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GREUBEL FORSEY – BALANCIER S

Timepiece with four hands • hours and minutes • small seconds • power-reserve • 30° inclined GREUBEL FORSEY balance wheel system

This creation combines fully – and visibly –sport and chronometry. Circular from above, its case reveals the unique arched ovoid shape from other angles, and its slim profile reinforces its dynamic new momentum

The oval, arched sapphire crystal follows the curvature of the case. The perfect osmosis between the case and the movement is emphasized, technically and visually, by a daring double suspended arched bridge holding an inclined gear train and curved central hour and minute hands. These striking elements integrate and extend over the inclined balance wheel giving the timepiece its powerful identity, but also assuring its outstanding chronometric performance

The large inclined balance wheel at 7 o’clock stands out. Entirely developed and made within the Greubel Forsey Atelier, this balance wheel is distinguished by its oversized 12.6 mm diameter, ensuring excellent timekeeping performance. Its 30° angle provides this timepiece with excellent chronometric performance and is prominently visible in action thanks to the unique movement architecture

Balancier S

The exceptional chronometry of this creation is combined with an unequivocally sporty case. Made of titanium and water resistant to 100 metres, its powerful case shape is distinguished by its lightness and comfort on the wrist. Its robustness protects the movement’s reliability and chronometric performance at all times

24 May, 2021/by Maria G

Gadgets, RELOJES, Relojes de Hombre, Relojes de Mujer, Relojes Edición Limitada

Vacheron Constantin – Métiers d’Art Tribute to great explorers: a new window on the world and on history, opened by talented Master artisans

A series of three ten-piece limited editions, paying homage to the Portuguese sailors Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama and Pedro Álvares Cabral.
Miniature masterpieces, with Grand Feu enamel dials inspired by a map from the 1519 Miller Atlas, of which a reproduction is kept in the Portuguese Maritime Museum (Museu de Marinha – Lisbon).
The Manufacture 1120 AT movement powering an off-centre display of the hours and minutes, leaving ample space to express the Maison’s artistic crafts.

Geneva, 2021 – They evoke a time when the world had yet to be discovered. They retrace the famous epic journeys of the great 15^th century explorers who braved the seas and oceans to discover distant horizons. Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama, Pedro Álvares Cabral: Vacheron Constantin celebrates their spirit of adventure through a new series of three ten-piece limited editions, the Métiers d’Art Tribute to great explorers. Crafted in Grand Feu enamel, each dial depicts selected portions of a 1519 map from the Miller Atlas. These three masterpieces of miniaturisation and expertise are driven by the Manufacture 1120 AT movement. These new models, presented at Watches & Wonders 2021, are part of the theme of the Maison for 2021 : entitled Classic with a Twist, it highlights Vacheron Constantin’s creative energy, guided by an identity that celebrates a heritage and dares to deliver the unexpected.

The spirit of travel, exploration and discovery of arts and cultures is an integral part of Vacheron Constantin’s history. A history rooted in the origins of the Manufacture, in an age when François Constantin did not hesitate to travel the world to open new markets and to fly the banner of the Maison high and wide, wherever possible. This openness to the world still pervades the philosophy of the Manufacture, which symbolically celebrates the spirit of adventure through a new journey – on this occasion a voyage through time – in memory of the great 15^th century Portuguese explorers.

With this third opus in the Métiers d’Art Tribute to great explorers collection, which completes two series presented in 2004 and 2008, Vacheron Constantin ventures into one of history’s most exhilarating chapters. In the wake of models dedicated to Magellan, Zheng Hé, Christopher Columbus and Marco Polo, which proved a great success with collectors, comes the turn of Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama and Pedro Álvares Cabral to be honoured through extraordinary miniature compositions enhanced by talented master artisans. They bear witness to the noble touch and impressive creativity of the enamellers whose mastery of Grand Feu enamel once again broadens the horizons of the Métiers d’Art collection. A rare skill extending an invitation to travel while firing the imagination.

Masterful miniature Grand Feu enamel expressions of patience and meticulous care
Inspired by a map from the 1519 Miller Atlas, of which a painted reproduction is kept in the Portuguese Maritime Museum (Museu de Marinha – Lisbon), each dial shows a part of the world and the maritime routes respectively taken by the three explorers. In order to replicate the finely nuanced colours and the extreme delicacy of the motifs, the Maison opted for the art of enamelling. The result is three dials in Grand Feu enamel, masterpieces of patience and precision that require a full month’s work and 11 firings in the kiln at a temperature of between 800 and 900°C. These are all stages in which mastering fire proves crucial, since a few seconds too many can jeopardise several weeks of work.

The art of enamelling is a rare skill, a subtle blend of experience and sensitivity demonstrated in each move made by the artisan. Composed of crystal and metal oxides, enamels come in the form of small blocks of colour that the enameller first crushes into an extremely fine powder. The latter is then worked to create a substance similar to paint, which is applied in successive touches, enabling the enameller to represent motifs with incredible finesse and nuance. After coating the dial with the background colour, the enameller tackles the dial motifs, starting with the outlines of the continents, which are here enhanced with gold-coloured enamel powder. The decorative elements of this elegant composition – including the ships, fauna, flora and wind rose – are also produced using the delicate technique of miniature painting, thus serving to reproduce a host of details and subtly graded shades, obtained after numerous tests by the enameller. Each addition of colour requires another firing, since enamel is a mineral material that must be melted down in order to display its famous brilliance and intense depth.

Calibre 1120 AT with satellite hours
So as to give free rein to the enameller’s expertise, the three Métiers d’Art Tribute to great explorers models are powered by in-house Calibre 1120 AT. This movement is distinguished first and foremost by its 5.45 mm thinness enabling the 41 mm-diameter 4N pink gold case to maintain a trim 11.68 mm overall thickness guaranteeing an elegant appearance on the wrist.

The mechanism is also distinguished by its singular construction and its original time display mode enabling the wearer to travel visually through the dial as the hours pass by. Concealed beneath the upper part of the dial, the hours wheel is equipped with three arms each bearing four hours numerals, driven in turn by a cam shaped like the Manufacture’s Maltese cross inspired emblem. This ingenious satellite module enables the hours to sweep across the dial from top to bottom, traversing the fixed minutes circle positioned along a 120° arc. The hours numerals thus travel through the dial and their position gives an indication of the minutes replacing a traditional hand-type display.

Revealed through the transparent caseback, the movement decorations – notably including the 22-carat pink gold oscillating weight adorned with a wind rose – are entirely worthy of its technical nature.

Métiers d’Art Tribute to great explorers –Bartolomeu Dias
If his crews had not convinced him to give up on continuing the journey beyond the southern tip of Africa, perhaps Bartolomeu Dias (1450 – 1500) would have been the first to reach the Indies. The illustrious Portuguese explorer made history in a different way, by discovering the Cape of Good Hope in 1488, paving the way for future expeditions. Bartolomeu Dias was also a member of the crew of Vasco da Gama, who led his fleet to Indies between 1497 and 1498.

The route taken by Bartolomeu Dias’ ships in 1488 is represented by a red line on the Grand Feu enamel dial, enhanced by numerous incredibly refined details. With the help of a magnifying glass, a close look will reveal the silhouette of the men composing the explorer’s crew on board the two ships sailing west of Africa; or the palette of shades used by the enameller to precisely reproduce the landscapes, fauna and flora as they are represented on the map of the Miller Atlas.

Métiers d’Art Tribute to great explorers – Vasco da Gama
The long journey that took him from Portugal to the coasts of India was one of the most important 15^th century discoveries. The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama (1469 –1524), who left his native country in 1497, was the first to travel from Europe and Asia by sea, following an epic and often hellish journey across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. After circumnavigating the southern tip of Africa, his fleet of four ships sailed along the coast as far as Kenya before embarking on a crossing towards the Indies, which he reached in 1498.

The sea route taken by its crew is finely traced in red enamel on the dial, each detail of which is a very faithful reproduction of the map appearing in the Miller Atlas. The gaze will naturally be drawn to a ship from Vasco da Gama’s fleet in the dial centre, sails billowing on a stormy sea; or to the circumference of the wind rose and the continents enhanced with gold-coloured enamel powder.

Métiers d’Art Tribute to great explorers – Pedro Álvares Cabral
It is to this Portuguese aristocrat and explorer that we owe the discovery of Brazil in 1500. Pedro Álvares Cabral (1467 – 1520) was commissioned by King Manuel I of Portugal to travel to the Indies to continue the work of Vasco da Gama, but he took a very different route from his contemporary. Rather than sailing along the African coast to the southern tip of Africa, the fleet led by Pedro Álvares Cabral headed west, until they discovered a new world, Brazil.

This route is depicted by a red enamel line standing out against a beige enamel background punctuated by extremely faithful representations of the elements present on the map of the Miller Atlas. In the centre of the dial, a ship from Pedro Álvares Cabral’s fleet, sails buffeted by the wind, proudly cleaves the sea in an extraordinarily lifelike manner. The accuracy of the craftsmanship is also expressed in the shimmering feathers of the birds as well as in the depiction of human figures on the South American continent.

Classic with a Twist

Vacheron Constantin’s creativity has always remained closely attuned to its time while evoking its memories. This byword for elegance, adopted by each watchmaker, artisan and designer throughout the years and centuries, celebrates heritage and dares to explore the unexpected. Poised at the intersection between technical virtuosity and aesthetic refinement, the enduring allure of Vacheron Constantin timepieces makes its way unscathed through passing eras. Because timelessness cannot be achieved merely by complying with the canons of traditional watchmaking, each creation is tinged with a touch of boldness revealed in the smallest details. Special displays, offset indications, specific chamfering of all components, hand-crafted finishing and the complexity of a mechanism are just a few examples of this expertise. The result is a very personal field of expression where technique and style converge in a subtle harmony between the conventional and the atypical.

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Sum-up

Vacheron Constantin explores an exhilarating page of history with the Métiers d’Art Tribute to great explorers’ collection, available in a series of three ten-piece limited editions. In the wake of Magellan, Zheng Hé, Christopher Columbus and Marco Polo, to whom the Manufacture had already paid tribute in 2004 and 2008, comes the turn of Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama and Pedro Álvares Cabral to be honoured through extraordinary compositions enhanced by talented master artisans. To celebrate the discoveries made by these three 15^th century Portuguese navigators, the Maison has opted for Grand Feu enamel and the technique of miniature painting. Masterpieces of patience and meticulous care, each of the three dials represents part of a map from the 1519 Miller Atlas, of which a reproduction is kept in Portuguese Maritime Museum (Museu de Marinha – Lisbon). These extraordinarily precise compositions are framed by a slim 18K 4N pink gold case measuring 41 mm in diameter. In order to provide abundant expressive scope for the enameller, these models beat to the rhythm of the 1120 AT self-winding movement, driving an off-centre time display thanks to a satellite hours module.

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TECHNICAL DATA

Métiers d’Art Tribute to great explorers

Reference
7500U/000R-B687: Bartolomeu Dias
7500U/000R-B688: Vasco da Gama
7500U/000R-B689: Pedro Álvares Cabral

Calibre
1120 AT
Developed and crafted by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical, self-winding
22K gold oscillating weight with tapisserie decor
32.80 mm (12 ½ ‘’’ diameter), 5.45 mm thick
Approximately 40 hours of power reserve
2.75 Hz (19,800 vibrations per hour)
205 components
36 jewels
Hallmark of Geneva certified timepiece

Indications
Dragging hours, minutes

Case
18K 4N pink gold
41mm diameter, 11.68 mm thick
Transparent sapphire crystal caseback
Water-resistance tested at a pressure of 3 bar (approx. 30 meters)

Dial
18K gold, two-level dial, Grand Feu enamel
Enamelled hour-markers

Strap
Blue Mississippiensis alligator leather with alligator leather inner shell, hand-stitched, saddle-finish, large square scales

Clasp
18K 4N pink gold folding clasp
Polished half Maltese cross-shaped
Limited series of ten timepieces per reference.
Models available exclusively through the Vacheron Constantin Boutiques.

23 May, 2021/by Maria G

RELOJES, Relojes Automáticos, Relojes de Hombre, Relojes de Mujer

BIG BANG INTEGRAL TOURBILLON FULL SAPPHIRE: A FEAT OF PURE SAPPHIRE

It is true that sometimes less is more – perhaps a lot more. With the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire, Hublot has taken its Art of Fusion to its ultimate conclusion. A new integral bracelet and case custom-made from sapphire: this feat affirms yet again the technical proficiency and the exceptional expertise that Hublot has acquired in the working of sapphire.

April 2021 – For some, this will seem a natural development. For others, it will be a total disconnect. The final result is a little of each. The Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire is the fruit of a long tradition. It is rooted in 2016, and the Big Bang Unico Sapphire, the first sapphire watch. With this piece, Hublot translated the expertise it had developed in machining very hard materials to create an exceptional series of sapphire watches. Today, Hublot is pushing these boundaries even further: the first Big Bang with an integrated case and bracelet, both of which are made from sapphire. A natural (r)evolution and a highly technical feat in equal measure.

Big Bang Integral Sapphir Tourbillon

” For such an exceptional creation, we opted for the new Automatic Tourbillon calibre with its sapphire bridges, the transparency of which creates a stunning spectacle. The act of creating an integrated case and bracelet from sapphire was, however, deemed impossible. But we were the first brand to gain perfect mastery of sapphire, industrialising it and making it reproducible in series production. It took us five years to bring our first sapphire cases to life – and almost as long for the bracelet. Producing both from sapphire and integrating them together is the pinnacle of the in-depth work undertaken by all of Hublot’s teams. We are proud to be the ones writing the first lines in this new chapter in the history of materials”. – Ricardo Guadalupe, HUBLOT CEO

Big Bang Integral Sapphir Tourbillon

Watchmakers are sometimes the only ones to know certain details of their watches. With a case and bracelet made entirely from sapphire, all secrets are revealed: the movement and casing fuse, and every aspect is visible.

The case of this new Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire has been reconstructed in its entirety to house the Automatic Tourbillon movement. The goal: to remove almost all of the visible screws, overhaul the general geometry of the case to integrate it with the sapphire bracelet, develop a new case profile to house the sapphire bracelet, and rework the bridges and main plates to give them the illusion of being suspended in space. Hublot also developed inserts and attachments which were reduced to their simplest expression, to allow light through every component. The case is thus composed of no fewer than 37 components, five of which are made solely from sapphire.

Big Bang Integral Sapphir Tourbillon

The bracelet was also a complex challenge: it alone comprises 165 components, 22 of which are made from sapphire. Each component had its own industrial process. A third of these were specially designed to provide unique harmony with the transparency of the case, and to offer fluidity and flexibility. Of particular note are the titanium inserts Hublot developed, ultra-reduced to ensure they do not protrude either side of each bracelet link – a first for the manufacture, and probably for watchmaking.

Big Bang Integral Sapphir Tourbillon

In terms of the movement, the HUB6035 automatic manufacture calibre, entirely designed and manufactured in-house, is the beating heart of the piece. It demonstrates a perfect balance between the micro-rotor at 12 o’clock and the tourbillon at 6 o’clock, and also with its three transparent sapphire bridges, exclusive to this new Big Bang. The components appear to be literally suspended in space. Each gear train is not only penetrated by light coming in from the dial side and passing through the skeleton movement on the other side: now, and for the first time, light enters the heart of the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire from all directions. It is diffused, refracted, reflected, twisted and twirled – a fragment of light encapsulated on the wrist.

8 May, 2021/by Carlos

RELOJES, Relojes de Hombre, Relojes de Mujer, Relojes Edición Limitada

ROGER DUBUIS – A NEW TRIBE LANDS AS AN ICON ASCENDS

A NEW TRIBE LANDS AS AN ICON ASCENDS

Roger Dubuis has consistently demonstrated a penchant for impertinence and extravagance. Sustained by an integrated manufacture, a flagrant disregard for convention is the backbone of its bold attitude. A true innovator, the luxury watchmaker is driven by an irrepressible willingness to come up with high-impact ideas, boundary-pushing technologies and unmistakable out-of-the-box designs. Living by the motto NO RULES, OUR GAME, the Maison proves once again it is the most exciting way to experience Hyper Horology with the launch of the new Excalibur Single Flying Tourbillon.

THE FUTURE OF HYPER HOROLOGY IS HERE

Extravagant, determined and disruptive, the bold and bright are the ones that stand out. Just like any star should. But a star doesn’t just appear. It takes dedication. Innovation. Craftsmanship. Only then can an icon ascend…Introducing the Excalibur Single Flying Tourbillon: a star restyled for the new world.

excalibursingleflyingtourbillon-titaniumdlc

To mark the launch of the inimitable skeleton design reinterpreted with a contemporary touch, Roger Dubuis is set to celebrate modern art in all its shapes. Taking form in Hyper Horology with the Maison’s most recent interpretation of the Excalibur Single Flying Tourbillon, this icon of watchmaking is brought to a whole new level; a masterpiece that cannot be ignored, just like its wearer.

Finding kinship with those disruptive souls who dare to make a difference, the Maison partners with the URBAN ART TRIBE, world-famous urban culture artists that reflect Roger Dubuis’ values: break the rules, showcase radical expertise and obsess daily over the design of the future.

THE EXCALIBUR SINGLE FLYING TOURBILLON: FROM A TIMEPIECE TO A MASTERPIECE

Roger Dubuis continues shaking up the world of haute horlogerie with the launch of the new Excalibur Single Flying Tourbillon. Enhanced with meticulous care, the timepiece is reinterpreted with sophistication and flair using modern and technical materials.

A contemporary masterpiece for the wrist, the new design showcases clean cut lines on both case and movement. Creating the impression of a thinner look and feel, while heightening the sense of transparency and depth, the calibre is rebuilt from bottom to top in an architectural feat that sees the Roger Dubuis star now levitate freely above the barrel. A strong visual identity is created with a signature two-line pattern – seen between the notch on the crown and bezel, the star’s arms, the tourbillon’s cage, the hour’s marking on the flange, the hands – all of which cleverly appear as though they will meet but never do. This dynamic aesthetic is amplified by the Poinçon de Genève, the most demanding signature in fine watchmaking and one that requires the manual decoration of each and every component of the watch, as well as unexpected and antinomic decorations in modern haute horlogerie, such as circular-brushed top surfaces and polished angles that demonstrate Roger Dubuis’ visionary approach.

Always keeping the wearer in mind, the new RD512SQ calibre is stunning in its technical prowess. Now with a titanium lower tourbillon cage – twice lighter than stainless steel – and a mirror-polished Cobalt Chrome upper tourbillon cage, the weight of the piece is reduced to optimum effect. All of which allows the power reserve to be radically optimised to 72 hours, providing the option of leaving the watch unworn over weekends without the worry of resetting come Monday. Proving no detail goes unconsidered, non-magnetic material is used inside the tourbillon to better serve the wearers and improve their experience.

Comfort is key, which is why a range of entirely new strap sizes have become available. With 5 sizes from 0 to 4, finding the perfect strap ensures the buckle is always centred on the wrist, as a Quick Release System offers ultimate flexibility. Underscored by rarity, the 42mm case is only available in eighty-eight pieces per colourway: Dark Grey DLC Titanium, Cobalt Chrome CarTech Micro-Melt BioDur CCM^TM and the new EON GOLD, a pink gold shade that remains more stable thanks to non-tarnish technology. Reimagined for a contemporary era, an icon ascends in the shape of the Excalibur Single Flying Tourbillon.

THE ART OF GLOW

Showcasing the Maison’s obsession with art, light and luminescence, in addition to our icons comes the Excalibur Glow Me Up, a world-premiere for Roger Dubuis limited to just eight timepieces.

By day, the new Single Flying Tourbillon calibre is elegantly adorned with 60 baguette-cut diamonds on the bezel. By night, it’s a complete different version that comes to life through this vibrant timepiece with luminescent and dazzling diamonds, an achievement made possible thanks to an intricate two-part process. The first involves filling the grooves that hold the stones in place with Super-Luminova, a singular way to make the diamonds appear luminescent without altering them. Secondly, an additional patent enables Super-Luminova to be applied on the angles of the movement, as well as to the iconic star-shaped bridge.Because at Roger Dubuis less is never more.

ART IN THE MAKING

Roger Dubuis is a destination for the avant-garde. Committed to non-conformity, the Maison stands with those who choose to blaze their own trail. To show what happens when rules are rejected and creativity is unleashed, Roger Dubuis partners with the URBAN ART TRIBE, composed of three urban culture creatives – tattoo artist Dr. Woo, graffiti artist Gully and mixed-media artist Liu Wei. Rulebreakers in their own fields, they too shape the future by refusing to take ‘no’ for an answer. Brought together to unite a wider community of daring minds, Roger Dubuis and the URBAN ART TRIBE hope to encourage people to challenge the way things are, just as the Maison does when it comes to Hyper Horology, and Dr. Woo and Gully do in their industries.

A leading name among an influential elite who see tattoos, art and fashion as an indissociable whole, Dr. Woo’s singular approach to needle style has shifted the paradigm for tattoos, taking them from subculture to broad popular appeal. Of the partnership he says: “I’ve taken this path because I don’t know where it leads, and that is exactly why I’m here – to seek the unknown and go out of my comfort zone. Tattooing and watchmaking have that in common: the same attention to detail, a dot vs. a tiny component, assembled perfectly for you to see the bigger picture.”

Gully, a well-known graffiti artist, chooses to work exclusively in his own atelier to maintain his anonymity. He uses a wide variety of mixed techniques and materials and explains his artistic concept as one based on conscious appropriation. Telling visual stories of children appearing in splendid settings, he reveals their enchantment with art and particularly with the paintings of the great masters. Speaking to the concept of the tribe, he comments: “Two worlds, a crossing path. I feel driven by the same energy and insatiable envy to come up with something we have never seen before. It comes as a bombshell, provokes surprise, and arouses interest. Bringing different worlds together is my trademark, so I can’t wait to show you the Gully x Roger Dubuis mixture.”

Generously opening the doors to their respective workshops, Dr. Woo and Gully will begin their long-term partnerships with Roger Dubuis by first sharing their creative processes at work. Initially set to reinterpret the brand’s iconic astral signature, they will continue to co-create the future of Hyper Horology alongside the Maison.

AN EXCLUSIVE INVITATION

From April 7 to 13^th, Roger Dubuis turns this year’s Watches&Wonders edition into an interactive journey for its guests to dive into the realms of the Maison’s creative process and beyond. Come and celebrate contemporary art in all its shapes, from Hyper Horology to tattoo art, graffiti and beyond.

1 May, 2021/by Maria G

RELOJES, Relojes Automáticos, Relojes de Hombre, Relojes de Mujer, Relojes de Oro, Relojes Edición Limitada, Relojes Mecánicos

Vacheron Constantin – Les Cabinotiers Armillary tourbillon perpetual calendar – Planetaria

A single-piece edition Les Cabinotiers timepiece with a retrograde jumping perpetual calendar regulated by a double-axis tourbillon and complemented by a three-dimensional representation of the two hemispheres designed to provide 24-hour and day/night indications.
A new Grand Complication movement, Calibre 1991, which took four years to develop

Geneva, April 7^th 2021 – A highly technical single-piece edition, the Armillary tourbillon perpetual calendar – Planetaria watch stages sophisticated complications in a manner bearing a unique aesthetic signature. Equipped with a new Calibre 1991 in-house movement, this timepiece celebrates the astronomical function par excellence: the perpetual calendar with precision moon phases. With its retrograde date appearing along a right-hand arc on the dial, as well as its circular retrograde month and day indications framing depictions of the Earth’s two hemispheres providing day/night indications, this timepiece is also regulated by a double-axis tourbillon. This new model, presented at Watches & Wonders 2021, is part of the theme of the Maison for 2021 : entitled Classic with a Twist, it highlights Vacheron Constantin’s creative energy, guided by an identity that celebrates a heritage and dares to deliver the unexpected.

Les Cabinotiers
Armillary tourbillon perpetual calendar – Planetaria
9820C/000R-B707

Calibre 1991, a new Grand Complication movement
Extraordinarily complex with its 745 components, mechanical manual-winding Calibre 1991 is the result of a four-year development process. It powers two rotating globes representing the Earth’s hemispheres, regulated by a double-axis armillary tourbillon. It corresponds to an innovative interpretation of the perpetual calendar, the astronomical complication par excellence which “reads off” the specificities of the calendar without requiring any adjustments before 2100. Another distinctive feature lies in the retrograde displays of the perpetual calendar’s days, dates and months. Mounted on ball bearings to ensure smooth, linear operation, the date display follows a circular arc to the right of the hours and minutes dial. In keeping with the watch’s astronomical vocation, the centre of the timekeeping dial bearing hour-markers is dedicated to the moon phases. These appear according to their respective evolution in the two hemispheres, in perfect symmetry with the two rotating globes, and with a degree of precision requiring a mere one-day correction every 122 years.

The perpetual calendar functions continue with the leap year appearing through a 5 o’clock aperture, along with circular day and month indications at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock based on a jumping retrograde pallet-type display system. In the centre of the two counters, the two globes representing the Northern and Southern hemispheres perform complete rotations in opposite directions on a graduated 24-hour scale around the rim. The shaded areas of the domed sapphire crystal used for the day/night indication have been positioned in such a way that the armillary tourbillon resembles a sun darting its rays across the surface of the Earth.

Making the super-thin (0.35 mm) sapphire crystal featuring the domes and extending over the retrograde date display required a great deal of ingenuity. A crown-integrated pusher enables simultaneous adjustment of the world-time function of the two globes.

In an additional challenge for the movement’s designers, who are consistently concerned with achieving optimal balance and aesthetic appeal, they had to imagine and design a retrograde system for the day and month indications leaving sufficiently ample space to admire the beating of the bi-axial armillary tourbillon with its spherical balance-spring.

Les Cabinotiers
Armillary tourbillon perpetual calendar – Planetaria
9820C/000R-B707

Nods to historical master-watchmakers
The complex mechanics of Calibre 1991 are perfectly epitomised in its armillary tourbillon, a technical challenge as well as a spectacular sight in itself. This movement regulating device endowed with a 60-hour power reserve benefited from the research conducted on the world’s most complicated timepiece, Reference 57260. This construction is positioned on the left side of the piece, beneath the sapphire crystal ‘bubble’. Forming a sphere in perpetual motion, the tourbillon was named “armillary” in reference to French watchmaker Antide Janvier, who towards the end of the 18^th century invented a moving planetary sphere known as an armillary, and regarded as one of his most accomplished masterpieces.

Another technical feature of the mechanism of this piece is the cylindrical balance-spring coupled with the balance. Invented by Jacques-Frédéric Houriet in 1814, this variant devoid of terminal curves gives the tourbillon a perfectly concentric beat, thereby ensuring enhanced isochronism. In order to transmit to this balance-spring the impulses corresponding to a frequency of 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz), Vacheron Constantin has developed an escapement consisting of a silicon escape-wheel and a lever with diamond pallets, materials reducing friction without any need for lubrication and thus increasing the precision of the mechanism.

Les Cabinotiers
Armillary tourbillon perpetual calendar – Planetaria
9820C/000R-B707

Haute Horlogerie finishes
Every single detail of the finishes gracing this single-piece edition highlights this ingenious astronomical orchestration of time. Two galvanically treated titanium globes weighing barely 0.12 grams rotate gently on the finely grained dial. The 24-hour counters surrounding them are circular satin-finished with transfers, while the day, month and date indications are printed beneath the sapphire crystal. The timekeeping dial features Roman numerals in the form of polished gold appliques. These Haute Horlogerie finishes are beautifully framed by an 18K 5N pink gold case measuring 46 mm in diameter and fitted with an alligator leather strap.

Les Cabinotiers
Armillary tourbillon perpetual calendar – Planetaria
9820C/000R-B707

“Le Temps Céleste”
Each year, the Les Cabinotiers department unveils a range of single-piece editions relating to a theme cherished by Vacheron Constantin. The year 2021 is dedicated to “Le Temps Céleste” (which means Celestial Time), with timepieces referring to the astronomical origins of time measurement.

From the dawn of civilisations, the cycle of days and seasons, the evolution of constellations in the night sky, the phases of the moon and eclipses have exerted an almost mystical fascination. Eager to unravel the mysteries of the universe, the first human beings found in mythological tales a cosmogony blending legends with poetry. At a very early stage, the first scientific minds attempted to decipher the rhythms of Nature and to organise them according to predictable patterns.

It was from these calculations, and with the appearance of writing, that the first calendars were born, before the Babylonian sexagesimal system gave meaning to the physical division of time into units of angle. Traditional watchmaking is a direct heir to this rigorous and scientific approach, expressed today on watches with depictions of the calendar, the sky chart, moon phases, tides and seasons, and even civil, solar and sidereal time with their differentials. Vacheron Constantin has nevertheless sought to endow these genuine observation instruments with all the charm of the founding myths through the subtlety of its craftsmanship, through its work in guilloché engraving and the engraving of symbolic motifs, or in the “stellar” glittering of gemset stones. This new Les Cabinotiers range is the expression of exceptional expertise in astronomical watches, dedicated to the poetry of time.

Vacheron Constantin and astronomical watches
Astronomical watches enjoy a rich and longstanding tradition within the Maison. The Vacheron Constantin archives reveal a first perpetual calendar in 1884, integrated into a double-sided yellow gold pocket watch, now part of the Maison’s private collection. This was the beginning of a mechanical “epic” that would singularly take shape at the turn of the century. In 1900, the Maison set up a workshop exclusively dedicated to the assembly of watches with complications, often incorporating astronomical functions. Orders flooded in for complicated and even very complicated watches. The perpetual calendar was then combined with other technical feats such as those enriching a 1905 pocket watch comprising a minute repeater, split-seconds chronograph and perpetual calendar with phases and age of the moon.

Delivered in 1929, the pocket watch made for King Fouad I of Egypt with chronograph, perpetual calendar, Grande and Petite Sonnerie and minute repeater functions is characteristic of this golden age. This exceptional watchmaking expertise, later applied to wristwatches, would be powerfully expressed in the Tour de l’Île with its 16 horological and astronomical complications, produced in 2005 to mark the 250^th anniversary of the Maison. It features a a sky chart, a complication that has become a speciality of Vacheron Constantin. Reference 57260, which has 57 complications, also features a sky chart, notably accompanied by sidereal time and a secular Hebrew calendar. In 2017, Vacheron Constantin once again innovated with Calibre 3600, powering displays of civil, solar and sidereal time, the latter synchronised with a mobile representation of constellations.

Les Cabinotiers: single-piece editions
In the Vacheron Constantin universe, Les Cabinotiers represents a department in its own right dedicated to the personalisation of Grand Complication models and single-piece editions. This tradition dates back to the 18^th century, an age when master-watchmakers were called cabinotiers and worked in ateliers bathed in natural light, known as cabinets and located on the top floors of Geneva’s buildings. In the hands of these learned artisans, open to the new ideas of the Enlightenment, exceptional timepieces were born, inspired by astronomy, mechanical engineering and the arts. This expertise, which constitutes the great Geneva watchmaking tradition, has been flowing through Vacheron Constantin’s veins since 1755.

Classic with a Twist
Vacheron Constantin’s creativity has always remained closely attuned to its time while evoking its memories. This byword for elegance, adopted by each watchmaker, artisan and designer throughout the years and centuries, celebrates heritage and dares to explore the unexpected. Poised at the intersection between technical virtuosity and aesthetic refinement, the enduring allure of Vacheron Constantin timepieces makes its way unscathed through passing eras. Because timelessness cannot be achieved merely by complying with the canons of traditional watchmaking, each creation is tinged with a touch of boldness revealed in the smallest details. Special displays, offset indications, specific chamfering of all components, hand-crafted finishing and the complexity of a mechanism are just a few examples of this expertise. The result is a very personal field of expression where technique and style converge in a subtle harmony between the conventional and the atypical.

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Sum-up

The Les Cabinotiers Tourbillon armillary perpetual calendar – Planetaria watch demonstrates technical mastery of watches featuring extreme astronomic and aesthetic complexity, with the integration on the dial of rotating globes. Equipped with the new manual-winding Calibre 1991 stemming from four years of development, this single-piece edition features a completely original perpetual calendar with a retrograde display of dates, days and months. This timepiece also offers a rare three-dimensional representation of the Earth’s Northern and Southern hemispheres. The two titanium globes perform a full rotation in 24 hours, complete with a day/night indication. The regulation of the movement is based on the same concern for technicality expressed by a double-axis armillary tourbillon whose nested aluminium carriages move at a speed of 60 seconds per rotation. This timepiece is presented in an 18K 5N pink gold case measuring 46 mm in diameter, fitted with a dark brown alligator leather strap.

TECHNICAL DATA

Les Cabinotiers Armillary tourbillon perpetual calendar – Planetaria

Reference
9820C/000R-B707

Calibre
1991
Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical manual winding
35 mm diameter, 11.20 mm thick
Movement power reserve: approximately 60h
2.5 Hz (18,000 vibrations/hour)
745 components
94 jewels
Hallmark of Geneva certified timepiece

Indications
Hours and minutes
Double-axis armillary tourbillon
Perpetual calendar
Retrograde date, day and month
Moon phases in Northern and Southern hemispheres
Northern and Southern day/night and 24h indication

Case
18K 5N pink gold
46 mm diameter, 20.20 mm thick

Dials (front & back)
18K gold, opaline silvered dial
18k 5N pink gold hands

Strap
Dark brown Mississippiensis alligator leather with alligator leather inner shell, hand-stitched, saddle-finish, large square scales

Clasp
18K 5N pink gold folding clasp

Presentation box
Les Cabinotiers model

Unique piece
“Les Cabinotiers”, “Pièce unique”, “AC” hallmark engraved on caseback

28 April, 2021/by Maria G

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FRANCK MULLER – The Grand Central Tourbillon

The Grand Central is an outstanding new collection, where the Tourbillon is in the spotlight, placed at the center of the timepiece. This beautiful central Tourbillon is housed in a redesigned Franck Muller Cintrée Curvex™ case. One of the complexities of the collection lies in the fact that we had to totally rethink the watch in order to move the Tourbillon from its original position at 6 o’clock to the center of the watch.

The Grand Central Tourbillon

In addition to this attractive and surprising decentering, Franck Muller designers and watchmakers had to find an innovative system to display the time in the center of the watch. Thus, they found an innovative way to place the hour and second hands around the Tourbillon cage, highlighting the beauty of the piece. Extremely rare for a Franck Muller Tourbillon collection, the watch holds a self-winding movement, thanks to an eccentric micro rotor, offering 4 days of power reserve.

FRANCK MULLER – The Grand Central Tourbillon

Regarding the case, it has been redesigned so that the sapphire crystal goes all the way to the bracelet. The bezel which is separate from the case, allowing two-tone treatments. This design totally changes the aspect of the original Cintrée Curvex™ and fully highlights the beautiful curves of the watch. It also gives full visibility to the dial by limiting the amount of material used on the sides which is technically very difficult to achieve and giving the case a new modern line of life.

The open back allows to admire the pure traditional decorations as the Côte de Genève.

8 April, 2021/by Maria G

RELOJES, Relojes Automáticos, Relojes de Hombre, Relojes de Mujer, Relojes Edición Limitada

Jaeger-LeCoultre unfolds infinity in four chapters with the Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185

La Grande Maison celebrates an icon, the Reverso, by releasing the most complicated timepiece ever presented in this emblematic collection. The Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 is the result of over six years of development, combining key areas of savoir-faire at Jaeger-LeCoultre with innovative new astronomical indications.

It is the world’s first wristwatch with four functioning display faces. By incorporating three displays of lunar information on the interior face of the iconic Reverso cradle (the synodic cycle, the draconic cycle and the anomalistic cycle), the Hybris Mechanica Quadriptyque can predict the next global incidence of astronomical events such as supermoons and eclipses — the world’s first wristwatch to provide such a deep reading of the cosmos.

Key Points of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 (Quadriptyque)

The world’s first watch with four faces; the most complicated Reverso timepiece ever made
A total of 11 complications, including perpetual calendar, minute repeater, indications of the synodic, draconic and anomalistic cycles (never before presented together in a wristwatch), requiring 12 patents
Combines Jaeger-LeCoultre’s uncontested mastery of chiming watches, precision mechanisms, astronomical complications and ultra-compact watchmaking
User-friendly design and construction; the most complicated Reverso is also one of the easiest to wear

Geneva, April 7th, 2021 — With 188 years of relentless innovation and savoir-faire behind it, Jaeger-LeCoultre continually sets new boundaries in the domain of fine mechanical watchmaking. Its Hybris Mechanica series of ground-breaking, ultra-complicated timepieces has established a constellation of stars shining with unparalleled brilliance in the horological heavens. In 2021, the latest addition to this celestial assemblage is a grand oeuvre six years in the making — the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 Quadriptyque, the first watch in the world with four faces of timekeeping indications.

Since the advent of personal timepieces, the quest to build increasingly complicated watches is constrained by the volume of space available to the watchmaker. Having a multitude of complications in a watch is pointless unless they can be legibly and comprehensibly displayed, and the watch can be reasonably worn. Liberated by the unique design of the iconic Reverso, Jaeger-LeCoultre has created a world’s first: a double-faced case continuously driven by the in-house Calibre 185, and a double-faced cradle with indications synced and updated by the primary movement every day at the stroke of midnight by an ingenious mechanical system proprietary to Jaeger-LeCoultre.

If executed through conventional mechanical means, the 11 complications of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 Quadriptyque would result in a timepiece far more suited for a desk than a wrist. Thanks to nearly two centuries of expertise and a thoroughly modern approach to innovation, Jaeger-LeCoultre tells the story of cosmic and terrestrial time within the confines of a 51mm by 31mm by 15mm case, a story told in four chapters of horological virtuosity.

Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185

CHAPTER ONE: SET THE UNIVERSE

The history of Jaeger-LeCoultre is rooted in the pursuit and attainment of precision. One of the earliest inventions of founder Antoine LeCoultre was the millionometer, the first instrument able to measure the micron. Today, Jaeger-LeCoultre is an undisputed pioneer and leader in creating exceptional executions of the tourbillon, a mechanism designed to enhance the chronometric performance of a timepiece. The Reverso Hybris Mechanica Gyrotourbillon 2 (2008) stunned audiences and won chronometry awards with its multi-axial revolving balance, and the Reverso Hybris Mechanica à Triptyque (2006) remains unique in its use of a tourbillon with a high-precision ellipse isometer escapement.

Naturally, the tourbillon is one of the main protagonists of the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 (Quadriptyque). Occupying the 7 o’clock position on the recto face of the case, a flying tourbillon (thus called because the absence of an upper bridge allows it to appear as if it is floating) makes one rotation a minute, continuously varying the position of the balance in order to achieve a single corrected average time measurement.

Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185

The balance is the heart of any watch movement, and it is also the key to our measurement of time. As it beats in regular cadences of 4Hz (28,800vph), every eight beats mark the passing of one second. The seconds accumulate into minutes, into hours, days, weeks, months and years. The recto face of the Quadriptyque case, illustrating the uppermost abilities of mechanical horology, shows the indications of a perpetual calendar, a centuries-old mechanism that always displays the correct date despite the irregular number of days each month. It also takes leap years into account, displaying a 29th day in the month of February every four years. Highlighting the precision of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 185 construction, the perpetual calendar indications are instantaneous, changing at the stroke of midnight. In addition, the complexities of the Calibre 185 construction required the date to be displayed at the 5 o’clock position on the dial. At Jaeger-LeCoultre, only the perfect legibility of a grande date was considered acceptable for a watch of such prestige, which necessitated the creation of a new system of date display discs in order to accommodate the dimensions of the flying tourbillon at 7 o’clock. The opening chapter of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 (Quadriptyque) is nothing less than a powerful statement of how la Grande Maison has comprehensively mastered the expression of civil time.

CHAPTER TWO: CHIME THE HEAVENS

There are extremely few watchmaking manufactures that possess in-house expertise in sonnerie wristwatches. There are even fewer that have been making them since 1870, accumulating one and a half centuries of experience and savoir-faire. There exists only one watchmaking manufacture that has over 200 chiming watch calibres in its historical and modern inventory — La Grande Maison du Sentier. The verso face of the Quadriptyque case is a virtuoso tour de force of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s patrimony as a master and innovator of chiming watches.

Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185

With the slide of a lever located just above the crown, the Quadriptyque unleashes its melody. First, a series of low notes, correlating to the number of hours. Second, an alternating couplet of high and low notes, corresponding to the quarter-hours. And concluding the melody, a succession of high notes, indicating the number of minutes to be added to the elapsed quarters. In concert, the hours-quarters-minutes chime plays the current time in musical code. The striking works of the Reverso Quadriptyque are completely exposed alongside a secondary time display, indicating the same time as the recto dial, but in a jumping-hours and peripheral-minutes format. As the Quadriptyque strikes the time, setting a symphony of springs, cams, hammers and gongs into motion, their acoustic report confirms the visual display of the secondary dial.

Visible through apertures on the movement plate hand-decorated with the guillochage motif known as clous de Paris are elements of the chiming mechanism uniquely associated with the sonnerie expertise of Jaeger-LeCoultre. These include the silent chime governor, patented by the manufacture in 1895 to eliminate the buzzing noise created by the older anchor system. More recent in-house innovations showcased in the Quadriptyque are the crystal gongs (first seen in the Master Minute Repeater Antoine LeCoultre of 2005) that attach the repeater gongs directly to the sapphire crystal to exploit the material’s optimal acoustic properties, the square cross-sectional profile of the gongs themselves that maximise contact and energy transmission between the hammers and gongs (a mainstay of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s repeating watches since 2006), and the articulated trebuchet hammers (developed for the 2009 Hybris Mechanica Duomètre à Grande Sonnerie) that deliver a clean and strong strike to the gongs. In totality, these innovations allow Jaeger-LeCoultre minute repeaters to produce some of the loudest and clearest chiming wristwatches today.

Debuting in the Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 is a completely novel engineering of the chiming components to create a seamless chime with no pauses in between the hours, quarters and minutes. The conventional minute repeater mechanism utilises special pivoting racks that read the time off a series of cams and then proceed to activate each group of chimed notes in turn. This often results in silent gaps between the groups of chimed notes, especially when there are only hours and minutes to be struck, with no intervening quarters. The Hybris Mechanica Master Ultra Thin Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon (2014) and Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel (2019) made exceptional strides in chiming know-how by reducing these silent gaps, but the Reverso Quadriptyque has reached the ultimate stage of expertise in this area. By refining and inverting specific steps in this mechanical sequence, the Quadriptyque has succeeded in eliminating these gaps entirely.

The chime of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 is an uninterrupted opus of acoustic excellence. It is the sound of innovation at its very apex.

Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185

CHAPTER THREE: UNCOVER THE ORBIT

Before the formal development of time reckoning systems, primitive societies observed celestial phenomena and created powerful myths and stories around the dance of the heavenly orbs above. The earliest astronomers were also mathematicians, and instruments constructed on their formulations were able to mechanically compute the positions of various celestial objects. The interaction between the various orbits of the Sun, Earth and Moon determine the rhythms of life, and watchmaking first evolved as a means to bring order to the world around us. As a watch manufacture with close to two centuries of fine watchmaking expertise, Jaeger-LeCoultre has mastered all aspects of time expression, from the quotidian to the esoteric. One of the hallmark complications of Jaeger-LeCoultre is the display of sidereal time, time that is determined with reference to the stars instead of the Sun, first presented in the Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication (2010).

This year, for the first time ever in the history of mechanical horology, Jaeger-LeCoultre unites three displays of lunar information — the synodic cycle, the draconic cycle and the anomalistic cycle — in a single wristwatch. This unique micromechanical combination of indications, located on the interior face of the cradle of the Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185, allows the determination of eclipse events (both solar and lunar) and rare lunar phenomena such as supermoons.

Occupying the top half of the interior face of the cradle of the Reverso Quadriptyque is a massive representation of the phases of the moon in the Northern Hemisphere. A laser-engraved moon is progressively covered and revealed by a mobile blue lacquer disc with gold glitter décor, corresponding to the age of the moon in the synodic cycle. While conventional displays of the moon phase accumulate one day of error after 32.5 months, the moon phase display of the Quadriptyque requires only one adjustment after 1,111 years.

Just below the moon phase display, on the left, is a counter with a three-dimensional micro-sculpted pink-gold sun orbited by a tiny hemispherical moon. This counter shows the draconic cycle, showing when the path of the Moon intersects with the orbit of the Earth around the Sun (known as the ecliptic). Such an intersection takes place twice in each cycle, indicated by the horizontal alignment on the counter of the moon and the sun. At this time, the Moon, Earth and Sun are all on the same plane; however, they may not be aligned. For them to be aligned, a phenomenon known as syzygy, an additional condition must be fulfilled — the Moon must be either in its new or full phase. When that happens, an eclipse event happens on Earth, either a lunar eclipse if the Moon is in its full phase, or a solar eclipse if the Moon is in its new phase. However, the actual visibility of the eclipse is dependent on various factors such as the geographical position of the viewer.

To the right of the draconic cycle counter is a domed representation of the Earth, micro-painted in enamel, with a hemispherical moon in eccentric orbit around it. This counter represents the anomalistic cycle, showing the varying distance between the Earth and Moon. At its apogee, the Moon is at its furthest distance from the Earth and is closest at its perigee. When the Moon is in its full phase near or at the perigee, an event known as a supermoon occurs, in which the Moon can appear to be up to 14 percent larger than usual in the sky.

The display of the synodic, draconic and anomalistic cycle together in a wristwatch is unprecedented in horology, with the latter two indications protected by patent, making the Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 the only watch ever made to provide such depth of information about astronomical phenomena.

The Hybris Mechanica family of timepieces at Jaeger-LeCoultre began with the 2003 Atmos Mystérieuse and has since grown to encompass close to 20 groundbreaking horological creations, including the Master Hybris Mechanica Gyrotourbillon 1 (2004), the Reverso Hybris Mechanica Grande Complication à Triptyque (2006), the Master Ultra Thin Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon (2014) and the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel (2019). The word Hybris originates from the Greek “hubris” that refers to the soaring ambition exhibited by the legendary heroes of antiquity. It is a promise made by Jaeger-LeCoultre to continually expand the horizons of watchmaking; a promise that has been dutifully kept for 18 years.

CHAPTER FOUR: REVERSE THE UNIVERSE

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso was born in 1931, out of the need to protect delicate horological mechanisms amidst the balletic skirmish of hooves and mallets during games of polo. Today, 90 years later, a far older dance is reflected in the Reverso Hybris Mechanica Quadriptyque, one that guides our calendrical rhythms according to rules that are as precise and structured as those of the regal equestrian sport.

The original Reverso bore a single time-telling face, with a mobile case that could be turned over within its cradle, revealing a solid caseback. The next generation of the Reverso featured another dial on its caseback, either in a different design to accommodate the wearer’s aesthetic preference (Duetto) or displaying a second time zone (Duoface) to offer additional functionality when travelling. The Reverso Hybris Mechanica à Triptyque (2006) represented an evolutionary leap in horological innovation, with a third display positioned on the interior face of the Reverso cradle.

This year, the world’s first wristwatch with four faces premieres in the form of the Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 (Quadriptyque), the ultimate expression of the Reverso concept. On the last face of the Quadriptyque, the exterior face of the cradle, a representation of the phases of the Moon in the Southern Hemisphere is shown. Most indications of the moon phase are of the Northern Hemisphere perspective, and the Quadriptyque’s display of the Southern Hemisphere moon phase on its fourth face is the fulfilment of the Reverso’s fundamental dualism. A star-flecked sky chart, engraved and lacquered in a gradient of blue shades forms the backdrop to the pink-gold moon, all of which are created in the Atelier des Métiers Rares® of Jaeger-LeCoultre.

The secret to the Reverso Hybris Mechanica Quadriptyque’s four functioning display faces lies in a solution first used in the 2006 Reverso Hybris Mechanca Grande Complication à Triptyque. Every day at midnight, a pin extends out of the main case movement to activate a mechanical corrector in the cradle, which then advances the cradle displays. The mechanism driving the cradle displays is set directly into the cradle itself, without any additional movement plates that would increase the thickness of the watch. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s expertise in ultra-compact watchmaking makes the Quadriptyque, despite its multiple indications and complications, one of the most wearable high-complication watches of our time.

PRESENTING INFINITY

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 comes in an exceptional presentation box with a built-in mechanism that allows the wearer to quickly and intuitively set all the calendar and astronomical displays of the watch after a period of being unworn.

A two-position crown on the side of the box is used to first set the number of days that have elapsed since the watch was last worn. With the Quadriptyque set within the correction support frame, the box corrector crown can then be extended to its second position and wound to rapidly bring the watch to the current date for all calendar and astronomical indications. There is no risk of overcorrecting the watch or damaging the movement, since the entire process is controlled by the box corrector mechanism.

The latest timepiece in the Hybris Mechanica series took six years of research and development. It was made possible only through the 188 years of innovation and expertise accrued within the workshops of La Grande Maison. With the Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 Quadriptyque, Jaeger-LeCoultre reasserts its position at the apogee of mechanical watchmaking and reaffirms its dedication to expanding the boundaries of horological knowledge.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

REVERSO HYBRIS MECHANICA CALIBRE 185

Case material: White gold

Case dimensions: 51.2 x 31 mm

Thickness: 15.15 mm

Movement: Manually wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 185

Functions:

Face 1: Hour – Minute, Tourbillon (indicating the Second), Instantaneous Perpetual Calendar, Grande Date, Day, Month, Leap Year, Night & Day

Face 2: Jumping Digital Hour, Minute, Minute Repeater (with system avoiding dead time)

Face 3: Northern Hemisphere Moon Phase, Draconic Lunar Cycle (height of the moon), Anomalistic Lunar Cycle (apogee and perigee), Month, Year

Face 4: Southern Hemisphere Moon Phase

Power reserve: 50 hours

Water resistance: 30 metres

Strap: Blue alligator

Reference: Q7103420

Limited edition of 10 pieces

7 April, 2021/by Maria G

Especial, EVENTOS, Exposiciones, Festival, Gadgets, MyEvents, RELOJES, Relojes Automáticos, Relojes de bolsillo, Relojes de Hombre, Relojes de Mujer, Relojes de Oro, Relojes Edición Limitada, Virtual

Watches and Wonders opens tomorrow for the biggest watch event ever to take place online!

Geneva, April 6, 2021 Close to 500 press conferences, over 40 keynotes, a daily live “Morning Show”, six expert-led panels… and a wealth of exceptional creations revealed by the 38 prestigious participating Maisons: Watches and Wonders 2021 opens tomorrow a for a particularly intense edition that will put watchmaking in the spotlight for over ten days. Online and
offline, from Geneva to Shanghai, follow this unmissable event live from anywhere in the world. Connect from tomorrow 7:00 CET to the
watchesandwonders.com digital platform.

Only hours to go before the curtain comes up on Watches and Wonders with a 2021 edition in two parts, starting with a digital format in Geneva, then over to Shanghai for an in-person Salon. For more than ten days, the eyes of the world will be on the creativity and expertise of the most prestigious names in watchmaking.

Getting this horological marathon under way, Watches and Wonders Geneva promises to be particularly intense with 38 participating brands – double last year – 500 press conferences, 400 presentations to retailers, over 40 keynotes, a daily live “Morning Show”, six panel discussions, also live each day, one-toone appointments, virtual tours and more. All part of the exciting program for the 23,000 visitors – media, retailers and end customers – who have been invited to Watches and Wonders Geneva by the brands for a fully digital Salon
experience.

Watchmaking puts on a “Morning Show” Going out live every morning from April 8 to 13 at 8:00 CET, the 2021 edition launches with the first “Morning Show” at 7:00 CET on April 7th. Presented by Belle Donati, a primetime news anchor for major European networks, this is where industry experts and other prestigious guests will be giving their informed insight. Analyses, summaries, product presentations, trend focuses, CEO interviews, expert views, panel discussions, highlights of the day and everything you need to know about watchmaking will be shared, live, each morning… not forgetting the “Minute LAB”, spotlight on the latest technology and innovations from the participating brands. No stone will be left unturned during these seven 40-minute shows, presented in English and simultaneously translated into simplified Chinese. The public will be able to watch the “Morning Show” live on the watchesandwonders.com platform or
catch up on the Watches and Wonders YouTube channel and social media.

Another highlight of the event will be the 42 launches and other “breaking news” from the 38 participating brands. Expect some major announcements, new watch presentations and exclusive product reveals, all on the new watchesandwonders.com platform.

A platform for debate and discussion And there is more: watchesandwonders.com is also a place for ideas and debate. Every day, from April 8 to 13 at 12:15 CET, influencers, brand leaders
and watchmaking experts will discuss the perspectives and challenges that lie ahead for the industry.: How can watchmaking contribute to overcome
resources scarcity and generate a positive impact? What will be the lasting consequences of the global pandemic? What role should technology and new
materials play? What impact can blockchain have on watchmaking? All these subjects will be covered in six 40-minute discussions, streamed live on the
platform, then available on replay for the public.

A gathering of the leading players in watchmaking worldwide, Watches and Wonders is set to become the standout event for 2021. Join watch enthusiasts around the world on watchesandwonders.com from 7:00 CET tomorrow and be part of this digital experience, before moving on to China, starting April 14!

6 April, 2021/by Maria G

RELOJES, Relojes Automáticos, Relojes de Hombre, Relojes de Mujer

The Tourbillon with HUBLOT’S signature codes Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5 day power reserve carbon white

“The Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon White… different, yet resolutely Hublot. It combines the distinctive codes of our brand: 6 H-shaped titanium screws, “sandwich” case construction, the Art of Fusion with carbon fibre and composite inclusions, an HUB6020 skeleton tourbillon manufacture movement custom-designed for its tonneau case, a jewel of innovation and expertise showcasing the aesthetic approach to movement design central to the Hublot philosophy, and, lastly, strap interchangeability thanks to its patented One Click system.“

– Ricardo Guadalupe, HUBLOT CEO

In the seven years since its launch in 2014, the singular and distinctive Spirit of Big Bang has been cultivating its differences whilst incorporating the signature Hublot codes – 6 H-shaped titanium screws, a “sandwich” case construction, and a demonstration of the Art of Fusion.

Spirit-of-Big-Bang-Tourbillon-5-day-Power-Reserve-Carbon-White-3

With the Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5-day Power Reserve Carbon White, Hublot combines black with white, proving opposites attract. The 42-mm case, case back and bezel are crafted from carbon fibre featuring white composite inclusions. These white inclusions are formed of glass microfibres created as a non-woven fabric (NWF), used mainly to improve the breaking strength of composites: This NWF is then co-impregnated with the carbon fibres using tinted epoxy resin when the composite preforms are created in a special mould.

Released in a limited edition of 100 pieces, the Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5-day Power Reserve Carbon White plays with contrasts and transparency with a sapphire case back and dial which reveal the ultra-aesthetic architecture of the HUB6020 manufacture movement. A skeleton tourbillon specially designed to sit within the tonneau case of the Spirit of Big Bang. A power reserve of 115 hours, hand-wound, with a 5-day indicator set at 8 o’clock. At 6 o’clock, the tourbillon cage completes one rotation per minute. Off-centre hours and minutes can be read at 3 o’clock.
Paired with a white lined rubber strap, the Spirit of Big Bang White embraces interchangeability thanks to its patented “One-Click” system.

28 March, 2021/by Maria G

RELOJES, Relojes Automáticos, Relojes de Hombre, Relojes de Mujer, Relojes Edición Limitada

Cuervo y Sobrinos Historiador Squelette

Throughout life, we often feel an unwavering desire to uncover hidden treasures. Cuervo y Sobrinos is proud to unveil a new iteration of the Historiador Squelette that reveals the intricate mechanisms at work beneath the dial.