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The
8-Day Carrousel Tourbillon. An invention by Dr. Ludwig
Oechslin. (Patent pending).
No
hands, no dial. Indeed,
this watch has no hands because it does not need them.
The Freak indicates the time by the rotation of the
movement. Two bridges of the movement rotate from the center and
indicate the hour and the minutes.
The lower bridge indicates the hour while the upper one
fitted with the balance wheel assembly and its revolutionary Dual
Direct Escapement revolves once every hour and indicates the
minutes. During its 60 minute rotation the upper bridge lays bare
the mechanics of time. The center axe pivots in the sapphire
crystal of the watchcase. A spectacular sight, which is
accentuated by the finishing skills of Ulysse Nardin’s
watchmakers in Le Locle.
In
other tourbillons, the balance wheel assembly moves once every
minute in a cage. In the Freak, the whole movement
including the balance wheel assembly rotates once an hour inside
the watchcase.
The
Dual Direct Escapement. (Patent pending).
The
Dual Direct Escapement is an invention by Dr. Ludwig
Oechslin, astronomer, mathematician and master watchmaker.
Among his many inventions for Ulysse Nardin are the
Perpetual “Ludwig”
and the spectacular “Trilogy” of astronomical wristwatches.
The Dual Direct Escapement opens a new escapement
technology for the future. It disposes of the major elements of a
traditional anchor escapement: the anchor and the anchor wheel. It
does not need any rubies to minimize friction. It does not require
any oiling. There is no transformation of rotation into a wig-wag
motion and vice-versa, the two impulse wheels transmit the energy
directly to the balance. They rotate each in one direction and
cooperate alternatively (one at a time) with the balance. The two
wheels at the centre of the Dual Direct Escapement are
plasma engraved out of pure silicon. the material computer chips
are made of. A
technology of CSEM (Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de
Microtechnique). This
product, which is also used in micro- and nanotechnology, offers
the highest hardness coupled with low weight. In science, it is
used for the sensors of atomic force microscopes that make atoms
visible.
Mainspring
and Winding Mechanism.
The
mainspring is located underneath the movement and spans across the
entire case diameter. The main spring barrel does not require
teething.
Its
extra large size provides the Freak with a power reserve of
8 days plus. The main spring is wound by turning the case back
clockwise. Each full
turn is equivalent to a wind-up of 12 hours.
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