Home » Baselworld - World Watch and Jewellery Show » Baselworld 2012 Preview – The First Watch Collection by Antoine Martin
The new watchmaking brand Antoine Martin will present its premiere collection of watches with a perpetual calendar feature, called Quantième Perpétuel au Grand Balancier. It is made with the extra large balance wheel (with the diameter of 17.5 mm) incorporated in a complex in-house Calibre AM39.001 (that features a few innovations) and fitted in an intricate casing, Antoine Martin Watches have certainly made a very encouraging start in the industry.
Even though this is the first model by the brand, it is not the work of beginners. The man behind the creation of the watch is Martin Braun who previously worked for the company that borne his name and was owned by Franck Muller Group. After the financial difficulties brought to the end of Martin Braun brand, its founder is now back ready to make another try of dazzling the watch enthusiasts. The new company that Braun founded is set in Alpnach, Switzerland and is dubbed Antoine Martin.
As it was mentioned before, the new Perpetual Calendar watch by the upcoming firm is constructed with an extraordinary large balance wheel (it is the oscillating part of the movement that stabilizes the amplitude and controls the accuracy of the timepiece) which is among the largest of any wheels used in wristwatches to this day. It is constructed from grade 5 titanium and is visible through the skeleton case-back. The watch runs on the low frequency of 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz) which is chosen to maximize the benefit of a large balance wheel. Besides, it enables the watch to be more silent. The use of an oversize component is quite useful for several reasons. It is able to create more kinetic energy and it is more resistible to shocks.
In-House Hand-Wound Movement Calibre 39.001
The entire Calibre 39.001 hand-wound mechanical movement is conceived, designed and made entirely in-house. It consists of 324 components, has 60 jewels and includes a power reserve of impressive six days (or 144 hours). The remaining power reserve is displayed through the innovative system that Antoine Martin named Aerodynamic Amplitude Stabilization (or ADAS).
The proprietary hand-wound mechanism is housed in a supreme round casing that is comprised of 85 individual parts. It features interchangeable satin and polished finishes to accentuate its design. Other fine examples of the appealing design are detachable lugs and the flanks of the case which are individually secured. The whole package is rounded by the Bauhaus inspired crown. There are a few options for the material of the case. Its future owner can decide among 18K rose gold, 18K white gold and black DLC-treated (DLC stands for diamond-like carbon) stainless steel.
Smart Guilloche Dial
The first model by Antoine Martin has a very striking face which is protected by a sapphire crystal with glare proof treatment on both sides. The dial has a guilloche decoration in the center that is paired with an original style of applied numerals (which are Roman for gold versions and Arabic for the black version). The face of the timepiece features vertically arranged day and month displays and a leap year indicator at the top. Unfortunately, the timepiece does not include seconds indication.
Available choices for the bracelet of this unusual and original perpetual calendar watch with an enormous balance wheel are genuine brown or black Louisiana leather straps or rubber bands with clasps made from the materials that match their cases.
