Felix Baumgartner, Maximilian Büsser, Martin Frei and Serge Kriknoff have joined their forces once again to experiment with conceptual ideas and create something truly original, which is not being restrained by the traditional rules of fine watchmaking. The C3H5N3O9 Experiment ZR012 in Black
Their C3H5N3O9 platform, a horological experiment named after the molecular formula for nitroglycerine, was envisioned in the summer of 2008, but it was not until the last year when their first Experiment ZR012 was born. Their unique piece of ingenious design and supreme technical excellence was available in a limited edition of only 12 exemplars. This year, the Experiment ZR012 is back as a 12-piece limited edition in black, which is available exclusively from The Hour Glass in Singapore.
Experiment ZRO12 is inspired by the Wankel engine in which the four stages of intake, compression, combustion and exhaust take place in one rotation, rather than four separate reciprocations of a piston. Wankel’s orbital engine, prototyped back in 1957, was based on a convex-triangle rotor rotating inside an epitrochoid combustion chamber. In this engine, power generated each rotation with fewer moving parts, allowing the motor to be lighter and more reliable. Justa as Wankel was the first to use an epicyloid in an engine, C3H5N3O9 were the first to use it in a wristwatch.
Experiment ZR012 Black features Wankel-engine inspired indications. Two triangular-shaped rotors are indicating hours and minutes – hours by the lower rotor, and minutes by the smaller upper rotor - while the tips of the rotors are tracing epitrochoid curves. The watch is crafted from zirconium, which is a special kind of material, derived from the mineral named zircon. The case measures 55mm x 44mm in dimensions, while its back-side reveals the power reserve indicator. The movement is wound by a robust screw-down crown, and it runs on 39-hour power reserve.
Experiment ZR012 Black will be on display to the public for the first time at the 'Super Machines and Horological Heroes' exhibition organized by the Hour Glass, running 18-30 September in the main atrium of the Paragon Center, Singapore. For more information on pricing, ordering and availability of Experiment ZR012 Black, please contact The Hour Glass:
Joanne Chua – tel: +65-6730-1167 – [email protected]
Ryan Chua – tel: +65-6730-1112 – [email protected]
Author: Marina Milojevic
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