by Ian Skellern
When I first heard that Angelus was relaunching – technically it wasn’t really a rebirth as the brand had never officially stopped trading, though it had stopped making clocks and watches – I was as curious as anyone to learn if the new timepiece would either faithfully continue the brand’s rich heritage both visually and technically (the latter usually being the collectors’ favorite option) or would basically be just another modern watch with an old name on the dial.
Angelus U10 Tourbillon Lumière
As it turned out, we got something else that’s even better: the Angelus U10 Tourbillon Lumière is faithful to the historic brand’s roots in innovation and cutting-edge technicity – using a deconstructed flying tourbillon, dead beat seconds, and a lateral power reserve – and sports a retro-look dial inspired by the brand’s iconic travel clocks, but is housed in a case that is as contemporary as they come.
View of the back of the Angelus U10 Tourbillon Lumière
When I first saw photos of the Angelus U10 Tourbillon Lumière I liked the technical aspects and thought it an audacious design likely to ignite heated debate in the passionate Angelus collectors’ community, but I wasn’t won over by the watch itself. I’d liked the fact that it existed, but it wasn’t really to my taste.
But after I had seen and handled the U10 Tourbillon Lumière “in the metal,” I got it. Everything comes together so well, and the attention to every little detail is impressive.
The deconstructed flying tourbillon of the Angelus U10 Tourbillon Lumière appears to float in space
The U10 Tourbillon Lumière has dead beat seconds not because its creators wanted more complication, but because visually it just didn’t look look right having that long, thin, counter-balanced second hand moving smoothly between the fine minute marker lines.
With dead beat seconds, the second hand jumps from one line to the next and is always exactly on top of a minute line (see Give Me Five! Dead Beat Seconds At Baselworld 2015).
Here are a few photos of the Angelus U10 Tourbillon Lumière from Baselworld 2015. Enjoy!
Angelus U10 Tourbillon Lumière
The smoked-sapphire, retro-look dial of the Angelus U10 Tourbillon Lumière subtly reveals the movement
Angelus U10 Tourbillon Lumière
The smoked-sapphire dial of the Angelus Tourbillon Lumière is concave; the power reserve indicator is just visible on the case band
Side view of the deconstructed flying tourbillon of the Angelus U10 Tourbillon Lumière
Back view of the Angelus U10 Tourbillon Lumière
Angelus U10 Tourbillon Lumière on the wrist
For more background on this iconic brand, please see Historic Swiss Brand Angelus Is Back And Presents The U10 Tourbillon Lumière.
Quick Facts
Case: 62.75 x 38 x 15 mm, stainless steel, seven sapphire crystals
Movement: manually wound Caliber A100 with one-minute flying tourbillon separated from the movement and 90-hour power reserve (twin serially operating spring barrels)
Functions: hours, minutes, dead beat seconds; power reserve indicator on case side
Limitation: 25 pieces
Price: $110,000
Trackbacks & Pingbacks
-
[…] of watchmaking last year and its otherworldly horological debut, the U10 Tourbillon Lumière (see Photo Essay: The Angelus U10 Tourbillon Lumière), many of us were wondering what would come next for the brand and what direction it would […]
-
[…] You may also be interested in Historic Swiss Brand Angelus Is Back And Presents The U10 Tourbillon Lumière as well as Photo Essay: The Angelus U10 Tourbillon Lumière. […]
-
[…] the U10 Tourbillon Lumière (see Photo Essay: The Angelus U10 Tourbillon Lumière) wasn’t some slapped-together pile of sticks and Elmer’s glue; it was a fantastically creative […]
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!
Nice shots of the watch! Hardly saw any variations online but you provided a real nice glimpse of the case back which is gorgeous.