Audi teamed up with Munich-based watchmaker Chronoswiss to create the Tachoscope, celebrating 100 years of Audi. The mechanical timepiece has a chronograph and tachometer function (to measure velocity) inspired by the Auto Unions that helped define the Audi adventure: the second hand's numerals are derived from the tach in the Auto Union Type C Grand Prix racer.
Also novel is the fact that the hour hand resides in the upper inset dial -- the large hands are the second hand and chronograph. The watch face is enamel and the crown is diagonally fluted like a gear, and the back cover is glass. The Tachoscope comes in two flavors: white gold and platinum. Thankfully, the back cover is glass so you can see where your €14,900 ($19,800 USD) has been spent if you plunked down for white gold, with the platinum edition setting you back €24,900 ($33,000 USD). Only 100 examples will be made, and you can read all about them in the press release after the jump.
[Source: Audi]
PRESS RELEASE
Tradition and Innovation: The Audi Centennial Timepiece
* One-of-a-kind automatic wristwatch-chronograph with tachometer
* Masterpiece of mechanical precision
* Watch's dial inspired by Auto Union racing cars
100 years of Audi. A truly special anniversary, commemorated with an exceptional chronograph: the new Audi Centennial Timepiece. It embodies the brand's incomparable values: tradition and innovation, design and precision, sophistication and perfection. A magnum opus of horology, this chronograph boasts a tachometer function as well as a unique design and a patented caliber.
This exclusive chronograph was conceived by Audi Design; our development and production partner is Chronoswiss, the Munich-based watchmaker. Audi and Chronoswiss alike devote themselves to precision and flawless quality. Moreover, both companies boast rich legacies, yet also strive for innovative excellence and pioneering solutions.
The Audi centennial timepiece-the Tachoscope-uniquely combines a regulator dial, a chronograph featuring a stopwatch operated by a single push-button, and a tachometer dial. The exception to the classic regulator principle is the offset configuration of the hour hand and the second hand, as only the minute hand is positioned in the center of the watch dial.
The chronograph hand is also centered on the Tachoscope. This layout ensures excellent readability, regardless of a watch dial's complexity. The Tachoscope's chronograph is complemented by the tachometer dial on the bezel. This dial measures velocity in kilometers or miles per hour.
As unique as the watch's design is its dial, which is made of genuine enamel. Inspired by the instrumentation of the legendary Auto Union racing car, Audi Design created customized, crystal-clear lettering for the watch's face. It is dominated by the second hand's numerals, which are reminiscent of the tachometers in the Type C Grand Prix racing car of the 1930s.
Audi Design created a crown in the shape of a gearwheel; the case exudes elegance and is well-proportioned. In the mechanical movement, the rotor-visible through the glass back cover of the case-features engraving that proclaims the years of Audi's anniversary.
Chronoswiss engineered the technology beneath the face. The interior of the Tachoscope contains the exclusive C. 125 caliber, for which Chronoswiss recently received a European patent (Number 1243984). By means of a complex mechanism, this caliber allows the chronograph to be operated via a single push-button integrated in the winding device's crown.
The limited-edition Audi Centennial Timepiece will be manufactured in platinum (CH A 1520) and white gold (CH A 1521 W). A total of just 100 units will be made: one for each year in Audi's history. Each of the 35 platinum and 65 white-gold wristwatches will be packaged in a wooden jewelry box with a black matte finish; accessories include a watchmaker's loupe and screwdriver. The price for the platinum wristwatches is € 24,900, the wristwatch in white-gold € 14.900. Information on how to order the watches contact Audi quattro GmbH on (+49 (0) 841 89 46 599) or at quattro@audi-shop.de.
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