Saturday, April 20, 2019

A. Lange & Sohne – SAXONIA DATOGRAPH UP DOWN “Lumen”


A. Lange & SohneSAXONIA DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN “Lumen” Platinum 41mm Limited Edition

The new A. Lange & Söhne model reliably tells the time around the clock, and its stop function can be used at any time as well. This is because all indications are legible even in darkness, thanks to its semi-transparent dial and luminous displays. The chronograph – with a flyback function, a precisely jumping minute counter and a power-reserve indicator – comes in a limited edition of 200 watches.


What strikes the eye at first sight of the DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN is its vibrant and yet harmoniously balanced dial design. The characteristic outsize-date display in the framed double aperture marks the tip of an equilateral triangle. Its baseline is defined by the two subsidiary dials for the seconds and the precisely jumping minute counter. In the DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN "Lumen", the ingenious configuration unfolds a new aesthetic dimension as soon as darkness sets in.

This is achieved with a semi-transparent dial and a luminous compound that causes all displays to glow in the darkness – with a distinctive green hue that the human eye perceives as particularly pleasant. The hour and minute hands are filled with the luminous material; the chronograph sweep seconds hand is fully coated with the compound. The seconds hand and minute counter in blued steel revolve above subsidiary dials that are noctilucent, too. The circumferential dial ring with the minute scale that is subdivided into fifth-of-a-second graduations, the concentric tachometer scale and the power-reserve arrow applique also glow in green.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO

But the real stunner is the luminous outsize date. Composed of two separate display elements, the outsize date is designed to glow immediately after the midnight switching sequence as well. This is made possible with a luminous tens cross and a black printed units disc made of transparent glass which rotates above a luminous background. Both

elements must be able to recharge during the day when they are positioned beneath the dial. This is enabled by the semi-transparent dial; even during the day, it endows the watch with inimitable aesthetic appeal. Its coating not only assures crisp legibility in daylight but also allows the luminous compound on the tens cross to be recharged. When exposed to light, the outsize date mechanism is clearly visible. Thus, the switching action of the date display at midnight can be observed in detail in ambient light.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO

The DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN "Lumen" is the fourth model of the "Lumen" series that A. Lange & Söhne launched in 2010. A special coating on the semi-transparent sapphire-crystal dial filters out most of the visible light, but not that part of the UV spectrum which is needed to charge the luminous pigments with light energy. The darker the surroundings, the more clearly the displays contrast against the dark background.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO

In 1999, A. Lange & Söhne defined new benchmarks in chronograph design with the DATOGRAPH. Its flyback function allows consecutive measurements: an ongoing measurement can be interrupted and a new one started instantaneously with a single touch of the button at 4 o'clock. This rare function saves time because the flyback mechanism executes the three normally necessary stop, reset and restart steps with only one touch of a button.

The precisely jumping minute counter of the chronograph advances by one marker exactly when the chronograph sweep-seconds hand passes the 60th second, even if the time measurement is stopped at that very moment. This elaborate technology simplifies the doubt-free reading of stopped times. Launched in 2012 as a systematic refinement of the classic column-wheel chronograph, the DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN also indicates how much of the 60-hour power reserve remains available. This information is provided by the power-reserve indicator at 6 o'clock. When the small arrow enters the red zone of the display, it is time to provide the movement with fresh energy.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO

The sapphire-crystal caseback exposes the impressive beauty of the lavishly finished 454-part manually wound calibre L951.7 of the DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN "Lumen". Lange's proprietary cam-poised balance wheel, paired with a freely oscillating Lange hairspring, beats at a frequency of 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour (2.5 hertz). In combination with the 300-marker minute scale, this allows time measurements with a resolution of one-fifth of a second. The new model, available in a limited edition of just 200 watches, comes in a 41-millimetre platinum case. It is worn on a black alligator leather strap with a platinum prong buckle.

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Contact information for the media
Arnd Einhorn, Director Press and PR
* Tel.: +49 (0)35053 44-5505
* E-mail: presse@lange-soehne.com
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Friday, April 19, 2019

GIRARD-PERREGAUX – LAUREATO Skeleton “Earth to Sky” Edition

GIRARD-PERREGAUXLAUREATO Skeleton “Earth to Sky” Black Ceramic Edition


An alliance of the unscrutable blackness of the cosmos and the blueness of Earth, of ceramic with the sensuousness of a skeleton movement, conceived like a sculpture to form a whole that is resolutely contemporary, masculine, assertive and distinctive.


In 2019, Girard-Perregaux brings its permanent quest for perfection to life by engaging in a symbolic dialogue with the universe. The result is a series of exceptional timepieces whose nature comes to the fore in a skilful interplay of blue and black tones – gravitates toward a celestial dimension.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO

In the spirit of this year's “Earth to Sky” theme, Girard-Perregaux looks up to infinity – its sparkling lights, its impenetrable shadows, its beckoning mysteries – and articulates a new aesthetic expression with the Laureato Skeleton.

The timepiece manifests the science of watch finishing and that of materials in a new light. The outcome is a resolutely contemporary aesthetic. An artistic and technical dialogue between matter and space, as it were.

A contemporary interpretation of one of the brand’s great classics

Laureato was born under the best auspices: at the confluence of the two worlds combining tradition and innovation. Designed by a Milanese architect in the 1970s, it immediately established itself as an object of art, history and form, a timeless icon of watchmaking. And today, more than ever before, the spirit behind this creation remains intact.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO

Rigorous yet sensual, the rhythm of Laureato’s curves gives strength to a skeletonised watch where the contents are in perfect harmony with the container. By integrating ceramic, first introduced in 2017, Girard-Perregaux takes one of its icons through an evolutionary step, combining a genuinely contemporary material with the ancestral art of skeletonisation.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO


That is because the art of watchmaking not only manifests itself through the mastery of the great complications, but also through the mastery of the “Métiers d'Art”, High Artisanship. And skeletonisation occupies a special place in this universe as it shows the mechanical as technically accomplished as it is aesthetically rewarding, and always stunning. Because this is the challenge in skeletonising an “Haute Horlogerie” movement: In order to reveal the inner beauty of the mechanism, the material is bored through, hollowed out, pared down until only what is vital remains. The architecture of the movement is thus magnified, its lines in their purpose revealed. The result is a true tour de force in watchmaking style and architecture. The richness of the essential and the lightness of the void. The straight line and the arc. The blue interior and the black exterior. That is what defines the Laureato Skeleton "Earth to Sky" Edition.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO

The vessel for this creation is a sober black ceramic case with a diameter of 42mm and a thickness of 10.93mm in thickness – the lugs forming an integral part of the lines – which is coordinated with a bracelet whose black ceramic links have an alternating matte and satin surface finish.

Impeccably proportioned, the watch lets sensuous curves play with restrained, clearly defined lines. To complete the whole, the famous octagonal bezel is polished and inscribed in a circle. Everything in it reveals a search for pleasing proportions and ergonomics.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO

As to the content, the watch reveals the GP01800-1041 calibre, developed, manufactured and assembled in the Girard-Perregaux workshop in La Chaux-de-Fonds. It is entirely skeletonised and finished by hand with an angling to augment profiles and inner angles. A mechanical lacework whose texture, enhanced by an entirely skeletonised rose gold oscillating mass, catches the faintest light. Within this elegant blue filigree, the heart beats at noon. The balance wheel reminds us that the Laureato Skeleton “Earth to Sky” is a living creation, its variable inertia fulfilling the promise of superb precision.

Ceramic, reaching for material perfection in watchmaking

An exterior that is intensely solid, yet surprisingly supple. An interior that is visibly sensuous, yet structurally uncompromising. Dark outside, bright inside. The Laureato Skeleton “Earth to sky” is a vehicle of both emotionality and functionality.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO

Crafted from black ceramic, the Laureato Skeleton directly benefits from the qualities of what is probably one of the best materials in watchmaking. The most current, too. Non-allergenic, lighter than steel yet extremely strong, resistant to high temperatures, virtually unalterable, highly resistant to abrasion and therefore to scratches, it also offers a degree of ergonomic and aesthetic comfort that is highly appreciated. Soft to the touch, heat-dissipating, its colour does not change, neither in the face of adversity nor over time.

In tune with the times, distinctive and distinguished, the Laureato Skeleton "Earth to sky" is a total and complete commitment to rearticulating the urban expression of today's active men.

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TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Model: LAUREATO Skeleton “Earth to SkyEdition

Ref. 81015-32-432-32A


Case
Material: Black ceramic
Diameter: 42.00 mm
Thickness: 10.93 mm
Glass: Double-sided, anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Case Back: Sapphire crystal
Dial

No dial, ring with suspended indexes
Hands: Baton-style, luminescent
Water resistant to 100 meters (10 ATM)
Movement
Reference: GP01800-1041

skeleton, mechanical self-winding, surfaces with blue PVD treatment
Diameter: 29.90 mm (13'''1/4)
Thickness: 4.16 mm
Frequency: 28,800 vph – (4 Hz)
Components: 173
Jewels: 25
Power reserve: approx. 54 hours
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds
Bracelet
Material: Black ceramic
Buckle: Triple deployant clasp in titanium, black ceramic cover


World retail price

CHF 38.500  (Swiss recommended tax-inclusive retail price)

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Press release - 2019
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Press Contact:
Manager: Ivanne Perrinjaquet, iperrinjaquet@girard-perregaux.ch
Girard-Perregaux,
International PR : christine.giotto@girard-perregaux.com
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