New: Louis Moinet Impulsion – chronograph tourbillon

Louis Moinet releases their chronograph tourbillon – the Impulsion.

Press release information with commentary in italics.

New: Louis Moinet Impulsion – chronograph tourbillon

At the time of publication, we do not have the pricing for the new Louis Moinet Impulsion.

Commentary

Louis Moinet has made the unchallenged claim to be the inventor of the chronograph, and we have been impressed with their Memoris chronograph since we first reviewed it in 2016. The chronograph works are interesting as the entire mechanism is visible from the dial side, and now with this novelty sports a tourbillon, prominently displayed within a cut out of the open faced dial at 6 o’clock. The Memoris movement is also modified from a self-winding model to a manual winding one to provide sufficient space to accommodate the additional energy required for the tourbillon cage. This called for a double barrel system, and increases the power reserve to 96 hours, up from 48 hours in the regular Memoris.

The watch will be offered as 3 limited editions. With two 28 piece editions with different dials – one in a black dial with an onyx tourbillon bridge, and another in an aventurine mainplate. What is also interesting is that Louis Moinet has also chosen to further offer 3 Artist’s proof for sale as another limited edition.

An artist’s proof is often used in the context as a test print by the artist, and normally kept in their personal collection. This test is used to access how the materials and colours work together and is not part of the numbered edition. As a result, they often carry a premium over the regular numbered works if/when offered for sale. Sometimes, the final numbered editions incorporate changes or modifications from the Artist’s proofs, thus making the proofs unique, and increasing desirability. This may have been the first time we have come across Artist’s proofs, presumably made by instruction of Louis Moinet’s Creative Director Jean-Marie Schaller, being offered as a separate limited edition from a watch brand.

However, the press release photographs only show one version – in 18k rose gold with black dial and onyx tourbillon bridge. And we do not yet know how the Artist’s proofs nor the titanium version with aventurine mainplate will look like.

Release information

Story

IMPULSION

The greatest show on your wrist !

Abraham-Louis Breguet and Louis Moinet were close friends and key figures in watchmaking. The former invented the tourbillon, the latter the chronograph. Today, Les Ateliers Louis Moinet draws on a veritable wellspring of modern creativity that has succeeded in integrating these two high complications in a new mantel, one that generates strong emotions.

The project

The idea of combining a chronograph with a tourbillon is not entirely new. What does differentiate this timepiece from previous creations is its original and bold character. The first idea was to make the chronograph mechanism entirely visible on the dial side, a world premiere, in fact. The magic of a tourbillon was then added.

The result is impressive, a remarkable spectacle and a feast for the eyes. A single pusher activates the chronograph hand, which ticks away the seconds and sails over the rotating flying tourbillon, whose off-centre cage does one revolution per minute.

This creation was named IMPULSION, a word that highlights the energy that transfers life to the chronograph and the tourbillon and coalesces the two visual effects to produce a full- fledged “show” as it were.

Genesis

At the heart of the IMPULSION is the in-house Memoris calibre. It bears the Louis Moinet DNA, with its column wheel, classic horizontal clutch, and a single pusher. So, we made sure these characteristics would be maintained.

However, it is easier said than done. The movement is made up of 301 parts, many of which had to be completely designed from scratch and manufactured. Incorporating the tourbillon required significant innovations, for example, in terms of energy creation:

1) The ”volte–face” double spring barrel

To ensure sufficient energy, the automatic winding system had to be replaced by a manual double-barrel winding system. The system is called “volte-face” because the two barrels are arranged upside down in series. They release their energy at the same time, delivering a power reserve of ninety-six hours.

2) Technical and aesthetic outcome

The innovation is coupled with outstanding performance by the complex mechanisms. All in all, it produces beautiful mechanical art never seen before.

The three-dimensional architecture of the two powerful mechanisms is expressed on the wrist thanks to the high-end finishing by Louis Moinet craftsmen in collaboration with our traditional partner Concepto. The watch is assembled in our own workshops in Les Breuleux, in the Swiss Jura Mountains. It is signed Moinet, independent watchmaker.

A new case

The IMPULSION comes in a case that was custom-designed to underscore the originality of its character.

The technical and aesthetic design is unique. The heart of the case houses and protects the movement. Not surprisingly, it is made of grade 5 titanium, a material with the best strength to weight ratio. Its lightness naturally contributes to the comfort of the wearer. The case core is available in Moinet blue or intense black, which contrasts harmoniously with the frame cut in 18-carat pink gold. The hollowed-out lugs and the case middle are as much a part of the Moinet stylistic vocabulary as the quest for minimal weight.

A particularly evocative detail is the curved crystal, which reveals the power of the mechanism and optimises the reading of the chronograph indications.

As for the chronograph counters, they are disposed in such a way as to blend in smoothly and allow for rapid reading.

Limited edition

Only twenty-eight pieces of the reference LM-114.40.20 will be released by the Louis Moinet workshop in Saint-Blaise. A confidential number, which means that only twenty-eight owners will guard these treasures.

Louis Moinet Impulsion Technical Data

WATCHES
Limited editions	3 watches           Artist’s proof28 watches         Black dial | Onyx cage bridge28 watches  Aventurine mainplate
CASE
Material	18 K 5N rose gold |  Grade 5 titanium in blue, Moinet or black.
Diameter	42.50mm
MOVEMENT
Functions	Hours | Minutes | Seconds |Flying tourbillon | Chronograph with 60-seconds and minutes counter
Complication	Flying tourbillon |Mono-pusher chronograph with column wheel control
Type	Manual winding, double spring barrel
Oscillations	28,800 vibrations/hour
Jewels	36
Power reserve	96 hours
Water resistance	30 metres