| Concord
C1 Tourbillon Gravity |
C1 Tourbillon
Gravity
Watchmaking's free spirit
The
C1 Tourbillon Gravity is astounding in more than one way. A single
glance is enough to identify it as a free spirit in the universe
of Haute Horlogerie. A Tourbillon disconnected from the case,
an unusual seconds indication, a flyback chronograph, a trust
index display: this whole range of specific features symbolize
the audacity of a brand that reinvented itself just one year ago.
The ambassador of a new generation of watches, the C1 Tourbillon
Gravity thrusts Concord into the era of innovation and a firmly
futuristic approach. This horological instrument marks a new milestone
in its journey to the heart of technology and engineering.
While techniques and the mastery of time have been the object
of particularly sophisticated research and development, aesthetics
and the mastery of space have also been taken into consideration.
The sturdiness, originality and overall equilibrium characterizing
the construction of the C1 Tourbillon Gravity testify to the talent
of the creative minds behind it.
Developed in close cooperation with BNB Concept, this timepiece
was conceived, elaborated and assembled in twelve months. Concord
CEO Vincent Perriard salutes the dynamism and the hard work of
this company specializing in complicated watchmaking: "The BNB
Concept teams showed genuine enthusiasm for our brand and our
positioning. We are propelled by the same audacity, the same strong
convictions and the same drive, all of which enable us to produce
an innovative and iconoclastic form of watchmaking. At Concord,
we avoid prevarication and hesitation, preferring instead to operate
by instinct and to seek efficiency first and foremost. We saw
this same fiery spirit at BNB".
The result is a provocative watch built around a complex mechanism
expressing an inventive spirit inspired by a whole new watchmaking
approach. The design, created by Blade Design, portrays the engineering
of the timepiece in an unexpected, daring and cutting-edge stage-setting.
The
tourbillon's great escape
The first challenge was to create a tourbillon watch, but without
placing the tourbillon inside the watch…
An unusual and insolent construction puts the tourbillon alongside
the body of the watch, making it look independent, as if released
from the mechanism. Thus housed in a manner external to both the
dial and the case, it frees up the space inside the watch, enabling
the designer to enjoy full and unrestrained expression.
The tourbillon is fitted outside the movement and case, but connected
to the rest of the mechanism by a perpendicular pinion. The gearing
device requires extremely meticulous adjustment: the slightest
misalignment between the carriage and case, or the tiniest flaw
in regulating the depth of the pinion, would be detrimental to
the performance of the mechanism. The visual result is truly spectacular:
the tourbillon carriage, housed in a crankcase laterally screwed
to the case, plays a dissident role and proclaims its nonconformist
attitude. This technical feat also serves a practical purpose,
in that it gives watchmakers more space to create other complications
"inside" the watch itself…
This construction represents a nod to one of the finest horological
inventions, patented in 1801. At that time, pocket-watches that
were almost always placed in a vertical position were subject
to disturbances in the balance isochronism due to the effects
of gravity. The conception of a mobile carriage spinning on its
axis and housing the heart of the movement - the balance, balance-spring
and escapement - significantly enhanced the precision of such
timepieces: by means of this ingenious device, the regulating
organ successively moves through all the various positions, thereby
enabling mutual compensation of the variations in rate.
Over two centuries later, Concord offers its own take on history
by building its tourbillon according to an orthogonal mechanical
concept. The vertical device is immediately visible on the wrist,
radiating an authoritative and almost martial stature. Like an
independent element besieging the watch, it asserts its presence
and looks all set to conquer the case.
The upper and lower bridges of the tourbillon carriage, as indeed
most of the movement bridges, are made from aluminum-lithium,
an exceptional high-tech material that has proved its worth in
the aerospace industry. This high-performance alloy is composed
of aluminum, one of the most abundant elements on earth, and of
lithium, an alkaline metal with a density half that of water.
Remarkable in terms of its resistance, aluminum-lithium also displays
exceptional longevity. Anti-corrosive and anti-magnetic, it features
the best possible compromise between sturdiness and lightness.
Nonetheless, partly because it is so hard to machine and so expensive,
it is still rarely used in watchmaking despite its impressive
qualities.
|
|
|
The
"eccentricity" of the small seconds
The second challenge is a rebellious seconds display that goes its
own way…
The small seconds of the C1 Tourbillon Gravity asserts its independence
with the same force of character as the tourbillon. Its mechanism
breaks out of the dial and its display transposes time into whole
new dimension.
A slender black aluminum strip engraved with the seconds numerals
is fixed to the lower bridge of the tourbillon, and thus fully interdependent
with the carriage which spins on its axis once a minute. The luminescent
seconds appear through an open window on the side of the tourbillon
carriage, and since the latter is vertical, are perfectly visible
on the face of the watch. This completely innovative mechanism is
entirely in line with the already surprising small seconds display
on the C1 Chronograph.
Mastering
time and space: power reserve, trust index, flyback chronograph
The third challenge lay in optimized technical sophistication and
an irreverent design.
The majestic C1 Tourbillon Gravity makes an authoritative statement
in a case measuring 48.5 mm in diameter and 18.5 mm thick. Its construction,
now a Concord brand signature, features excellent shock absorbing
properties and exceptional sturdiness. A rubber-coated white gold
protective ring placed on the case middle and secured on the side
by seven self-locking screws, is enhanced by seven decorative elements
straddling the bezel. These "ramparts" protect a monumental sapphire
crystal a full 3.3 mm thick, glareproofed on both sides, which literally
seems to rise out of the case.
The machined metal face of the C1 Tourbillon Gravity adopts Concord's
hallmark layered construction. Composed of twelve parts including
four sapphire crystals, it is enriched by a dark DLC-coated grid
which, like a lattice-work motif, accentuates the depth and perspective
of the dial. The various subdials and time measurement indications
are superimposed to create a sense of perfectly mastered space.
In the foreground, the hour circle is off-centered between 10 and
11 o'clock and placed on a sapphire crystal providing glimpses of
the mechanism gear-trains. Surrounded by applied luminescent hour-markers,
it features luminescent hands with a taut profile that requires
particularly careful adjustment. Partially hollowed, they alternate
solids and voids according to an asymmetrical pattern that results
in strong pressure on the central stem.
The power-reserve indicator between 7 and 8 o'clock displays the
level of wind of the movement in respect to the available three
and a half days of autonomy. It is accompanied by a spherical differential
gear visible through the dial between 9 and 10 o'clock, which serves
to transmit the barrel rotation to the power-reserve hand without
influencing the movement operation. During winding, this mechanism
serves to compensate for the difference in speed between the counting
train and the gear train of the power reserve.
Just opposite the power-reserve indication, the trust index display
provides information on the amplitude of the balance. It serves
to preserve an extremely high level of precision by avoiding excessive
tension in the mainspring due to maximum winding. By ensuring that
the trust index hand remains at the centre of the graduated scale
(and does not reach the + zone) when winding the watch, the user
can maintain perfect accuracy. Clad in the Concord shade of blue
and thus providing the only colorful accents on the dial, the power-reserve
and trust index hands cleverly point to these two horological complications.
Finally, at 5 o'clock, the chronograph counter also opts for transparency
to offer a view of the mechanism. Equipped with a flyback function,
it is actuated by a pushpiece discreetly integrated into the case
between 7 and 8 o'clock. In a seditious and ultra-contemporary spirit,
it ignores seconds, instead jointly displaying hours and minutes
so as to guarantee optimal readability. The flyback chronograph
has been designed to avoid any loss in amplitude of the movement.
While activating a chronograph generally reduces the accuracy of
a watch as well as its autonomy and its power reserve, the mechanism
runs continuously in this model, stopping only when reset and thus
not affecting the rate of the watch.
Revealed through the transparent sapphire crystal set into the DLC-coated
white gold case-back, the hand-wound movement oscillates at a frequency
of 3 Hz and features 38 jewels. The exquisite decoration and finishing
on the bridges set the finishing touch to the exceptional design
of the watch. The black vulcanized rubber strap with its matte-velvety
look, is secured to the case by four self-locking screws. The lug-free
construction of the attachments ensures a flowing design and a perfect
fit on the wrist. The double white gold folding clasp specially
made for the brand is engraved with the Concord logo.
Loyal
to its identity, Concord is holding fast to its exclusive course
by building on reliable expertise and an avant-garde vision of Haute
Horlogerie. The C1 Tourbillon Gravity, issued in a limited edition
of 25, embodies Concord's audacity and creative energy. Outsized
boldness and a resolutely future-oriented creativity that herald
the birth of a new watchmaking generation: verging on madness, well
beyond the scope of tradition, at the heart of reform and well ahead
of its time.
|
|
Gallery-Main page
Gallery-Concord page
Contents
|
