Press release
Wempe presents new model variations and specialties within its own watch lines. Launched only three years ago, the Zeitmeister and high-end Wempe Chronometerwerke timepieces can already boast a convincing success. Each piece must undergo strict chronometer testing in Saxon watchmaking city Glashütte's observatory to confirm its particular precision.
The Zeitmeister line has meanwhile grown into a whole watch family including ladies' and gents' models, clever complications such as world time displays, pocket watches, an alarm clock, and a wall clock in classic Zeitmeister design. Additional model versions now allow Wempe's watch specialists to fulfill oft-expressed customer wishes. Furthermore, Wempe now already celebrates the centennial of the observatory in 2010 with an especially innovative Zeitmeister model.
WEMPE ZEITMEISTER Glashütte i/SA
High-Tech for a Centenary: the Ceramic Chronograph
Wempe presents the first highlight for the coming 100th anniversary of the Glashütte observatory in the shape of a chronograph housed in ceramic that is strictly limited to 100 pieces.
A watch case in ceramic might sound a lot like art for the sake of art, and above all it might seem very fragile. However, just the opposite is true: modern high-tech ceramic is the ideal material for designs to take high pressure and remain scratchproof. To achieve this, a powder mixture is combined with a binder and strongly heated under high pressure, thus “baked” to become an extremely hard component. Wempe has long had the desire to offer this new material in its collection. While simple, round case shapes are easier to manufacture, the complex Zeitmeister cases, and above all their lavish double-walled design, made a whole lot of developmental work necessary before a convincing structural design became possible – deep black and for technical reasons outfitted with a full two millimeters more diameter than the steel version.
The unusual case is fitted with an exclusive mechanism on the inside: Wempe has replaced the fine adjustment of the automatic Swiss movement with one of its own design, thus reducing the additional displays to two counters for the running seconds and stop minutes, symmetrically arranged at 9 and 3 o'clock on the black dial. Both the counter hands for seconds and minutes set themselves apart from the dark background with a strong red color. With this striking “face” underneath a sapphire crystal that is anti-reflective on both sides and its black rubber strap, this ceramic chronograph decisively presents itself as a modern watch of the highest technical level.
FACTS
WEMPE ZEITMEISTER Glashütte i/SA Limited Edition Ceramic Chronograph
Movement: Caliber Valjoux 7753 (self-winding chronograph movement), stop-seconds, date display
Movement measurements: round, diameter 30 mm, 13 1/2 '''
Height: 7.9 mm
Jewels: 27
Escapement: Swiss lever escapement
Oscillating system: balance frequency 28,800 vph
Power reserve: 42 hours
World premier in chronometry: officially certified German chronometer according to DIN 8319
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, and date display
Additional functions: stop timing, second and minute counters
Elements: crown for hand setting, corrector for quick-set date, two buttons for start, stop, and reset of chronograph
Technical modification: in-house fine adjustment, modification of the chronograph functions: reduction to second and minute counters
Case: matte black ceramic, diameter 44 mm, screw-down case back with relief engraving of the observatory, water-resistant to 5 bar
Crystal: sapphire crystal, anti-reflective on both sides
Strap: rubber strap with stainless steel folding clasp
Dial: black dial with steel hour markers
Hands: dauphine steel hands, red second and minute counter hands
Reference number and price: WM69 0001: 3,475 euros
Available: from October 2009 in all Wempe branches worldwide, limited to 100 pieces
