After the announcement of the revival of the T18 Original caliber last month, here is heart-warming news. Because even if Big TV has always been a singular watch with relative popularity, the combination of these two news suggests great things for the Besançon brand which seemed to have rested on its laurels. With a legacy as heavy as that of LIP, we were impatiently awaiting new impetus, an ounce of ambition to direct this historic brand towards the future. But first, let’s talk about this news Big Titanium TV !
We are in 1974LIP then calls upon seven designers to breathe new life into the brand. None of them come from the watch industry and the most famous of them, Roger Talon, known in particular for his work on Téléavia television, the spiral staircase and later the TS folding chair and the TGV, produced surprising creations including the famous Mach 2000 and the Big TV. This last is inspired by the Portavia 111 portable television designed by him in 1965, having shaken up the sector and reached the rank of cult object. Like Bell & Ross in the early 2000s, it incorporates a round dial into a square case with curved corners in order to upset the codes without affecting the reading of the time. Everything was then driven by an electromechanical movement signed LIP, the caliber R184, well before the quartz revolution.
It is in this continuity that the new Big TV Titane fits, perpetuating the avant-garde initiated by Roger Tallon, but with a completely reworked housing welcoming for the first time a integrated strap. Everything is entirely in titanium, to bring a lightness that was lacking in the first steel prototypes. A solution found following an exchange with a passionate specialist, hence his nickname “GAxBI”. For the rendering, the matte and dark side of titanium reinforces its roots anchored in industrial design, while allowing it to display 116 grams on the scale. Its dial remains faithful to the original design, despite a slight twist on the skeleton version, with luminescent hands animated by a Japanese automatic movement. Everything is offered at 899€.
For more information, visit the LIP website.
CHARACTERISTICS – LIP BIG TV TITANIUM
Case: titanium – brushed finish – 35mm wide x 35mm long x 12mm thick – flat sapphire crystal – transparent back – resistance to 5 ATM (50 meters)
Dial: matt black background – skeletonized or solid with integrated flange – printed hour markers and minute scale – rounded-tip baton hands – luminescence on hands only
Movements: mechanical automatic – Miyota 82S0 caliber (solid dial) or Seiko NH72 (skeletonized) – power reserve of 39 or 41 hours depending on the caliber – 21,600 vibrations per hour (4Hz) – hours, minutes and seconds functions
Bracelet : integrated titanium – fitted design – brushed finish – solid links – butterfly folding clasp
Information: references 671657 & 671656 – non-limited edition – available in partner stores – 2-year warranty – €899 including tax
