
Tempusvivendi
Phoenix
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The phoenix is a symbolic animal that stands for resurrection and the renewal of life. After death, legend has it that this animal rises from its own ashes.
The phoenix is a very strong and popular symbol of life in Asian mythology. Much like the dragon, it is a chimerical creature and one of the four divine animals. While the dragon is said to symbolize the male attributes of the emperor, the phoenix represents the female in the empress, following the concept of yin-yang.
Similarly, the ancient Mayas, Toltecs, and Aztecs viewed the phoenix as a sacred bird. As Quetzalcoatl, this wondrous bird was thought to be the benevolent representative of the sun god or even the main god himself.
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In Buddhism, on the other hand, the phoenix is said to embody wisdom and energy. The story relates that while meditating, Buddha received these sustaining gifts from the bird—who also protected him from demons by covering him with mighty wings. Both the Buddhist and the Taoist religions claim that the virtuous phoenix is a part of Western Paradise, which is the heaven of purple clouds and great visions that people will reach after death riding the back of the swiftest of all birds: the phoenix.
The phoenix comprises parts of several other animals, uniting their positive attributes and allowing it to rise above the other 360 varieties of our feathered friends. At the age of three, the phoenix’s plumage allegedly displays five different colors that symbolize the five cardinal virtues: uprightness, honesty, justice, fidelity, and benevolence.
The legends all agree that a phoenix’s appearance was most rare, only occurring during times of peace when people were virtuous and life was prosperous. The phoenix never showed itself in times of destruction, war, or pestilence. A pair of phoenixes was an even rarer sight: when this happened, it was taken as a sign that a wise man was on the throne and prosperity prevailed.
The phoenix symbolized time as happiness, prosperity, and wisdom.
Function
Technical Details
Special features
· Double retrograde indication of time
· Continuously running display of minutes and jumping display of hours (temporal display)
· Special device for switching between the figure displaying the time and being in a non-temporal resting position (activated by button in crown)
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Movement Information
Diameter
Height
Displays
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Winding
Power reserve
Number of jewels
Frequency
Escapement
Balance spring
Shock protection
Decoration
Rotor
37 mm, including module
7 mm, including module
jumping hours (retrograde), minutes (retrograde).
Each shown by one of the figure’s extremities on a
semicircular scale
automatic
40 hours
25 bearing jewels
28,800 vph
Swiss lever escapement
flat hairspring
Incabloc
completely hand-engraved and gold-plated
18-karat gold, completely hand-engraved
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Case Details
Case material
Diameter
Height
Crystal
Crown
Dial material
Figure
Index plates
Name plates
Water resistance
Strap
Buckle
18-karat gold
43 mm
13 mm
convex sapphire crystals on front and back
contains button for activating time display
onyx or precious metal
18-karat gold
18-karat gold
18-karat gold
1 atm (10 meters)
hand-cut and –sewn alligator skin uppers and lowers
18-karat gold