Once again we are at AMURA. This time to tell you about the fabulous world of watchmaking, which year after year, manages to surprise us by taking advantage of the technological progress and aesthetic proposals that arise, and producing numerous models and brands which are embellished with their best pieces. A perfect example is the new IWC’s Ingenieur Constant-Force Tourbillon.

The Ingenieur Constant-Force Tourbillon is a real gem for sport lovers and connoisseurs, especially fans of the Formula 1 TM car racing. This watch is extremely interesting, as you know, the Haute Horlogerie and car racing have in common the fact that their engineers job is to harmonize to perfection each of the pieces that make up the unit, to make the most of technology and obviously achieve maximum efficiency. 

This means that the complex machinery is to achieve the best results, both on the racetrack and on the wrist. IWC demonstrates today that it applies all its advanced engineering and technological advances, by offering them to a talented team of engineers, watchmakers and designers who gathered in the course of ten years, to create an extraordinary piece that may be described as "a mechanism of constant force ".

 

 

The Ingenieur Constant-Force Tourbillon is a highly complicated watch, integrated in a Tourbillon at the "nine hours" level. This majestic time indicator provides a fascinating view of its layered construction. For both, amateurs and connoisseurs of fine mechanisms, it is a real pleasure to watch the complex interaction of the springs, wheels and anchors.

The Ingenieur Constant-Force Tourbillon presents itself as extremely flashy. Its design was intended to give an outstanding appearance and strength. The black bridge of the tourbillon is provided with a scale, indicating seconds and, as the black screws, it accentuates the technical side of the sphere. An appeal it's delicate contrast of the Glucydur ® wheel in shiny gold with a fine adjustment offset on the wheel’s arms. The tourbillon makes one full rotation on its own axis within 60 seconds, which compensates the influence of gravity and thus prevents a possible wheel imbalance, that would cause a deviation of the mechanism.

In the depths of the tourbillon, it is possible to recognize the integrated constant force mechanism, which is the key piece of this watch. A refined mechanism maintains the amplitude of the oscillation of the steering wheel and hence, the accuracy of the gear disengaged virtually in a constant exhaust flow through the shoot force. The driving force is temporarily stored in a spring coil and transmitted to the wheel. The purpose is to reset the voltage coil spring once every second. This can be seen in the tourbillon needle that advances in steps of one second. In addition, five semi-oscillations of the steering wheel, the stop wheel and tourbillon cage are released. The stop wheel rotates and in turn, it also rotates the tourbillons cage, which produces a renovated tension in the coil spring. After about two days, the change occurs and the constant force mode goes to normal mode, making the second hand to move in steps of one fifth of a second. The Constant-Force Tourbillon ensures a regular and accurate performance for a minimum of 48 hours.

Thanks to achievements as the Ingenieur Constant-Force Tourbillon, IWC Schaffhausen is placed in the leading position in the Constructors' Championship of Haute Horlogerie, especially for the creation and integration of patented constant-force mechanism on a tourbillon, achieving a specially regular rate resulting in a masterpiece of engineering, a piece worthy of wearing.

 

Text: Luis Peyrelongue ± Photo: ©Peyrelongue