THE
Discover the parallel universe of doppelgänger
THE ORIGIN OF TIME and space in a watch
Double Orbital Indicators move like celestial bodies, orbiting a central dial unit in a three-dimensional ecliptic. Their surene, quiet movement is controlled by a flying Tourbillon and a Random Impulse Controller.
The Double Orbital Indicators display the time in ascending order: The wide Orbital Indicator shows the hour and the fine Orbital Indicator the minutes. The hours are read in the centre scale of the Indication Unit, the minutes on the side scales. These scales are non-linear near the event horizons, i.e. at the rising and setting of the Orbital Indicators. On its orbit, the minute Indicator passes above the hour Indicator. Four invisible steel micro-chains control these different orbital planes and the different speeds of the two pairs of Double Orbital Indicators. One Indicator is visible while its Doppelgänger orbits the dark side of the Indication Unit. Only when reaching the event horizon, the setting and the rising Doppelgänger are both visible for a short moment. This is made possible by a DOPPELGÄNGER patent.
Double Orbital Indicators move like celestial bodies, orbiting a central dial unit in a three-dimensional ecliptic. Their surene, quiet movement is controlled by a flying Tourbillon and a Random Impulse Controller.
Double Orbital Indicators display the time on the Indication Unit in ascending order: The wide Orbital Indicator shows the hour and the fine Orbital Indicator the minutes. The hours are read in the centre scale of the Indication Unit, the minutes on the side scales. These scales are non-linear near the event horizons, i.e. at the rising and setting of the Orbital Indicators. On its orbit, the minute Indicator passes above the hour Indicator. Four invisible steel micro-belts control these different orbital planes and the different speeds of the two pairs of Double Orbital Indicators. One Indicator is visible while its Doppelgänger orbits the dark side of the Indication Unit. Only when reaching the event horizon, the setting and the rising Doppelgänger are both visible for a short moment. This is made possible by a DOPPELGÄNGER patent.
Double Orbital Indicators move like celestial bodies, orbiting a central dial unit in a three-dimensional ecliptic. Their surene, quiet movement is controlled by a flying Tourbillon and a Random Impulse Controller.
Double Orbital Indicators display the time on the Indication Unit in ascending order: The wide Orbital Indicator shows the hour and the fine Orbital Indicator the minutes. The hours are read in the centre scale of the Indication Unit, the minutes on the side scales. These scales are non-linear near the event horizons, i.e. at the rising and setting of the Orbital Indicators. On its orbit, the minute Indicator passes above the hour Indicator. Four invisible steel micro-belts control these different orbital planes and the different speeds of the two pairs of Double Orbital Indicators. One Indicator is visible while its Doppelgänger orbits the dark side of the Indication Unit. Only when reaching the event horizon, the setting and the rising Doppelgänger are both visible for a short moment. This is made possible by a DOPPELGÄNGER patent.
The one-minute Tourbillon of the NGC-42 is a flying Tourbillon, mounted on the main plate without a bridge and protected by two Incabloc™ shock absorbers. The NGC-42 Tourbillon is made of 53 parts and the whole cage including the balance still weighs only 0.47 grams. Its extra-flat construction has a total hight of only 4mm.
The Tourbillon delivers the precise time through a movable gear wheel to the Random Impulse Controller. When this gear wheel has moved to the end of its sector, it releases power from the mainsprings and allows the Orbital Indicators to move forward, until it swings back. The Random Impulse Controller in this way allows the Indication Unit it to catch up with the Tourbillon, but never to outpace it. How long this process takes depends on the position of the Indicators and the energy stored in the mainsprings. Consequently, the Orbital Indicators move at different intervals, but still keep precise time. This creates the fascinating effect that the exact time is produced by an irregular and seemingly random process. The Random Impulse Controller is a unique construction, a mechanism exclusive to the NGC-42.
Near the Event horizon, time and space become relative to each other, compressed even. The nature of space and time in its purest form. Once an indicator passes the event horizon, it slowly and mysteriously disappears. This phenomenon is happening once every hour for the minute indicators and once every 12 hours for all indicators simulatneously. Hence for a split second, the watch is practically empty of any indication. No time, only space. For a moment, time seems to come to a halt. We call this the eternal now.
THE BASE UNIT houses four of the five large main turbine-like barrels of the NGC-42: Three barrels are driving the Indication Unit. The fourth barrel drives the Tourbillon, together with the fifth barrel in the Core Unit. This ample power supply provides a reserve of 72 hours.
THE INDICATION UNIT contains the micro chain drive with its four stainless steel micro-chains on which the two pairs of Double Orbital Indicators are mounted and the mechanism for driving and tensioning the micro chains with their gear wheels and bearings. All four micro chains together consist of 600 parts. The central hour scales are mounted on the Indication Unit, below the Double Orbital Indicators. By contrast, the two scales for the minutes above the Double Orbital Indicators are part of the réhaut or flange. Each micro-chain consists of 150 parts.
THE CORE UNIT consists of the movement of the NGC-42 and the winding and time setting mechanism. Prominently visible are the Tourbillon and the Random Impulse Controller: The Tourbillon acts as the time generator. Taking the time from the Tourbillon, the Random Impulse Controller releases the power from the three main spring barrels to move the Indication Unit. The release times vary depending on the power in the barrels and the position of the indicators and are therefore seemingly random.
The Double Orbital Indicators are filled with the luminous material Swiss Super-Luminova™ GL X1 for perfect night readability. The hour and minute scales are also made of the same non-radioactive material, which has an intensive and long afterglow. For perfect readability, the luminous bars of the Double Orbital Indicators have different widths and, adapted to the photoluminescent scales, also different lengths.
The Exosphere Case is designed and engineered to simultaneously protect the complex movement of the NGC-42 and to put the orbital movements of the indicators on display. With its fusion of organic and technological elements, it is reminiscent of an object travelling the galaxy. The Exosphere Case is a bold statement and yet fitting comfortably on the wrist. The anti-reflective coated sapphire crystal follows the curved orbit of the indicators for perfect observation of the event horizons on the very edges of the indication unit. The crown avoids sharp edges and makes winding the NGC-42 a pleasure.
Inspired by the almost imperceptible but constant movement of the celestial bodies, our source of time, and following the tradition of the haute horlogerie, DOPPELGÄNGER of Salzburg/Austria, creates fine timepieces manufactured in Switzerland for people with a different look at time.
