The new Piaget calibre 700P was developed to mark the 40th anniversary of Piaget’s first quartz movement – the extra-thin 7P introduced in 1976. Yesterday I saw the new timepiece, the Emperador Coussin XL 700P, in Geneva …
In revealing an unprecedented calibre representing a smart alliance between mechanical and quartz-driven movement, the Emperador Coussin XL 700 unites these two historical fields of expertise in a contemporary creation that deserves closer attention.
The first good news is, that there is no battery in Piaget’s new replica watch! Its calibre 700P is based on a traditional mechanical movement. The barrel, which is wound by an off-centred mini-rotor – or if necessary by hand -, drives a conventional gear train.
Piaget calibre 700 P
Piaget calibre 700 P
The ingenious solution is how this continuous force now is accurately regulated: Piaget´s developers directed by Eric Klein, the long-term principal of movement strategy, replaced the traditional sprung balance with a miniature generator which, as it rotates, produces an electric current that supplies energy to a quartz.
Piaget calibre 700P – the miniature generator
Instead of directly driving the hands, this quartz is a very precise timing package, which ensures the generator to rotate at precisely 5.33 turns/second, a frequency close to 4 Hz.
Piaget calibre 700P – the little, smart brain. SWISS MADE!
Piaget calibre 700P – the little, smart brain. SWISS MADE!
So in the new Emperador Coussin XL 700P the generator takes the place of the oscillator. The rotor is directly connected to the going train and rotates at the required frequency to give the time. Were it to accelerate, the quartz regulator alerts a processor and the movement is slowed.
“This is a very reliable system,” confirms Eric Klein, “it is unaffected by magnetic fields and highly shock-resistant. Furthermore, it has a chronometric performance of one second a day. It took us two years to research and develop, with ten patents pending.”
The new Piaget calibre 700P
The new Piaget calibre 700P
The new Piaget calibre 700P
The new Piaget calibre 700P
With the Piaget Emperador Coussin XL 700P the Manufacture pays tribute to another form of horological expertise that is part of its creativity for the past 40 years: the development and production of Piaget quartz movements:
This range of proprietary calibres was born in 1976 with the Piaget calibre 7P, which was entirely developed and produced in-house. Amid the quartz revolution and in the wake of the first Swiss achievements in which Piaget played a part (including in 1970 with the famous Bêta 21, developed by the Centre Electronique Horloger in Neuchâtel), Piaget once again demonstrated its replica watchmaking know-how and its capacity for innovation by creating its own movement.
Did you know, that the latter was at the time the thinnest in the world at just 3.1 mm thick?
Ever since, Piaget has regularly added new calibres to this range of high-performance quartz movements powering most of its ladies’ and jewellery replica watch models.
Eric Klein discussed the development with me …
Eric Klein, Piaget´s long-term principal of movement strategy
“Alexander, the principle behind a hybrid movement such as this is nothing new. Invented in 1967 at the Centre Electronique Horloger in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and brought to market by Japanese brand Seiko in 1969, the quartz movement uses the mineral’s piezoelectric properties to divide time into fractions. When a wafer of quartz is placed under tension, its geometric crystal structure vibrates at a constant rate of 32,768 times a second. A battery-powered integrated circuit maintains these vibrations and sends electrical impulses that drive the seconds hand. Our new calibre 700P however builds on an original concept that was registered by Jean-Claude Berney in 1972. The highly talented engineer with Ebauches SA had been researching a means of doing away with batteries which, as well as being much larger than they are today, had a limited lifespan. But Berney’s invention was never brought to market. Seiko, meanwhile, was trying to work its way around the same problems, although it was 20 years before the Japanese manufacturer was ready to commercialize its Kinetic replica watch. An oscillating weight set in motion by the wearer’s movements is coupled to a rotor. This rotor, which is suspended with magnetic levitation, spins 100,000 times a minute. The energy thus produced travels through an integrated circuit to charge a super-capacitor, which replaces the battery. Following successive improvements, Seiko implemented its new technology on an automatic movement. Finally launched in 2005, the Seiko Spring Drive system bears a striking similarity to the new Piaget 700P calibre.”
This is the replica watch:
Piaget Emperador Coussin XL 700P
Piaget Emperador Coussin XL 700P
Piaget Emperador Coussin XL 700P
Piaget Emperador Coussin XL 700P on my wrist
Three little remarks from my side:
- Piaget should use a thermo-compensated quartz. The latter would push accuracy to less than 10 seconds per year (yes, year!).
- Piaget should try to open up the generator much more to show the owner more of this fascinating and smart technology. In the first edition you barely see anything, when you look at the device.
Let me show you two short videos to underline what I mean:
3. Piaget should add a seconds hand so the owner of the replica watch can check the accuracy at any time.
The technical features of the new Piaget Emperador Coussin XL …
46.5 mm
Case in 18-carat white gold
Small sapphire case-back
Black ADLC coated bezel
Generator and micro-rotor underlined with polished white gold
Silvered indexes
1st Piaget hybrid movement entirely conceived and manufactured in Switzerland: Self-winding calibre with a quartz generator
Manufacture Piaget 700P black coated ultra-thin self- winding mechanical movement.
Functions: hours and minutes, power reserve indicator
Power reserve: approx. 42h
Thickness: 5.5 mm (movement)
Frequency: 32’768 Hz
Diameter: 34.9 mm (15”’ 1/2)
Number of jewels: 32
Parts: 298
Finishing: Circular côte de Genève, circular-grained mainplate, bevelled bridges, engraved oscillating weight with Piaget coat-of-arms, silvered screws.
Black alligator leather strap + 18 carat white gold folding clasp
Limited edition of 118 pieces
Price: 70.000 Swiss Franc without taxes
