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Independents in Basel 2008: BLU - Bernard Lederer Universe

By: DonCorson (registered) Friday, April 11th, 2008 - Photo Nav: View All 11 photo(s)

BLU is showing 5 new models at Baselworld 2008 this is Bernard with some of them.



The BLU Aventurine with an aventurine glass dial



The BLU Terzett  Suspended Hours



The BLU Quartett Backwind with retrograde minutes.  Bernard places great importance on the fact that his retrograde watches are the only ones on the market, to his knowledge, that allow setting both forwards and backwards.  If you think about the mechanism a little you will realize why this is remarkable.
With a close look at the pictures you will see that the minute hand follows the arc of the curved glass and is not in the same plane as the dial.  An indication of times being the 4th dimension.


 



The BLU Open Planet shows the mechanism of the signature BLU watch face for all to see.  The toothforms of the gears are true epicycloids following best watchmaking tradition.  These tooth forms are now rarely used as they require very high tolerances especially in the distances between the axles of the wheels.  Even very small errors will reduce their efficiency to a large extent.  The evolution toward the more error tolerant , but ugly, involute toothforms was forced by the industrialization and the necessity to reduce waste in the watch industry.  An inaccurately drilled bridge or plate has to head to the waste bin.




The flagship of the BLU line is the MT3 half flying tourbillon.






Of all the tourbillon types the half flying has the lowest cage mass.  Thus much more of the mainsprings energy can be used for maintaining a high amplitude of the balance, less is needed to turn the cage.
This movement is made entirely in the BLU workshop.  The only parts coming from out of house are: the glasses, the jewels, the mainspring and the hairspring.