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Press release
The Chronofiable® tested movement of the Tourbillograph Trackmaster unites a Tourbillon and a column wheel controlled chronograph in a high precision automatic watch.
Tourbillon
The Tourbillograph Trackmaster line incorporates a Tourbillon in a true sportswatch. To achieve this, the designers and engineers had to completely rethink the Tourbillon – two patented inventions were made in the process.
In a Tourbillon, French for vortex, the whole escapement rotates once a minute to counteract any negative influence of gravity on the balance wheel and the anchor. The escapement itself forms the minute wheel, the rotation of the Tourbillon indicating the seconds. Invented at the turn of the 19th century by Swiss-born genius horologist Abraham Louis Breguet, the Tourbillon more than two hundred years later still remains one of the most sought-after complications in watchmaking as it is most difficult to construct and assemble even with today's technology. Because of the number of moving parts and the fact that the whole assembly is mounted around one pivot only, a Tourbillon normally is susceptible to shocks and will mostly be found on dress watches.
Graham-London's Tourbillon with its 48 hand-assembled parts and a weight of only 0.485 grams for the entire Tourbillon assembly is a new and much lighter construction. Less weight means a lower moment of inertia and therefore a far better resistance to shocks. Further, the whole escapement assembly is mounted on a unique coq or bracket in the form of a prong, incorporating a reinforced Incabloc® shock absorbing device. This shock absorber not only protects the balance wheel as an Incabloc® would normally do, but the whole escapement, i.e. hairspring, balance wheel, escapement wheel and anchor.
The offset construction and the open cage of the Graham-London Tourbillon allow other wheels of the movement to intersect with the Tourbillon's orbital plane. This in turn allows a wider opening in the dial to see the device at work and integrates it completely into the movement. The inventors have named this design cintré.
Finally, and also as one of the visibly most prominent features, the Graham-London Tourbillon rotates between two characteristic bridges, designed for rigidity in a bent shape which is in the best tradition of English high precision timepieces of the 18th century. The construction with two bridges is not only ideally suited for a Tourbillon in a sportswatch but also classic craftsmanship according to Breguet. It makes the Tourbillons of the Tourbillograph Trackmaster line more rugged and reliable than a Tourbillon volant or flying Tourbillon only mounted on one side.
Column Wheel Chronograph
The movement of the Tourbillograph Trackmaster has a chronograph mechanism controlled by a column wheel. The column wheel or roue à colonnes in French (hence the cryptic three letters R.A.C. also found on other Graham-London watches) is the most elegant, most precise (and also a very pleasing) mechanism to control the stop watch functions of start, stop and reset. Easily recognisable by its seven polished triangular segments on a blue steel base cog, the column wheel moves one increment each time the start/stop-pusher is activated. The segments activate or stop the chronometer by activating numerous levers and allow the resetting of the counters through the reset-pusher only once the chronometer has been properly stopped, thus avoiding maloperation and eventually damage to the levers.
Automatic and High Precision
The high frequency of the balance wheel of 28'800 vibrations per hour is hard to achieve in a Tourbillon but it allows perfect adjustment of the movement and guarantees precise timekeeping. Each Tourbillograph Trackmaster movement is of course individually adjusted to position, temperature and isochronisms and regulated to keep time within strict tolerances. This precision, together with the automatic winding of the movement by way of a skeletonised rotor with an oscillating mass made of 925 sterling silver and a power reserve of 42 hours, makes the Tourbillograph Trackmaster the perfect sportswatch for everyday use. It is of course also waterproof.
Tested
After construction of the Tourbillograph-movement had been completed, the engineers wanted to see if it all worked as planned. For this, they took five Graham-London watches with a Tourbillograph-movement inside around the corner to Laboratoire Dubois SA, also based in La Chaux-de-Fonds. There, Monsieur Henri Dubois and his crew submitted the five pieces to the Chronofiable® test. Originally conceived by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry in the 1970ies, it is much-feared for its exacting standards. This test is virtually the gold standard of the watchmaking industry. Tourbillons are not normally submitted to it and only two had ever passed it before. The five watches, after an initial check, underwent a defined accelerated ageing cycle, simulating six months of wearing the watch. Among others, and this is why the test is feared indeed, the watches were submitted to 20'000 shocks ranging from 250 to 5500 m/s2 (25.5 to 560.7g), to angular acceleration, to moisture and to temperatures ranging from 0°C (32°F) to 57°C (134.6°F). After several weeks of such testing which also included the repeated testing of the chronograph functions (in fact, it included exactly 3'000 operation cycles of start-stop-reset), the watches had to still perform immaculately.
And perform they did indeed: Not one Tourbillograph-movement failed in any discipline.
The automatic Tourbillon plus R.A.C. chronograph precision movement for sportswatches had passed its baptism of fire with flying colours and the Tourbillograph was born.
Case and Strap
Made in steel with a Clous de Paris bezel or one in black PVD, all Tourbillograph Trackmasters feature a domed sapphire crystal on the front and a flat large diameter crystal in the see-through case back, accentuating the craftsmanship and high end finishing of the glorious Tourbillon movement with its column wheel and its perlages, chamfers and polishing. All watches of this line are fitted with an integrated natural rubber strap, of course in tyre pattern, as befits a master of the racetrack. An alligator strap and a folding buckle can be fitted on request.
Tourbillograph Trackmaster chromium
Available with silver or black dial. Limited edition of 100 pieces each.
Made for sports- and watchmaking aficionados alike, the Tourbillograph Trackmaster Chromium features exclusive materials and decorations such as a Clous de Paris pattern on the bezel, black or silver galvanic dials, a large openwork-rotor made of black Chromium with a sterling silver oscillating weight which together with the integrated natural rubber strap create a dynamic effect and a perfect unity of technology and design.
Tourbillograph Trackmaster black
Available with silver or black dial. Limited edition of 100 pieces each.
Black PVD carbide is used for the case, ceramic for the buckle, black gold coating on the oscillating weight, bridges and plates and it features black tyre tread effect natural rubber on the integrated strap. The watch for an active and dynamic lifestyle.
Technical features
TOURBILLOGRAPH TRACKMASTER CHROMIUM
Functions:
Tourbillon 1 minute
Chronograph:
- Hours and minutes from the centre
- Central second hand 12 hour counter at 6 o'clock
- 30 minute counter at 3 o'clock
Movement:
Automatic bi-compax chronograph Tourbillon
Calibre G1781
Frequency: 28'800 alternations per hour (4 Hz)
Components: 403
34 jewels
Power reserve: 42 hours
See-through Tourbillon with 48 components weighting 0.485 gram. Very high precision adjustment. Skeleton components of the Tourbillon cage enable a perfect vision of the mechanism.
Highly reliable sports Tourbillon-Chronograph (2 patent registrations) Tourbillon escapement with shock resistant conception
Open Tourbillon cage: complete integration of the Tourbillon into the movement. Symbiosis between the movement's and the Tourbillon's running
Very high grade decoration of the movement:
Rotor in black plated chromium
Bridges and plates in rhodium plated with circular-grained
Oscillating mass in 925 Silver mounted with 4 polished screws
Chronograph bridges decorated in sunburst pattern
Brass and steel components with polished-chamfered
Column wheel with polished and black PVD coating
Polished and black PVD coating column wheel
Case:
Stainless steel with “clous de Paris” bezel
Diameter: 47 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Water resistance: 160 feet or 50 metres
Dial:
Silver dial (ref. 2TWTS.S03A.K47F)
Black galvanic dial (ref. 2TWTS.B05A.K47F)
12 hour counter at 6 o'clock
Snailed decoration on 30 minute counter at 3 o'clock
White superluminescent numerals
Hands:
White superluminescent and galvanic black hour and minute hands
Red chrono second hand
12 hour and 30 minute counter hands in red
Glass: Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides. See-through case-back with flat sapphire crystal secured by 6 screws
Strap: Integrated black alligator strap or integrated tyre pattern black rubber strap
Buckle: Stainless steel folding buckle
Limited edition: 100 pieces of each dial version
References:
2TWTS.S03A.47F with silver dial
2TWTS.B05A.K47F with black dial
Public price: CHF 39'750
TOURBILLOGRAPH TRACKMASTER BLACK
Functions:
Tourbillon 1 minute
Chronograph:
- Central second hand
- 12 hour counter at 6 o'clock
- 30 minute counter at 3 o'clock
Hours and minutes from the centre
Movement:
Automatic bi-compax chronograph Tourbillon
Calibre G1781
Frequency: 28'800 alternations per hour (4 Hz)
Components: 403
34 jewels
Power reserve: 42 hours
See-through Tourbillon with 48 components weighting 0.485 gram.
Very high precision adjustment. Skeleton components of the Tourbillon cage enable a perfect vision of the mechanism.
Highly reliable sports Tourbillon-Chronograph (2 patent registrations)
Tourbillon escapement with shock resistant conception
Open Tourbillon cage: complete integration of the Tourbillon into the movement. Symbiosis between the movement's and the Tourbillon's running
Very high grade decoration of the movement:
Rotor in black plated chromium
Bridges and plates in rhodium plated with circular-grained
Oscillating mass in 925 Silver mounted with 4 polished screws
Chronograph bridges decorated in sunburst pattern
Brass and steel components with polished-chamfered
Column wheel with polished and black PVD coating
Polished and black PVD coating column wheel
Case:
Full black PVD carbide on stainless steel
Diameter: 47 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Water resistance: 160 feet or 50 metres
Dial:
Black dial (ref. 2TWTB.B03A.K47D)
Silver dial (ref. 2TWTB.S02A.K47D)
12 hour counter at 6 o'clock
Snailed decoration on 30 minute counter at 3 o'clock
White superluminescent numerals (ref: 2TWTB.B03A.K47D)
Hands:
White superluminescent and galvanic black hour and minute hands
Red chrono second hand
12 hour and 30 minute counter hands in red
Glass: Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides. See-through case-back with flat sapphire crystal secured by 6 screws
Strap: Integrated black alligator strap or integrated tyre pattern black rubber strap
Buckle: Ceramic folding buckle
Limited edition: 100 pieces of each dial version
References:
2TWTB.B03A.K47D with black dial
2TWTB.S03A.K47D with silver dial
Public price: CHF 42'000
