Purtec

Since the 19th century, the tourbillon has represented, due to its aesthetic appeal and mechanical ingenuity, one of the most significant innovations in the watchmaking industry.

The tourbillon cage generally rotates on its axis, completing a full rotation in a certain period of time, typically one minute. This constant rotation aims to compensate for variations in the watch’s positions.

Indeed, due to gravity, different positions of the watch can affect the regularity of its movement, leading to inaccuracies.

The tourbillon, by rotating on itself, exposes each part of the mechanism to various positions, thereby “neutralizing” the negative effects of gravity.

Combining “sphérique” and “tourbillon”

Born from the imagination of the genius Eric Coudray, the Sphérillon is composed of two spherical cages weighing only 0.79 g each, with each containing three cages in permanent rotation.

Designed to compensate for the effects of gravity forces, as established by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1801, the tourbillon sees its efficiency significantly improved through this “three-axis” concept capable of enhancing the precision of a mechanical watch, regardless of its position.

Within each Sphérillon, the first cage housing the balance wheel completes a full rotation on itself. The different speeds of the two cages create a visually mesmerizing complication.

Contraction of “cone” and “tourbillon”

A reinterpretation of Walter Prendel’s inclined tourbillon, master watchmaker Eric Coudray, winner of the 2013/2014 Gaïa Prize, pushes the boundaries of contemporary tourbillon improvement in the early 2020s by creating the conical tourbillon: the Conillon. It owes its name to the trajectory of the balance wheel axis, which describes a cone during one revolution of the cage over time.

This caliber 701 TC, a manual-winding mechanical movement, oscillates at a frequency of 21,600 beats per hour (3Hz), with its spiral balance inclined at 30 degrees relative to the horizontal.

“De quantum” refers to “how much” and denotes a number, specifically the date of the month.

The simple calendar is an evolution of 17th-century astronomical watches, using a complex mechanism of gears, wheels, levers, and snails to display typically the date from 1 to 31 of the month. This indication can be achieved with hands, discs, or rollers. These movements require manual adjustment at the beginning of each month.

The first perpetual calendar watch was introduced in 1925. It automatically adjusts for varying month lengths, including leap years, without frequent manual adjustment. The movement is capable of anticipating these variations without external intervention. Some models also feature a moon phase indicator, with the first model introduced in 1984.

Watches equipped with a perpetual calendar are considered high complication timepieces, showcasing the technical expertise and precision required to design and manufacture a mechanism capable of autonomously managing the subtleties of the calendar.