DE GRISOGONO - The Meccanico dG wins the "prix du public" at GPHG 2009

This Prize bestows full recognition on the world’s first mechanical watch with dual analogue and mechanical digital display.

Press release

 
Fawaz Gruosi © de Grisogono

 With a total of 651 components, the Meccanico dG’s mechanical movement is one of the most complex known today. The upper dial offers an analogue display of the hours and minutes. Its lower section digitally displays a second time zone, in the style of electronic counters. The drive system is entirely mechanical and represents a technological quintessence:  the mechanism is activated via movable micro-segments driven by a set of 23 cams with gears plus a triggering and synchronization device. 23 horizontal and vertical micro-segments are involved in displaying the time digitally. One or more segments rotate 90° to turn one time indication into the next. The jump is instantaneous while anywhere from 1 to 12 segments move, depending on the time being displayed.

© de Grisogono

 
This radically new dimension in fine watchmaking extends to the Meccanico dG’s trim contemporary design. Innovative in design, water-resistant to 30 metres, it comes in a choice of pink gold, pink gold and rubber, titanium, titanium and rubber, titanium and pink gold or titanium and platinum.

In keeping with the watch’s futuristic character, its correctors and crown cover are vulcanised rubber. A crown at 3 o'clock controls the analogue time display. Two correctors serve to reset the second time zone; the left-hand one controls the hours, the right-hand one the tens of minutes and minutes.

A true work of the watchmaker’s art, this innovative timepiece already stands as a masterpiece of contemporary watchmaking history.