2021: Purnell Escape II absolute sapphire. The world’s first dual three-axis tourbillon with a full sapphire case.
Purnell, a Swiss watchmaker known for only producing tourbillon movements, was inspired by performance, precision and mechanical strength to double its concept and bring more future to the watch industry than in the past. Only one year after the brand was launched at the Geneva Watch and Miracle Exhibition in 2020, Purnell has left its mark on contemporary fine watchmaking, not only with its unmistakable Spherion, but also with its integration into the Vallée de Joux from beginning to end. Local manufacturing processes head to the brand’s new headquarters in Rue du Rhône in Geneva, which includes a sophisticated showroom that welcomes customers.
At the 2021 Watch and Miracle Exhibition, the brand launched the world’s first dual three-axis tourbillon with a full sapphire case, a movement plywood and a sapphire dial. The fastest three-axis tourbillon in the world, named “Spherion”, each frame is set with 152 brilliant-cut diamonds. The purest transparent form highlights the best products created by Purnell: pure Swiss manufacturing technology and the world’s fastest dual three-axis tourbillon movement. What you don’t see here is the most important.
The 48 mm case, dial, power reserve, hour gear train and dial bridge are all made of transparent sapphire, revealing the six ingeniously constructed barrels that power the diamond-studded double Spherion movement. Purnell Escape II Absolute Sapphire is equipped with applied blue baguette sapphire hour markers, which is a unique work.
The CEO of Maurizio Mazzocchi Purnell said: “After several years of research and development, I am very happy to launch the complete Sapphire Escape II series, which enhances the light appearance of the movement and the charming Spherion movement. This year will launch a series with other colors Sapphire’s unique works, such as: pink, green and blue. I look forward to showing you this collection in person digitally during Watches & Wonders 2021.
To make this cheap watches requires 23 sapphire blocks-the processing process consumes 80% of the original quality. Sapphire grows below 2,050 degrees Celsius, can withstand high temperatures up to 1,000 degrees Celsius, and is scratch-resistant, except for diamonds. Purnell’s Swiss partner Novo Cristal in La Chaux-de-Fonds guarantees flawless sapphire transparency, which is achieved by using the highest purity alumina crystals and the diamond grain size used in the polishing process. In the last step, it is a polishing process that achieves extremely fine diamond grain size. The machining and polishing process requires a total of 150 hours, excluding development and machine programming and the growth of sapphire block cells.
Purnell Escape II Absolute Sapphire is powered by the manual winding movement CP03 Double Spherion with Diamond Set Cages. This is the fastest dual three-axis tourbillon in the world; it is called “Spherion” by its inventor and talented watchmaker Eric Kudley. The movement consists of 386 parts, 67 jewels and the mainspring are assembled in four barrels arranged in parallel-four overlapping in two barrels. The movement has two engraved visible barrel covers, and the total weight of the movement is 15.7 grams.
Due to its differential system, the fastest three-axis tourbillon completes its rotation in 8 seconds, while the inner frame completes in 16 seconds, and the secondary frame completes in 30 seconds. The blue titanium of the frame is set with 304 brilliant-cut diamonds. The 48 mm sapphire case is extremely transparent, and the watch is equipped with a transparent translucent rubber strap. Grade 5 titanium pin buckle.