La Promenade, BlogZine di Informazione

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

True to the principles of the Pontos collection, the new Pontos Chronographe plays the game with no need for time out. Its pure-bred style suffers no compromise. With its sporty, sculptured lines, this watch is designed to show off its distinctive features. Contemporary in style, the blue dial highlights the chronograph functions and gives substance to its overall proportions. Powered by precision mechanics, this watch is aimed at those who appreciate sportsmanship and design.
A variation on the Pontos Chronographe series launched in 2004, the Pontos Chronographe timepieces are operated by an automatic movement based on the Valjoux 7750 caliber, renowned for its performance and reliability. It is fitted with a chronograph featuring 30-minute and 12-hour counters, and the small seconds and date apertures are at 9 and 6 o’clock respectively, creating a beautifully balanced display of the time data.
The steely blue color of the sun-brushed finished dial confirms its high quality and pedigree. To achieve optimum legibility, the applied index markers and hands have a luminescent coating. The steel case features skilfully designed push-pieces that retract into the case middle, while the case back opens fully to reveal the beauty of the mechanism inside. Available with a bracelet or leather strap, the new Maurice Lacroix chronograph is an utterly reliable master of short time measurement.
Movement – Personalized Valjoux 7750 caliber, with guaranteed quality and precision. Self-winding caliber ML112 based on the Valjoux 7750 movement. Frequency – 28,800 vibrations/h, 4 Hz. Power reserve – 46 hours. Jewels – 25. Adjustments – 3 positions when fully wound and after 24 hours. Decoration – Rhodium-plated movement, decorated by hand: circular-grained with Côtes de Genève.
Functions – Hours and minutes indicated by central hands. Small seconds at 9 o’clock. Chronograph seconds indicated by a central hand. 30-minute chronograph counter at 12 o’clock. 12-hour chronograph counter at 6 o’clock. Date indicated in an aperture at 6 o’clock.
Case – Ø 43 mm, steel case. Refined finishing, combining polished and brushed surfaces. Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides. Screwed case-back with large sapphire crystal. Large Ø 7 mm crown with radial pattern for optimum handling. Unique pushers featuring a tip-over device with horizontally brushed finishes and polished facets. Water-resistant to 50 m / 5 atm.
Dial – Available in Blue color with silver counters. Pure, simple design highlighted by the sun-brushed finishing on the base. Snailed counters. Applied counter rings featuring a play on brushed and snailed finishing. Diamond-cut, faceted applied hour-markers.
Hands and Discs – Diamond-cut, faceted, rhodium-plated hands, with “BGW9” Superluminova (blue lume).
Strap/Bracelet – Crocodile-skin (Crocodylus niloticus) strap with large scales, calfskin lining and matching stitching.
Metal Bracelet – 5-row bracelet for superior comfort. Alternation of vertical-brushed and polished finishing. Folding clasp with push-pieces.
Folding Clasp – Steel folding clasp with pushers and pinch system. Brushed finishing.
Source: Maurice Lacroix

Fonte: Luxury & Fine Timepieces – Facebook

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Success breeds success. Last year, Maurice Lacroix set a cat amongst the pigeons in mechanical watchmaking by developing a square wheel mechanism – the first in watchmaking history. Quite apart from its sheer aesthetic appeal, it introduced a whole new way of marking the passage of time. This year, Maurice Lacroix’s Roue Carrée offers a fresh angle on the passage of time, by focusing on the seconds display. As a result, the Masterpiece Roue Carrée Seconde is a truly fascinating spectacle to behold.
Designed by watchmaker and engineer Michel Vermot in collaboration with the Haute Ecole Arc du Locle, the square wheel mechanism has taken years to perfect. As the gear profiles of non-circular wheels cannot, by definition, be regular, the principal challenge was to define the shape of the teeth in order to ensure constant power transfer. The wheels were made using LiGA technology – a revolutionary process that combines the techniques of photolithography and electroforming to make high-precision micro-components that cannot be made with traditional machining methods.
The eye is mesmerized from the very first glance by the hypnotic movement of the Masterpiece Roue Carrée Seconde. The small-seconds display comes to life before your very eyes thanks to the steadfast, rhythmic movement of the square wheel with its geometric openwork. Its prominent phosphorescent corners serve as a reminder of time’s constant march onwards. The square wheel, whose corners and contours mesh with the same precision as its circular counterparts, is activated by a toothed clover-leaf wheel and turns continuously to create an extremely dynamic visual effect.
In order to leave the seconds hand firmly in the spotlight, the hours and minutes are indicated by a simple central hands coated with Superluminova. A power-reserve indicator at 3 o’clock adds balance to the picture. The hours, minutes and power reserve are displayed directly on the main plate, which serves as the dial. The watch’s readability is enhanced by its Grand Colimaçon (or snailed) black or rhodium finish, which makes the indicators literally glow, while the alternation of satin-brushed and polished finishes adorning the 43 mm steel case showcases its silhouette to perfection. A large sapphire-crystal case back reveals the refinement of the ML156 mechanical movement, decorated with Grand Colimaçon in finest Swiss watchmaking tradition.
The Masterpiece Roue Carrée Seconde – an unprecedented fusion of technology and talent – encapsulates the philosophy of Maurice Lacroix and its Masterpiece collection. A philosophy in which engineering and beauty dovetail to challenge the boundaries of design, in an attempt to change the very face of time. Resolutely masculine and eminently technical, this new item – a contemporary watch that breaks with preconceived ideas to stay ahead of its time – confirms the brand’s status as expert innovators. Galvanizing the most technical of watchmaking skills, it offers time a new lease of life.
Engineer and watchmaker Michel Vermot has taught at the Haute Ecole Arc, located in Le Locle (Switzerland), for 20 years. A specialist in mechanical and electronic watches, he has managed many industrial mandates in the framework of his role at the HE-ARC. He now runs the Movement Development Department at Maurice Lacroix.

Movement – ML 156 mechanical movement, hand-wound. Developed in collaboration with HE-ARC, manufactured and assembled by Maurice Lacroix. Design patented (square wheel / clover leaf). Vibration – 18,000 vph, 2.5 Hz. Power reserve – 45 hours. Jewels – 34. Adjustments – 5 positions after full winding and after 24 hours. Decoration – Grand Colimaçon, rhodium finish.
Movement Bridge / Dial – In keeping with the Masterpiece Régulateur Roue Carrée (*) design, the dial has been created on the main plate of the movement itself and is decorated with a large “Grand Colimaçon”. The square wheel and clover leaf mesh to transfer power with the same precision as the cogs in their circular counterparts; in addition the wheel is used to indicate the seconds. The hours and power-reserve indications are engraved on the main plate. Dial available in black or rhodium. The square wheel and clover leaf are highlighted by a circular opening on the movement main plate itself, decorated with a sandblasted background.
(*) Limited Edition launched in 2010.
Hands – Trailing square wheel for the seconds display, circular satin-brushed finish upper part and polished circumference, seconds pointer coated with white C1 Superluminova (blue luminescence). No visible rotation axis. Diamond-polished and faceted hours and minutes hands, coated with white C1 Superluminova (blue luminescence). Diamond-polished and faceted power-reserve hand.
Functions – Hours and minutes indicated by central hands. Small-second display by square wheel at 6 o’clock. Power-reserve hand at 3 o’clock.
Case – Steel, Φ 43 mm, satin-brushed and polished finish. Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides. Screwed case back with wide sapphire crystal. Water-resistant to 50 m / 5 atm.
Strap / Bracelet – Large-scale black crocodile-skin strap, lined with black calfskin and black over-stitching.
Buckle – Folding steel clasp with push buttons. Satin-brushed and polished finish.

Source: Maurice Lacroix

Fonte: Luxury & Fine Timepieces – Facebook

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Available in a limited edition series of 50, the Masterpiece Calendrier Rétrograde and Masterpiece Double Rétrograde are produced in pink gold. The large 46 mm diameter cases, statuesque in appearance, afford time a space in keeping with its dimensions. The case, which is water-resistant to a depth of 50 m, has a very contemporary style polished and satin finish, with nothing superfluous and no decorative flourishes. Its plain simplicity is echoed in the blue dials that display the time data in a methodical and practical fashion, whatever the model.
One model features a retrograde date at 10 o’clock, the other a GMT double retrograde and date at 12 and 6 o’clock. The delicately cut out displays, stylish despite their technical sophistication, are enhanced by the sun-brushed satin finish of the dial, the deep blue colour of which confirms their credentials. The power reserve display, located at 2 or 3 o’clock depending on the model, is characterized by its bold, dynamic appearance. The pink-gold applied markers sit in a curve that stretches out gradually, giving a real impression of movement. As for the small seconds hand, it circles regularly without stopping.
In a clear, striking contrast, the fine pink-gold hands skim round the blue dial, their diamond-cut finish further enhanced by their gently curved shape. The absence of an arbor hole confirms traditional design where attention to the minutest detail is taken to its extreme. The purity, the quiet poise of the design that emanates from these timepieces cannot fail to evoke the most beautiful architectural creations where design, distilled to its purest essence, transfigures form and function. Perfect visual harmony and crystal-clear legibility testify explicitly to this.
The self-winding movements, ML 190 for the Calendrier Rétrograde and ML 191 for the Double Rétrograde, are created in the pure tradition of Swiss watchmaking. The finish, even of the tiniest component, invisible after the watch is assembled, can be seen through the sapphire crystal case backs. Their 16½ line diameter makes them among the largest automatic calibers in the market.

Movement – Automatic movement, self–winding ML 190 (Calendrier Rétrograde) and ML 191 (Double Rétrograde). Vibration – 18,000 vib/h, 2.5 Hz. Power reserve – 52 hours. Jewels – 57. Adjustments – 5 positions after full winding and after 24 hours. Decoration – Vertical brushed and Grand Colimaçon, rhodium-plated.
Functions – Double Rétrograde (ML 191) – Hours and minutes indicated by central hands. Date indicated by retrograde hand at 6 o’clock. 2nd time zone indicated by retrograde hand at 12 o’clock. Small seconds hand at 9 o’clock. Power reserve hand at 3 o’clock. Calendrier Rétrograde (ML 190) – Hours and minutes indicated by central hands. Date indicated by retrograde hand at 10 o’clock. Small seconds hand at 6 o’clock. Power reserve hand at 2 o’clock.
Case – 18K pink gold, Ø 46 mm, satin and polished finishes. Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating. Screwed case back with wide sapphire crystal. Water-resistant to 50 m/5 atm.
Dial – Based on a solid 925 silver plate. Deep blue color, with sun brushed finishing. 18K pink-gold diamond-cut applied hour markers, small seconds and power reserve indications.
Hands – 18K pink-gold stamped hours and minutes hands with diamond-cut head in the pure tradition of hands-making. 18K pink-gold hands for small seconds and power reserve indications. Rhodium-colored hand for the retrograde indications.
Strap/Bracelet – Black large-scale crocodile-skin strap, lined with black calfskin and black over-stitching.
Buckle – 18K pink-gold standard buckle.
Total Gold Weight – With standard buckle: 81.4 g (18K).
Source: Maurice Lacroix

Fonte: Luxury & Fine Timepieces – Facebook