Introduced to the public in the autumn of 2020, the first prototypes of Bernhard Lederer’s latest project have gathered global, unanimous acclaim.
The first chapter of the Masters of Escapements series is a 44-mm wide timepiece containing one of the most original, sophisticated and advanced wristwatch movements ever.
Heir to the works of Harrison, Breguet, Le Roy, Bond and Daniels, it is a certified chronometer according to the stringent criteria of the Besançon Observatory.
The first watches having been submitted to the Observatory of Besançon, as a rule, all watches will be submitted to the COSC for certification.
It harbors a new, high-yield, double impulse escapement, entirely designed by Bernhard Lederer with maximum efficiency in mind.
Manufactured in a first series in white gold, limited to two times 25 pieces, the Central Impulse Chronometer is Bernhard Lederer’s brainchild, the sum of his ingenuity, hard work and life-long dedication to the art of watchmaking.
The
Calibre
Lederer Watches calibre 9012 features a dual gear train. Each one comprises its own barrel and own 10-second remontoir. These constant-force devices work alternately.
Both feed a pair of escape wheels through a unique, innovative escapement, the high-yield Central Impulse Escapement.
They provide energy to, and receive chronometric information from, a bespoke, variable inertia, 3-Hz balance wheel, fitted with 4 regulating weights and 4 balancing weights.
Calibre 9012 is really a work of architecture: it is a structure, a functional construction and a design.
Openworked bridges, proprietary wheel spokes, three-dimensional construction all rely on the Bernhard Lederer workshop’s thorough set of skills and equipment.
Entirely designed and crafted in-house, it goes through a painstaking process of finishing, including extensive hand bevelling, graining, frosting, engraving, satin-finishing and polishing.
The long and linear polished bevels of the remontoir- and anchor-bridges jump to the eye. But the grain-like texture of the mainplate and barrels is equally challenging.
The
Central Impulse
Escapement
Inventing a new, reliable, self-starting, energy-efficient, wristwatch-compatible and high-accuracy escapement is the pinnacle of watchmaking.
Bernhard Lederer used Breguet’s natural escapement’s cornerstone idea as a foundation, and designed an entirely new, sophisticated escapement in its own right.
It furthers the works of Bernhard Lederer’s admired peers, including George Daniels’ Independent Double Wheel Escapement, who tried themselves at the creation of such a device, and completes them.
The Central Impulse Escapement is based on a pair of escape wheels, interacting with a special anchor, made of titanium and featuring a total of 3 pallet-stones, with a unique shape and optimal geometry.
Its impulse positions, angles and contact timing are designed to dramatically lower friction and therefore, guarantee optimal accuracy.
The anchor’s contacts with the escape wheels are so numerous and complex a “Witschi” cannot process them. The sound of a double impulse, and the sound when liberating the remontoirs, working alternately, provide the Central Impulse Chronometer with a unique acoustic signature.
The
Design
The Central Impulse Chronometer is a pared-down, elegant timepiece worthy of Bernhard Lederer’s sense of design.
Its 44-mm case is sized according to the dimensions of the 9012 calibre.
It is made of white 18k gold, finely polished with a slim bezel. It is fitted with short, ergonomic lugs.
Its thickness is only 12.2 mm, a feat considering the sophistication of the calibre it houses.
The Central Impulse Chronometer dial is of deep blue or rhodium plated and features a pattern morphing from square to rectangle and back to square. The applied indices and slender, skeletonized sword hands are made in house and hand polished.
The dial’s intertwined eight-shaped openings bear the seconds’ hands. They provide an intimate view on both escape wheels and the inner, intricate architecture of the 9012 calibre.
Both front and back crystals are domed and wide glass boxes. The back one reveals the expanse of a breath-taking architectural and horological creation.
