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| De Grisogono |
In the eyes of dyed-in-the-wool watch fans, it is often a handicap for a jewelry producer to change over to the discipline of watches, especially if that jeweler has often stood in the
limelight with his shimmering creations and extravagant productions. It was for this reason that Instrumento No. Uno was received with half-hearted applause three years ago,
regardless of the fact that the watch disposed of a complete second time zone display, separately settable via the single crown, a slightly domed case with movable lugs, and a mechanical automatic movement that left a very good impression.
The measuring stick, however, was high for De Grisogono mastermind Fawaz Gruosi: A few years ago the Oriental fairy prince with Italian
passport and Swiss residence found his fairy princess in Caroline Scheufele, daughter of the Chopard dynasty's boss. Her brother Karl Friedrich didn't waste much time explaining the quality demands of Swiss haute horlogerie, for the maxim of jewelry producer De Grisogono doesn't leave a whole lot of room for disdainful technology with no soul.
However the above-mentioned handicap remained, at least in the puritanical minds of the European watchmaking public, and Gruosi was forced to act. Earlier than planned, a staff of technicians unveiled Instrumento Doppio in the spring of 2002.
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The "double instrument" truly earns its name as it not only offers the functions of a chronograph with large date on one side, but also a second time zone on the other. In order to put hands on the "back" of the watch, the automatic movement needed to be completely reworked (extended dial train, separate setting of the hands on the back and the front) and several modules added on.
A logical development, Instrumento Doppio has now been followed by Instrumento Doppio Tre. Instead of a chronograph, the new watch offers as its additional function the display of two time zones on its characteristic front dial. Together with the full set of hands on the back side, Instrumento Doppio Tre offers three perfectly legible time displays, cleanly separated from each other, to become more than just a watch Instrumento Doppio Tre is actually three
watches in one. And they have to be contained somewhere here in the sizable dimensions: a length of 60 mm, a width of 36 mm, and a height of 18 mm certainly make Instrumento Doppio Tre just about as big as three watches!
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De Grisogono
21 East 63rd Street
5th Floor New York, NY 10021
Tel: 212-821-0280
Fax: 212-821-0281
www.degrisogono.com
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