Ellipsocurvex Papillon

Description

In 2005, the Daniel Roth watch Manufacture launched a timepiece which consolidated all the values of the brand such as quality and expertise of traditional prestige watchmaking allied to an innovative design and immediately recognisable styling: the Papillon! The name Papillon is derived from the profile of the butterfly wing supports which maintain the central arbor on which are mounted the seconds hand and the disc bearing the two double pivoting head minute hands.The Papillon mechanism is fitted on the powerful DR115 calibre, which is capable of accommodating the additional modules for the complications developed and manufactured by the engineers, technicians and watchmakers at Daniel Roth. This extra-flat self-winding manufactured movement is just 2.98 mm high. It has been developed from the GP3100 movement specially modified to accommodate the Daniel Roth modules fitted with 27 jewels (+4 for the modules) and its escapement beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour or 4Hz. This movement has a power-reserve of 45 hours.A first glance at the dial might suggest that this timepiece is in fact a watch with jumping-hours in a window and retrograde minutes on a 180° sector! In fact, the minute mechanism of the Papillon is quite different.The retrograde indication is characterised by the instant flyback of the hand to its point of departure. However, in the case of the Papillon mechanism, the two lozenge- shaped minute hands positioned at 180° degrees in relation to each other, always turn in the same direction on a single axis. They are dependent on a disc rotating on the central axis. On reaching the 60 position, one of them pivots through 90° on its own axis and disappears behind the hidden part of the dial while the other appears at the same time on the dial at 0 minutes, actuated by the same pivoting mechanism. The rotating disc on which these hands are fixed completes a full 360° rotation in two hours – to see the same face of the hand appear again at zero, one will therefore have to wait for two revolutions to be completed, i.e. four hours. Technically, this system has a twofold advantage. This new approach uses less energy and requires a restricted number of components. Innovation in the design of this mechanism not only makes the whole system more reliable and stronger but also enables the power-reserve of the movement to be preserved as far as possible.The jumping hours on the disc positioned at 12 o'clock and the patented Daniel Roth mechanism for minutes with retractable hands were both developed and produced by the Daniel Roth Manufacture in Le Sentier.As for all Daniel Roth timepieces, the movement is enhanced by a Côtes de Genve decoration. Each of the movement components is hand polished and chamfered. Some parts of the bottom plate and bars are engraved. The beauty and the minute detail of this decorative work can be admired through the open back on which the sapphire crystal has been treated to prevent reflection on its inner surface. The hands are made either of steel, blued at high temperature (~1300°) or of 5N red gold: stamped and then polished, they are perfectly balanced. The difficult technique used as well as the high quality standard required are such, that only some thirty hands out of 100 produced meet the stringent quality criteria imposed by the brand and so reach the end of the manufacturing process.The specially designed case of this model also satisfies complex technical criteria. Fashioned from solid metal, soldered and then polished, it is available in palladium white gold or in 5N red gold with a weight of 100g or in platinum with a net weight of 134g. It is made of two parts: the middle and the back, the latter secured with pentagonal screws. The middle part overlaps the upper face to its centre, revealing, in two apertures, the jumping hour and a small central seconds hand with the seconds index engraved on the case itself.Through the small seconds aperture, the hidden face of the retractable minute hands can also be seen, enabling the ballet of their movement to be admired and the very essence of the Papillon mechanism captured.The curved case, in the spirit of the Daniel Roth double elliptical watch cases (known as Ellipsocurvex), is fitted with three sapphire crystals, each treated on both surfaces to prevent reflection: a first trapezoidal crystal at 12 o'clock for the hour aperture;a second round central crystal for the seconds hand which reveals the hidden face of the minute hands;and a third in the shape of a butterfly wing on the minutes dial which – because of the domed-shaped case – is fashioned directly in the sapphire crystal by a complex process.Finally, a new Daniel Roth crown, with seven flutings either slightly convex or recessed, imparts a distinctive finishing touch to this timepiece.One particular type of dial corresponds to each material. A silvered dial for the white gold version, a rhodium black dial for the 5N red gold version and a blue steel dial for the platinum version. The Ellipsocurvex Papillon dial has three parts: the base plate with a minute indicator, a Clous de Paris engine-turned plate on the upper part and a partial flange appearing only on the lower part of the dial.The Ellipsocurvex Papillon is water-resistant to 3 atm and fitted on a hand-stitched alligator strap with a folding clasp.Masters Complications Ellipsocurvex Papillon in a nutshell:From the Masters Complications collection, the Ellipsocurvex Papillon features a DR115 calibre, Daniel Roth exclusive patented automatic movement with 31 jewels, oscillating at 28,800 vph. The entirely hand-bevelled movement, decorated with a "Côtes de Genve" pattern, offers a 45-hour power reserve and is housed in a double ellipse 44 x 41 mm platinum case overlapping the guilloch dial. The jumping hours appear in an aperture at 12 o'clock, whilst the minutes are indicated by two retractable hands fitted on either side of a central disc, each protected by an individual sapphire glass. A small second is placed on the central axis. This exceptional timepiece is presented on a black hand-stitched alligator strap with folding clasp. It is water-resistant to 3 atm.Ellipsocurvex PapillonLa nouvelle Papillon prend son envolLa Papillon tait une pice qui runissait et confirmait toutes les valeurs de la marque Daniel Roth telles que qualit et savoir-faire de haute horlogerie traditionnelle maris une conception innovatrice et un design reconnaissable entre tous : la Papillon !Son nom, Papillon, dcoule du profil des supports en forme dite d' ailes de papillon qui maintiennent et consolident l'axe central sur lequel sont fixs l'aiguille des secondes et le disque portant les 2 aiguilles double tête pivotante des minutes.Le mcanisme de la Papillon est mont sur le puissant calibre DR115, capable d'accueillir les modules additionnels des complications dveloppes et manufactures par les ingnieurs, techniciens et horlogers de Daniel Roth. Ce mouvement de manufacture remontage automatique extra-plat d'une hauteur de 2.98 mm, issu du mouvement GP3100 spcialement modifi pour accueillir les modules de Daniel Roth, est dot de 27 rubis (+4 pour les modules) et son chappement oscille 28,800 A/h ou 4 Hz. Ce mouvement assure une rserve de marche de 45 heures.Un premier coup d'œil au cadran pourrait laisser penser que ce garde-temps est en fait une montre heure sautante dans un guichet et minutes rtrogrades sur un secteur 180° ! Il s'avre que le mcanisme des minutes de la Papillon est bien diffrent. En effet, une indication rtrograde se caractrise par un retour instantan de l'aiguille son point de dpart. Dans le cas du mcanisme de la Papillon, les deux aiguilles losanges des minutes, situes 180° l'une de l'autre, tournent toujours dans le même sens, sur un axe. Elles sont elles-mêmes dpendantes d'un disque tournant sur l'axe central. […]

Supplied by the brand to the GPHG for its entry.