ZENITH – DEFY Sapphire Tourbillon Editions 2021

 

ZENITH – DEFY Zero-G Sapphire & DEFY 21 Double Tourbillon Sapphire Limited Editions 2021

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 ZENITH ELEVATES THE ART OF CONTEMPORARY HAUTE HORLOGERIE WITH TWO STELLAR CREATIONS: THE DEFY ZERO-G AND DEFY DOUBLE TOURBILLON IN TRANSPARENT SAPPHIRE

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A new expression of haute horlogerie, the Zenith way. The Manufacture has reimagined two of its most extraordinary movements through contemporary architecture and finishing techniques that can be admired through luminous and transparent sapphire cases. Just like Georges-Favre Jacot who named his Manufacture after the highest point in the sky reached by a heavenly body in the sky, Zenith’s watchmakers and designers sought inspiration from the endless universe beyond our horizon for its grandest and most ingenious haute horlogerie creations.

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Zenith has reinterpreted two of its most cutting-edge haute horlogerie calibres in a way that could only be admired through the transparency of a sapphire case. These two creations place Zenith’s uniquely futuristic and evocative aesthetic centre-stage, using novel and previously unheard-of decoration methods for a stellar result.

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First, all the movement’s components are treated with blue PVD. The inscriptions as well as decorative elements like miniature stars are then carefully engraved onto the bridges, after which the chamfered edges of the bridges are precisely finished with a rhodium-coloured PVD; a specially developed technique that provides a striking contrast and adds even more visual depth to an already intricately layered movement with its futuristic form. 

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Framed by totally transparent sapphire cases, the movements shine in a light of their own – and from all angles.

DEFY Zero-G

Overcoming the effects of gravity on chronometric precision has long been watchmakers’ ultimate goal. Zenith accomplished precisely this with its Gravity Control mechanism, where the regulating organ is fixed to a gimbal that always remains in a flat position regardless of how the watch is rotated.   

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Today, the Manufacture has completely redesigned the entire movement with a new architecture to enable a more open and exhibitive display, encapsulated in a transparent sapphire case that allows the singular mechanism to be admired from all angles: a first for the Manufacture.  

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Like an object suspended in space and free from the effects of gravity, the off-centred dial of the DEFY Zero-G Sapphire combines several traditional crafts in a contemporary execution, handcrafted in a mosaic of meteorite, aventurine glass and grand feu enamel on a gold base. It depicts our neighbouring red planet Mars on the small seconds, partially eclipsed by the hour and minute dial. A special touch that can only be seen when the watch is overhead is the back of the gyroscopic module, fashioned with a cratered texture mimicking the moon. 

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The entire main plate and bridges of the movement are finished in a blue tone with contrasting grey rhodium chamfers, speckled with white stars of varying sizes. This astronomically inspired finish extends to the movement’s cylindrical container, which can also be viewed through the sides of the case.

DEFY 21 DOUBLE TOURBILLON

For the latest execution of the fastest tourbillon chronograph around - equipped with two independent tourbillons completing rotations in 60 seconds for the time-keeping tourbillon and 5 seconds for the chronograph’s tourbillon – Zenith took its evocative “starry sky” aesthetic to new cosmic heights in the DEFY 21 Double Tourbillon Sapphire, with a nod to the universe and space exploration.

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Visible for all to admire through the crystalline case, the DEFY 21 Double Tourbillon’s exceptional chronograph movement is rendered in a stellar and futuristic aesthetic. The main plate of the movement is finished in a striking blue PVD tone, and in a first for Zenith, some of the dial-side bridges are engraved with stars, like a distant galaxy of micro-mechanics in perpetual motion. Truly at the summit of precision, the 1/00th of a second chronograph moves at incredible speed, juxtaposed against a still, starry backdrop.

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The DEFY 21 Double Tourbillon Sapphire and DEFY Zero-G Sapphire will be produced as a limited edition of 10 pieces each.

AN EXCLUSIVE GRAVITY-DEFYING EXPERIENCE

For the 20 owners of the DEFY Zero-G Sapphire and DEFY 21 Double Tourbillon Sapphire limited editions, Zenith is offering the opportunity to live an unforgettable experience: a parabolic zero-gravity flight. Scheduled to take place in February 2022, Zenith has partnered with Novespace, a subsidiary of the French National Space Center, to offer the experience of weightlessness.

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Guests will arrive at the Novespace facility in Bordeaux, France, where they will meet with their instructors. French astronaut Jean-François Clervoy will also be present at the pre-flight conference. The flight itself will consist of 15 parabolas, where the airplane ascends than plunges in a freefall to reproduces the effect of floating in weightlessness in a perceived absence of gravity.  

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Model: DEFY ZERO G Sapphire Tourbillon Edition

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Reference: 04.9000.8812/00.R920

Key points:

Full sapphire case. Entirely skeletonised movement : El Primero 8812 S. 
"Gravity Control" gyroscopic module that ensures horizontal positioning of the regulating organ. 
Now occupies only 30% of its initial volume. 
Inspired by the legendary marine chronometers.
Openworked dial. 
Limited edition of 10 pieces.

Movement
Calibre El Primero 8812 S manual
Frequency 36,000 VpH (5 Hz)
Power reserve approx. 50 hours
Functions : 
Hours and minutes excentred at 12 o'clock. 
Small seconds at 9 o'clock
Self-regulating Gravity Control module at 6 o'clock. 
Power-reserve indication at 2 o'clock
Finishes: Exclusive bicolor signature on plates and bridges. Starry Sky finishing.
Case : 46mm
Material: Sapphire
Water resistance: 3 ATM
Dial
Openworked with meteorite & Aventurine hour & minute dial
Hour markers: Rhodium-plated, faceted and coated with SuperLuminova SLN C1
Hands: Rhodium-plated and faceted gold, coated with SuperLuminova SLN C1
Bracelet & Buckle
Black rubber with blue "cordura effect" fabric & grey stitching.

Titanium double folding clasp.

Price 160.900 CHF

Limited edition: 10 pieces

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Model: DEFY 21 Double Tourbillon Sapphire Edition

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 Reference: 04.9000.9020/00.R920

Key points: 

Full sapphire case. 
1/100th of a second Double Tourbillon Chronograph movement
1 Tourbillon escapement for the Watch (36,000 VpH - 5 Hz) ; 
1 Tourbillon escapement for the Chronograph (360,000 VpH - 50 Hz). 
Exclusive dynamic signature of one rotation per second for the
Chrono hand. Certified Chronometer. 
Limited edition 10 pieces.

Movement
Calibre El Primero 9020 automatic
1/100th of a second Double Tourbillon Chronograph movement
1 Tourbillon escapement for the Watch (36,000 VpH – 5 Hz)
1Tourbillon escapement for the Chronograph (360,000 VpH – 50 Hz)
Exclusive dynamic signature of one rotation per second for the Chrono hand
Certified Chronometer
Frequency: 36,000 VpH (5 Hz)
Power reserve: approx. 50 hours
Functions :
Hours and minutes in the centre
Double Tourbillon1 escapement for the Watch (36,000 VpH / 5 Hz – cage makes a turn in 60 seconds)
1 escapement for the Chronograph (360,000 VpH / 50 Hz – cage makes a turn in 5 seconds)
1/100th of a second Chronograph: Central chronograph hand that makes one turn each second, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, 60-second counter at 6 o’clock, Chronograph power-reserve indication at 12 o’clock
Case
Material: Sapphire
Diameter: 46mm
Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides
Water resistance: 3 ATM
Dial
Open-worked
Hour markers: Rhodium-plated, faceted and coated with Super-Luminova® SLN C1
Hands: Rhodium-plated, faceted and coated with Super-Luminova® SLN C1
Bracelet & Buckle
Black rubber with blue “cordura effect” fabric & grey stitching
Titanium double folding clasp

Limited edition 10 pieces

Price  180,000 CHF

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Press Release - 2021
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ZENITH | Swiss Watch Manufacture Since 1865
Rue des Billodes 34-36 | CH-2400 Le Locle
Minh-Tan-Bui
Tel. +41 32 930 65 59
Mobile +41 79 515 47 54
Email: minh-tan.bui@zenith-watches.com

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www.Zenith-Watches.com

Patek Philippe – Ref. 5235 COMPLICATIONS Annual Calendar Regulator

 

Patek Philippe – Ref. 5235 COMPLICATIONS Annual Calendar Regulator White Gold Automatic 2021

Patek Philippe’s new Ref. 5235 Annual Calendar Regulator embodies a number of novel facets never before featured in the manufacture’s collection. It is the first Patek Philippe wristwatch with a regulator dial, characterized by a sweep minute hand, a subsidiary hour dial at 12 o’clock and a seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. The heart of the watch is the new caliber 31-260 REG QA, the first ultra-thin self-winding Patek Philippe movement with a mini-rotor that displays the subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock. It is also the very first totally new basic movement designed to accommodate Silinvar® components: The escape wheel and the lever of the Pulsomax® escapement as well as the Spiromax® balance spring are made of the innovative silicon-based material. The new wristwatch is endowed with an Annual Calendar that displays the month, day, and date in apertures and ranks among Patek Philippe’s most popular complications.

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The Patek Philippe Ref. 5235 Annual Calendar Regulator clearly affirms the manufacture’s philosophy according to which the paramount purpose of a watch is to keep the time as accurately and reliably as possible. The dial with the unusual arrangement – large sweep minute hand combined with subsidiary hours at 12 o’clock and subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock – pays tribute to the prominent free-standing precision pendulum clocks that for more than 200 years kept the precise time in watchmaking workshops and observatories until they were finally superseded by quartz- and radio-controlled reference instruments. When adjusting their timepieces, watchmakers needed an unobstructed view of the seconds hand, which is why the hour display was moved to an off-center location where it would not sweep over and thus partially cover the seconds dial for several hours in the course of a day. One of the finest examples of this type of freestanding precision clocks is the Patek Philippe & Co. regulator built at the beginning of the last century. For many years it has been keeping the time unperturbed – second by second – in the office of Philippe Stern, the company’s honorary president. 

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To configure the face of a regulator clock with three separate displays for the hours, minutes, and seconds in a wristwatch format was a totally new venture in the Patek Philippe cosmos, not just from a design point of view. The plan was to set the stage for further innovations based on this novel layout. The legendary caliber 240 would have been the ideal choice for the assignment which called for a very thin self-winding movement, but most unconventionally, its subsidiary seconds dial is positioned at 5 instead of 6 o’clock. 

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Launched in 1977 and featuring a 22K gold mini-rotor recessed in the main plate, the 240 movement is only 2.53 mm high; it still ranks among the thinnest self-winding calibers on the market and thus provided valuable inspiration for the new development. With the assets of its dependable predecessor and several trailblazing innovations, Patek Philippe’s new self-winding caliber 31-260 REG QA has everything it takes to define a new benchmark. Squarely centered between the middle of the movement and its outermost circumference, the size of the seconds subdial at 6 o’clock was maximized for optimum legibility – another homage to Patek Philippe’s philosophy as regards the equilibrium of timekeeping indications.

Innovation N° 1:
The oscillator in Silinvar®  

For the first time in the history of Patek Philippe, a movement was designed from the very beginning to accommodate oscillator components crafted from Silinvar®, a high-tech material derived from silicon. One of them is the Spiromax® balance spring that is flat yet breathes absolutely concentrically thanks to its exclusive and patented geometry with the Patek Philippe terminal curve. It controls the division of time by the Pulsomax® escapement whose Silinvar® lever and escape wheel also feature totally new geometries developed by Patek Philippe and for which patent applications have been filed.  

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The enhanced isochronism delivered by the Spiromax® hairspring and the improved energy efficiency provided by the Pulsomax® escapement contribute significantly to higher rate accuracy and long-term dependability. Additionally, Silinvar® components are totally anti-magnetic, remarkably shock-resistant, non-corroding, and require no lubrication.

Innovation N° 2:
A new going train – tooth by tooth 

But Patek Philippe’s engineers wanted more than a new oscillator. They totally revamped the going train, the wheels and pinions between the mainspring barrel and the escape wheel. The shapes of the wheel teeth and the leaves of the pinions were analyzed in-depth, recalculated, and individually redesigned for the center wheel, the third wheel, and the fourth wheel with their respective pinions.  

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These new profiles improve the meshing of wheel teeth and pinion leaves, reduce friction, increase the tolerance range for varying axis distances, and boost the efficiency of energy transmission from the spring barrel to the escape wheel. The result is a perceptible improvement of energy conversion efficiency with a concurrent reduction of wear.

Innovation N° 3:
An unusual frequency of 3.2 hertz  

The innovative efficiency-boosting and isochronism-improving technologies of the new regulator caliber 31-260 REG QA entail further positive consequences. While the classic self-winding caliber 240 beats at a rate of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour, the frequency of the new movement was increased by nearly 10% to 23,040 vph, equivalent to 3.2 Hz, and at the same time, its power reserve was increased. In turn, a higher frequency makes it possible to more easily adjust the rate accuracy to - 3/+2 seconds per 24 hours as stipulated by the Patek Philippe Seal. 

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Concurrently, thanks to the greater energy efficiency of the going train and escapement, it was possible to reduce the tension of the mainspring and thus the shear forces to which the wheels are exposed. This diminishes friction between the fine wheel pivots and the bearing jewels, further enhancing longevity and reliability. These two aspects are crucial for compliance with the Patek Philippe Seal and essential prerequisites for a watch that will be cherished by family members across generations.

Innovation N° 4:
An extra-long mainspring for power to spare 

Thanks to the energy efficiency of the caliber, it proved possible to choose a softer but also longer mainspring. So despite its increased frequency and the deployment of only one mainspring barrel, the new caliber 31-260 REG QA has a power reserve of up to 60 hours as opposed to a maximum of 48 hours for the caliber 240.  

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The extended length of the mainspring has another advantage: its torque curve stays much flatter as it relaxes, so the amplitude of the balance and thus its rate remain stable most of the time between the fully wound and the fully unwound states. The result: greater rate accuracy for a longer period of time. And the option to set the watch aside for an entire weekend without having to readjust the time and the calendar on Monday morning.

Further significant innovations

Patek Philippe introduced further innovations to maximize the life and long-term reliability of the new Annual Calendar Regulator. Like all self-winding Patek Philippe movements, the caliber 31-260 REG QA can also be manually wound. However, the manual winding mechanism is always automatically uncoupled as long as the self-winding mode is active. 

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This increases its winding power and reduces wear. In addition, the crown wheel of the manual winding mechanism was upgraded with a new toothing mechanism that reduces wear, improves efficiency, and optimizes the suppleness of the winding process. Moreover, the 22K gold mini-rotor recessed in the plate is 0.3 mm thicker than the one in the caliber 240 movement, which increases its mass and winding power. Decorated with Geneva circular graining, it is also a miniature masterpiece from the aesthetic point of view.

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In comparison with the meanwhile 34-year-old caliber 240, the new caliber 31-260 REG QA beats at a 10% higher frequency and has 25% higher power reserve, which adds up to an efficiency increase of about 30%. This performance emphasizes the ample potential of mechanical watches and in times of global energy debates serves as a role model because it proves that even in traditional disciplines such as classical mechanics, substantial efficiency gains are still realistic.

Self-winding Annual Calendar with aperture displays

The new Ref. 5235 Annual Calendar Regulator measures time with an accuracy of seconds, but it also correctly displays larger intervals of time. The new basic caliber incorporates an Annual Calendar mechanism that has been one of the manufacture’s bestsellers since it had its debut 15 years ago. This useful complication that displays the day, month, and date in three large apertures automatically recognizes 30-day and 31-day months and only needs to be corrected once a year: on March 1.  

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On account of this calendar cadrature, the caliber designation is 31-260 REG QA; the movement consists of 320 parts (basic caliber 181, Annual Calendar 139), measures 5.08 mm in height (basic caliber 2.60 mm, Annual Calendar 2.48 mm), and has a diameter of 33 mm (basic caliber 31.74 mm, Annual Calendar 33.00 mm). The dimensions are ideal for a wristwatch conceived to be timelessly elegant.

New regulator face with a classic Calatrava personality

Despite the unusual regulator layout of the dial, the new Patek Philippe wristwatch is as fetchingly graceful as all the timepieces crafted in the workshops in Geneva. Its case features the classic Calatrava silhouette that has defined the quintessential round wristwatch for nearly 70 years. Thanks to the ultra-thin movement, its height is a mere 11 mm, astonishing for a self-winding watch with an Annual Calendar.  

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With a diameter of 40.5 mm, it is endearingly poised and tastefully contemporary. The classic three-part case ensemble with the bezel, the band, and the back in 18K white gold is a prime example of the Bauhaus philosophy expressed by the adage "form follows function." The bezel is gently chamfered and the caseband is decorated with straight graining – a perfect match with the satin-finished dial. The slightly sloped lugs extend the bezel’s chamfer, optimizing the contour of the watch for a snug fit on the wrist. It is worn on a precious hand-stitched night-blue alligator strap with square scales. The classic 18K white-gold prong buckle that secures the strap is engraved with the Patek Philippe signature. The display back of the case allows the owner to admire the movement with its exclusive components and lavish decorations: the new oscillator assembly with the Pulsomax® escapement and the Spiromax® balance spring as well as the mini-rotor decorated with Geneva circular graining, the Geneva striping on the beveled bridges, and the gold-filled engravings.

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The sapphire-crystal glass protects the inimitable face of the new Patek Philippe Ref. 5235 with its characteristic sweep minute hand, the subsidiary hours dial at 12 o’clock, and the amply dimensioned subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock. The large aperture displays of the Annual Calendar are arranged on a circle that is concentric with the bezel: the day of the week at 10 o’clock, the month at 2 o’clock, and the date at 6 o’clock. Engraved in the dial, the PATEK PHILIPPE GENEVE signature is aligned with the horizontal axis at 3 o’clock. Depending on the angle of the incident light, it changes in contrast from deep black to a silvery gray that seems to be just a gentle shadow on the textured dial.  

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Blue transfer-printed numerals, markers, and scales always assure excellent legibility of the time. The railway track minute scale as well as the subsidiary dials for the hours and seconds have a brighter silvery gray background that stands out against the darker silvery gray central portion of the dial with the short blue 5-minute markers. Crisp Arabic numerals, blued-steel baton-style hands and blue calendar indications on white backgrounds underscore the cool technical elegance of this 2011 wristwatch that salutes the ultra-precise freestanding regulator clocks of old. The two-tone silvery gray dial features a vertical satin finish, and the two subsidiary dials scintillate with circular graining.

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The new Patek Philippe Ref. 5235 Annual Calendar Regulator is yet another manifestation of how consummately the Geneva workshops master the amalgamation of avant-garde aesthetics with timeless elegance. The innovative personality of this watch is based on much more than appearances: it is derived from a mechanical heart that sets new standards in horology. Absolutely Patek Philippe-like.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Collections: COMPLICATIONS

 Model:  Patek Philippe COMPLICATIONS Annual Calendar Regulator in 18K white gold

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Ref. 5235-50G-001

Movement
Caliber 31-260 REG QA
Ultra-thin self-winding mechanical movement,
Annual Calendar with aperture displays for month, day of week, and date.
Overall Diameter : 33 mm (basic caliber 31.74 mm, Annual Calendar 33.00 mm)
Height : 5.08 mm (basic caliber 2.60 mm, Annual Calendar 2.48 mm)
Number of parts : 320 (basic caliber 181, Annual Calendar 139)
Number of jewels : 29
Power reserve :    Max. 60 hours
Winding rotor :    22K gold minirotor, unidirectionally winding
Balance : Gyromax®
Frequency : 23,040 semi-oscillations per hour (3.2 Hz)
Balance spring : Spiromax®
Escapement : Pulsomax® (lever and escape wheel in Silinvar®)
Balance spring stud :  Adjustable
Functions : Two-position crown:
 – Pulled out: To set the time
 – Pushed in:  To wind the watch
Corrector push pieces :    
 – Date between 9 and 10 o'clock
 – Month at 10 o'clock
 – Day at 9 o'clock
Delivered with correction stylus in ebony and 18K white gold
Displays : Sweep minute hand
Subsidiary dials :    
 – Subsidiary seconds at 6 o'clock
 – Subsidiary hours at 12 o'clock
Apertures :   
 – Day at 10 o'clock and month at 2 o'clock
 – Date at 6 o'clock
Hallmark : Patek Philippe Seal
Case
18K white gold, sapphire-crystal display back
Water-resistant : to 30m
Diameter: 40.5 mm
Height:     10.65 mm
Width between lugs:    20mm
Dial
Two-tone silvery gray, vertical satin finish, blue transfer printed
Regulator displays
Hour, minute, and second hands in blued steel
Railway track minute scale on periphery, blue
Transfer printed PATEK PHILIPPE GENEVE engraving at 3 o'clock
Strap
Alligator leather with square scales, matt night-blue, hand-stitched,
16- mm prong buckle in 18K white gold with "Patek Philippe" engraving

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Price    US$ 53,000.


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Press Release - 2021
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PATEK PHILIPPE SA GENEVE
Chemin du Pont-du-Centenaire 141 – 1228 Plan-les-Ouates
P.O. Box 2654 – CH - 1211 Geneva 2 - Switzerland
Tel. + 41 22 884 20 20 – Fax + 41 22 884 25 47
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www.Patek.com

CHOPARD – Alpine Eagle XL Chrono Edition

 

CHOPARD – ALPINE EAGLE XL Chrono Gold/Titanium 44mm Automatic Edition 2021

Bearing ultimate testimony to the expertise and inventiveness of Chopard’s workshops, the Alpine Eagle collection welcomes a new 44 mm-diameter chronograph introducing two novel features: on the one hand, a bi-material case crafted in ethical gold and ceramised titanium; and on the other, a calfskin leather strap.

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Beneath the Pitch Black dial of the new Alpine Eagle XL Chrono model beats the Chopard 03.05-C flyback chronograph movement. The design of this calibre featuring chronometer-certified precision has earned Chopard three patents.

A design inspired by Nature

Above and beyond its technical prowess, the Alpine Eagle collection has been a guarantee of aesthetic finesse ever since its launch, entirely aligned with Louis Sullivan’s “form follows function” principle. The new Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono model fully reflects this principle. On the right-hand side, the chronograph pushers are subtly and discreetly integrated on either side of the protective bumpers so as to preserve the Alpine Eagle’s characteristic harmony of form and symmetry. 

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On the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono model, harmony also reigns supreme at the heart of the Pitch Black dial. Drawing inspiration from the colours of alpine flora and fauna, Chopard‘s Co-President and creator of the collection, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, wanted this hue as a reference to the intense black of mountain nights when wildlife reclaims its rights, reminding us of the extent to which night-time lighting linked to humans and urbanisation disrupts the way of life of surrounding animal species. As on all Alpine Eagle models, the dial retains its texture and radiant pattern, evoking the eagle’s iris. The feather-shaped seconds hand flies over this highly legible display punctuated by raised counters. 

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The addition of black counters for the 30-minute, small seconds and 12-hour indications – respectively positioned at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock – has been carefully designed to enhance the legibility of measurements. This is also the case of the red inlays punctuating the hands linked to the chronograph function as well as the 100, 160 and 240 graduations on the tachymeter scale. Divided into four sections, this tachymeter graduation features intervals varying from 5, 10, 20 or 40km/h per line so as to ensure perfect calculation of average speed measurements.

Avant-garde materials

The extra-large 44-millimetre case of the Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono is crafted in ethical 18-carat rose gold and ceramised titanium. The combination of these two noble metals is a first in watchmaking aesthetics, and even more so in the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono range, thus far available in Lucent Steel A223 and/or ethical rose gold. 

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The 18-carat rose gold used to make the case is sourced from an ethical supply chain, in accordance with the commitment Chopard has upheld for all its watch and jewellery production since July 2018; while the use of ceramised titanium reflects the avant-garde spirit of the workshops. This light and ultra-resistant metal is obtained through a process of titanium oxidation using electro-plasma technology – a treatment that gives it a hardness of 1000 Vickers and a resistance to shocks and scratches comparable to that of ceramics. Developed in the aerospace and automotive industries, it has an anthracite grey colour that does not fade over time and gives the entire watch a sporty, ultra-contemporary look.

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The Alpine Eagle XL Chrono is also the collection’s first series-produced timepiece with a black calf leather strap. Until now, only the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono Only Watch – a one-of-a-kind model designed to support the Monegasque Association against Muscular Dystrophy – had departed from the iconic metal bracelet. Like the latter, the leather strap retains the Chopard Alpine Eagle’s characteristic embossed central cap as well as a highly contemporary graphic design. And because style is all about details, its red bridle stitching subtly echoes the chronograph function indications on the dial.

Three patents for a high-precision chronograph movement

At the heart of the case beats a highly sophisticated chronograph movement endowed with a precision chronometer-certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). Equipped with a central rotor in 22-carat rose gold, Chopard Calibre 03.05-C has a 60-hour power reserve and features an elaborate design guaranteeing accurate adjustments as well as optimal use of the timekeeping functions. 

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Equipped with a column wheel, it represents the culmination of several technical innovations for which Chopard has been awarded three patents, filed for the development of L.U.C Calibre 03.03-L, devised by the engineers of Chopard Manufacture for the L.U.C Chrono One timepiece. First presented in 2006, this chronograph movement equipped with a column wheel, vertical clutch, flyback and small seconds reset functions, as well as a particularly precise jumping minute counter, remains the most innovative in the world. 

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In 2022, the L.U.C. collection will celebrate its 25th anniversary, an opportunity for the Maison to underscore Chopard Manufacture’s leading role in innovation and the integration of watchmaking knowledge into its entire production process. With the Chopard 03.05-C movement, produced in larger quantities by the workshops, this cutting-edge technology makes a remarkable entry into the Alpine Eagle collection.

The Alpine Eagle collection: reinterpreting an icon

Devised by three generations of gentlemen in the Scheufele family, the Alpine Eagle collection is a modern reinterpretation of the St. Moritz watch, the first horological creation by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele in the late 1970s. With its pure and assertive design, Alpine Eagle enriches this heritage with powerful inspiration drawn from Nature. A round case with stylised flanks; a crown engraved with a compass rose; a bezel with eight functional indexed screws; a textured dial with deep hues and luminescent indications; as well as an integrated metal bracelet.

 Chopard’s independence and integrated skills enable the Maison to perform the entire range of the collection’s production and assembly stages in its own workshops, from movement to bracelet, as well as components and case.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Collection : ALPINE EAGLE

Model:  Alpine Eagle XL Chrono Edition

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Ref. 295387-9001 – in ethical 18-carat rose gold and ceramised titanium – CHF 34,500 / 34.400 € / $34,500

Movement
    Mechanical self-winding movement Chopard 03.05-C
    Column-wheel chronograph with integrated construction
    Number of components:  310
    Diameter: 28.80 mm
    Thickness: 7.60 mm
    Number of jewels: 45
    Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
    Power reserve: 60 hours
    Annular balance with balance-spring featuring a flat terminal curve
    Patented chronograph zero-resetting system with pivoting hammers and elastic arm
    Patented seconds hand zero-resetting system
    Patented vertical coupling clutch
    Openworked ethical 22-carat rose gold central rotor
    Chromometer-certified (COSC)
Functions
    Central hours, minutes and chronograph seconds
    Semi-instantaneous minutes counter display
    Semi-instantaneous date display between 4 and 5 o’clock
    Chronograph with flyback function

•     30-minute counter at 3 o’clock
•     12-hour counter at 9 o’clock
•     Small seconds at 6 o’clock

    Stop-seconds function
Case
    Ethical 18-carat rose gold and ceramised titanium
    Total diameter: 44.00 mm
    Thickness: 13.15 mm
    Water-resistance: 100 metres
    Crown in ethical 18-carat rose gold with compass rose: 8 mm
    Pushers in vertical satin-brushed ethical 18-carat rose gold with polished chamfers
    Crown guards in beadblasted ceramised titanium
    Caseband in ethical 18-carat rose gold
    Bezel in ethical 18-carat rose gold A223 with eight screws set at a tangent
    Glare-proofed sapphire crystal
    Ceramised titanium exhibition case-back fitted with a glare-proofed sapphire crystal pane
Dial and hands
    Brass dial stamped with a sunburst Pitch Black motif achieved by galvanic treatment and inspired by an eagle’s iris
    Black counters with white transfers (and gilded surrounds for chronograph counters)
    Applied gilded numerals and hour-markers enhanced with Grade X1 Super-LumiNova®
    Black inner bezel ring and chronograph counters
    Gilded baton-type hours and minutes hands enhanced with Grade X1 Super-LumiNova®
    Gilded, red-tipped arrow-type seconds hand with eagle feather counterweight
    Gilded, red-tipped chronograph counter hands
Strap and clasp
    Black calfskin strap with red bridle stitching and gilded titanium inlay
    Pin buckle in engraved bead-blasted ceramised titanium

Price from 18-carat rose gold and ceramised titanium – CHF 34,500 / 34.400 € / $34,500

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Press Release - 2021
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BLANCPAIN – VILLERET Traditional Chinese Calendar Edition

 

BLANCPAIN – VILLERET Traditional Chinese Calendar Platinum 45 mm Limited Edition - 2022 Year of the Tiger

Blancpain marks the transition to Chinese New Year 2022
new revision of the traditional Chinese calendar with an exclusive bearing for the timepiece Tiger emblem

Blancpain celebrates the 2022 Lunar New Year by unveiling a new version of its Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar. Crafted in platinum and issued in a 50-piece limited edition, this watch presents the indications of the lunisolar calendar on a white grand feu enamel dial. The zodiac sign of the year, the tiger, is highlighted on the back of the timepiece.

 
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO   

A complication exclusively developed by Blancpain, the Traditional Chinese Calendar is based on fundamental principles established for millennia and profoundly rooted in Chinese tradition. On its dial, the hours, minutes and the Gregorian calendar rub shoulders with the main indications of the Chinese calendar: traditional double-hours, day, month with indication of leap months, signs of the zodiac, as well as the five elements and the ten celestial stems. The moon phases, defining traditional Chinese months and a key element in all Blancpain complete calendars, are also presented.

To mark the transition to the year of the tiger 2022 (1 February 2022 to 21 January 2023), Blancpain has created a new edition of this emblematic timepiece: a model in platinum with a white grand feu enamel dial whose oscillating weight is engraved with the Chinese zodiac sign of the year, the tiger.

Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO

Faithful to the aesthetic signature elements of the Villeret collection, the refined 45 mm double-stepped case is equipped with under-lug correctors enabling easy function adjustments. It frames a display revealing Blancpain‘s artisanal savoir-faire. Whilst the chapter ring is composed of gold appliques, the other indications are enamel painted. The main hands shaped like slightly hollowed leaves are associated with a blued serpentine hand sweeping over the Gregorian date numerals, a shape that is reminiscent of the 18th-century watchmaking tradition.
 

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With the Traditional Chinese Calendar, Blancpain took up the challenge of mechanically combining two different interpretations of time. Five years of research and development were required to associate within this timepiece the main indications of the Chinese calendar as well as the date based on the Gregorian calendar. Given that the basic unit of these two time-division systems is not the same, this represents a real technical feat. While the Gregorian calendar is based on the solar day, the lunisolar Chinese calendar is based on the lunar cycle, composed of 29,53059 days.

Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO

A year of 12 lunar months is about 11 days shorter than a solar year. In order to maintain consistency with the seasonal cycle, a leap month is added to the Chinese calendar every two to three years. This distinctive feature is the reason behind the variability of the Chinese New Year date. But the complexity of this calendar does not stop there, since it uses a system of subdividing the day into 12 double hours, thus replacing the 24 hours composed of 60 minutes each featured in the Gregorian calendar. Each of these double hours is named, in successive order, after one of the twelve earthly branches and represented by one of the animals of the Chinese zodiac.
 

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Unlike the Gregorian calendar, whose unit of measurement is based on the solar day, the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar is based on the lunar cycle as well as exact astronomical observations of the sun’s longitude. Thus, in addition to the hours and minutes, date and moon phases, Blancpain's Traditional Chinese Calendar watch offers the main indications of the traditional Chinese calendar: double hours, days, months and leap months, zodiac signs, five elements and ten heavenly stems. The latter, combined with the 12 earthly branches – symbolised by the animals of the zodiac – produce 60 different pairs forming the sexagesimal cycle of the Chinese time measurement system.
 

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Despite their complex combination, these functions are clearly displayed on a dial with Roman gold numerals and hollowed-out sage leaf-shaped hands. The Tiger, the animal of the year 2022, appears in an aperture at 12 o'clock above the double-hour counter. Symmetrically positioned at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock, two subdials respectively indicate the celestial stems and the five elements, as well as pointer-type month and date indications and leap months through a round aperture. In a manner typical of Blancpain's Complete Calendar watches, the moon phases that determine the months of the Chinese calendar can be read off at 6 o'clock, while a blued serpentine hand sweeps over the date numerals around the dial circumference.

Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO

This timepiece, which is even more complex than a perpetual calendar, is driven by the self-winding 3638 movement. The latter is distinguished in particular by a seven-day power reserve made possible by the use of three series-coupled barrels, equipped with high-performance springs. It is secured against inappropriate manipulation of the functions and equipped with a silicon balance-spring.

Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO

This exceptional movement is housed in a 45 mm platinum case featuring a crown and oscillating weight adorned with a cabochon-cut ruby. It incorporates five under-lug correctors – a patented Blancpain invention – enabling easy fingertip adjustment of functions without the need for a correction tool.

Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO

The Traditional Chinese Calendar  model is driven by the self-winding 3638 movement, whose complexity stems as much from the number of the indications to be displayed, as from the irregular nature of their cycles. While there are well-trodden paths from more than two centuries of watchmaking experience that guide watchmakers in the development of their mechanisms, the creation of the Traditional Chinese Calendar, for its part, started from a blank page. It is equipped with Blancpain's patented under-lug corrector system allowing easy function adjustments. This complication is the result of a major challenge, which took five years of research and development to be completed. The sapphire crystal case back enables one to admire the finishing of the movement and its white gold oscillating weight, engraved with the Chinese zodiac sign of the year.

Useful and symbolic, the Traditional Chinese Calendar invites fine watchmaking enthusiasts to consider different approaches to the concept of time as complementary. The 50 individually numbered timepieces composing this 2022 series bear fresh witness to this wealth of diversity.

 

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Model: VILLERET Traditional Chinese Calendar Edition

References:  00888J-3431-55B - Platinum 45 - Edition
 
Complications
Traditional Chinese Calendar
[double-hour indication, signs of the zodiac, date and month of the Chinese calendar. Indication of the
five elements, the celestial stems and the leap months]
Specificities

• ∙ Gregorian calendar
• ∙ Moon phases
• ∙ Under-lug correctors
• ∙ Secured movement
• ∙ White grand feu enamel dial
• ∙ Oscillating weight set with a Madagascar ruby
• ∙ Sself-winding

Case

Platinum
Red Gold

Case thickness:     15.00 mm
Case diameter:     45.00 mm
Water resistance:     3.00 bar
Between horns:     23.00 mm
Sapphire back: Engraved on the - "Chinese Calendar - № ХX/50 Piece"
Dial
Full fired enamel
White Grand feu enamel
Movement
Calibre 3638
Reference:   3638   

Frequency - 4Hz

Self-winding
Calibre thickness:  8.30 mm
Calibre diameter:  32.00 mm | 14'''
Power reserve in hours:  168
Jewels:  39
3 mainspring barrels
Secured movement
Titanium free sprung balance with gold regulation screws
Components:   464
Strap/Bracelet
Alligator lined with alzavel
Black color strap
Platinum folding clasp

Available in Blancpain Boutiques - Only  Limited edition of 50 Piece


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Press release - 2021
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Blancpain S.A.
Le Rocher 12
1348 Le Brassus
Suisse
International PR: Lucie Notar
Tel.  (+41) 21 796 3619
Fax (+41) 21 796 3637
E-mail: pr@blancpain.com
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