Christiaan van der Klaauw Astronomical Watches (CVDK) celebrates its fiftieth anniversary with the disclosing of the CVDK Grand Planetarium Eccentric Manufacture, the world’s most superior mechanical planetarium watch. On the again of showing this new creation, CVDK went one higher with an unique three-piece restricted version celebrating the 70th anniversary of Honest Fantastic Watches. The CVDK Grand Planetarium Eccentric Honest Platinum Jubilee Version is distinguished by a singular dial, oil painted by Gaël Colon. There’s a lot to unpack right here so allow us to start with a quick introduction to the watchmaker Christiaan van der Klaauw.
Famend for his astronomical works of mechanical artwork, Dutch grasp watchmaker Christiaan van der Klaauw has constructed a repute by crafting complicated timepieces that seize celestial actions. The CVDK Grand Planetarium Eccentric Manufacture, the atelier’s most intricate work, is the one watch on the earth able to intently mirroring the truth of all eight planets’ orbits as precisely as doable, making it a real marvel of horological and astronomical artistry. Connoisseurs ought to be aware the presence of the Earth’s moon, and 4 every for Jupiter and Saturn. It is a distinctive contact for the CVDK Grand Planetarium Eccentric Honest Platinum Jubilee Version.
Christiaan van der Klaauw, a longstanding member of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI), has beforehand developed different complicated astronomical watches and tides indicators. His planetarium watches, nonetheless, stay his signature items. In 1995, Christiaan van der Klaauw created the world’s smallest mechanical planetarium, which tracked the orbits of six planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Notably, Uranus and Neptune have been lacking as a result of their orbital intervals (84 and 165 years, respectively) posed important technical challenges. The CVDK Grand Planetarium Eccentric Manufacture lastly incorporates these outermost planets, overcoming the problem of representing their gradual orbits in a wristwatch by painstaking guide calculations used to create specialised gear trains.
The making of the CVDK Grand Planetarium Eccentric Manufacture spanned throughout three generations of CVDK craftsmanship. Initially impressed by the CVDK Kepler’s Planetarium Clock designed by Christiaan van der Klaauw, Daniël and Maria Reintjes formed the design over their 15 years on the helm. The unique hand-drawn designs have been remodeled right into a 3D CAD mannequin, bringing the challenge to completion. This watch meticulously mimics the true paths of the planets, which observe eccentric orbits across the Solar, including a practical dimension to the show.
CVDK’s newly developed in-house motion incorporates a complicated association of gears totalling 3,338 gear tooth. This motion features a free-sprung hairspring, a variable-inertia steadiness wheel, and an influence reserve of 60 hours, accompanied by ornamental components that reference the starry sky, together with frosted star detailing and a skeletonised rotor within the form of the CVDK brand, plated in rose gold.
The wondrous motion is seen through the exhibition caseback, which bears the engraving of the Honest Platinum Jubilee emblem; notably, the case center right here additionally bears an engraving of this similar emblem. This brings us, lastly, to Gaël Colon’s specifically executed dial for the CVDK Grand Planetarium Eccentric Honest Platinum Jubilee Version. As you may simply see, the dial evokes a cosmological really feel that brings the expanse of house and time into deal with the restricted bodily house of the 44mm watch. Gaël Colon’s dial is greater than merely stunning although as a result of it’s impressed by an early prototype made by Christiaan van der Klaauw. The watchmaker had spray-painted the design on his drafting board whereas growing the watch.
Encased in 18k yellow gold, the watch is 15mm thick and is water resistant to 50m. Further particulars embody yellow gold-plated pomme arms and a rotating solar emblem within the centre to point the seconds. The CVDK Grand Planetarium Eccentric Honest Platinum Jubilee Version will likely be out there at Honest Fantastic Watches boutiques and retails for SGD 280,000, together with GST.
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