Weird Watch Wednesday: Zenith Academy Zero Gravity Tourbillon

Watch making is an undeniably complex and highly competitive affair, with the truly high-end Marques constantly striving to differentiate themselves from their peers and demonstrate their truly superior abilities. This week’s stunning piece by Zenith is no exception and builds on the brands strong reputation for innovation, although the true value could be said to lie more in its visual appeal than its groundbreaking mechanical breakthroughs. However you choose to view it, the Zenith Academy Zero Gravity Tourbillon is a very unique, eye-catching timepiece.

A Little Background
Before proceeding, however, it is probably fair to assume that at least some of you are not familiar with what a ‘tourbillon’ actually is or its supposed purpose. Invented in 1795 by legendary Swiss watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet, the tourbillon was designed to counter the effects of gravity. The thinking was that by mounting the escapement and balance wheel in a rotating cage this would supposedly negate the effect of gravity when the timepiece (and thus the escapement) is rotated.

Debate still rages today as to whether tourbillons ever actually improved the accuracy of mechanical time pieces, even when they were first introduced. Regardless though, they often feature in many high end modern watches due to their stunning aesthetic appeal and exemplification of watch making ingenuity. To capitalize on this the mechanism is usually exposed on the watch’s face, as in the Zenith Academy Zero Gravity Tourbillon, to show it off.

Modern Day Application
Zenith has taken this concept to the next level with their Tourbillon Zero-G movement. First introduced in the spring of 2008, the world premiere Tourbillon Zero-G movement featured a rather spectacular self-regulating gyroscopic tourbillon carriage mounted on a cardan like a marine chronometer.

Why a marine chronometer you ask? Good question!

You see, Zenith did not actually invent this zero gravity principal, they merely refined it. The concept was in fact already at work in marine chronometers back in the 1800s, formerly regarded as the ultimate “portable” precision instruments enabling ships to determine their position and thus contributing to safe maritime voyages.

Zenith saw the potential for the application of this same technology in wrist watches and so began developing a timepiece in the early 20th century. Such is the regard that these historical models are held in that they are still highly sought-after collector’s items. Over time the brand has continued to hone this expertise in its ongoing quest for precision, which led to the development of the Zero-G movement, and in doing so achieving a spectacular feat of combining traditional know-how with sophisticated miniaturization and cutting-edge technology.

What’s The Reasoning?
The reasoning behind creating a zero gravity tourbillon mechanism is relatively simple, if not a little specious. Essentially, by guaranteeing a flat position of the regulating organ, the gyroscopic carriage releases the mechanism from the effects of gravity and supposedly thereby considerably enhances its accuracy. However, given the advances in modern watch making, especially comparative to Mr Breguet’s day, it is a pretty tough argument to suggest that this movement in this watch would be any less accurate without the Zero-G Tourbillon mechanism.

That said, who cares.

This watch is a representation of the exceptional craftsmanship a high-end Marque such as Zenith is capable of. Time keeping accuracy is an absolute given and should certainly not form the focus point for the assessment of the merits of this piece. The true value of this new offering can be found in the detail.

It’s The Little Things That Count
It’s the subtle aesthetic highlights such as the stepped double-godrooned case, the sword-shaped hands, as well as the barleycorn and wave guilloché dial patterns that demonstrate to the keen observer Zenith’s unswerving dedication to fine craftsmanship.

Moreover, just as the gyroscopic tourbillon offers a new twist on a device invented over two centuries ago, this tribute to horological tradition is brought to life by a number of original modern touches provided by the deliberately asymmetrical arrangement of the displays. The off-centered hours and minutes at 11 o’clock and the “Zero-G” Tourbillon module at 5 o’clock form the outline of a figure 8, a universal symbol of good luck and infinity; while the small seconds appears at 7.30 almost diagonally opposite the distinctively placed crown at 2 o’clock.

Anti-reflective sapphire crystal plates on the front protect and enhance the visibility of the multi-layered dial and its multiple indications along with the Zero-G module; while the transparent exhibition case-back ensures an optimal view of the stunning intricacies of the movement in operation. The El Primero 8801 self-winding 43-jewel calibre powering the Academy Zero Gravity Tourbillon comprises a rotor in 950 PT platinum, as well as a 160-part gyroscopic carriage with 10 conical-geared wheels and 6 ball bearings.

Finishing off the Academy Zero Gravity Tourbillon is a luxurious black crocodile leather strap with silky alvazel calfskin lining and an 18-carat gold triple folding clasp. Offered in a choice of white or rose gold, all models are individually numbered.

The Final Word
The value of a luxury timepiece is not always in its practicality. In fact, it rarely is. I think we can say with some certainty that it is a fairly well established fact that a highly complex timepiece is not needed to tell the time. In fact high-end watches often complicate the relatively simple process of telling the time!

However, that is not the point. As the Academy Zero Gravity Tourbillon by Zenith aptly reminds us, master watch making is about paying homage to centuries of traditions whilst at the same time fusing this with modern age technology to continually push the boundaries and create truly innovative and stunning pieces of art.

You may not always see the value in it, but you certainly cannot deny the creativity behind it.

Tags: Academy, complication, Craftmanship, High Complication, high-end, luxury, New, Tourbillon, Watch, Zenith, Zero Gravity

Category: Wow Watch Wednesday