White Gold "Chapter One" w/ Black Dial by MAÎTRES DU TEMPS
INTRODUCING THE NEW BLACK DIAL, WHITE GOLD CHAPTER ONE FROM MAÎTRES DU TEMPS
LA CHAUX-DE-FONDS, Switzerland - Building on the extremely successful launch of the groundbreaking Chapter One in 2008, Maîtres du Temps now presents a sensational new limited edition, featuring a jet-black dial and rollers set in a high-contrast white gold case.
Timeless elegance is evoked by the juxtaposition of elegant white gold hands against the black dial and of the bright red of the counterpoised chronograph second hand against the engine-turned sun-ray guilloche of the sub-dials. The ethereal beauty of the moon and stars against a dark night sky belies the high-tech nature of its anodized aluminum roller--a roller visually and technically balanced by the day of the week roller at the opposite end of the long, sweeping compound curves of the stunningly finished case.
The highly polished tourbillon literally explodes from the dark dial in a highly reflective burst of light, some of which streams in through the opening to the day roller and sweeps up from under the tourbillon, adding to the three-dimensionality of the spectacle. Amid the indication-rich nature of the dial, the tourbillon cage and bridge stand out as if under a bright spotlight on a semi-darkened stage.
"To my eye, where the silver-dialed Chapter One leans in the direction of a more classic look, this black-dialed version feels sportier, faster. And I particularly like the way that the black of the dial continues into the dark night sky of the moon roller above and the black day roller below," says Mr. Steven Holtzman, founder of Maîtres du Temps.
Developed by a collaboration of three of the world's greatest watchmakers, Mr. Christophe Claret, Mr. Roger DubuisRoger Dubuis, and Mr. Peter Speake-Marin, Chapter One features a world-first combination of complications: tourbillon, mono-pusher chronograph, retrograde date, retrograde GMT, and two rolling bars at 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock, indicating the day of the week and phase of the moon, respectively. The dial reveals central coaxial hours, minutes, and chronograph 60-second counter; tourbillon and day of the week roller at 6 o'clock; retrograde GMT at 9 o'clock; 60-minute chronograph counter and precision moon phase roller at 12 o'clock; and retrograde date at 3 o'clock.
Chapter One is imbued with the intoxicating fusion of Mr. Claret's undisputed mastery of high-end complications, Mr.Dubuis' rich lifetime of experience in haute horlogerie, and Mr.Speake-Marin's unparalleled ability to bridge the very best of both traditional and modern watchmaking.
The ease of both reading and adjusting Chapter One's many indications disguises the fact that this is an extremely complex movement that has been handcrafted and meticulously assembled from 558 components. Efficiently transmitting power to the two rollers and ensuring that they work simultaneously with the time, date, GMT, and chronograph was just one of the immense technical challenges met and conquered.
About Maîtres du Temps
Maîtres du Temps is a pantheon where teams of independent master watchmakers at the very pinnacle of haute horlogerie collaborate to develop innovative, interesting, and very exclusive timepieces. Founded by Mr. Steven Holtzman and based in Switzerland, Maîtres du Temps crafts limited-series mechanical masterpieces, each the synthesis of the experience, art, and techniques of the Masters who create it.
Technical Specifications:
Limited Edition of 11 pieces
Features: manual-wind mechanical movement, one-minute tourbillon, mono-pusher chronograph, retrograde date indicator, retrograde GMT indicator, day of the week indication on roller, patented precise moon phase indication on roller.
Displays
Central hands indicating hours and minutes
Central chronograph counterpoised second hand
60-minute counter at 12 o'clock
Retrograde date at 3 o'clock
Retrograde GMT at 9 o'clock
One-minute tourbillon at 6 o'clock
Day of the week indication on roller at 6 o'clock
Patented precise moon phase indication on roller at 12 o'clock
Functions
Two-position winding crown: pushed in to wind the watch; pulled out to set the time
Chronograph: start/stop/return-to-zero function activated by single pusher in the crown
Correctors
Date corrector at 2 o'clock
Day of the week corrector at 4 o'clock
Moon phase corrector at 8 o'clock
GMT corrector at 10 o'clock
Caliber SHC02
Dimensions: 51.3 mm x 31.6 mm
Number of components: 558
Number of jewels: 58
Power reserve: 60 hours
Tourbillon rotation: 60 seconds
Balance frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
Case
18K white gold
Number of components: 104
Dimensions: 62.60 mm x 45.90 mm
Sapphire crystals with double anti-reflective coating
Display back: sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
High polish and satin finishes on compound-curve surfaces
Correctors with integrated locking system
Dial
18K gold
Number of components: 7
Multi-faceted and beveled
Printed Roman numerals
Engine-turned sun-ray guilloche
Red counterpoised chronograph hand
18K gold sword-shaped hands for the 60-minute chronograph counter, hour, minute, date, and GMT
Rollers
Day roller: matte anodized anticorodal finished aluminum
Moon phase roller: anodized anticorodal finished aluminum inside a matte anodized cover with laser-pierced moon and stars
Window between day roller and tourbillon
Strap
hand-sewn alligator strap with 18K white gold deployant buckle
Images/text provided by Mary Beth T. at Maitres du Temps
