A man, a challenge, a watch to pay tribute to him. The newZenith Academy Christophe Colomb Tribute to Felix BaumgartnerIt is inspired by the record jump from a stratospheric capsule in 2012 and will be available to a small number of collectors. Released in an exceptional limited edition of 10 DLC-coated platinum examples, the new Zenith Academy Christophe Colomb Tribute to Felix Baumgartner features lush decorations that evoke the Austrian athlete's prowess.
El Academy Christophe Colomb Tribute to Felix BaumgartnerIt reproduces Felix Baumgartner's feat on the dial using unprecedented decorations and materials. The Zenith artisans have managed to reproduce the photograph of Baumgartner about to jump out of the capsule, on the power reserve dial, located at 3 o'clock. His figure has been chiseled and engraved on a hand-polished 18-karat gold plate and fixed to the dial by two screws, one on the helmet and the other under the left foot. At 12 o'clock, the hours and minutes dial houses a detail: a fine line between the number 12 and the first index that discreetly evokes the duration of the jump (4 minutes and 20 seconds).
Equipped with the Gravity Control module at 6 o'clock, one of the most innovative devices in the history of watchmaking, the bottom of the dial, occupied mainly by the Earth in turquoise and, at the top, by the Milky Way seen from the stratosphere, made of aventurine. Material, rarely used in fine watchmaking, was created in the 16th century by a Venetian master glassmaker.
The power reserve bridge, made of 18-carat gold, illustrates the spectacular free fall of the Austrian jumper. All the reasons forZenith Academy Christophe Colomb Tribute to Felix BaumgartnerThey are engraved by hand with a burin: at 12 o'clock its stylized silhouette; at 9 o'clock its capsule, and at 3 o'clock the Earth. Indications of Baumgartner's three records have been engraved around it: “The highest 38,969.4 m = 127,852.4 feet / The fastest 1,357.6 km/h = 843.6 mph / The longest 4min 20s Freefall”, the number of rubies the movement has (“Forty-Five (45) Jewels”) and, finally, “Zenith Manufacture Le “Locle”. In the capsule and the astronaut suit there are six rubies, one of which is located in the exact place of the Zenith watch that Baumgartner was wearing when making his jump.
El Zenith Academy Christophe Colomb Tribute to Felix BaumgartnerIt houses a movement with two actions of absolute precision: a high oscillation frequency regulator organ (36,000 beats/h) that allows time to be divided into tenths of a second and the patented gyroscopic gravity control module (Gravity Control) that neutralizes the effects of Earth's gravity on the movement of the watch. This system is inspired by marine chronometers that had a gimbal suspension thanks to which they remained in a horizontal position regardless of the pitching of the ships. The Gravity Control module takes this principle and miniaturizes it, so that the escapement always remains in a horizontal position, regardless of the inclination of the wrist. The result is that the rocker arm achieves maximum amplitude and neutralizes the influence of the Earth's gravity on the movement, which ensures maximum precision.
Zenith is the only Manufacture to master this system, which won the Geneva Grand Prix of Watchmaking in 2011. This precise movement is housed in a 45 mm platinum case with DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) coating that gives the material a matte black color, as well as its hardness and scratch resistance properties. The 10 examples of the watch are presented in a carbon-covered ebony case that, if the user wishes, can be transformed into a humidor. The case includes a silk-screened stainless steel plate hand-signed by Baumgartner himself.
Features of the Zenith Academy Christophe Colomb Tribute to Felix Baumgartner
Motion
- El Primero 8804 manual winding
- Caliber: 16 ½ ‘’’ (diameter: 37 mm)
- Height: 5.85mm
- Components: 308
- Gyro cage: 171 components
- Rubies: 45
- Frequency: 36,000 beats/h (5 Hz)
- Power reserve: Minimum 50 hours
Features
- Hours and minutes on an off-center dial at 12 o'clock
- Gravity Module Self-regulating control at 6 hours
- Small seconds at 9 o'clock
- Power reserve at 3 hours
Case, dial and hands
- Material: platinum case with DLC coating
- Diameter: 45mm
- Height: 14.35 mm / 21.40 mm (with domed sapphire crystal)
- Crystal: domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides and protection domes for the gyro module
- – Aventurine Stratosphere
- – Turquoise earth
- – Felix Baumgartner emerging from the capsule: chiseled and hand-engraved gold
- Hands: rhodium-plated and faceted
- Hour indices: varnished white
- Back: power reserve bridge with motifs and mentions engraved by hand with a burin
- Watertightness: 3 atm
Bracelet and clasp
- Black alligator leather with rubber lining and DLC-coated white gold 3-slat folding clasp
To learn more about Gravity Control click on the image
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