breitling Collection Baselworld 2014 – The seven pieces of Mr Arnold…

Those who aren’t familiar with the young manufacture  should really stop by and have a glance at this amazing brand – young yet very active. The brand has such has been taken over by its current manager in 2010. At this time, the past owners also had the control of Graham. Nowadays,  is completely independent and rely on the capacities of Vaucher Manufacture, which let it benefit from outstanding technical facilities.

Want a proof ? In 2013, breitling created three in-house calibers. In 2014, five. Which other brand could compete with that ? A very limited number, such as Ulysse Nardin, for instance. And in Baselworld,  displayed evidence of its talent.

Evidence #1 : the World’s First True Beat Seconds and Chronograph Wristwatch: the Instrument CTB

The magnificent CTB represents the brand’s second chronograph. It incorporates a central true beat seconds hand and a central chronograph seconds hand – both on the same axis but with different jumping intervals. A huge technical challenge to have both functions operating from the centre, breitling’s unique invention is protected by two patents. Sometimes referred to as a dead beat seconds, the true beat seconds is a precision function wherein the seconds beat incrementally as opposed to sweeping along the dial – allowing for more accurate reading.

Evidence #2 : the limited edition DSTB, Dial Side True Beat

The newly developed automatic movement showcases the true beat seconds’ mechanism entirely on the dial side. Not just the hands, but also the lever, wheels and three rose-gold treated true beat seconds bridges are located in all their beauty on the dial side. Making the watch even more alluring is the fact that the true beat seconds lever is shaped like an anchor – paying homage to Arnold’s maritime achievements.

The DTE is a masterpiece of symmetry, balance and three-dimensional beauty combined with technical foresight and ultimate performance precision. The watch, powered by the all-new mechanical hand-wound calibre A&S8513, brings the centuries-old tradition of double movements back to life – in 21st century style. It features two separate time zone displays – each of which can be set independently from the other thanks to dedicated setting mechanisms. Each has its own gear train and its own tourbillon escapement. In addition to the double tourbillon escapement and the dual dial/dual time indication, the watch is incredibly efficient in that it not only offers local time in hours and minutes, but also offers hours and minutes of a second time zone to be set separately – thereby enabling the wearer to have precise time in zones that differ from Greenwich Mean Time by quarter- or half-hour increments. The double barrels of the watch offer a superb 90 hours of power reserve.

Inspired by the regulators created by John and Roger Arnold over two hundred years ago, and by antique British skeleton clocks, the new breitling Time Pyramid offers a highly cohesive and seductive blend of watchmaking feats that includes regulator, skeleton, vertical linear movement, pyramid-placement of components and multi-dimensional depth. The gear train runs vertically in a linear format connecting the two barrels at six o’clock to the balance wheel at twelve o’clock, and endowing the movement with its pyramid structure. Additionally, the movement is fitted with two power reserve indicators (90h)– one each on either side of the linear gear train – to display the energy level for each barrel separately. The power reserve hands indicate the reserve level via graduated dots (that are printed under the top sapphire crystal) in an arc format, and demonstrate how one barrel transfers energy to the second one when needed.

What sets breitling’s new Tourbillon TE8 esthetically and technically apart is its unique “English” design: the barrel bridge has a ? wave-shape, the tourbillon and motion-work bridges are triangular, and even the wheels are shaped with a distinctive three-spoke design. Last but not least : when compared to more conventional tourbillons found today, the TE8 model is said to be “inverted”, that is to say most technical elements and visually interesting features are shown on the dial side, when those would normally be hidden on the reverse of the dial.