Vox Temporis

Description

INSPIRED BY THE HISTORICAL TACT WATCH MADE BY LEROY IN 1810, L.LEROY HAS CREATED “VOX TEMPORIS” A TOURBILLON MINUTE REPEATER WITH ROTATING DIAL.

Founded in Paris in 1785 under Charles Leroy, himself the son of watchmaker, L.Leroy has written some of the finest chapters in the history of French watchmaking and chronometry, developing a wealth of technical and inventive treasures for over two centuries.

This human, artistic and industrial adventure is marked by illustrious names including Marie Antoinette, Proust, Matisse, Napoleon, Queen Victoria, Roosevelt, Chopin, Nobel, Bugatti, to mention but a few owners of a watch signed Leroy.

Faithful to its extraordinary and inimitable watchmaking heritage, L.Leroy has created the stunning “VOX TEMPORIS” inspired by a rare ancient pendant tact watch made by Leroy around 1810 for the Prince Emil Maximilian Leopold Augustof Hesse.

At that period, when electricity was unknown and luminous hands were not yet invented, this type of watch allowed the time to be read, even in the dark, by touching the hand that moved in the direction of the twelve diamonds on the periphery of the case, acting as indices.

In the 21st century, L.Leroy reinterprets this exquisite timepiece. A challenge that sees the Maison blend, in perfect harmony, its rich historical legacy with the demands of the contemporary era.

A unique and refined design

A watch with a very complex construction, both in terms of style and mechanics, which required the highly qualified skills of watchmaking technicians for the development and assembly of its manual winding movement,comprising a flying tourbillon and the minute repeater mechanism.Not forgetting the master engraver and the specialists in top-level finishing.

The case

The Officer’s-style case, measuring 43 mm in diameter, is crafted in Platinum.

“VOX TEMPORIS” is complemented by an Alligator strap (top and bottom) available in Black or dark Navy blue colour. It fastens to the wrist with an openworked round folding clasp, bearing the brand's interlaced double “L” logo.

An eye-catchingdial and a stunning calibre

“VOX TEMPORIS" features a unique and out-of-the-ordinary time display for a model from the 2000s, but legitimised by the historical piece from which it takes its inspiration. It has a rotating dial boasting a superlative flinqué soleil decoration with a translucent dark blue varnish finish. This pattern emanates near a perimeter point, where the rhodium-plated, arrow-shaped, hand-engraved hour hand is fixed and extends its rays around the circumference of the display.

When the dial rotates, the arrow-shaped hand points towards the hours.

To know the precise time, the minute repeater comes into action. This sophisticated mechanism, reputed to be the queen of complications, is developed on a hand-wound movement, which is also equipped with a flying tourbillon that improves its chronometric performance.

Once the repeater slide, positioned between 8:30 and 9:30, is activated, the time will be audible acoustically thanks to the finely tuned chiming mechanism. The design of the case has been meticulously studied and developed to amplify the different tones of the sound indicating the hours, quarters and minutes emitted by the two gongs struck by the two hammers, visible on the case back.

The powerful “engine” which drives this work of art is a hand-wound in-house calibre, consisting of 321 components, beating at a frequency of 3Hz/ 21.600 vibrations per hour. It comprises the minute repeater mechanism on two gongs, a single barrel guaranteeing 90-hour power reserve and the flying tourbillon which performs a complete rotation in one minute.

Lovers of fine watchmaking mechanics will be able to admire this amazing movement with its single bridge, and hand-bevelled edges, by opening the Platinum cover on the case backusing the discreet push-button at 4 o'clock.

“VOX TEMPORIS" once again testifies to the brand's technical expertise and its mastery of the art of decoration. A true joy for the lucky collector who, will enrich his collection with a unique masterpiece of time.

Supplied by the brand to the GPHG for its entry.