Por Jaime Mendoza Waldo 
| The unique series of 8 skeletonized flying tourbillon timepieces, equipped with ultra-technical carbon titanium cases, offers plenty of personality with punchy colors inspired by cocktails |
|
New York | La
Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland (July 7, 2020) – Following its
well-received U21 and U22 models, Angelus presents the next consecutive
series of skeletonized, flying tourbillon timepieces, this time more
colorful and dynamic than ever before. Like its predecessors, the eight
unique pieces of the Angelus U23 series suspends the Angelus A-250 caliber
within an ultra-light, ultra-strong titanium and CTP (Carbon Thin Ply)
composite case. Like the cocktails that inspired their names, each individual
U23 model blends potent strength and iconic character with their colorful
skeletonized PVD-treated titanium bridges. Packing a punch The U23 pieces make a tremendous visual impact, from the materials employed to the arrangement of their visual forms and structures, each arranged to create a sporty, technical, and finely honed timepiece. Measuring 42 mm in diameter and 10.3 mm thick, the case mixes titanium lugs with a CTP case back and middle. Maximum lightness and rigidity, with ultra scratch-resistant titanium, provides physical protection for the most exposed areas. The interplay between the solid look of metal and the technical elements of carbon fiber infuse the U23 with visual energy. Meanwhile, the colored bridges, hovering above the CTP main plate, put these pieces in a class of their own. Powerful tastes Geometric, open worked, and crafted in titanium, these graphically designed bridges colored using the PVD technique in one of eight shades that also grace the minute circle. Each shade identifies a unique piece named after a cocktail. These eight combinations – strong, sour, creamy, light, bitter or sweet – are the ingredients that make the U23 models unique. The eclectic menu with classics and rarities sitting side by side to cater to a range of tastes. U23 Negroni is orange, like the blend of Gin and Vermouth. U23 Cosmopolitan adopts the shade of blueberry Vodka. U23 Ocean View startles in Curaçao blue and U23 Tequila Sunrise recreates the orange, pink and blue layers formed by citrus fruit juice and grenadine with the idyllic sea in the background. |
Powerful materials
The colored bridges are screwed into the main
plate, which is also made from CTP. Carbon Thin Ply draws on the ultralight and
ultra-rigid properties of carbon fiber. Sheets of carbon are piled into several
hundred successive layers per block of material. Each layer is orientated
differently to create a multi-hatched network that is extremely solid given the
density of the layers. Angelus has chosen to use the highest quality of this
material: 150 g/m² CTP. In addition, the CTP is solidified using a technical
resin fired at a high temperature and high pressure. In this way, the
material’s extreme hardness further increases the fiber’s structural
properties. CTP is made into blocks and cut from a solid piece using numerical
control machines, just like a metal. Its nature, presentation, and machining
process ensure optimal structural integrity and unique qualities that enhance
the watch mechanism and ergonomics. This is because CTP is lightweight,
comfortable, soft to the touch, hypo-allergenic, fully dermo-compatible, and
non-magnetic.
Structural strength
The Angelus A-250 calibre at the heart of the
U23 models plays an essential aesthetic role. Its clean vertical structure
creates an axis that forms the highly legible visual backbone of the piece. An
open worked barrel at 12 o’clock offers a 90-hour power reserve; a flying
tourbillon at 6 o’clock for enhanced timekeeping; a gear train between the two
to ensure transmission – these functional organs are anchored to three titanium
bridges, giving the U23 its unique personality. Thanks to these bridges, the
movement floats above the CTP main plate, as if suspended on stilts. The fact
that the main plate is crafted from carbon is a technical feat in its own
right. The rigidity of the material makes this possible; conversely, this same
resistance makes it difficult to pierce. All the holes made in the high-tech
bodywork are therefore set with solid-gold chatons that hold the jewels. This
is a classic technique that has been adapted to a contemporary context and to
an extreme level of technical performance to protect the CTP main plate.
Delicacy
The U23, therefore, centers around an aerial
principle. To continue this spirit, the tourbillon of the Angelus A-250 calibre
is a flying version with no upper bridge. It appears to float freely, with a
large window cut away from the main plate in the background. This allows light
to enter and to illuminate the rotating regulating organ. In this rigorously
adjusted movement, the arms of the tourbillon carriage mirror the bridges and
all the wheels of the movement. All of these components are openworked
lengthways, which means they look lighter, as well as weighing less. Crafted
from technical materials and laid bare component by component, the U23 reveals
impressive lightness and graphic power, both to the eye and on the wrist.
About Angelus
Founded in 1891 in Switzerland, Angelus has been widely hailed by watchmaking
connoisseurs as one of the most influential horological manufactures of the
20th century. Angelus’ pioneering, house-made movements and vintage timepieces
continue to be coveted by collectors all over the world. The recently
revived Angelus Manufacture is fully equipped to design, produce, finish,
assemble, regulate, and test its entire line of house-made movements and
timepieces. The Angelus collection blends the very best of classic high
watchmaking with ultra-modern design and materials, as evidenced by the U20
Ultra-Skeleton Tourbillon with its sapphire mainplate, the U21 Tourbillon,
which features a combination of carbon-fiber and 18-karat gold, and the U50
Diver Tourbillon, with its titanium case and superior water-resistance up to
300 meters. angelus-watches.com