Technical Archives - Revolution Watch

In the Making: Part 2 – Sartory Billard SB08 Jump Hour and Minutes with Tourbillon

Cheryl Chia — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 11:00:25 +0000

In the Making: Part 2 – Sartory Billard SB08 Jump Hour and Minutes with Tourbillon

In the second instalment of this series, we delve into the ongoing design phase, shedding light on the progress made and hurdles confronted in refining the complex movement of the Sartory Billard SB08 Jump Hour and Minutes with Tourbillon.

Technical

By Cheryl Chia

Feb 2, 2024

Having begun on a journey to create a highly complex jump hour and minutes tourbillon watch a year ago, Sartory Billard is currently in the advanced stages of the design process, where both the dial and movement are almost finalised.

To recap in brief, after designing an array of remarkably successful, fully customisable time-only watches, namely the automatic SB04, the hand-wound SB05, and the SB07 sports watch, Armand Billard decided it was time to venture into the realm of complications. At the tail end of last year, the brand unveiled its first tourbillon watch – the SB06 Flying Tourbillon, which was a project that stemmed from a request by Cronotempvs, a private collector’s club in Spain. For the SB08, Armand decided on a digital hours and minutes complication, a choice intended to liberate a considerable expanse of the dial for personalized customization.

Watches with jumping displays, as it is, present significant challenges for watchmakers as discs are much heavier than conventional hands, which not only affects power reserve but also leads to a drop in amplitude, particularly when all three discs advance simultaneously at the top of each hour. However, the SB08 is also a tourbillon, which makes things far more complicated in terms of power management. In fact, this is the first-ever tourbillon watch with a both jumping hour and minutes. To do this, Armand enlisted the help of movement developer Mathieu Cleguer.

In Part 1 of the series we ran, Mathieu had designed the movement with the crown wheel positioned at 12 o’clock, driving two parallel mainspring barrels. The gear train powers a remontoir that releases energy to power the jump of at least one disc each minute as well as drive the rotation of the tourbillon. The minutes unit disc is mounted directly on the pivot of the remontoir wheel, sequentially triggering the jump of the minutes tens and hour discs through a system of Maltese crosses.

Since then, the entire construction has evolved substantially, with notable refinements and developments, particularly in the areas of hand-setting and bridge design.

Fundamental changes in construction

Originally, the jumping display, which consists of Maltese crosses and three discs, was intended to be located on the dial side of the base plate. But for ease of assembly and adjustment, Mathieu decided to separate the chronometry part of the movement from the jumping display. As such, the jumping display is assembled on a separate plate beneath the dial and is connected to the base plate via a pinion that drives the minutes units disc directly.

Initially, the crown was intended to be positioned at 12 o’clock for symmetry. However, the team later opted to relocate the crown to the traditional three o’clock position. This was driven by a desire to infuse a sense of classicism into what will be a largely contemporary design, as well as to ensure ergonomic winding. Additionally, this also ensures the winding stem will be closer to the minutes units disc (more on that later).

However, the process of moving the crown to three proved to be far easier said than done and it took numerous revisions to arrive at the final design. Initially, Mathieu decided to essentially rotate the movement by 90° such that the barrels now occupy the left half of the movement. At the same time, he had to make adjustments to the layout of gear train to visually optimise the available space that is now present at the bottom right quadrant of the movement. In the initial design (1A), he brought the tourbillon inward from the edge and added two co-axial, intermediate wheels before the remontoir wheel to occupy the empty space at the bottom right quadrant.

Figure 1A. The first design to relocate the crown to the three o'clock position

He also reconfigured the remontoir anchor and fork to reside further inside the movement, rather than at the edge. However, in this design, the co-axial wheels overlap the barrel and limits the height of the remontoir mechanism on the next axis. This was addressed in the next two designs (1B & 1C) in which he centralised the second and third wheels in the going train.

Figure 1B. In the second design, the second wheel is shifted toward the center to minimize overlapping and is driven by the barrels via pinions

Figure 1C. The third design, where the barrels are mounted lid up, with the ratchet and crown wheels located on the dial side. The three wheels located on the left quadrant form part of the time-setting train in order to reach the minutes disc

However, a more significant challenge arose when designing the time-setting mechanism. In a watch with conventional hands, time can be adjusted when the sliding pinion comes into contact with the minute wheel in the motion works via an intermediate wheel. However, in this case, the intermediate wheel has to be connected to the pinion of the minute units disc, which is too far away. A long and convoluted train of wheels had to be introduced to traverse the distance.

Additionally, during time-setting, the remontoir has to be isolated to ensure precise adjustment. Consequently, the minutes units disc can no longer be affixed to the pivot of the remontoir wheel. At the same time, Armand and Mathieu both felt that vertical symmetry is visually more compelling than horizonal, and they returned to where they started.

In the final design, the barrels are located at the top of the movement. They are mounted lid up from the bridge side with the ratchet wheels located beneath. As such, the crown wheel is also located on the dial side of the movement.

The final design

Dial side view of the movement with the base plate removed

As before, the remontoir is located on the fourth wheel (third wheel in the gear train). The outer curve of the remontoir spring is pinned to a stud and fastened to a mobile stud holder on the ratchet stop wheel. The stud holder can be moved sideways to adjust the stiffness of the spring. The spring is wound by the gear train but is released only every minute by the advancement of the ratchet stop wheel.

The one-minute remontoir mechanism

The stop wheel is unlocked by a pallet jewel on an anchor, which is connected to a fork. The motion of the fork is in turn governed by a Reuleaux triangle located on the fifth wheel. Thus, at every 60° turn of the Reuleaux triangle, the anchor unlocks one teeth of the stop wheel, releasing energy to the rest of the gear train until the second jewel pallet prevents the stop wheel from advancing further, thereby tensioning the remontoir spring once again. Beneath the fourth wheel on the same axis are two pinions – one pinion is fixed to the staff of the ratchet stop wheel while the second pinion is rotatably mounted.

Pinion of the remontoir wheel above and the pinion that drives the minutes units disc below

The most formidable challenge, aside from the intricacies of the complication itself, lay in the design of the keyless works. Due to the unconventional display that is powered by the remontoir, designing the keyless works, particularly the time-setting mechanism, proved to be far from intuitive. The team decided that the hours and minutes will be set in the first position and winding the mainspring barrels is achieved with the crown in the neutral position.

Mathieu arrived at an ingenious design that isolates the remontoir during time-setting. The time-setting mechanism has a rocker that carries a set of intermediate pinions — two on one end and a pair of superimposed pinions on the other. During the standard operation of the watch when the crown is in the neutral position, the superimposed pinions, which are fixed to a staff by a pin, meshes with the two pinions beneath the remontoir wheel, synchronising them to drive the pinion of the minutes disc.

But when the crown is pulled out to the second position to set the time, the rocker pivots and the superimposed pinions disengages from the pinions on the remontoir staff to allow them to rotate independently. At the same time, the other two pinions on the free end of the rocker is positioned to be driven by a third pinion, which is in turn driven through a series of gears by the intermediate winding wheel. The outer pinion drives the bottommost pinion on the remontoir staff, which in turn drives the pinion of the minutes unit disc, effectively isolating the remontoir.

The jumping time display itself has also been refined. The pinion of the minutes units disc is driven by the pinion of the remontoir wheel, enabling it to leap forward at the top of each minute. Every 10 minutes, the finger on the disc advances a six-branch Maltese cross that is attached to a 60-minute intermediate wheel. It drives a smaller intermediate wheel at a 2:1 ratio, and affixed to this wheel is a cam bearing three equidistant raised hooks, functioning as fingers to incrementally advance the minutes tens disc. The minutes tens disc has been designed with 12 branches, which is necessary for controlled intermittent motion.

The time display mechanism with the hour disc removed.

As the Maltese cross completes a full rotation in an hour, a finger piece advances a 12-branch Maltese cross, to which the hour disc is affixed. The hour Maltese cross now features a skeletonised design to reduce inertia.

Bridge design and finishing

The bridge layout has undergone a complete overhaul, resulting in a significantly more striking and exuberant movement. The new design is intended to showcase a variety of finishing techniques and to make as much of the components visible as possible. The base plate will be finished with frosting while its recesses will be decorated with perlage. The barrels are supported by a bat-shaped bridge, which is accentuated by a raised border that is straight-grained on its top surface and polished, bevelled on its outer edges. Its recesses, on the other hand, are frosted. It features large jewels that sit in deep, polished countersinks.

The bridge layout was designed to show off as much of the wheel train and the other components as possible as well as a variety of finishing techniques

The second wheel is supported by a V-shaped sapphire bridge while the entire remontoir mechanism is left exposed beneath a larger sapphire bridge. Additionally, this larger bridge has an aperture, providing a clear view of the Reuleaux triangle in action. Notably, all the exposed wheels in the gear train, along with the remontoir stop wheel will have polished and bevelled spokes with sharp internal angles. Lastly, supporting the intermediate wheel and pinions in the keyless works on the left is a black-polished bridge of an intricate shape, which lends itself to a total of nine sharp internal angles.

This example features monochromatic wheels and bridges contrasted against a striking purple base plate

Dial design

Right from the outset, the movement was designed for the aperture of the jumping display to be positioned at six o’clock on the dial, which leaves the rest of the dial free to be embellished. Armand, however, decided to design another version of the dial for those seeking a touch of French flair. It features a cut-out that resembles the shape of a keyhole, providing a peek into the inner workings of the display mechanism. It enables a clearer view of the jumping action of the hour disc as the central hub is exposed. Additionally, the skeletonised Maltese cross behind the hour hub can also be seen engaging with a finger piece on the right.

The smoked sapphire aperture reveals the central hub of the hour disc. Behind it lies the skeletonized Maltese cross, which is advanced by a finger piece on the right.

This design is particularly well-suited for guilloché and stone dials. This example features a lapis lazuli dial, complemented by a blue sapphire aperture

A nuanced yet impactful element that truly elevated the design of the dial was the addition of an elliptical metal border. It subtly draws emphasis to the digital display, contributing to a more refined appearance overall.

The solid dial version is the perfect canvas for pictorial decoration such as miniature painting and engraving

An example with a lab-grown osmium dial under a domed sapphire crystal

Armand and his team are progressing to the next phase of development, where they will consult with movement makers and specialists. Once again, they remain open to feedback and new perspectives along the way. For enquiries about the subscription series, please reach out to Sartory Billard through their official website.

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Movement	Manual winding Sellita caliber AMT5100, with rose gold plating and custom bridge for Furlan Marri; 58-hour power reserve; heated blued steel screws
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The post In the Making: Part 2 – Sartory Billard SB08 Jump Hour and Minutes with Tourbillon appeared first on Revolution Watch.

The 25 year journey to Grand Seiko’s Tentagraph

Cheryl Chia — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 09:00:09 +0000

The 25 year journey to Grand Seiko’s Tentagraph

A guide to Grand Seiko’s 9S family of movements, culminating in the latest 9SC5 in the Tentagraph, the brand’s first-ever mechanical chronograph.

Feature

By Cheryl Chia

Jan 25, 2024

Grand Seiko’s well-earned reputation for technical quality, innovation and foresight precedes it. In the past three years alone, it has built the wonderfully impressive Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon (SLGT001), featuring a tourbillon and a co-axially integrated remontoir, as well as developed an impressive high performance movement, the 9SA5, bringing to market a brand-new escapement — a feat as rare in watchmaking as finding a four-leaf clover in a concrete jungle. Last year, the brand introduced the Tentagraph, its first mechanical chronograph that benefits from the exceptional foundation of the 9SA5.

Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon (SLGT001)

Grand Seiko Tentagraph Ref. SLGC001

As the high-end expression of one of the world’s greatest watch companies, Grand Seiko embodies a philosophy rooted in crafting timepieces of impeccable quality that seamlessly blend traditional craftsmanship and cutting- edge technology. Above all, these watches stand as paragons of reliability and precision — a reflection of the Japanese industrial tradition’s relentless pursuit of refining every aspect of an object to a state of transcendent perfection.

Since Grand Seiko expanded beyond its domestic market in 2010, there has been a growing recognition that Grand Seiko watches, as evident in the quality of their cases, dials, hands and movements, give up nothing to their Swiss counterparts.

Historically, the brand was the preserve of mechanical watches produced in small numbers, but today it represents the pinnacle of three distinct branches of technical accomplishment. The first is the 9F ultra high accuracy, thermo-compensated quartz movements introduced in 1993, followed by the 9R Spring Drive movement with automatic winding, unveiled in 2004 — both produced by Seiko Epson, formerly Suwa Seikōsha. The third is the 9S mechanical movement by Seiko Instruments, formerly Daini Seikōsha, engineered to rival the very best of Swiss watchmaking. While all three groups of movements exemplify a level of finesse and care in construction that is worthy of equal admiration, our attention today will be directed toward the 9S family of movements as they celebrate their 25th anniversary this year.

A new beginning: The 9S55 and 9S65

In 1998, the introduction of the caliber 9S at the Shizukuishi Watch Studio in Iwate prefecture represented Grand Seiko’s first mechanical movement since 1976, marking the rebirth of mechanical watchmaking at the brand. It was also that year where Grand Seiko updated the now famous “Grand Seiko Standard” of a mean daily rate of between -3/+5 seconds, initially established in 1966. All 9S calibers today undergo an extensive 17-day testing process, evaluated in six positions — surpassing the standard set by the dominant industry testing body, the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC), which is a 15-day examination and in five positions. Likewise, temperature assessments are more demanding, requiring movements to achieve superior accuracy levels of ±0.5 seconds per day per degree Celsius within specific temperature ranges (between 8°C and 23°C, and between 23°C and 38°C), compared to the COSC’s ±0.6 seconds per day per degree Celsius standard.

Right from the outset, the 9S family of movements were intended to compete in terms of performance and finishing with the best mass-produced automatic movements on the market, such as those of Rolex and Patek Philippe. It was the first movement family to benefit from Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) technology. CAD software allowed engineers and designers to create detailed virtual models of movements and gear profiles, while CAM software assisted in turning those designs into physical prototypes or finished parts by controlling machining tools and processes. These systems helped optimize the product development cycle, improving precision, efficiency, and accuracy in manufacturing while making genuine improvements from previous movement designs.

The first generation of 9S5X calibers launched in 1998 was designed to provide a beat rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour while delivering an extended power reserve of 50 hours, surpassing the standard 45 to 48 hours found in a majority of movements on the market at that time. It differed on a fundamental level from the 5600 and 5200 family of calibers, which powered the Lord Matic, King Seiko and Grand Seiko watches until 1976, as it was designed with a directly driven central seconds, with the fourth wheel located in the center of the movement — an indication that it was built from the ground up as a modern caliber. It was also equipped with automatic bi-directional winding via Seiko’s patented Magic Lever system which boasts a simplicity in design that contributes to its overall robustness.

The 9S caliber was initially introduced in two versions: the time-only 9S51 and the 9S55 with date. A manual winding version, the 9S54, was introduced in 2001 followed by a GMT version, the 9S56, in 2002. In 2010, Grand Seiko made significant improvements to the caliber, notably increasing its power reserve to 72 hours, resulting in the 9S65. The fundamental gear train arrangement remains identical to its predecessor, with a directly driven central seconds. However, the escape wheel and pallet fork are fabricated using the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) process known as LIGA, the German acronym for Lithographie, Galvanoformung, Abformung (“lithography, electroplating, molding”), an additive microelectromechanical technique that allows for extreme precision and intricate shapes. The resulting escapement is made up of parts skeletonized to minimize inertia.

Grand Seiko SBGR001 with calibre 9S55 (Image: eBay)

Caliber 9S65

The significance of the escape wheel’s inertia lies in its positioning at the end of the gear train. It is therefore the fastest wheel in the movement and also the one with the least torque, being the furthest away from the mainspring. Its inertia is multiplied by the number of turns it has to make for every revolution of the fourth wheel. Thus, despite its typically lightweight and small size, the escape wheel’s inertia exerts the most influence among all the wheels in the going train. As such, reducing its inertia plays a huge role in extending its power reserve to 72 hours. In addition, both the mainspring and hairspring utilize an advanced series of Spron alloys — the Spron 610, composed of iron, nickel, chromium, cobalt, niobium and titanium. It exhibits increased strength and hardness, along with an exceptional resistance to magnetism, corrosion and temperature fluctuations, essentially sharing similar properties to silicon without the brittleness. Its high elasticity also ensures it does not deform easily and therefore maintains its mechanical properties and performance over extended use.

The 610 Spron mainspring offers greater strength and resistance to magnetism, temperature fluctuations and corrosion

While its predecessor used Seiko’s Magic Lever mechanism, the caliber 9S65 employs a reverser gear train, which has less play or backlash. Pawls and ratchet wheel, compared to precisely meshed gear teeth in regular gears, could contribute to minor energy losses through increased friction or less direct power transfer. Reversers sit on posts so the alignment of teeth between each reverser wheel is fixed and better engaged. Additionally, the reverser mechanism is made up of hardened components to increase its strength, durability and resistance to wear.

Grand Seiko has since filled out an entire family of movements around the 9S65, which includes the automatic 9S66 GMT version, the manual winding 9S64 as well as the manual winding 9S63 with indirectly driven small seconds.

Caliber 9S64

In pursuit of precision: The 9S85

During the Swiss timing trials of the 1960s, Suwa Seikōsha and Daini Seikōsha learned that higher frequency movements were unquestionably superior in maintaining a stable rate. After Seiko’s sweeping victories led to the termination of observatory competitions in 1968, both began introducing Grand Seiko watches with a vibration period of one tenth of a second, that is 36,000 vibrations per hour, which is a useful improvement in daily rate stability, particularly for a wristwatch.

In 2009, Grand Seiko reintroduced high frequency mechanical movements in the form of the 9S85. Compared to the first generation 9S5X series, the Hi-Beat caliber 9S85 not only raised its beat rate to 36,000vph, but notably also extended its power reserve to 55 hours. This was achieved by increasing the diameter of the movement from 25.6mm to 28.4mm, enabling it to accommodate a larger mainspring barrel. Additionally, like the 9S65, the springs at the extreme ends of the wheel train utilize the Spron 610 alloy, which is highly resistant to breakage, strain-induced fatigue and temperature fluctuations. It is nonmagnetic and due to its strength and hardness, offers an even power delivery throughout the course of its power reserve.

An example of classic Grand Seiko watchmaking, the Hi-Beat Calibre 9S85 is a strong and precise movement, designed for longevity

Fundamentally, an increase in frequency, and therefore the angular velocity of the balance, results in an oscillator that is less susceptible to external disturbances. However, a high speed escapement demands greater energy and results in greater friction and wear on the components, essentially causing lubricants to run out faster, which would necessitate more frequent servicing. To mitigate this, both the escape wheel and pallet fork are fabricated using LIGA. The resulting escapement consists of lightweight, corrosion resistant, and nonmagnetic skeletonized components made from nickel-phosphorus. The new escape wheel design also features oil reservoirs at the tip of each gear tooth to improve oil retention. Furthermore, to minimize friction on the pivots in the gear train, an additional wheel was introduced between the fourth wheel and escape wheel to distribute the load. The 9S85 also employs a standard modern reserver system instead of the Magic Lever mechanism to improve transmission efficiency and reduce energy loss.

The nickel-phosphorus escapement produced via LIGA is made up of skeletonised parts to reduce inertia while also having recesses in the escape wheel teeth for oil retention

A triumph in performance: The 9SA5

In 2020, Grand Seiko unleashed a horological tour de force with the debut of the Hi-Beat 9SA5 movement equipped with a brand-new escapement. In keeping with Grand Seiko’s generally unassuming approach to product names, it is simply called the Dual Impulse escapement.

The Caliber 9SA5, a triumph both aesthetically and mechanically

In watchmaking today, almost all wristwatch escapements, excluding the detent escapement, fall under the category of dual impulse escapements which refers to their ability to deliver two impulses to the balance wheel at each cycle — one at each vibration. This characteristic is pivotal in the development of a modern and practical escapement capable of withstanding external perturbations effectively in a wristwatch.

However, the main difference between each of these dual impulse escapements lies in the way power is delivered to the balance wheel. The main purpose of an escapement is to regulate the discharge of energy by the mainspring, resulting in the turning of the hands, as well as to transmit energy to the balance wheel. In turn, the escape wheel is released and therefore controlled by the oscillation of the balance wheel, which sets a standard for accuracy. The lever escapement has enjoyed an unparalleled dominance in watchmaking since it was invented around 1755 by Englishman Thomas Mudge. It is particularly suited for wristwatches due to its ability to provide two impulses per cycle and self-start, along with its solidity and high degree of detachment, meaning, unlike earlier escapements such as the verge or cylinder escapement, the escape wheel locks free of the balance after delivering energy through the impulse jewel, leaving the balance free during all of its supplementary arc of travel.

However, despite its excellent performance in the short term, its primary flaw that plagued the most genius minds in the annals of horology is its need for lubrication. Both impulses are transmitted indirectly via a lever, which is in turn propelled by the force of the escape wheel teeth contacting the pallet jewels of the lever. The pallet jewels momentarily stop the escape wheel’s rotation and then release it, imparting energy to the balance wheel through the pallet fork. The sliding interaction between the pallet jewels and the escape wheel teeth is essential for controlling the release of energy and regulating the movement of the gear train. However, this sliding action generates friction between these components, making the surfaces vulnerable to wear and tear, rendering lubrication crucial. The inevitable deterioration of an applied lubricant, in turn, has adverse effects on accuracy.

As such, the detent escapement, also known as the chronometer escapement, remained preferred for specialized applications like marine chronometers due to their oil-free operation and direct impulse, offering exceptional accuracy in stationary or controlled environments. However, the primary setback preventing the use of detent escapements in wristwatches is that, unlike the lever escapement, impulse is provided in a single direction — once per oscillation. This design trait renders the detent escapement non-self-starting. In the event the balance is stopped — whether inadvertently or deliberately — the detent escapement cannot resume without assistance, requiring gentle shaking to restart the balance’s oscillation. Furthermore, the delicate detent that locks the escape wheel is prone to disruption by shocks, potentially causing premature unlocking of the escape wheel.

The Dual Impulse Escapement

Hence, many alternative escapements in the market today serve to combine the direct impulse delivery of the detent escapement and the robustness and self-starting ability of the lever escapement. But to dethrone the lever escapement, the design of the new escapement ultimately requires a level of maturity and adaptability to industrial production on top of offering the additional advantage of the elimination or reduction of oil, making such an endeavor an uphill battle that, when conquered, earns its spot in the horological hall of fame.

The only alternative escapement that has been successfully realized on an industrial scale is the Co-Axial escapement invented by George Daniels in 1976, more than two centuries after the invention of the lever escapement. The Co-Axial met all the criteria of a modern, practical escapement. It delivers two impulses to the balance at each cycle, is self-starting and free from the need for lubrication. However, its drawback lies in its somewhat delicate construction, necessitating a pair of co-axially mounted escape wheels which increases inertia and demands care in adjustment to ensure concentricity.

Grand Seiko’s Dual Impulse escapement shares similar qualities to both the Swiss lever as well as the Co-Axial. Like both escapements, the Dual Impulse escapement provides two impulses per cycle — one at each vibration — making it resistant to shocks. But while the lever escapement provides two impulses indirectly via a lever, both the Co-Axial and the Dual Impulse escapement adopts a mixed impulse system: one impulse is given directly to the balance wheel, while the other is delivered indirectly through a lever. This setup therefore suggests that the quality of both impulses might potentially vary, although this is more abstract than a real-life problem.

In this regard, it is impossible to overlook the independent double-wheel escapement, developed by George Daniels as a solution to the natural escapement that eluded Breguet. It is theoretically superior as two escape wheels impulse the balance in opposite directions directly at each cycle, making its power delivery extremely efficient. However, the basic principles of this system, where each escape wheel necessitates its own gear train, proved limiting to the design of the movement as a whole, and the complexity of its construction makes it impossible to industrialize.

While the Co-Axial and Dual Impulse escapements share a fundamental similarity in that one impulse is given directly, their distinction lies in the method of indirect delivery. The Co-Axial employs radial impulse and therefore does not require lubrication. Conversely, the Dual Impulse escapement utilizes a familiar sliding action to deliver impulse to the lever. This reintroduces the need for lubrication, albeit minimal — half that of the Swiss lever. In other words, it offers far greater efficiency compared to the Swiss lever, while being simpler and less finicky than the Co-Axial, requiring just one escape wheel.

Crucially, the Dual Impulse escapement was also designed to operate with low inertia. The pallet fork and lever are produced using LIGA, allowing components to be fabricated with extreme precision, resulting in its intricate, skeletonized geometries that are lighter to ensure quicker acceleration of parts, which is more crucial in a high-beat movement.

The performance gains in the low-inertia, low-friction Dual Impulse escapement translate to a longer power reserve as well as a high beat rate of 36,000vph in the caliber 9SA5 — properties that vary inversely and are rarely found in the same movement. The oscillator also represents several firsts for Grand Seiko — the balance wheel is free sprung, secured on both ends by a balance bridge for greater stability, and is attached to an overcoil hairspring with a proprietary curve developed through over 80,000 computer simulations.

The rest of the movement was designed with a great sense of purpose and logic. Overall, it is slightly wider than the 9S85 to accommodate a pair of serially coupled barrels while being 15 percent slimmer at just 5.18mm high. This is achieved with thinner mainsprings. With a highly efficient escapement, the strength of the mainspring can be reduced to lessen the load and wear on the pivots and wheels, thereby extending service intervals and reducing running costs for the wearer. Additionally, the serially coupled barrels are directly geared to each other as opposed to being connected via an additional wheel, further reducing inertia.

It also features an unusual horizontal gear train arrangement. The gear train consists of five wheels instead of three as the escape wheel has fewer teeth. As such, it is the fifth wheel that drives the centrals seconds directly. Rather than increasing the number of teeth on the escape wheel to achieve a higher beat, two additional wheels were added to distribute the load across more wheels, mitigating wear on the pivots and wheels. Typically, in a movement with serially coupled barrels, the second wheel, which drives the minutes, is located in the middle, overlapping the barrel. But to reduce the height of the movement, the barrel drives a second wheel located on the right of the movement when viewed from the caseback. It is solid rather than spoked for rigidity as it has the greatest load to bear. Beyond that, the design of the movement is as visually attractive as it is remarkably efficient, with a total of four beautifully shaped bridges as well as a skeletonized rotor, allowing the components to be admired. It is also equipped with an instantaneous date-changing mechanism, which switches over in under a second at midnight. All told, the 9SA5 is one of the most sophisticated and impressive automatic movements on the market, offering the exceptionally rare combination of a lengthy power reserve and a high frequency.

Horizontal gear train

The first mechanical chronograph movement: The 9SC5

To the delight of many Grand Seiko devotees this year, the brand introduced its first-ever mechanical chronograph, the Tentagraph (SLGC001). While Grand Seiko has produced chronographs in the past, they were all equipped with Spring Drive movements, demonstrating its penchant for high accuracy chronographs. Given that activating the chronograph would lead to a decrease in balance amplitude, the high performance 9SA5 was perhaps the only worthy base movement in the eyes of Grand Seiko.

Grand Seiko Tentagraph Ref. SLGC001

In the Tentagraph’s 9SC5 movement, the chronograph was built on the superb 9SA5, thereby making it an automatic high frequency chronograph. This means that the 9SC5 movement has a modular construction, where the chronograph plate is located between the calendar plate and the mainplate. While modular chronographs are frequently discussed with less enthusiasm than integrated ones, it is worth keeping in mind that they are often a result of the successful development of a top-tier base movement, which certainly holds true in this instance.

The construction of the chronograph module relies on several tried-and-true approaches characteristic of Grand Seiko’s chronographs. It is governed by a column wheel and relies on a vertical coupling system. It bears remembering that while the El Primero took the lion’s share of attention in the three-way contest to build the world’s first automatic chronograph in 1969, the Seiko 6139 Speedtimer by Suwa Seikōsha was the first column-wheel automatic chronograph to incorporate a vertical clutch. It is arguably the most influential among movement builders despite it being the least known of the three among the general public.

The chronograph module employs a column wheel and a vertical clutch (located next to the chronograph seconds wheel)

The vertical clutch in the 9SC5 comprising of two co- axial intermediate wheels is located slightly off the central axis of the movement. One intermediate wheel is constantly driven by a central extension wheel from the fourth wheel. When the chronograph is activated, two coupling levers releases the clutch, which drives the chronograph seconds wheel, enabling it to rotate together with the extension wheel. Among the other hallmark approaches is the use of a single, integrated three-point reset hammer that zeros all three counters — the chronograph seconds, minutes and hours — at once.

In contrast to the 80-hour power reserve of the 9SA5, the 9SC5 has a power reserve of 72 hours with the chronograph disengaged. This difference arises from the need for an auxiliary train to transfer the central seconds output from the base movement to the running seconds counter positioned at three o’clock. With that said, 72 hours puts it on par with some of the top automatic chronographs on the market while making it the lengthiest among high frequency chronographs. Undoubtedly, this can be attributed to the incredibly efficient Dual Impulse escapement as well as the use of double barrels.

Cased up, the Tentagraph measures 43.2mm wide and 15.3mm high due to the nature of its construction. While it is definitely a large, eye-catching timepiece, it wears comfortably as the case and bracelet are made from the brand’s proprietary high intensity titanium, which is said to be 30 percent lighter and more scratch resistant than stainless steel. The case design incorporates multiple intersecting planes, alternating between satin-brushing and the renowned Zaratsu polish. The tachymeter bezel, on the other hand, is made of ceramic, making it scratch resistant.

The titanium case has multiple facets, alternating between satin-brushing and the renowned Zaratsu polish

The impressive dimensions are further enhanced by the striking dial architecture. It features wide, grooved and faceted indexes, offering outstanding legibility, along with dramatic dauphine hands, with a pronounced tapering towards the tips. Both are filled with Seiko’s proprietary LumiBrite, a phosphorescent compound that boasts a brighter and longer lasting glow compared to Super- LumiNova, the standard luminous paint used on most watch dials. The subdials for the counters are deeply recessed and are actually separate inserts, further adding depth to the dial, while their respective hands feature a polished bevel on their hubs. The beautiful dial texture was inspired by the ridges of Mount Iwate, which is visible from the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, while the rich shade of blue is inspired by the night sky.

The utterly luxurious, elaborately crafted dial with inlaid sub-dials, faceted and grooved indexes, and a distinctive handset

Ultimately, the Tentagraph is a continuum of what Grand Seiko does best, which is to deliver watches that are nuanced and supremely beautiful on the outside while maintaining unquestionable precision and reliability on the inside. Only in this case it boasts the brand’s crowning achievement — the Dual Impulse escapement — which when viewed within the field of chronographs, makes it the only high frequency chronograph with an exotic escapement and also the only chronograph with both a high frequency and long power reserve. As a first outing, it’s pretty neat.

The superb base caliber with four beautifully shaped bridges visible through the sapphire case back

Tech Specs

Grand Seiko Tentagraph Ref. SLGC001

Movement: Self-winding caliber 9SC5; 72-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph and date
Case: 43.2mm; high intensity titanium with black ceramic bezel; water resistant to 100m
Dial: Blue with “Mt. Iwate” pattern; applied faceted and ridged indexes with LumiBrite coating
Strap: High-intensity titanium bracelet
Price: SGD 19,000

Reference

By Felix Scholz

Cartier: A Santos Story

May 3, 2023

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By Wei Koh

Ulysse Nardin Freak One: The Rise of the Freaks

Mar 27, 2023

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FROM THE SHOP

Furlan Marri

Limited Edition

Furlan Marri x Auro x Revo - Flyback Chronographs 3199-A ‘Honey Blue Flyback’

$3,175.00

TECH SPECS

Movement	Manual winding Sellita caliber AMT5100, with rose gold plating and custom bridge for Furlan Marri; 58-hour power reserve; heated blued steel screws
Functions	Hours, minutes, small seconds and flyback chronograph
Case	38mm (46mm from lug to lug); stainless steel with olive-shaped pushers for Honey Blue flyback, Taupe flyback and Tasti Tondi pushers for Salmon flyback; water resistant to 50m
Dial	Taupe, blue, or two-tone salmon and black (Revolution edition); double printed text with pulsations scale, polished applied indexes
Strap	Italian leather with quick release system
Limited Edition	270 pieces per reference + 30 collector boxes (including one of each references) in addition.

The post The 25 year journey to Grand Seiko’s Tentagraph appeared first on Revolution Watch.

Technical Insights: Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité

Cheryl Chia — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 08:00:24 +0000

Technical Insights: Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité

A double balance and differential watch with a highly inventive construction.

Technical

By Cheryl Chia

Oct 16, 2023

The watch most renowned for its use of double balances and a differential is none other than the Philippe Dufour Duality. The Duality was launched in 1996 and it was the first wristwatch to incorporate double balances of any setup known today. In contrast to a resonance watch, which incorporates two separate gear trains and balances to improve rate stability through an exchange of energy, the principle behind a differential setup is to attain an averaged and therefore improved rate. When two balance wheels oscillate at slightly different rates, the differential balances out their rate difference.

The Duality has a beautifully simple architecture, where the wheel train is arranged diagonally across the base plate, with the small seconds display directly powered by the differential on the fourth wheel. As such, this configuration leads to the asymmetrical placement of the small seconds subdial at seven o’clock on the dial. However, what if the brief changes a little and it becomes necessary to preserve a symmetrical layout of the balances while also incorporating a seconds indicator?

This task is a lot less straightforward than one might initially grasp, as each objective imposes limitations on the other and on all other aspects of the movement. Hence, most watches of this nature are designed one without the other. While maintaining the crown at the conventional three o’clock position, placing the differential on the fourth wheel leads to an asymmetrical outcome. However, if the differential is positioned on the second or third wheel, it requires an indirect drive seconds indicator as the fourth wheel(s) will not yield an averaged output.

The Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité accomplished both aspects in the most unusual and intriguing way. Recently introduced, the watch was a result of a collaboration between Czapek and Bernhard Lederer. The fact that it took no less than Bernhard Lederer says enough of its complexity. In fact, Xavier de Roquemaural, the CEO of Czapek had a more complex set of directives, envisioning that the balance wheels be placed at 4.30 and 7.30 on the watch face and the differential at 12 o’clock to mirror the design of the brand’s foundational Place Vendôme model, which featured sub-dials in those exact locations.

Ingenious Layout

To achieve this, the movement features a convoluted but simply ingenious layout for the going train. Visible on the back of the watch are a pair of serially coupled barrels at the bottom that are wound via a crown wheel with integrated winding clicks. The mainspring barrel drives the pinion of the centre wheel, which is hidden beneath the dial. The centre wheel turns once per hour, driving the minute wheel that carries the minute pinion, which in turn drives the hour wheel, giving us the hour and minutes. Simultaneously, the centre wheel drives the pinion of the third wheel while the third wheel is positioned above the dial.

A closer look at the wheel train layout from the mainspring barrel to the differential. Central seconds is achieved with a LIGA auxiliary wheel

Impressively, the differential in the Place Vendôme Complicité uses planetary gears that have straight bevel teeth. Bevel gears are generally more complex to manufacture due to their intricate design requirements. It involves precise machining processes, such as cutting and shaping the teeth with high accuracy to ensure smooth engagement and minimize noise during operation.

The planetary differential comprises a sun gear (first third wheel), a ring gear (second third wheel), and three planet gears, all featuring bevel teeth. The three planet gears are held by a carrier – a chassis – made of black rhodium plated brass. The carrier is securely fastened to its shaft by a horizontal screw while the sun and ring gear are rotatably mounted with jewels installed directly in their hubs. The sun and ring gear have dual tooth profiles – flat teeth for traditional gear engagement and bevel teeth on their undersides to drive the planet gears.

The highly elaborate differential with bevel teeth. The planet gears are housed in a chassis that is fastened to the input shaft. As the sun and ring gears are identical in size and shape, power is always divided equally to both wheels

While the differential takes effect almost as soon as the watch is wound, it is still worth understanding how it does what it does in slow motion. As the mainspring unwinds, the carrier turns and the planet gears rotate on their own axis within this carrier. They will attempt to drive the sun and ring gears, which will turn slowly before picking up pace. Given that the sun and ring gears are identical in shape and size, the planet gears will distribute power equally between them.

The differential at 12 o'clock splits power to the fourth wheels, escape and balance wheels while averaging their errors in rate

Both wheels will then transmit power down their respective lines and to the balance wheels. As the balance wheel oscillates, it exerts a back-and-forth force on the escapement. The escapement, in turn, regulates the release of energy from the gear train. This interaction creates a feedback mechanism. As such, when both balances are oscillating at different rates and both third wheels are rotating at different speeds, the net effect is that the planet gears will minimize their speed difference and rotate at a speed that is a compromise between the two while maintaining a balanced power distribution.

It is worth noting that because this differential effect takes place on the third wheel, neither of the fourth wheels can directly power a small seconds function. It wouldn’t yield an intermediate or balanced output, at least from a theoretical perspective. In addition, both balance wheels in such a watch are typically adjusted to run at different rates, with the intention of achieving a balance. The goal is to find an intermediate rate that lies between the rates of each balance wheel individually, resulting in a more precise overall rate. One solution to achieve a small seconds would be to install an auxiliary train from the third wheel, but this would introduce additional inertia and play.

In the Place Vendôme Complicité, the differential is connected to a large auxiliary wheel on the same shaft. It is visible on the rear of the watch and it’s this wheel that drives the pinion for the central seconds. But look closer and you’ll notice that the individual teeth consist of cantilevered springs. This forms a reactive tooth profile that enables fuller penetration as it meshes with the central seconds pinion, eliminating backlash or play. It is produced using the LIGA (Lithographie, Galvanoformung, Abformung) process, an additive micro-electro-mechanical technique known for its exceptional precision.

A closer look at the auxiliary wheel that drives the central seconds pinion. It features a reactive tooth profile to reduce play during meshing

The Rest of the Watch

Offered in white gold with a grey dial or rose gold with a blue dial, the case has a diameter of 41.8mm and an overall height of 13.3mm due to its intricate gear train configuration and elaborate bevel gear differential. However, as most of the gear train is positioned on the dial, its height is merely 8.8mm, excluding the crystal. The level of finish seems to be very high, matching the ambitions of the watch. It features a full bridge that is openworked to showcase numerous sharp internal angles while the slim portion of the bridge that supports central seconds pinion is fortified by a black polished steel cap. The crown wheel with integrated clicks and click springs, a design also present in Bernhard Lederer’s Central Impulse Chronometer, subtly acknowledges the watchmaker for his contribution.

The full bridge has been openworked to showcase an abundance of internal angles

To provide a full view of its highly elaborate construction, the differential is supported by a sapphire bridge that is superimposed on another sapphire bridge that holds the fourth and escape wheels

The watch’s twin barrels provide a 72-hour power reserve which is indicated on the dial at six o’clock between the balance wheels. The balance wheels are free-sprung and operate at 3Hz. They are suspended by triangular bridges while the differential and the rest of the exposed wheels are supported by two sapphire bridges, one on top of the other, and the entire dial is protected by a box sapphire crystal. In the end, this is a watch that is as visually engaging as it intellectually exciting, a seamless blend of mechanics and aesthetics that belies an ingenuity born from narrowing the goal posts in the already exotic field of double balance and differential watches.

Reference

By Felix Scholz

Cartier: A Santos Story

May 3, 2023

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By Wei Koh

Ulysse Nardin Freak One: The Rise of the Freaks

Mar 27, 2023

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By Cheryl Chia

The Way of Resonance

Jan 30, 2023

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By Ross Povey

Rolex Explorer everything you need to know about

Jun 2, 2021 6 minutes

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By Cheryl Chia

The Complete History of the Chronograph Movement: 1940s–1980s

Mar 4, 2021

FROM THE SHOP

Bell & Ross

Limited Edition

Bell & Ross x Alessandro Palazzi x Revolution & The Rake Bellytanker Chronograph "Vesper"

$5,250.00

TECH SPECS

Movement	Self-winding caliber BR.CAL-301; 42-hour power reserve
Functions	Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph and date
Case	41mm; CuAI7Si2 bronze; water resistant to 100m
Dial	Sunray brushed with applied, gold-plated indices
Strap	Black calfskin; satin polished bronze folding clasp
Limited Edition	Limited edition of 50 pieces

The post Technical Insights: Czapek Place Vendôme Complicité appeared first on Revolution Watch.

What goes on inside the new Tudor manufacture in Le Locle

Jeremiah Chan — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 07:00:01 +0000

What goes on inside the new Tudor manufacture in Le Locle

Tudor steps out on its own with a new manufacture

News

By Jeremiah Chan

Jul 27, 2023

Ever since Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf created “Montres Tudor S.A.” in 1946, the expressed mission of the brand was to produce watches that would, in Wilsdorf’s own words, “sell at a more modest price than Rolex watches, and yet one that would attain the standard of dependability for which Rolex is famous.” To that end, Tudor has always sat in the colossal shadow of big brother Rolex. Vintage Tudors would bear the mark “Original Oyster Case by Rolex Geneva” as proof that Rolex had certified their quality and reliability. Even after Tudor started producing its own in-house movements in 2015 through movement manufacturer Kenissi, a majority of the operational processes including assembly, quality control and R&D were conducted at Rolex and Tudor’s joint headquarters in Geneva. That is no longer the case with the completion of Tudor’s brand new manufacture in Le Locle.

Kenissi Manufacture assembly

The bucolic city of Le Locle (third smallest in Switzerland) is a wholly suitable location to house a manufacture, not least because of its historic significance as the birthplace of the watchmaking industry (along with neighboring La-Chaux-de-Fonds), but many of the industry’s component suppliers continue to operate there. This close proximity to its suppliers as well as integrating Kenissi into the manufacture’s neighboring wing ensures Tudor can continue to offer hard-to-beat value proposition watches at extremely competitive price points. A week before the madness of Watches and Wonders would descend on Geneva, Tudor opened the doors to its new manufacture, welcoming a select group of visitors for the very first time. We were fortunate enough to be given an opportunity to peer behind the curtain of watch manufacturing at an industrial-scale, but fine-tuned to extract every ounce of efficiency imaginable.

TUDOR Manufacture Building

Located on Rue de France 63, the manufacture cuts an imposing figure on the side of a single carriageway, belying its relatively compact profile of 150 meters in width and rising 30 meters above the ground. Alternating bands of corrugated metal paneling painted in Tudor’s unmistakable red distinguish one half of the structure to the other, a more muted, steely grey exterior that houses the movement assembly operations of Kenissi. Three years in the making, the manufacture became operational in 2021 but Tudor estimates that it will take a further two years to relocate all staff, machinery and equipment from its previous premises in Geneva.

I was told that at the very least, the new references from this year’s Watches and Wonders fair will be manufactured in this new building. Well let’s put some figures into perspective: Tudor currently produces 700 different watch references which are sold in 80 countries. Completely centralizing production to meet the demand from 1,700 points-of-sale is no mean feat and would most definitely require meticulous planning and a fair bit of time.

Kenissi Manufacture Building

The Foundations

From the get-go, Tudor’s ultimate goal for its new manufacture was maximum optimization and efficiency in order to maintain an affordable product price point for the average watch consumer. Ironically, they didn’t make it easy for themselves by picking a site with significant amounts of groundwater. That meant extensive construction work would be necessary to ensure the foundations were sufficiently solid to bear the weight of the above-ground structure.

Firstly, 330 concrete pillars each measuring a whopping 30 meters long, were drilled into the lower-level bedrock to create a firm foundation. Secondly, the underground structure containing the infrastructure vital to the building’s functioning had to be shielded from the surrounding moisture. A waterproof membrane consisting of tiny yellow vessels envelops the concrete walls of the underground structure, creating an impenetrable barrier. Despite the environmental challenges of building on such an area, the choice of location might make more sense if you knew that the land the manufacture sits on is owned by none other than Rolex. Yes that’s right, Rolex doesn’t only make watches, it is a landowner as well.

TUDOR Manufacture assembly

But back to the building’s design. What are some of the vital infrastructure that can be found under the ground? There is a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system that regulates the building’s temperature and humidity levels, guaranteeing a consistent environment that is crucial for the assembly of movements and entire timepieces. Standard fire safety regulations require a regular water sprinkler system to put out internal fires but a liquid-based system is not suitable for production areas. Due to the delicate nature of the equipment and manufacturing components found in those areas, a “dry” fire suppression system using nitrogen had to be installed instead.

The entire building’s insulation consists of wood taken from the surrounding forests which are first broken down into flakes and then compressed into cylinders by a specialized machine. These cylinders limit the need for active heating during the winter months, thereby reducing the building’s overall energy consumption. Another nod to Tudor’s sustainability efforts can be found on the roof where 442 solar panels generate enough electricity to meet most of the building’s energy needs.

TUDOR Manufacture testing

The Automated Stock System

Now that we know what keeps this new manufacture humming along, let’s get to the heart of the matter: how wristwatches are made here. We start with the heart of the manufacture which is literally at the center of the building, the black portion in the middle that separates movement assembly from final assembly. This section contains the automated stock system, a completely autonomous, cutting edge solution for the efficient management of mass production operations. Tudor requested that this system remain a secret as it had been customized to meet their specific needs and so photography was prohibited in this area, which is usually closed off to visitors anyway.

It starts with a cavernous vault located behind reinforced walls, secured by a sizable round-shaped door similar to the type found in walk-in bank vaults. We weren’t allowed entry into the vault either unfortunately, but we were told that this storage area is so vast that it is able to house every single component necessary to assemble the 700 different watch references in current production. The components themselves are stored in standardized trays with multiple compartments. The main benefit of using standardized trays is the efficient use of the storage area available as the racks that store the trays can be constructed with uniform dimensions. As with the production assembly areas, a waterless fire protection system has been employed here as well.

TUDOR Manufacture Testing

When a watchmaker requires a particular set of components, they may request for it and the system automatically retrieves the requisite tray from the vault and places it on a fully automated tray delivery system that connects the whole building. Dials, movement parts, cases and even fully assembled watches can be delivered to any workshop within 10 minutes, whether from the central vault or between production areas. Each workshop has its own delivery station serviced by two main lifts to send and receive the component trays.

TUDOR Manufacture Testing

The assembly and fine-tuning of such a unique just-in-time delivery system was probably one of the most complex and time-consuming operations during the building’s construction. However, with such an advanced system, Tudor have significantly reduced the need for watchmakers to leave their benches to collect parts and they can have uninterrupted focus on their individual tasks.

TUDOR Manufacture assembly

The Movement Manufacture – Kenissi

The next step of the production journey takes us to Kenissi, Tudor’s in-house movement manufacturer. If you don’t already know the story behind Kenissi (translated from the Greek word ‘Kinesis’ meaning ‘in movement’), here’s a quick rundown. Back in 2010, Tudor founded a project with the aim of developing the capability to produce internally robust, high precision, high power reserve movements with the capacity of being customized with additional complications. It took five years of R&D but eventually the first Tudor manufacture caliber, MT5621 made its debut at Baselworld 2015 in the now discontinued North Flag. It was COSC-certified and came equipped with a variable inertia balance with micro-adjustment screws, an amagnetic silicon hairspring and a healthy 70 hours of power reserve.

Kenissi Manufacture assembly

Relying on the manual dexterity of highly-trained watchmakers, assembly is done exclusively by hand. Once a particular process is completed, the partially assembled movement and its holder is placed on a white tray that travels on a conveyor to the next stage of the assembly, at the right time and in the correct orientation. However, certain repetitive processes such as lubrication and clearance measurement of the wheel train have been further automated in order to save even more time.

Kenissi Manufacture assembly

The integration between man and machine is on full display here. The automatic stock delivery system transports the right components from the vault to the appropriate work stations at the start of the two assembly lines. A movement starts out as a bare base plate, mounted on a plastic holder which has a RFID tag underneath. RFID tagging enables data collection and full traceability of all movements during the assembly process, and the data used to constantly improve product quality and overall performance of the assembly lines. The holders themselves come in three sizes to fit all the base calibers used in Tudor watches: small (T20 & MT52 series), medium (T601 & MT54 series) and large (T603 and MT56 series).

TUDOR Manufacture assembly

The movement assembly floor is located at ground level so watchmakers do not have to waste precious time traversing different levels daily to get to work. The environment in this area is highly controlled with large triple-glazed windows that can adjust in real-time their opacity using electrochromic technology, allowing just the right amount of heat and light to filter into the room. Access is granted through an air-lock system that removes dust and other contaminants from clothing. Staff then don anti-static coats over their clothing that further prevent dust particles from attaching themselves to the fabric. The HVAC system found in the basement generates a continuous flow of air from ceiling to floor, refreshing the air supply 3.5 times an hour and prevents dust from falling onto work surfaces.

Kenissi as an entity would be formally introduced in 2016 and in one short year, it would offer its movement development expertise to third parties starting with Breitling. Today, the brands that utilize Kenissi movements in their watches include Fortis, Norqain, TAG Heuer, Bell & Ross, Ultramarine and Chanel, with the French luxury house taking a 20% stake in the manufacturer in 2018. Today, Kenissi is fully integrated with movements produced entirely in Switzerland with some components supplied by strategic partners that are owned by Tudor. A notable exception is the silicon hairspring which is still supplied by an independent third party but the hairspring’s design and composition remains solely Tudor’s.

The Final Assembly

The final assembly area is similarly on the ground floor with the same infrastructure as the movement assembly department. The watchmakers here are trained to assemble at any particular stage, every single reference from the entire product catalogue. They do not work in isolation but in groups of four called a cell. Each watchmaker’s bench is laid out with the exact same tools and equipment so any stage of final assembly can be undertaken at any workstation. The four processes that occur in a cell are dial fitting, hands fitting and two watchmakers dedicated to encasing as it is a comparatively more time-consuming task and more manpower is needed to keep up with production demand.

To build camaraderie within a team, watchmakers generally do not switch over to other cells. Checks are conducted at each stage to ensure a consistency in quality and a final round of quality control completed by an independent, standalone cell. Any issues found will be immediately rectified by the watchmaker that last worked on the watch from the previous stage. While the vault may have room to store every necessary component, fully assembled watches are not stored on site and have already been allocated to points of sale worldwide. Such logistical planning to achieve just-in-time manufacturing and distribution is extremely impressive.

Performance Control

We go up a floor to the performance control department where assembled watches are put through a battery of tests to measure their accuracy, power reserve, water and magnetic resistance. Even here, Tudor have designed the testing processes to be fully automated. Robots following pre-defined pathways on the floor carry trays of watch heads to the various testing stations completely unaided. The testing machines are massive pieces of equipment with a combined weight of 46 metric tons, and all proprietary to Tudor. They are all connected to a GPS signal that ensures all measurements are absolutely precise. Such specialized equipment are crucial as the brand has grand plans to expand METAS certification moving forward.

There is even a small METAS office at the far end of this floor staffed by employees directly from the testing organization to maintain independence of testing. You may recall the first METAS-certified Master Chronometer from Tudor was the Black Bay Ceramic back in 2021 and a second piece from this year’s Watches and Wonders has also been certified, the 41mm Black Bay with a red bezel. There are eight tests in total to complete METAS-certification and four of them are related to magnetic field exposure. It’s no wonder that one of the most prominent pieces of equipment is the permanent magnet that is capable of exposing watches to a magnetic field strength of 15,000 gauss, the METAS standard of magnetic resistance.

TUDOR Manufacture testing

It’s pretty cool to see trays of watches being conveyor-ed into this giant magnet and put through their paces. Another nifty machine is a stocker that is able to store watches in different positions and at different temperatures during the various stages of testing. This stocker is fed by multiple conveyor belts that transport the watch trays dropped off by the robots continuously. This is a section of the manufacture that never sleeps and since January this year, tests have been running 24/7.

Final Quality Control

Arriving at the top floor of the manufacture, we find the department that conducts the final quality control checks and marries watch heads to bracelets before they are shipped to boutiques worldwide. The technicians here, like their colleagues in the final assembly department, are trained to fit any bracelet or strap of any material for all watch references. You may think attaching a strap is a cinch and takes no time at all but to do so repetitively and perfectly every single day, when the tolerances between metal bracelets and cases are extremely fine, is a monumental undertaking. Any slip of a spring bar or a tool will mar a perfectly finished case and it will have to go back to be refinished, affecting production lead times. The training that technicians undergo is to repeat the task with no time pressure whatsoever until they are fully confident of executing perfection. Only then will they be allowed to work on commercial pieces.

TUDOR Manufacture bracelet fitting

Another incredibly important function that is performed here is quality control of watch components when they are first delivered to the manufacture. Dials, bracelets, cases all have to be checked individually to ensure they are within tolerances before they can be stored in the vault, waiting to be called up by watchmakers during assembly.

TUDOR Manufacture Testing

TUDOR Manufacture assembly

TUDOR Manufacture Final Assembly

I have to say it was an absolute treat to have been given an all-access tour (save for the vault!) into Tudor’s new manufacture and having visited the factories of other brands, this has probably been one of the most comprehensive and insightful displays of industrial-scale watchmaking at its finest. The entire operation has been thoughtfully designed to manufacture a product of exceptional quality at a price point that is incredibly hard to match. As Rolex continues to move upmarket, Tudor has remained true to the mission set out by its founder and at the same time continually improves their offering by incorporating quality standards such as METAS. Such a value proposition is one that I can totally get behind and undeniable proof that Tudor has come of age and deserves to stand on its own.

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FEATURED FROM THE SHOP

Bell & Ross

Limited Edition

Bell & Ross x Alessandro Palazzi x Revolution & The Rake Bellytanker Chronograph "Vesper"

$5,250.00

TECH SPECS

Movement	Self-winding caliber BR.CAL-301; 42-hour power reserve
Functions	Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph and date
Case	41mm; CuAI7Si2 bronze; water resistant to 100m
Dial	Sunray brushed with applied, gold-plated indices
Strap	Black calfskin; satin polished bronze folding clasp
Limited Edition	Limited edition of 50 pieces

The post What goes on inside the new Tudor manufacture in Le Locle appeared first on Revolution Watch.

In-Depth: The Secular Perpetual Calendar by Furlan Marri x Dominique Renaud x Julien Tixier for Only Watch 2023

Cheryl Chia — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 07:00:53 +0000

In-Depth: The Secular Perpetual Calendar by Furlan Marri x Dominique Renaud x Julien Tixier for Only Watch 2023

Astonishing solutions to perpetual timekeeping at an astonishing price.

Furlan Marri

By Cheryl Chia

Jul 19, 2023

One of the biggest highlights for Only Watch 2023 is an unassuming watch that bears the name Furlan Marri, a brand best known for creating refined but accessibly priced, vintage-inspired watches. At a cursory glance, there is virtually nothing that suggests it is anything more than a calendar watch that displays the day and date on two subdials with the month indicated on the periphery by a central hand. It is only upon a closer inspection that you see a tiny Maltese cross pivotably affixed to a smaller central hand, which indicates that it serves as a leap-year indicator, making the watch a perpetual calendar.

Pièce Unique Secular Perpetual Calendar by Furlan Marri x Dominique Renaud x Julien Tixier for Only Watch 2023

However, it will require more than an average human lifetime to observe that this Maltese cross will accurately mark 2100 as a common year, not a leap year. This is because it is not just a perpetual calendar, but a secular perpetual calendar. In other words, it belies a masterpiece of a movement.

As a recap, the Gregorian calendar dictates that a year has an extra day at the end of February if it is divisible by four. However, if the year is also divisible by 100, it becomes a common year with only 365 days. But if the year is also divisible by 400, then it becomes a leap year again. By design, a regular perpetual calendar, which only encodes a four-year cycle, will interpret the years 2100, 2200 and 2300 as leap years when in fact they are common years. As such, a manual adjustment by one day is required on March 1 of these years.

A secular calendar, on the other hand, will account for all the anomalies of the Gregorian calendar, encoding a 400-year cycle in its gear train — that is, it takes care of non-leap years in three consecutive centuries, as well as the leap year that occurs in the fourth century. Put simply, as long as the watch is consistently wound, it will stay synchronized with the Gregorian calendar and will not require any intervention.

The Ultimate Calendar Complication

It is worth noting that the Gregorian calendar itself is not perfect; it gradually accumulates an error of around one day every 3,030 years. This discrepancy arises from the difference between the calendar year, which consists of 365.2425 days, and the actual solar year, which is approximately 365.2422 days long. Consequently, this implies that the calendar would need to be corrected by one day every few millennia. However, the secular perpetual calendar does not require any adjustments to align with the Gregorian calendar — ever.

First perpetual calendar from Dominique Renaud

Secular perpetual calendars are exceptionally rare in watchmaking due to the hurdle of having to override the month program wheel (48-month or 12-month cam) with notches of varying depths that correspond to the length of each month in a perpetual calendar every 100 years. Consequently, they are frequently subject to patent protection or described in a broader sense, with references to their superior capabilities while avoiding disclosure of the precise methods employed. An upside to this is that unlike a standard perpetual calendar, no two secular perpetual calendar mechanisms are alike with each harboring a plethora of unusual and ingenious solutions of its own.

Although already a rarity, the Furlan Marri’s secular perpetual calendar differs drastically from the few known examples both in terms of its fundamental construction as well as its ease of use. It was the outcome of a collaboration between Furlan Marri, Dominique Renaud, renowned as the co-founder of Renaud & Papi, and Julien Tixier, a talented 30-year-old independent watchmaker.

Andrea Furlan and Al Marri

Andrea Furlan had previously been involved in the design of Dominique Renaud’s DR01, while Julien Tixier and Dominique Renaud crossed paths in 2016 during Dominique’s lectures on his DR01 project. Julien attended these lectures regularly, displaying a keen interest in Dominique’s research. Their friendship eventually led to the “Tempus Fugit” project for Only Watch 2022, an extraordinary gear-based secular perpetual calendar with a personalized countdown function based on one’s probable life expectancy.

Julien Tixier and Dominique Renaud

The Tempus Fugit was conceived by Dominique Renaud and was made by Julien Tixier in his workshop in the Vallée de Joux. The duo reunited this year to create the secular perpetual calendar for Furlan Marri.

Radical Reimagining

While developing a secular calendar is, by any measure, a tremendous feat, the ingenuity of Furlan Marri’s Secular Perpetual Calendar also lies in its stunning simplicity. Unlike a typical perpetual calendar module that consists of over 200 components, the Furlan Marri Secular Perpetual Calendar is composed of merely 25 parts, including a secular assembly made up of only five components. To date, this is the simplest possible mechanical solution to address all the anomalies of the Gregorian calendar in a wristwatch. But as you’ll come to find, mastering simplicity involves understanding the problem and its solutions in real depth before attempting to distill them down to their most basic essence.

In short, embracing complexity is crucial in the pursuit of simplicity.

The most significant deviation from the conventional perpetual calendar design is the use of a circular peripheral rocker instead of a grand lever pivoted on axes that typically extends across the central section of the movement. This offers the advantage of having easy access to any point on the calendar plate while creating more room in the center of the movement. As with a standard perpetual calendar, this peripheral rocker is activated daily by a finger cam that is driven by a 24-hour wheel linked to the motion works.

At the end of each day, it acts on the peripheral rocker, causing it to turn in a counterclockwise direction. The rocker is equipped with a date-change pawl, the travel of which acts on the 31-tooth date star, causing it to advance by one tooth. The date star is pivotably mounted on a date snail cam with a single tooth, which drives a 48-month wheel at the end of the month.

The clever and highly unusual mechanics of the secular perpetual calendar module

As mentioned earlier, the most fascinating part about secular perpetual calendars is how they negate the month program wheel, which lies at the heart of every perpetual calendar, every 100 years. Two renowned secular calendars, namely the Patek Philippe Calibre 89 and the Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega, employed distinct but traditional program wheels. The Patek Philippe Calibre 89 utilized a standard 12-month cam featuring a Maltese cross satellite to manage the month of February, while the Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega incorporated a 12-month cam that operates in conjunction with a leap-year cam. As such, the leap year is already encoded in these systems.

Patek Philippe’s secular calendar mechanism in the Caliber 89 from the original patent. Components No. 10 and 11 are the 12-month cam with a small four-point cam that is fixed to a Maltese cross satelite

Frank Muller’s secular perpetual calendar mechanism from the original patent. Component No. 20 is the 12-month cam and No. 8 is the leap year cam

However, in the Furlan Marri Secular Perpetual Calendar, the change begins with the program wheel itself. While it uses a 48-month cam, its design deviates significantly from the norm. Traditionally, the use of a 48-month cam that performs one revolution in four years, in contrast to a 12-month cam, would mean that the leap year must be encoded in this cam. The 48-month cam in a perpetual calendar is hence always designed with notches of four different steps to correspond to the length of months — 31, 30, 29, and 28 — with the deepest representing 28 days of February, and its full diameter representing 31 days.

But in this case, the 48-month cam was designed with only two depths to encode 31- and 30-day months and is sampled by a feeler pin attached to the peripheral rocker. At the same time, the cam was designed with internal steps rather than external, with four openings for the month of February. These steps limit the travel of the peripheral rocker, enabling an end-of-month beak to engage with a latch on the 31-tooth wheel and move it to different positions when the month comes to an end. At the end of the month, the spring-powered month lever, under tension from a date snail, promptly propels the month star located in the middle, causing it to advance by one position.

Every February, however, the feeler pin passes through completely, extending the amplitude of travel of the peripheral rocker. Thus, the month program wheel is overridden every February, rather than every 100 years as in the case of the Patek Calibre 89 and the Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega.

The 48-tooth wheel on which the month cam is mounted has two driving fingers that advances a 100-year wheel by two positions every four years. This 100-year wheel has 50 teeth, thus completing a full rotation in a century. A rotatable 100-year cam with 25 notches is mounted on it. The low steps of this cam correspond to February with 28 days, while its high steps correspond to 29 days. During a 29-day February, the first driving finger advances the 100-year wheel by one position and a feeler lever bears on the high step of the cam. This feeler has a hook arm that limits the travel of the circular peripheral rocker.

Once February 29 has passed, this hook arm drops to a low level and remains inactive for the next three common Februarys. This is because there are only two driving fingers on the 48-month wheel, and as the second driving finger advances the 100-year wheel, the feeler lever bears on the low step of the cam and remains there to account for the next three common Februarys. When the hook arm drops, the rocker travels further, catching the date snail at an earlier date and forces the date change.

Now, to account for centurial years that are not leap years, as well as the leap year in the fourth century, a Maltese cross mechanism was employed. It comprises a finger cam on the 100-year wheel arbor that gears with a wheel shaped like a Maltese cross, which has four branches and completes a full rotation every 400 years. This Maltese cross is attached to a cam with a pitch circle radius that is greater on one end. During the leap year every four centuries, the high point of the cam acts on a feeler with a retractable tooth, pushing the tooth outwards so that it comes into contact with the amplitude-limiting feeler lever, accounting for a 29-day February in the fourth century.

Its ingenious simplicity is breathtaking. Because the rocker that controls all the individual mechanisms is located on the periphery, it can also double as a corrector. Setting the date is accomplished by rotating the corrector (a blue tab positioned between the lugs) to the right, while turning it to the left corrects the days of the week. On the other hand, the hours and minutes can be adjusted in a conventional manner using the crown.

The entire secular perpetual calendar module is machined, adjusted and decorated by Julien Tixier, while the oscillating weight was cut and beveled by Dominique Renaud. The base movement is the La Joux-Perret G100, a workhorse self-winding movement with a respectable power reserve of 68 hours while maintaining a beat rate of 28,000vph.

Dominique Renaud is seen working on the oscillating mass

The Rest of the Watch

The case is made of rhodium-plated silver, giving it a brilliant white appearance that resembles white gold and platinum while being more affordable. Its proportions are just right, with a diameter of 39mm and a thickness of 11.3mm including the crystal. The case is predominantly brushed, with a polished bezel, while the exposed corrector tab is made of anodized titanium. It is paired with a silver Milanese bracelet, giving it a dash of rakish charm, as is characteristic of Furlan Marri watches. The bracelet was handcrafted by Laurent Jolliet in Le Lignon, one of the last chain makers in Europe. The production of the coils does not involve the use of machines; instead, all the assembly and soldering processes are carried out manually, as is the shaping of the clasp.

Laurent Jolliet, the last Swiss chain maker

The entire process of crafting mesh using hand-wound spiral wire coils is carried out entirely by hand.

The dial is made of anodized titanium with sandblasted chapter rings for the month, day and date. It strikes an incredible balance between clarity and engaging details. The leaf-shaped hour and minute hands are crafted by hand, possessing a form and thickness that cannot be achieved with a stamping machine, as are the blued hands for the day and date displays. The counters are open-worked, revealing the most rudimentary parts of the secular perpetual calendar, namely the day and date mechanisms.

Meanwhile, the most revolutionary aspect of the perpetual calendar — the big secret involving the month and secular program wheels — remains hidden, which only adds to its remarkable stealth.

Lastly, the Secular Perpetual Calendar comes with an estimate of CHF 20,000 to CHF 30,000, which seems woefully insignificant for such phenomenal work. It is worth keeping in mind that secular perpetual calendars, being the pinnacle of perpetual calendars, are either found in grand complications or only obtainable at a prohibitively high cost. It takes a special blend of brilliance and tenacious stubbornness to undertake watchmaking of this caliber at this price. The ability to streamline a broadly unmastered complication is deeply impressive, and to understand it is to love it.

Tech Specs

Pièce Unique Secular Perpetual Calendar by Furlan Marri x Dominique Renaud x Julien Tixier for Only Watch 2023

Movement: Self-winding secular perpetual calendar module developed by Dominique Renuad and Julien Tixier on top of base caliber G100 by La-Joux-Perret; 68-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, date, day, month, leap-year indication and secular calendar
Case: 39mm; rhodium-plated silver; hand-engraving on caseback by Coralie Mercier
Dial: Blue anodized titanium dial with hands crafted by Julien Tixier
Strap: Milanese mesh bracelet; rhodium-plated silver clasp made by Laurent Jolliet; additional calf-leather strap provided
Price: Estimate CHF 20,000–30,000

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FROM THE SHOP

Furlan Marri

Limited Edition

Furlan Marri x Auro x Revo - Flyback Chronographs 3199-A ‘Honey Blue Flyback’

$3,175.00

TECH SPECS

Movement	Manual winding Sellita caliber AMT5100, with rose gold plating and custom bridge for Furlan Marri; 58-hour power reserve; heated blued steel screws
Functions	Hours, minutes, small seconds and flyback chronograph
Case	38mm (46mm from lug to lug); stainless steel with olive-shaped pushers for Honey Blue flyback, Taupe flyback and Tasti Tondi pushers for Salmon flyback; water resistant to 50m
Dial	Taupe, blue, or two-tone salmon and black (Revolution edition); double printed text with pulsations scale, polished applied indexes
Strap	Italian leather with quick release system
Limited Edition	270 pieces per reference + 30 collector boxes (including one of each references) in addition.

The post In-Depth: The Secular Perpetual Calendar by Furlan Marri x Dominique Renaud x Julien Tixier for Only Watch 2023 appeared first on Revolution Watch.

The Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo Furious, an In-Depth Examination

Cheryl Chia — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 09:00:36 +0000

The Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo Furious, an In-Depth Examination

A closer look at the technical virtuosity behind one of the most electrifying grand complications in modern times.

Jacob & Co.

By Cheryl Chia

Jun 22, 2023

Jacob & Co. has played a serious game in pushing complications in fantastical, larger-than-life directions ever since it set foot in mechanical watchmaking with the Quenttin Tourbillon in 2006. The brand engages in a kind of watchmaking where mechanics are reimagined and interpreted to create maximum visual impact, generating, at times, significant entertainment value. Today, Jacob & Co. is best known for the Astronomia, a series of wrist-mounted amphitheaters that find myriad ways of capturing the heavens above. But, the Twin Turbo Furious was the vehicle in which the company first applied its conceptual, maximalist streak to traditional grand complications, and the result is something that is without direct comparison in watchmaking, despite it being visually and spiritually reminiscent of the sort of high-octane, high-risk watchmaking that took root in the early 2000s.

Quenttin Vertical Tourbillon
Astronomia Tourbillon White Gold

Launched in 2018, the Twin Turbo Furious is nominally a minute repeater with a chronograph and double toubillons. However, each complication is of an exotic variety. The minute repeater chimes the time digitally, making it a decimal minute repeater. The chronograph is a single-pusher chronograph with a reference time differential indication, and lastly, the pair of tourbillons are flying, triple-axis and high-speed. Conceived by Le Cercle des Horlogers, the movement was masterfully constructed to accommodate the radically executed, wedge-shaped case, and as a result, has a highly unusual architecture that is worth a deeper dive.

Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo Furious, 2018

Twin Flying Triple-Axis Tourbillon

Since the advent of the 21st century when the resurgence of interest in mechanical horology sparked the rebirth of the tourbillon, tourbillons and all its exotic descendants have grown more prevalent. Double tourbillons — in the strictest sense, with two balances and escapements — alone, have been accomplished by a handful of brands as diverse as Greubel Forsey, Roger Dubuis and Cecil Purnell.

However, the basic principle of the Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo Furious differs slightly from every other known configuration and for which a patent was issued. In a standard double tourbillon watch, both tourbillons are driven by a single barrel and gear train, along which a differential splits power to each tourbillon while averaging out their errors in rate to produce a single averaged deviation. However, visible on the back in the Twin Turbo Furious, each tourbillon is actually driven by its own gear train and mainspring barrel, arranged linearly in a parallel configuration with their respective third wheels sporting an intricate, skeletonized pattern.

Twin Flying Triple-Axis Tourbillon

As such, a differential cannot be applied to such a design. Instead, both tourbillons are mechanically coupled by means of a friction clutch. Hence, one regulating organ is able to influence the rate of the other directly so as to oscillate at the same frequency, thereby averaging their errors in rate. In so doing, each oscillator becomes less susceptible to errors as compared to one operating in isolation. Both wheels in the clutch are only driven together by friction when the rate of one oscillator varies from the other. Each barrel offers a power reserve of 50 hours, with both unwinding at the same time and speed. Meanwhile, the hands are indirectly driven by the gear train without the chronograph. In other words, the timekeeping gear train is isolated from the chronograph to maintain accuracy when the chronograph is in use. The solution of providing each triple-axis tourbillon with its own energy source, as opposed to having a single mainspring drive two parasitical mechanisms — three, including the chronograph — also helps the watch maintain a respectable power reserve. Both barrels are wound via an unusual crank handle with the crown in the neutral position.

The case of the Twin Turbo Furious is topped by a dramatically curved sapphire crystal that widens and rises at the base to accommodate the three-dimensional extravaganza of the tourbillons, with a power-reserve display situated in between them. As opposed to a traditional tourbillon that rotates on a single axis to compensate for errors in rate in all possible vertical positions, the triple-axis tourbillon rotates simultaneously across three different axes. The combined axis of the three cages results in the escapement being rotated in a seemingly random orbit, which exposes the balance wheel to a greater variety, if not almost all positions and averages its timing errors. The spectacle is enhanced by the speeds at which each tourbillon cage is made to rotate. Beginning with the innermost cage, each of them completes a revolution in 24 seconds, eight seconds and 30 seconds respectively. Collectively, the three cages will return to their original positions after 120 seconds — the lowest common multiple of the periods of each cage.

The carriages in later versions of the Twin Turbo Furious would be geared to run at a comparatively languid and fluid pace of 24, 48 and 180 seconds respectively per revolution, allowing their intricacy to be better admired.

Chronograph with Reference Time Differential

At the same time, the massive skeletonized third wheel in the gear train to the right when viewed from the back, also meshes with the pinion of the drive wheel of the chronograph — although in later versions, a separate, smaller wheel is superimposed on the third wheel to drive the tourbillon.

The chronograph relies on a classic horizontal coupling system that is visible right at the heart of the movement. The clutch lever that connects the drive wheel to the chronograph wheel is remarkably long and made up of just a single piece with an intricate skeletonized form. It goes between the chronograph seconds wheel and the strike train above before extending downwards over the clutch wheel. This unique arrangement of gears allows the chronograph seconds wheel, minutes wheel and driving wheel to be supported by the same bridge, which is shaped like an arrowhead to maintain an overall symmetry in movement design.

Most unusually, the chronograph is connected to a reference time differential indicator. It was inspired by pit board timekeeping panels once used in motor racing to communicate the difference between the reference lap time and actual lap time to drivers. The reference time is set via the crown in the first position and displayed in two adjacent apertures at six o’clock on the dial. The larger digit shows the minutes, and the aperture to its right indicates the seconds.

The chronograph relies on a classic horizontal coupling system

Once the chronograph is started and stopped, the chronograph hand then indicates the time difference between the recorded time and the reference time on the rotating “pit board” wheel. A positive difference is shown with red numerals on the wheel, while a negative difference is in yellow.

Decimal Minute Repeater

The third complication is a decimal minute repeater, a modern take on the traditional repeater that is rather apt for such a progressive timepiece. First introduced by Kari Voutilainen in 2005, a decimal minute repeater is a more intuitive acoustic system that chimes the minutes in units of tens and ones after the hours instead of sounding the quarters and minutes.

Visible at 12 o’clock at the back of the watch is the repeating barrel that is flanked by hammers that pivot on staffs. The larger hammer on the right hits a low-pitch gong for the hours while the smaller hammer hits a low-pitch gong for the minutes. When the slide on the left side of the case is pushed, it charges a small spring within the repeater barrel, and when released, energy is dissipated to power the strike train. Visible at the end of the strike train is a governor, which has two arms that spread out to control the speed at which the spring unwinds, hence setting the tempo of the chimes.

As with most chiming watches, the snail cams and their respective racks that are responsible for translating the motion of the hands to sound, is located on the dial side and thus can’t be seen. The snail cams are connected to the motion works on the dial side, while part of the hour rack projects from the caseband and fits into the slide. And as is the case with all minute repeating watches, the strike train and the main gear train in the watch are by no means directly connected, even if it appears to be otherwise from the caseback.

The shape and voluminous size of the case, along with the expansive sapphire crystal, ensure that the gongs have more to work with in terms of surfaces to amplify and enrich the sound. Thus, it is a chiming watch that truly delivers even if its sonic and chronometric performance is peripheral to its sheer audacity and entertainment value.

Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo Furious in rose gold and blue titanium
The Twin Turbo Furious Sapphire

Various iterations of the watch have since been released with the most memorable being the fearsomely beautiful Twin Turbo Furious Bugatti La Montre Noire which featured a black gold case that was completely covered in black baguette-cut sapphires, and the Twin Turbo Furious Sapphire Crystal which puts the entire movement on show.

Artful Mechanics

Without a doubt, the Twin Turbo’s shrill showmanship and aggressive design are intended to astound, but it will prove equally intellectually rewarding to those who search beyond this instant of theatricality.

The Twin Turbo Furious finds no immediate equivalent in watchmaking. Tourbillon chronographs are rather rare to start with, despite each being a relatively common complication on its own. And there are a few reasons for this. A tourbillon is driven on a fixed fourth wheel, doubling as a seconds indicator, while a chronograph is driven off the fourth wheel, which itself displays the running seconds, thereby necessitating solutions in gear arrangement that are less than straightforward. They are also limiting in terms of design, with the most obvious and intuitive configuration being a bi-compax layout with a tourbillon at six o’clock, which at the same time is not plain as day to achieve due the previous reason. But most of all, it demands considerable mastery in energy management. Apart from this, the Twin Turbo Furious adds a decimal minute repeater and a second tourbillon, which very unusually has its own gear train and barrel and is linked to the first via a coupling system. Each complication is rare and unusual in and of itself, which makes the watch even more unique as a whole, and equally so in the way they are amalgamated.

Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo Furious Black

With a starting price of USD 550,000 for the version with a black DLC titanium and forged carbon case, the Twin Turbo Furious packs a whole lot of punch for the money.

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FROM THE SHOP

Sold Out

Laurent Ferrier

Limited Edition

Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor “Amazonia”

$57,500.00

TECH SPECS

Movement	Self-winding caliber FBN 229.01 with natural escapement; 72-hour power reserve
Functions	Hours, minutes and small seconds
Case	40mm; stainless steel; water resistant to 30m
Dial	Verdant green, with sector track; applied, white rhodium treated gold Arabic numerals and hour markers
Strap	Brown calf leather with Alcantara lining, stainless steel pin buckle; additional Milanese bracelet in stainless steel
Limited Edition	Limited edition of 15 pieces

The post The Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo Furious, an In-Depth Examination appeared first on Revolution Watch.

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