Orrery Tourbillon - new star from the Graham stable
Added: (Thu Nov 29 2018)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Graham continues to impress fine watchlovers with another extraordinary timepiece, that has caught the eye and fired up the imaginations of all who love the art of telling time.
Time and space fuse in the latest complication from Graham. Inspired by George Graham’s invention of the first Orrery in 1713, this precious limited edition of eight harmoniously marries horology and universe. Sealing the union are genuine, carved elements of Mars and the Moon.
These turn the fascination of a cosmos usually out of reach, into a wonder that can be captured. Proudly representing their namesakes in each watch, these materials enable celestial bodies to get in touch with their earthly side. The heart and soul of the piece is a manual Orrery tourbillon exclusively crafted for Graham by Christophe Claret, evolved from the 2013 Graham anniversary edition. Rooted in the age of enlightenment three centuries ago, this horological masterpiece incorporates a 300-year calendar to carry enlightened timekeeping into the future.
Why treasure a timepiece for the next generation when you can treasure it for the next twelve?
A portable planetarium
Creating a miniaturised solar system requires meticulous attention to detail and boundless scientific curiosity, where the universe, rather than the sky, is the limit. These are topics that presumably fuelled the discussions enjoyed between Royal Society fellow George Graham and his personal scientist and astronomer friends, Sir Isaac Newton and Edmond Halley.
The 2017 Geo-Graham Orrery Tourbillon represents an intriguing storybook, where all of the stories are 100% true. The genuine fragments of the Moon and Mars it contains came to earth as a result of a meteorite impact. Kingman Turquoise, first discovered and mined by ancient Native American civilizations in what is now Arizona, long before Europeans discovered the New World, forms the earth. And the sun is a miniaturised masterpiece in itself. Perfectly complementing imagined pictures of the solar ball of fire is an engraving of two phoenix heads, a decoration used by George Graham, on the Tourbillon Bridge.
This 18-carat rose gold element also has a gleaming cabochon diamond at its centre. The backdrop for the wearable cosmic stage show is a lacquered blue dial. What better setting for the romance Graham has sparked between horology and astronomy in this piece? The dial has three scales to measure time on earth, the Gregorian calendar and the zodiac system.
Heavenly looks
Mastering a technical feat is a thing of beauty in itself. The use of exquisite materials and mesmerising design detail tailor the fascination factor to perfection. Magicing memories of an observatory dome or telescope lens, a semi-spherical sapphire crystal nestles on a rose gold case. A hand-stitched blue alligator strap is held securely in place by a folding rose gold buckle. The ornate two-barrel movement conceals inner beauty in the form of 72 hours power reserve.
So which eight fortunate contemporary collectors will have the pleasure of sitting listening to The Planets, by the English composer Gustav Holst, with this Graham 2017 treasure on their wrist? Precisely. The answer is written in the stars.
GEO.GRAHAM ORRERY TOURBILLON
USP
• Manual Tourbillon Orrery
• Decorated and refined movement exclusively made for GRAHAM by Manufacture Christophe Claret
• Mechanical Solar System model (Moon, Earth, Mars) with300 years calendar in total
• Pink gold 18K
• Genuine fragments of the Moon and Mars. The Earth is made of Kingman Turquoise.
• Hand-engraved pink gold (18K) Tourbillon bridge with 2 Phoenix heads inspired by George Graham and a cabochon close set diamond
• Limited edition: 8
Functions: Manual Tourbillon Orrery, mechanical solar system model with 100 years calendar (two additional graduations of 100 years –300 years in total) Year counter on the case back with planet correction indicators. (Moon: 7 years, Earth: 1156 years, Mars: 25 years)
Hours, minutes
Calibre: G1800, Tourbillon Orrery high precision mechanical movement by Manufacture Christophe Claret
21’600 A/h (3Hz)
Incabloc shock absorber
35 jewels
Power reserve: 72 hours with 2 barrels
Case: 48 mm pink gold (18K)
17.60 mm thick
Pink gold (18K) right hand control crowns (planets’ crown at 2 o’clock which also enables to set the calendar, manual winding and time crown at 3 o’clock)
Moon corrector at 4 o’clock
Mars corrector at 10 o’clock
Dome sapphire crystal (semi-spherical), anti-reflective coating on both faces
See-through sapphire crystal case back with 100-year scale, Moon and Mars correction indicators and serial number hand-engraved
Bezel: Pink gold (18K) bezel
Water resistance: 160 feet/ 50 m / 5 bar
Dial: Blue lacquered dial with Geo. Graham Tourbillon Orrery inscription at 4 o’clock
3 scales: Hours and minutes scale, Gregorian calendar (365.25 days), Zodiac scale (12 astrological signs)
Solar system: The Moon (from NWA4881 meteorite, Ø0.90mm), The Earth (Kingman Turquoise, Ø3.20mm), Mars (from Tissint meteorite, Ø1.70mm), The Sun (pink gold (18K)
–hand -engraved Tourbillon bridge with 2 Phoenix heads inspired by George Graham decoration and a cabochon close set diamond at the centre
Off-centre skeleton pink gold (18K) hands with white Super-LumiNova coating
Strap: Hand-sewn blue alligator, Pink gold (18K) folding buckle