Romain Gauthier Insight Micro-Rotor Natural Titanium and Black Titanium. Unveiled at Baselworld 2018, the latest titanium model from Romain Gauthier comes in two case variations: natural or black titanium. The Romain Gauthier Insight Micro-Rotor Natural Titanium and Black Titanium are both available in three 10-piece limited editions with blue, white or black enamel dials. The price, for all versions, is Swiss Francs 68,000 excluding taxes. Romain Gauthier at Baselworld 2018.
One of the most talented Swiss watchmakers of our time, Romain Gauthier creates exquisite timepieces designing, developing and manufacturing all components, with the only exception of mainspring, balance spring and jewels. Based in Le Sentier, in the Vallée de Joux, he believes that haute horlogerie doesn’t necessarily have to come served in a precious metal or stainless steel case. In fact, he demonstrated a soft spot for titanium since 2011 when he launched his first model in this high-tech material.
The success of highly exclusive timepieces like the Logical One Natural Titanium and Black Titanium, or the Prestige HMS Natural Titanium and Black Titanium, proved that he was right in believing that high-end watch collectors would have followed.
Unveiled at Baselworld 2018, the latest titanium model from Romain Gauthier comes in two case variations: natural or black titanium.
Both cases have the same size (39.5 mm x 12.9 mm at highest point), are made of Grade 5 titanium and are water resistant to 50 metres / 165 feet. They also house the same manufacture 4 Hz (28,800 vph) automatic movement featuring 22k gold micro rotor and double mainspring barrel in series for a remarkable 80-hour power reserve. But, the two models are very different in their look and finishes.
Sweeping around the centre of the dial are small seconds surrounded by an hour-minute subdial at 12 o’clock, beating balance at 6 o’clock and, at 9 o’clock, the swaying micro-rotor, framed by a cut-out in the mainplate.
For Insight Micro-Rotor Natural Titanium, the caseband and bezel are polished, while the lugs and caseback are satin-finished. The black NAC-treated mainplate makes the palladium-treated bridges visually pop, with the straight-graining of the dial-side bridges counterpointed by the hand-frosting on the mainplate. A beauty with its charming gloss, the oven-fired enamel dial is available in blue, white or black.
For Insight Micro-Rotor Black Titanium, the bezel, lugs and caseback of the ADLC titanium case are satin-finished, with the caseband polished. ADLC is an acronym for amorphous diamond-like carbon, an extremely hard and extraordinarily smooth coating which is applied at a temperature of 200° Celsius. It is almost scratch free and finger print proof.
Both the bridges and mainplate are black NAC-treated but the straight-graining on the bridges makes them stand out against the hand-frosted mainplate. The same hand-frosting technique has been used to give the oven-fired enamel dial an eye-catching matte finish. Also for this model, the dial is offered in blue, white or blue.
The back side adds excitement by displaying the hand-bevelled, hand-polished bridges – secured using Romain Gauthier’s signature S-slot screws – as well as the gears and ratchets which stand out for their circular arms that have been meticulously bevelled.
The extreme visibility of the movement, both dial side and through the display back, requires state-of-the-art finishes even for the smallest detail.
Gauthier has designed the micro-rotor so that it turns between two bridges, each fitted with a ruby bearing, thus harnessing the watchmaking principle of avoiding metal against metal by putting metal against ruby. Rubies have a low coefficient of friction and high wear resistance, here helping to produce a smooth, inaudible rotation of the micro-rotor compared to metal ball-bearings which can entail noise and wear.
The bidirectionality of the micro-rotor is achieved through a reversing gear. The axis of this gear glides side to side, guided by a curved aperture cut within two arc-shaped steel plates which are black-polished to facilitate the gear’s lateral movement and rotation. When the micro-rotor changes direction, it drives the toothing of the reversing gear in the opposite direction, making the reversing gear slide this way too.
The two Romain Gauthier Insight Micro-Rotor Natural Titanium and Black Titanium are both available in three 10-piece limited editions with blue, white or black enamel dials. The price, for all versions, is Swiss Francs 68,000 excluding taxes. romaingauthier.com
Unveiled at Baselworld 2018, the latest titanium model from Romain Gauthier comes in two case variations: natural or black titanium.
Both cases have the same size (39.5 mm x 12.9 mm at highest point), are made of Grade 5 titanium and are water resistant to 50 metres / 165 feet. They also house the same manufacture 4 Hz (28,800 vph) automatic movement featuring 22k gold micro rotor and double mainspring barrel in series for a remarkable 80-hour power reserve. But, the two models are very different in their look and finishes.
Sweeping around the centre of the dial are small seconds surrounded by an hour-minute subdial at 12 o’clock, beating balance at 6 o’clock and, at 9 o’clock, the swaying micro-rotor, framed by a cut-out in the mainplate.
For Insight Micro-Rotor Natural Titanium, the caseband and bezel are polished, while the lugs and caseback are satin-finished. The black NAC-treated mainplate makes the palladium-treated bridges visually pop, with the straight-graining of the dial-side bridges counterpointed by the hand-frosting on the mainplate. A beauty with its charming gloss, the oven-fired enamel dial is available in blue, white or black.
Both the bridges and mainplate are black NAC-treated but the straight-graining on the bridges makes them stand out against the hand-frosted mainplate. The same hand-frosting technique has been used to give the oven-fired enamel dial an eye-catching matte finish. Also for this model, the dial is offered in blue, white or blue.
The back side adds excitement by displaying the hand-bevelled, hand-polished bridges – secured using Romain Gauthier’s signature S-slot screws – as well as the gears and ratchets which stand out for their circular arms that have been meticulously bevelled.
The extreme visibility of the movement, both dial side and through the display back, requires state-of-the-art finishes even for the smallest detail.
Gauthier has designed the micro-rotor so that it turns between two bridges, each fitted with a ruby bearing, thus harnessing the watchmaking principle of avoiding metal against metal by putting metal against ruby. Rubies have a low coefficient of friction and high wear resistance, here helping to produce a smooth, inaudible rotation of the micro-rotor compared to metal ball-bearings which can entail noise and wear.
The bidirectionality of the micro-rotor is achieved through a reversing gear. The axis of this gear glides side to side, guided by a curved aperture cut within two arc-shaped steel plates which are black-polished to facilitate the gear’s lateral movement and rotation. When the micro-rotor changes direction, it drives the toothing of the reversing gear in the opposite direction, making the reversing gear slide this way too.
The two Romain Gauthier Insight Micro-Rotor Natural Titanium and Black Titanium are both available in three 10-piece limited editions with blue, white or black enamel dials. The price, for all versions, is Swiss Francs 68,000 excluding taxes. romaingauthier.com
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