Cartier Astrorégulateur – Hybrid of High-end Techniques
Posted On Friday, June 24th, 2011 By admin
Carole Forestier, the in-house genius of Cartier, has taken a highly original method to combat the effects of gravity on timekeeping. In a nutshell, the oscillator, the escapement and the pendular seconds have been located on the rotor. According to Cartier, it is wrong to try to visualize an escapement assembled on a rotor because it might cause damage in the visual cortex. Now, let’s appreciate how it was done. Caliber 9800 MC watches, the Astrorégulateur movement, has been prepared for five years and then it is the one that was endowed with four patent applications. This masterpiece has been designed, developed, produced and equipped totally within the Cartier Manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
These craftsmen have been studying on many approaches to compensate for the effects of gravity on the balance spring. At present, the tourbillon is the most efficient mechanical countermeasure. The tourbillon carriage revolves on its own axis in one minute to average out the errors and cancel variations in rate that may occur in the vertical positions.
In order to keep the center of gravity in one single position, the oscillator, the pendular seconds and the escapement have been located on the rotor in the 9800 MC Astrorégulateur movement. Through the adjustment of the oscillator in the position, these craftsmen ensure that the platform of the movement can avoid the disturbing effect of gravity on timekeeping in all vertical positions.
Although your wrist will move in many directions as well as at different speeds leading to a variety of accelerations as the rotor spins, Cartier promises that these various strengths are actually forces of the watch. Yet these forces must be corrected to keep the escarpment at a constant speed, which is very necessary for a good timekeeper. Therefore, Cartier invented a system consisted of two differentials that can change the speed transmitted by the wrist to the micro-rotor into a constant speed. In that case, the seconds indicator can move with the rotor in regular advance. In addition, the escapement’s weight is offered by Cartier, which can restrain the motion of rotor.
In a word, this timepiece is the device that combines various high-end techniques, so it deserves your compliments at any time.