Elite Traveler September-October 2018
FERDINAND BERTHOUD CHRONOMÈTRE FB 1R5 EDITION 1785 This five-piece limited series honors Ferdinand Berthoud, one of the forefathers of the marine chronometer. Named for two French ships with Berthoud’s masterpieces aboard that vanished in 1785 during an ill-fated expedition to circumnavigate the globe, this bronze watch pays tribute to the lost pieces. The octagon-shaped cases have an aged patina, each representing a different stage of oxidation, perhaps showing what the chronometers would look like if they were discovered and pulled from the ocean’s depths. The rough-hewn look of the watch is a great contrast to the incredible high-horology movement, caliber FB-T.FC.R, inside. The in-house manual-winding movement consists of a tourbillon and a fusée-and-chain chronometer. It is visible via two portholes on the case side, as well as through the sapphire caseback. The German silver dial features a regulator- style display with hours depicted via a disc at 2 o’clock and minutes at 12 o’clock. The movement, with 53 hours of power reserve, is chronometer certified. $254,000 available at Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud in Fleurier, Switzerland, contact Vincent Lapaire, manager, +41 328 622 121, ferdinandberthoud.ch
CARL F BUCHERER MANERO TOURBILLON DOUBLE PERIPHERAL With two patents filed (one pending), this timepiece emonstrates the brand’s watchmaking expertise. Powered y the CFB T3000movement, developed and designed n-house by the manufacture, it is the world’s first to ombine a peripheral automatic-winding system and a eripherally mounted tourbillon. The caliber is the evolution f the brand’s earlier Manero Peripheral watch, which was quipped with a peripheral oscillating weight. The new watch takes this a step further, introducing a peripherally mounted one-minute flying tourbillon. Supported by three eramic ball bearings, it appears to float unsupported, much like a mysterious tourbillon. The tourbillon features a top-seconds function so that the wearer can synchronize he watch without affecting precision. The COSC-certified hronometer movement incorporates silicon technology, with pallet and escape wheel both made of silicon. he 43mm 18K rose gold watch offers 65 hours of ower reserve. 68,000 available at Provident Jewelry in Jupiter, lorida, contact Nick Linca, managing partner, ick@providentjewelry.com, +1 561 747 4449, arl-f-bucherer.com d b i c p o e c s t c T p $ F n c
Tourbillons have come a long way since their invention by Abraham-Louis Breguet in the early 1800s. The built-in escapement was originally designed to compensate for errors in timekeeping due to the effects of gravity when the watch was worn. But with modern technology increasing precision, there are two schools of thought on the tourbillon escapement. Some consider it to be an unnecessary, albeit beautiful, addition to a timepiece in terms of precision, while watchmaking experts argue that it is still necessary for true isochronism. In recent decades, we have witnessed an astonishing evolution of the tourbillon thanks to innovative concepts and incredible microtechnology tooling and cutting that enable brands to create tinier parts without sacrificing precision. There are single tourbillons lacking upper bridges that appear to float in space, escapements pulled out of the movement and double- and triple-tourbillon axes. But for many, simply having a tourbillon is not enough, which has led to a host of brands combining tourbillons with other complications, including astronomical functions, perpetual calendars and jumping hours; increasing the precision of a tourbillon by using constant force mechanisms or a traditional chain- and-fusée system; and even peripherally mounting the tourbillon. No matter how it is incorporated, though, the tourbillon remains a hypnotic and sought-after complication. TOURBILLONS
BLANCPAIN VILLERET TOURBILLON VOLANT HEURE SAUTANTE MINUTE RÉTROGRADE Since 1989, Blancpain has equipped many of its prestigious Villeret watches with a flying tourbillon. T year, it adds jumping hours and retrograde minut functions to the already complicated piece. C 42mm 18K rose gold case, it houses an all-new hand-decorated movement produced in the b high-watchmaking department. While a flying is devoid of an upper bridge, Blancpain takes t next level and removes the lower bridge as we replacing it with a clear sapphire disc so that t tourbillon cage, balance wheel and escapeme appear to be spinning in space. The classic wh Feu enamel dial is created by Blancpain’s artisan the champlevé technique, wherein the gold dial is hollowed out to create separate portions into which layers of enamel are hand painted, then fired multiple times. The fine finishing of the movement, and the power reserve indicator depicted via a guilloché disc are visible via a transparent sapphire caseback. $148,800, available at Blancpain in New York, contact Andrew Handschin, blancpainboutiquenyc@ swatchgroup.com, +1 212 396 1735, blancpain.com his e reated i , rand’s tourbillon his to the ll, he nt truly ite Grand s using
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