Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the iconic Carrera collection, TAG Heuer presents a new Carrera Plasma Chronograph Tourbillon watch incorporating the Diamant d’Avant-Garde technology.
This breakthrough technology allowed the Swiss luxury watchmaker to introduce lab-grown diamonds on case, crown, dial and indexes of the TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma Tourbillon Nanograph in 2022. This year, the brand takes its cutting-edge and industry-defining CVD expertise one step further, adding lab-grown diamonds in custom, creative shapes to the exclusive timepiece’s aluminum bezel and bracelet.
The spectacular new TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma Diamant D’Avant-Garde is a matte black chronograph echoing the signature features of the TAG Heuer Carrera, with its highly legible, uncluttered bicompax dial, facetted lugs, sporty elegance, reliability, and a timeless spirit.
The 44-mm case, bezel and bracelet are made of sleek black sandblasted anodized aluminum, set with lab-grown diamonds of various imaginative shapes throughout. The case includes 48 lab-gown diamonds for 4.3 carats, the bezel features 26 for a total of 1.9 carats, while the bracelet holds 34 for a total weight of 1.9 carat.
The crown is a 2.5-carat single lab-grown diamond, cut specifically for this piece and optimized to make it even more symmetric. The two steel chronograph pushers at 2 and 6 o’clock have been enhanced with a black DLC coating, to match the watch’s modern matte aesthetic and boldly frame the bright diamond crown.
The arresting dial is made of 4.9 carats composed of 12 diamonds and 3 polycrystalline diamond plates, one of the most groundbreaking features of this piece. This unique dial design is punctuated by 12 indexes made of white gold set with lab-grown diamonds.
The hours and minutes hands are rhodium-plated with matte black lacquer and white Super- LumiNova® for optimal legibility, joining the fine rhodium-plated central hand.
At 3 and 9 o’clock one finds the two elegantly contrasting minutes and hours chronograph sub-counters made of black polycrystalline diamond and animated by finely polished rhodium-plated hands.
The black aluminum bracelet echoes the signature TAG Heuer Carrera H-shaped link tapered bracelet, dotted with a constellation of 34 avant-garde diamonds of a total 1.9 carats. It comes with a steel double folding clasp with safety push buttons, in matching matte black.
With almost every visible component of the standout new chronograph set with Diamant d’Avant-Garde diamonds, the piece weighs a total of 15.5 carats (124 diamonds in total). These lab-grown diamonds attentively selected for the TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma are manufactured by a network of partners, such as Lusix and Diamaze.
Inside this watch beats the Heuer 02 Tourbillon Nanograph Calibre. Developed and manufactured in-house, the COSC-certified chronograph movement features a tourbillon, beating through the dial at 6 o’clock. It offers a 65-hour power reserve in a unique version especially developed for the TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma.
This special edition has been extensively hand-finished and features the oscillating weight in the form of the TAG Heuer shield.
Thanks to its exclusive carbon nanotube hairspring, it delivers exceptional levels of anti-magnetism, shock resistance, stability across temperature ranges and refined geometry for excellent chronometric performance.
Only a limited number of pieces of this highly exclusive watch will be produced. It will be made available upon order in TAG Heuer stores worldwide as of September 2023 at a price point of CHF 500’000.
Technical details
Model: TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma Diamant d’Avant Garde Chronograph Tourbillon 44 mm, Reference CNBN5A91.BZ0000
Movement
Calibre Heuer 02T Nanograph COSC
Functions
Hours, minutes, seconds, tourbillon
Dial
Polycrystalline diamond dial of 4.9 cts total – composed of 12 diamond indexes and 3 polycrystalline plates
Case
Black aluminum case set with 48 avant- garde diamonds of 4.3 cts
Crown: One single diamond of 2.5 cts
Black aluminum bezel set with 26 avant-garde diamonds of 1.9 cts
Bracelet
Black aluminum bracelet set with1.9 cts composed of 34 avant-garde diamonds
Steel double folding clasp with safety push buttons, in matching matte black
Audemars Piguet presents new iteration of its Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph featuring a black ceramic case and an architectural dial combining black and green hues. Limited to 100 pieces, this cutting-edge horological masterpiece comes with a green interchangeable rubber strap.
AP Royal Oak Offshore Flying Tourbillon Chronograph Black Ceramic
All the components of the black ceramic case are hand-finished with the Manufacture’s trademark alternation of satin brushing and polished chamfers.
The new AP Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph Black Ceramic model encompasses a ceramic caseback for the first time in the 43 mm Royal Oak Offshore collection.
Secured with screws, the case-back ring features the engraving “Royal Oak Offshore Limited Edition of 100 Pieces”. It also frames a sapphire-crystal display window revealing the Calibre 2967 and its blackened 22-carat pink gold oscillating weight.
The 2023 iteration presents a dramatic evolution of the selfwinding Calibre 2967 launched in 2021. This 526-part flyback chronograph movement incorporates a flying tourbillon, whose single underlying bridge holds the rotating cage at 6 o’clock.
The architectural black PVD-coated titanium bridges, finished with satin-brushing and hand-polished angles, are enriched with vivid green inserts endowed with an even aluminium coating. Lastly, the bright external polished chamfers highlight the bridges’ titanium base and add depth to the multi-layered movement.
The two translucent chronograph counters, outlined with a black outer ring, leave the view of the two-tone movement unencumbered. The 18-carat pink gold hands are illuminated with luminescent coating. Furthermore, a green anodised inner bezel, keeping in with the bridge inserts and strap, serves as the minutes track. The red chronograph hands add a racy flash of colour.
New Interchangeable Strap System
This new reference comes with the Manufacture’s interchangeable strap system complementing the latest generation of Royal Oak Offshore models. This system has been directly integrated into the case’s studs and buckle.
The new system allows wearers to change the straps and buckles of their new timepiece themselves with a quick click and release. The double-push system also grants optimum security when the watch is worn on the wrist.
The watch’s green rubber strap can be swapped out for the second black rubber strap. Owners benefit furthermore from the ‘AP’ folding clasp in lightweight, satin-finished titanium.
Technical details
Model: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph 43 mm
Reference 26622CE.OO.D062CA.01
Case
Black ceramic case, glare-proofed sapphire crystal, black ceramic and glare-proofed sapphire caseback, black ceramic push-pieces and screw-locked crown, sandblasted titanium push-piece guards and studs, water-resistant to 100 m.
Case thickness: 15.5 mm.
Dial
Black PVD-coated titanium bridges, black open-worked counters, 18-carat pink-gold hands with luminescent coating, green anodised inner bezel.
Movement
Selfwinding Calibre 2967
Total diameter: 33.6 mm (15 lignes)
Total thickness: 8.4 mm
Number of jewels: 40
Number of parts: 526
Minimum guaranteed power reserve: 65 h
Frequency of balance wheel: 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations/hour)
ZENITH presents its most advanced and complicated chronograph movement to date, the Defy Extreme Double Tourbillon. It incorporates two independent tourbillon mechanisms. For the first time, this exceptional 1/100th of a second high-frequency chronograph movement will join the DEFY Extreme core collection in two serially produced references.
Constructed like no other chronograph movement, El Primero 9020 is equipped with two independent tourbillons completing rotations in 60 seconds for the time-keeping tourbillon and 5 seconds for the chronograph’s tourbillon, making it among the fastest tourbillons ever made, as well as the only 1/100th of a second chronograph, beating at the phenomenal rate of 360’000 VpH.
Perfectly suitable for housing such an intricate and complex movement, the Zenith DEFY Extreme Double Tourbillon’s angular and robust case measures 45mm wide and is available in two executions.
The first is crafted entirely in titanium with a mix of satin-brushed, polished and matte surfaces including the bracelet, while the second is done in carbon fiber with sandblasted matte rose gold twelve-sided bezel and pusher protectors on a black textured rubber strap.
Its open dial, with applied chronograph counters and tinted transparent sapphire elements, allows for an unobstructed view of the groundbreaking movement and its two tourbillon mechanisms with star-shaped cages.
The movement’s open and satin-brushed bridges are coated in a layer of black PVD. Then, the edges of those bridges are highlighted in rose gold color, revealing the geometric forms of the bridges in a true departure from traditional watchmaking decoration techniques.
The DEFY Extreme Double Tourbillon will be available from physical and online Zenith boutiques around as well as official retailers around the world.
Technical details
Model: Zenith Defy Extreme Double Tourbillon
Reference: 12.9100.9020/78.I200
Case
Material: Black Carbon & 18-ct rose gold
Case diameter: 45 mm
Water-resistance: 20 ATM
Dial
Open-worked
Hour-markers: Gold-plated, faceted and coated with SuperLuminova SLN C1 [Hour markers]
Hands: Gold-plated, faceted and coated with SuperLuminova SLN C1 [Hands]
Strap
Black Rubber with microblasted titanium triple folding clasp
Additional strap: Velcro
Price
79,000
Reference: 95.9100.9020/78.I001
Case
Diameter: 45 mm
Material: Brushed titanium
Water-resistance: 20 ATM
Dial
Open-worked
Hour-markers: Gold-plated, faceted and coated with SuperLuminova SLN C1 [Hour markers]
Hands: Gold-plated, faceted and coated with SuperLuminova SLN C1 [Hands]
Bracelet
Titanium bracelet with titanium folding clasp
Price
69,000
Defy Extreme Double Tourbillon: Movement and functions
Movement
El Primero 9020
1/100th of a second Double Tourbillon Chronograph movement
Power-reserve: min. 50 hours for the watch / 50 min for the chronograph
1 escapement for the Watch (36,000 VpH / 5 Hz – cage makes a turn in 60 second)
1 escapement for the Chronograph (360,000 VpH / 50 Hz – cage makes a turn in 5 second)
Certified Chronometer
Functions
Hours and minutes in the centr
Double Tourbillon
1/100th of a second Chronograph:
– Central chronograph hand that makes one turn each second
– 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock
– 60-second counter at 6 o’clock
– Chronograph power-reserve indication at 12 o’clock
Finishes: Special oscillating weight with satined finishings
Breitling unveils three Premier tourbillon chronograph watches as a tribute to Léon, Gaston and Willy Breitling.
The luxury Swiss watch brand has partnered with the specialty movement maker Manufacture La Joux-Perret to develop the B21 tourbillon with a chronograph movement.
Precious metals (gold or platinum) and a domed open caseback characterize the Premier B21 Chronograph Tourbillon 42. It comes in three variations, each named for one of the Breitling founding fathers.
Breitling Premier B21 Chronograph Tourbillon 42 Léon Breitling
The Léon Breitling features a solid 18 k red gold case with a silver dial and brown, semi-shiny alligator strap. The Gaston Breitling pairs a solid 18 k white gold case with an anthracite dial and black alligator strap.
Breitling Premier B21 Chronograph Tourbillon 42 Gaston Breitling
The Willy Breitling, meanwhile, is a vision in solid platinum with an admiral blue dial and black alligator strap. Each watch features the stylized square pushers and Arabic numerals that are hallmarks of the Premier line.
Breitling Premier B21 Chronograph Tourbillon 42 Willy Breitling
Their symmetrical dial design, harmonious interplay of numerals and tone-on-tone colorways perfectly balance the undisputed star of the show – the tourbillon – that takes center stage at 12 o’clock.
The open sapphire crystal caseback is domed to allow for full appreciation of the B21 movement, where the oscillating weight and reverse side of the tourbillon appear in contrasting 18 k gold.
Movement
Caliber: Breitling Manufacture Caliber B21 (Manufacture La Joux-Perret)
Diameter: 35 millimeters
Depth: 8.15 millimeters
Winder: self-winding mechanical
Power reserve: approx. 55 hours
Balance frequency: 28,800 a/h or 4 hertz
Chronograph: tourbillon chronograph, column-wheel, horizontal clutch, 1/4th second,
60-minute counter
Display: hour, minute, second
Certification: COSC-certified
Case
Material: 18 k red gold
Diameter: 42 millimeters
Thickness: 15.25 millimeters
Height: 50.03 millimeters
Water resistance: up to 10 bar (100 meters)
Glass: cambered sapphire, glareproofed on both sides
Caseback: screwed 18 k red gold, sapphire crystal
Crown: non-screw-locked, two gaskets
Dial
Silver
Super-LumiNova® luminescent hour and minute hands
Strap
Brown alligator leather strap with 18 k red gold folding buckle (22/18 mm)
Movement
Caliber: Breitling Manufacture Caliber B21 (Manufacture La Joux-Perret)
Diameter: 35 millimeters
Depth: 8.15 millimeters
Winder: self-winding mechanical
Power reserve: approx. 55 hours
Balance frequency: 28,800 a/h or 4 hertz
Chronograph: tourbillon chronograph, column-wheel, horizontal clutch, 1/4th second,
60-minute counter
Display: hour, minute, second
Certification: COSC-certified
Case
Material: 18 k white gold
Diameter: 42 millimeters
Thickness: 15.25 millimeters
Height: 50.03 millimeters
Water resistance: up to 10 bar (100 meters)
Glass: cambered sapphire, glareproofed on both sides
Caseback: screwed 18 k white gold, sapphire crystal
Crown: non-screw-locked, two gaskets
Dial
Anthracite
Super-LumiNova® luminescent hour and minute hands
Strap
Black alligator leather strap with 18 k white gold folding buckle (22/18 mm)
Movement
Caliber: Breitling Manufacture Caliber B21 (Manufacture La Joux-Perret)
Diameter: 35 millimeters
Depth: 8.15 millimeters
Winder: self-winding mechanical
Power reserve: approx. 55 hours
Balance frequency: 28,800 a/h or 4 hertz
Chronograph: tourbillon chronograph, column-wheel, horizontal clutch, 1/4th second,
60-minute counter
Display: hour, minute, second
Certification: COSC-certified
Case
Material: platinum
Diameter: 42 millimeters
Thickness: 15.25 millimeters
Height: 50.03 millimeters
Water resistance: up to 10 bar (100 meters)
Glass: cambered sapphire, glare-proofed on both sides
Caseback: screwed platinum, sapphire crystal
Crown: non-screw-locked, two gaskets
Dial
Blue
Super-LumiNova® luminescent hour and minute hands
Strap
Black alligator leather strap with 18 k white gold folding buckle (22/18 mm)
The new variation of the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph juxtaposes 18-carat pink gold and black ceramic. Following in the footsteps of its predecessor unveiled in 2021, this new timepiece is a limited edition of 50 pieces and combines contemporary design with ancestral know-how.
It comes in a two-tone black ceramic and 18-carat pink gold case that highlights the complex architecture of the collection along with the three-dimensional aesthetic of the movement.
With its contemporary design, black ceramic provides a blank canvas for the traditional skills of the Manufacture’s craftspeople. Each component is pre-polished and pre-satin-brushed before being painstakingly hand-finished with the brand’s trademark alternation of satin brushing and polished chamfers. These finishes can notably be admired on the model’s case middle, offering a fascinating interplay with the light.
The ultra-thin bezel, stylised lugs, crown and push-pieces are all crafted in 18-carat pink gold for a powerful and elegant contrast that harmoniously matches the ceramic and illuminates its dark aesthetic.
Echoing the two-tone case, the architectural movement has openworked bridges in both black and pink-gold tones, matching with the pink gold-toned balance wheel. The 18-carat white gold hands bring light into the heart of the movement, while the bridges and decorative elements feature 111 V-angles that have been sandblasted, satin-finished and polished by hand.
The decoration of the movement underlies the technical and extremely precise know-how of Audemars Piguet’s artisans. This meticulous work provides an interplay of shiny and matte finishes that create a captivating play with light reflections, bringing depth to the different levels of the movement.
The transparent chronograph counters and the flying tourbillon cage at six o’clock also reveal parts of the watch mechanism below, allowing the viewer to admire the finesse of the different decorative techniques.
Calibre 2952
Inside the watch beats the Calibre 2952, Audemars Piguet’s latest automatic movement with a hypnotic flying tourbillon and a contemporary flyback chronograph. This mechanism allows the chronograph to be reset and restarted with one push, without having to stop it first. This high-complication caliber is capable of delivering 65-hour power reserve.
The sapphire caseback reveals essential elements among the movement’s 479 components, including the 22-caratpink gold oscillating weight. The caseback also bears the engraving “Limited Edition of 50 Pieces.”
This timepiece has a water resistance of 20 metres.
Technical details
Model: Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph/ 41 mm
Reference 26399NR.OO.D002KB.01
Movement
Selfwinding Calibre 2952
Total diameter: 32.6 mm (14½ lignes)
Total thickness: 8.22 mm
Number of parts: 479
Number of jewels: 40
Minimum power reserve guaranteed: 65h
Frequency of balance wheel: 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations/hour)
Functions
Flying tourbillon, flyback chronograph, hours and minutes
Case
Black ceramic case middle
Bezel, lugs, push-pieces and crown in 18-carat pink gold
Case thickness: 13.8 mm
Case diameter: 41mm
Double-curved glare-proofed sapphire crystal
Glare-proofed sapphire caseback
Water-resistant to 20m
Dial
Black lacquered inner bezel, 18-carat white gold hands.
Strap
Black textured rubber-coated strap with 18-carat pink gold AP folding clasp
In 2020, Bulgari achieved a sixth consecutive world record in ultra-thin watch segment with the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automatic.
Its self-winding skeleton movement with a monopusher chronograph and tourbillon functions is housed within a thickness of only 3.5 mm. This extremely thin high complication watch is now available in a new platinum interpretation.
Its 43 mm case, topped by a white gold and ceramic crown, frames an elegant open-worked dial with two grey chronograph counters, entirely revealing the BVL 388 skeletonised in-house calibre and its tourbillon at 6 o’clock.
The watch face is swept over by blue hands matching the alligator leather strap secured by a platinum buckle.
Movement
Mechanical ultra-thin Manufacture automatic-winding skeletonized movement with tourbillon and single push-piece chronograph – Calibre BVL 388 (3.50 mm thick). 52-hour power reserve, 21’600 VPH (3 Hz) frequency.
Case and dial
43 mm platinum case with transparent caseback, 7.40 mm thick, white gold crown with black ceramic insert and white gold push-buttons; open-worked dial with grey chronograph counters and blue hands. Water resistant to 3 ATM.
Bracelet
Blue alligator bracelet with platinum buckle.
In November 2021 to mark the Mexico City Grand Prix, TAG Heuer released Special Edition of its iconic TAG Heuer Carrera tourbillon chronograph and produced a unique version especially with Mexican F1 pilot Sergio Pérez, the TAG Heuer Carrera Tourbillon Sergio Perez Edition, of which only two pieces were produced.
One is the driver’s personal watch and the second was auctioned to support the Checo Pérez Foundation. The bold and sophisticated 45-mm timepiece is made of high-performance and lightweight Grade 2 titanium, coated with DLC (diamond-like carbon), with a ceramic bezel for a full matte black aesthetic with elegant and subtle rose gold accents, a contemporary tribute to the famed racing chronograph designed by Jack Heuer in 1963.
Powered by the tourbillon manufacture movement Heuer 02T, this unique interpretation of the TAG Heuer Carrera showcases the brand’s most advanced watchmaking techniques, signature design codes and expert craftmanship.
The custom-made TAG Heuer Carrera Tourbillon Sergio Perez Edition sports a special “SP” marking on the dial as well as his motto “Never Give Up” engraved on the case back. Symbolically the sapphire crystal case back also features the date of the 2021 Mexican Grand Prix, Pérez’s home race, on 07.11.21, where he achieved a podium finish.
TAG Heuer is the Official Watch of the Monaco Grand Prix and in 2022, Sergio “Checo” Pérez won the 79th Monaco Grand Prix for the first time with this personalized edition of the TAG Heuer Carrera on his wrist.
Vacheron Constantin has created a unique Les Cabinotiers timepiece endowed with a minute repeater equipped with a centripetal flying strike regulator and a split-seconds monopusher chronograph.
Equipped with the new manual-winding in-house Calibre 2757, this unique Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Tourbillon Split-Seconds Monopusher Chronograph is in keeping with the grand tradition of Vacheron Constantin’s complicated watches.
The construction of this calibre, which consists of integrating an additional split-seconds chronograph mechanism into a basic minute repeater movement, represents a technical feat. The combination of these functions with a tourbillon has rarely been seen in the world of pocket watches, is almost non-existent in the world of wristwatches, and represents a first for Vacheron Constantin in a wristwatch.
This timepiece is also distinguished by a concern for the purity of the dial and the legibility of its chronograph functions. The tourbillon is visible only through the case back, while the off-centre display of the time and chronograph indications highlights the two central chronograph hands. The presence of a minute repeater is revealed by the slide-piece positioned on the left-hand side of the watch.
As early as 1819, Vacheron Constantin produced a pocket watch with independent deadbeat seconds and quarter repeater, at the time one of the first of its kind, which is now kept in the private collection of the Maison.
The deadbeat seconds mechanism, which allows the central second hand to advance in one-second jumps, played an important role in the measurement of short times. By making this mechanism independent by means of an additional gear train, watchmakers developed what is considered the ancestor of the chronograph towards the end of the 18th century. With such a device, it is now possible to stop the seconds hand without affecting the time indications.
The split-seconds chronograph was first introduced with a single-hand system in 1831, followed by the two-hand configuration in 1838. Vacheron Constantin quickly integrated these developments into the pocket chronographs of the time, as confirmed by an 1889 split-seconds timepiece dispatched to Buenos Aires for a horse racing enthusiast.
Vacheron Constantin’s watchmakers have developed the 698-component manual-winding Calibre 2757. Such a large number of parts denote a rare degree of horological complexity. Even in the world of grand complications, calibres are often of simpler design and made with far fewer components.
Given this intensely technical nature, Vacheron Constantin’s watchmakers have nonetheless risen to the challenge of elegance by successfully arranging the complications of this timepiece within a remarkably slender movement measuring barely 10.4 mm thick and 33.3 mm in diameter.
Calibre 2757, operating at a rate of 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz) and endowed with an approximately 60-hour power reserve, enables short time measurement with 1/5th of a second precision appearing on the graduated minute-track. The unusual configuration of the dark grey dial has been designed to ensure optimum visibility of the split-seconds chronograph.
The hours and minutes are displayed on an offset subdial, leaving room for the 30-minute chronograph counter prominently placed at 2 o’clock. The layout is complemented by small seconds at 6 o’clock, indicating that the watch is in operation, thereby leaving plenty of space for the two central chronograph hands.
The very construction of the movement, particularly in terms of its chronographic functions, is based on the imperative of performance. In the watchmaking world, where many great inventions belong to the past, innovation often consists in optimising the operation of a calibre.
This approach begins with the development of the movement and continues with the use of new materials. This same approach is reflected in Calibre 2757, whose additional split-seconds chronograph plate has been specially designed to ensure efficiency thanks to the in-depth arrangement of its components.
This optimisation of volumes, despite the thinness of the calibre, is also accompanied by new materials. Some of the wheels in the going train have been made of titanium or electroformed in nickel- phosphorus with a toothing profile specific to Vacheron Constantin, the goal being to ensure better gear penetration so as to avoid any jerking of the seconds hand. Silicon, an ultra-light material that requires no lubrication, is also used for one of the split-seconds levers and its insulator.
These savings in component weight and friction thus reduce the loss of energy amplitude from the barrel, thereby maintaining a comfortable power reserve of up to 50 hours with the chronograph activated.
For short-time measurements, a function demanding extreme regularity in terms of precision, Vacheron Constantin watchmakers have opted for a construction with two column wheels: the first devoted to the chronograph and the other to the split-seconds mechanism. This chronograph is thus controlled by a single pusher at 2 o’clock for the basic functions (start/stop/reset) and by the one at 4 o’clock for the split-seconds (stop/reset).
Pressing the latter stops the seconds hand on an intermediate time while the first hand continues running. Pressing it again enables the split-seconds hand to join the first seconds hand in counting off time. Two scales further enhance the technical nature of this timepiece.
The tachymeter scale, screen-printed in white on a 1,000-metre base, enables the average speed in km/h to be calculated over the first minute of timekeeping; the telemeter scale in red is used to calculate distances of up to 20 km according to the speed of sound (340 metres/second).
The chronograph functions are complemented by a minute repeater, activated by the lever on the left-hand side of the case. An essential complication for musical watches, the minute repeater has been part of Vacheron Constantin’s watchmaking vocabulary for more than two centuries, sounding the hours, quarters and minutes on demand.
The first known mention of a Vacheron Constantin chiming watch in the production records dates back to 1806, with a gold quarter-repeater pocket watch. Since that date, chiming and repeater watches have been part of the Maison’s heritage that has continued to grow over the decades.
Calibre 2757 is the direct heir to this tradition, benefiting from the technical developments perfected within the Manufacture. These include an ingenious centripetal flying strike regulator.
In a minute repeater watch, this mechanism regulates the duration of the musical sequence so that the notes can be heard distinctly and harmoniously. This system is distinguished by its two weights whose very special shape has been optimised to act as a brake by means of centripetal force acting on the governor’s rotating shaft, thereby evening out the energy released by the barrel and regulated by the tourbillon. This original device is also perfectly silent. Visible exclusively through the caseback, the tourbillon is distinguished by a carriage whose shape is inspired by the Maison’s Maltese cross emblem. Held by a delicately hand-chamfered bridge, this regulator carriage performs one complete rotation per minute.
Presented in a 45 mm-diameter 750/1000 5N pink gold case with an exhibition back and on an alligator leather strap with gold folding clasp, this watch represents a technical feat as well as epitomising extraordinary mastery in the field of watchmaking finishing.
A signature feature of Vacheron Constantin watches is that each component is finely decorated with hand-made finishes before being assembled, even when destined to remain hidden. These surfaces that is alternately bevelled, polished, satin-finished, frosted, circular-grained or engraved and beadblasted create a play of light that brings out all the magic of Vacheron Constantin’s calibres and contributes to the brand’s intrinsic anatomy of beauty.
The assembly, setting into operation and casing-up of this Les Cabinotiers Minute repeater split-seconds monopusher chronograph movement thus represents only one third of the time devoted to the watch, as opposed to two thirds devoted to the calibre finishing.
The contrast between the bridges and maintaining plate with Vacheron Constantin’s signature black coating and the “metallic” moving parts already acts as a revelation of this kinetic art, which takes shape thanks to the meticulous attention lavished on details.
On the dial side, the skeletonised bridges, with their hand-chamfered and straight-grained flanks feature a circular satin finish. The wheels, with their chamfered arms, are burnished and polished, a complex operation that requires special tools for the titanium wheels.
On the caseback side of the movement, the watchmaker in charge of the timepiece – who carries out all the assembly and finishing operations right the way through to timing and casing-up in the manner of 18th century cabinotiers – has created an original decoration, in keeping with this remarkable timepiece.
The blackened bridges featured a hollowed-out surface that has been sandblasted to a very fine grain by hand, topped by a mirror-polished sink. This magnificent execution, which plays on the reflections of light between the matt and the shiny, brings out the “musical” components of the movement. The strike governor is notably engraved with the initials J.M.C. in tribute to Jean-Marc Vacheron and features a bar whose delicate rounding off involves 12 hours of meticulous hand craftsmanship. The Tourbillon Bridge is engraved with Vacheron Constantin’s Maltese cross emblem.
The single-piece watch Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Tourbillon Split-Seconds Monopusher Chronograph features a concern for impeccable finishing and meticulous decoration of all watch components, even those that remain invisible, vividly illustrating Vacheron Constantin’s theme for 2022:”The Anatomy of Beauty®”.
Technical details
Model: Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Tourbillon Split-Seconds Monopusher Chronograph
Reference: 9750C/000R-002C
Movement
Calibre 2757
Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical, manual-winding
33.30 mm diameter, 10.40 mm thick
Approximately 60 hours of power reserve
2.5Hz (18,000 vibrations/hour)
698 components
59 jewels
Poinçon de Genève
Functions
Off-centred/Offset hours and minutes
Chronograph
Split-seconds chronograph
Small seconds
30-minute counter
Minute repeater
Tourbillon
Case
18K 5N pink gold
45 mm diameter, 16.4 mm thick
Dial
Dark grey dial
Hours, minutes and seconds hands: 18K 5N pink gold, polished
Chronograph and split-seconds chronograph hands: gold-toned aluminium, matt
Strap
Black Mississippiensis alligator leather, hand-stitched, saddle-finish, large square scales
Buckle 18K 5N pink gold folding clasp, Half Maltese cross-shaped
During Watches and Wonders 2022 exhibition in Geneva, TAG Heuer introduced the new Carrera Plasma, featuring lab-grown diamonds.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma, powered by the H02 Tourbillon Nanograph movement, has Diamant d’Avant- Garde lab-grown diamonds set in the case, and features embellished indexes.
The lab-grown diamonds used in the TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma are manufactured by a network of partners such as Lusix, Capsoul and Diamaze.
The 44 mm watchcase of the TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma is predominantly made of sandblasted anodized aluminum, which results in a perfect complement to the lightness and color of the material and the strength and purity of the diamond. TAG Heuer’s designers have additionally developed a black ceramic polished bezel bringing even more emphasis to the elegance and contrast patterns of the timepiece.
To push the avant-garde even further, the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer has joined forces with Capsoul – a start-up pioneering the field of diamond design – to craft a spectacular crown at 3 o’clock, entirely executed in diamond. The two pushers on each side of the crown have been embellished with a black DLC coating, which brings to the watch a refined matt touch, contrasting with the brightness of the diamond.
The special polycrystalline diamond dial is one of the highlights of this new TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma timepiece. This diamond effect on the specially created dial plate is a sum of crystals being grown as one.
This represents another type of a rich CVD growth, where many diamonds create spectacular reflections and a diverse visual effect while still constituting a single diamond piece. At 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock, the minute chronograph counter and the chronograph hours counter feature a black polycrystalline diamond plate and are equipped with a polished rhodium-plated hand to truly support the light interaction.
The 11 indexes in white gold are set with a diamond each and sport a double index at 12 o’clock. The polished, rhodium-plated hour and minute hands with matt black lacquer are topped with white Super-LumiNova® and showcase a rhodium-plated central hand. The TAG Heuer logo with “Carrera” printed in black rounds up this sparkling dial, which is designed in perfect harmony with the rhodium-plated bezel.
The movement inside this watch is also a real masterpiece. The impressive TAG Heuer Nanograph calibre carries the groundbreaking in-house carbon hairspring, developed by the TAG Heuer Institute and brought to life by the same CVD method as the lab-grown diamonds.
The carbon hairspring delivers exceptional levels of anti-magnetism, shock resistance, stability across temperature ranges and refined geometry for excellent chronometric performance. This also represents a truly magical way of mastering the carbon material in and outside the timepiece, as well as a full and fusional integration of carbon throughout the watch and with the innovative lab-grown diamonds.
The movement is TAG Heuer’s in-house Heuer 02 automatic chronograph, a Swiss-made movement with a 65-hour power reserve in a unique version especially developed for the TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma. This special edition has been extensively hand-finished and features the oscillating weight in the form of the TAG Heuer shield.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma comes with an elegant black leather strap with black stitching and a black titanium grade 2 ADLC-treated clasp for an even bolder look.
Technical details
Model: TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma Tourbillon Nanograph
Reference: XCBN5A90.FC8315
Movement
HEUER02 Tourbillon Nanograph, COSC-certified
Case
44 mm diameter
Sandblasted black anodised aluminium case set with 48 lab-grown diamonds (4.2 ct in total)
Fixed tachymeter bezel in polished/satin black ceramic
Domed sapphire crystal
Crown made of lab-grown diamond (2.5 ct in total) at 3 o’clock
Sandblasted push buttons and push covers in black ADLC-treated steel
Black sandblasted caseback in anodised aluminium with 4 black anodised titanium screws
Dial
Rhodium-plated brass base dial covered with a polycrystalline diamond plate (3.9 ct)
Rear flange with 2 counters on the 60 seconds/minute scale:
3 o’clock: minute chronograph counter, black polycrystalline diamond plate (0.25 ct) and brass ring with black opaline finish, polished rhodium-plated hand
9 o’clock: chronograph hours counter, black polycrystalline diamond plate (0.25 ct) and brass ring with black opaline finish, polished rhodium-plated hand
11 rhodium-plated white gold indexes set with lab-grown diamonds (0.4 ct in total) and a double index at 12 o’clock
Polished rhodium-plated hour and minute hands with matt black lacquer and white Super-LumiNova®
Rhodium-plated central hand
Polished rhodium-plated applique and black lacquer caseback “CARRERA” print
Strap
Rolled-up strap in black calfskin with black lining
Black sandblasted ardillon clasp in titanium grade 2 with ADLC treatment
Total diamond carat weight: 11.7 ct
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