At the beginning of last January we published our review of the Cyrus Klepcys Vertical Skeleton Tourbillon by Swiss watchmaker Cyrus. We really appreciated the creative approach to watchmaking of the brand and its commitment to the exploration of new technical possibilities with the creation of the first vertical tourbillon on the market.

At Baselworld 2019, the Le Locle-based company presented a variation of this model which raises the bar even further.

In fact, thanks to its openworked dial, the new Klepcys Vertical Skeleton Tourbillon showcases the fascinating mechanisms that surround the vertical tourbillon and drive the timepiece.
Completing one full rotation in one minute, the tourbillon cage is set on a vertical axis at a 90° angle: this solution optimizes the performance in terms of precision because it ensures that the cage maintains a vertical position while on the wrist. Crafted from steel, the tourbillon cage is made of 52 parts and has a total weight of just 0.706 grams.

One of the guiding design principles of the Klepcys collection is symmetry and this is clearly evident if you look at the dial of the Cyrus Klepcys Vertical Skeleton Tourbillon : symmetry starts with the arched vertical bridge and continues with the two retrograde displays for hours and minutes up to the visible wheels and gears of the movement.

Beating at 21,600 vibrations per hour, the hand-wound manufacture movement, calibre CYR625, is meticulously finished. The upper part of the skeleton dial reveals two rhodium-plated barrels, decorated with the engraved triangular motifs typical of the brand.
The bridges are microbillé with a dark grey NAC galvanic treatment, and the edges are bevelled and polished. The levers of the retrograde system are satin-polished and rhodium plated. The wheels are rhodium-plated and decorated with cerclage, the cams are mirror-polished.

Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s bridge, the arched vertical bridge is decorated using the “microbillage” technique and features bevelled, polished edges. Its shape is found again in the skeletonized sculpted hands, the one on the left indicating the retrograde jumping hours in Arabic numerals while the one on the right reading off the sweeping retrograde minutes.
The seconds are displayed in the centre on a scale of 5, and can be read off the tourbillon cage thanks to small blocks engraved with Arabic numerals in white, with the exception of the “60 seconds” block which stands out for its bright red.

Between the two arches of the tourbillon bridge, the black-DLC 5 mm sphere at 12 o’clock displays the days of the watch’s power reserve (1-4). It is visually balanced by the Cyrus logo at 6 o’clock.
The three-dimensional architecture of the dial is protected by a tailor-made sapphire crystal glass which is domed and anti-reflective, with a thickness of 1.2 mm.
The sapphire crystal case back offers other details of the hand-made calibre, revealing the tourbillon, part of the gears, and the two barrels with the black lacquered ratchet-wheels representing the Maison’s logo.
The case of the Cyrus Klepcys Vertical Skeleton Tourbillon has a diameter of 44 mm, excluding the two crowns. The crown at 3 o’clock adjusts the time and winds the movement, while the other at 9 o’clock can be pushed to rapidly adjust the hour without interfering with the running of the watch, a very useful feature when travelling.