FORCES OF ATTRACTION
Two limited series each rolled out in just 10 pieces include the latest upgrade of the escapement module that reduces the effects of gravity on precision.
The tourbillon, imagined for pocket watches that generally remain in a static vertical position, doesn’t deliver the same performances on wristwatches that are forever in motion across several axes. To offset this limitation and guarantee optimal stability for the regulating device, Zenith developed a gyroscopic Gravity Control module that ensures the mechanism invented by Breguet always remains horizontal and stable. To do this, the manufacture’s watchmakers drew inspiration from marine chronometers by miniaturizing the system that limited the negative effects of a boat’s rolling and pitching. This ingenious device, introduced in 2008 and present in the new Defy Zero G Sapphire watches, has constantly evolved.
The existence of nine ceramic ball bearings makes it insensitive to magnetic fields and doesn’t require any lubrication. The module, comprising 139 components, comes in a reduced size of 1.3 cm3 (13.4 x 10.9 x 8.84 mm), 30% less than the original device. It nestles at 6 o’clock in the 46 mm-diameter blue or translucent sapphire-crystal case and takes up very little space in the semi-openworked scenography. The hours and minutes are displayed on a lapis lazuli dial. A small seconds and a power reserve indicator (50 hours) completes the composition without weighing it down. The transparent back invites to discover the one-of-a-kind architecture and inner workings of high-frequency Caliber 8812S (36,000 vibrations an hour). What’s more, it bids to admire the Gravity Control in all its glory.
