional tourbillon. A smaller tourbillon has less mass and consequently requires less energy for its rotations. The rotating cage is also freed from the weight of the balance, which further reduces the amount of energy it consumes. This architecture requires about 30% less energy than conventional constructions. The energy saved here can be used to power the chronograph's functions.

Another essential advantage: Being separated from the rotating cage, the balance is not adversely affected by the inertia of the cage and consequently oscillates with greater precision. This innovation is entirely in accord with the statutory task of the Institut Minerva: namely, to cultivate the authentic Swiss watchmaking tradition and to combine it with ongoing innovation, thereby assuring a bright future for this noble and artful handicraft. It goes without saying that this invention has been registered for patent protection and that it will be used exclusively in the timepieces which comprise Montblanc's Villeret 1858 Collection. The owner of an ExoTourbillon Chronographe can enjoy the spectacular vista of a large balance (with weight screws along its rim) that's free to oscillate in all its beauty and turns around its own axis, without being cramped inside the narrow confines of the tourbillon's cage. With commensurate self-confidence, it proudly presents itself in a large aperture cut into the dial at the "12 o'clock" position and above a plate that has been manually embellished with circular graining. To appropriately honour these spectacular mechanisms, Montblanc is launching the unconventional monopusher chronograph with ExoTourbillon in a strictly limited new edition of eight timepieces in 18 karat white gold and eight wristwatches in 18 karat red gold. 

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Tourbillon Chronograph with New Regulator Dial 
 
Each model has the typical face of a regulator timepiece with a large minute-hand (and the chronograph's elapsed-seconds hand) at the dial's centre, complemented by an off-centre subdial for the hours with a pair of hour-hands for two different time zones: the hour in the local zone is shown by a golden hand with the same hue as the case; a blued hand indicates the hour in the other selected time zone. Various shapes arranged on different levels give the dial a strongly spatial effect that's impossible to overlook. Time merely becomes the fourth dimension on this dial's three dimensional stage. The performance begins with the clearly visible ExoTourbillon: its bridge is firmly screwed to a manually circular-grained plate and it offers an unobstructed view into the depths of the movement. The plate is coated with rhodium for the white gold watch; a layer of red gold gilds it in the red gold model. The main dial is crafted from solid gold and adorned with a finely grained grainé décor onto which all displays except the small continually running second-hand at "9 o'clock" are added as appliqués in the same colour as the case. The subdial for the hours at "6 o'clock" has an outer and an inner numbered circle: these annuluses are separated from one another by a slightly inset zone with a fine sunburst pattern; both calibrated rings are circularly satin-finished and bear black Roman numerals. A slender raised border surrounds the subdial for the hours. A similar frame encloses the chronograph's counter for 30 elapsed minutes at "3 o'clock", where hands of different lengths and different colours serve two differently coloured scales for 0 to 15 and 15 to 30 minutes.

At "4:30" is the finely encircled 24-hour subdial with a blued hand matching the blued hand for the second time zone This subdial's semicircular scales are coloured either pale or dark to watch the corresponding half of the day, and two greyish segments signify morning and evening twilight. The words "LEVER" (rise) and "COUCHER" (set) indicate the beginning and the end of the daytime hours at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., respectively.

Monopusher Chronograph with Column-Wheel Control
The Calibre 16.60 is a chronograph movement with a large and centrally axial counter for the elapsed seconds, a counter for 30 elapsed minutes, a classical column-wheel and horizontal coupling. The chronograph lever is elaborately finished by hand, and the mise en fonction is likewise accomplished manually: the surfaces where the chronograph lever contacts the column-wheel and the heart disc are observed through a watchmaker's loupe during the operation of the chronograph's functions and are gradually and meticulously abraded to a tolerance in the hundredths-of-a-millimeter range. The steel parts and the chronograph bridge in the "V" shape typical of Minerva's products) are manually beveled and polished. A finely grained stone is used to polish the lever; the bridges are manually adorned with Geneva stripes. The large and massive balance, with weight screws along its rim and a Phillips curve at one end of its balance-spring, oscillates at the classical frequency of 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour (2.5 hertz), which makes it possible to measure brief intervals to the nearest fifth of a second. The chronograph's start, stop and return-to-zero functions are operated sequentially by depressing a button in the crown.

Second Time Zone and Day/Night Display
Frequent flyers will appreciate the fact that the ExoTourbillon Chronographe can display the time in two different time zones. The skeletonized hour-hand on the hours subdial indicates the local time, while the tip of the blued steel hour-hand points to the hour in the wearer's home time zone. When the watch is worn in the home zone, these two hands are always positioned one atop the other; when the wearer travels to a different time zone, he or she can press the button at the "8" to advance the local-time hour-hand in single-hour increments until the hand indicates the correct local time. The current time at the wearer's home is shown on the little 24-hour dial with day/night indicator and blued steel hand.

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Montblanc - Villeret 1858 ExoTourbillon Chronograph White Gold Limited Edition

Limited Edition of 8 Pieces
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Collector's Items in a Limited Edition
Also because they're manufactured in strictly limited editions, the chronographs in Montblanc's Villeret 1858 Collection are ardently sought rarities. This distinction is further enhanced by the extremely unusual combination of a chronograph and a tourbillon, and even further refined by the presence of a unique tourbillon construction. Only one unique piece of the ExoTourbillon Chronographe will be manufactured in platinum, along with limited editions of 8 pieces each in 18K white gold and in 18K red gold (5N). Each of the impressive 47-mm-diameter cases is high-gloss polished and fitted with an arcing bezel that securely holds a highly domed sapphire crystal with vertically falling flanks (forme chevée). A pane of sapphire crystal is integrated into the back, which is screwed to the case and protected by a hinged cover which is opened by a patented mechanism concealed between the horns. Each watch is engraved with the words "Edition Limitée", "Montblanc" and "Fait main à Villeret" (i.e. handmade in Villeret). The interior of the hinged cover is signed "Demetrio Cabiddu Maître Horloger," thus identifying by name the technical director of the manufacture, who led the team that developed the Calibre 16.60. This bears the gold-filled engraving "Minerva Villeret" and can be admired by peering through the pane of sapphire crystal in the back of the watch when the cover is opened. Naturally, the Montblanc logo hasn't been forgotten: the familiar six-pointed star, which symbolizes the six tongues of the glacier that covers Europe's tallest mountain peak, has represented the utmost in European handcraftsmanship for many decades. The same stellar emblems, executed in genuine mother-of-pearl, grace the watches' winding crowns. These new collector's items in Montblanc's Villeret 1858 Collection are affixed to alligatorleather straps, each of which is equipped with a pronged buckle made of either 18K white gold, or 18K red gold, depending upon the material of which the model's case is made. 

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Technical Specifications

Movement  
Calibre: MBM 16.60
Type of movement: Hand-wound with chronograph, 
small seconds, second time zone and four-minute tourbillon escapement
Chronograph: Monopusher mechanism with column-wheel and horizontal coupling
Dimensions: Diameter 38.4 mm; height 10,34 mm
No. of components: 341, including 51 components for the tourbillon cage
No. of bearing jewels: 32 (hemispherical, domed, olive-cut)
Power reserve: 50 hours
Balance: Screw balance, Ø 14.5 mm; 59 mgcm²
Frequency: 18'000 semi-oscillations per hour (2.5 hertz)
Tourbillon: One rotation every four minutes
Balance-spring: With Phillips terminal curve
Plate: Rhodium-plated nickel silver, circular graining on both sides
Bridges: Rhodium-plated nickel silver, côtes de Genève
Going-train: Gold-plated, faceted arms, hubs with diamond polished surfaces
Watch displays: 
The hours in the first and second time zone are shown at the "6," 
the minutes are indicated from the center of the dial, continuous seconds on a subdial at the "9," 
day/night indicator with 24-hour display between the "4" and the "5"
Chronograph Centre seconds, 30 minute counter at 3 o`clock indicators
Features
Case: 18kt white or rose gold; domed sapphire crystal (forme chevée),
 transparent pane of sapphire crystal inset into screwed back beneath hinged cover
Dimensions: 
Diameter 47 mm; height 16,67 mm
Watertightness: To three bar (30 meters)
Horns: With patented mechanism to open the hinged cover on the underside
Crown: With integrated button to operate the chronograph and mother-of-pearl emblem
Pusher: In the case's flank at 8 o`clock to adjust the second time zone
Dial:  
18kt gold with grained anthracite decoration (109150)
Grained silver-plated  decoration (109151), 
polished, satin-finished counters and Roman numerals
Hands: 18kt gold, chronograph's elapsed-seconds handmade of Pfinodal
Wristband: 
Hand-sewn alligator-leather pronged buckle made of 18kt rose gold or 18kt white gold

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Audemars Piguet - Royal Oak Offshore Diver

Audemars Piguet - Royal Oak Offshore Diver NEW SIHH 2013


The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver features a black ceramic case and is a selfwinding watch with date display and centre seconds.

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Audemars Piguet - Calibre 3120

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Technical Specifications

CASE: 
Black ceramic case, glareproofed sapphire crystal, 
titanium glareproofed sapphire crystal caseback, 
black ceramic bezel and crowns, titanium links
DIMENSIONS: 42 mm x 13.90 mm
DIAL: 
Black dial with "Méga Tap*sserie" pattern,
white gold applied hour-markers and hands with luminescent coating, 
black rotating inner bezel ring with diving scale and zone from 12 to 3 o'clock in orange
MOVEMENT: 
Selfwinding Manufacture Calibre 3120
Functions: hours, minutes, center seconds, date
Movement thickness with module: 4.26 mm
Total diameter: 26.6 mm
Total diameter: 11¾ lines
Type of balance: With Variable inertia blocks
Frequency of balance wheel: 3,00 Hz (=21'600 alternances/hour)
Type of balance-spring stud-holder: Screwed mobile stud
Balance-spring type: Flat
Direction of automatic winding: Bidirectional
Type of oscillating weight: Monobloc in 22-carat gold
Number of jewels: 40
Power reserve: 60 h
Number of parts: 280
SPECIFICITIES
Stop balance when setting time
Oscillating weight with ceramic ball bearings
Bevels of the bridges are diamond graved
Inverted snailing on bridges
Date / Date in Dial aperture
BRACELET: 
Black rubber strap with titanium pin buckle 

REFERENCE: 15707CE.00.A002CA.01

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Angular Momentum & Manu Propria - Tamamushi Timepiece

Angular Momentum & Manu Propria - Tamamushi Timepiece NEW


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Tamamushi Timepiece

Chrysochroa fulgidissima, „jewel beetle“ - This beetle is native to Japan. It is typically found in woods or forests during summer and can grow between 30–41 millimetres in length. The Tamamushi Shrine, an Asuka Period miniature shrine located at Hōryū-ji Temple, Nara prefecture, is the first known object decorated with urushi lacquer and oil painting on wood, gilt bronze plaques, and beetlewing work using the iridescent wings of the Chrysochroa fulgidissima beetle. Today Tamamushi-Nuri is executed only by a few Urushi masters in Wajima, Japan.

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This year in January Tamamushi-Nuri has the first time been introduced to watchmaking by Angular Momentum & Manu Propria. The dial of the Tamamushi Timepiece is decorated with a mosaic of close to 1000 tiny squares cut from Tamamushi wings. Timepiece and artwork by Martin Pauli

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Tamamushi-iro, Since this bug has iridescent wings that glow lengthwise with different colors depending upon the light angle, one cannot be sure exactly which color it is. Therefore it gave rise to the expression tamamushi-iro (tamamushi color), in reference to a convoluted statement that can be interpreted in more ways than one. The term tamamushi-iro is used in the context of Japanese officialdom, when politicians or bureaucrats use language that is ambiguous.

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Close to 1000 small squares cut from the wings of Tamamushi beetles are set to a sparkling and irisident mosaic on a watch dial.

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Tamamushi Timepiece

Three-body 1.4435NcU Staybrite case 40.00 mm diameter,
with sapphire crystal.
Crown with cabochon Amethist.
Historical hand-winding movement,
Caliber FHF 96,
Tamamushi mosaic dial


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ROMAIN GAUTHIER - Logical One

ROMAIN GAUTHIER – Logical One

Romain Gauthier profile

Romain Gauthier was born in 1975 in Le Sentier, in the picturesque Vallée de Joux, at the heart of fine Swiss watchmaking. It was there that he developed a passion for traditional haute horlogerie blended with clean, contemporary design and innovative micro-engineering.  After studying precision-mechanics, Romain gained a diploma as a constructor of precision machinery. In 1997, he started his first job as machine programmer/operator and over the following years, Romain managed and grew the department into one of the best - equipped and most efficient production facilities in Europe.

 ROMAIN GAUTHIER - Prestige HM
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Determined to create his own watch brand, Romain completed an MBA in 2002. His final thesis – passed with distinction – was the business plan for Montres Romain Gauthier. He then began work on the timepieces themselves. "I knew that a good movement was the basis of everything I planned to build, so I started with that."
 

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In 2005, after three years of working in secret, Romain launched his brand in Baselworld 2007 with the Prestige HM, featuring his own in-house manufacture movement.

The  Prestige HMS followed in 2010 and Logical One in 2013.

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   LOGICAL ONE by ROMAIN GAUTHIER
    Constant force for the 21st century

ROMAIN GAUTHIER - Logical One Platinum

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Logical One features a triple patent-pending Romain Gauthier flat chain-and-fusee style constant force system with ruby chain links, ergonomic push button winding system, dial-side visible balance, mainspring barrel with sapphire inserts, plus a 60-hour power reserve indicator.

‘Coming from an engineering background, it appeared strange to have a high precision machine forced to run at varying power levels. So I started with the premise that it would be better to have constant energy.’  Romain Gauthier

ROMAIN GAUTHIER - Logical One Gold

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Constant force
The vast majority of machines run on constant force: Cars and planes don’t start running slower as fuel runs low and machines receive how much electricity is produced.

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                                                                                       Both lines on the graph above represent a 60-hour power reserve

Yet the power that runs and regulates the vast majority of high precision mechanical timepieces varies greatly according to the state of wind of the mainspring.

Constant force is one of the holy grails of horology and with Logical One, Romain Gauthier has reinvented the chain-and-fusee − one of the oldest and most traditional methods of supplying constant force to a watch/clock movement − making it both more reliable, more effective . . . and more constant.

Traditional chain and fusee
A fusee (‘fusée’ is French for cone) is a cone-shaped pulley wound with a cord or chain that is attached to the mainspring barrel.

Fusees have been used since 15th century to improve timekeeping by compensating for the diminishing torque/power of the mainspring as it ran down.

                                                                                             Fusee (the cone-shaped pulley on right) with chain

The first fusees used fine cord; however, as technology enabled the manufacture of ever-smaller chains, these replaced cords because chains transmit power more efficiently. But the traditional chain and fusee has two inherent problems:

     1. The multiple layers of chain (often eight turns) on the fusee mean that the individual links have to be small, which means that they are relatively weak.

     2. The chain is often transmitting force between the fusee and mainspring barrel at an angle, which is both inefficient and adds stress.

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Replacing the fusee with a snail cam
Romain Gauthier solved both problems by replacing the fusee with a slowly rotating snail cam, which is situated at 10 o’clock to the left of the hour/minutes dial.

As the snail cam and mainspring barrel are on the same level, the force is always transmitted in a straight line and, as only one short line of chain is needed, the links can be bigger and stronger.

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Ruby chain (patent pending)
To further improve efficiency, Romain Gauthier has taken full advantage of the larger chain links by making the links in low-friction hard-wearing synthetic rubies.

And there is yet another innovation in the construction of the chain itself.

Romain Gauthier has replaced the traditional method of joining chain links, by placing a fine sheet of paper between the links and connecting plates, riveting them together and burning the paper away to create a fine (though imprecise) tolerance, with a snap clip system that offers high-precision, simplicity, reliability and consistency.

ROMAIN GAUTHIER - Logical One Gold 

 
Winding with ergonomic pusher
Winding Logical One is a pleasure thanks to Romain Gauthier’s innovative push button winding system, with the pusher set neatly into the left caseband.

While the push-to-wind system is a pleasure to use, its advantages are not only ergonomic and aesthetic, but based on sound engineering principles.

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A traditional crown is relative small with a fine (relatively fragile) stem that has to transmit the force 90° between the crown to the mainspring barrel. The pusher to wind Logical One transmits force to the barrel on the same plane.

Mainspring barrel with sapphire lining

As the mainspring unwinds in a traditional brass barrel, the metal of the spring scratches the metal, even when freshly greased. Over time, grease clots, scratches get rougher, the barrel sticks to the spring and does not rotate smoothly.

Sapphire plates

To eliminate this potential source of uneven friction, Romain Gauthier has placed mainspring of Logical One between synthetic sapphire plates.  Sapphire has the ideal properties of having a low coefficient of friction with steel − why watch movements have ruby bearings – and is highly scratch resistant – why it is used for watch crystals.

A world of details
   - Bespoke gear wheels with graceful circular arms for maximum rigidity
   - Special power-process hand frosted bridges
   - High efficiency gear teeth profile (patent pending)
   - Polished screw heads with distinctive S-slot for more length/less slip
   - Balance wheel with curved arms and calibrated eccentric weights
   - Triangular pallet lever (Romain Gauthier invention) for improved rigidity.

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Movement & finishing
The movement for Logical One was entirely conceived, developed, designed, produced, decorated, assembled and regulated by Manufacture Romain Gauthier.

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Highly polished sharp internal bevelled angles in the movement plates and bridges are the hallmark of superlative hand finishing because, to date, machines are not capable of milling and polishing sharp internal bevels.  With Logical One, Romain Gauthier has gone a step further still in creating double-angle bevels with sharp internal angles, which give the effect of border. 

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This distinctive eye-catching hand finish, created by using a two parallel bevels, has a similar effect to that of a frame around a beautiful painting, in that the frame highlights the artwork within.

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Technical Specifications

Logical One
Features: hours, minutes, small seconds,
3-day power reserve, push-button winding and innovative chain-and-fusee style constant force system

Case and strap
Case materials: red gold or platinum
Movement plates and bridges: titanium, stainless steel, brasst
Dimensions: 43mm x 14.2mm
Water resistance: 50m /5 atm / 150’
Sapphire crystal with anti-reflection coat front and display back
Winding by push button at 9 o’clock
Time-setting crown with sapphire cabochon at 2 o’clock
Strap and buckle: alligator leather hand-stitched in Switzerland with pin buckle in metal to match the case.

Movement
In-house manufacture movement calibre
Dimensions: 35.5mm x 10.5mm
Power reserve: 60-hours
Number of jewels: 30 in movement, 34 for chain
Number of components: 333
Balance frequency: 28,800 bph / 4Hz
Highest level haute horlogerie finishing, including hand polished screws and jewel countersinks; hand bevelled and polished bridges and plates.
Three patents pending

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Oris - Aquis Depth Gauge

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ORIS - Aquis Depth Gauge NEW

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Diving Reaches New Depth..... 


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The first watch launch of our 2013 collection.

Renowned for producing specialist diving watches, Oris is proud to introduce the Oris Aquis Depth Gauge - first divers watch which measures depth by allowing water to enter the timepiece.

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A non inertia, responsive, incredibly accurate and actual depth gauge indication – particularly useful in decompression in the lesser depths and be suitable for both the professional and recreation diver alike. 

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Oris' engineers have applied the Boyle Mariotte Law to the patented Oris Aquis Depth Gauge. This states that if the volume of a gas is decreased, the pressure increases proportionally. 

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On descent, the air inside the channel milled into the side of the crystal, is compressed with the increase in the atmospheric pressure. The hole in the crystal at 12 o'clock allows water into the channel, which corrseponds with a scale. 

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The edge, in light grey and dark grey, differentiate water and compressed air on the scale around the outside of the dail, indicating the depth while decending or ascending. 
 
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Specifications:
 
Ref. No. 773 7675 4154 Set, 

Movement is the Swiss automatic Oris caliber 733 (base Sellita SW200)
with 26 jewels, 28,800 vph and a power reserve of 38 hours.
With date window at 6 o'clock
Case Ø 46.00mm,  
Stainless steel case, water-resistant to 50 bar/500 meters
Unidirectional revolving top ring with black ceramic inlay and minute scale
Sapphire crystal, domed and anti-reflection coated on both sides, 
features a milled channel for depth gauging and a yellow meter scale
Rubber strap and metal bracelet as alternative
Set includes waterproof case, separate metal bracelet and tools

Swiss Retail Price CHF 3,500.00/ Set

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