Tourbillion at 90° angle!
In Cyrus’ Klepcys Vertical Skeleton Tourbillon the tourbillon is the centre of attraction, literally, says Hiren Kumar Bose
Watchmakers worldwide are fascinated by tourbillon and consider themselves of having “arrived” if they have designed one. Extremely difficult and time-consuming to produce, the tourbillon escapement continues to fascinate successive generations of watchmakers, even after 224 years since it’s the invention. During this year’s Baselworld there were many iterations of tourbillion but one that stood out was Cyrus’ Klepcys Vertical Skeleton Tourbillon.
In this pillow-shaped 44mm watch, the tourbillon cage for the first time is placed in the middle of the dial–set on a vertical axis at a 90° angle. Painstaking studies by the technical team at the Le Locle-based Cyrus revealed that this angle ensures the tourbillon cage is almost always in a vertical position when on the wrist, thereby optimising its performance in precision.
Observe the dial closely, you can make out the star of the show—the tourbillon. It is almost as if it is gracefully twirling on a stage, interacting with choreography of wheels, gears and hands that sinuously move in unison. The watch allows fine watchmaking enthusiasts to dive right into the heart of the movement and enjoy the “dance” performed by its parts while reading off the retrograde time. Each element of the mechanism is finely finished and decorated, transforming it into an animated piece of exquisite craftsmanship.
After the launch of the “Klepcys Vertical Tourbillon” in 2018, the first model to feature a tourbillon complication in its range is expanding its collection. The man behind Cyrus creations is Jean-François Mojon, the Manufacture’s technical director and its inspirational master watchmaker.
All the visible elements on the “face” of the Klepcys Vertical Skeleton Tourbillon is positioned in such a way that ensures the design is perfectly symmetrical, and are set out in a three-dimensional architecture which adds further depth.
The arched vertical bridge, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s bridge, decorated using the “microbillage” technique features bevelled, polished edges and frames the tourbillon cage which performs one full rotation in one minute. It harmoniously divides the dial into two equal parts, making it easier to read off the retrograde hours and minutes. This original 3D structure is protected by a tailor-made sapphire crystal glass which is domed and anti-reflective, with a thickness of 1.2 mm.
To the right, a DLC black arch decorated with microbillage shows a scale running from 0 to 60 at 5-second intervals. It is embellished with a 4N gold or silver-finish edge, depending on the versions, and indicates the sweeping retrograde minutes with an exclusively sculpted hand. The left-hand arch in white Arabic numerals, which features the same finish as the minutes, marks the retrograde jumping hours. The seconds can be read off the tourbillon cage thanks to small numbered blocks, with the 60 seconds highlighted in red.
Between the two arches of the tourbillon bridge, a black DLC microbillé sphere with a 5mm diameter, set at 12 o’clock, catches the eye. It displays the days of the watch’s power reserve (1-4). To achieve a balanced effect, the CYRUS logo is set at 6 o’clock.
The upper part of the skeleton dial reveals two rhodium-plated barrels, decorated with the typical engraved triangular motifs we recognize in many CYRUS models. The bridges are microbillé with a dark grey NAC galvanic treatment, and the edges are bevelled and polished. The levers of the retrograde system are satin-polished and rhodium plated. The wheels are rhodium-plated and decorated with cerclage, the cams are mirror-polished. The jewels give a touch of colour to the finished item. Nothing has been left to chance!
Every component of the hand-winding manufacture movement, calibre CYR625, with a double barrel offering more than a 100-hour power reserve, has been painstakingly decorated to give the Klepcys Vertical Skeleton Tourbillon a sophisticated allure.
The “beating heart” of the watch can also be seen from the case back. This reveals the masterful finish executed by the highly skilled master artisans at CYRUS. The grey-coloured bridges, thanks to the NAC galvanic treatment, are decorated with a slight curve sunray pattern and have a microbillé satin finish that contrasts with the polished finish of the edges. The two parallel barrels have black lacquered ratchet-wheels adorned with Cyrus’s signature propeller-like logo, whilst the screw heads are mirror-polished.
The two crowns set at 3 and 9 respectively sets the time and winds the movement, whilst pressing the second, rapidly corrects the hour. Available in a limited edition of five each in three versions, namely in grade 5 titanium with black DLC treatment, in 4N rose gold and a two-tone version in 4N rose gold with black DLC titanium bezel with a power reserve of 100 hours.
