Press release
AN INSPIRED CONCEPT
Subtle balance between classicism and modernism, the finely proportioned exterior of the 1f4 displays its sturdy character and reminds us of the source of its own name: the famous Henry Edward Bird chess opening!
When asked what chess and Haute Horlogerie have in common, Dominique Loiseau always enjoys explaining all about the creation and development of a complicated mechanism: starting it right from the first move –the famous opening– while having in mind the goal to reach, the experience in specific strategies, the capacity to apply instant tactics against sudden and unexpected difficulties, being creative at all time! In other words, creating and developing the complex movements of a Grande Sonnerie Complication can be paralleled to chess: a mastermind's game!
The King, the Queen, the Knight and the other 3 pawns of a chess play are evidently the visible and mobile players of the 1f4.
The phenomenal creativity and care that have been brought to the conception of its movement, allowing the 32 functions to be intelligently and logically spread over its 2 dials, brings this 1f4 into a new dimension in wearing and using a complex master timepiece on a daily base.
Its perfect wrist comfort fit has been made possible thanks to the exceptional dimensions of such a fully automatic Grande Sonnerie Complication: thinness of 16.64 mm and a diameter of 45.2 mm.
The complexity of this rare timepiece, made by hand in the Loiseau ateliers, the care brought to its construction and quality in each of its just less than 1.000 pieces in a whole, is such that only 2 units can be produced every year. Each one of them will be stamped with a unique reference combining its vintage year –the year it will be delivered– and its owner 3 digits monogram or lucky number.
According to each collector's desire the 1f4 can be crafted in solid 990 Platinum or solid 18K yellow, red (5N) or white gold.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The development of the 1f4 Grande Sonnerie Complication began 6 years ago. To date Dominique Loiseau has dedicated a minimum of 15.000 man-hours towards its realization and production. Designed, executed, finished and assembled within the confines of his atelier located by the shores of the Geneva Lake, using his own machines and hand tools, the 1f4 stands at the very pinnacle of Switzerland's finest hand made watchmaking traditions and carries the proud designation of “Entièrement manufacturé en Suisse” as this is where it is 100% made.
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TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS
CASE
Created from 18K white, yellow or red (5N) gold or Platinum 990
- Two instantly, secretly and fully reversible dials (World Premiere)
- Case thickness less than 16.64 mm
- Case diameter 45.2 mm
- Water resistance 3 ATM (30 meters)
- 4 push-pieces, 4 correctors and 2 crown
MOVEMENT
Movement base plate and bridges created from solid 18k white, yellow or red (5N) gold
FUNCTIONS
01. Two instantly, secretly and fully reversible dials (World Premiere)
02. Self-winding movement with annular-geared oscillating rotor (World Premiere)
03. Self-winding striking mechanism with annular-geared oscillating rotor (World Premiere)
04. 60 second Flying Tourbillon
05. Day/night indicator via a special reflector below the tourbillion cage
06. Mono pusher split second's chronograph
07. Stop and return of the split seconds chronograph via a separate push-piece
08. 30-minute chronograph counter
09. Local time hours
10. Local time minutes
11. Seconds on the tourbillion carriage
12. 2nd time zone hours
13. 2nd time zone minutes
14. Equation of time
15. Striking mechanism power reserve indicator on the « Classical » dial
16. Striking mechanism power reserve indicator on the « Skeleton » dial
17. Silence
18. Automatic quarters striking mechanism (Petite Sonnerie au passage)
19. Automatic hours and quarters striking mechanism (Grande Sonnerie au passage)
20. Silence, Petite Sonnerie or Grande Sonnerie selection thru a single push-piece (World Premiere)
21. Minute Repeater (hours, quarters and minutes)
22. Perpetual calendar
23. Leap years
24. Day of the week
25. Month of the year
26. Date
27. Moonphase
28. Perpetual Calendar indications synchronously corrected through the crown (Patented)
29. Day of the week individual correction thru specific integrated corrector
30. Month of the year individual correction thru specific integrated corrector
31. Date individual correction thru specific integrated corrector
32. Moon phase individual correction thru specific integrated corrector
COMPLEMENTARY TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS
- Breguet over coil balance spring
- Free sprung balance with weight adjustment
- Movement frequency of 21.600 vph
- Split chronograph lever with special profile to reduce friction
- Squared section gong crafted directly from one piece
- Chronograph functions governed by column-wheel
- 18K white, yellow or red (5N) gold annular oscillating rotors
- Movement handmade and finished of more than 891 parts
- Movement diameter 41,50 mm
- Movement thickness from hands to hands 14,8 mm
- Movement thickness from dial to dial 13 mm
CLASSICAL DIAL
Created from 18K gold
- 7 hands
- Local hours and minutes
- Moonphase indicator
- Leap year
- Month of the year
- Day of the week
- Date
- Power reserve indicator for the striking mechanism
SKELETON DIAL
Created from 18K gold
- 9 hands
- Local time sub-dial with hours and minutes hands
- Seconds via peripheral markers and the Tourbillon cage (not on current pictures anyway!)
- Second time zone hour and minute sub dial (GMT)
- Day/night indicator via a special reflector below the tourbillion cage
- 30-minute chronograph counter
- Equation of time indicator
- Split seconds chronograph
- Power reserve indicator for the striking mechanism
HANDS
Created from 18K gold
- Total number of 16
BUCKLE
Created from 18K white, yellow or red (5N) gold or Platinum 990
- Deployments buckle (choice of 2 or 3 sections) with ‘Comfort Stake System' (Patented)
