Messages: 25918 Location: Washington, DC
Registered: November 2003
N E W M o d e l – Reuge Francastel Singing Bird Alarm Clock
Tue, 04 April 2006 13:01
Not every new release at Baselworld/SIHH is about wristwatches. Clocks and pocket watches are also displayed. From Reuge comes the first and only mechanical singing bird alarm clock, the Francastel.
The movement consists of 250 mechanical parts assembled by hand. The bird animation lasts 12 seconds. The hand-wound movement has 15 jewels and a power reserve of 8 days.
The exterior surfaces are done in pear wood, with the columns and base in polished or gold-plated aluminium. The top is in stainless steel or gold-plated steel with a brushed finish. The dial is silvered and comes with either 12 rhodium-plated or gold-plated appliqué hour-markers or 12 SuperLuminova points with faceted, diamond-set hands with SuperLuminova.
When the alarm sounds, the singing bird comes out of its nest, flaps its wings, moves its tail, opens its beak and disappears after 12 seconds. This 25 part automaton is covered with genuine bird feathers.
Other versions include exterior surfaces done in black China lacquer; burl amboyna, boxwood; covered in sanded black, blue, beige, or violet galuchat. The surfaces can also be done in enamelled silver in terracotta, saffron and snow colors.
- Jorge Merino