Horological Meandering

MTF
[PuristS]
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Concord C1 Launch - "A Disruptive Force" (Press Photos)

Time. Reconstructed.

Concord has made a drastic 'reconstruction' in terms of innovation and creativity towards a new identity that moves away from its roots. In a previous Interview and Basel 2007 Report, CEO Vincent Perriard spoke with PuristS to hint at things to come.

Basel 2007 Early C1 Sightings and PuristS Opinion: click here

Interview with Concord CEO Vincent Perriard and Early Ladies' C1 Photos: click here

Today, those hints have come to pass with the launch of the C1 family of watches; 11 references in all.

With the family backing of MGI Luxury Group as its driving force, the brand has embarked on a bold repositioning strategy that breaks with its past. The new mantra is "Disruption" with its ambitions of asserting its legitimacy in the high-end watch sector and sweeping away watchmaking conformism.

Forget your memories and watch history books....Concord brings an avant-garde vision of watch construction, nay -- reconstruction.

The watch has been laid bare and completely stripped down so that each of its parts could be re-thought. Concord is reconstructing time, clearly placing its extraordinary creations in, and for -- the 21st century.

The new timepieces offer complex case constructions and displays. The multi-layer dials set a new benchmark for dialmakers, especially the ones working for Concord.

After its many successes in the first part of the 20th century as an appointed supplier to the most prestigious jewelers in Europe and the United States, in 1979 the brand wrote a new chapter in watchmaking history with the advent of the Delirium, the slimmest analog-display quartz watch ever made.

In 2007, their unconventional and resolutely forward-looking creativity has been paved by an initial creation, C1, which is emblematic and radical in many ways and represents Concord’s new profile. 

For the horological historian, elements of the old Saratoga models can be perceived but for the uninitiated, the "disruptive design" is all that you need to know.....to feel.....to embrace.

C1 COSC-Certified Chronograph

The COSC-certified Concord C1 Chronograph marks the launch of a truly new construction born of an unusual concept, drawn from advanced technological research and innovation.

This powerful timepiece asserts its personality through an "ambitious" watch case 44 mm in diameter and 16.7 mm thick – a study in 'engineered chunkiness' at its best.

Assembled to absorb and dampen blows and jarring, 53 components make up a case, water-resistant to a pressure of 20 ATM. A rubber-coated protective metal ring featuring eight decorative tabs that extend over the bezel, is fitted over the middle case and  secured by seven self-blocking side screws.

The system protects a 3.3. mm-thick anti-reflective sapphire crystal that seems to emerge from the case. The setting crown is composed of steel, rubber and composite materials, interlocked for greater compactness and resistance. A raised C1 logo on the rubber end-piece adds a final touch to the design.

The clear case back reveals the watch’s self-winding movement, which runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers 48 hours of power reserve. Finished in black rhodium for dramatic contrast, the oscillating weight has a cut-out of the C1 logo silhouetted through a ribbed Côtes de Genève decorative pattern.

Made of carbon fiber and finely milled metal, the dial is a complexed, multi-level creation designed to accentuate visual depth and perspective. Enhanced with black trim and luminescent material, the hour and minute hands sweep over a dial, rimmed with hollowed-out markers filled with a luminescent compound.

As the hands’ asymmetrical cut-outs create a play of forces on the center axis, fitting and poising them requires exceptionally deft hands. At 9 o’clock, the ingeniously engineered running seconds subdial features a rotating disk barely 0.1 mm thick. At 3 o’clock, the date seems to fade in-and-out of the dial aperture. The 30-minute and 12-hour counters are positioned at 12 and at 6 o’clock respectively. Finally, the first quarter of the minute circle is color-matched to the sweep seconds hand’s vibrant Concord blue colour.

With its velvety matte finish, the C1’s vulcanized rubber strap features titanium end-pieces that secure it to the case by two pairs of self-blocking screws. Devoid of case lugs, a world-first in chronograph design, the C1’s strap-to-case attachments ensure a comfortable wrist-hugging fit.

Custom-made for Concord, the strap’s double deployment clasp features the brand’s engraved logo. The C1 chronograph is alternately offered equipped with a stainless steel bracelet connected to the case by an original articulated link system.

The C1 owes its instant visual appeal to the play of light on its volumes and textures. Brush- or satin-finished and gloss-polished surfaces along with chamfered angles and edges demonstrate the designers’ inspired sense of style. Each and every element is finished and decorated as part of a harmoniously balanced composition : brush-finished flange and bezel, vertically satin-finished middle case, shot-blasted case-back and hands, snail pattern and Côtes de Genève ribbing on the rotor, mirror-polished screw heads and clasp -- each a unique styling touch, collectively giving an outstanding timepiece its exceptional character.

C1 Pure
The Concord Personality

Concord say:

"Following the C1 Chronograph launch, Concord is putting out a new variation in monochrome white. This watch has a new, powerful temperament, an assured presence and is ready for anything, like the active, decisive men and women able to control things and take charge of time in much the same way as mechanical watchmaking.

The C1 Pure, made for personalities who know how to manage time or even keep one step ahead of it, so as to make it fit their lifestyle, accurately embodies the 21st century. The shape and performance of the watch reflect this energy. Its contemporary unisex silhouette is a trend setter rather than a trend follower, like men and women driven by a passion. Its unmatched performance fits in with their ability to take on multiple roles, to juggle responsibilities every day, and to diversify their aspirations. Its bold dimensions, a symbol of this independence and eclecticism, firmly anchor the new C1 in this new century."

So, there you have it -- the watch for ladies, metrosexual guys and even 'comfortable' self-assured men

A COSC-certified chronometer in the C1 Pure, like it's Darker Sibling, sits in a case measuring 44 mm in diameter and 16.7 mm thick. The watch hugs the slimmest of wrists thanks to its unique attachment system without case lugs, which ensures that it drapes exceptionally well and fits perfectly. The diamonds set into the bezel and case middle add sparkle to a brilliant Pure White canvas.

The secret lies in the strap attachment beig directly and vertically aligned with the case side. This gives a snug fit and compact profile despite the seemingly big case. The current Mrs MTF has already mixed-and-matched the black and white possibilities for joint colour coordination his-n-hers outfits!

Water-resistant to 20 atmospheres, the steel case is circled by a protective metal ring covered with white rubber, fitted on the case middle. The ring is attached by self-blocking side screws and features eight tabs that extend over the bezel. The system protects an impressive, 3.3. mm-thick anti-reflective sapphire crystal that seems to emerge from the case. The winding-crown is made of steel, composite materials and rubber, consisting of seven interlocking parts to provide extra strength.

The dial is equally daring in its workmanship and monochrome design. It also combines Concord’s superior quality requirements and constant quest for high performance. The structure of its white garb, which looks like fiberglass, presents time with sophistication and panache. Its layered construction, which plays with light and relief, accentuates its perspective and readability, emphasizing even the smallest element of time measurement.

The luminescent hour and minute hands feature taut, spirited lines. With their asymmetrical cutouts, they exert significant force on the central winding shaft, involving complex and sophisticated design work. The running seconds subdial at 9 o’clock, a constantly rotating disk, is another exercise in style and complex development research. Across the dial at 3 o’clock, the date seems to fade in and out of the semi-transparent dial aperture. The 30-minute and 12-hour counters are positioned at 12 and 6 o’clock. Finally, the sweep seconds hand indulges in the luxury and impertinence of Concord blue, matching the points of the running seconds subdial.

The transparent caseback reveals the 25-jewel self-winding movement oscillating at 28’8000 vph. The movement also has a 48-hour power reserve. Finished with rhodium and stamped with the C1 logo, the rotor is decorated with the ribbed Côtes de Genève pattern, in keeping with the finest Swiss watchmaking traditions. The model’s matching white vulcanized rubber strap has a velvety matte finish and is fitted with a double folding clasp.

Others in the C1 portfolio..............

C1 Big Date

In pink gold or stainless steel, this 'simple time and just date' watch makes its statement by wrapping around the wrist, surprisingly elegant despite the size and off-centred movement.

C1 GMT and C1 GMT (Red) Limited Edition

The clever tinted C-shaped transparent window in the dial and optically contrasting City Location disks allow for an alluring study in optics. Only the City Location in the cut-out window is seen in clear contrast (blue or red font) on white background. All other cities appear in monochromatic (blue or red) partial obscurity.....

C1 Bi--Retrograde Calendar

Shhhhhh.......... but the actual PuristS' technical term is......"Yum".

Finally, a real teaser for BaselShow 2008:

And the PuristS technical term here is "Rock & Rolling" or was it "Turning Blue"  

Now, I wish great-grandpa had left me his millions.....

Regards,

MTF

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added to Editor's Pick   -Anthony

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