Louis Moinet unveils its second generation 20-Second Tempograph: Tempograph Chrome
«The Tempograph has become one of our greatest successes, to the point that several versions have sold out and are now collectors’ items. A full black or blue finish and an imposing new case now comprise the foundation of a whole new Tempograph generation: Chrome. Its compelling appeal will doubtless lead to it quickly becoming a watchmaking icon in its own right».
The success of the 20-Second Tempographis no doubt due to the fact that it’s the embodiment of all Louis Moinet’s values. For one thing, it consists of a series of very limited editions and unique pieces that many collectors have patiently sought to acquire. Then too, it is a timepiece that boasts technology and aesthetics in equal measure – a balance that is clearly visible on the dial. And lastly, the piece features an exclusive animation, epitomising the creative aspirations with which Ateliers Louis Moinet has always been imbued. The 20-second retrograde hand is powered by workings that are visible on the left side of the dial.
The new-generation 20-SecondTempograph, Tempograph Chrome,includes two major firsts. It features a completely black or blue surround. This extends from the bridges that structure the movement to the flange, itself engraved with a concentric Clou de Paris pattern. The time dial is located at 4 o’clock; it too is decorated with the concentric Clou de Paris pattern, a Louis Moinet hallmark. Fully lacquered in black or blue, it sets off the Louis Moinet’s signature “Dewdrop” hands perfectly.
The timepiece also features a new case, borrowed from Louis Moinet’s Memoris collection, the first chronograph watch in history. Packed with 52 components, the case has been decreased in size from 46 to 44 millimetres, and then fully reworked to accommodate the 20-Seconds’Tempographretrograde movement. This is also the first time this prestigious case has been made in steel for the blue version.
These two changes mark a turning-point in the Tempograph saga, so much so that Louis Moinet sees this as constituting the second generation of the timepiece, Tempograph Chrome. More modern, more powerful, and even more characterful, the piece is now entering a new, more contemporary era.
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About Louis Moinet
Ateliers Louis Moinet was founded in Saint-Blaise, Neuchâtel, in 2004. The fully-independent firm was established to honour the memory of Louis Moinet (1768-1853): master watchmaker, inventor of the chronograph in 1816 (certified by Guinness World RecordsTM), and pioneer in the use of very high frequencies (216,000 vibrations per hour). Louis Moinet was a watchmaker, scholar, painter, sculptor, and teacher at the School of Fine Arts – as well as the author of Traitéd’Horlogerie, a watchmaking treatise published in 1848 that remained a definitive work of reference for almost a century. Today, Ateliers Louis Moinet is perpetuating this legacy. The firm’s timepieces, produced in limited editions only, have won some of the most coveted honours, including a Red Dot Design Award (Best of the Best category), gold and bronze medals in the Chronometry Competition, a Robb Report “Best of the Best” award, a “Chronograph of the year” distinction from Begin magazine, Japan, and a recent UNESCO Award of Merit. Louis Moinet creations often make use of unusual materials, such as fossils and meteorites, combined with bespoke fine watchmaking complications in a unique creative approach. The brand’s core values are creativity, exclusivity, art and design.
Les Ateliers Louis Moinet SA
Rue du Temple 1, P.O. Box 28 – CH-2072 Saint-Blaise NE – Tel +41 32 753 68 14 –Fax+41 32 753 68 16
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