Double Tourbillon Asymétrique: A new interpretation of the Double Tourbillon 30° in an asymmetric case

Greubel Forsey presents the Double Tourbillon Asymétrique, a reinterpretation of Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey’s first Fundamental Invention, the Double Tourbillon 30°, featuring an asymmetric case marking a striking departure from how this complication has been previously presented.

In harmony with its distinctive design, the power reserve is indicated by a rotating disk, underlining the highly original nature of this timepiece. The Double Tourbillon Asymétrique is available in a unique edition comprising 11 pieces in white gold and 11 pieces in 5N red gold.

Asymmetry and harmony of form

Greubel Forsey launched the Double Tourbillon 30° Vision in 2004, now, nearly a decade later, this new interpretation features an asymmetric positioning of the Double Tourbillon 30°; which has only previously been presented symmetrically in the collection.

To achieve this, the movement architecture has been completely reconstructed, with the outer cage of the patented Double Tourbillon 30° inversed. However, the one-minute rotation of the inner tourbillon cage and the four-minute rotation of the outer tourbillon cage remain the same.

The movement is housed in a 43.5 mm diameter case with a curved lateral window in the case band at 8 o’clock. This three-dimensional opening offers the observer a very special view of the double tourbillon system, showcasing the complexity and aesthetic qualities of this unique complication.

The black treatment of the mainplates, forming the backdrop for the tourbillion system accentuates the three-dimensionality and depth of the double cages, which are composed of no less than 130 components. The polished conical arm and the flat black polish of the steel tourbillon bridge is one example of Greubel Forsey’s signature superlative hand finishing.

The power reserve indicator at 2 o’clock features an innovative rotating disk displaying optimal remaining running time by means of a fixed red triangle instead of a conventional hand.

Sobriety and exclusivity

The architecture of the gold dial contributes to the perfect balance of the timepiece. The minute ring is concentric around the satin-finished hour display, with the applied polished gold hour indexes creating additional contrast and relief.

In the white gold version, the dial is finished in shades of grey, anthracite and black, while the dial of the red gold version is treated in black and anthracite. The hands and indexes are in perfect harmony with their case – white gold or in red gold, depending on the version. For ideal legibility at night, the tips of the hour and minute hands have been filled with luminous material.

The individual number of each timepiece is engraved on a gold plate concentric to the power reserve indicator. The small seconds at 6 o’clock features a striking triangular red hand, one of three bright red details on the dial.

An asymmetric domed sapphire crystal display back mirroring the lines of the case reveals the beautiful movement beneath. The nickel-palladium treated frosted and bevelled gear-train bridge juxtaposes against the sobriety of the black-chromed mainplate.

The polished internal angles of the beautifully finished one-piece gear -train bridge bear testimony to the meticulous hand finishing throughout the timepiece. This bridge, fixed by four blued-steel screws, supports two white gold plates: one with the individual number of the timepiece mirroring that on the power reserve indicator; the other signed ‘Greubel Forsey’. With their golden finish against a black background, the two series configured mainspring barrels and centre wheel stand out visually from the black mainplate.

Unique edition

Presented in a unique edition of 11 pieces in white gold and 11 pieces in 5N red gold, the Double Tourbillon Asymétrique is an exclusive and original addition to the Greubel Forsey collection.
The timepiece is completed by a hand-sewn alligator strap with folding clasp in the same colour gold as the case.

Technical Specifications
The manual-winding movement comprises 326 components. It is powered by two rapidly rotating mainspring barrels in series, which provide a72-hour reserve of optimal power. The Double Tourbillon 30° features a variable inertia balance with Phillips terminal curve beating at 3Hz/21,600 vibrations per hour – the inner and outer cages make one revolution in 1 minute and 4 minutes respectively. The inner cage is at a 30° angle to the outer cage.

The mainplates in nickel silver are frosted with straight grained flanks, hand polished countersinks and bevels, with a black chrome treatment, while the bridges are frosted, spotted, with hand polished countersinks and polished bevels with a nickel-palladium treatment. The dial is in black-oxidised or anthracite finished gold, with indications for hours, minutes and small seconds. The power reserve indicator is via a rotating disk. There are two hand-finished gold plates engraved with the individual number of the timepiece: One on the dial side, the other visible through the display back.

The asymmetric case is available in white gold or 18K 5N red gold and measures 43.5 mm in diameter and 16.13 mm in height. It features asymmetric synthetic sapphire crystals on the dial side and for the display back, as well as a lateral window set into the case band,three-dimensional, variable geometry shaped lugs,  raised polished engraving “Greubel Forsey” on a hand-punched background and gold security screws. The black alligator strap is hand stitched with a white gold or red gold folding clasp to match the case.

Decoration and aesthetic
Like all Greubel Forsey timepieces, levels of finishing and decoration are executed without compromise. To provide optimal visual effect, all components of the movement are created according to architectural criteria that highlight a myriad of details revealing their beauty. Elements of finishing such as spotting, frosting, straight-graining, scintillating flat black-mirror-polishing, as well as the stunning hand finished bevels. The three-dimensional architecture of this timepiece showcases its mechanisms and components and emphasizes the finishing and decoration, reflecting the extremely high standards of Greubel Forsey’s craftmanship.

Robert Greubel

Robert Greubel grew up in Alsace, France and began his horological career somewhat precociously, observing and working with his watchmaker father in the family shop, Greubel Horlogerie. In 1987 he moved to Switzerland to learn more about complications and he joined IWC to work on their Grand Complication project. He moved to Le Locle in 1990 for a prototypist position at Renaud &Papi, where he eventually rose to Co-Chief Operating Officer and partner. In 1999 Robert Greubel left to work independently and in 2001 he founded CompliTime in partnership with Stephen Forsey, with the aim of creating and developing complicated mechanisms for high-end brands. They cofounded Greubel Forsey in 2004.

Stephen Forsey

Stephen Forsey was born in St. Albans, England where he inherited his father’s passion for the intricacies of mechanics. From 1987 he specialised in antique watch restoration, which led to a position as head of Asprey’s prestigious watch restoration department and he then furthered his horological education at WOSTEP. After moving to Switzerland in 1992, Stephen joined Robert Greubel’s team at Renaud &Papi where he worked on the most complicated mechanical movements. In 1999 he left to work independently and in 2001 he founded CompliTime in partnership with Robert Greubel with the aim of creating and developing complicated mechanisms for high-end brands. Together, they then launched Greubel Forsey in 2004.

For more information:
Angela Landone – Tel. +39 02 4391 10 39
angela.landone@greubelforsey.com
www.greubelforsey.com

The prestigious Fine Watchmaking brand CORUM and the Acapulco Yacht Club were delighted to host the first COPA CLUB DE YATES CORUM 2013 which was held from March 16th to 19th 2013 on the waters of Acapulco and featured some of the country’s best sailors as well as CORUM ambassador Loïck Peyron.

Acapulco–March 16th to 19th. This nautical competition attracted more than 25 sailboats and around 250 participants. These experienced and dedicated competitors took part in four regattas that involved sailing through certain locations such as Papanoa, Punta Bruja, La Roqueta and La Boya Presidencial.

On Sunday March 18th, Juan De Pablos, Chief-Executive of the Acapulco Yacht Club, extended a warm welcome to all sailors as well as to members of the press at a conference during which Loïck Peyron, ambassador of the CORUM watch company and a world-famous navigator, presented his rich and interesting career to date in the world of sailing, as well as his longstanding partnership with the famous Swiss watch brand.

At exactly 2 pm, 25 sailboats set off to sea to compete in the main regatta in the Cup, the Loïck Peyron Trophy. The race started at a buoy off the coast of Punta Bruja, heading towards the extreme far right of La Roqueta Island. The boats then returned to the starting race mark to sail around the island, this time in the opposite direction, before returning to the Yacht Club, where the regatta ended.

Following the competition, the results were officially announced in a ceremony on the Yacht Club’s Olympic Square. Loïck Peyron, holder since last year of the record for the fastest crewed yacht voyage, as well as for the Jules Verne Trophy – a feat timed by CORUM – was honored to present the trophies to the winners in each category.

This new nautical alliance between the Acapulco Yacht Club and the CORUM watch company has given rise to a cup that is destined to make its mark on sailing history in Mexico.

With the generous support of Vacheron Constantin, ECAL/Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne, featuring among the world’s top ten universities of art and design, is resuming the former MAS in Luxury Industry and Design, henceforth provided as the Master of Advanced Studies in Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship. Under this new heading, the programme intends to highlight various types of know-how and give young industrial designers the opportunity to investigate, over the course of a year, sectors of excellence as diverse as the arts & crafts, fine watch- making, tableware or specific techniques using noble materials. The contribution of such as prestigious manufacture as Vacheron Constantin, which has shone over the watchmaking industry for more than 250 years and is actively involved in promoting outstanding craftsmen, is a token of the richness of this curriculum and ensures its continuity.

To celebrate and promote this unique partnership, Girard-Perregaux will launch this Spring a new international advertising campaign featuring historic images from the Academy’s vast photography collection. This collaboration will highlight the mechanics behind the creation of such iconic works.

The first part of the campaign will feature an image of Alfred Hitchcock holding a production slate during the filming of PSYCHO—one of over 10 million photographs in the Academy’s vast photograph archive. This image not only represents the beginning of a scene but, in this case, also the beginning of a great partnership.

The tagline ‘Mechanics of Dreams’ encapsulates the very essence of this relationship between Girard-Perregaux and the Academy Museum. In different ways, both are masters of an art that makes people dream, that tells a story, and that has the power of making one travel in time.

“Both timepieces and movies mark the passing of time and both are exempt from the law of aging“, says Michele Sofisti, CEO of Sowind Group (Girard-Perregaux and JEANRICHARD). “They stay true and eternal from the moment of their creation.”

“We are thrilled to be working with a partner as esteemed as Girard-Perregaux”, notes Bill Kramer, Managing Director of Development for the Academy Museum. “We are both deeply committed to artistic excellence and technological advancement.”

The Museum will be located in the historic Wilshire May Company building in the heart of Los Angeles, and will be designed by award-winning architects Renzo Piano and Zoltan Pali. The Museum’s galleries, theaters, screening rooms, and education centers will draw from the Academy’s extensive collections and archives, which, in addition to more than 10 million photographs, include over 146,000 film and video assets, 80,000 screenplays, 46,000 original film posters, 20,000 production and costume design drawings, as well as costumes, props, moviemaking equipment and behind-the-scenes personal accounts from artists and innovators working in the motion picture industry.

The HL2.0 collection represents the second generation of HAUTLENCE watches. After 4 years of development, it was first shown in 2010 and officially launched in its final version in 2011.
Faithful to the brand’s fundamental concept of offering a different way of reading time, this collection goes even further and establishes HAUTLENCE among the most prestigious contemporary watchmaking brands. The HL2.0 models display half-trailing jumping hours – one of the special features of this second collection – retrograde minutes – a signature of the brand – and a power-reserve indicator. The collection also includes an automatic movement for the first time.

Constructed around the retrograde minutes function, the jumping hours mechanism consists of a 12-link chain activated by a connecting-rod/crank as in the HL collection. The retrograde minutes are indicated on a 180° sector of the dial. An ingenious mechanism governs the movement of the assembly with a speed control that protects the components from any shocks arising from its operation. The chain rotates the mobile bridge through 60° each hour, compensating for the effect of gravity. To provide sufficient energy, the principal barrel, wound by the automatic system, winds a second barrel, which drives the display complication.

Developed and produced by the Neuchâtel brand’s own teams, this collection is the first to offer an in-house mechanical movement with automatic winding. Three models are currently available, each limited to 28 numbered timepieces: the new version HL2.3 in titanium, the HL2.1 in 18-carat white gold and the HL2.2 in 18-carat 4N rose gold.

THREE PATENTS FOR AN EXCEPTIONAL TIMEPIECE

The first patent concerns the half-trailing hours chain (as opposed to an instant system that is too fast to appreciate, or a dragging system that cannot be read correctly between the hours): every 60 minutes the chain advances in 3-4 seconds without jumps or loss of energy, making it possible to admire the beauty of the movement and its mechanisms in action.

The second patent relates to the regulating organ integrated into the mobile bridge movement. Its constantly changing position, driven by the display, compensates statistically for the effect of gravity, enhancing its precision. The third patent covers the operation of the movement’s two barrels. The principal barrel is wound by the automatic system and transmits the energy needed to wind a second barrel that is devoted exclusively to driving the complication. It is kept fully wound by the main barrel to ensure that an optimal level of energy is available to change each hour. This means the complex systems are powered independently without affecting the precision of the watch.

THE FUNCTIONING OF THE MOVEMENT

When the retrograde minutes hand returns to zero to begin the next hour, the connecting-rod mechanism drives 1 revolution of the system by means of the function star. This is when the mechanical magic of the HAUTLENCE HL2.0 starts to work:

The mechanisms come to life simultaneously, powered by the energy in the complication barrel. The speed control that allows the chain links to advance the hours in 3-4 seconds begins to function and completes 48 revolutions at high speed (as opposed to instantly). The half-trailing hours display advances one revolution powered by the system’s gear train. A coupler transmits the kinematics of the chain to the mobile bridge movement incorporating the regulating organ, which rotates through 60°.

The kinematics of the full HL2.0 movement are structured in three dimensions by the use of special bevelled gears. These bevelled gears are produced with uniquely shaped tools to achieve optimal efficiency in gear-train transmission.

This timepiece also includes a power-reserve indicator as well as an oscillating weight in 18-carat gold. All numerals and indicators are luminescent to ensure excellent readability at night.

The result of the collaborative effort of Hermès, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Les Cristalleries de St. Louis, the Atmos Hermès clock is a striking demonstration of the fact that time is a true ally: one that has enabled the three Houses to combine their expertise in order to create this 176-piece limited edition crystal clock that quite literally lives on air.

Transparency rubs shoulders with opalescence, glass meets metal, artistic craftsmanship combines the uncompromising nature of metal with the fragile vulnerability of crystal: such are the defining characteristics of the Atmos Hermès table clock. By giving substance to an immaterial reality, it forges a strong bond between humankind, its environment and an eternally intriguing principle: that of time.

Encounters born of time

Expertise carefully refined over the decades; a thirst for innovation; a philoso- phy based on high standards: all of the Houses united in crafting the Atmos Hermès clock share the same values, including, first and foremost, a vision of time inextricably bound up with hand workmanship often refer- red to by the French word “bienfacture” and best translated as fine craftsmanship.

The astonishing crystal sphere thus houses a unique, almost perpetually moving mechanism developed by the Manufacture Jaeger- LeCoultre. Since 1928, the mechanism of the Atmos clock fascinates by its exceptional mode of operation with no battery, no electric current and no winding. It lives on air by means of an ingenious principle: a her- metically sealed capsule containing a mixture of gases that expands when the temperature rises and contracts when it drops. Connected to the mainspring of the clock, the capsule acts like a concertina or a pair of bellows, thereby constantly winding the mechanism. It is so sensitive that a one-degree temperature difference is enough to power it for 48 hours. Its balance oscillates just twice a minute rather than the average 300 times of a classic wristwatch, which consumes 250 times more energy than an Atmos clock. The 190 parts that compose this clever construction are precision-assembled within the Manufacture.

 

Back of the Atmos Hermes clock

Pursuing this demanding hand-crafted approach, Hermès entrusted Les Cristalleries de Saint-Louis glassmakers with creating the astonishing exterior of this clock: a crystal globe made using the so-called doublé or double overlay technique, which consists in coating layers of glass over each other, including a coloured one. Within the company, only six mas- ter glassmakers have the mastery and experience required to perform this task.

First of all, the glassblower uses his blow- pipe or gathering iron to collect the mol- ten white enamel and fashions it so as to create a ball known as a gather; he then blows short puffs of air into this mass, all the while regularly heating it; before wor- king it further using a mailloche or shaping block, a ladle-like wooden tool used to shape the glass into a glass bubble or parison. This first stage of production is rendered even more difficult by the opacity of the material that prevents the artisan from seeing the various layers of the ena- mel. In parallel, four master glassmakers prepare a light- coloured glass mass using the shaping block and heat it to give it a spherical shape.

Then comes the overlay operation: the glassmaker uses the tip of his blowpipe to detach the white enamel parison, into which another mas- ter glassmaker pours the light-coloured glass. The two layered materials are then worked together and placed in a mould that is then blown to form a sphere measuring around 30 centimetres in diameter. The latter is placed in an annealing oven that serves to progressively cool it down in order to avoid the glass shattering. Once cooled down, the sphere that now weighs around ten kilos is perforated in the spot where the mechanism will be inserted. After this, using previously drawn markings, it is cut so as to reveal transparent pearl-like beads, and then polished to create subtle light effects.

It is thus within this subtle blend of opalescence and transparency that the clock mechanism is fitted, thereby composing a rare object which represents the quintessence of the craftsmanship spirit. For while the Atmos clock counts off the minutes and hours, it represents, first and foremost, the time dedicated by the artisans: years of apprenticeship and patiently acquired expertise, the time required for the mastery of each of these remarkable and singular skills.

 

Profile of the Atmos Hermes clock

Time born of encounters

Thierry Hermès, a harness-maker, set up business in Paris in 1837. The Maison has developed steadily ever since and now exercises 14 different métiers or skills: leather goods-saddlery, men’s and women’s silks, men’s and women’s ready-to-wear clothing, perfumes, diaries, hats, shoes, gloves, enamel, art of living, tableware, jewellery and watchmaking.

In 1928, the first Hermès watches were presented in the store at no. 24, Faubourg Saint- Honoré. At the time, Hermès placed its signature on “timepieces” that it created in collaboration with the greatest Swiss watch manufacturers including Jaeger-LeCoultre – the firm that would later equip Hermès clocks with its Atmos mechanism.

In 1978, the La Montre Hermès workshops were set up in Switzerland, thereby confir- ming the company’s dedication to high standards and its passion for precision – two qualities that enabled it in 2012 to launch its first models equipped with its own Manu- facture-made mechanisms.

In an era when Swiss watchmaking was still structured around small cottage industry- type workshops in private homes, Antoine LeCoultre and his son Elie decided to unite under one roof the many professions involved in making watches. LeCoultre & Cie thus became the first full-fledged “Manufacture” in the Vallée de Joux. It now houses the over 180 skills required to develop and produce the most prestigious timepieces in their entirety. Engaged in a tireless quest for excellence supported by a unique spirit of inven- tion, Jaeger-LeCoultre continues to perpetuate the tradition of Grande Complication models through a succession of extraordinary creations: the Atmos Mystérieuse (2003), Gyrotourbillon 1 (2004), Reverso grande complication à triptyque (2006), Master Com- pressor Extreme Lab 1 (2007), Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 (2008), Duomètre à Grande Sonnerie (2009), Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication (2010), Reverso Ré- pétition Minutes à Rideau (2011), and the Duomètre Sphérotourbillon (2012).

Through a steady stream of inventions and rediscoveries, refined techniques and artistic creations, Les Cristalleries de Saint-Louis has been producing glassware creations since 1586. Filigree glass, glass dyed in the mass, pressed (pattern) glass, handblown glass, hand-carved, engraved and decorated glass; opaline glass or double or triple-overlaid glass. Each model is crafted by master glassmakers and master glasscutters who are custodians of irreplaceable expertise: that which is required to tame an incomparably dense, limpid, sonorous and luminous material born of a ball of fire and of human breath. Les Cristalleries de Saint-Louis has been part of the Maison Hermès since 1989.

 

From 19th to 25th February 2013, Corum organized an exhibition at the heart of the Dubai Mall in collaboration with its partner, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, Corum’s prestigious distributor in Dubai.

To mark the opening, Corum ambassador and Lebanese singer, Elissa Khoury highlighted the evening alongside more than 200 guests and 80 journalists.

Mr. Abdul Hamied Seddiqi, Vice Chairman and Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, VP Sales & Retail - Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons

It is at the heart of the Dubai Mall, UAE biggest mall that Corum has decided to present a selection of exclusives timepieces coming directly from the Swiss manufacture. By partnering with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, the premier distributor of Swiss watch brands in the UAE for more than 60 years, Corum is expressing its desire to invest on the Dubai market.

This exhibition has thrown light on the Bridges collection, Corum’s major pillar with its in-line baguette movement and exclusive only to the brand for more than 30 years now. As an icon of Corum’s watch making know-how, the Golden Bridge gave birth to some of the most emblematic timepieces of Corum, from the highly sophisticated Ti-Bridge to the romantic Miss Golden Bridge. Exceptional by its design and its technical complications, the Bridges collection ensures the unique status of Corum within the Swiss watch industry.

Antonio Calce mentioned: “It is a big privilege to have the support of partners like Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons. We can completely rely on their expertise and elite positioning in the UAE and more specifically Dubai, which offer Corum a unique showcase in this market with a real knowledge of the watchmaking industry. Together with exceptional timepieces such as those from our Bridges collection, we will be able to ascend the brand to yet another higher level.”

Mr. Abdul Hamied Seddiqi, Vice Chairman Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons said: “Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons values the relationship with Corum which we have strengthened and it is an honor for us to host the Corum Exhibition at The Dubai Mall, which will highlight some of the brand’s key characteristics. This exhibition will reinforce the relationship between Corum and our clients by reintroducing the brands’ DNA. We believe that the UAE and specifically Dubai has created the ideal platform for luxury brands to reconnect with the demands and needs of the local and regional market.”

Since its creation, the models of Girard-Perregaux’s 1966 collection have had a timeless appeal. This year, the magic continues with the latestwatch featuringa date and a small seconddisplay at 9 o’clock. Behind its elegant simplicity lies a well thought-out aesthetic and a tried and tested mechanism.

Theinspiration is classic yet expressive of its belonging to the modern world. With its pure lines, its eleganceis revealed in the attention to detail. The meticulous and subtle finishing draws on all the specialist expertise of the brand’s watchmakers and craftsmen.

The aesthetic is softened by the case, curved dial and a slightly spherical sapphire glass. The pink gold 41mm-diametercase boasts a diamond-polished sloping bezel which enhances its finesse. The applied hourmarkers which hem the dial have faceted ends to mark the slope. Under the foliate hands, the small second adopts a diamond-cut lattice which gives it depth, while the date sits opposite it at 3 o’clock.

The Girard-Perregaux 1966 Small Secondand Date watch is available in two versions of the dial, one in silvered opaline and the other in cognacwith the sheen of a sun-brushed finish.

Girard-Perregaux 1966 Small Seconds and Date

 

Girard-Perregaux 1966 Small Seconds and Date

The Bird Repeater by Jaquet Droz

Born in 1721, Pierre Jaquet-Droz, the founder of the Workshop that was soon to bear his name, was above all a child of the Swiss Jura. In these valleys that are still today the cradle of Swiss watchmaking excellence, there is a sense of life in communion with the natural surroundings. The sound of birdsong accompanies the cycle of the seasons. And the songs of these creatures, a source of fascination during the Enlightenment for naturalist and fashionable aesthete alike, must have sounded sweetly to the young prodigy during his summers beside the waterfall of the Saut du Doubs.

Beautiful, free and fascinating, birds captivated the age, and from the beginning of his career, the young watchmaker was to make this trend his own. For while Pierre Jaquet-Droz made his mark as a virtuoso of horological engineering, he was also an audacious businessman as well as an aesthete, in tune with the tastes of his time. At a time when the Encyclopédie was being compiled, the sciences were winning their spurs and the foundations of the industrial revolution were taking shape, Pierre Jaquet-Droz was taking on a veritable challenge: imitating life. His automata – the Musician, the Writer, the Draughtsman, and others, now exhibited at the Neuchâtel museum of art and history – would go on to astonish the many crowned heads of the time.

The Bird Repeater by Jaquet Droz

But Nature is equally honored in this singular vision, where birds are particularly well represented. Like a scientist dissecting his subject of study to achieve perfect understanding of its secrets, Pierre Jaquet-Droz and his successors made a reputation with their series of long-case clocks. Very quickly abreast of the latest innovations in miniaturization, they soon began to create breathtaking singing watches. At first incorporated in real birdcages, these creations benefited from developments in miniature clock-making, and were soon transformed into pocket watches and table clocks of proportions as small as they were refined. True stars of their period, the “birds” at the famous farm of Sur le Pont at La Chaux-de-Fonds are treasures, not only of mechanics, but also of the decorative arts of the period. Enamels reproducing the finest nuances of plumage; gold, pearls, precious stones – nothing was too good for these exceptional timepieces, which won Jaquet-Droz the international renown that persists to this day.

THE BIRD REPEATER

For many years, whether on the canvas where the painter brings his work into being or the dial where the sculptor applies his relief decoration, the brand’s workshops have paid homage to birds and brought them to life.

Today, Jaquet Droz adds a new dimension to mankind’s age-old dream of flying and pushes back the boundaries of Haute Horlogerie with The Bird Repeater. This exceptional timepiece, conceived by the craftsmen of the House, blends the history, know-how and imaginative power of Jaquet Droz in a way as precious as it is original.

The Bird Repeater by Jaquet Droz

In a stunning visual show, The Bird Repeater represents two Blue Tits, symbolic of Pierre Jaquet-Droz’s native Jura region, together over the nest containing their fledglings. In another nod to the origins of the Manufacture, the Saut du Doubs waterfall also figures on the dial of this new horological treasure. Fully animated by a mechanism of unequalled complexity, this three-dimensional picture truly comes to life. While one of the birds bobs to give a beakful of food to its offspring, the wings of its companion spread to reveal their delicate shades of color. An egg in the middle of the nest opens to reveal a chick, while the water of the stream flows in a continuous cascade.

The Bird Repeater is an authentic automaton, with a cam system inherited directly from the century of Enlightenment, and it calls upon the resources of all the decorative crafts. Jaquet Droz engravers and painters have worked together to produce the yellow, blue, white and deep black of the birds’ plumage, the perfectly balanced volumes and the finely detailed wisps of grass forming the nest. To achieve the realism of this scene no less than eight different animation mechanisms act in synchronism: the movement of the birds’ heads and wings, the movement of the fledglings, the hatching of the egg, the sparkle of the flowing water.

The Bird Repeater by Jaquet Droz

True to the brand’s extremely exacting philosophy, Jaquet Droz has given The Bird Repeater one of haute horlogerie’s most virtuoso complications: Minute Repetition. Simply pressing the pushbutton makes the watch strike the hours, quarters and minutes and sets the wonderful animated sequences in motion. The resonance and mellow tone of its cathedral gong, generated by two turns around the mechanism, are equaled only by the complexity of the system of chimes incorporated in the gold case, 47 mm in diameter and only 18.4 mm thick.

The Bird Repeater, made up of 508 separate components, has a 48-hour power reserve, and is available in two versions, one in grey gold set with diamonds and the other in red gold, each one in a limited edition of just 8 pieces. The outcome of two years of development, this new, dazzling masterpiece is the latest illustration, and doubtless the most extreme example of the uniqueness of the Jaquet Droz spirit: giving life, like no other, to the poetry of Time.

The Bird Repeater is already on view today, but the Manufacture is in the process of completing a piece that will be the crowning glory of its historic link with the world of birds when it is presented at Baselworld 2013. At La Chaux-de-Fonds, like the song of the blue tits and the music of the Saut du Doubs waterfall, the enchantment of Time will not soon fade away.

Now the movie is on all screens in Asia and so the UR-202 AlTiN  !!!!!!

Jackie Chan and his Urwerk UR-202

Jackie Chan and his Urwerk UR-202

Sponsoring the “Costruttori di Armonie” exhibition, devised and created by the Cologni Foundation for the  Métiers d’Art, the Antonio Stradivari Foundation, and the Giuseppe Verdi Symphonic Orchestra and Symphonic Choir of Milan, is a true privilege for Vacheron Constantin. This highly significant partnership is the expression of the watchmaker’s passionate commitment to defending the Métiers d’Art, privileged witnesses of human genius.

For over 250 years, Vacheron Constantin has constantly availed itself of the best craftsmen, so as to provide the very best in terms of the finishing and decoration of the timepieces it produces. The Métiers d’Art have shaped the Watchmaker’s identity, which today exemplifies this age-old savoirfaire and promotes the dissemination thereof over time. There is also a desire to introduce the Métiers d’Art to as many people as possible. This is the aim of the historical and educational “Costruttori di Armonie” exhibition, which provided an unprecedented depth of field on the School of Cremona, an absolute point of reference for all lute players the world over.

Metin Arditi, Luigi Corbani, Juan Carlos Torres

The exhibition is also of particular interest in terms of the history of Vacheron Constantin. A history that begins in the 18thcentury and sees three generations of Vacheron before the association with François Constantin and his descendants. Then, the long journey  to Italy, where the Watchmaker’s timepieces achieve much acclaim from a circle of true watch connoisseurs, among whom are members of the aristocracy. It was indeed on his return from Italy that François Constantin coined what was to become the corporate motto: “Do better if possible, and that is always possible.”

Franco Cologni and Juan-Carlos Torres

Vacheron Constantin wanted to involve the Swiss Romande Orchestra, a main partner over the last five years, in this celebration of music and friendship. After the exhibition launch, the prestigious Swiss formation will perform works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Ottorino Respighi and Félix Mendelssohn, under the authoritative direction of Kazuki Yamanda, guest conductor of the orchestra. The internationally acclaimed solo violinist, Vadim Repin, will play his 1743 Bonjour by Guarneri del Gesù on this occasion. At the end of the exhibition, the Antonio Stradivari Foundation will present him with a violin of inestimable value, for a concert finale in which time will stand still.

Golden Bridge Tourbillon Panoramique

Featuring 360° visibility, as if suspended weightless at the center of the case by a sapphire mainplate and bridges, Manufacture Corum Caliber CO100 is the true star of the new Golden Bridge Tourbillon Panoramique. This finely openworked translucent movement is equipped with a cantilevered or “flying” tourbillon: freed from an upper bridge, it appears to be levitating above the movement.

The story goes that the farmer-watchmakers, who annually left their fields for the workbench when winter came, drew inspiration from the delicate perfection of snowflakes in creating toothed wheels and gears. With the Golden Bridge Tourbillon Panoramique, reality has never so closely mirrored legend. The delicately openworked parts of the new baguette-type movement from the Manufacture look as if they are governed exclusively by a will to put on a spectacular show. Floating in a revisited tonneau-shaped case and enhanced by a flying tourbillon that further accentuates the weightless effect, this hand- wound Caliber CO100 only fully reveals its secrets upon close inspection: the mainplate and bridges are in sapphire, forming a transparent hand-polished framework providing 360° vision, like a panoramic snow-covered landscape.

Golden Bridge Tourbillon Panoramique

Now an acknowledged style signature of the Corum brand and its Bridges collection, the baguette movement is a in itself a masterpiece of horological mastery. Beating at 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz) and endowed with a 90-hour power reserve, Caliber CO100 is equipped with a highly distinctive tourbillon. A majestic mechanism invented in 1801 to compensate for the disturbing effects of gravity on the regulating organ, it remains one of the most difficult Haute Horlogerie complications to produce. The beating heart of the watch – the balance-spring along with the lever and the lever-wheel – a subtle invention in its own right, is placed inside a carriage that spins on its axis.

Never one to shrink from a challenge, Corum has opted here for a so-called flying tourbillon, meaning with no upper fastening point. The entire device, adorned with a finely engraved Corum key, is held to the sapphire mainplate by its base alone. This results in a disconcertingly light and exquisitely balanced effect, as if a spinning top were twirling in slow motion, yet without ever tipping over.

An ethereal mechanism featuring certain gear trains equipped with “wolf’s teeth”, a sure token of tradition and quality, Caliber CO100 has one of the smallest time-setting systems on the market. The screws are directly secured to the various sapphire parts that are hand-polished – a particularly demanding task given the delicate nature of sapphire – to ensure a perfect fit. The movement is housed within a tonneau-shaped case typical of the Corum Bridges collection.

Golden Bridge Tourbillon Panoramique

Water-resistant to 30 meters, the new Golden Bridge Tourbillon Panoramique is interpreted in three variations naturally issued in limited editions: ten with an 18K red gold case; five with a baguette-set 18K red gold case; and five with an 18K red gold case set with round diamonds. Each version is delivered with two hand-sewn crocodile leather straps – one black, the other brown – secured by an 18K red gold triple folding clasp engraved with the Corum logo.

Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 XXL Chronograph MeasurinG short Periods of time is an art combining innovation and refinement

When Haute Horlogerie meets the decorative arts, time takes on another dimension. The sober lines of the new Vintage 1945 XXL Chronograph evoke the aesthetic heritage of the early twentieth century that Girard-Perregaux has so consistently espoused. At its heart, the GP03300 self-winding manufacture caliber happily measures short intervals of time with the precision you expect from the great.

In a vibrant tribute to Art Deco, the straight lines melt into curves and back again in perfect balance. Fashioned in pink gold or steel, the rectangular case places the Art Deco’s notion of geometry at the heart of its design. Its generous size is compensated by an ergonomically convex silhouette which makes it comfortable to wear. Alternately polished and satin-brushed, the subtle finish showcases the watch’s functions.

The two chronograph counters face each other and assert the piece’s symmetry. The blued steel hands match the central seconds hand, while the hours and minutes are measured by dauphine style hands. The applied Arabic numerals recall the refinement of classic watches, and the “railroad” minute track recalls the original Vintage 1945. The curved dial is an appropriate space for the measurement of time and a crowning touch for the style of the watch.

The sapphire case-back opens on to the cunning mechanism entirely designed, manufactured and assembled in-house by the Manufacture at La Chaux-de-Fonds. The caliber GP03300 reveals its Haute Horlogerie pedigree, hand finished as tradition demands, in between the sweeps of its gold oscillating weight. Evidently, elegance does not show its age. While the new Vintage 1945 XXL Chronograph is a resolutely modern watch, every aesthetic and technical detail points to the expertise of a brand that draws on a constantly renewed heritage going back over two centuries.

Since its founding in 1755, Vacheron Constantin has excelled in the field of precious ornamental techniques and cultivates passionate ties with the artistic crafts. The latter provide the Geneva-based watchmaking House with the opportunity to highlight its fundamental values – including of course its constant quest for excellence, as well as openness to the world expressed through unconditional support for both native and foreign forms of artistic expression.

Paper-cutting, at the crossroads of two cultures

China, a land with which Vacheron Constantin first began establishing a trust-based relationship from 1845 onwards, is famous for a number of discoveries including the invention of paper. It also initiated the art of paper-cutting or Jianzhi, a technique that appears on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, and is echoed in Scherenschnitt, the popular art of paper-cutting born in the Pays d’Enhaut region of Switzerland. Sculpted in paper according to the principles of Jianzhi, the animals of the Chinese zodiac provide a remarkable demonstration of the art of using full and empty spaces. A challenge that Vacheron Constantin has taken up and translated into the field of watchmaking thanks to the skill of its experienced artisans. Engravers and enamellers have worked in alternating pairs on the Year of the Snake, models crafted in pink gold or platinum and issued in two 12-piece limited series exclusively available through the brand’s own-name Boutiques.

A contemporary alliance of traditional artistic crafts for a magnificent dial

The leaf motif appearing on the dial and stemming from classic Chinese iconography, is etched directly in the metal. The pattern remains semi-embedded and stands out from its gold base by a subtle stage-setting of variously accentuated reliefs creating a depth effect. The raised leaves appear to be floating over the dial.

With the snake engraving, on which crafting the scales alone represents at least 30 hours of work, the artisan provides a tangible expression of the artistic vision behind this creation.

Then comes the stage of Grand Feu enamelling, a technique invented in Geneva and which remains the exclusive preserve of a rare breed of artisans. By applying the enamel in successive layers, the enamel specialist further enhances the visual intensity of the blue or bronze-toned dial. The necessity of maintaining tight control of the colour and the reactions to the firing process that takes place in a kiln at around 800 to 900°C, calls for a specific way of reasoning that takes years to acquire. A final layer of enamel is then applied before a final firing operation that vitrifies the dial and lends a shiny glazed effect that gives added definition to the floral motif.

The snake is delicately applied to the centre of the dial, poised as if ready to spring through the sapphire crystal and thus creating a truly striking effect

A calibre focusing on space with an original display

Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac collection owes its superb scope for expressing the artistic crafts to Calibre 2460 G4. In keeping with its longstanding tradition of offering a broad variety of original displays, Vacheron Constantin perpetuates the art of watchmaking by providing a hands-free display of time. It does so through four windows respectively revealing the hour, the minutes, the day and the date. The first two indications are of the dragging kind and the last two of the jumping type, and each appears through one of the four apertures arranged around the central dial motif. Beating at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour, the mechanical self-winding movement is equipped with a 22-carat gold oscillating weight adorned with a dynamic geometrical motif inspired by the shape of the Maltese Cross, the historical brand emblem. All its parts are treated to exceptionally sophisticated finishing that meets the criteria laid down by the Hallmark of Geneva – one of the highest tokens of horological craftsmanship created in 1886 and recognised around the world. On the occasion of the recent 125^th anniversary of the Hallmark, the 12 original criteria governing this distinction were updated. Having previously applied exclusively to the movement, the new Hallmark of Geneva criteria now certify the excellence of the watch as a whole.

The Year of the Snake model, part of the Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac collection,  is endowed with that unique touch of soul possessed by watches bearing the Hallmark of Geneva. With this exceptional collection, Vacheron Constantin intends to pursue its special ongoing dialogue with collectors and devotees of Fine Watchmaking.

Technical Data

References                               86073/000P-9752 – Platinum

86073/000R-9751 – Pink gold

Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac

Year of the Snake watch

Hallmark of Geneva

Caliber                                    2460 G4, developed and crafted by Vacheron Constantin

Energy                                    Mechanical, self-winding

Movement diameter                 31.00 mm (11’’’ ¼ )

Movement thickness                6.05 mm

Number of jewels                    27

Frequency                               4Hz (28,800 vibrations/hour)

Number of components           237

Indications                              Hours, minutes, day of the week and date

Power reserve                          Approximately 40 hours

Case                                        Platinum 950 / 18K 5N pink gold case, 40 mm diameter, 12.74 mm thick, Transparent sapphire crystal caseback

Water-Resistance                      Tested at a pressure of 3 bar (approximately 30 meters)

Dial                                          18K gold hand-engraved, coated with “Grand Feu” blue / bronze enamelling, Hand-engraved platinum 950 / 18K 5N gold snake

Strap                                       Dark blue / Brown Mississippiensis alligator, large square scales, hand stiched, saddle-finish

Clasp                                       Platinum 950 / 18k 5N pink gold folding clasp, Half Maltese cross

Limited edition of 12 pieces for each model

“2013” engraved at the back of each timepiece

Only available through the Vacheron Constantin Boutiques

Vacheron Constantin, the world’s oldest continuous watch manufacturer with more than 257 years  of uninterrupted history, celebrated the signing of a partnership agreement with the National History Museum, Chapultepec Castle,which  will work towards  safeguarding their watchmaking heritage, by hosting a Gala dinner on the night of October 3rd, 2012.

Master Salvador Rueda Smithers, Valeria Rochon and Julien Marchenoir

The ceremony was held at the stunning Chapultepec Castle and attended by 80 esteemed guests.  Among the guests were Master Salvador Rueda Smithers,  the Director of theNational History Museum,  Mr.  Julien Marchenoir,  Marketing Director of Vacheron Constantin who is in charge of the Patrimony of the brand, as well as other important government authorities, directors of regional brands, journalists, retailers and friends of the National Museum of History.

The representatives from both sides thanked guests for attending the event, and shared their enthusiasm about the joint project, which involves the diagnostic and restoration of the watch collection belonging to the Chapultepec Castle.  The high point of the night was the announcement of Mr. Marchenoir, where he confirmed that watch manufacturer would be donating a historical Vacheron Constantin piece to be added to the Chapultepec Castle’s collection.  This donation is a seal of a long-term commitment which will no doubt leave a legacy to future generations.

Guests were treated to the presentation of two Vacheron Constantin craftsmen, showcasing the  Métiers d’Art  arts of engraving and gemsetting. Timepieces from Vacheron Constantin’s Metiers d’Art, Patrimony and Malte collections were on display for guests to admire.

Guests enjoyed a  champagne  cocktail and gala dinner hosted by the Geneva-based manufacturer while listening to a wonderful quartet of violins by the prestigious Symphony Orchestra of Mexico City.

About The National History Museum, Chapultepec Castle

Chapultepec Castle (Castillo de Chapultepec in Spanish) is located on top of Chapultepec Hill, located in the middle of Chapultepec Park in Mexico City.  Built in 1775 by ViceroyBernardo de Gálvez, the name  Chapultepec stems from the  Náhuatl word  chapoltepēcwhich means “at the grasshopper’s hill”.  The site of the hill was a sacred place for Aztecs, and the buildings atop it have served several purposes during its history; including that of Military Academy, Imperial residence, Presidential home, observatory, and presently, the National History Museum.

About Vacheron Constantin

Established in 1755 in Geneva, Vacheron Constantin is the world’s oldest watch manufacture and has been making watches without any interruption for over 250 years. Founders of the true spirit of technical and precious Haute Horlogerie, the men and women of Vacheron Constantin continue to design, develop and manufacture exceptional timepieces that adhere to the brand’s three fundamental values: expert technique, inspired and harmonious aesthetics, and an extremely high level of finishing.

MEXICO D.F. – October 4, 2012 -

For more information please contact:Mrs. Jennifer LaraMarketing & Communications Manager Latin America & CaribbeanVacheron Constantinjennifer.lara@vacheron-constantin.comMr. Luis Alejandro López-SilvaPublic Relations Agency Manager PR4U  para Vacheron Constantin Méxicopr4u.agency@me.com

Greubel Forsey founders Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey will be at the Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair on September 6th, 2012 to present Art Piece 1, their first artistic co-creation that they are making with world-renowned micro-sculptor Willard Wigan. This work in progress will also be presented in Greubel Forsey’s Time Art GalleryGF at Bund 18 in Shanghai from September 7th to 9th.

After learning of Willard Wigan’s incredible nano-sculptures five years ago, Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey decided to ask the artist if he would be interested in collaborating with them on a long-term project. The fruits of this will take the form of a co-creation combining the respective universes of Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey and Willard Wigan, each one imbuing the creation with their own miniaturist language. The objective is to produce a unique piece previously unimaginable in the field of art.

For Art Piece 1, Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey will create a rotating hemispherical structure featuring several micro- sculptures, which will be easily observable through specially created optics. The ensemble will be a veritable tour de force in terms of innovation, architecture and technical complexity.

Art Piece 1 will be unveiled during the 2013 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in its advanced state.

Working with a scalpel and a microscope, Willard Wigan works with unusual materials, like spider web, legs of flies, gold and Kevlar. Working at this extreme nano level necessitates extreme concentration and requires a rigorous physical discipline. To create his art Wigan controls and slows his breath to enter into a kind of trance that allows him to sculpt between beats of his heart. Such is the beauty and wonder of Wigan’s work that in 2007, he was honoured by HM. Queen Elizabeth II with an MBE for his services to art.

Overseas Chronograph Perpetual Calendar

The year 2012 marks a new breakthrough in the consolidation of the Overseas collection, Vacheron Constantin’s sporting and technical line. The Overseas Chronograph Perpetual Calendar model with its 18- carat pink gold case unequivocally establishes itself as the major reference in the collection, featuring a masterful blend of chic elegance and technical Haute Horlogerie.

The alliance between a chronograph and a perpetual calendar – two of the complications most favoured by devotees of mechanical Haute Horlogerie – confirm this new model as an embodiment of the proud tradition of excellence inherent to Vacheron Constantin.

This Overseas Perpetual Calendar model, boasting all the signature features of this collection, radiates a sophisticated, refined and immediately recognisable character – starting with the flowing and powerful lines of its case, the bezel inspired by Vacheron Constantin’s Maltese Cross emblem, along with the hour- markers, crown, screw-lock pushers, as well as the caseback enhanced by a raised medallion depicting the famous three-mast Amerigo Vespucci ship.

Its 18-carat pink gold 42 mm-diameter case, like all men’s Overseas models, is guaranteed water-resistant to 15 bar (approximately 150 metres) and houses a soft iron cage protecting the mechanical movement from magnetic fields of up to 25,000 A/m. The association between the pink colour of the case and the subtle sandy shade of the dial lends a luxurious sporting touch to this model. Like the other timepieces in this collection, the hands and hour-markers are accented with white luminescent substance ensuring perfect readability even in the dark.

This exceptional model representing a compendium of technical Haute Horlogerie beats to the rhythm of Calibre 1136 QP and its 228 parts: a mechanical self-winding movement – just as one would expect from a sports watch – oscillating at the rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour and endowed with an approximately 40- hour power reserve. In addition to the hours, minutes and small seconds at 6 o’clock, Calibre 1136 QP powers the chronograph functions – sweep seconds-hand, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock and 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock – as well as those of the perpetual calendar – day of the week, date, 48-month counter with leap years as well as a moon-phase display.

The Overseas Chronograph Perpetual Calendar is delivered with two straps: one in vulcanised brown rubber and the other in brown alligator leather. A pink gold triple-blade, double-pusher folding clasp guarantees security and comfort for the wearer of this exceptional model. This timepiece is also delivered with a luxurious presentation case equipped with a rotating mechanism that enables the watch – when not worn – to be kept perpetually wound and thereby ensure that the perpetual calendar indications are properly adjusted.

Overseas Chronograph

The flagship model in this collection, the Overseas Chronograph is given a new expression this year with this steel variation enhanced by a deep blue dial. With its caseback distinguished by a raised motif depicting the historical Amerigo Vespucci sailboat, this Haute Horlogerie chronograph echoes all the distinctive codes and characteristics which, right from the time of its launch in 1996, have contributed to forging the strength of this technical and sporting line. Witness its famous bezel inspired by the Maltese Cross, its crown and its screw-lock pushers, its soft iron cage protecting the mechanical movement from magnetic fields of up to 25,000 A/m, as well as its case that is water-resistant to 15 bar (around 150 metres). Another distinctive feature is the particularly supple and comfortable steel bracelet – inseparable from any genuinely sporting watch – with its links shaped like a half Maltese Cross.

An object of fascination due to its complex mechanism – reflecting both the sporting spirit and precision timing performance – the new Overseas Chronograph model is distinguished by its deep blue dial with meticulous finishing, enhanced by luminescent hands and hour-markers guaranteeing perfect readability. The refined and elegant 42 mm-diameter cases houses Calibre 1137, a mechanical self-winding chronograph movement comprising 183 parts, endowed with a 40-hour power reserve and beating at the frequency of 21,600 vibrations/hour. In addition to the hours, minutes and small seconds at 6 o’clock along with the chronograph functions – sweep seconds-hand, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock and 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock – this Overseas Chronograph watch features a large date appearing through a twin aperture at 12 o’clock.

Clearly dedicated to both technical sophistication and aesthetic elegance, this new Overseas Chronograph model from Vacheron Constantin strengths the enviable stature acquired by the Geneva-based Manufacture in the field of Haute Horlogerie sports watches. It once again demonstrates that mechanical complexity can work wonders when it is combined with iconic design.

August 20, 2012 (New York, NY) – Vacheron Constantin, the world’s oldest watch manufacture with more than 250 years of uninterrupted history, announces the opening of its latest exclusive boutique in the luxurious Palazzo Hotel, Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Located among a terrace-styled row of boutiques, it exemplifies luxury and sophistication. This new opening marks the brand’s 30th boutique worldwide and the 2nd boutique in North America after the opening in New York City in September 2011.

The new boutique creates an intimate and welcoming space for watch enthusiasts and collectors, displaying its exquisite timepieces in refined showcases. The interior design incorporates contemporary elements into the traditional design through an architectural perspective that reveals the brand’s constant search for excellence and aesthetic perfection. The finishing has been created according to a detailed and elegant color scheme, emanating a warm and comfortable atmosphere dedicated to technical and precious Haute Horlogerie.

Known for its technical and aesthetic excellence and the high level of finishing of its timepieces, Vacheron Constantin displays a very sophisticated level of refinement as well as a strong attachment to its tradition, the transmission of know-how and the mastery of high quality craftsmanship.

“We are extremely pleased to announce the opening of the new boutique in Las Vegas,” said Hugues de Pins, president of Vacheron Constantin North America. “This opening is another milestone in the brand’s worldwide expansion and allows us to provide an experience that will enhance customer understanding of the brand and its longstanding history in Haute Horolgerie.”

The boutique will offer the entire range of collections from the Geneva-based Manufacture, as well as exclusive boutique models, testifying to the elegant and refined design, the technical excellence and aesthetic perfection which define the Vacheron Constantin ancestral tradition and unique know-how.

The perfect watch for hot, sunny days! Resolutely sporty and geared up for all manner of aquatic adventures, the new Admiral’s Cup Challenger 44 Chrono Rubber features a colorful vulcanized rubber case. This rugged yet flexible material earns its pedigree through a high-temperature, high-pressure injection procedure that modifies its structure to give it a matte look and a velvet-soft feel. Available in four colorful variations, this timepiece is equipped with an automatic chronograph movement chronometer-certified by the COSC.

Housed within a generous 44 mm-diameter case, the automatic CO 753 movement of the new Admiral’s Cup Challenger 44 Chrono Rubber powers the hours, minutes, small seconds, date and chronograph functions. It is endowed with a 48-hour power reserve and its finishing along with oscillating weight may be admired through an exhibition caseback.

The first version, a chocolate-tone 50-piece limited edition, harmoniously combines vulcanized rubber with the red gold of the crown, pushers and bezel. The oscillating weight, the hands, the applied CORUM logo on the dial as well as the hour-markers are all red gold- plated. The two other 70-piece variations in grey and green respectively feature a black dial, enlivened by hands and hour-markers coated with white Superluminova for the former and green for the latter. The crown and pushers are in black PVD-treated grade 5 titanium. Finally, the last version teaming an orange strap with a black bezel and dial will be available in a 120-piece limited series. The oscillating weight springs a surprise by reflecting the strap color for the orange and green versions, and appearing clad in black PVD for the grey model.

Water-resistant to 100 meters, the Admiral’s Cup Challenger 44 Chrono Rubber comes with a vulcanized rubber strap fitted with a red gold pin buckle for the chocolate-tone version and a triple folding clasp for the other versions.

The Admiral’s Cup collection

The Admiral’s Cup model by Corum was launched in 1960. For over 50 years, this immediately recognizable icon – with its twelve-sided bezel and its nautical pennants around the outer bezel ring – has constantly lived in step with its time, perpetually displaying an eternally youthful radiance. Emblematic not of an era bur rather of a history, the Admiral’s Cup collection encompasses three distinct worlds: the Legend line, combining an elegant design with classic functions; the sporty and distinguished Challenger line suited to all occasions; and finally, the sturdy and sophisticated Seafender clearly intended for adventurers.