GENEVA 2014 - CVSTOS CHALLENGE GUSTAVE EIFFEL

"Can one think that because we are engineers, beauty does not preoccupy us or that we do not try to build beautiful, as well as solid, and long lasting structures?"               

                                                                                   Gustave Eiffel.

Gustave Eiffel, this French visionary civil engineer who has marked an entire era through his great architectural achievements, has made over 300 creations all over the world, namely the La Tour Eiffel, of course, the metallic frame of the New York Statute of Liberty, as well as various bridges such as the Maria Pia de Porto bridge, has also actively participated at the Panama Canal project. So many major live works scattered on all the continents still stand proof today of the vision and the exceptional know-how of the one we call the "Iron Magician" or the "Engineer of the Universe".

All these works are marked by his quest for the purity of lines, for the combination of iron with glass, or for the solidity and lightness of shapes. An everyday elegance that is still contemporary and that will be inspiring designers and creators for centuries to come.

Perpetuating the vision of his ancestor, "Combine beauty with practicality", nowadays, Philippe Couperie Eiffel's works reflect in the Swiss manufacturer CVSTOS' products to give rise to the timepiece called La Gustave Eiffel by CVSTOS.

Founded in 2005 by Sassoun Sirmakes, the son of the Franck Muller group's CEO, and by the designer Antonio Terranova, an engineer by training who previously worked for the biggest Swiss watches companies, CVSTOS is a manufacturer of luxury watches, specializing in the design and creation of contemporary watches that combine state-of-the-art technologies with luxury.

State-of-the-art technology and design, these are the values they share with Gustave Eiffel. Also, the values upon which this company was founded:  boldness, performance, efficiency and elegance.

To pay tribute to Gustave Eiffel, the Iron Magician, CVSTOS present their new CVSTOS GUSTAVE EIFFEL timepiece that celebrates performance, state-of-the-art technology and aestheticism, the four pillars of this brand. The look of this timepiece stands for the technical and aesthetic memory of this great man.

Indeed, the metallic structure, represented by the famous Cross of Saint Andrew, the technical heritage from Gustave Eiffel, a simply mathematical beauty, has inspired this timepiece.

There are many unifying words that guided the carrier and evolution of Antonio Terranova. Chief Designer of Cvstos, and an engineer by training, his constant search for simplicity and perfection creates a "bridge between tradition and contemporaneity".

Following the example of the famous Tour Eiffel, with the tonneau-shaped middle (very finely carved, requiring 45 minutes to process only the motives), the CVSTOS GUSTAVE EIFFEL has a structure akin to the Parisian elegance and aesthetics, inspired by the famous Cross of Saint Andrew, which symbolises rigidity, transparency and lightness alike.

From the same spectacular and unexpected perspectives, the mechanism, which comes straight from the CVSTOS parts factory, and which is called the CVS350 JETLINER AUTOMATIC, with a power reserve of 48 hours, was designed in the same vein of the motives inspired from Gustave Eiffel's principles. This calibre can be admired through a large sapphire crystal, which is accentuated by the bimetallic skeleton dial. The semi-instantaneous date indicator is also carved from the block through various state-of-the-art technological processes, which is a visual reminder of the Tour's elevators' gear trains. The dial’s high readability is provided by the metallic indexes whose centre is covered in a luminescent material.

The transparent case-back invites us to direct our gaze into the heart of the mechanism and to discover the arrangement of all the movement components. An excellent readability is therefore provided on the work of these master-watchmakers, which is then highlighted by the three-dimensional look of this openwork movement.

Carved out from Steel 316-L, or from bronze PDV treated Steel, the tonneau-shaped case is admirably emphasised by the purity of its lines and volume. This polished architectural work, easily identifiable amidst all, contributes to CVSTOS' aesthetic distinction in the closed world of fine Horlogerie.

With up to 100 meters water resistance, the CVSTOS GUSTAVE EIFFEL is available in fine alligator leather in various colours, which is lined with ALCANTARA® materials, with a specific look dedicated specifically to this model. Or, for the purists, a more classical bracelet is available, with a tongue buckle or a double pusher clasp.  

Fascination reaches its peak with this model which CVSTOS created to perpetuate the image of a great man and, most of all, of his works.

With the CVSTOS GUSTAVE EIFFEL, CVSTOS reinvents the new codes of elegance of the Parisian avant-garde glamour thanks to their perpetually changing creative philosophy of doing today what the others will do tomorrow…