Drawing upon the time-honoured know-how cultivated by Audemars Piguet, the new Millenary Minute Repeater is enriching a classic and sculptural collection that already includes such exceptional models as the Tradition d’Excellence N°5, MC12, Deadbeat Seconds and Carbon One watches. Endowed with hours, minutes, seconds and minute repeater functions and equipped with a winding system specially developed for its hand-wound Calibre 2910, the Millenary Minute Repeater – like its illustrious forerunners – is a concentrated blend of expertise, technical sophistication and innovative materials. Its titanium oval case provides an atypical stage-setting for a truly magnificent sight featuring offset gold subdials inviting the observer to plunge into the mechanism’s deepest secrets. The AP escapement, the double balance-spring, as well as the hammers and the striking gongs, all become the key players of a truly three-dimensional creation. The striking mechanism is the oldest of all complications. As early as the 15th century,
certain pocket-watches already sounded the hours in passing, whereas quarter-repeating mechanisms striking the hours and quarters on demand appeared in the late 17th century. These watches endowed with a mechanical memory and which initially served to tell the time in the dark are now one of the greatest demonstrations of horological expertise, and the exclusive preserve of a few rare movement manufacturers.
certain pocket-watches already sounded the hours in passing, whereas quarter-repeating mechanisms striking the hours and quarters on demand appeared in the late 17th century. These watches endowed with a mechanical memory and which initially served to tell the time in the dark are now one of the greatest demonstrations of horological expertise, and the exclusive preserve of a few rare movement manufacturers.
The movement
Conceived, developed and produced by Audemars Piguet, the new hand-wound Calibre 2910 driving the Millenary Minute Repeater is also distinguished by the atypical construction of the regulating organ. The latter is composed, not of one balancespring, but of two balance-springs placed top to tail. This flat opposite-facing
double balance-spring system boasts numerous advantages: it ensures automatic compensation for potential poising flaws; eliminates the need for the “overcoil” terminal curves of so-called “Breguet-type” balance-springs, which are always very tricky to make; and also does away with the imprecision resulting from the vertical position of the watch without needing to resort to such a sophisticated device as the tourbillon. All these special features serve to ensure finer adjustment of the balanceand- spring assembly oscillating at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour. The two movement barrels guarantee an exceptional seven-day power reserve. A third barrel dedicated to the striking mechanism is two and a half times larger than normal, and enhances the regularity of the note. Finally, in terms of security, the Millenary Minute Repeater is equipped with a balance-stop system designed to ensuring timesetting that is accurate to the nearest second. The new winding system also features a security device that prevents time-setting while the striking mechanism is in operation, thus avoiding any risk of inappropriate handling.
Architecture
Such refined mechanical features naturally deserved to be matched by equally exceptional finishing. The oval-shaped Millenary case in brushed titanium – a material featuring exceptional resonance qualities – is framed by a polished titanium bezel. The various organs within are barely concealed by the anthracite grey hours and minutes subdial offset at 3 o’clock, and by the small seconds at 7 o’clock. Particular care has been lavished on the hand-polished bevelling, on the interior angles and on the concentric circular-grained motif. The movement is also adorned by a horizontal “Côtes
de Genève” pattern. This wealth of details is visible both from the top and through the transparent caseback, which together serve to highlight a particularly dynamic threedimensional architecture. Through its impressive combination of performances and technological accomplishments, the Audemars Piguet Millenary Minute Repeater makes a decisive new contribution to the history of this collection (Audemars Piguet, 2010).
Technical specifications
Movement
··Manufacture Audemars Piguet Calibre 2910
··Offset hours/minutes at 3 o’clock, offset
minutes at 7 o’clock
··Three-position winding crown
··Repeater slide serving to activate the minute
repeater at 7 o’clock
··Movement dimensions (width and thickness):
37.90 x 32.90 mm
··Casing diameter (width and thickness):
37 x 32 mm
··Total movement thickness: 10.05 mm
··Direct-impulse AP escapement
··Variable-inertia balance fitted with
inertia-blocks
··Diameter of the balance: 11.90 mm
··Flat double balance-spring
··Power reserve: 165 hours
··Frequency: 21.600 vph (3Hz)
··Number of parts: 443
··Number of jewels: 40
··Finishing: all parts finished by hand, with
hand-polished bevelling, interior angles,
snailing, hand-draw file strokes, horizontal
“Côtes de Genève” motif and circular-graining
on the mainplate
Case
··Titanium oval case
··Width: 47 mm
··Thickness: 42 mm
··Sapphire crystal caseback
··Non water-resistant
Dial
··Anthracite grey dial,
applied pink gold Roman numerals,
silvered small seconds subdial
Strap
··Hand-sewn black crocodile leather
“with large square scales”, fastened by
a titanium AP folding clasp
Functions
··Hours
··Minutes
··Small seconds
··Minute repeater
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ReplyDeleteBuying a watch take into consideration things like, how readable the time is and what kind of maintenance the watch requires. These things may seem trivial, but are very important when you are spending a big amount on a watch to gift that special someone.