Tag: Discount Replica MB&F LM SPLIT ESCAPEMENT GREY 03.WL.FB watch

replica tourbillon watches

Technical point of view of stopping the tourbillon Set the tourbillon with second-level accuracy.

The tourbillon is generally considered to be one of the most prestigious complications, and it is also a manifestation of the skill and craftsmanship of the watchmaker capable of creating this fascinating mechanism. Invented by Breguet in 1801, its purpose is to eliminate the influence of gravity on the watch adjustment mechanism. The change in position has a significant impact on the way the watch travels. In the tourbillon, a moving bracket that rotates at a low speed (usually once per minute) is equipped with a balance wheel, hairspring, and escapement to average the position error. Therefore, tourbillon watches are designed to time time with superior accuracy, but until recently they had a major flaw. It is impossible to set the time in a second-accurate manner using the classic stop-seconds function. In fact, it seems logical and obvious to be able to synchronize movement with time signals.

The ability to stop the balance wheel and the second hand of the mechanical movement is crucial. Traditionally, pulling the crown of the watch through the dial mechanism causes the brake to contact the edge of the balance wheel and stop it. When the crown is pushed back, the brake is released, and the balance wheel and the second hand immediately restart. But stopping the balance in the tourbillon is not simple, because the balance swings in a rotating frame. The brake may hit one of the cage struts, rendering it unable to perform its function. Stopping the cage itself is not the solution. The balance will remain free to oscillate, and will eventually slow down, lose its amplitude, and stop, which is considered unsatisfactory (at least for some people). The escapement is also at risk of damage.

The first watch to provide a solution was the Lange & Söhne Cabaret Tourbillon in 2008 (relaunched in 2021). Lange’s solution included designing a very special brake spring. The V-shaped part (reminiscent of a mustache) is articulated, so if one of the two arms comes into contact with one of the struts, the other will still advance to the rim of the balance wheel and perform its function. Its geometry ensures optimal function under all conditions. In 2014, with the introduction of the 1815 tourbillon, the German manufacturer went one step further and added a zero-return function, thanks to the heart-shaped cam mechanism that resets the second hand when the crown is pulled.

Several brands followed in Lange’s footsteps and each provided its own solutions to the problems. Another German manufacturer, Moritz Grossmann, has proposed brands that are committed to stopping the rim of the balance wheel without hitting one of the pillars with original and poetic solutions. The beautiful Bennu Tourbillon was launched in 2014, with a three-minute flying tourbillon in a large 16 mm frame. The brake used to stop the balance consists of a tiny rotating brush made of human hair (visible here near the 25-minute mark). The cage posts pass through the hair, but they are hard enough to prevent balance.

IWC hacking Tourbillon was launched in 2017 and uses two levers to clamp the rim of the balance wheel like pliers. Each lever has its own spring, and if one lever hits the pillar, the other will stop balancing. This system has been applied to many tourbillons of the brand, such as the Da Vinci Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph, the Portuguese Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph or the Portofino Manual Winding Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph.

In order to set their parallax tourbillon most precisely, the Gronefeld brothers decided to stop the frame (and reset the second one), thanks to the pin under the bracket. Its push-wind/push-setting crown allows switching between the two modes. When switching to the setting mode, a lever is moved. The movement continues to run, but once the cage pin engages the lever, the movement stops. In short, the flying tourbillon and the central seconds hand continue to rotate synchronously until they reach the 12 o’clock position and stop.

Montblanc Exo-Tourbillon is an original tourbillon architecture that provides another solution. Its balance wheel swings on a higher plane outside the cage. Therefore, it can realize the traditional and simple stop-second mechanism and block the balance wheel by the brake.

German independent watchmaker Karsten Frassdorf obtained a patent in the Ei8ht Tourbillon and implemented a new, efficient and elegant solution for applying the stop-second mechanism to the tourbillon movement. Instead of stopping the balance wheel in the traditional way, Frassdorf allows the brake to be in horizontal contact with the rim of the balance wheel. Instead, the balance wheel is stopped vertically with a double roller (now a dual-function roller). In addition to improving braking efficiency, there is naturally no risk of hitting one of the pillars of the tourbillon frame.

Richard Mille RM 72-01 Flyback chronograph

Richard Mille launches the RM 72-01 Flyback chronograph When discussing Richard Mille, using terms like “entry-level” or “mid-range” always feels a bit hypocritical, because even the simplest work of the brand is technologically advanced and expensive. When one of Richard Mille’s main mid-range products needs to be replaced, people’s expectations are high, which is understandable. After the cornerstone RM 11 flyback chronograph series was recently discontinued, fans of the brand have been wondering what will replace it in the lineup.

Now, Richard Mille is showing the world the first iteration of its next-generation manufacturing flyback chronograph: RM 72-01. The Richard Mille RM 72-01 Lifestyle In-House Chronograph made its debut while maintaining the brand’s iconic appearance. A truly breakthrough watch innovation.

The RM 72-01 retains the brand’s iconic curved rear compartment shape and is fastened together by 20 spline screws. The dimensions here are 38.4 mm x 47.3 mm. Available in grade 5 titanium, 5N red gold, black ceramic, and white ceramic, this familiar form is full of details, such as the fine red gold and black ceramic logo on the top of the rubber crown, and the radical pentagonal shape made of a mixture The red gold and black ceramic buttons create eye-catching visual highlights. Like all Richard Mille models, the RM 72-01 provides a wide sapphire display, allowing you to see the new movement inside without obstruction, while maintaining a 30-meter water resistance.

The case design of Richard Mille RM 72-01 is similar to the brand’s iconic appearance. The dial design innovates Richard Mille’s skeleton style into a novel and expressive form. RM 72-01 abandons the traditional 3-6-9 o’clock three o’clock layout of the RM 11 series chronograph, and replaces its sub-dial with the small seconds at 1 o’clock, 5 o’clock and 9 o’clock. The result, coupled with the smooth curve of the titanium hollow dial bridge, looks strange in design, almost biological. The futuristic rose gold crown princess hands feel almost like thorns in this case, supported by an arrow-pointed chronograph and small seconds hand, these hands are color-coded to provide visual drama, at a glance. Three eye-catching Arabic numerals at 11 o’clock, 3 o’clock and 8 o’clock help to consolidate this unorthodox sense of organic symmetry, and there is a vertical hollow date window at 5 o’clock.

However, the true gem of Richard Mille RM 72-01 is the movement. Richard Mille developed a new manufacturing movement for this series, namely the Calibre CRMC1 automatic flyback chronograph movement. The titanium alloy movement CRMC1 is a test bed for many advancements in timepieces, the most famous being Richard Mille‘s patented new swing pinion timing coupling system. By connecting the traditional column wheel meshing mechanism to a series of two swing pinions connected to the rocker, all three chronograph hands receive torque directly from the main barrel instead of transmitting energy through the base movement.

The result is that the timing of the base movement is completely unaffected by the use of the chronograph, and regardless of the use of the chronograph, the movement’s 50-hour power reserve at a beat rate of 28,800 bph remains stable. In addition, the Caliber CRMC1 has a shock-resistant free-spring balance, a compact two-way platinum winding rotor and a faster-rotating mainspring barrel, which completes a cycle every five hours to achieve smoother power transmission and reduce the attachment of the internal mainspring. Focus on.

Of course, the hollow bridges and splints with micro-blasted surfaces and hand-polished chamfers are both mechanical and visual spectacles. Like most models of the brand, Richard Mille paired the RM 72-01 with a black or white one-piece tapered rubber strap.

Although the radical bio-futuristic appearance may not be suitable for everyone, as the brand moves into a new decade, the absolute mechanical strength of Richard Mille RM 72-01 is undoubtedly impressive.