Leroy Chronomètre à Tourbillon: A Proverbial Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing | Quill & Pad

22.09.15 14:11Leroy Chronomètre à Tourbillon: A Proverbial Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing | Quill & Pad
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by Joshua Munchow
I see the Ferrari stopped in the other lane as I pull up to the
red light. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for, and the
poor driver in the 458 doesn’t even know what’s coming.
I roll down my window to get a better look and to catch his
attention. When he turns, I nod just perceptibly and rev my
motor ever so lightly to see if he’s up for a shot.
The driver looks at me puzzled. He laughs and shakes his
head before giving me the nod back and revving his
powerful 562 hp V8 engine, attempting to embarrass me
before it even begins. I turn my head forward before
laughing to myself, knowing that’s the last smile that will
grace his face today.
Leroy Chronomètre à Tourbillon: A
Proverbial Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing
Articles Highlights / Leroy Chronomètre à Tourbillon: A Proverbial Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing...

The reason he’s laughing is because my 1979 Volvo 240
wagon looks a little worse for wear; I even have some duct
tape holding the corner of my bumper. Oh well, in 30
seconds he’ll wish he hadn’t laughed.
The moment the light ﬂips green, I ﬂoor it. The 935 hp 2JZ-
GTE motor I swapped in for the stock inline four roars to
life. It only takes about one second for the driver of the
Ferrari to know he’s done for.
1979 Volvo 240 (photo courtesy www.momentcar.com)
Toyota 935 hp 2JZ GTE engine (photo courtesy
Wikipedia)

This exact moment was the reason I spent all those long
nights in the garage. I have created the ultimate sleeper.
Yeah, right!
This is many a young car guy’s fantasy, probably passed
down from father to son telling stories of getting schooled
by sleepers back in the day or by being the exalted guy with
the sleeper.
Strange as it may seem, there is an entire culture of the
sleeper, not just in cars, but in many aspects of life. People
who want to spend lots of time, money, and energy to
create something that looks like nothing special to the
casual observer or even the discerning fan.
Only upon close inspection, or by seeing it in action, does it
become clear that the dark horse sleeper is really an
impostor of sorts. A wolf lurks where the surmised sheep
should be.
I have made this comparison to watches before, usually in
passing, but never has one duped me as much or so utterly
surprised me as the one I want to talk about today. I have
dubbed this watch “the ultimate sleeper watch,” a name
you may agree with by the time I’m done showing it to you.
Get ready for the Leroy Chronomètre à Tourbillon.
The superficially unassuming dial of a Leroy

Not bad, right?
Now, I know you are thinking, “That seems like a nice
enough watch.” And at ﬁrst glance it is. If I saw this watch
out in the wild, on the wrist of a random passerby, I might
think the same thing. It looks nice, clean, and
straightforward. It is not imposing on the wrist or crying
out for attention. It is simply staying put, on the wrist,
being a watch.
Really, what more can a simple man ask for?
Not much, it turns out, from a majority of similarly viewed
timepieces. But this watch is diﬀerent.
This watch packs more horological splendor just in the
winding system than many do in the complete watch.
And the dial is much, much more interesting upon a
second glance, which might hint at what’s underneath.
Let’s dissect it, shall we?
Dial of goodness
It starts benignly enough with a white dial, Roman
numerals, and even a decorative pattern in the center. A
Chronomètre à Tourbillon in red gold
Leroy Chronomètre à Tourbillon in red gold with blue
oven-fired enamel dial

nice railroad chapter ring encircles the dial, while lozenge-
shaped markers are placed at each quarter hour.
But after a moment you notice the depth of the dial. That
white color is created by grand feu enamel, and the
chapter ring and numerals are created using the
champlevé enamel technique, where the shapes are carved
out of the base metal and then filled with enamel.
Already at this point, the dial is ten times more complicated
to make than pad printing on a lacquered disc.
After realizing your enamel-ous mistake, you start to see
even more depth where it wasn’t obvious before. That nice
decorative pattern in the center of the dial isn’t stamped,
nor does it comprise the much more difficult cloisonné
enamel.
No, that pattern is in fact an extremely thin sheet of 18-
karat gold, delicately pierced and suspended over an
enamel disc underneath. That disc underneath is the real
confirmation that we are dealing with something meant
exclusively for those in the know.
A close look reveals the three-dimensionality of the grand
feu champlevé enamel dial of the Leroy Chronomètre à
Tourbillon

Those elements, in fact, are akin to the Ferrari driver just
noticing the roll cage inside my Volvo wagon.
Underneath the gold screen is a disc bearing the power
reserve indicator. Nothing more than a small lozenge
pointer that rotates 300 degrees from 11 down to 1,
displaying the full range of the 75-hour power reserve.
And you wouldn’t have seen that unless you really got close
enough to appreciate the enamel anyway, so this “secret” is
for those in the know.
Oh boy, to be in the know
If you have gotten close enough to gaze at the beautiful
enamel and understand the secrets hidden within the dial,
then there is a good chance you will see and understand
the real goods – those that make you wonder what is going
to be inside the case.
Flipping over the Chronomètre à Tourbillon you ﬁnd an
unassuming hunter case back, but getting it open, again,
Leroy Chronomètre à Tourbillon in red gold

precludes a secret: a hidden button underneath the crown.
Pressing that button is analogous to flooring it at the green
light; the result throws you back and rocks your world.
What did I tell ya? It rocked my world too. Just look at the
horological wonderland hidden beneath that rather
normal-looking (though exquisite) dial; it’s just marvelous.
The movement is packed to the brim with mechanical
goodness and technical fantabulousness – which all begins
with the winding system.
Two wolf’s tooth gears mesh to take the main force of the
manual winding. These teeth were historically used to
benefit winding systems because of their inherent
strength. Wider at the base of the tooth than standard gear
teeth they can handle more force before breaking, while
the wider, open meshing of the gears reduces the chances
of a particle getting caught and jamming the system.
These gears connect to a pinion that meshes with the fusée
barrel. Oh, if you hadn’t noticed yet, this beautiful
movement has a fusée and chain for smoother torque
delivery.
Why? Because they could make a fusée and chain; you
would too if you could. The satin-finished fusée barrel
The sensational view through the display back of the
Leroy Chronomètre à Tourbillon

meets up with a polished chain threading its way to the
mainspring barrel.
But before we get there, though, we should look at a
couple of other things ﬁrst.
Serious historical detail
For starters, the level of historical detail that Leroy has put
into this watch is fantastical. Atop the fusée barrel is the
Geneva stop-works mechanism comprising a single
toothed wheel and a Geneva gear (Maltese cross). This
keeps the fusée from overwinding and breaking by limiting
the number of rotations the barrel can complete.
And holding that single toothed wheel is a tiny little brass
pin: no screws, no press ﬁt, nothing so pedestrian. No,
Leroy’s watchmakers utilize a very old technique that
creates a post with a hole through it, mounts the wheel,
and then pins it in place like a Japanese carpenter building
a wood frame temple.
Or a historical watchmaker pinning wheels onto axles. But
that second comparison is just so obvious.
Moving on, we see the spring barrel connecting to the gear
The unassuming dial belies the incredible movement
visible through the display back of the Leroy Chronomètre
à Tourbillon

train to transfer energy. Underneath the gear train, up
against the rear of the dial, you can see a large wheel
driving the power reserve disc directly from the mainspring
barrel.
Before you make it through the gear train you run into
another very old and yet very new element: deadbeat
seconds.
Old becomes new
It may surprise some readers to know that the deadbeat
seconds mechanism is very old, and that it used to be
highly desired in mechanical timepieces because it showed
a clear demarcation of the seconds. Not to mention the
fact that it allowed the more accurate (to the second)
syncing of clocks and watches.
The regular use of deadbeat seconds lasted well into the
twentieth century before electronic and quartz technology
made the much sought-after dead seconds passé.
Watchmakers now generally stick to sweeping second
hands to ensure that it can be easily discerned that the
timepiece is mechanical.
Those not in the know might think that the second hand
jumping once per second is a clear indication that the
Leroy Chronomètre à Tourbillon in red gold

watch is quartz (but we know that it is the perfect
camouflage for a sleeper). People who might care will
eventually find out, but anybody just passing by will never
notice that this watch packs an astonishing watchmaking
pedigree.
If this were where the story ended, the Leroy Chronomètre
à Tourbillon would stand as a major player on the
watchmaking stage.
But it isn’t where the story ends, and it gets even better as
we continue.
Where the gear train meets the escapement we find a
double direct-impulse escapement, designed in the same
vein as the historical Duplex escapement. The impulse
pallets are made with synthetic diamond (instead of
synthetic ruby) for reduced friction and increased wear
resistance. This direct impulse allows for a much more
precise regulator, which, in this case, also has its own bells
and whistles.
The balance, performing its oscillations within a one-
minute tourbillon, is designed to be self-compensating for
temperature variation in the balance and the hairspring.
The hairspring plays its own role: it boasts a double
terminal curve, one inner and one outer, the outer being a
Breguet overcoil.
The purpose of these two terminal curves is to allow the
balance spring to expand and contract equally while the
balance is rotating, keeping the spring more concentric and
aiding in consistent period regulation.

A little bling with that, sir?
After all of this, how could it possible get any better? Well
how about with a little bling?
Functional bling, of course.
Fourteen of the 56 jewels are diamond instead of ruby,
lending the movement an almost ghostly appeal and
making it seem like it could have been transported through
the ages as an apparition that will disappear once you look
away.
But it won’t, because it’s awesome.
There is probably a book full of information that I could
touch on about this watch and its fine finishing and
ingeniously complicated – what other elements contribute
to making this the ultimate sleeper watch. But I want you
to dig into it yourself a bit as well, find out more and gaze
at the majesty that is Caliber L100.
View through the display back of the Leroy Chronomètre
à Tourbillon

There is only one problem with this watch: it unfortunately
wasn’t selected in the tourbillon category for the Grand
Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève as a finalist.
What a shame: I would have chosen it as a winner, no
question. And there are tons of awesome tourbillons in
that category. That tells you how awesome this watch is.
As you probably have realized, this watch is definitely more
than first impressions. It’s awesomazing. Even more than
the 935 hp 2JZ-GTE engine in my imaginary 1979 Volvo 240
wagon.
A breakdown…yeah, let’s do one of those!
Wowza Factor * 9.9999999 The only darn reason it isn’t a
ten is because that wowza that you get comes after the first
glance, well after. But a wowza it still is, in every way!
Late Night Lust Appeal * 160.5 » 1,573.96m/s2 More than
twice what a human can withstand (save one man) and it’s
all from popping that case back. Dang.
M.G.R. * 72 Yeah. The movement for the Leroy Chronomètre
à Tourbillon gets a perfect score. Go ahead, try to argue.
Your argument is invalid.
Added-Functionitis * Minor After a movement like that,
nobody really cares, but they still have a little added function
with the best secondary function for a hand-wound watch:
the power reserve. Gonna go with children’s strength Gotta-
Leroy Chronomètre à Tourbillon

HAVE-That cream for this sweet puppy.
Ouch Outline * 13 – Of course it’s stepping on a Lego. How
could this not be equivalent to stepping on a Lego?! I’m
sorry, what was that? Nope, your argument is invalid . . . still.
Mermaid Moment * Pop that back! I won’t even mince
words, once that hunter case back get’s popped, I’m running
to city hall to get the paperwork started so I can elope!
Awesome Total * As Carl Sagan said: Billions. First you
multiply the water resistance in atmospheres (3 ATM) by the
number of stars in the sky (billions) and then you just accept
that your argument is invalid and this thing is awesome.
Period.
For more information, please visit www.montres-leroy.com.
Quick Facts
Case: 41 x 15.26 mm, red gold, non-rhodium-plated white
gold, two-tone palladium and red gold with hunter-style
case back
Movement: manually wound Caliber L100 with chain and
fusée, deadbeat seconds, and one-minute tourbillon
Functions: hours, minutes, deadbeat seconds; power
reserve
REPLY
Joe Mazzilli
September 21, 2015 at 12:30 am
You pretty much covered
everything! I’m going to add one
word “Perfect!”
Reply
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