Parmigiani Fleurier Les Roses Carrées Grand Feu La Rosa Celeste

On its 25th anniversary in 2021, Parmigiani Fleurier created an exceptional pocket watch called La Rose Carrée. Based on a Louis-Elysée Piguet calibre with grand sonnerie, entirely restored in the Parmigiani Fleurier workshops, this unique pocket watch continues the legacy of watchmaking art that is precious to the history of the House.

La Rose Carrée has now evolved into Les Roses Carrées, a series composed of 5 unique minute-repeater pieces at the top of the Parmigiani Fleurier range.

On 2nd December 2022, on the occasion of the birthday of its founder Michel Parmigiani, the brand revealed the first creation in this collection: La Rosa Celeste, an extraordinary creation that pays tribute to the age-old artisanal tradition of Grand Feu enamel and to the favorite color of the brand’s founder.

Parmigiani Fleurier Les Roses Carrées Grand Feu La Rosa Celeste

The Rosa Celeste is an example of excellent craftsmanship and fine watchmaking. Its 42 mm white gold case is hand-engraved with the “La Rose Carrée” motif and has a hunter’s caseback. The latter and its chiseled dial are covered with grand feu enamel in blue.

Parmigiani Fleurier Les Roses Carrées Grand Feu La Rosa Celeste

Between the petals of this horological flower, Parmigiani Fleurier has concealed a manually wound minute repeater calibre with cathedral gongs. Its skeletonization and bevelling bring together the best of Parmigiani Fleurier’s watchmaking expertise and craftsmanship in a unique and poetic piece.

This motif was engraved on the case middle and covers by hand, without the slightest margin for error on the vast, convex surfaces. The covers were then finished in a deep blue Grand Feu enamel.

Parmigiani Fleurier Les Roses Carrées Grand Feu La Rosa Celeste

La Rosa Celeste carries all the hallmarks of La Rose Carrée pocket watch. With the Rosa Celeste, these details have been taken to a higher level of wearability and simplicity, making this piece just as unique as the original model.

This model also heralds a series entirely dedicated to the celebration of handmade watchmaking craftsmanship according to Parmigiani Fleurier.“Les Roses Carrées” will be the name and the thread that ties these pieces together.

In this execution, the watch case is mounted on a blue, hand-sewn alligator leather strap, the reverse side of which is also in alligator leather. With a diameter of 42 mm, the case is cut from white gold blocks.

Parmigiani Fleurier Les Roses Carrées Grand Feu La Rosa Celeste

The bezel, lugs and caseband are hand-engraved with the La Rose Carrée motif. These notches are engraved with a chisel into the hard surfaces of the metal, one inside the other in an algorithmic progression. This work requires extreme precision, an impressive investment of time, and a steady hand that is ensured by years of experience.

A hinge located at 2 o’clock on the reverse side of this unique piece articulates its hunter’s back. Its outer face bears a large square fractal rose, also hand-engraved and covered with multiple layers of colored enamel. On its other side, this unique piece features a dial of solid white gold, with a surface engraved by hand.

Parmigiani Fleurier Les Roses Carrées Grand Feu La Rosa Celeste

Countless small carvings are made with immaculate regularity throughout the breadth and depth of the dial. Once the surface has been prepared, the enameler takes over and applies the same shade as on the hunter’s caseback, striving for an identical level of nuance and a play of light made possible by the depth of the work done by the artisanal engraver. In both cases, dial and cover, the technique used is Grand Feu enamel.

To the movement’s extreme aesthetic refinement, Parmigiani Fleurier has added horological substance on a comparable level. The noblest, most historic complication, the one most directly in line with Michel Parmigiani’s watchmaking practice as a restorer, was chosen to enliven Rosa Celeste: the minute repeater. But striking the hours, quarters and minutes on demand was not enough for this rare timekeeping rose.

The gongs on which the sound is produced are cathedral gongs. Their exceptional length, spanning one and a half trips around the movement, brings a deeper, richer sound, a more sustained vibration and a more palpable intensity. In order to allow this potential to be fully expressed, the case has been carefully designed to optimize the sound of the movement.

The movement is suspended in the case and the heel of the gongs is physically connected to the case by a double screwing. The caseback and case middle have been redesigned to create resonance pockets and to lighten the white gold mass. These two aspects contribute to increasing the acoustic quality of the ringing and its range.

Parmigiani Fleurier Les Roses Carrées Grand Feu La Rosa Celeste

A final quality criterion is that the ringing sequence automatically skips dead time. Thus, at 3:19, the three chimes for the hour are immediately followed by a double chime for the quarter-hour and again, without silence, by up to four chimes for the minute.

This device, which is unusual in the world of minute repeaters, is an indispensable characteristic for Parmigiani Fleurier. The maison’s legendary criteria for ergonomics and directly perceptible quality are also reflected in a running time extended to 72 hours, i.e. three full days, another rarity for this complication.

Parmigiani Fleurier Les Roses Carrées Grand Feu La Rosa Celeste
The movement, although hidden by a solid dial on one side and by its hunter’s caseback on the other, has nevertheless been the object of an artistic and extensive skeletonization.

The shape given to the bridges, the cut-out of their profile, and the size and extent of their openwork are artistic signatures, markers of aesthetic identity and indicators of the care given to execution and details. Parmigiani Fleurier has taken this approach to the extreme.

Parmigiani Fleurier Les Roses Carrées Grand Feu La Rosa Celeste

The skeletonization of the PF355 calibre is reminiscent of that of the PF361 calibre, known as the Chronor, which was launched in 2016.

With its curves and counter-curves, harmonious inflections, the depth of the chamfers and its 114 inward and outward angles, Rosa Celeste is the product of unparalleled achievement. The bevelling, polishing and surface treatments are all done by hand.

Technical details

Model: Parmigiani Fleurier Les Roses Carrées – Collection Grand Feu Rosa Celeste
Ref: PFH991-2010002-300181

Movement
Caliber PF355
Manual Winding with Minute Repeater on Cathedral Gongs, Continuous Chiming Sequence
Power reserve: 72 hours
Frequency: 21,600 Vph (3 Hz)
Jewels: 35
No. of components: 392
Diameter: 30 mm
Thickness: 6.55 mm
Finishings: Côtes de Genève, open-worked bridges, hand-beveling and circular graining

Functions
Hour, minutes, minute repeater

Case
Material: 18k white gold
Finishing: polished and hand-engraved with “La Rose Carrée” pattern
Diameter: 42 mm
Thickness: 13.39 mm
Crown: Ø 6.4 mm topped with cabochon-cut natural sapphire
Crystal: Anti-reflective sapphire
Caseback: sapphire crystal
Hunter caseback: 18k white gold, hand-engraved with “La Rose Carée” pattern, “Grand feu” enamel, interior engraving, “Rosa Celeste”, “PF” seal and Michel Parmigiani’s signature.
Caseback engraving serial number, “Parmigiani Fleurier,” Swiss Made, and « Pièce unique »
Water resistance: 10 m

Dial
Finishings: hand-engraved with chiseled pattern
Color: blue “Grand feu” enamel
Indices: hand-applied, 18k gold, rhodium-plated appliques

Hands
Hours and minutes: 18k gold, rhodium-plated, skeletonized, delta-shaped hands

Bracelet
Blue alligator leather strap, double-sided, hand-stitched
Buckle: 18k white gold pin buckle with hand-engraved “La Rose Carée” pattern

Recommended retail price
600’000 CHF

Omega Speedmaster Chrono Chime

Along with the luxurious Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime timepiece, OMEGA has unveiled a special Speedmaster “Numbered Edition” powered by the 1932 Calibre.

The Speedmaster Chrono Chime has a 45 mm diameter 18K Sedna™ Gold case inspired by the 2nd generation Speedmaster. The Caliber Omega 1932 is the most complicated movement the brand has ever produced.

Omega Speedmaster Chrono Chime

The dial, in blue aventurine “Grand Feu” enamel, features an inner bezel and subdials in the same 18K Sedna™ Gold “exclusive acoustic waves” as the Olympic Games tribute.

The hour markers and hour/minute hands are in diamond-polished 18K Sedna™ Gold. Blued CVD subdial hands and a red tipped dial hand add extra touches of colour to the display.

Omega Speedmaster Chrono Chime

Although the movement is the same as that of Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime, the functional and decorative pushers are in different positions: The chime at 8 o’clock and split seconds at 2 o’clock.

For the Speedmaster, OMEGA turned the 1932 calibre around to suit the configuration of the case and accommodate the two subdials. Completing the look is a bracelet and buckle in 18K Sedna™ Gold.

Omega Speedmaster Chrono Chime

Each Omega Speedmaster Chrono Chime watch will be delivered in a special walnut presentation box with resonance plate.

Technical details

Model: Omega Speedmaster Chrono Chime Co-Axial Master Chronometer Chronograph 45 mm
Reference 522.50.45.52.03.001

Movement
Calibre: OMEGA 1932
Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre developed with Blancpain
Fully integrated chronograph and minute repeater
Co-Axial escapement
Frequency: 5 Hz
1/10th of a second
Finishing: satin-brushed, mirror polished
Gold weight: 40 grams
Power reserve: 60 hours

Case
Sedna™ gold case
Diameter: 45 mm
Between lugs: 21 mm
Thickness: 17.3 mm
Tachymeter bezel
Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 metres / 100 feet)
Transparent case back

Dial
Colour: Blue

Bracelet
Sedna™ gold bracelet with fold-over butterfly clasp with comfort setting

Total product weight (Approx.)
326 g

Other features
Master chronometer certified
Numbered edition

Omega Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime

Swiss luxury watch brand Omega presents Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime, an outstanding mechanical timepiece paying homage to the world’s first minute repeater wristwatch produced by OMEGA in 1892 to the pocket chronographs used to time the Los Angeles 1932 Olympic Games, which marked OMEGA’s debut as Official Timekeeper.

Omega Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime

Inside this extremely complex mechanical watch beats OMEGA’s Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 1932, a fully integrated chronograph and minute repeater movement with the Co-Axial escapement.

The manual-wound OMEGA Calibre 1932 beats at 5 Hz to display 1/10th of a second, like the pocket chronographs used to time the Los Angeles 1932 Olympic Games.

Omega Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime movement caliber 1932

The watchmakers added three chime cams to the already complicated chronograph mechanism, include two security functions to prevent mal-manipulation, and integrate a split-seconds function. Moreover, this Master Chronometer certified calibre is capable of withstanding external magnetic fields of 15,000 gauss. This extraordinary movement also carries 17 patents, related to the function of the Calibre 1932, its antimagnetic technology and the watch’s external parts.

Omega Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime movement caliber 1932

Satin-brushed and mirror polished, this luxurious handmade calibre with 46.44 grams of gold is not only a technological marvel, it is also thing of beauty.

The Omega Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime watch has an 18K Sedna™ gold case with a diameter of 45 mm. It has a “Grand Feu” enamel dial, graced with a 925 Silver hand-made guilloché inner bezel and subdials in OMEGA’s unique “exclusive acoustic waves” pattern, evoking the sound waves produced by the watch’s chimes.

Omega Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime

OMEGA’s 18K Sedna™ Gold produces a beautiful sound when struck. Double hammers, fitted with an insert of hardened steel, hit pitch-perfect 18K Sedna™ Gold gongs, hand-tuned by OMEGA’s watchmakers. Fixed to the case body to produce maximum chime, these gongs are inspired by the bells used by OMEGA to signal the last lap at the Olympic Games and other sporting events.

On the dial, the 18K Sedna™ Gold central hour/minute hands are in blued PVD, as are the subdial hands on the small seconds at 6 o’clock and 15-minute recorder at 12 o’clock.

For easy readability, the display includes a blued CVD central seconds hand and red-varnished split-seconds hand. There is a further tribute to 1932 in the Arabic numerals and minute track in black “Petit Feu” enamel.

Omega Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime watch

The chime pusher at 5 o’clock sports a charming polished and embossed music note. The split-seconds pusher at 11 o’clock has a polished ring filled in with red hybrid ceramic to mirror the look of the split-seconds hand.

The 18K Sedna™ Gold caseback is engraved with the words Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games, Co-Axial Master Chronometer and the watch’s number.

Omega Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime case-back view movement caliber 1932

The brown leather strap with 18K Sedna™ Gold buckle includes OMEGA’s new Quick-Change patented system. The special presentation box includes an additional leather strap and two leather cords, allowing the “timekeeper” to wear it as a discreet pocket watch or a stopwatch around the neck.

Omega Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime watch

The walnut presentation box features a resonance plate made of spruce to amplify the precise rhythm, tone, harmony and length of each chime.

Technical details

Model Omega Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime Specialities
Reference 522.53.45.52.04.001

Movement
Calibre OMEGA 1932
Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 1932, developed with Blancpain
Fully integrated chronograph and minute repeater
1/10th of a second chronograph
Frequency: 5 Hz
Satin-brushed and mirror polished
Gold weight: 40 grams
Anti-magnetic: 15,000 gauss
Power reserve: 60 hours

Functions
Chronograph with split-seconds function
Minute repeater
Small seconds

Case
Sedna™ gold case
Diameter: 45 mm
Between lugs: 18 mm
Thickness: 16.9 mm
Domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with antireflective treatment on both sides
Transparent case back
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 metres / 100 feet)

Dial
Colour: White

Strap
Brown leather strap
Strap surface: Alligator leather
Strap underside: Non-grained calf leather
Buckle: Pin buckle in Sedna™ Gold

Total product weight (Approx.)
186 g

Edition
Numbered edition

Hermès ARCEAU Pocket cheval punk

Hermès has created a unique tourbillon minute repeater pocket watch that combines artistic techniques like engraving and enamelling with complex horological mechanisms.

The unique Arceau Pocket cheval punk reveals a playful alliance of craftsmanship and fine watchmaking. Its open-worked white gold cover, adorned with an engraved equestrian profile painted in miniature enamel, frames a champlevé enamelled dial and a Hermès tourbillon minute repeater movement.

Hermès ARCEAU Pocket cheval punk
© Joel Von Allmen

The punk horse motif is drawn from a men’s silk scarf designed by Daiske Nomura in 2021. The Japanese designer illustrator, who loves to divert and stage the company’s emblems, was inspired by a figurine from the Emile Hermès collection: a horse whose thick mane evokes a punk crest.

The artist has mixed in numerous elements from the museum in a whimsical and futuristic interpretation of the Hermès universe.

Hermès ARCEAU Pocket cheval punk
© Joel Von Allmen

Fashioned in white gold, the horse with its flamboyant crest, harness and tattoo combines several demanding techniques and gives a glimpse of movement. Hundreds of hours of meticulous work bring the silhouette to life beneath under the burins and chisels of the master engraver, before being painted in miniature enamel.

Its slim cut-out then reveals an equally meticulous creation: a crisscrossed gold dial crafted in champlevé enamel. To achieve this, the artisan applies several layers of coloured glass powders mixed with natural oils to the engraved cavities, which are successively dried and fired in the kiln.

Hermès ARCEAU Pocket cheval punk
© Joel Von Allmen

The cheval punk watch comes in an elegant round white gold case measuring 48 mm in diameter. It is equipped with the Hermès H1924 tourbillon minute repeater movement. An abyss blue alligator strap is attached to the rectangular stirrup and highlights the deep nuances of the decoration.

Technical details

Model: Hermès ARCEAU Pocket cheval punk
One-of-a-kind creation

Movement
Manufacture Hermès H1924 movement
Mechanical hand-wound, Swiss made
Diameter: 30 mm (13 ¼ ‘’’)
Thickness: 6.1 mm
Power reserve: 90 hours
Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
Functions: minute repeater, hours, minutes

Case
Shape/size: Round, 48 mm diameter
Material: White gold
Glass: Anti-glare sapphire crystal and case-back
Water resistance: q3 bar

Cover
Cover in engraved and miniature-enamel painted white gold

Dial
Dial in champlevé enamelled white gold
Orange transferred saddle-stitched motif

Cord-strap
Abyss blue alligator

Hermès ARCEAU Lift Tourbillon Répétition Minutes So Black Limited Edition

Issued in a numbered 24-piece limited series, the Arceau Lift tourbillon répétition minutes so black watch by Hermès features a black grand feu enamel dial revealing part of its captivating mechanism.

Hermès ARCEAU Lift Tourbillon Répétition Minutes So Black Limited Edition
© Joel Von Allmen

It combines two magnificent horological complications. The complex mechanism of the double-gong minute repeater can be admired through the horse-shaped dial cut-out. The flying tourbillon is revealed through a round aperture at 6 o’clock.

The double-H tourbillon structure of the ARCEAU Lift Tourbillon Répétition Minutes So Black watch is inspired by an emblematic motif of the Hermès boutique in the Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. This distinctive design surmounting the carriage and barrel bridge echoes the shape of the wrought iron adorning the entrance, railings, staircase and elevator of the Parisian establishment.

Hermès ARCEAU Lift Tourbillon Répétition Minutes So Black Limited Edition
© Joel Von Allmen

Swept over by slender, hollowed-out hands, the dial is punctuated by sloping numerals evoking a galloping horse, the signature of the Arceau line.

Hermès ARCEAU Lift Tourbillon Répétition Minutes So Black Limited Edition
© Joel Von Allmen

The dial cut-outs and the sapphire case-back reveal the Manufacture Hermès H1924 mechanical hand-wound movement ensuring a crystal-clear chime for the minute repeater. The titanium case measuring 43 mm in diameter is fitted on a matt black alligator strap.

Technical details

Model: Hermès ARCEAU Lift Tourbillon Répétition Minutes So Black

Edition
Numbered 24-piece limited edition

Movement
Manufacture Hermès H1924 movement
Mechanical hand-wound, Swiss made
Diameter: 30 mm (13 ¼ ‘’’)
Thickness: 8.89 mm
Power reserve: 80 hours
Frequency: 21,600 vph (3Hz)
Functions: minute repeater chiming on two gongs, hours, minutes
Distinctive feature: flying tourbillon

Case
Shape/size: round, 43 mm in diameter
Material: titanium
Glass: anti-glare sapphire crystal and case-back
Water resistance: 3 bar

Dial
Grand feu black enamel

Strap
Black alligator

H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Aqua Blue

With the Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Aqua Blue, H. Moser & Cie. presents one of the most traditional and romantic watch complications and combines it with a magnificent flying tourbillon.

H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Aqua Blue

Drawing attention to the minute repeater mechanism, it has taken the bold decision to position the two shaped gongs and the hammers on the dial side, in a brand-new design. This involved overcoming many technical challenges. In particular, the chimes had to be curved so as not to interfere with the flying tourbillon and keep the design understated.

H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Aqua Blue

The H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Aqua Blue watch features a 40 mm diameter case in red gold or titanium. This specially designed case architecture optimizes the sound and achieves the perfect balance between volume, resonance and harmony. The case middle has been widened to the maximum in order to accommodate the movement while allowing enough space to create a soundbox.

H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Aqua Blue red gold model

This amplifies the chiming of hours, quarter-hours and minutes by two gongs, onto which fall two hammers that are raised based on information provided by different feeler-spindles.

H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Aqua Blue

The Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Aqua Blue has been designed to retain classic, perfectly balanced dimensions and proportions.

At six o’clock, the one-minute flying tourbillon is visible behind a skeletonised bridge. Boldly contemporary, the tourbillon appears to float weightlessly above the “Grand Feu” enamel dial.

H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Aqua Blue titanium model

Starting with a pattern engrained onto a gold base, as if hammered, four different colour pigments are washed, finely crushed, then applied to create an ombré effect. It took approximately one hour of careful work for the master enameller to painstakingly apply the pigments, adding them one by one so that the colours oxidise and meld together when heated in the furnace, without any pixellation. A translucent “Grand Feu” enamel dial must be fired twelve times in total to create the signature H. Moser & Cie. fumé effect.

H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Aqua Blue

Each dial is unique and has a particularly striking texture and an intense Aqua Blue hue. The watch dial comes with no logo or indices. The magnificent HMC 904 hand-wound calibre can be admired through the sapphire crystal case back.

Technical details

Model: H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Aqua Blue

References
Reference 1904-0400, 18-carat red gold model, Aqua Blue fumé dial, brown alligator leather strap, limited edition of 20 pieces
Reference 1904-0500, titanium model, Aqua Blue fumé dial, black alligator leather strap, limited edition of 20 pieces

Case
18-carat red gold or titanium
Diameter: 40.0 mm/height: 13.5 mm
Sapphire crystal
Sliding bolt with runner made from Teflon
See-through sapphire crystal case back
Crown adorned with an “M”

Dial
Aqua Blue fumé “Grand Feu” enamel with hammered texture
Hammers and chimes on dial side
Leaf-shaped hour and minute hands

Movement
HMC 904 hand-wound calibre, partially skeletonised
Diameter: 33.0 mm/height: 9.62 mm
Frequency: 21,600 Vib/h
35 jewels
Power reserve: 90 hours
Double Moser stripes on the plate and bridges
Movement and components hand-finished and decorated
One-minute flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock with skeletonised bridge
Minute repeater

Functions
Hours and minutes
Minute repeater with hour, quarter-hour and minute chimes

Strap
Hand-stitched alligator leather
Red gold or titanium pin buckle, engraved with the Moser logo

Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Tourbillon Limited Edition in Ethical 18-Carat Rose Gold

Chopard expands its L.U.C Haute Horlogerie collection by introducing a multi complication timepiece incorporating the brand’s emblematic striking minute repeater mechanism and tourbillon. Limited to 20 pieces, this watch features an ethical 18-carat rose gold case.

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the L.U.C collection, the L.U.C Full Strike Tourbillon model is one of the most sophisticated and most innovative Grand Complication watches ever created to date.

Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Tourbillon Limited Edition in Ethical 18-Carat Rose Gold

It follows in the footsteps of Chopard’s L.U.C Full Strike minute repeater timepieces, of which the first ethical rose gold edition was awarded the “Aiguille d’Or” best-in-show award at the 2017 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. These timepieces feature a unique Chopard-patented system in which the gongs and sapphire crystal form a single entity, which resonates in its entirety to produce the chime.

Dressed in a 42.5 mm diameter and 12.58 mm thick case, the L.U.C Full Strike Tourbillon is distinguished by well-balanced proportions contributing to the characteristic elegance of the L.U.C collection. With its interplay of grey and gold colours between the case and strap, dial and hands, as well as between the movement’s steel and nickel silver components, this watch flaunts its aesthetic perfection at every level.

Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Tourbillon Limited Edition in Ethical 18-Carat Rose Gold

For the first time in the history of the Full Strike, the L.U.C Full Strike Tourbillon model has an almost entirely solid dial. Instead of broadly revealing the watch’s internal mechanisms, it reserves its openings for the two horological complications that make this piece so special.

The first cut-out between 9 and 11 o’clock, highlights the two mirror-polished steel hammers whose striking generates the chime. The other, at 6 o’clock, reveals the tourbillon of the L.U.C 08.02-L calibre.

Thanks to a cross-through sapphire crystal tourbillon bridge, nothing obscures the view of the spiral-shaped carriage bridge. The final touch, made possible by the use of sapphire with its multiple properties, lies in the four rounded notches. This L.U.C signature tourbillon bridge is derived from a design by the founder of the Maison, Louis-Ulysse Chopard.

Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Tourbillon Limited Edition in Ethical 18-Carat Rose Gold

The dial is made from a base plate in solid gold and this material remains visible along the openings, featuring mirror-polished edges. It also features a hand-guilloché radiating floral pattern belonging to the collection’s aesthetic repertoire that is then ruthenium grey-coloured by means of a galvanic treatment.

It is complemented by applied Roman numeral hour-markers and hands, all of which are gilded in a rose gold matching the case. The latter, like all Chopard’s watch and jewellery creations since 2018, is crafted from ethical gold.

Chopard Manufacture watchmakers have placed the tourbillon of the L.U.C 08.02-L calibre at 6 o’clock, beneath the seconds hand. Its high-quality steel carriage picks up the distinctive spiral design – a signature of L.U.C tourbillons.

This regulator further enhances the precision of the movement, a subject to which Chopard’s Co-President, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, takes a resolutely uncompromising approach. It combats the adverse effects of gravity on the balance-spring and escapement by placing them in a variety of spatial positions.

The tourbillon placed on the Chopard Manufacture minute repeater mechanism thereby contributes to the extreme precision of L.U.C Calibre 08.02-L as well as to the obtention of chronometer certification from the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute.

The L.U.C Full Strike Tourbillon is not a mere modification of the L.U.C Full Strike. Moving from a calibre comprising 533 components to one with 568 is not an addition, but a revolution. The decision to include a tourbillon regulator required a complete development process that involved rethinking interactions and layouts.

With such a delicate complication subject to as many parameters as the minute repeater, the Chopard Manufacture workshops had to ensure that this tourbillon would not in any way modify the acoustic qualities of the chime.

This equilibrium is preserved by the sapphire gongs that are all-of-a-piece with the watch glass, which acts as a resonator. Moreover, the fact that the minute repeater has its own barrel naturally eliminates any energy-related interference, while the presence of the tourbillon does not alter the striking reserve.

Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Tourbillon Limited Edition in Ethical 18-Carat Rose Gold

L.U.C Calibre 08.02-L inherits the unprecedented advances featured in the L.U.C 08.01-L: the first minute repeater movement introduced by Chopard Manufacture in 2016. In addition to its resonant structure, whose role is taken on by the sapphire crystal, several innovative technical systems have been added.

It also benefits from the innovations introduced in L.U.C Calibre 02.01-L in 2003. A total of seven are the subject of patents. In a minute repeater mechanism, the energy used by the strikework is provided each time the arming lever is activated.

Here, the energy comes from a separate, dedicated barrel wound directly by the crown. It enables the L.U.C Full Strike Tourbillon to chime a maximum of 12 times the most complex and energy-intensive time: namely 12 hours and 59 minutes.

This exceptional power reserve is due to several factors. Benefiting from a patented clutch-lever device, it ensures that the strikework gear train is blocked to avoid losing power reserve during the information capture that controls the minute repeater.

Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Tourbillon Limited Edition in Ethical 18-Carat Rose Gold

Keen to preserve the user-friendliness of the minute repeater and to make its operation as secure as possible, Chopard Manufacture has introduced a number of innovative systems. Thus, if the barrel no longer has sufficient force to power the minute repeater, a safety mechanism blocks its release. In addition, Chopard has filed a patent for a new strikework-activation device. As soon as it is activated, the pusher is disengaged, thereby making it impossible to disturb the running of the minute repeater or to damage it.

So as to optimise and perpetuate the acoustic richness of the monobloc sapphire crystal/gong system derived from the L.U.C Full Strike, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele has initiated a new approach. In 2018, while attending a concert given by violinist Renaud Capuçon, he realised that a minute repeater watch should be designed as a musical instrument and should deliver something more – namely emotion.

Renaud Capuçon is a virtuoso of his time as well as a specialist in acoustics and sound – just like his brother, cellist Gautier Capuçon. Both play instruments that are several hundred years old and which embody a perfection and uniqueness that have stood the test of time.

Karl-Friedrich Scheufele decided to call upon the two soloists to join forces with Professor Romain Boulandet – head of the Applied Acoustics Laboratory at Geneva’s HEPIA engineering school – whose work in an anechoic chamber perfectly isolated from noise pollution has demonstrated that the sound of Chopard’s minute repeater is powerful, harmonious and crystal clear.

Together, these experts have combined their skill and knowledge to conduct an analysis that goes beyond the purely measurable criteria of acoustics to enter another dimension: that of sound as perceived by the listener. The L.U.C Full Strike Tourbillon timepiece benefits from their analysis and their contribution, both scientific and emotional.

Thanks to Chopard’s unalterable sapphire gongs, the sound of the L.U.C Full Strike Tourbillon is unchanging, stemming from the orchestration of complementary talents: Karl-Friedrich Scheufele for watchmaking precision; Renaud and Gautier Capuçon for artistic and emotional endorsement; and Romain Boulandet for scientific expertise.

Technical details

Model: Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Tourbillon
Ref. 161987-5001

Edition
Numbered 20-piece limited edition in ethical 18-carat rose gold

Case
Ethical 18-carat rose gold
Total diameter 42.5 mm
Thickness 12.58 mm
Crown with integrated strikework pusher in ethical 18-carat rose gold with L.U.C logo 8.80 mm
Vertical satin-brushed caseband
Polished bezel and case-back, hand-engraved case-back
Exhibition back with sapphire crystal

Movement
Mechanical hand-wound L.U.C 08.02-L
Number of components: 568
Total diameter: 37.20 mm
Thickness: 8.90 mm
Number of jewels: 61
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 50 hours
Mainplate and bridges in untreated nickel silver
Bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève motif
Chopard-patented one-minute tourbillon regulator equipped with a Chopard-patented monobloc pallet-lever
Minute repeater
Chopard-patented monobloc sapphire crystal and gongs
Chopard-patented variable-inertia balance
Chopard-patented clutch-lever device serving to block the strikework so as to avoid losing power reserve during information capture
Chopard-patented dedicated ratchet-driving mechanism serving to avoid pauses during chiming
Strikework-activation device serving to act on the pusher whether while it is chiming or not, in normal, low, continuous or fast mode (Patent pending)
Balance-spring with Phillips terminal curve
Chronometer-certified by the COSC
Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark

Dial
Dial in ruthenium grey hand-guilloché 18-carat rose gold
Chapter ring with snailed concentric circle pattern
Applied gilded Roman numerals
White transferred power-reserve graduations
Gilded Dauphine fusée-type hours and minutes hands
Gilded baton-type small seconds hand
Gilded baton-type power-reserve and strikework power-reserve hands
Railway-type minutes track engraved on the sapphire crystal
Tourbillon bridge in glare-proofed sapphire crystal

Functions
Minute repeater striking sapphire gongs (Chopard-patented system)
Tourbillon with small seconds display at 6 o’clock
Central display of the hours and minutes
Concentric display of the watch and strikework power reserves at 2 o’clock
Stop-seconds function

Strap
Strap in hand-sewn grey alligator leather with grey alligator lining
Folding clasp in polished and satin-brushed ethical 18-carat rose gold

Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire Limited Edition

Created to mark the 25th anniversary of the Chopard L.U.C collection, the limited edition Full Strike Sapphire is the first minute repeater watch whose case is made entirely of sapphire.

The 42.5 mm diameter case is 11.55 mm thick, with well-balanced proportions identical to previous versions of the L.U.C Full Strike, and which contribute to the characteristic elegance of the L.U.C collection. The bezel, caseband, crown, case-back and rear glass are all made of sapphire crystal.

Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire Limited Edition

In addition, the dial too is made of sapphire. Its distinctively cut shape enhances the indication elements essential for reading. Absolute transparency can in fact have the effect of blurring the view and Chopard has remedied this by creating a railway-type minutes track engraved on the sapphire crystal and painted.

It complements a chapter ring punctuated with rhodium-plated herringbone-shaped applied hour-markers, and black transferred counterparts. The sapphire ring is interrupted by three elements. The first is the off-centre seconds counter. The second is an applied white gold plate bearing the “L.U.CHOPARD” logo.

The third is the concentric power-reserve indicator in which two hands respectively indicate the energy remaining in the barrel that drives the movement as well as in the other powering the minute repeater.

Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire Limited Edition

The L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire is the first non-metallic timepiece to bear the prestigious Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark, covering both the design and finishing of the movement and the case. In addition, the L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire watch inherits the latest advances with which the L.U.C 08.01-L movement is endowed. Its patented resonant sapphire structure is complemented by several innovative technical systems, four of which are patented.

In a minute repeater mechanism, the energy required by the strikework is provided each time the winding lever is activated. Here, the energy comes from a separate, dedicated barrel wound directly by the crown. It enables the L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire to chime the most complex and energy-intensive time of day (or night) – namely 12 hours and 59 minutes – up to 12 times.

Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire Limited Edition

This exceptional autonomy is due to several factors. It benefits from the contribution of a patented clutch-lever mechanism that ensures that the strikework going train is blocked, to avoid losing power reserve during the information capture that controls the minute repeater.

This autonomy is moreover also the result of Chopard Manufacture’s experience in multiple barrels. Since it has an autonomous energy source, the strikework systematically respects the defined rhythm, whatever the time that is chimed and however many times it chimes.

Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire Limited Edition

Keen to preserve the user-friendliness of the minute repeater and to make its operation as secure as possible, Chopard Manufacture has introduced a number of innovative systems. Thus, if the barrel no longer has sufficient force to power the minute repeater, a safety mechanism blocks its release. In addition, Chopard has filed a patent for a new strikework-activation device. As soon as it is activated, the pusher is disengaged, thereby making it impossible to disturb the running of the minute repeater or to damage it.

So as to optimise and perpetuate the acoustic richness of the monobloc sapphire crystal/gong system derived from the L.U.C Full Strike, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele has initiated a new approach. In 2018, while attending a concert given by violinist Renaud Capuçon, he realised that a minute repeater watch should be designed as a musical instrumentand should deliver something more – namely emotion.

Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire Limited Edition

Renaud Capuçon is a specialist in acoustics and sound – just like his brother, cellist Gautier Capuçon. Both play instruments that are several hundred years old and which embody a perfection and uniqueness that have stood the test of time.

Karl-Friedrich Scheufele decided to call upon the two soloists to join forces with Professor Romain Boulandet – head of the Applied Acoustics Laboratory at Geneva’s HEPIA engineering school – whose work in an anechoic chamber perfectly isolated from noise pollution has demonstrated that the sound of Chopard’s minute repeater is powerful, harmonious and crystal clear.

Together, these experts have combined their skill and knowledge to conduct an analysis that goes beyond the purely measurable criteria of acoustics to enter another dimension: that of sound as perceived by the listener. The L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire timepiece benefits from their analysis and their contribution.

Technical details

Model: Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire
Numbered five-piece limited edition in sapphire
Ref. 168604-9001

Case
Transparent sapphire
Total diameter 42.50 mm
Thickness 11.55 mm
Crown with integrated strikework pusher in sapphire, with L.U.C logo 8.80 mm
Polished caseband, bezel and case-back, engraved case-back
Exhibition case-back fitted with sapphire crystal
Sapphire crystal with two Chopard-patented integrated monobloc gongs

Movement
Mechanical hand-wound L.U.C 08.01-L
Number of components: 533
Total diameter: 37.20 mm
Thickness: 7.97 mm
Number of jewels: 63
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 60 hours
Mainplate and bridges in untreated nickel silver
Bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève motif
Minute repeater
Chopard-patented monobloc sapphire crystal and gongs
Chopard-patented variable-inertia balance
Chopard-patented clutch-lever device serving to block the strikework so as to avoid losing power reserve during information capture
Chopard-patented dedicated ratchet-driving mechanism serving to avoid pauses during chiming
Strikework-activation device serving to act on the pusher whether it is chiming or not, in normal, low, continuous or fast mode (patent pending)
Balance-spring with Phillips terminal curve
Chronometer-certified by the COSC
Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark

Dial and hands
Open-worked sapphire dial
Applied logo plate in 18-carat white gold with black transfers
Satin-brushed chapter ring
Satin-brushed small seconds
Railway-type minutes track engraved on the sapphire crystal
Black transfers
Applied rhodium-plated herringbone-type hour-markers
Applied rhodium-plated Dauphine hours and minutes hands
Rhodium-plated baton-type small seconds hand
Rhodium-plated baton-type movement power-reserve and strikework power-reserve hands

Functions
Minute repeater striking sapphire gongs (Chopard-patented system)
Central display of the hours and minutes
Small seconds display at 6 o’clock
Concentric display of the watch and strikework power reserves at 2 o’clock
Stop-seconds function

Strap and buckle
Strap in hand-sewn grey alligator leather with grey alligator lining
Folding clasp in polished and satin-brushed ethical 18-carat white gold

Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater, Ref. 103669

Bvlgari has unveiled a new version of its ultra-thin Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater watch.

In 2016, two years after the debut of the Octo Finissimo collection, Bulgari released the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater, the thinnest chiming watch on the market.

Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater, Ref. 103669

Remarkably complex and slender (3.12 mm for the movement and 6.85 mm for the case), this timepiece immediately stands out by its modern and refined design.

Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater, Ref. 103669

Crafted in ultra-light titanium, its octagonal case measuring 40 mm in diameter opens onto a dial also in titanium, with open-worked hour-markers and small seconds. These stylised apertures further amplify the excellent acoustic properties of titanium.

Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater, Ref. 103669

Today, Bulgari revisits the bold and powerful style of this grand complication in a very contemporary version in sandblasted titanium with a matte blue open-worked dial and structured rubber strap.

Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater, Ref. 103669

The understated and contemporary design frames a manual-winding in-house movement: the ultra-thin BVL 362 calibre driving the hours, minutes, small seconds and minute repeater functions.

Technical details

Model: Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater, Ref. 103669

Movement
Mechanical ultra-thin Manufacture manual-winding movement with minute repeater and small seconds – calibre BVL 362 (3.12 mm thick). 42-hour power reserve, 21’600 VPH (3 Hz) frequency.

Case and dial
40 mm sandblasted titanium case with transparent caseback, 6.85 mm thick, titanium crown with black ceramic insert and titanium push-buttons; open-worked matte blue dial with small second counter, titanium hands. Water resistant to 3 ATM.

Bracelet
Blue FKM rubber bracelet with sun-blasted titanium buckle.