The Chronofiable® tested movement of the Tourbillograph Trackmaster unites a Tourbillon and a column wheel controlled chronograph in a high precision automatic watch.

 

 

 

The Tourbillograph Trackmaster line incorporates a Tourbillon in a true sportswatch. To achieve this, the designers and engineers had to completely rethink the Tourbillon – two patented inventions were made in the process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a Tourbillon, French for vortex, the whole escapement rotates once a minute to counteract any negative influence of gravity on the balance wheel and the anchor. The escapement itself forms the minute wheel, the rotation of the Tourbillon indicating the seconds. Invented at the turn of the 19th century by Swiss-born genius horologist Abraham Louis Breguet, the Tourbillon more than two hundred years later still remains one of the most sought-after complications in watchmaking as it is most difficult to construct and assemble even with today’s technology. Because of the number of moving parts and the fact that the whole assembly is mounted around one pivot only, a Tourbillon normally is susceptible to shocks and will mostly be found on dress watches.

 

Graham-London’s Tourbillon with its 48 hand-assembled parts and a weight of only 0.485 grams for the entire Tourbillon assembly is a new and much lighter construction. Less weight means a lower moment of inertia and therefore a far better resistance to shocks. Further, the whole escapement assembly is mounted on a unique coq or bracket in the form of a prong, incorporating a reinforced Incabloc® shock absorbing device. This shock absorber not only protects the balance wheel as an Incabloc® would normally do, but the whole escapement, i.e. hairspring, balance wheel, escapement wheel and anchor.

 

The offset construction and the open cage of the Graham-London Tourbillon allow other wheels of the movement to intersect with the Tourbillon’s orbital plane. This in turn allows a wider opening in the dial to see the device at work and integrates it completely into the movement. The inventors have named this design cintré.

 

Finally, and also as one of the visibly most prominent features, the Graham-London Tourbillon rotates between two characteristic bridges, designed for rigidity in a bent shape which is in the best tradition of English high precision timepieces of the 18th century. The construction with two bridges is not only ideally suited for a Tourbillon in a sportswatch but also classic craftsmanship according to Breguet. It makes the Tourbillons of the Tourbillograph Trackmaster line more rugged and reliable than a Tourbillon volant or flying Tourbillon only mounted on one side.

 

 

 

The movement of the Tourbillograph Trackmaster has a chronograph mechanism controlled by a column wheel. The column wheel or roue à colonnes in French (hence the cryptic three letters R.A.C. also found on other Graham-London watches) is the most elegant, most precise (and also a very pleasing) mechanism to control the stop watch functions of start, stop and reset. Easily recognisable by its seven polished triangular segments on a blue steel base cog, the column wheel moves one increment each time the start/stop-pusher is activated. The segments activate or stop the chronometer by activating numerous levers and allow the resetting of the counters through the reset-pusher only once the chronometer has been properly stopped, thus avoiding maloperation and eventually damage to the levers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The high frequency of the balance wheel of 28’800 vibrations per hour is hard to achieve in a Tourbillon but it allows perfect adjustment of the movement and guarantees precise timekeeping. Each Tourbillograph Trackmaster movement is of course individually adjusted to position, temperature and isochronisms and regulated to keep time within strict tolerances. This precision, together with the automatic winding of the movement by way of a skeletonised rotor with an oscillating mass made of 925 sterling silver and a power reserve of 42 hours, makes the Tourbillograph Trackmaster the perfect sportswatch for everyday use. It is of course also waterproof.

 

 

 

After construction of the Tourbillograph-movement had been completed, the engineers wanted to see if it all worked as planned. For this, they took five Graham-London watches with a Tourbillograph-movement inside around the corner to Laboratoire Dubois SA, also based in La Chaux-de-Fonds. There, Monsieur Henri Dubois and his crew submitted the five pieces to the Chronofiable® test. Originally conceived by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry in the 1970ies, it is much-feared for its exacting standards. This test is virtually the gold standard of the watchmaking industry. Tourbillons are not normally submitted to it and only two had ever passed it before. The five watches, after an initial check, underwent a defined accelerated ageing cycle, simulating six months of wearing the watch. Among others, and this is why the test is feared indeed, the watches were submitted to 20'000 shocks ranging from 250 to 5500 m/s2 (25.5 to 560.7g), to angular acceleration, to moisture and to temperatures ranging from 0°C (32°F) to 57°C (134.6°F). After several weeks of such testing which also included the repeated testing of the chronograph functions (in fact, it included exactly 3’000 operation cycles of start-stop-reset), the watches had to still perform immaculately.

 

And perform they did indeed: Not one Tourbillograph-movement failed in any discipline.

 

The automatic Tourbillon plus R.A.C. chronograph precision movement for sportswatches had passed its baptism of fire with flying colours and the Tourbillograph was born.

 

 

 

Made in steel with a Clous de Paris bezel or one in black PVD, all Tourbillograph Trackmasters feature a domed sapphire crystal on the front and a flat large diameter crystal in the see-through case back, accentuating the craftsmanship and high end finishing of the glorious Tourbillon movement with its column wheel and its perlages, chamfers and polishing. All watches of this line are fitted with an integrated natural rubber strap, of course in tyre pattern, as befits a master of the racetrack. An alligator strap and a folding buckle can be fitted on request.

 

 

 

Available with silver or black dial. Limited edition of 100 pieces each.

 

 

 

Tourbillograph Trackmaster chromium, black dial. © Graham

 

 

 

Made for sports- and watchmaking aficionados alike, the Tourbillograph Trackmaster Chromium features exclusive materials and decorations such as a Clous de Paris pattern on the bezel, black or silver galvanic dials, a large openwork-rotor made of black Chromium with a sterling silver oscillating weight which together with the integrated natural rubber strap create a dynamic effect and a perfect unity of technology and design.

 

 

 

Available with silver or black dial. Limited edition of 100 pieces each.

 

 

 

Tourbillograph Trackmaster black, black dial. © Graham

 

 

 

Black PVD carbide is used for the case, ceramic for the buckle, black gold coating on the oscillating weight, bridges and plates and it features black tyre tread effect natural rubber on the integrated strap. The watch for an active and dynamic lifestyle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Graham, Worldtempus