PURNELL Presents Its New Escape II Absolute Sapphire

PURNELL - ESCAPE II ABSOLUTE SAPPHIRE

• The World’s first Double triple axis tourbillon in a full sapphire case with movement bridges and dial in sapphire.
• The world’s fastest triple axis tourbillon called “Spherion” each outer cage set with 152 brilliant-cut diamonds.
  

Absolute: the Art of emptiness.

That is the spirit of the Escape II Absolute Sapphire. Transparency in its purest form, highlighting the very best of what Purnell creates: pure, Swiss made craftsmanship and the world’s fastest double triple-axis tourbillon movement. What you don’t see here is what matters. The case, dial, power-reserve, hour geartrain and dial bridges are made of transparent sapphire, revealing the skillfully constructed six barrels powering the diamond-set double Spherion movement. Laid bare, with nothing to hide.

Escape II Absolute Sapphire, 48mm diameter full Sapphire case, Sapphire dial and applied blue baguette sapphires hour indexes; translucid rubber strap.

CP03 caliber with diamond-set Spherions, 32 hours power reserve and 32 N mm torque.

Limited edition: Unique piece

Maurizio Mazzocchi Purnell CEO states: “After several years of R&D I am delighted to present a full sapphire Escape II collection which enhances the caliber’s weightless appearance and mesmerizing Spherion motion at its best. A collection of unique pieces with other color tinted sapphire will follow this year such as: pink, green and blue. I am looking forward to personally presenting you this collection digitally during Watches & Wonders 2021 – see you on screen!”

PURNELL ESCAPE II ABSOLUTE SAPPHIRE – SAPPHIRE MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS

100% Swiss made sapphire: case, 3 movement bridges, dial & top crystal sapphire

- 1 monobloc case

- 1 monobloc caseback

- 1 monobloc domed top crystal sapphire with an 90° angle at 6 o’clock

3 sapphires raw block units are necessary – the machining process consumes 80% of their original mass. Grown under 2,050° Celsius – the sapphire resists temperatures up to 1,000° Celsius and is scratch-proof, except by diamond (Sapphire hardness: 2035 Vickers or 9/10 Mohs’ scale).

The flawless sapphire transparency guaranteed by Purnell Swiss partner Novo Cristal located in La Chaux-de-Fonds is achieved by the use of the highest purity oxide aluminum crystals and by the diamond granulometry grade used in the polishing process. A polishing process which reaches in its last steps an extremely fine diamond granulometry grade.

In total, the machining and polishing process require 150 hours excluding the development and machine programming and sapphire bloc unit growth.

- WATCHMAKING COOLTURE -

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

MOVEMENT

- Mechanical Hand Winding Caliber CP03

- Double Spherion with Diamond Set Cages – the World’s Fastest Double Triple Axis Tourbillon; called “Spherion” by its inventor, the genius Master watchmaker Eric Coudray (winner of the watchmaking Gaïa Prize in 2012)

- Functions: Hour, Minute and Power Reserve Indication via an Ingenious Suspended Mobile Cone Mainspring Sensor

- Number of Components: 386

- Number of Jewels: 67

- Power Reserve: 32 hours

- 6 Mainsprings Assembled in 4 barrels Aligned in Parallel (Four are Superimposed within Two Barrels). 2 Visible Barrel Covers Engraved.

- Balance Frequency: 3Hz / 21,600 bph

- Torque: 32 newtons / mm

- Movement Dimensions: 37.5 mm x 13.3 mm

- Movement Weight: 15.7 grams

- Adjusted to all positions

- Sapphire bridges: sapphire Power reserve bridge, sapphire hour geartrain bridge, sapphire dial bridge

- High-Velocity Spherion Cages Performance based on a Potter escapement re-visited by Eric Coudray. Both Cages are Revolving in the Opposite Direction Thanks to its Differential System.

- Fastest Triple-Axis Tourbillon with Rotation in:

     ⇒ 8 Seconds Inner Cage

     ⇒ 16 Seconds Secondary Cage

     ⇒ 30 Seconds Outer Cage

- Spherion Weight: 0.831 grams

- Material: Blued Titanium

- Setting: 304 brilliant-cut Diamonds in total

- Shock Protection: 8 Incabloc

DIAL & HANDS

- Dial: Sapphire dial set with 11 Blue Sapphire baguette applied indexes, totaling 1.04 carats; Gunned Blue Finished Hands

CASE

- Material: Sapphire

- Dimensions: 48mm

- Water Resistance: 3 ATM

- Monobloc Sapphire Crystal

STRAP & BUCKLE

- Natural translucid Rubber

- Buckle: Grade 5 Titanium ardillon buckle

ABOUT PURNELL

Known to only produce tourbillon movements, the Swiss watchmaker Purnell is inspired by performance, precision and mechanical prowess, doubling down on its philosophy of bringing more future than past to watchmaking. In just a year since the brand’s introduction at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2020, Purnell has made its mark on the landscape of contemporary high watchmaking, not only with its unmistakable Spherion but also with a manufacturing process integrated locally in the Vallée de Joux all the way to the brand’s new headquarters on Rue du Rhône in Geneva, which includes a refined showroom to welcome clients.
www.purnellwatches.com