Memorigin The Six Steeds in the Tang Dynasty

The Six Steeds in the Tang Dynasty tourbillon watch is Memorigin’s first manual-winding watch that possesses a central tourbillon with free sprung balances. The brand uses its outstanding micro-carving skills to present galloping horses with stunning scenery of mountains and rivers in China. The 42-diameter watch allows you to view the eight famous sacred mountains in China and the two cradles of Chinese 5,000 years of civilization.

In commemoration of the great achievements of Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of Tang, in defeating enemies on battlefields during the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, Memorigin created a three-dimensional horse time scale with reference to the Shaanxi famous bluestone reliefs, Six Steeds of Zhao Mausoleum. Four horses – “Qingzhui”, “Shifachi”, “Baitiwu”, and “Telebiao” are sculpted in 18K gold and placed at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock positions respectively. Each horse is merely 7mm in length and 5mm in height. To vividly present the posture of each war horse, each carving technician spends much time to complete the set of ingenious micro-carved works. The two horses, “Saluzi” and “Quanmaogua”, are carved on the hour and minute dials with flat-plane carving techniques. They become livelier as the dials rotate. The design of the pointers is inspired by the meridian-longitude (hour hand) and latitude (minute hand) determined by the distinguished astronomer Yi Xing in the Tang Dynasty, in recognition of their astronomical and geodetic contributions.

  Memorigin uses meticulous micro-carving techniques to engrave the eight great mountains on the silver dial. The craftsmen carve on the metal precisely according to the height and unique contour of each mountain. The depth of these mountain carvings is no more than one millimeter so no fault is permissible. Starting from 1 o'clock, the order of the mountains is (East) Mount Tai, (West) Mount Hua, (Center) Mount Song, (South) Mount Heng, (North) Mount Heng, Huangshan, Mount Lu, and Yandang Mountains. Each mountain is hand painted by micro-painting, presenting the vibrant colors of the mountains and forests. The details of the eight sacred mountain carvings are not only exquisite but also remarkable. The two longest Chinese rivers, Yangtze River and Yellow River, can be located across the dial as they glow in the dark.

The tourbillon movement is at the center of the dial and shares the same axis with the minute and hour hands. This complex gear train arrangement is a breakthrough for the brand. The escapement speed control system adopts a double-layered non-clamping hairspring structure, which effectively corrects the isochronous error caused by the shift of the center of gravity when the hairspring tenses and eases, so that the vibration frequency is more even and precise, and therefore time accuracy is greatly improved. The watch has a 42-hour power reserve, the central tourbillon rotates at a speed of 60 seconds per cycle, and the vibration frequency reaches 28,800 times per hour. 

Memorigin has been attentive to the details in the packaging. A watch box is specially designed for this series. Through the arched three-dimensional dial model on the wooden watch box, the delicate watch can be seen at the central display glass window thereon. A magnifying glass is also included with the watch so that everyone can carefully appreciate the craftsmanship of the dial.

Due to the very complicated and detailed dial, this timepieces has a limited production rate of 5 watches per month.