Antoine Martin is Martin Braun’s new brand, it was launched in 2011.   Prior to this, Martin Braun for 30 years built and managed the brand bearing his own name; it was acquired by Franck Muller Group about 5 years ago.   Braun was held in high accord by for his unique creations, however the marriage with Muller Group did not work out well and Braun again struck out on his own, leaving behind his brand name and other assets.

Thus far Antoine Martin has presented two models — a perpetual calendar  and a tourbillon perpetual calendar.  The Antoine Martin Perpetual Calendar, shown here, is mechanically complex, unique and with a very contemporary design.   We’ll take a closer look at it and all its variations, below.

rose gold case

white gold case (crown/profile view)

black DLC-coated stainless steel case

As you can see above, the 84-part case also looks impressive, particularly the lugs which have a unique design to them.  The dial is of a contemporary design, nicely arranged and with a variety of finishes (guilloche, stamped and embossed elements).  Note the vertical alignment of the weekday and month displays (somewhat obscured in the photos above, sorry!).

Antoine Martin Perpetual Calendar (Video)

Braune has developed his own caliber, the AM 39.001.   Most intriguing is the enormous balance wheel — 17.5mm.  It vibrates as a relatively slow 18,000 vph.  Its 17.5mm diameter is among the largest you will see in a modern wristwatch.  It is also made of titanium.  The watch also claims some other innovations developed by Martin Braun, including the “Aerodynamic Amplitude Stabilization” (“ADAS”) for stabilizing the balance and spring (thus enhancing the watch’s rate and accuracy), and a silicum escapement — more on these items below.

HPE Escapement

The angles of the Swiss lever escapement have always represented a compromise between effectivity and retaining oil using the capillary effect of certain angles. This no longer needs to be adhered to since an escapement predominately comprising silicium components functions completely without oil. Thanks to this, Martin Braun’s HPE escapement can now boast 100 percent more effectiveness. Changing the originally calculated angles of the impulse planes of the escape wheel; modifying the curved shape of the escape wheel teeth; and reconfiguring the pallets have increased the energy yield by about 7-8 percent. The optimized shape of the silicium impulse pin also brings another 1 percent increase. The result of these modifications is an increase in amplitude from 300° to almost 330° in direct parallel comparison to the conventional escapement design.

Aerodynamic Amplitude Stabilization (ADAS)

This ingenious mechanism basically comprises a control cam guided by the power reserve display. When the movement is fully wound, the cam moves to within 0.01 mm of the balance wheel, whose ADAS arms then create congestion with air—which acts as
a cushioned brake for the balance wheel. As the mainspring loses its tension, the ADAS system ensures that the amplitude remains the same—regardless of its state. Amplitude stabilization is very important for keeping an even rate, which ensures that the manually wound movement remains as accurate as possible.

The watch is priced at $50,000 and higher, depending on the case material.

Learn more at http://antoinemartin.ch/