At Watches & Wonders 2022, Chanel unveiled a striking diamond-set Haute Horlogerie J12, equipped with the brand’s first in-house flying tourbillon, the Calibre 5. The brand also announced a new COSC-certified J12 33mm self-winding movement.
Traditionally seen as a luxury fashion house, Chanel has been taking its watchmaking seriously for some time, especially since the launch of the impressive Monsieur Chanel in 2016. The brand further enhanced its haute horlogerie credentials at Watches & Wonders in 2022 with the launch of the new J12 Diamond Tourbillon this week.
The striking new version of Chanel’s iconic timepiece features the brand’s first in-house produced flying tourbillon movement, the Calibre 5, while also showcasing the brand’s renowned expertise in gem setting and ceramic production.
The Calibre 5 was designed in Paris by Arnaud Chastaingt, director of the Chanel Watchmaking Creation Studio, and then developed and assembled by Châtelain, the company’s Swiss movement manufacturing division in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
sparkling spectacle
The tourbillon steals the show on the face of the 38mm watch, emerging through a circular cutout on the black dial. While the outside of the tourbillon cage is set with 26 brilliant-cut diamonds, a large solitaire diamond is set in the center. Together with the surrounding gems, the complication’s design creates a mesmerizing, sparkling spectacle as the tourbillon turns. The upper hour and minute hands are also set with 22 brilliant-cut diamonds.
The Calibre 5 is equipped with a 48-hour power reserve, which is partially displayed on the dial side, but more details can be appreciated through the display caseback. There, we see that the movement has the same circular bridge construction and clever finishes found in Chanel Haute Horlogerie creations.
To start using the Calibre 5 in its J12 collection, Chanel has launched two limited editions of the J12 Diamond Tourbillon of 55 pieces: priced at €160,000, the first has a black glossy ceramic case with an 18K white gold bezel set with 34 diamonds Baguette-cut diamonds and white gold crown, also set with a brilliant-cut diamond. Its one-piece black ceramic bracelet features a white gold three-fold clasp.
This time in matte black ceramic, the black steel bezel is paired with a matte black baguette-cut ceramic ring and a black steel crown, again set with a brilliant-cut diamond. Its ceramic bracelet features a stainless steel three-fold clasp in matte black.
J12 33mm – now with COSC certified 12.2 automatic movement
Chanel has been busy working on not just the Calibre 5, but the new Calibre 12.2. This newly developed automatic movement now offers a mechanical option for those attracted by the J12 33mm’s sporty appeal, previously only available with quartz movements.
Turning the watch over, we can see the brand new mechanism – certified by the COSC Observatory and equipped with a 50-hour power reserve – showing its full glory through the back of the display.
Again, the circles come into play here, the main plate has circular steps and the rotor has a ring cutout. Polished and matte finishes as well as vertical and circular textures ensure that the mechanism has a strong visual impact.
The Calibre 12.2 was designed and developed exclusively for luxury Chanel by Le Locle-based Kenissi, which acquired a 20% stake in the company in 2019. Breitling and Tudor have also invested in the Swiss manufacturer, which has a reputation for making top-of-the-line movements.
At the intersection of art and philosophy. The new model is considered a dedication to Japanese culture. Richard Mille presents the RM 47 Tourbillon, the result of nearly four years of meticulous aesthetic research and design.
This artistic new timepiece features a very compact movement designed to accommodate stylish 100% handcrafted samurai armor. The idea for the model emerged during a friendly conversation between Richard Mille and two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso, a passionate admirer of traditional Japanese art and samurai principles.
The new timepieces open up new creative horizons and live up to the brand’s prestigious collection of decorative watches. Entirely hand-carved by Pierre-Alain Lauzeron and painted by his wife Valerie Lauzeron, the image of the samurai armor reflects aspects of indigenous Japanese culture. The armor embodies the spirit of Bushido and the ethics of the samurai, whose values are still prevalent in Japanese society, and is made of 3N gold – a reference to ancient Japan used to decorate some of the country’s finest temples of gold leaf, as well as some traditional arts.
Many details are reminiscent of Asano, who became the embodiment of the Bushido spirit. The 18th-century patriarch Asano Nagano had 47 ronin under his command. After his death, they avenged the master and left this world as well. Their family crest – each samurai family has its own – is displayed on the tourbillon at 6 o’clock. This coat of arms, representing two crossed eagle feathers, symbolizing strength in battle and the power of an overlord, was also engraved on the shield of a military helmet. The crown is made of titanium, TPT® carbon and polished 3N gold with a Japanese maple scalloped pattern that symbolizes the seasons as well as elegance, beauty and the transience of life. Below are two swords in their scabbards, with the sharp side facing up, new 2022 replica watches
The execution of this decoration, more like a sculpture than just a carving, requires great patience, great care, great skill and dedication. “Swords and chisels, sharp blades and cuts, the accuracy of which depends on the skill of the engraver – there are many similarities between the qualities required by warriors and those required by our creative profession,” Pierre-Alain Rau Zeron said. It took a total of 16 hours of engraving and 9 hours of painting—more than a day’s worth of work—to create 11 pieces of samurai armor, seamlessly embedded on all sides of the RM 47 tourbillon movement.
Military armor acts like a guardian, offering valuable protection to the hand-wound RM 47 movement with hours and minutes. For perfect movement, the main plate and skeletonized bridges are made of grade 5 titanium, a biocompatible alloy commonly used in the aerospace industry, with a black PVD coating. This combination offers high corrosion resistance, excellent hardness and ideal surface flatness.
The movement, case and decoration of the RM 47 follow a design approach that integrates all components harmoniously and efficiently. The barrel-shaped case consists of three parts: a 3N gold bezel and a TZP black ceramic caseback attached to the sides. Inspired by the spirit and values of the Bushido samurai code, the unique aesthetic of the RM 47 Tourbillon of 75 pieces embodies a relentless pursuit of excellence and respect for tradition.
For better or worse, Patek Philippe copy has become synonymous with the Nautilus for many aficionados – a stainless steel sports watch that was launched in 1976 and has been in the spotlight for a long time. the company isn’t content to be considered merely a fashion steel bracelet watch The maker of Philippe, which it released at the show, is a reminder that Patek Philippe isn’t a Patek Philippe because a watch has become an Instagram darling.
The two pillars of Patek Philippe watchmaking have always been quality of finishing and impeccable execution in the manufacture of complicated watches, and its history is full of examples of watches that combine the two, including the Henry Graves Super Complications, As well as the Chime, a master watch of recent years (aesthetically polarizing, but extremely innovative in its mechanics).
Today, Patek Philippe has just released a new chronograph that is extremely technically sophisticated, while further underscoring that Patek Philippe complications are often the benchmark in the watch industry. Patek Philippe Ref. The 5470P-001 1/10-Second Monopusher Chronograph is certainly not the first high-beat chronograph – 1/10-second chronographs have been around since the introduction of Zenith El Primero in 1969. But if it’s waiting for Patek Philippe to release a high-beat chronograph, the wait is worth it – the Ref. 54070P-001 1/10th is unlike any other high-beat chronograph.
At first glance, this looks like an absolutely classic platinum double-record chronograph (with a small diamond between the lugs at six o’clock, like all platinum Patek Philippe watches). The red central hand, which at first glance is a chronograph second hand, looks a little unusual, especially against the dark blue dial, but otherwise, this could easily be a Patek Philippe chronograph for 1952 and 2022. However, on closer inspection, you notice that there are actually two chrono center hands with “1/10 of a second” written in different small letters on the dial – then the outer elapsed seconds scale is actually two scales, one indicating Elapsed seconds (and minutes, when read from the minute hand) and an external hand with 12 red hour markers designed to allow you to read 1/10 second increments from the red central chronograph hand. The red chronograph hand circles the dial every 12 seconds.
The 1/10 second action is provided by the new movement. This is the calibre CH 29-535 PS 1/10 and it takes as its starting point the split-seconds chronograph movement CH 29-535, which debuted in 2009, you can see the split-second movement in the superposition of the new movement Descent 1/10th of a second chronograph hand and chronograph second hand when the chronograph is reset to zero. Starting with the escapement and oscillator, the entire mechanism was rebuilt to fit the 1/10th of a second system.
The oscillating system is Patek Philippe’s patented Oscillomax system, first introduced in 2011 in an Advanced Research Project watch – the Patek Philippe Advanced Research Ref. 5550P. The Oscillomax system consists of a silicon hairspring, a silicon escape wheel with a special tooth profile and, most strikingly, the unusual GyromaxSi balance. The GyromaxSi balance is clearly and significantly different from other annular balances made of Glucydur – it is made of silicon (hence the name “Si”) and has a golden inertial weight, with a butterfly-shaped profile instantly marking CH 29-535 PS Caliber 1/10 as a completely different animal from its predecessor. Despite its very unusual configuration, it still has Patek Philippe’s adjustable weight
Silicon is often the solution to some of the problems posed by the snap escapement – cal. The CH 29-535 PS rattrapante has a frequency of 28,800 vph, but increasing to 36,000 vph (from 4Hz to 5Hz) you have inertia issues that you don’t have at lower frequencies, which is where the reduction in silicon mass comes in (and You also get the added advantage of using paramagnetic materials). copy luxury watches
In the calibre CH 29-535 PS 1/10, the system of the 1/10-second series is driven by the fourth wheel of the movement. The drive wheel is divided into two parts – an upper wheel with flexible spokes and a lower wheel with rigid spokes. The lower wheel is driven by the fourth wheel, and the upper wheel drives the clutch wheel – a system that helps prevent play between the drive wheel and the clutch. The 12-second rotation of the 1/10-second chronograph hand is thanks to a pinion with micro teeth on the 1/10-second wheel, and I mean micro – the pinion has 136 teeth and is only 1.46 mm in diameter, with The tooth height is 30 microns.
There are basically two separate chronograph mechanisms – one for the tenths of a second and the other for the standard central seconds counter and instantaneous jumping minutes counter. The entire 1/10 second mechanism is mounted on the clutch lever, and both the base system and the 1/10 system are traditional lateral clutch chronographs.
The 1/10 second system consists of an anti-backlash wheel (driven by the fourth wheel) with its rigid lower and flexible upper wheels. When the chronograph is engaged, the upper anti-backlash wheel is used to stabilize the drive wheel (below, yellow) to prevent the 1/10 second pinion (and hands) from getting stuck. The reason Patek Philippe didn’t use anti-backlash split teeth on the 1/10s pinion (the flexible gear teeth split from the center, like a small spring) is because the teeth on the pinion are too small.
Since the 1/10-second clutch lever carries the entire 1/10-second system, it is significantly heavier than a traditional lateral clutch timing lever. Plus the 1/10th pinion has very small teeth, which means the 1/10th clutch wheel can disengage from the 1/10th pinion if there is vibration. Patek Philippe patented a new anti-shock system with two “pendulum” anti-shock bars. They’re configured in such a way that no matter which direction the shock is coming from – top or bottom, left or right – the clutch wheel actually presses more firmly against the 1/10th of a second pinion. An analogy might be the caseback of a waterproof watch (or submarine hatch, for that matter), which is designed so that the more water pressure increases, the tighter the seal.
Because the 1/10-second mechanism completely follows the movement of the standard chronograph’s lower clutch system, you’ll need some protection as well. cheap Patek Philippe does this by adding a shock hook spring that hooks into a matching hook below the circular plate on top of the column wheel when the chronograph is running. When the chronograph is closed, the hook lifts from the safety hook under the column wheel top plate and the lever can move freely.
For this movement, you need to do everything in terms of technical improvements, and another adjustment Patek Philippe has made to the mainspring barrel. Both the length of the mainspring and the number of springs (two fundamental factors that determine the power reserve) are increased by reducing the diameter of the central arbor that carries the innermost spring coil. This particular point has been a common source of breakage in the past, and to hedge against any risk of excessive tension, Patek Philippe has also modified the sliding reins on the outer bezel of the mainspring and strengthened the mainspring’s attachment point (made of Nivaflex) in the heart on the axis.
The last element in terms of power management is the 1/10 second hand. Patek Philippe decided not to use tempered steel, opting instead for hands made of Silinvar (silicon with an oxide coating). The inertia of the Silinvar pointer is 3.35 times lower than that of the steel pointer, which means less energy is required to run the pointer and reset it to zero. However, this brings up two additional problems. The first is that the silicon is too brittle to press the hand against its friction fit post, and the second is that the regular red paint won’t stick to the hand. Patek Philippe solved these problems by patenting a primer formulation that allowed them to dye their hands red, and a second process of attaching a hollow brass tube to the center of the hand to hold it in place.
The result of all this is that you have a 1/10-second movement with central chronograph seconds and 1/10-second hands, with an extremely precise oscillation system and a highly optimized drive system. The new CH 29-535 PS 1/10 is actually slightly 0.15mm thinner than the rattrapante version – the rattrapante version is 7.1mm thick, while the CH 29-535 PS 1/10 is 6.96mm thick. By the way, movement development is under the supervision of Patek Philippe R&D head Philip Barratt and watch research head Anthony Crutley, and as far as I’m concerned, the entire watch enthusiast community should send them a big bottle of champagne And a dozen roses, because I can’t remember the last time I saw a movement with so many incredible unconventional and imaginative technical solutions.
If you compare the caliber CH 29-535 PS 1/10 with the El Primero caliber 3600, you will see that the biggest difference is the drive and coupling system. Zenith Chronomaster Sport 3600 movement, the central 1/10 second hand rotates slightly faster than the CH 29-535 PS 1/10, making one revolution every ten seconds. However, the system in the Caliber 3600 is driven by the escape wheel, not the fourth wheel. Generally, you don’t want to drive anything from the escape wheel because the torque there is already low, but Zenith has found a way to make it work. The Patek Philippe system uses first gear on the train, so the energy available is higher, the Patek Philippe system is optimized in a number of unique ways (I mean unique, there are 31 patents related to the movement in it) Seven is brand new) represents an entirely new approach to building high-frequency chronographs – while retaining the common characteristics of nearly all classic transverse clutch chronographs,
You’d think it was a limited edition, but it would go into the regular series, although I don’t think the number of units produced each year would be high — and the price is “on request,” which usually doesn’t account for, to put it mildly, high volume output. It’s a beautifully traditional design with some of the most intricate and refined watchmaking I’ve seen in a high-beat chronograph – further proof that if you want a real deal for your hard-earned pennies Watch content, it’s still hard to beat Patek Philippe.
Patek Philippe reference. 5470P-001 1/10 Monopusher Chronograph: Case, 950 Platinum, 41mm x 13.68mm, 30m water resistance, sapphire front and back; white top Wesselton interlug diamonds at 6:00. Movement, caliber CH 29-535 PS 1/10, 1/10 second chronograph with central second and 1/10 second hand; 29.6 mm x 6.96 mm, 48 hours power reserve with chronograph closed, Running at 36,000 vph. Silinvar silicon balance spring, Pulsomax silicon lever and escape wheel, Gyromax silicon balance, gold inertia weights and adjustable chronograph weights. Patek Philippe Seal, daily rate of change +3/-2 sec. Monopusher chronograph with pusher for start, stop and reset at 2:00. 30 minutes counter at 3:00; small seconds at 9:00.
