The Breitling Watch Blog

A new “affordable” touribillon from Graham, this one featuring a Chronograph as well. Actually a pretty nice looking watch that I wouldn’t mind owning myself, but maybe not for the $57,000US price tag.

Functions: Column wheel chronograph (seconds, 30 minutes and 12 hours counter). Tourbillon mechanism
Hours, minutes, seconds

Calibre: Calibre G1780, automatic column wheel chronograph-tourbillon, 28’800 A/h (4 Hz), Incabloc shock absorber

Rhodium blackened movement with Haute Horlogerie finishing. Perlages, sandblasted, manually chamfered and polished bridges and bottom plate, column wheel with polished segments and black low-friction coating, ruthenium oscillating weight with skeletonised rotor and 925 sterling silver segment

34 jewels

Power reserve: 48 hours

Ruthenium tourbillon cage: 48 components, 0.485 grams. Off-centre construction at 11 o’clock. Complete see-through tourbillon. Two patents. Rhodiated double bridge construction with black varnish coated upper bridge. Golden balance.

Case: 48 mm steel, Steel right hand start / stop and reset pushers with “Clous de Paris” high grip pattern, Steel bezel, Domed sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating on both faces
See-through sapphire crystal case back

Water resistance: 160 feet / 50 m

Dial: Black dial with tachymeter scale on external ring, black snailed minutes and
seconds counters

Rhodiated central hours and minutes hands with black Super-LumiNova coating, rhodiated chrono, hours, minutes and seconds counters hands, rhodiated numerals

Strap: Black croco, Steel folding buckle

Price: $57,000 (approx)

Boys’ toys – fast race cars and exclusive watches are typical status symbols of the mostly male MANSORY clientele. But until now, the refining specialist for luxury cars could only fulfil automobile dreams. Yet, with the presentation of the GRAHAM Chronofighter Oversize MANSORY, MANSORY changes this big time. And the name says it all – with 47 mm steel case diameter and the left hand fast-action start /stop trigger which is so iconic for GRAHAM watches, the Chronofighter Oversize MANSORY chronograph impressively accentuates its features. This instinctive mechanism activated by the thumb, guarantees a great precision with the most direct response of the chronograph functions.

Kourosh Mansory, CEO of the MANSORY Holding & Design GmbH: “The co-operation with GRAHAM-LONDON derives from my long-term friendship with Eric Loth, founder and board member of GRAHAM-LONDON. His passion for dynamic automobiles and my enthusiasm for high-quality chronographs are perfectly combined. The GRAHAM MANSORY Chronofighter Oversize confirms this in a very impressive way.“

Following the automobile core competences of the MANSORY Group, the dial is made of carbon, a material typically used for sports cars. The “Clous de Paris” decorated steel bezel echoes the artistic performances of MANSORY concept cars. On the case back, a smoked see-through sapphire crystal with MANSORY logo, allows an insight into the clockwork Calibre G1734 with 48 hours power reserve. The black rubber strap is “Clous de Paris” decorated and adorned with the GRAHAM and MANSORY logos.

Limited to 50 watches, the self-winding automatic chronograph developed by GRAHAM, is exclusively available from MANSORY or one of its world-wide sales partners.

Functions: Chronograph (seconds, 30 minutes counter), Date at 7 o’cloc, kHours, Minutes, seconds
Calibre: Calibre G1734, automatic bi-compax chronograph, 28’800 A/h (4Hz), Incabloc shock absorber, 27 jewels
Power reserve : 48 hours
Case: 47 mm steel case Steel with black PVD left hand fast-action start / stop trigger and steel reset pusher with “Clous de Paris” high grip pattern, Steel bezel with “Clous de Paris” decoration, Domed sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating on both faces, Smoked sapphire crystal case back with MANSORY logo and serial number
Water resistance: 330 feet / 100 m / 10 bar
Dial:
Black carbon dial with black snailed minutes and seconds counters
Black minute scale rim with red numerals
White MANSORY inscription at 5 o’clock
White Super-LumiNova hours and minutes hands, red chrono, minutes and seconds hands
Strap: Integrated black rubber with “Clous de Paris” decoration and GRAHAM and MANSORY logos
Limited edition of 50 Watches
Price: 8,900 € incl. German VAT

“A COMBINATION OF A TOURBILLON AND A CHRONOGRAPH MADE TO WITHSTAND EXTREME CONDITIONS WHILE WEARING A DINNER JACKET”

If the Silverstone Tourbillograph Full black were a character, no doubt it would be wearing a dinner jacket. A bespoke solid black one. Not so much that it would want to have a manicured life and sit in the best receptions, drinking champagne and smoking a cigar. Maybe partly because of its British heritage and tendency to always look smart. But most probably it would be wearing a dinner jacket to live an adventurous life, driving fast cars on and off the track. Breathing a special mixture of adrenaline and pure oxygen. Bringing body and mind to a state of hyper-consciousness. Enjoying every bit of life! Because here at GRAHAM, we think life would not be worth living without spice. Loads of it. We are risk-takers, and so are our watches.

The Silverstone Tourbillograph Full black is an automatic column-wheel chronographtourbillon. A Tourbillon. Not any Tourbillon. It is an automatic one minute Tourbillon developed in the vein of the GRAHAM DNA, with a powerful design and a rich technological content. The domed sapphire crystal offers unique full size dimensions (42 mm opening) and a see-through view on the beauty of the mechanism. The 48 components of its skeleton cage interlace in layers and has been reduced to an extreme weight of only 0.485 grams. This construction, called cintré integrates the Tourbillon into the complex chronograph movement while using a large diameter balance wheel. Made exclusively for GRAHAM by our partners Manufacture La Joux-Perret, it is the result of a 4 year R&D program leading to two patents. Altogether, the engineering knowhow has lead to doing away with the intrinsic weaknesses of tourbillons. First its fragility. The reduced number of components, lightness and double-bridge construction guarantee stability and perfect rigidity. We call it a shockproof Tourbillon. Second, the sensitiveness to magnetism is also reduced through the systematic use of iron free components in the Tourbillon cage. The Tourbillograph calibre is equipped with a high quality chronometric escapement beating at 28’800 A.

A Tourbillon. Not any Tourbillon. The Tourbillograph combines a Tourbillon and a chronograph. Not any chronograph. A column-wheel chronograph.

This movement offers at the same time the beauty of one of the best see-through Tourbillon cage
and the resistance of a military watch. How do we know? We have put it to the test. Not any test.
This movement has successfully passed the Chronofiable test, the gold standard in the watch industry. And it is to date the only automatic Tourbillon that has passed.

Aesthetically, the Silverstone Tourbillograph Full Black is a sophisticated and classy racing instrument. The 48mm thin steel case is PVD-coated with black titanium carbide. So is the bezel. Its black dial and polished rhodiated numerals play with the light. Sometime visible, sometimes invisible. One minute Dr Jekyll, Mr Hyde the next. All is a question of perspective. Like wearing a
dinner jacket to live a risky life.

Features:
Case: 48 mm steel with black PVD
Movement: Calibre G1780, automatic see-though Tourbillon column-wheel chronograph
Jewels: 34 jewels
Vph: 28’800 A/h (4Hz)
Power Reserve: 48 hours power reserve
Tourbillon cage with 48 components, 13.78 mm cage opening, weighing 0-485 grams
Crystal: Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both faces, 42 mm opening, see-through sapphire case back
Strap: Black Crocodile

Graham has partnered with the new 3D Documentry TT3D: Closer to the edge. The Isle of Man TT is a grueling set of Motorcycle road races that take place in the Isle of Man since 1907. Graham is currently the official timekeeper for the race, as shown by the photo below:

The movie is narrated by motorcycle enthusiast and movie star Jared Leto, and focuses primarily on two TT Racers, Guy Martin and Ian Hutchinson, who is a Graham Ambassador. Here’s his smiley mug:

At any rate, should be a good watch as the Isle of Man TT is a very exciting race if you are into motorcycle racing.

Graham has launched an antiqued Chronofighter dubbed the “Fortress”, and I must say that the look is very nice. I’ve owned a Chronofighter for a while, and I have to admit that the novelty has worn out a bit, but I still enjoy wearing the watch. The cases are very well crafted and the watch in general is quality made. Prices are a bit on the high side but now that they have are using what appears to be an in-house Calibre G1742 movement, prices are more justified. The strap has this awesome look to it, which Graham calls a bomber jacket brown… very appropriate.

Functions: Column wheel chronograph, Date, Time
Movement:Calibre G1742 with Incabloc shock absorber, 28 jewels, 48 hours Power Reserve
Case Diamter: 43mm
Sapphire Crystal, exhibition Sapphire Caseback
Water resistance: 100m

Download the Press Release PDF