Few weeks in advance of Baselworld 2016, the largest event of the watchmaking industry, they are presenting a completely new model (case, dial and movement): the Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire. The movement of the new timepiece features an eight seconds constant force mechanism. Prices before taxes: Euro 49,500 for the Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire RG Constant Force (Red gold Au750 5N) and Euro 50,850 for the Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire WG Constant Force (White gold Au750/Pd150)
Exciting news from the Dutch horological brothers, Bart and Tim Grönefeld. Few weeks in advance of Baselworld 2016, the largest event of the watchmaking industry, they are presenting a completely new model (case, dial and movement): the Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire.
The movement of the new timepiece features an eight seconds constant force mechanism which optimizes time keeping: a small hairspring is wound every 8 seconds to guarantee a constant force for the escapement. This is achieved through a complex satellite gearing mechanism with hypocycloidal gears, twin ball bearings, pinions and jewelled levers.
From the mainspring being fully wound to the last minute of the 36 hours of power reserve, when the stop system intervenes, the force never varies with the result of consistent amplitude and rate, hence superior precision.
Bart and Tim decided to develop a constant force mechanism taking inspiration from the church clock in their native village. Maintained by their father Sijef, this clock featured a display that was positioned much higher than the movement, necessitating significant force. However, since the magnitude of such force would prove too great for a conventional escapement, a remontoire, or constant force mechanism was deployed.
As a further tribute to the influence of their father in their lives, Bart and Tim designed a brand new case and named it 1941, after the year he was born.
This case is characterised by hollowed, concave recesses and convex surfaces resulting in a nicely sculpted shape.
To understand the level of finishing, just consider that the case is polished after each cutting phase and prior the next stage of milling to ensure that precisely defined contours of the case are mantained.
The lugs are retained with two hidden titanium screws and positioned inside the case. This way, the lugs can be detached to be polished or, eventually, replaced.
With a not too big and not too small diameter of 39.5 mm (thickness is 10.5 mm), the 1941 Remontoire is available in red gold or in a new white gold alloy containing Palladium 150 to avoid any need for rhodium plating.
The dial is crafted from solid sterling silver and features frosted and satin-grained surfaces, enhanced by polished edges. Flame-blued steel hands indicate the hours denoted with applied indices, faceted and diamond cut.
The small seconds display, positioned in the lower part of the dial, plays with depths alternating a grained circlet to adjacent frosted surfaces.
Positioned at 9 o'clock, a governor performing one rotation in 8 seconds regulates the speed of the remontoire mechanism and mitigates shocks to the gear train from the remontoire mechanism stopping.
Beating at 21,600 vph (3 Hz), the hand wound movement of the Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire is meticulously finished, without any sort of compromise.
As a reference to the country land of the two brothers, the stainless steel bridges replicate the facades of the Dutch houses, termed 'bell gables'. The bridges are hand-bevelled while the centres create a pleasing contrast with micro-blasted surfaces.
While displaying a contemporary and distinctive character with its new 5-arm, double spoke gear train wheels, the new movement reveals great respect for the fine watchmaking tradition with details like gold chatons and mirror polished screws as well as snailed, grained, spotted and frosted surfaces.
Production will be limited to only 188 Remontoire movements, each with its own unique serial number, offered in a choice of case material and dial variants.
Prices before taxes: Euro 49,500 for the Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire RG Constant Force (Red gold Au750 5N) and Euro 50,850 for the Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire WG Constant Force (White gold Au750/Pd150). gronefeld.com
The movement without bridges
From the mainspring being fully wound to the last minute of the 36 hours of power reserve, when the stop system intervenes, the force never varies with the result of consistent amplitude and rate, hence superior precision.
Bart and Tim decided to develop a constant force mechanism taking inspiration from the church clock in their native village. Maintained by their father Sijef, this clock featured a display that was positioned much higher than the movement, necessitating significant force. However, since the magnitude of such force would prove too great for a conventional escapement, a remontoire, or constant force mechanism was deployed.
As a further tribute to the influence of their father in their lives, Bart and Tim designed a brand new case and named it 1941, after the year he was born.
This case is characterised by hollowed, concave recesses and convex surfaces resulting in a nicely sculpted shape.
To understand the level of finishing, just consider that the case is polished after each cutting phase and prior the next stage of milling to ensure that precisely defined contours of the case are mantained.
The lugs are retained with two hidden titanium screws and positioned inside the case. This way, the lugs can be detached to be polished or, eventually, replaced.
With a not too big and not too small diameter of 39.5 mm (thickness is 10.5 mm), the 1941 Remontoire is available in red gold or in a new white gold alloy containing Palladium 150 to avoid any need for rhodium plating.
The dial is crafted from solid sterling silver and features frosted and satin-grained surfaces, enhanced by polished edges. Flame-blued steel hands indicate the hours denoted with applied indices, faceted and diamond cut.
The small seconds display, positioned in the lower part of the dial, plays with depths alternating a grained circlet to adjacent frosted surfaces.
Positioned at 9 o'clock, a governor performing one rotation in 8 seconds regulates the speed of the remontoire mechanism and mitigates shocks to the gear train from the remontoire mechanism stopping.
Beating at 21,600 vph (3 Hz), the hand wound movement of the Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire is meticulously finished, without any sort of compromise.
As a reference to the country land of the two brothers, the stainless steel bridges replicate the facades of the Dutch houses, termed 'bell gables'. The bridges are hand-bevelled while the centres create a pleasing contrast with micro-blasted surfaces.
While displaying a contemporary and distinctive character with its new 5-arm, double spoke gear train wheels, the new movement reveals great respect for the fine watchmaking tradition with details like gold chatons and mirror polished screws as well as snailed, grained, spotted and frosted surfaces.
Production will be limited to only 188 Remontoire movements, each with its own unique serial number, offered in a choice of case material and dial variants.
Prices before taxes: Euro 49,500 for the Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire RG Constant Force (Red gold Au750 5N) and Euro 50,850 for the Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire WG Constant Force (White gold Au750/Pd150). gronefeld.com
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