DUET
INTRO
MUSIC TO THE RHYTHM OF TIME
A musical clock created with REUGE
A specific melody is played for 8 seconds on each new hour. The musical movement has autonomy of 40 days provided the playing is for a period of 12 hours / day. Three repertoires are presently available with classical, soul or mexican music themes. World famous 12 tunes can be heard for 8 seconds on each hour or on demand.
THE STORY
It was in 2012 that the opening notes of this melody began to resonate in the minds of Mr. Nicolas and Mr. Kupper, CEOs of L’Epée 1839 and Reuge respectively. They were in a Doha hotel lounge at the time, for the Doha Jewelry Show, and had started a discussion about the highly coveted “Swiss Made” label. The idea was raised, and some initial thoughts sketched out. Two of the Swiss Jura’s most typical and traditional areas of expertise—Reuge musical boxes and L’Epée table clocks—had just joined forces.
Reuge, based in Sainte Croix, celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2015. The company enjoys an excellent reputation throughout the world and is the only manufacturer of Swiss Made luxury mechanical musical boxes in existence today.
L’Epée 1839 has a long tradition of horological innovation behind it and has always relished a challenge. Creating a clock that could play a tune instead of chiming the hours conventionally was a project that immediately motivated its teams. The brand has moved with the times for over 180 years and still sets the standard for animated objets d’art, not to mention the conception, design and manufacture of top-end Swiss Made table clocks.
This is not the first time the paths of these two companies have crossed. When L’Epée 1839 decided to concentrate on upmarket clockmaking at the end of the First World War, Reuge bought its entire stock of musical boxes, machinery and tools. The collaboration between these two Swiss manufactures from the Jura Mountains is not solely the result of circumstance, but of a shared desire to push the boundaries, both technically and aesthetically.
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INSIGHTS
The L’Epée 1839 clock: For the Duet, L’Epée developed a palladium-coated brass movement, entirely manufactured in-house (with the exception of the jewels). It comprises an escapement, positioned vertically so that the rhythmic motion can be admired, five barrels giving a power reserve of over a month, a single power reserve hand in a design exclusive to L’Epée, and an hour-striking complication. The hours and minutes are displayed by two chamfered black hands on a dial engraved in the main plate, in keeping with the Duet’s overall minimalist aesthetic.
The Reuge musical box: The Duet’s Reuge musical box was specially created from traditional manufacture movements. It can produce 12 different melodies, whether you choose the “Classic” or “Soul” version. Reuge has historically worked with 3-melody movements, but developed a new operating principle for the Duet that retains just one cylinder. The music plays for 6 to 8 seconds, long enough to appreciate the tune without being disturbed, while the cylinder makes only a quarter turn per musical extract, rather than a whole turn.
The mechanism that links the clock to the musical box was designed and made in-house through a process of extensive testing. The challenge was to give the clock’s owner three different options: a musical chime with each passing hour; playing the various melodies continuously; and stopping the chime during the night.
The Duet’s design is at once understated, minimal and dazzling. The majority of the components are either palladium-plated, stainless steel (clock), or nickel-plated (musical box), and the polished, satin-brushed and sand-blasted finishes endow it with pure elegance.
The two movements appear as if suspended in their casing, fixed to the glass with an ingenious system that keeps the surrounding space clear. Thus the complexity of the mechanism is transcended by the simplicity of the whole.
The Duet is displayed in a thick mineral glass case, its metal frame enhancing the two mechanical movements as they engage in their ceaseless dialogue.
Magnificient hour and minute display
The Musical box by Reuge
Power reserve indicator
The escapement
SPECIFICATIONS
DUET is available in three different versions: Classic, Soul, Mexican
DESIGN & DISPLAY
Mechanical Timepiece: Hours, Minutes, Power Reserve Indicator, Striking Mechanism and Musical Box
DIMENSIONS
265 x 370 x 105 mm
MOVEMENT & MUSIC BOX
L’Epée 1839 in-house caliber 2012
Balance wheel frequency: 18,000 A/h / 2.5 Hz
5 barrels series-mounted
Power reserve: 40 days
Reuge.12.72. palladium-plated musical movement
Power reserve of 40 days if music played 12 times a day
Auto mode: 12 melodies each 8 seconds long playing on the hour
Silent function or continuous function
MATERIALS & FINISHING
Palladium-plated brass & Stainless steel
Mineral glass
FEATURES & SONGS
Single winding key
DUET CLASSIC
1. Canon - J. Pachelbel
2. The four seasons (Spring) - A. Vivaldi
3. The Magic Flute - W.A. Mozart
4. Polonaise Op.40 'Militär '- F. Chopin
5. La Traviata - G. Verdi
6. The Blue Danube - J. Strauss
7. Hungarian Dance No.5 - J. Brahms
8. Solveig's Song (Peer Gynt - Suite 2) - E. Grieg
9. Waltz of the flowers - P.I. Tchaikovsky
10. Suite burlesque dolente - G.Tailleferre
11. Waltz No.1 (Jazz-Suite 2) - D. Chostakovitch
12. Edelweiss - R. Rodgers
DUET SOUL
1. What a wonderful world - L. Armstrong
2. Summertime - G. Gershwin
3. Georgia on my mind - R. Charles
4. Ain’t no sunshine - Bill Withers
5. Killing me softly with his song - Roberta Flack
6. No woman no cry- Bob Marley
7. Here comes the Sun - Nina Simone
8. I Feel Good - James Brown
9. Bridge over troubled water - Aretha franklin
10. Superstition - Stevie Wonder
11. Your Song - Billy Paul
12. Let The Music Play - Barry White
MEXICAN DUET
1. Himno de Mexico
2. Huapango de Moncayo
3. Son de la Negra
4. Jesusitas en Chihuahua
5. Jarabe Tapatio
6. Cielito Lindo
7. La Bamba
8. La Bikina
9. El Viajero
10. Guadalajara
11. Mexico Lindo y Querido
12. La Cucaracha
