20’000 Feet By CX Swiss Military Watch

Press Release
20’000 Feet By CX Swiss Military Watch



After winning the world record for water resistance in automatic diving watches in 2005 with their 12'000 Feet by CX Swiss Military Watch model, Frank M. Bürgin and his team of watchmakers and engineers were contemplating their next move. Only one goal seemed acceptable – not only to beat their own record but also the new world record a competitor had set in 2008 with 3’900 meters of water resistance. The R&D team around Frank M. Bürgin thus decided to annihilate all existing records by constructing the world’s first mechanical timepiece with a water resistance of a staggering 20’000 feet or 6’000 meters – and, again, with a chronograph!



First of all they had to develop a pressure tank capable of producing a pressure of 800bar, the equivalent of a water depth of 8'000 meters. This alone proved to be a sizeable task as worldwide, there are only two manufacturers of such manometers! The team of engineers then started the intricate calculations of the measurements of the new world record holder – there can be no margin for error in a timepiece that has to withstand 750kgs per cm2 of surface area. The absolute reliability of the watch was paramount and no compromise allowed – the safety of the diver comes first.

After several attempts the virtual prototype finally took shape and prototype production started. However, technical problems like the connection of the massive domed, 10mm thick sapphire crystal to the titanium case had to be solved first and it took the team months to come up with viable solutions. Finally, after several nerve racking setbacks the first prototypes were produced towards the end of 2008 and the series of tests began.

Crown, pushers and safety buckle underwent several static and dynamic pressure tests at the Dubois laboratory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland – all tests were passed, the design and the calculations thus confirmed. In a next step the prototypes were sent to the Oceanographic Institute of the University of Southampton, UK. For years this institute has been a reliable R&D partner of CX Swiss Military Watch; in their pressure tanks they tested the fully functional prototypes for a water resistance of 6’000 meters and certified the positive result as per ISO norm 6425. Several more tests are ongoing at the IFREMER Institute, the French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea.

A few weeks’ ago serial production started after all preliminary tests having shown the expected positive results. Montres Charmex SA and their team of engineers and watchmakers thus managed to develop the ULTIMATE DIVING WATCH : the 20‘000 FEET by CX SWISS MILITARY WATCH™, an automatic diving chronograph holding the world record for water resistance, was developed for the serious diver looking for a virtually indestructible timepiece of superb quality, a timepiece the diver can rely on whatever the circumstances may be. A timepiece, made for eternity and the dark abyss of the Deep Sea!

The 20‘000 FEET by CX SWISS MILITARY WATCH™ is manufactured in a limited edition of 1'000 pieces only.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/11/2009 06:50AM by MarkS.

WOW! 20K DAMM! do you have a dial shot. Man is that thick.

Here you go Submersible :





















MarkS

it still manages to look like a watch...