The year 2024 marks a new milestone in the history of CYRUS Genève, independent Swiss brand founded in 2010, with its manufacture in Le Locle, under the direction of the talented master watchmaker Jean-François Mojon. On the occasion of the Watches and Wonders event in Geneva, CYRUS Genève is pleased to present the brand new "ETHERAL" collection, featuring interesting watchmaking complications and a round case, an absolute first for the Maison.
After more than six years of work, the project launched in 2018 has become a reality. The Maison is proud to unveil the "Twin Orbital Tourbillon", the first member of the ETHERAL family which successfully combines an ultramodern style with avant-garde mechanics. Both have been conceived at the same time to achieve the ultimate horological level and a well-balanced, appealing design.
The ETHERAL line embodies the pinnacle of horological artistry, representing a harmonious blend of watchmaking tradition and innovation crafted with emphasis on futuristic aesthetics, captivating the essence of its name through light, almost floating appearance. It draws inspiration from natural and cosmic beauty, reflecting patterns, rhythms and elements found in nature and universe, suggesting a connection to the wider world and a broader perspective.
This latest collection is a testament to the ongoing quest for excellence through precision engineering, refined elegance and functional sophistication, with the utmost respect for the art of Swiss watchmaking. With its extraordinary 3D moving dial, the “ETHERAL Twin Orbital Tourbillon” is a hymn to kinematics. As the hours pass, the jumping hours, the minute indication and the two flying tourbillons change position, keeping time perfectly readable always horizontally. All this is made possible by the new hand-wound manufacture calibre CYR518-E with a double barrel guaranteeing a 72-hour power reserve, comprising no fewer than 510 components, including 63 jewels. This innovative and finely decorated movement also boasts three patent applications.
This creation will appeal the most discerning collectors who appreciate the fine interplay between art and science and are in search of an exclusive dream-watch. Its uniqueness is also underlined by the 18-piece limited edition. The “ETHERAL Twin Orbital Tourbillon” is a true work of art, a masterpiece of horological craftsmanship that will write another important chapter in the brand's history.
Kinematics: the undisputed protagonist of this unprecedented stylistic approach
CYRUS Genève welcomes its first-born with a round case framing a striking 3D design architecture that highlights the complexity of its exceptional hand-wound manufacture calibre CYR518-E, the subject of three patents pending.
Its style is reminiscent of some iconic elements of the brand’s timepieces such as the elongated lugs surrounding the functional twin crowns. The crown at 3 o'clock, with its slanted grooves, winds the watch and sets the time, while a pressure on the crown at 9 o'clock allows quick time setting (hours indication jumps one hour ahead). The case is crafted in polished-brushed 4N rose gold combined with grade 5 titanium inserts.
44 mm in diameter (excluding crowns and inserts) and 16.3 mm in thickness, it is complemented by a slender bezel that allows a wider dial opening, enhancing the harmonious arrangement of the mechanical elements that define the timepiece's functions.
The leading actors of the display are the jumping hour indication by means of two discs in the form of a truncated cone with an inclination angle of 18°, surmounted by a highly original triangular minute hand with curved arms and a luminescent tip, microbeaded with bevelled polished angles, and the two flying tourbillon which seem to be suspended in mid-air. Positioned on a frame, all these components perform a spectacular dance. The widest aperture of the display allows a perfect view of the jumping hour and the two flying tourbillon cages. The dial’s rotation has no effect on the reading of the time, which is always horizontal, whatever the position of its components.
The watch face plays on the contrasting shades of black, anthracite and rose gold, with an array of exquisite finishes that enhance every detail.From the black PVD finish on the frame bridge, to the tetrahedral motifs, to the tourbillon cages’ gilded bridges reminiscent of the Cyrus logo with microbeaded and chamfered angles and perfectly match the style of the minute hand, to the bevelled-cut steel screw heads, some with a mirror- polished surface, others with an additional black PVD coating, nothing is left to chance. And the whole composition appears perfectly harmonious and well balanced to the eye!
With three patents pending, this new calibre demonstrates how watchmaking continues to surprise by pushing the boundaries of what is known. Subject to three patent applications, this extraordinary new hand-wound movement, calibre CYR518-E, equipping the “ETHERAL Twin Orbital Tourbillon”, is the result of the undisputed talent of Jean-François Mojon and his team.
Comprising no fewer than 510 components, this powerful engine with a regulating organ operating at 21,600 vibrations per hour (3Hz), guarantees a 72-hour power reserve thanks to its two barrels. This new-generation calibre provides the jumping hours on two discs that move around the dial while maintaining horizontal readability, as well as the two flying tourbillons, inclined at an angle of 20°, both of which rotate clockwise and linked together in a manner known by the state of the art.
One of the three patents that has been filed for this unprecedented movement concerns the balancing mechanism of the frame, requiring the development of a new and innovative solution to ensure perfect operation in the event of shocks. Positioning the centre of gravity on the pivoting axis is the first step in reducing the impact of shocks on the frame. This nullifies the effects of linear shocks. However, angular accelerations always affect the frame and therefore the working components. The frame drives a rotating mass in opposite directions. When an impact or angular accelerations occurs, the dynamic effects are cancelled out because the inertias of the frame and the rotating mass are equal, and the direction of rotation is reversed. The mechanism for displaying the time by combining the tens and units discs is the subject of the other two patent applications. One refers to the hour indicator. The hours appear on two discs driven by a single triangular-toothed star wheel through a 12-jump kinematic system. In addition to its simplicity, this mechanism also has the advantage of preventing any de-indexing.
A second patent pending is for the instant drive mechanism with surprise for unrestricted counter-clockwise time adjustment. The purpose of this device is to make the hour jump without double jumping and without desynchronisation when the time is set anti-clockwise. The complex geometry of the upper tourbillon cage, which can only be produced using the most high-performance machining workshops, bears the brand's three-armed helix logo. It is adjusted by means of inertia blocks on the free-sprung balance wheel. Much attention has been paid to the aesthetics of the rear of the watch which echoes the sophisticated layout of the dial emphasized by refined finishes such as frosted and microbeaded surfaces, bevelled and polished edges, polished mirror screws and much more.
As with other brand movements, such as the Klepcys Vertical Tourbillon, particular attention was focused to symmetry along the 12:00-9:00 axis.
It is impossible not to notice that the inclined power-reserve disc, whose apertures change from white to black and then to red when the power reserve runs out, follows the shape of the unusual minute hand. Or the frosted, black PVD-coated barrel ratchet wheels engraved with the Cyrus logo. The anti-reflective sapphire crystal case back, sealed with 8 titanium customised screws, enables to admire the many details and the array of decorations which confirm, once again, the highest level of mastery of Cyrus Genève.
Strap
The “ETHERAL Twin Orbital Tourbillon” comes with an elegant black crocodile leather strap, hand-stitched and fastened to the wrist with a 4N rose gold pin buckle with grade 5 titanium inserts. Its design is new and matches the style of the case to perfection.
