CLUBHOUSE | TEE TIME SPECIAL
SENSATIONALLY SLENDER THE PIAGET EMPERADOR COUSSIN ULTRA-THIN MINUTE REPEATER WRITES A BEAUTIFUL NEW MUSICAL SCORE EXPRESSING THE FINE ART OF WATCHMAKING. Expressing Piaget’s insatiable quest for ultimate horological excellence, Calibre 1290P testifies to the exceptional mastery cultivated by one of the rare fully integrated Haute Horlogerie manufacturers. This first Minute Repeater represents the fourth major complication developed by Piaget, which has created in-house no less than 35 movements, including 11 comprising major complications, within the space of just 14 years. This rare breed of expertise is embodied in such iconic calibres as the 600P (the Constantly world’s thinnest hand-wound shaped tourbillon), 880P (ultrareinventing its automatic chronograph), “Always do better thin the 855P (ultra-thin automatic than necessary” perpetual calendar) and the 1270P (ultra-thin automatic motto, Piaget tourbillon), to mention but strikes the a few. This involves constant perfect chord challenges, since the desire to push boundaries in ultra-thin watchmaking is backed by a will to make calibres perfectly tailored to the cases. The idea is in fact that the movements follow the case contours so closely that the two become an inseparable whole. The Manufacture applies this philosophy to all its movements featuring major complications, and the 1290P is no exception to the rule.
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he latest embodiment of Piaget’s virtuosity in the field of ultrathin movements since 1957, the Emperador Coussin Automatic Minute Repeater sets another double record for slenderness in its category: 4.8 mm for its calibre, and 9.4 mm for its case. This exceptional model was entirely crafted in-house thanks to the twin expertise of the two Manufactures Piaget: the one located in La Côteaux-Fées for the calibre, and the other in Plan-lesOuates for the case. And since the exceptional loves to rub shoulders with perfection, the new 1290P calibre beating at its heart is adorned with the highest level of hand-crafted finishing. 84
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EXCLUSIVELY PIAGET
If there is one major complication that is particularly difficult to produce, it would definitely be the Minute Repeater. To also enrich the movement with an automatic winding mechanism; to endow it with an exceptional sound; to offer the thinnest calibre in its category along with the thinnest case; to guarantee water resistance to 3 ATM; and to achieve all this 100% in-house: this array of individual feats form a unique accomplishment that is unique in the world of Haute Horlogerie. The Manufacture Piaget has thus achieved an authentic tour de force in developing the Emperador Coussin Automatic Minute Repeater. The development of its 1290P movement alone involved three years of HKGOLFER.COM
work by six engineers dedicated to this task. Developed on the basis of Calibre 1200P (the world’s thinnest automatic movement), the 1290P measures just 4.8 mm thick, a new record in its category despite its 407 parts – a mind-blowing number that demanded exceptional miniaturisation and a refusal to compromise on the sound or on technical reliability. A daunting feat indeed, that called for each part to be skilfully thought out and shaped.
A FINELY CRAFTED CASE
The 48mm-diameter case also entails a show of technical prowess, since it plays an essential role in the sound transmission. It has been hollowed out as much as possible in order to achieve optimal resonance. Four braces secure it to the calibre to ensure the transmission of the gong vibration. This essential transmission is reinforced by a gong base that is interconnected both with the movement and the exterior via four screws – a rare device, as too is the ingenious mechanism placed beneath the bezel and designed to ensure the watch’s water resistance. Measuring just 9.4 mm thick despite its 69 parts, the case of the world’s thinnest automatic minute repeater requires all the expertise of a fully integrated Manufacture. It involves a truly complex equation in the pursuit of a triple objective: uncompromising technical mastery, superlatively pure acoustics, as well as an aesthetic appeal orchestrated around exceptional finishing featuring alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces. No less than 1,400 hours were devoted to developing the case of the Emperador Coussin Autoamtic Minute Repeater.
ACOUSTICS OF RARE PURITY
The technical feats stemming from a double record for the thinness of its movement and case in no way overshadow the essential quality of the watch: its fabulous acoustics. Indeed, the pursuit of such rare performances governed the entire conception of the movement. Activating the repeater slide at 9 o’clock serves to trigger the minute repeater on demand. The sound is then generated by the vibrations of a gong that is struck by the hammers. The latter are made of steel to ensure an optimal hardness to weight ratio. The gong itself is designed all of a piece to guarantee enhanced transmission of the vibrations – and thus the sound – through the movement and on through the case. In order to preserve the purity of this sound throughout its duration, the calibre is equipped with an inertia flywheel serving to regulate the rhythm between the start and finish of the chiming. Whereas a conversation reaches an average of 65 decibels, Calibre 1290P chimes with exceptional intensity, with no less than 64 decibels dedicated to an incredible pure sound. Striking in the fifth octave, the hours are pitched at G sharp, and the minutes at A sharp. The sound lingers pleasantly, with an excellent damping factor of 2600 – a remarkable quality, since the latter is considered good at anywhere between 2000 and 3000. Constantly reinventing its “Always do better than necessary” motto, Piaget strikes the perfect chord of harmony between watchmaking art, ultra-thin accomplishment, exceptional design and absolute acoustic purity. A musical score orchestrated into a masterful symphony and admirably interpreted by the new Emperador Coussin Automatic Minute Repeater. HKGOLFER.COM
Clockwise from opposite: The Piaget Emperador Coussin XL is the world’s thinnest mechanical self-winding minute repeater movement (4.8 mm) and watch (9.4mm); the calibre 1290P is comprised of 407 parts – a mind-blowing number
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