Ornatus-Mundi provides an exclusive hands-on report from PuristS on Tour 2014, featuring the Zenith Academy Christophe Colomb Tribute to Felix Baumgartner. This article delves into the intricate details and material choices of this limited-edition timepiece, celebrating Felix Baumgartner's record-breaking stratospheric jump.
PuristS on Tour 2014 - this is a special treat not only for the participants, but also for the brands themselves - I guess. Knowledgeable, tirelessly interested and enthusiastic collectors, it appears that such a mix is not common, and such quite often doors open which are normally closed to the (general) public.
This time was not different at Zenith. We got not only a really extensive tour (report in preparation) but were moreover shown some really rare treats - this is one, the
Zenith Academy Christophe Colomb Tribute to Felix Baumgartner :
The watch itself is not new and needs no further introduction, and I am sure every Purist (or at least Zenith aficionado) knows it very well, with its original and proprietary
Gravity Control gyroscopic module. If you want to read more I suggest to follow the link to ->
my recent article on this piece.
This watch is all about the materials chosen and the details executed, so let's start with the bill of materials:
Case: DLC-coated platinum case; diameter: 45 mm; thickness: 14.35 mm/21.40 mm (with cambered sapphire crystal)
Glass: cambered sapphire crystal glareproofed on both sides, domes protecting the gyroscopic module
Dial: depiction of Felix Baumgartner’s jump
- Stratosphere in aventurine
- Earth in blue turquoise
- Felix Baumgartner emerging from the capsule: hand-chased and engraved gold
Hands: rhodiumed and facetted
Hour-markers: white lacquered
Case-back: power-reserve bridge adorned with motifs and inscriptions featuring the line engraving technique
So from the top: aventurine stratosphere....
A most beautiful material, rarely used in the field of fine watchmaking, it was born in the 16th century workshop of a Venetian master glassmaker. While working on his latest creation, he dropped a speck of metal dust into the molten paste, thereby inadvertently creating a glass with a spangled radiance - nice and appropriate match!
Baumgartner as he jumps out of the capsule (doubling as power reserve indicator)...
... to finally return back to Mother Earth - blue turquoise:
Case: DLC-coated platinum case
The elaborately engraved back (light was really bad, could not take better pics ;-():
All the motifs are hand-engraved using the line engraving technique, with Baumgartner’s stylised silhouette at 12 o’clock, the capsule at 9 o’clock and the Earth at 3 o’clock, overlapping the gyroscopic Gravity Control module. These are surrounded by engraved inscriptions indicating the champion’s three records:
“The highest 38,969.4 m=127,852.4 feet / The fastest 1,357.6 km/h=843.6 mph / The longest 4min 20s Freefall”, as well as the
“Forty-Five (45) Jewels” on the movement, and the mention
“Zenith Manufacture Le Locle”.
In a particularly subtle detail, six jewels are placed on the capsule and the spacesuit, including one at the exact same spot as the watch that Felix Baumgartner wore when doing the jump.
Certainly, the gyroscopic escapement module is a magnificently delicate and complicated micro mechanical marvel made of 171 components:
The gyroscopic module involved the development of unusual parts, of which the making called for the creation of no less than 60 new tools. The complex 3D shapes of the components require special machinery such as these multi-axis CNC robots.
They are able to churn out - e.g. the carriages of the module - directly from a piece of rolled metal thanks to elaborate CNC programming:
Zenith has a dedicated atelier for complicated pieces, and this is where the
Christophe Colomb watches (amongst others) are individually put together, regulated and optimised, each one by a single watchmaker.
Here two of them intensively discussion a regulating issue, they did not dare to be distracted by all the PuristS around them, just focussing on their 'baby' soon to be born... True dedication!
Once finished, time to strap it on. It has a very quaint and unusual presence on the wrist...
Now for the difficult part: The Bottom Line:
To make one thing clear upfront - this is not a Love or Hate affair, this is a Love And Hate watch!
The technical and watchmaking merits of this watch are undisputed, and widely recognised even by the most discerning specialists (the Academy Christophe Colomb Équation du Temps e.g. won the 2011 “Best Complicated Watch Prize”, the star category in the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix). So I won't go further into that areas.
The gravity control system and Baumgartner's fight with gravity - well, that works...
But it is the outer conception of the watch that is controversial.
Let's start with the dedication - Felix Baumgartner. For starters, this is of course an issue of personal preferences and standpoints. From a sportive point of view he achieved something impressive, from a scientific one (and being a life scientist this is where I come from, obviously) I guess putting Baumgartner and Christopher Columbus together in one sentence (or: on one watch ;-)) - well, I guess that is stretching it a bit, isn't it?
Then, I absolutely adore the choice and combination of materials on the dial - what a wonderfully collection of shades of blue... mesmerising! However, I find the detailed engraving (quite challenging I assume an very well executed, though) a bit cartoonish on such a high-end timepiece.
But then: the case material: DLC-coated platinum...!!!! So let's let this sink in for a moment. You take one of the most precious case materials in watchmaking, platinum, and then cover it with a technique used even in <1000 CHF watches to make it appear different?
Let me offer a quotation: "DLC coating has nothing to do in finest watchmaking" - said Jean-Claude Biver during the PoT 2014 dinner... Nothing to add from my side. Even DLC wears off an cannot be re-applied - so you eventually have to ditch a precious platinum case just because of its surface treatment?
And furthermore, if we want to take this watch as serious as Zenith wants us to, why didn't they opt for something which is more appropriate to the Baumgartner achievement, possible through use of lightweight but strong materials? Titanium would be obvious, and could do without the coating... and sister Hublot would most likely have something else to offer...
So, in the end the watch has a lot on its pro and (at least) equally much on its con side.
I myself cannot come to a conclusion - can you?
Cheers and thanks for reading,
Magnus
This message has been edited by Ornatus-Mundi on 2014-10-17 06:46:03
