Timezone 2011 Watch of the Year Finalists
A. Lange & Sohne Richard Lange Tourbillon Pour le
Mérite
The fourth A. Lange & Söhne timepiece with the distinction
"Pour le Mérite" embodies a fusée-and-chain transmission as well as a
tourbillon with a patented stop-seconds mechanism. The underlying
purpose shared by both of these grand complications is to improve rate
stability and precision.
In the RICHARD LANGE TOURBILLON “Pour le Mérite”, a round cut-out in
the seconds dial, traversed by the minute scale and by the recessed
tourbillon bridge, reveals the tourbillon cage. But the tourbillon can
be admired in its entirety only from twelve to six o’clock. At six, a
dial segment with the Roman numerals VIII, IX, and X instantaneously
pivots into the aperture to make the hour scale complete. The motion is
generated by an ingenious switching mechanism, which assures that the
dial segment is advanced by 90 degrees in increments of six hours. At
twelve o’clock, the hours dial segment vanishes as quickly as it
appeared and for the next six hours again fully exposes the tourbillon
as it concurrently revolves and reciprocates. Its task is to offset
rate deviations that can potentially be caused by the effect of gravity
on the balance wheel. With a patented stop-seconds mechanism, the
tourbillon can be halted simply by pulling the crown, allowing the time
displayed by the watch to be set to one-second accuracy. Its bearing on
the caseback side is a diamond endstone secured in a screwed gold
chaton.
Specifications
The case, in platinum done in a limited edition of 100 pieces or in
18kt rose gold, measures 42mm x 12mm, it has a sapphire crystal and a
sapphire display back.
Movement: manual-wind Lange in-house caliber L072.1 with 32 jewels,
21,600 vph and a power reserve of 36 hours. It is precision-adjusted to
five positions, decorated and assembled by hand, with a three-quarter
plate made of untreated German silver. Functions are hour, minutes,
subsidiary seconds, one minute Tourbillon with patented stop seconds
and pivoting dial segment.
Baume & Mercier Hampton Automatic Chronograph,
Reference 10032
The emblematic Baume & Mercier timepieces are available in a
steel automatic chronograph version (34 x 47 mm) with a manufacture
movement, a power reserve of 65 hours and an open case back that
reveals the oscillating weight personalized with the phi symbol. The
red gold version offers a manual manufacture movement having a 42-hour
power reserve and a superb oval open case back.
Unlike the Core Collection watches, which feature riveted Arabic
numerals, the emblematic pieces remain true to Roman numerals, with the
intent of perpetuating the historic model. Daring to revisit the
striking characteristics of the museum piece, taking the interpretation
exercise as far as it will go by enhancing the original esthetic while
giving it impressive modern proportions—such is the challenge of the
Hampton collection, the Swiss Maison d’Horlogerie has met expertly.
Specifications
Reference: 10032
Movement: Manufacture, Automatic Chronograph
Power reserve : 65 hours
Case size : 34 x 47 mm
Case thickness : 13.45 mm
Curved sapphire crystal, Sapphire crystal case back
Dial : Sun satin-finished silver-colored
Water-resistant : 5 ATM (approx. 50m)
Grönefeld One Hertz
Dutch watchmakers Tim and Bart Gronefeld presented in 2011 the "One
Hertz", the world's first and only production wristwatch with
independent dead seconds (secondes morte in French). The One Hertz
features Grönefeld own proprietary movement and indicates hours and
minutes on a sub-dial at 2 o'clock; large sub-dial for the dead
seconds; power reserve indicator at 12 o'clock; and an innovative
setting-winding indicator at 3 o'clock. Setting-winding is
ergonomically selected by pushing the crown in rather than pulling it
out. Dead seconds - where the second hand advances in full steps of one
second instead of an apparently smooth sweeping action. The Grönefeld
"One Hertz" is unique among wristwatches in that its dead seconds are
powered by a secondary gear train independent of the gear train for the
hour and minute indications.
Specifications
Case dimensions: 43 mm x 12.5 mm
Sapphire crystals: top domed with antireflective treatment both sides,
display back with antireflective treatment inside.
Water resistance: 3atm/30m/100 feet.
Crown: Stainless steel or rose gold with engraved “G" logo
Dial: hour and minutes subdial, raised seconds sapphire subdial
(transparent over the hour and minute subdial), power reserve
indicator, setting-winding indicator, Grönefeld logo and model name on
individual screwed down nameplates.
Movement: Calibre: G-02, mechanical hand winding, independent dead
seconds, power reserve Indicator and setting indicator.
No. of parts: 285 parts
Power reserve: 72 hours
Dead seconds mechanism: independent mechanism, cam with 30 teeth on the
going gear train on the second's wheel, escape wheel on the seconds
wheel of the independent gear train, double lever with jewelled
pallets.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande Reverso Ultra Thin “Tribute to 1931”
In 2011, after 80 years of celebrating classicism, the new Grande
Reverso Ultra Thin focuses on extreme simplicity. The extremely
diminutive width of Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 822 (at just 2.94 mm) has
enabled the design engineers to build a Reverso slimmer than ever
before. This new watch expresses the very essence of the
Reverso personality: a blend of tradition and nobility embodying an
alliance of style and elegance. Because this new Reverso is intended to
be a bridge between past and present, Jaeger-LeCoultre has decided to
create two Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Tribute to 1931 in steel and
limited series in rose gold, featuring a black or white dial with
dagger-shaped hands and baton-type hour-markers directly inspired by
the original Reverso. The spirit of 1931 in contemporary dimensions,
and all the Art Deco charm of the first Reversos interpreted in today’s
language.
Specifications
Movement is the mechanical manual-wind Jaeger-LeCoultre caliber 822, 21
jewels, 21,600 vibrations per hour, 134 parts, 45-hour power reserve.
Dial: Guilloché silvered with stamped numerals and hour-markers, in the
limited-edition models: black with white hour-markers or silvered with
golden numerals and hour-markers.
Case: Stainless steel or 18kt rose gold
Height: 46 mm X width: 27.5 mm X thickness: 7.2 mm. 1000 Hours Control
indication appearing on the case-back and water-resistance to 30
meters.
Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Reference 5270
The Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 5270 is new
complicated wristwatch which for the first time combines the
functionality of a perpetual calendar with the new classic chronograph
caliber that is crafted entirely in-house. The face of the Ref. 5270
follows one of the most venerable traditions of this type of watch: The
day and the month in apertures at 12 o'clock, an analog date with an
integrated moon-phase display at 6 o'clock, the seconds subdial at 9
o'clock, and the 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock. To add a perpetual
calendar to the manually wound basic chronograph caliber CH 29-535 PS
it was necessary to develop a totally new mechanical calendar module.
It took two years to perfectly match the 1.65-mm high traditional
cam-controlled calendar mechanism with 182 parts to the chronograph
ensemble.
Specifications
Case: 18K white gold, three-part construction.
Case dimensions: Diameter: 41 mm
Movement: Caliber CH 29-535 PS Q. Manually wound mechanical movement,
column-wheel chronograph, chronograph hand, instantaneously jumping
30-minute counter, and subsidiary seconds. Perpetual calendar with day,
month, leap-year cycle and day/night indication in apertures, analog
date. Moon phases.
Number of parts: 456 (of which 182 for the perpetual calendar)
Power reserve: 65 hours
Hallmark: Patek Philippe Seal
Water-resistant to 30 meters
Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle World Time
The Patrimony Traditionnelle World Time model houses the new Calibre
2460WT. Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin, this new
mechanical self-winding movement is distinguished by its capacity to
indicate the world’s 37 time zones, including those offset from
Universal Coordinated Time (UCT) by a half - or quarter-hour – an
exclusive mechanism patented by Vacheron Constantin. The display
consists of three dials: a sapphire dial with a unique day/night
shading; a metal dial with a “Lambert projector” type map; and a metal
chapter ring. Beating at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per
hour) and endowed with a 40-hour power reserve, mechanical self-winding
Calibre 2460WT drives displays of the hours, minutes, central seconds
and World Time. The wearer chooses the reference time and places it
opposite the black triangle at 6 o’clock. The time in the reference
location can then be read off either by the hour hand, or by the
24-hour disc, while the time in the other 36 time zones is
simultaneously readable. The cities shown in black represent the full
time zones, while the cities in red indicate half-hour or quarter-hour
zones.
Specifications
Reference: 86060/000R-9640
The new Patrimony Traditionnelle World Time comes with a 42.5 mm
diameter 18K pink gold case that is water-resistant to 30 metres. It is
fitted with a brown alligator leather strap secured by an 18K pink gold
folding clasp.
Case: 18K 5N Pink gold / 42.50 mm in diameter
Open-worked back with transparent sapphire crystal
Water-Resistance: 3 bar (about 30 meters)
Movement: Vacheron Constantin Calibre 2460WT, developed and
manufactured by Vacheron Constantin, Stamped with the Hallmark of
Geneva. Mechanical, self-winding with 27 jewels, 28,800 vph and a power
reserve of 40 hours.
