UN COUP D'ÉPÉE DANS L'OEIL : une pendulette à élytres déployables (Orb) @MB&F @CULTUREMONTRES

(english below) • Avez-vous pensé à vous abonner, à commenter et à "liker" (le pouce en l'air) ? • Have you thought about subscribing, commenting and "liking" (thumbs up)? •••• MB&F : L’œil qui sonne le temps… Une boule ? Un globe ? Un vaisseau spatial ? Une fleur ? Un insecte ? Un œil ? Non, une horloge de table, un peu « Transformer » sur les bords, dont les quatre élytres se déploient pour révéler une superbe mécanique qui peut sonner les heures au passage à l’heure pleine ou, à la demande, en récapitulant toutes les heures passées : c’était très exactement le principe des anciennes « pendulettes d’officier » qui accompagnaient les conquérants du monde de la fin du XVIIIe siècle à l’avènement de la montre-bracelet. Baptisée Orb [du latin « orbis », le cercle] par l’équipe du laboratoire créatif MB&F, cette horloge de table a été développée en collaboration avec L’Épée 1839 pèse tout de même 1,9 kg pour 17 cm de hauteur et 17 cm de diamètre (24 cm et 30 cm une fois les élytres dépliées). On ne doit remonter ce globe d’aluminium laqué, d’acier et de laiton qu’une fois par semaine. On y lire l’heure dans la « pupille » de cet œil déployant, avec de bonnes vieilles aiguilles qui sont à peu près tout ce qui témoigne de la tradition horlogère dans cette horloge de table reconceptualisée. Il en sera édité cinquante exemplaires en blanc et cinquante en noir. Les nouveaux conquérants de l’économie post-moderne ont la pendulette design dont leur bureau rêvait… •••• ORB: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE (L’EPEE 1839 x MB&F) At first glance, the Orb looks like a futuristic model of an eye with its perfectly formed shiny sphere, and its dial taking the place of the iris and the pupil. But nothing is ever quite what it seems with the collaborative clocks of MB&F x L’Epée 1839. The minimalistic structure is composed of four elytra (that’s the technical word for a beetle’s protective wing covers, in case you were wondering) that not only open up, but can also swivel like a transformer to display the Orb in a variety of different positions. The shiny-white version is reminiscent of the first iPods with their lustrous curved cases, a surface that is particularly pleasing to the eye and the touch. The possibilities of displaying the ORB are multiple. Placed on its saucer so it doesn’t roll away, it can be displayed completely closed or with one, two or three opened elytra. Alternatively, opening all four elytra allows to display the clock without the saucer. Orb starts life as a solid block of aluminium that is then hollowed to create the perfect sphere. Once cut, the elytra are then coated with several layers of lacquer that are hardened in a kiln to create the brilliant finish. The four elytra are soldered to the structure with torque hinges so they can retain their angle however little or wide they are opened. When closed, the elytra are held in place with four tiny magnets on the interior of each tip to keep the shape of a perfect sphere. Powering this state-of-the-art clock is a beautiful L’Epée 1839 hour-striking movement with an eight-day power reserve. In contrast to many of the other MB&F x L’Epée clocks, the movement is not perceivable from the outside. But the perfectly formed sphere invites the viewer into the mechanical heart of the piece and the discovery of the movement. The eight-day calibre can be seen just slightly through the curved aluminium dial covered by a domed mineral glass, which has a hole in the centre to allow the setting of the time with a special key. There are two barrels, one for the time and the other for the striking of the hours, that are wound separately. The hour mechanism doesn’t just chime the passage of the hour, but indicates the actual hour, like a church clock. This function can also be repeated on demand via a button on the side of the clock, or turned on and off if required. This new hour-striking development is based on a similar mechanism used in L’Epée 1839’s historic carriage clocks. In France, these are known as “Officer’s clocks” as legend has it that when Napoleon almost lost a battle because one of his officers was late, he ordered all of his military chiefs to carry a carriage clock with them at all times.

Видео UN COUP D'ÉPÉE DANS L'OEIL : une pendulette à élytres déployables (Orb) @MB&F @CULTUREMONTRES автора Gregory Pons