INTRO
HOROLOGICAL ART BLOWING UP YOUR CONCEPTIONS OF TIME
Grenade is a mechanical masterpiece combining clockmaking excellence with a call to pull the pin and live for now !
The Grenade is reinvented into a unique piece of art, symbolizing the unpredictability of life.
L’Epée 1839 sets you free with the horologically volatile Grenade. An innovative timepiece inspired by art and historical objects, Grenade is a compact desk and mantel clock challenging the hold that time has on our lives as we are often consumed by the pressing need to fill our schedules with never-ending tasks overwhelming our days.
The Grenade clock releases your mind from the grind of modern life.
THE STORY
Grenade is modelled after the historical MKII grenade with an M6A4C fuse that uses a pin that is pulled to activate the explosive. In a similar way, the L’Epée 1839 Grenade features a pin that doubles as the key, which when pulled allows for setting the time and winding the eight-day movement. The moment you pull the pin on a grenade the mind is focused: the grenade is live, and you must concentrate on the here and now to survive.
Grenade from L’Epée 1839 provides a similar experience when you pull its pin. You can change the time to whatever you want it to be, and by winding the mainspring you give it the power to direct that time. The clock forces the mind to focus on the moment you are in and the task of winding and setting the time, reminding you that you are only guaranteed this very moment, so don’t waste it.
The hours and minutes are displayed on two black aluminium disks rotating directly over the beating heart of Grenade. Ticking away at a traditional 18,000 vibrations per hour, the balance is front and center, audibly reminding us that time is slipping away, and we never know how much time we have left. Once you wind Grenade and set its time display, the next step is to seize the day.
The master watchmakers of L’Epée 1839 took great care to craft a device that not only tells time precisely and consistently, but commands attention in your home. Grenade isn’t simply an eye-catching clock; it is an experience.
L’Epée 1839 urges you to pull the pin and live for now.
INSIGHTS
The hours and minutes are displayed on two black aluminium disks rotating directly over the beating heart of Grenade. Ticking away at a traditional 18,000 vibrations per hour, the balance is front and center, audibly reminding us that time is slipping away, and we never know how much time we have left. Once you wind Grenade and set its time display, the next step is to seize the day.
Grenade’s frame is composed of five distinct plates and six vertical supports, all notched and interlocking to resemble the grooved shell of the original MKII grenade. The key pin, which is safely stored in the fuse-shaped frame atop the structure when not in use, is removed and inserted onto a post in the center of the top plate to set the time. A small pointer, modelled after the 1915 German stick grenade, indicates the hours and minutes as they rotate slowly by on disks.
The going train is mounted in the centre of Grenade, peeking out from behind the balance and escapement assembly positioned on the front. Underneath is the long eight-day mainspring barrel that is wound from a post on the bottom of the clock.
The pin is the main point of interaction with a grenade – as it is with the L’Epée Grenade. Unlike the historical MKII, whose purpose was violence, the Grenade clock seeks only to challenge our perceptions of time and what it means to our lives. Many think of time like a flowing river, but time is made up of infinite tiny moments lined up next to each other. The tick-tock of Grenade highlights these small moments, each an opportunity to change one’s life.
SPECIFICATIONS
EXCLUSIVE LIMITED EDITION
Grenade is a limited edition of 99 pieces per colors.
8 available colors
DESIGN AND DISPLAY
Hours and minutes are displayed on black aluminium disks with engraved numerals.
Time is set with grenade pin on top of frame, mainspring wound on bottom of frame.
Number of components: 255
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT
Dimensions: 120.5 mm (height) x 77.6 mm (width) x 66.6 mm (depth)
Weight: 620 g (real MKII grenade of same shape is 600 - 630 g)
MOVEMENT
L’Epée 1839 movement designed and manufactured in-house
Multilevel vertical architecture
Balance frequency: 2.5 Hz / 18,000 vibrations/h
11 jewels
Incabloc shock protection system
Power reserve: 8 days
MATERIALS & FINISHINGS
The Grenade's structure and discs are made out of aluminium
The movement is made of palladium plated brass and stainless steel
Finish: polished, satin brushed, sandblasted.
