Pre Baselworld 2014: Introducing the Speake-Marin Magister Tourbillon

A few weeks ago we introduced two new models from Speake-Marin’s Spirit collection, the Spirit Wing Commander and the Spirit Seafire. We already told you that this is going to be one exiting year, because Speake-Marin is going to release even more exiting new watches and today we can show you his new tourbillon watch, the Magister Tourbillon.

It is immediately recognizable as a Speake-Marin watch: an eye-catching tourbillon, sculpted heat-blued hands, iconic Piccadilly case, fluted crown and finely finished movement, here featuring a platinum micro-rotor. The Magister Tourbillon comes in a 42 mm large polished titanium case and is available for CHF 65,000 (before tax). It is launched as part of the new “J Class” collection, that also comprises the Resilience and the Serpent Calendar, and another new one-handed model called Velsheda.

In the white white-lacquered dial is an aperture for the eye-catching toubillon that is framed by its stainless steel guard. The highly polished tourbillon bridge is made from Durnico maraging steel, chosen for its superior strength.

The tourbillon has played an important role in the story of Speake-Marin. The first timepiece ever to bear the Speake-Marin name was the Foundation Watch, a hand-made pocket watch which Peter Speake-Marin equipped with a tourbillon escapement. The watchmaker’s topping tool wheel motif in the Speake-Marin logo, which first appeared in the tourbillon cage of the Foundation Watch, can also be seen in the tourbillon cage of the Magister Tourbillon.

“The tourbillon is one of the things that I love most about watchmaking,” he says. “Not because of the precision it gives to the timekeeping, but because of the animation it gives to the dial. It shows time moving in a way that a minute-repeater or a grande sonnerie, for example, won’t offer. It’s something which, for me, is extremely profound.”

Of the topping tool wheel design for the tourbillon cage, Peter adds: “I have always been attracted to the topping tool because of its form. You use a tool to make a component, you make a timepiece, and the timepiece is a dream turned into reality. The topping tool motif is very much at the root of everything I do: It is the tool which gives me the means to realise my dream.”

The SM3 movement is equipped with a platinum winding mass, which is placed on top of the offset mainspring barrel! The platinum micro-rotor in this position is rather unusual, however aesthetic it works great and the rotor will never overlap the beautiful tourbillon!

Some specifications

• Case: Piccadilly case in polished, grade 5 titanium, 42 mm in diameter, 11.30 mm in height,
  front and display-back sapphire crystals treated with anti-reflective coating, water resistant to 30m/100ft (3 ATM)
• Movement: calibre SM3, rhodium-finished German silver bridges, Glucydur balance, 950 platinum micro-rotor, single barrel delivering 72 hours of autonomy, 21,600vph (3Hz), 25 jewels, 4N gold-plated bridge engravings
• Strap: hand-made, natural alligator strap with titanium pin buckle
• Price: CHF 65,000 (before tax)

More info: www.speake-marin.com