书城外语世界名牌大全(英汉双语版)
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第14章 世界名表(4)

1914年,英国矫天文台(Kew Observatory)颁授劳力士腕表“A”级证书。当时,此等级一般都是航海精密仪表方能获取的。自那时起,劳力士腕表便成为精准时钟的象征。

1926年,劳力士创制了首款能防水、防尘的腕表,成为制表技术重要的里程碑。这款名为“Oyster”的蚝式腕表配备密闭的表壳,为机芯提供最佳的保护。要证明腕表能防水,必须能提供真凭实据。1927年,年轻的英国女士梅塞迪丝·吉莉斯(Mercedes Gleitze)佩戴劳力士蚝式腕表成功横渡英吉利海峡。在游了十几个小时到达终点之后,她佩戴的腕表依然丝毫无损、运行如常。

1953年,约翰·亨特爵士(Sir John Hunt)、埃德蒙·希拉里(Sir Edmund Hillary)和丹增·诺吉(Tenzing Norgay)都佩戴劳力士蚝式恒动腕表,首次成功登上珠穆朗玛峰之巅。

1971年,劳力士推出Oyster Perpetual探索者2代。此款专为探索者、及推动极限探索的人所设计。特有的24小时指针对极地周围及地下无法分辨日夜的地方是无可比拟的帮助。

2012年3月26日,在马里亚纳海沟(Mariana Trench)最深处,电影制作人及《国家地理》驻会探险家詹姆斯·卡梅隆(James Cameron)刷新单人深潜纪录,独闯海沟。而在此前,只有在1960年两位探险家驾驶的里雅斯特号(Trieste)征服此处。两次同行,缔造创举,唯有劳力士腕表。

为延续与赛车运动悠久密切的联系,劳力士在2013年成为一级方程式赛车的长期合作伙伴,进行赛事官方计时和比赛用表赞助。

5.(瑞士)百年灵 Breitling

品牌名片

品类:腕表

标志风格:融实用性、功能性和多元性为一体

创始人:里昂·百年灵(Léon Breitling)

诞生地:瑞士

诞生时间:1884年

百年灵的品牌标志由三部分构成。最上面是一双围绕字母B展开的翅膀,寓意百年灵展翅翱翔。中间部分是百年灵的英文大写字母“Breitling”,简洁明了。最下方的1884是百年灵的创建时间。

品牌阅读

In founding his workshop in the Swiss Jura in 1884, Leon Breitling chose to devote himself to an exclusive and demanding field: that of chronographs and timers. These precision instruments were intended for sports, science and industry. Thanks to its high-quality products and its constant quest for innovation, the brand accompanied the boom of competitive sports and of the automobile ,as well as the first feats of the aviation pioneers. In 1915, it heralded the emergence of the wrist chronograph by inventing the first independent chronograph pushpiece. In 1923, it perfected this system by separating the stop/start functions from that of resetting. This patented innovation thereby made it possible to add several successive times without returning the hands to zero - which proved extremely useful both for timing sports competitions and for calculating flight times. In 1934, Breitling set the final touch to the modern face of the chronograph by creating the second independent reset pushpiece - a decisive breakthrough that was soon adopted by the competition. In 1969, the brand took on one of the greatest 20th century watchmaking challenges by presenting the first self-winding chronograph movement. In 1984, Breitling heralded the rebirth of the mechanical chronograph by launching the famous Chronomat, which has since become its leading model. In 2009, the firms engineers once again made their mark on the history of the chronograph by creating Caliber 01 - the finest self-winding chronograph movement, entirely developed and manufactured in the workshops of Breitling Chronométrie. A leader in the field of mechanical chronographs, the brand has also established itself in the vanguard of electronic watch making by developing an entire range of high-tech instruments first and foremost dedicated to aviation.

It is the authentic partner of aviation. Aviation pioneers needed reliable and efficient instruments and soon took an interest in Breitlings pocket chronographs and later its wrist chronographs. In the early 1930s, building on its reputation for precision and sturdiness, Breitling enriched its range with a “specialty” that would earn it worldwide fame: onboard chronographs intended for aircraft cockpits. These instruments indispensable to secure piloting enjoyed great success with the various armed forces, including the Royal Air Force which used them to equip its famous World War II propeller-driven fighter planes. In 1952, Breitling launched its legendary Navitimer wrist chronograph featuring a circular slide rule serving to perform all navigation-related calculations. A cult object for pilots and aviation enthusiasts, it has been continuously manufactured for almost 60 years - making it the worlds oldest mechanical chronograph still in production. In 1962, a Navitimer accompanied Scott Carpenter on his orbital flight aboard the Aurora 7 capsule, thus becoming the first space-going wrist chronograph. During the 1950s and 1960s, Breitling played a key role in the boom of commercial aviation, as its onboard chronographs became standard equipment first on the propeller-driven planes and later on the jet aircraft of many airplane manufacturers and airline companies. The brand thus quite naturally earned the status of “official supplier to world aviation”. Today Breitling is perpetuating these authentic and privileged ties with aviation by cooperating with the worlds elite pilots. Several exceptional teams fly the firms colors, including the famous Breitling Jet Team with its spectacular aerobatics. It is associated with the greatest airshows on the planet, such as the famous Reno Air Races (Nevada/United States). By supporting the restoration of legendary aircraft such as the Breitling Super Constellation, one of the last flightworthy “Super Connies” in the world, the brand with the winged B asserts its determination to preserve the aeronautical legacy - the magnificent adventure with which its own history is so intimately entwined.

It doesnt become official supplier to world aviation by chance. As a specialist of technical watches, Breitling has played a crucial role in the development of the wrist chronograph and is a leader in this complication. The firm has shared all the finest moments in the conquest of the skies thanks to its sturdy, reliable and high-performance instruments. The worlds only major watch brand to equip all its models with chronometer-certified movements, the ultimate token of precision, Breitling is also one of the rare companies to produce its own mechanical chronograph movement, entirely developed and manufactured in its own workshops. This family business is also one of the last remaining independent Swiss watch brands.

herald [herld] vt. 通报;预示……的来临

vanguard [vnɡɑ:d] n. 先锋;前锋;先驱;领导者

indispensable [,indispensbl] adj. 不可缺少的;绝对必要的

aerobatics [erbtks] n. 特技飞行

entwine [intwain] vt. 盘绕