Press release
Origin of the project
A native of La Chaux-de-Fonds, the watchmaking metropolis nestled in the Swiss Neuchâtel mountains, Serge Bringolf planned to create a robotics installation which would enhance the long-term prospects of the region.
Faced with a watchmaking industry which he felt didn't always understand the link between robotics and watchmaking, and aware that automata - the ancestors of robots - lay at the heart of watchmaking, he decided to invent a symbolic object which would bring the two worlds together. His idea was to produce a robotic clock. A futuristic Neuchâtel pendulum clock, resolutely 21st century... the XXICC "twenty-one CC" was born.
How it got its name
This clock - the only one of its kind in the world - is known as the "twenty-one CC", and the name is written "XXICC" for the purposes of optimum graphical purity.
The abbreviation stands for "XXIst Century Clock".
Development of the idea
The original idea was to create a monumental clock which would take pride of place in the Robosphère park to attract visitors. Later, musing on how to make the most of the product should it prove a success, he considered the possibility of producing something which could operate on a much smaller scale, as a portable version, thus turning the symbol into an ambassador.
Inspired by the idea, he began the search for the smallest robot which would be both reliable and attractive, while encapsulating the project's central values.
He chose the Pocket Delta robot - the smallest, fastest and most precise industrial robot in the world - which itself embodies many of these values:
- First of all, this equally successful industrial robot concept was invented in Switzerland by Reymond Clavel and his team at EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne). It has received a number of prizes for innovation throughout the world.
Advantages: extreme speed, extreme precision, extreme endurance.
- Secondly, a student at the engineering college of Bienne had the idea of drastically reducing the size of the concept to enable other uses.
- Thirdly, the student's idea was developed at CSEM (Swiss Centre for Electronics and Microtechnology) in Neuchâtel.
- Finally, Asyril SA was created to produce and market it. The robot is manufactured in a range of sizes.
Next, Serge Bringolf began to look at how the Pocket Delta robot could be used to display the time in a new and exciting way.
Double display
The robot had ideally to operate on a horizontal surface (not the most practical position in terms of reading the time from a distance). This gave him the idea of displaying the time vertically using a system of lights, transparency and mirrors set at an angle of 45 degrees.
1000 watchmaking jewels for a "digi-graphic" display
Several ideas, rethinks and tests later, a display incorporating 1000 watchmaking jewels was chosen as the solution. The jewels are aligned in grooves and the robot moves them every minute to display the exact time digitally.
The stones are moved in columns, with each new combination of figures producing a brief graphic, hence the name "digi-graphic".
The semi-transparency and colour of the jewels when exposed to powerful yet energy-efficient LED lighting produce an array of sparkling reflections. This scintillating effect and the precious nature of the material lend the display a prestigious air.
A pure, functional form
Everything must draw the eye towards the centre of the object. The curves of the shell subtly conceal the cutting-edge technology employed. The gaze is drawn to the dark beauty of the carbon, which gives texture to the pure form, before sweeping naturally towards the centre, where the action takes place.
The limits of technical possibility have been pushed to enable the woven carbon section to blend seamlessly with the pure design.
One scene for time
One scene floating between two worlds.
- At the top, the real world in three dimensions, with its precious, inert stones constantly being moved by the precise yet graceful action of a finely honed robot.
- At the bottom, the virtual world in two dimensions. The result of tireless effort can be glimpsed only when a mysterious shadow alters the time in the most unlikely of ways.
A subtle sonic presence: yours
The XXICC imposes nothing on you, out of respect. It knows how to adapt to its environment and to the passage of time. This means that you are always in control of its sound. You are free to choose the perfect tone, whenever you like; the tone that suits the particular object, place, time, season or fleeting mood of the moment. The XXICC... it imposes nothing but freedom.
Easy communication
Communicating with the XXICC does not involve harmful waves or complex connections. Simply connect to a nearby mains socket and your computer will display everything you need to know: lighting, standby period, sound selection...
A remarkable presence
Power and elegance for a timeless prestige.
Like you, the XXICC knows all about elegance. The utmost care has been taken over the purity of its lines and the authenticity of its materials to ensure exquisite, timeless harmony with the object itself.
The simple design of the base reflects the pure form of the shell. It magnifies it on the reverse, extending it towards the centre of the Earth which sits on two hand-welded supports. Their beautiful satin finish is obtained using a high-speed microblasting treatment followed by passivation of ultra-thick stainless steel, rendering regular maintenance unnecessary.
XXICC... the genetics of authenticity
Use the best if it exists; otherwise invent it. Nothing has been left to chance. The proportions and height of the piece are derived from the Modulor scale devised by Le Corbusier, a world-renowned engineer, architect and urban planner native to La Chaux-de-Fonds.
A block of limestone from the Jura mountains, handworked by a devoted craftsman, was the natural choice for the plinth. By its very nature it testifies to and authenticates the origin of the creation, placing the XXICC in a class of its own.
A marriage of art and technology, a timeless testament to human creativity.
As unique as you are !
Like diamonds, each XXICC is unique, and will be given a name of its owner's choosing, to be engraved in steel for posterity.
Price: CHF 150,000.-
Available exclusively from:
Musée international d'horlogerie (MIH)
Rue des Musées 29
2300 La Chaux-de-Fonds
Switzerland
http://www.mih.ch/
