After five years of intensive research and development secured by several patents, Angelus now presents the U30 Tourbillon Rattrapante. Built like a supercar, the new watch unites three coveted “haute horlogerie” complications in a contemporary, three-dimensional form that is unlike any other: the tourbillon, fly-back double column wheel chronograph and rattrapante (split-seconds), while also boasting automatic winding with a power reserve display. However technically complicated that combination is, it is the movement’s contemporary architecture and three-dimensional design that make the Angelus Tourbillon Rattrapante truly unique.
Angelus U30 Tourbillon Rattrapante
All of these complications have been re-engineered based on structural optimization and skeletonized to reveal as much of the movement as possible on the dial side, all while ensuring maximum legibility of the time and chronograph functions. The skeleton bridges alone allow the display of no fewer than 15 different wheels dial side!
The movement hosts a number of complications – all fully integrated rather than modular add-ons – that are built on several layers, all visible thanks to the skeletonized bridges that create a form evoking the “A” of Angelus. To further increase the impression of depth, the movement is fully transparent around the tourbillon and treated in various shades of black and grey.
Angelus U30 Tourbillon Rattrapante
The hour and minute hands are mounted in the center, to its right is the 30-minute counter sub-dial for the chronograph, and just below it at 4 o’clock is the visible column wheel for the split-seconds, also known as rattrapante functionality of the chronograph. The power reserve indicator, with visible gears and wheels, is positioned at 8 o’clock directly integrated onto the skeletonized bridge: a green sector indicates ideal torque while red highlights that it’s time to wind the watch. In the upper left quarter of the circular movement is the one-minute tourbillon. It operates at 4 Hz / 28,800 vph, a perfect fit for the watch’s character and is highly visible through the large open space around it, and the heavily skeletonized bridge above it.
The rattrapante means that there are two central chronograph seconds hands that are always started together but, at the press of the button in the crown, they can be separated so that the bottom one stops to mark the split time, while the top one keeps on tracking the timed period.
Angelus U30 Tourbillon Rattrapante
Finally, whereas the majority of chronographs operate in the sequence push-to-start, push-to-stop, and push-to-reset, the Angelus U30 Tourbillon Rattrapante is a flyback chronograph, which means that the timing operation can be directly reset and restart without having to be stopped first. The fly-back function is very useful as it allows instant restarting of the chronograph with one push of the button instead of the three pushes necessary for standard chronographs.
The Angelus U30 is limited edition of 25 pieces with the price of a competitive $59,950 – considering the fact that many comparably complicated tourbillon watches come with six-figure price tags.
