Tuesday 30 March, 2010 - 08:40 AM EDT

The Barbier-Mueller Museum Cultural Foundation

With the support of the Manufacture Horlogère Vacheron Constantin.

Jean Paul Barbier-Mueller and Juan-Carlos Torres presented The Barbier-Mueller Museum Cultural Foundation with the support of the Manufacture Horlogère Vacheron Constantin.


This foundation aims to testify to little-known cultures, and to provide international support for anthropological observatory missions, publications and lectures.


Throughout its history stretching over more than 250 years, Vacheron Constantin has faithfully safeguarded the values that are not only the pillars of the watchmaking art as it is practised, but also the unshakeable foundations of the present and a guarantee of the future of the watch manufacturer.

This cultural partnership between two Genevan institutions gave birth to the immense success of the Métiers d’Art Les Masques watch collection in 2009 and to major events such as the exhibition at the Jacquemart André Museum in Paris and a gala evening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.


(Arnaud d'Hauterives, Jean-Paul Barbier-Mueller, Juan-Carlos Torres)

By committing itself to the creation of the Barbier-Mueller Museum Cultural Foundation, Vacheron Constantin is naturally extending its excellent relationship with the museum. Both share the affinities that have united them in this shared project, and both are inspired by a profound attachment to the innate richness of humankind and to its creative impetus as a life-giving principle.

Finally, while the Manufacture Vacheron Constantin itself represents a heritage perpetuated since its creation in 1755, it is also establishing itself as a cultural and social institution in its own right. Its economic success thus enables it to engage in activities of general interest.


(Two Ubi women dancers. Ivory Cost. Credits: P. Harter. abm-archives barbier-mueller)


The Barbier-Mueller Museum Cultural Foundation, with the support of Vacheron Constantin, was officially presented on Wednesday March 24th by Jean Paul Barbier-Mueller (Chairman of the Barbier-Mueller Museums in Geneva, Barcelona, Cape Town) and Juan-Carlos Torres (CEO of Vacheron Constantin) at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris. The press conference was also attended by Arnaud d’Hauterives, a member of the Institut de France, Perpetual Secretary of the French Academy of Fine Arts; and Stéphane Martin, President of the Musée du Quai Branly.

We are enclosing a brochure presenting the Foundation, its aims and its organisation, along with the Board of the Foundation and the Scientific Committee.












Possible Related Links:

[ Vacheron Constantin International Geneva ]

[ The Barbier-Mueller Museum Cultural Foundation ]



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Vacheron Constantin's Watches at Interwatches!

The-Mtiers-dArt-Les-Masques-Collection post @ iNTERWATCHES' BLOG

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Thursday 25 March, 2010 - 10:10 AM EDT

Aston Martin Racing: Opening racing session at Sebring, US

Aston Martin Racing and Jaeger-LeCoultre ready for an exciting 2010 programme

2009 was a great year for Aston Martin Racing. Exactly 50 years on from Aston Martin winning the World Sportscar Championship with the DBR1, the British marque was victorious in the Le Mans Series, taking the Team and Driver titles with its stunning LMP1 car. 2010 will again offer an exciting year for the partnership between Aston Martin Racing and Jaeger-LeCoultre, the team’s official Watch Partner.

New AMVOX Racing timepieces
Stay tuned: Jaeger-LeCoultre will unveil its latest timepieces in the AMVOX Racing collection during a upcoming race in Europe, powerful expressions of the strong parallels between fine watchmaking and fine mechanical engineering.

Aston Martin Racing on the starting blocks
At the legendary Le Mans 24hours in June 2010, Aston Martin Racing will enter two Works LMP1 cars, powered by the Aston Martin V12 engine which forms the basis for the DBS, V12 Vantage, DB9 and four-door Rapide.

In addition, Aston Martin Racing will compete in three races prior to Le Mans which will provide the team with valuable on track experience prior to Le Mans. Starting with the 12 Hours of Sebring the the US then moving to the opening round of the Le Mans Series at Paul Ricard in France on 11 April before heading back to the US to take part in the Long Beach Grand Prix on 17 April.

Aston Martin Racing drivers Chris Buncombe (GB), Stefan Mücke (DE), Harold Primat (CH) and Darren Turner (GB) return for the 2010 season and will be joined by experienced sports car driver Adrian Fernández (MX).

Jaeger-LeCoultre is delighted to be the Official Watch sponsor of the Aston Martin Racing team and wishes the team success and victory again in 2010.








Source:

[ Jaeger LeCoultre's Official Website ]


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Jaeger LeCoultre's Watches at Interwatches!

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Monday 22 March, 2010 - 08:00 AM EDT

What is an anti-shock device and how does it work?

The anti-shock device is a flexible comportment intended to soften shocks so that the pivots inside of the case do not brake by receiving violent movements.

In 1933 Hans Marti, an engineer, patented a system called “Incabloc ®”. This system was based in a conical setting placed in a solid truncated cone located in the watch’s frame. The whole unit was supported by a cautiously calibrated mechanism.

In presence of a shock episode, the setting would slide into the cone allowing the pivots to transfer the shock to the frame. Then, wheels would be pulled back till being placed in the center again by the spring. This would allow the setting apart into its constituent pieces without having to remove the balance.

Some of the most prestigious watchmaking companies that have incorporated this mechanism are:



Between many others watchmaking companies like Rolex, in which in its Sea Dweller DEEPSEA watch features a Parachrom hairspring with high resistance to shocks and magnetic fields, most of the wristwatches' comapanies have incorporated such mechanism.


Similar systems are ETA's Etachoc, Rolex's Kif', Seiko's Diashock, and Citizen's Parashock.

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Friday 19 March, 2010 - 10:10 AM EDT

Breitling's Chrono-Matic QP & 1461

1969, Breitling's First Self Winding Chronograph Movement Lunching and, also, the first flight of tw

To celebrate de 40th anniversary of the launch of the first self-winding chronograph movement, Breitling is introducing two limited editions of its Chrono-Matic model, featuring a look inspired by the 1969 original and equipped with precious leap-year or perpetual calendars.

1969 was a great year for aviation, since it witnessed the first flight of the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet and that of the supersonic Concorde, two legendary aircraft that made an indelible imprint on aeronautical history. But 1969 was also a landmark year in watchmaking, thanks to Breitling’s pioneering launch of the very first self-winding chronograph movement –an invention that led to the development of a whole range of aptly named Chrono-Matic chronographs. Today’s 49 mm diameter Chrono-Matic is a tribute to this forerunner of ultra-large watches. The circular slide rule confirms its family likeness with the Navitimer line, while the distinctive modernism of its seventies inspiration is expressed through a case design based on taut, angular lines highlighted by a rubber-molded bezel.

In order to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this movement and this legendary model, Breitling has created two limited series featuring refined horological complications. The first is a steel edition of 2.000 combining a chronograph with a calendar mechanism requiring adjustment only once every leap-year and thus endowed with a “memory” of 1.461 days –hence its name, “Chrono-Matic 1461”. The date, day and month are displayed on subdials by means of straight hands that accenture the instrument panel look, while the optional woven steel Aero Classic bracelet lends and additional retro touch. The avant-garde case of the second watch crafted exclusively in red gold and issued in a worldwide limited edition of 125, houses a chronograph along with an ultra-sophisticated perpetual calendar system embodying a daring blend of modern and traditional elements. The mechanism of this “Chrono-Matic QP” is a miniaturized marvel composed of almost 500 parts. It is programmed to indicate the date, the day, the week, the month, the season and the moon phases while taking account of leap-year variations. Like all Breitling models, both of these limited editions are quipped with chronometer-certified movements.


BREITLING Chrono-Matic QP    
Limited Editions



Movement: Breitling Caliber 29, officially chronometer-certified by the COSC, self-winding, high frequency (28.800 vibrations per hour), 38 jewels. 1/4th of  a second chronograph, 30- minute and 12-hour totalizers. Perpetual calendar indicating the date, day, week, month, season and moon phases.

Case: Red gold, limited edition of 125. Resistance to 3 bars. Rotating bezel with circular slide rule. Cambered sapphire crystal, glare proofed on both sides.

Diameter: 49 mm.

Dials: Black or Panamerican bronze.

Straps: Barenia leather, crocodile leather or Ocean Racer.




BREITLING Chrono-Matic 1461
Limited Editions



Movement: Breitling Caliber 19, officially chronometer-certified by the COSC, selfwinding, high frequency (28,800 vibrations per hour), 38jewels. 1/4th of a second chronograph, 30-minute and 12-hour totalizers. Leap-year calendar indicating the date, day and month.

Case: Steel, limited edition of 2,000. Resistance to 3 bars. Rotating bezel with circular slide rule. Cambered sapphire crustal, glareproofed on both sides.

Diameter: 49 mm.

Dials: Black, Mercury Silver or Panamerican bronze.

Straps: Barenia Leather, Crocodile Leather or Ocean Racer/Aero Classic.








Source:
[ Breitling’s Official Website ]


CHECK OUT!
Breitling’s Watches at Interwatches!

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Friday 19 March, 2010 - 08:00 AM EDT

The Smallest Mechanical Wristwatch Movement

Jaeger LeCoultre

The smallest mechanical wristwatch movement ever made was the Jaeger - LeCoultre '101' wristwatch introduced in 1929.




Featuring 98 parts, measuring 14mm x 4.8mm x 3.4mm, and weighting only 0.9 grammes (including the dial and hands), It remained available until 1950s approximately.

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