M30TP Aero

INTRODUCTION AND GENESIS OF THE PROJECT

M30TP Aero stands for Mechanical movement – 30-day power reserve – Tourbillon escapement, Patented perpetual calendar. The term "Aero" signifies that the movement is a standalone version, representing an evolution of the first version, which was designed to be nestled inside a bespoke table.

The origins of this timepiece date back to 2018, when La Vallée, following decades of dedicated focus on bespoke projects and commissions that could not be disclosed, decided to showcase its capabilities to the public by embracing a new challenge.

The objective was to design a movement from scratch that would represent the pinnacle of La Vallée's technological and innovative capabilities, showcasing its creative potential through a contemporary, high-tech design and would be characterised by the highest standards of production and finishing.

One early spring afternoon in 2018, Leopoldo and Massimiliano Quintavalle together with Ricardo Sasso and his son Luciano, sat down at the R&D department’s table for a long brainstorming session where creative ideas could flow freely without any type of constrain.

The project was decided to be built around a simple yet practical idea: the movement should allow observers to read all the information always upright from both sides of the timepiece and also that it would have featured at least a perpetual calendar and a large and low frequency tourbillon. Luciano, head of R&D, was then started designing and developing it.

On the mechanical and inventive front, Luciano set out to engage the observer’s mind and eye—and subtly challenge industry norms. He combined exceptionally clean, minimalistic mechanisms and complications featuring very few moving parts with surprising behaviors and unconventional aesthetics. All of this was achieved while maintaining perfect central symmetry and exposing every element to view—nothing hidden, nothing concealed. The design game was to be played openly, with all cards facing up.

However, mechanics not only had to function—but to convey emotion, forging a deep and interactive connection with the observer. The project was intentionally crafted in appreciation layers, ensuring that anyone—regardless of technical background—could have their emotions and imagination sparked. This will continue to happen even after observing the piece again and again: new details and elements come into focus and unexpected conceptual links between them come to light. Over time, the observer begins to realize that everything is interconnected.

Things can—and should—be approached differently.
Enjoy the discovery!

DESCRIPTION:

Far more than a timepiece M30TP Aero, it measures an impressive 1.5 metres in length and stands as a bold testament to design and craftsmanship. Its sleek, symmetrical silhouette, with contours that recall wind-sculpted forms, presents a captivating presence from every angle.
Viewed from the side, the timepiece reveals an elegant arc-shaped profile, while a series of overlapping rings rise above it, culminating in the centrally positioned 5-minute tourbillon at the highest point. The tourbillon has no covering cage and no covering bridge, being equipped with a magnetic suspension to efficiently run the 72 mm balance wheel.
Seen from above or from the side, its intricate components appear to float within the structure, each element in motion contributing to a mesmerizing display.
Every aspect of its three-dimensional architecture has been purposefully conceived to invite the inquisitive eye of the onlooker, encouraging a deeper exploration of its mechanical artistry.

Its design allows people to read the various indications always upright and simultaneously from both sides of the timepiece.

At the heart of the movement lies a five-minute remontoire that gathers energy from the mainspring barrel and releases it in regular pulses. A red-accented indicator, gearless, driven by the remontoire spring, sweeps along a path beside the minute apertures, marking the intermediate minutes. Every five minutes, as the stored energy is released, the red hand moves forward to reach its starting position while the main minute display advance.

The day of the week, the date, the month, and the turn of the year are all governed by a patented perpetual calendar, conceived around the use of eccentric gears. Remarkably, it relies on just seven moving components, including four meshing gears and is capable of fast, reversible motion.

La Vallée’s heritage is deeply rooted in the tradition of bespoke creations. Today, that legacy lives on in timepieces crafted to resonate on a profoundly personal level. The M30TP Aero is no exception—its tourbillon is purposefully engineered to beat at the owner’s resting heart rate, forging an intimate and enduring connection.

For those who appreciate flawless finishing in the world of high-end horology, the M30TP Aero is carefully finished by seasoned hands.

SPECIFIC TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

1. STRIKING INNOVATIVE MOVEMENT STRUCTURE:

Unlike conventional mechanical structures, in which the gears are housed in-between two plates with overlapping dial, the M30TP Aero displays striking three-dimensional architecture. The six quadrants themselves are structural parts designed to connect with two longitudinal elements that accommodate gears and mechanisms in a perfectly symmetrical, floating-like manner.

2. DOUBLE READING INDICATIONS

Each of the six dials of the M30TP Aero is provided with two windows, one opposite the other, designed to enable onlookers to read the time and all the calendar indications correctly from either side of the timepiece. All displayed information, including the year, month, day of the week and date, is expressed in a clear, universally interpretable numerical format enhancing symmetry and making the first observer approach more of a discovery than a direct reading.

3. “7 moving parts” PERPETUAL CALENDAR

The M30TP Aero features an innovative and ground-breaking patented perpetual calendar.

The concept is based on the use of eccentric gears that continuously mesh and therefore allow a reversible motion. As opposed to the usual multi-component calendars, it counts just seven moving elements, including four gears. Therefore, it is extremely reliable, it requires no lubrication and it is extraordinarily easy to use (with just the touch of a finger it can be adjusted both backward and forward at any speed and at any time of the day remaining always synchronised, with no risk of damage).

4. ESCAPEMENT

a. BALANCE WHEEL MAGNETICALLY SUSPENDED

To ensure accuracy throughout the 30-day power reserve period, the huge 70mm, 60 gram weight escapement balance wheel is guided only laterally by two rubies while a magnetic suspension system comprising two shielded opposing magnets holds the entire weight and stabilises the vertical position. The magnetic field opposition, in conjunction with the special shield, ensures an almost zero residual field near the sensitive escapement components.

b. TOURBILLON WITH NO CAGE NOR BRIDGE

The magnetic suspension concept is highlighted by exposing the balance wheel which has no cage or bridge covering it. An annular hairspring - with both inner end curve and outer overcoil - has been developed to expose the special tourbillon bridge that holds the balance upper ruby from the inside.

The tourbillon assembly weight is also magnetically compensated, to reduce bearing friction and improve performance.

c. TOURBILLON DESIGNED TO BEAT AT THE OWNER RESTING HEART RATE

The 5-minute flying tourbillon mechanism conceived to beat at a very low frequency, to induce a state of tranquillity, whenever someone hears its rhythm. La Vallée’s allows the M30TP's owner for an unprecedented level of personalisation to have the tourbillon designed to beat at his (or her) resting heart rate, making the timepiece unbreakably linked to its owner.

d. TRILOBE DELTA-T BALANCE WHEEL

Rather than trying to minimise the effects of individual factors such as the hair spring, balance expansion and oil viscosity, the trilobe balance wheel is adjusted to completely compensate their combined negative effect on timekeeping.

e. PALLET FORK IN ONE LAYER ONLY

The pallet fork has been designed to be manufactured in one layer only including a safety action to prevent overbanking.

f. FIVE MINUTE REMONTOIRE WITH CILYNDRICAL SPRING

A five minute remontoire with a very low energy unlocking system powered by a cylindrical spring, provides consistent batches of energy to the escapement from the mainspring.

g. MINUTE HAND GEARLESS DRIVEN

The minute hand is directly attached to the five-minute remontoire’s cylindrical spring and it is therefore driven gearless, employing what we call “elastic proportionality principle”, and avoiding important energy variations to the escapement.

h. STOP&GO WITH CONSTANT FORCE RELEASE

The 5 minute Tourbillon is provided with a dedicated Stop&Go system designed to release a smooth force for the escapement starting

5. MOVEMENT:

a. POWER RESERVE INDICATORS IN ONLY ONE ADDITIONAL COMPONENT INTEGRATED INSIDE THE BARREL

Integrated power reserve indicator, cleverly housed within the barrel of the timepiece. This compact design uses just one additional component and offers an intuitive and efficient way to monitor the power reserve.

b. MAGNETICAL STABILISED DISC ROTATIONAL SPEED

In the M30TP, all calendar related and hour indications are displayed on rotating discs. To ensure that these discs rotate smoothly and that the user can enjoy a slow change of information, their rotation speed is controlled by two silver flywheels enclosed between two shielded layers of magnets exploiting the Foucault magnetic braking principle. The magnetic field generates a counterforce that stabilises the speed of rotation, ensuring a consistent, flawless movement.

c. DISC DISPLACEMENT SYSTEM

The mechanism that makes the discs, bearing the calendar information, rotate takes the energy from a secondary spring which accumulates energy evenly over 24 hours and release it in a controlled way at midnight. This results in a drastic reduction in the energy required for the calendar indications, ensuring a 30-day power reserve.