1770 Voltige

 
1770 Voltige
 
Manufacture Royale presents 1770 Voltige, a new timepiece whose heart beats above the dial. This feat of technique shows how energy is transformed into increments of time. It also catches the eye of aesthetes and connoisseurs of the watchmaker's art. Essential, spirited, 1770 Voltige is a carefully orchestrated study of balance and motion.
 
1770 Voltige unreservedly reveals its heart in its escapement, positioned above the dial like a trapezist twirling beneath a glass big top. Designed and made in Manufacture Royale's workshops in the Swiss Jura, it captures a savoir-faire as well as a new vision of time measurement. By taking the escapement out of the movement and giving it pride of place above the dial, Manufacture Royale highlights its vital importance. The precision of any mechanical watch hinges on it! Placing the escapement centre-stage reflects the expertise of the movement's designers, who share their understanding of the finer points of horological mechanics with other enlightened individuals. Beyond the fascinating interlacing of its parts, the visible escapement is also a mesmerising sight. Like the voltigeur, the acrobat that inspired its name, 1770 Voltige implies precision and expert technique, but also daring and risk-taking.
 
A sense of time
 
1770 Voltige is the embodiment of an inspired and humble approach to watchmaking in which technique and design serve a new concept of time measurement. It is another milestone on the road which Manufacture Royale has chosen, and which leads to an age of reason whose ambition is to capture the essence of an idea and make it grow. True to this philosophy, Manufacture Royale focuses here on the enumeration of time, made evident by the generously dimensioned elements whose role is clearly identified. This novel construction perfectly illustrates the horological principle of regulation. The balance is secured by a semi-circular bridge which gradually rises to its high point above the dial. Beneath it, the pallet and the escape wheel meet at a rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz).
 
The exclusive MR05 calibre that equips Voltige 1770 was designed around this concept, and displays hours, minutes and small seconds. Its automatic winding provides 40 hours of power reserve. Its components, and those of the dial, are finished and decorated in the finest tradition of Swiss watchmaking.
 
Levitation and purity
 
1770 Voltige visually reinforces the impression that the balance is in a state of levitation, as the dial has been swept free to leave a vast space around the escapement. This harmony is further highlighted by a palette of greys, a cartouche at 3 o'clock bearing the "Manufacture Royale" inscription, and a small seconds subdial at 6 o'clock with a sieve-like structure. The hands that sweep these various elements also appear to be floating in space. The case, with its generous 45 mm diameter and transparent back that reveals the movement, is surmounted by a domed crystal that structures these volumes and gives 1770 Voltige a pleasantly curved line. By allowing light to settle on each detail, it contributes fully to the mechanical tableau.
 
Like the other watches in the collection, 1770 Voltige's case is held by two brancards. They hug the sides of the case, extending beyond its middle to form the lugs. It is thanks to them that the case, the work of Eric Giroud, moulds the wrist for complete comfort.
 
The latest creation from the workshops of Manufacture Royale, 1770 Voltige is the ideal measure of innovation, purity and classicism. A reflection of its day, it looks afresh at fine watchmaking and its creative potential. Affordable, authentic and unique, 1770 Voltige writes a new and captivating chapter.