Cyrus Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon: Exotic Yet Surprisingly Practical
by Martin Green
Cyrus has never been a common brand and has no desire to become one. Founded in 2010, this manufacture in Le Locle focuses on innovation. Over the years they have they have excelled in this field by offering watches that take a different approach to telling time like the Klepcys Vertical Tourbillon and Klepcys Moon.
Cyrus Klepcys Vertical Tourbillon Gold
The driving force behind these mechanical masterpieces is Jean-François Mojon, the founder of Chronode. Mojon has left his mark on the industry far exceeding that of just Cyrus. He created the movements of numerous MB&F’s, HYT’s H1, the Harry Winston Opus X, and the superb Hermès Arceau L’heure de la Lune.
Cyrus Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon
For Mojon, time is always in motion, and the Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon is the perfect example of that.
A new chapter
The Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon is, in many ways, a landmark model for Cyrus, marking the start of a new chapter. It is the first model in a new collection called Etheral, and it is also the very first round model from Cyrus, as the brand previously favored cushion-shaped cases.
Cyrus Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon
So have Cyrus made a concession to more conservative tastes or isa round case is simply more pleasing to present the complex movement powering the Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon?
Over six years of research and development were needed before this timepiece finally entered production. When you see it, you immediately understand why.
Most of the complexity is already explained by the name of the watch:it is equipped with two (twin) 20 degree inclined flying one-minute tourbillons.
Cyrus Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon front and back
The orbital aspect comes from the fact that they are also mounted on a centrally mounted platform making a full rotation once every hour.
Here, Mojon’s genius shows in the purest way possible. The minute hand of the Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon is shaped like a sort of tripod, with a Super-LumiNova filled point on one side.
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In the middle of the tripod, there is a white segment placed over which two inclined rotating discs turn. This is the jump hour. As the tripod makes it one-hour rotation, indicating the minutes as it does so, the jump hour window remains horizontal at all times, making it very easy to read the time.
What is very complex is made to look very simple but, most of all, very elegant.
As the watch is flanked by two crowns, a Cyrus hallmark, it also offers a very pleasing sense of symmetry. The crown on the right offers two functions. In the first position, you wind the watch , and when you pull it out to the second position, you adjust the time.
When the watch is running and the minutes are correct, you simply need to adjust the jump hour indicator by pushing the crown at nine o’clock to advance it one hour. This is particularly handy when traveling.
Back of the Cyrus Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon
The devil is in the details
Caliber CYR518-E powers the Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon, which has three patents pending and consists of an impressive 510 parts, of which 63 are jewels.
Tourbillon cage of the Cyrus Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon
While we often take things at face value, it is good to realize that each of the tourbillon cages weighs only 0.42 grams. They both run clockwise and get their power from two mainspring barrels that together offer a healthy power reserve of a 72 hours.
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Cyrus Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon side on
As both the jump hour system and the inclined tourbillons take quite some space, the front of the watch is very three dimensional, hence also the need for a domed sapphire crystal.
Back of the Cyrus Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon
As this watch is a manual wound, a power reserve indicator is a welcome complication. Cyrus provides this at the back of the watch, with an indicator that resembles the tripod of the jump hour.
This is what makes the Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon such a convincing watch. Yes, from a technical sense, it is a mind-blowing creation, but these days, that alone is hardly enough to stand out.
Aesthetics are equally important, and here, Cyrus also proves that they play at the highest level.
Cyrus Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon
The case is 44mm in diameter and crafted from 18k pink gold. A dash of contrast and dynamics is brought in by the Grade 5 titanium, covering the flanks. It gives the Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon a contemporary look and cleverly eliminates the obviousness of its round case.
As the watch has no bezel, it is all dial, but the black parts and segments used keep it visually nicely in check. Even on a smaller wrist, does the Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon not look overpowering.
The tripod-shaped minute hand complements the helix-shaped bridges of the flying tourbillons, which also happens to be the Cyrus logo.
At the back we find also find the logos on the mainspring barrels. While the Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon is 16.3mm thick, a fair amount of this height comes from the domed sapphire crystal, and in all honesty, is in real life the watch far more wearable than you might think just based on its dimensions.
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The pin buckle of this Cyrus has also been given plenty of attention, mimicking the design of the case. It is also crafted from 18k pink gold with a Grade 5 titanium insert on each side.
Pin buckle of the Cyrus Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon
Some might have expected an elaborate folding clasp, but a pin buckle often sits better. The Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon has most of its weight centered straight down on the wrist so it doesn’t need balancing out.
Cyrus Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon
Cyrus will produce only 18 watches of the Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon, but it is good to say that that is just in this configuration. As they spent six years on research and development, it is very likely that new color and material combinations will follow..
With the Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon, Cyrus and Mojon proved once more that even when they turn to a seemingly more conservative case shape, magic still follows.
For more information, please visit https://cyrus-watches.ch/watch/etheral-twin-orbital-tourbillon
Quick Facts: Cyrus Etheral Twin Orbital Tourbillon
Case: 44 x 16.3 mm, 18K pink gold and Grade 5 titanium,
Movement: manual wound caliber CYR518-E with two flying tourbillons, 20-degrees inclined, 3 Hz/21,600 vph frequency, 72-hour power reserve
Functions: jump hour, minutes; power reserve on the back
Limitation: 18 pieces
Price: CHF 330,000 excluding taxes
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