The Tourbillon Panoramique sets the most fascinating of the grand horological complications on a sparkling crystal throne.
The role of the tourbillon, originally created for pocket watches, is to eliminate the disruptive effects of gravity on the regulatory organ of the movement. Kept in a small leather pouch in a vertical and static position, pocket watches were indeed particularly vulnerable to the in?uence of earth’s gravity. A masterly mechanism, the tourbillon was created in the 18th century by Abraham-Louis Breguet and only began to appear in wristwatches in the 1980s. Ten years ago, Corum decided to reveal its splendour in the Caesar Othon watch, a unique piece.
Corum has now set itself a new challenge: a panoramic tourbillon.
The final result is a subtle blend of the successful ingredients featured in the brand’s two icon products: the Golden Bridge, from which the designers have borrowed both the tonneau shape (while giving it new proportions) and the crown at 6 o’clock; as well as the above-mentioned sapphire tourbillon movement, an accurate and elegant mechanism that forms the beating heart of the watch.
When aesthetics drives progress …
The project took around eighteen months to complete, a process involving developing the design and specifying the modifications to be made on the movement. Countless hours of work on the shape and on the case, using stereolithography technology (a type of 3D printing), served to determine the basic elements.
Nonetheless, before launching into production of the various parts, technicians and designers still had to find a clear answer to the issue of the mainplate and the three bridges in sapphire. Due confirmation of the feasibility of their creation and, after a lengthy testing phase, of their smooth operation, erased any remaining doubts. Moreover, due to the change in the basic material, the mainplate had to be completely redesigned.Its execution involves four cut-outs, machined to differentiate various thicknesses. The crystals must be accurately cut to within a hundredth of a millimeter.
The winning team
The Corum watch brand, in its role as the “conductor” of an orchestra of talents, left no stone unturned in giving life to this product, fully aware that it was essential to find the right companies capable of providing the required expertise. La Joux-Perret was therefore a natural choice for the tourbillon, as was Affolter for the case.
For your eyes only
Each movement – in this instance the tried and tested LJP Caliber 7951 – is assembled and adjusted for a full three weeks, before being cased up. The entire process is attentively monitored so as to leave nothing to chance. In this world of clarity, extreme care regarding even the smallest details is lavished on both the precision of the mechanism and the perfection of its execution.
The case, with its cemented glass walls, is composed of a gold middle section (in red or white gold, 66 watches) or in platinum (limited edition of 5). The screws holding the various parts in this luminous, ethereal world are also made of precious metal.
The barrel, the balance, the pallet-wheel, the escapement and indeed all of the 168 parts making up this mechanical marvel move in perfect harmony between emptiness and matter.
Meanwhile, protected from any lateral or vertical shocks, the caliber dances on two semi-opaque synthetic elements at 12 and 6 o’clock. Another innovative way of interpreting the theme of transparency. The two open-worked hands and the Corum key (housing the tourbillon) move in step with the cadence of 21,600 vibrations per hour. Endowed with a 90-hour power reserve, this tourbillon is a truly exceptional creation.
The watches are cased up by brilliant craftsmen at the rate of one per day, in a white room ensuring the complete absence of dust and the determined pursuit of pristine laboratory conditions.
Water-resistant to 30 meters, the Tourbillon Panoramique is subsequently tested for a full three weeks before being dispatched to the various points of sale.
The result?
A watch with a heart transformed into a genuine work of art.
Tourbillon Panoramique
Limited Edition:
to 66 pieces in gold and to 5 pieces in platinum
References:
382.850.55/OF02 0000 (red gold version)
382.850.59/OF01 0000 (white gold version)
Movement:
Mechanical, LJP 7951, CO-382
Frequency : 3Hz, 21’600 vibrations/h
Hand-wound by a stem at 6 o’clock
17 jewels
Bridges and bottom plate in transparent sapphire crystal
Functions:
Hours, minutes in the centre, tourbillon
90-hour power reserve
Case:
Tonneau shaped. Dimension 38 x 53 mm
18-karat red gold, white gold or platinum
Sapphire crystals on the top and sides
Screw fitted back in 18-karat gold with glare proof sapphire crystal
Crown in 18-karat gold, engraved with the Corum key
Dial:
Open-worked hands in black
Crystal:
Four specially shaped and cut sapphire crystals, with glare proof treatment
Diamonds (optional):
Case: 225 diamonds; total 8.40 carats
Strap
Genuine black or brown crocodile leather, width 21/18 mm
Clasp:
18-karat gold mechanical-fastening triple folding clasp
Water-resistance:
3 atmospheres (99 feet / 30 meters)
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