Bernhard Lederer, inceptor of numerous breakthroughs in watchmaking and creator of extraordinary tourbillons, returns to center stage with a new collection entitled 'Tribute to the Masters of Escapements,' a limited series of precision chronometers designed and developed to honor those who set true milestones in the advancement of an horological invention that remains as crucial and fascinating as ever.
After years of research, the watchmaker, incidentally one of the first members of the AHCI (Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants), brings to fruition the principle of the natural escapement with two 10-second constant-force mechanisms as conceived by John Harrison in 1756.
A journey completed
Drawing on nearly 40 years of experience and the resources of his workshop in St Blaise near Neuchâtel, in the cradle of Swiss watchmaking, Bernhard Lederer completed the work on the natural escapement initiated by George Daniels, who himself had taken over where Breguet left off. The Central Impulse Chronometer escapement is the ultimate, reliable and stable embodiment of the mechanical movement's counting and regulating system designed by the English watchmaker. It is composed of two escapement wheels operating in alternation and connected to an anchor that is absolutely one of a kind. Its profile, rubies, angles of lift, even the way it comes into contact with all the components it guides, make this an exceptional creation. Not least because the contacts are so light and gentle that the escapement is remarkably quiet, whilst emitting a unique sound every 5 seconds each time one of the two alternating constant force remontoires springs into action.
Bernhard Lederer, the discreet watchmaker
Little known to the general public, a man operating in the background, at home in his workshop, Bernhard Lederer is a German watchmaker born in 1958 and largely self-taught. He had been working in the field of floor clocks, monumental clocks and wristwatches since well before the end of his apprenticeship as a watchmaker. Without ever having learned under a great master, without a technical mentor as such, he developed a culture of quality, driven by what can only be called a true inner fire for watchmaking. It was on his 16th birthday, when his grandfather bestowed him his prized pocket watch, that his interest was kindled, only to be forged into an unbreakable intellectual and emotional bond that would never falter.
The result of several years of intense reflection and work, the Central Impulse Chronometer is a testament to Bernhard Lederer's sincere admiration for George Daniels, reflected in a scrupulous respect for the master watchmaker's approach.
Technical Specifications:
The case, in 18kt white or rose gold, measures 44mm x 12.2mm. It has double AR-coated sapphire crystals and it is water resistant to 30 meters.
Movement is the Swiss manual-wind Bernhard Lederer in-house caliber 9012 with 44 jewels, 21,600 vph and a power reserve of 38 hours. It features double barrels, two independent gear trains, two constant-force remontoires and a natural escapement with central impulses. Satin shot-blasted finish. Bridges diamond-beveled and drawn out. Functions are: hours, minutes, and small seconds at 8 o'clock.
Dial options include a solid dial, silvered opaline, or an openworked dial, slate grey sunburst. SuperLuminova hands. On the white gold version, the skeletonized remontoire, gear train, escapement and balance wheel bridges featuring slender geometrical shapes are all visible dial-side. Large-diameter, circular-finished small seconds subdial at 8 o'clock.
It comes on a black or brwon satin alligator leather strap with an 18kt rose or white gold pin buckle.
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