Corum Admirals Cup Deep Dive Automatic Black Dial Men's Watch 947950040371AN15

GMT - Automne-hiver 2009
Marie de Pimodan

Corum
The watch: Ti-Bridge
A bridge between tradition and innovation. It is hard to imagine any more explicit manner of linking past and future than the Ti-Bridge Only Watch. Its resolutely contemporary aesthetic carved from titanium reveals the second proprietary Corum movement. The new linear CO 007 calibre powering the TI-Bridge is inspired by the Golden Bridge calibre, the very first one presented by the firm.

While its shape is immediately recognisable, the dimensions, components and technical specifications of the brand's latest release are nonetheless different, testifying to a modern yet understated spirit. The titaniumclad bridges and plates feature meticulous finishing echoing that of the tonneau-shaped case, also in titanium. While the latter material is reputed both for its lightness and for the difficulties involved in machining it, Corum reveals its perfect mastery of these technical constraints. The titanium crosspieces holding the movement inside the case contribute to the pleasing and exclusive aesthetic appeal of this unique model.

Its architectural counterpart: the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation headquarters in Hong Kong designed by Norman Foster

F.P.Journe
The watch: Centigraphe Souverain
In presenting the Centigraphe Souverain, which earned the Golden Hand award in the 2008 Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix, François-Paul Journe once again caused a sensation by pushing back the limits of horological feasibility. His mechanical hand-wound chronograph theoretically serves to measure an object moving at the speed of 360,000 km/h - meaning well over the escape velocity of a rocket going into low-level orbit!
An impressive feat illustrated by the three chronograph counters arranged around the dial. The jumping or flying seconds hand at 10 o'clock sweeps around the subdial in one second on a scale marked in hundredths of a second; while the hand on the subdial at 2 o'clock completes one turn in 20 seconds. The third dial at 6 o'clock with a hand revolving in 10 minutes is rimmed by a tachometric scale running from 1 to 10, with speeds corresponding to 20-second markers.

Two patents have been filed for this new invention: the first for the chronograph start/stop/reset rocker device at 2 o'clock; and a second for the ingenious configuration of the mechanism that serves to isolate the chronograph function from the movement so as to ensure that the amplitude of the balance is unaffected when the chronograph is running.

Its architectural counterpart: phosphate elimination plant, Tegel (Berlin) by Gustav Peichl

Greubel Forsey
The watch: Invention Piece 3
Greubel Forsey is a brand determined to play an active role in developing the most creative micromechanical inventions of our era. Stemming directly from the research conducted on the Double Tourbillon 30°, the third invention features a single tourbillon cage inclined at a 25° angle and performing a rapid rotation in 24 seconds. This resolutely original mechanism reveals its functions on a dial distinguished by a completely unconventional architectural setting, since the plates themselves serve as the base for the various indications.

The hour dial with its 24-hour display occupies the majority of the space available, while the minute subdial is concentric with that of the dial, with differentcoloured indexes serving to differentiate between them. This cleverly orchestrated aesthetic construction radiates a balance that is further emphasised by the power reserve at 2 o'clock and the tourbillon at 8 o'clock. Moreover, four gold plates are engraved with a portion of a personal message from Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey, providing insight into the complex process involved in creating this watch and its mechanism. This message, inscribed in full on the back of the watch, emphasises the particular ties that are woven with the owner of this exceptional watch issued in a limited edition of just 33 - 11 in white gold, 11 in red gold and 11 in platinum.

Its architectural counterpart: Sher-E-Bangla Nagar, Louis I. Kahn's capital complex national assembly building in Dhaka, Bangladesh