OPUS X by Jean-François Mojon for Harry Winston

Mojon designed an unusual construction based on a planetary gear train. Like in a regulator type of watch, the displays of the hours, minutes and seconds are dissociated but it is here that the similarity ends.
The indicators in the Opus X are displayed on three distinct rotating modules that, like so many variable sizes of satellites, rotate around an invisible central ‘sun’, all mounted on a frame that revolves on itself in 24 hours. Placed in orbit, these indicators are fixed at an 8° angle that follows the delicate curve of the sapphire crystal while always maintaining the same orientation (for example, the hour marker for 12 always remains at the top of the satellite) thanks to a mechanism that carries them in a centrifugal motion in the opposite direction of their trajectory around the circumference of the dial. The indicators therefore revolve continuously while remaining oriented in the same manner. In addition, a second time zone, attached directly to the 24-hour frame, is indicated by pointing to a 24-hour scale that is located on the perimeter of the dial.
Utilizing all the resources of the planetary gear train (a variant of the differential that permits the use of three shafts with different rotational speeds, greatly used in mechanics, for example in automatic gear boxes, but rarely used in watchmaking), Mojon and his team designed a 72-hour power reserve indicator at the back of the watch, in which the diameter of the satellite wheel equals the radius of the crown wheel resulting in a linear indication (based on a principle of epicycloids of La Hire’s Theorem, which states that a circle moving along the periphery of another circle of twice its radius generates a straight line on its radius.)
The spectacular spatiality of the timekeeper is accentuated by the absence of a bezel. A sandwich construction allows the sapphire crystal to be placed right up to the edge of the 46-mm case, thanks to the horns that hold it in place.
Strangely (or on the contrary, ‘logically’, one might say), we find the same idea of planetary gear trains at another very small and very young independent brand, Ressence.

 Young satellites

Benoît Mintiens, Ressence creator, a young industrial designer based in Antwerp, came up with the idea of coupling a gear train composed of three orbital satellites within a minute platform to an automatic 2824 calibre. The minutes are indicated on a scale placed at the outer edge of the dial. Inside this platform, one satellite shows the hours, another the seconds and the third displays day or night.
The visual configuration of the dial changes constantly and the three satellites revolve around their invisible axis like the three moons of Saturn. From a design point of view, this Ressence watch offers superb simplicity with a clear reading of the time, greatly enhanced by a three-dimensional sapphire crystal that is placed directly on the case designed without a bezel.

RESSENCE TYPE 02B by Ressence

Beyond the stylistic choices and the ‘motorization’, we see that there is a strong resemblance between the two projects. With his first foray into the fair in Basel, Benoît Mintiens was surprised by the extraordinary welcome he received and was delighted by the solidarity that he encountered with his new colleagues (he took a small stand at the Palace). Concerned however by the enormous attention paid to his pieces by the Chinese (a horde of ‘journalists’ and photographers invaded his stand and photographed his timepieces from all angles, without his permission), Mintiens took the time to go see Harry Winston in order to verify that no patent had been infringed by either party. He said that he was very well received. Isn’t the planetary gear train as old as the study of mechanics? We wish Benoît Mintiens only great success.

 At the chamfered forefront of classicism

The presence at BaselWorld of this passionate young man, who was far from being the only one, demonstrates that above and beyond the economic risks, watchmaking exercises a strong power of attraction that shows no signs of abating. What was different this year, however, was that the most remarkable new arrivals were not so much those who presented the most outrageous propositions, but rather those who took a more intrinsically traditional—nearly ‘puritanical’—approach to their creations.
One example was Laurent Ferrier, whose ultra-classic timepiece incited a great many comments. After having spent more than 37 years at one of Patek Philippe’s workbenches, this new arrival is, in fact, not so young—he was born in 1946. Nevertheless, he decided to launch his own brand, in collaboration with his son Christian, a former constructor at Roger Dubuis. To reach their goals, Laurent Ferrier also joined forces with Michel Navas and Enrico Barberini (the ‘N’ and ‘B’ in BNB, which they left in 2007 to open La Fabrique du Temps in Geneva), in order to create a watch that could be described as ‘hyper classic’, inspired directly by the grand timekeepers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

REF. LCF001-J by Laurent Ferrier

Faithful to the same philosophy as Patek Philippe, Laurent Ferrier decided to focus on the tourbillon, not to improve its decorative qualities like most other brands on the market today, but rather to improve its regulating power. For this reason, it was placed at the back of the watch.
In its design, Laurent Ferrier opted for a Straumann double balance spring, composed of two opposing springs that allow for the maintenance of the centre of gravity of the balance on its axis. The result is a working precision of the order of plus or minus two seconds per day. This tourbillon works with a 31.60-mm manual-winding movement at a frequency of 3Hz (21,600 vibrations per hour) and has a working reserve of 80 hours. Admirably finished (as a very impressed Philippe Dufour stated at BaselWorld), with its chamfered angles—technically and aesthetically more than orthodox—this timeless movement is as precise as it is robust. Placed in a 41-mm classic and perfectly designed case, it features a grand feu enamel dial with painted Roman numerals and Sagaie shaped hands. Totally in line with the grand art of traditional timekeeping.

 Modern times

A sign of the times, Ferrier’s timeless watch (similar in certain respects to one from H. Moser & Cie) overshadowed almost all of the other spectacular propositions that were to be discovered elsewhere at the show. And there were lots, enough to satisfy all sorts of watch aficionados.
Among the other truly spectacular pieces was a watch presented this year by Jean Dunand. We are already familiar with the fastidious and uncompromising design standards of Thierry Oulevay, the driving force and inspiration behind the Jean Dunand brand, who works with Christophe Claret, the man who takes care of the technical design and fabrication. After the Orbital Tourbillon and the Shabaka, the Geneva brand plunged even deeper into its Art Nouveau and Art Déco roots with the Palace. Inspired directly from the construction principles of the Eiffel Tower, drawing from the mechanical imagination of Chaplin’s classic film Modern Times and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, Jean Dunand’s Palace succeeds in intermingling and integrating, in a rather amazing manner, a mechanical construction with a case that is innovative while at the same time reminiscent of this era of splendour. The plates evoke the steel elements of the metallic bridges mounted on ten small pillars visible from the cut-out sides of the case whose arches also call to mind the Eiffel Tower. A tiny linked chain equipped with a minuscule tensioner, recalling the chains of vintage motorcycles, transmits the energy to the barrel. Everything, right down to the slightest detail and the smallest part, has been well thought out and designed in keeping with the major motifs of this historical period.

PALACE by Jean Dunand

On each side of the flying tourbillon, located at 6 o’clock and surmounted with a 60-minute chronograph counter on a sapphire disc, can be seen two linear vertical indicators each evoking an elevator. The one on the right displays the power reserve (72 hours) and the one on the left shows GMT. The 24 hours of the GMT are marked by an arrow that rises vertically. When the disc reaches the top of one scale, the arrow quickly rotates 180 degrees to chart the scale on the other side and moves down in 12 hours. We will come back soon, in more detail, to this imposing single-pusher chronograph, whose titanium case measures 48 mm by 49 mm. Each timepiece is also totally unique.

 The great animations

The Palace is not the only watch to utilize a chain transmission system. The chain, in all its forms, seems actually to be quite popular (is this a post-V4 effect?). Hautlence, with its concept HL2.0, has pushed the spectacular a little bit further with its offer of a veritable kinetic sculpture, where it has structured the display—as we know, displays are this brand’s specialty—around a jumping hour on a 12-link chain moved by a connecting rod system. Like for the Palace, inspiration for the HL2.0 was drawn from the grand epoch of the industrial revolution, in this case by the steam locomotives of yesteryear.
Hautlence has gone even further by having the escapement assembly move with the jumping of every hour, thus jumping 60 degrees from its former position. Like Laurent Ferrier, the Palace uses a Straumann double balance spring, showing that the most traditional types of watchmaking and the most novel creations both draw from the same sources. To my knowledge, it is the first time that we are seeing the regulating organ not only jumping—balance, balance spring, palettes, palettes wheel, fourth wheel and third wheel all make a rotation in an axis parallel to the wrist— but, even more amazing, one that is driven by the display. Generally, the process is the other way around.

HL2 by Hautlence

Moreover, because of the positioning of the balance, the compensation for equilibrium errors of the balance spring is similar to that obtained by a tourbillon. We will come back to this watch also, since it is now in the prototype stage. But in passing, we might mention the consistency in the brand’s approach since Hautlence—which has come back from afar after the departure of one of its two founders—has always insisted on favouring research into various and different types of mechanical displays.
Yet, Hautlence is not the only one to dabble in spectacular displays. One of its Basel cousins, the very punk-rock brand, Ladoire, secretly showed us its next project. While we cannot provide any more details, we can tell you that it will be more than just a Grand Complication. It will be a veritable Grand Animation...

 The pendulum swings back

On the subject of innovation, TAG Heuer once again made a big splash with its rather sensational announcement of the first mechanical movement without a balance spring—the TAG Heuer Pendulum Concept. For the moment, it is only a ‘concept’ because its definitive development has encountered an obstacle—a large one—that we will return to later in the article. The principle of this piece, however, is quite impressive and will probably open new and original avenues in timekeeping.
After having attacked, with its V4, one of the elements in the trilogy of classical mechanical watchmaking—transmission—by introducing the use of belts, TAG Heuer is today turning its attention to the second element—regulation—before perhaps moving into the third element, energy accumulation.
TAG Heuer’s objective is to create a mechanical oscillator that is totally different from anything we know today. Having chosen to maintain the same escapement and the escapement wheel, it was the heart of the system, the balance spring, that the brand’s engineers set their sights upon. This is because the balance spring, however well it performs, is nonetheless sensitive to gravity and to shocks, two fundamental problems that are not entirely solved by using other materials such as silicon, for example.

TAG HEUER PENDULUM CONCEPT

TAG Heuer’s research centred on a totally original technique: a device made up of four magnets. Two of these magnets, a positive and a negative, magnetized in one single direction, are maintained face to face on the inner edge of a fixed rounded support in soft iron, thus forming a sort of Faraday cage. At the centre, in the axis of the balance wheel supported by a traditional bridge, are two magnets on a rotating mobile whose positive and negative poles alternate, thus creating a magnetic field on each part of the device.
To make this work, it was necessary to create a special shape for the magnets in order to make their force ‘linear’ (since one of the problems with magnets is that their strength decreases very rapidly, inversely proportional to the square of the distance). It was also necessary to place them in a precise position in order to control them in three dimensions, therefore allowing them to furnish an adequate linear return torque for the alternating oscillations of the balance.
What are the advantages of this system? There are several. The magnetic fields are not sensitive to gravity or to shocks, which eliminates two of the major problems of the traditional balance spring. In addition, the simplicity of their assembly greatly facilitates the work of the watchmaker. On the other hand, there is a serious stumbling block, as was openly acknowledged by Stéphane Linder, Vice-President in charge of marketing and design—the magnets are very sensitive to temperature, a problem that has not yet been resolved.

The first incarnation of the 1887 movement in the TAG Heuer Carrera 1887 chronograph, which, with its very classic design, favours readability, ergonomics and security (double push-pieces with lateral pressure).

The challenge for TAG Heuer then is to find a type of magnet that is the least sensitive to temperature variations as possible. (In a similar way, it is the same problem that watchmakers faced with the balance spring before the invention of Elinvar by Guillaume in the 1920s.) Once this challenge has been met—who knows when that will be—the Pendulum, with its 6 Hz, 43,200 vibrations per hour, no loss of amplitude, and the possibility to modulate its frequency without overburdening the power supply, we will see significant advantages in terms of precision and performance.
On its industrial side, TAG Heuer this year presented its already famous calibre 1887, a column-wheel chronograph with an oscillating pinion. This was developed, as we officially know now, based on the TC78 by Seiko Instruments. The initial communication ‘bug’ having been promptly corrected (see more on this subject in Europa Star 1/10), the brand was able to then concentrate more serenely on this import-ant realization. TAG Heuer invested 20 million Swiss Francs to develop this original piece along with its industrial production tool, which was configured to manufacture several tens of thousands of movements per year. Clearly, this investment was done within the framework of creating its own movement, assuring TAG Heuer a vital independence in this sector.
The 1887 is a robust movement, designed to be easily serviced while offering high quality performance, thanks notably to a new version of the oscillating pinion invented by Edouard Heuer in 1887, which when associated with the column wheel allows for the ‘coupling’ of the chronograph to 2/1000th of a second. We will also return to this movement in more detail in our next issue.

 Zenith in tenth heaven

Speaking of chronographs, Zenith—another brand in the LVMH portfolio—presented its highly anticipated calibre, the El Primero Striking 10th. This innovative piece, which allows easy reading of 1/10th of a second, remarkably demonstrates the re-orientation of Zenith being carried out by its new management under the direction of Jean-Frédéric Dufour.
Zenith is returning to its historical roots, where precision is a cardinal horological value, something ignored by the flamboyancy of the previous years. At the same time, the brand is being repositioned economically to offer real content and value for a ‘correct’ price. In this case, the price is around €8,000 for a steel case and leather bracelet, which competes directly with the all steel Daytona for €7600.
With the Striking 10th, Zenith was ‘simply’ intending to display the natural performance of the El Primero movement. With its 36,000 vibrations per hour, it requires its chronographic hand to make ten jumps per second (remember that one hour has 3,600 seconds). Up to the present, this particularity was not readable in tenths of a second on the dial. The questions Zenith’s engineers asked themselves were how to transmit them in order to display them?
The classic sweep seconds hand, making either one rotation of the dial in one second, or depending on the case, four or five jumps per second, does not allow for an easy division of short periods of time, for example divisions of 1/8th or 1/5th of a second. Zenith’s solution was therefore to graduate the periphery of the dial into 100 divisions, which the hand would cover in ten seconds, with each division corresponding to so many 1/10ths of the total.

EL PRIMERO Striking 10th by Zenith

Still, for the display, it was necessary to find a technical solution to capture these ten div-isions per second. At the heart of the system is a double wheel made of silicon that turns at 36,000 vibrations per hour and is directly connected to the coupling wheel. This drives the 100-toothed chronograph wheel corresponding to 100 1/10ths of a second per rotation around the dial completed in 10 seconds.
When the stop is activated, the coupling gear moves precisely into the silicon double wheel. The hand—via the 100-toothed chronograph wheel—stops instantaneously before one of these 100 divisions. Contrary to comments heard here and there, this very lovely realization is not the first mechanical watch to indicate 1/10th of a second. Among others was a Longines chronograph in the 1970s that util-ized the Vernier scale (a principle that bears the name of its inventor who described it in 1631, and that is found, for example, in the calliper rule). The hand is directly extended by a minuscule movable scale ranging from 0 to 9 that, by alignment on the seconds scale, indicates the 10th. Another example, closer to our time, is TAG Heuer’s Grand Carrera Calibre 36 Caliper Chronograph, which uses the same Vernier principle but integrated into a mobile scale inside the dial.
On the other hand, this is really the first time that the principle of sweep seconds has been used at the 1/10th level, one that only an oscillation of 36,000 vibrations per hour would allow. Whatever the case, the Striking 10th is certainly emblematic of the new path being followed by Zenith. And beyond that, of our era?

 The serenity of two temples

Not far from Zenith, at the most preferred location in the show, the booths of the two watch behemoths stand facing each other on either side of the large central corridor: Rolex and Patek Philippe. These structures are, in a certain way, like two temples. One is in the form of an impregnable fortress complete with an esplanade leading to a grand stairway. The other is white, with softer lines, a bit reminiscent of the Guggenheim Museum.
At these two temples, the often-touted slogan of ‘return to basics’ is not applicable. Why? For the simple reason that neither of these two brands has ever (or nearly ever) deviated from this premise. When you enter into their imposing stands, you know what to expect and, in the midst of the Basel maelstrom, I can assure you that this is very reassuring and welcoming.

SUBMARINER DATE by Rolex

At Rolex, the presentation was very pragmatic. The latest models were brought out—no startling news, no rupture with the past. It is always the same thing, but it is always better, and therein resides the secret of Rolex. With some discreet touches—a few small improvements, the use of different materials, notably Cerachrome, the play of colours—the models become more sophisticated and, as always, are impeccably motorized. Rolex is to watches what German cars are to the automobile—a sure value.
At the same time as we were shown the watches, we were told their prices. The new and lovely Submariner Date with a bezel in Cerachrome and blue Chromalight costs 7,600 CHF. What about its green version with a green gold dial? For this, you are looking at 8,100 CHF. As for the new 39-mm Explorer with a Parachrom balance spring and Paraflex shock absorbers, it has a price tag of 5,900 CHF. Then there is the new 31-mm DateJust Lady with a choice of dials in chocolate, olive green, or purple that ranges from 6,500 CHF to 14,000 CHF depending on how many diamonds you want. These prices are a simple way to demonstrate that, in the price/quality/prestige equation, Rolex has no competition—and is not about to have any in the near future. Why? Contrary to the image of ‘supreme luxury’ that Rolex has acquired and due to the fact that Rolex is obviously out of reach for the majority of the population on the planet, we can nonetheless still say that it is the most affordable of the prestige brands.
In terms of frivolous luxury of the last decade, even if it is not in the best shape these days, we were still able to find great examples of it in the colourful corridors of the big BaselWorld powwow.

Rolex seems firmly decided to promote its second brand, Tudor, and give it the means to finance its new ambitions. We have seen over the last few months the increase in the brand’s communication that multiplies the initiatives in the domain of sports and other publicity events. This renewed drive for Tudor, led by a young team, is based on two major lines, Grand Tour and Glamour. Emblematic of the current vogue for ‘going flatter’, the lovely Tudor Heritage Chrono, as its name indicates, draws inspiration from the historic brand’s past (founded in 1929). It has reworked and modernized the forms and proportions of the case, bezel, horns, and bracelets of its 1970s timepiece dedicated to car racing. Surfing on the ‘vintage’ vogue, which highlights even more the black, orange and grey cloth strap, this Tudor piece is quite attractive and is priced around €3,000.

 Cleansing the eyes

Across the aisle at Patek Philippe, in a completely different ambiance and in a segment even more prestigious, we were able to ‘cleanse the eyes’, in a manner of speaking—that is, to clear from our eyes all the excesses that clouded our vision, while relaxing and contemplating what we could quite simply call magnificent timekeeping. There were no sensational announcements but rather constant and continuous work that is perfectly in tune with the times, while the brand has not forgotten where it came from and why it does what it does.
Today, Patek Philippe is stronger that it was before the ‘crisis’, reinforced by the determination of the family, their development choices, and the solidarity of its distribution. At the same time, the brand has taken the luxury of creating its own Poinçon or Hallmark.
The biggest news at the fair was the brand’s chronograph 5170, of which we have already spoken about at length in our preceding issue (see Europa Star 2/10). It is the crowning point of a strategy aimed at gradually developing its own completely in-house offer of manual and automatic chronographic movements, which are designed and constructed in a manner to become immediate ‘classics’.

5950A and 5951P by Patek Philippe

In order to mark its regained pre-eminence in the domain of the chronograph, Patek Philippe also presented a single pusher flyback chronograph, the Reference 5950A, equipped with the new Calibre CH-27-525PS. Available in a stainless steel case, this sophisticated 5.35-mm movement is a record, and is individually handcrafted. We should not take the steel case to be a ‘provocation’ but rather as a sort of homage to this industrial material par excellence, and to the opening of a new niche segment in the market of collectors and aficionados.
The finished product is both very technical—with a railroad motion-works on a silvered opaline dial—and yet vaguely vintage—with the decoration of stylized leaves engraved on the four corners of the dial.
Still in the domain of the chronograph, we moved on to the grand complication with a ‘retro contemporary’ appearance enhanced by the cushion case. Featuring a single pusher, perpetual calendar, lunar phase, flyback chronograph, the Reference 5951P is the world’s flattest. The 400 components of its Calibre CH R 27.525PS Q are contained within a space measuring 27.30 mm in diameter and 7.30 mm in height.
Superbly designed, marvellously proportioned, and classic with perfect readability, this timepiece is one of those that, like we stated above, helped to ‘cleanse our eyes’ during the hubbub at BaselWorld.

 Small and large families

Family businesses have something that sets them apart. Perhaps it is, quite simply, the time they have before them. This is what we concluded as we went from the Patek Philippe stand to the Hermès booth. The ‘family’ in question at Hermès is a lot larger than at Patek Philippe. Yet, a special spirit continues to dominate the brand’s attitude. Hermès is a ‘protestant’ luxury, if we might use these two terms in the same sentence, which grows by progressive acquisitions since the company understands that it takes time to learn—and to dominate—various domains including leather, silk, and finally, of course, watches.
Since 1978, with the creation of La Montre Hermès in Bienne (by the sorely missed and very brilliant Jean-Louis Dumas, who recently passed away), Hermès has gradually acquired a large amount of watchmaking savoir-faire and has now entered into the arena with the biggest players.
Luc Perramond, a former official with TAG Heuer during the time of Christian Viros, is the new CEO and General Manager. Parramond replaces Guillaume de Seyne, a member of the family, who moved on to higher responsibilities. Luc Perramond’s aim is to “solidly anchor La Montre Hermès in the circle of prestige Swiss watch brands.” The positioning has also evolved. The brand’s mechanical line, which today accounts for 20 per cent of turnover, is expected to grow to 40 per cent. While the proportion of men’s to ladies’ timepieces is still 25/75 per cent, Perramond says that this will change as the brand’s men’s line increases, with the ratio moving to 40/60 per cent. Parallel to the rise in strength of the masculine mechanical watch, Hermès is getting ready to “put more timekeeping substance into its feminine watches.” To reach these goals, Parramond benefits from two major advantages, especially in these uncertain economic times: an excellent price/quality ratio (the average retail price is about €2,000 with entry level prices as low as €1,000); and the fact that consumers consider Hermès to be a ‘safe investment’. As evidence of this, Hermès enjoyed global growth overall in 2009, with watches registering only a small decrease of 9 per cent, which allowed the firm to weather the economic storm without laying anyone off (100 employees in Bienne, 50 in the subsidiaries). According to Luc Perramond, 2010 has already started with a double-digit growth rate.

CAP COD TOURBILLON and CAP COD GRANDEs HEURES by Hermès

As a visible demonstration of its determination to enter into the arena of prestige timekeeping, Hermès intends to develop a series of exceptional timekeepers every year in the domain of the complicated movement. To this end, it will collaborate with Vaucher (whose health is, at the moment, a little wobbly as shown by its announcement of some 50 layoffs), in which Hermès is a stakeholder. It also intends to utilize the various types of watchmaking arts and skills such as engraving and enamel.
This year, the first Hermès tourbillon sees the light of day, in an exceptionally classic Cape Cod case, followed by a Lunar Phases model in the Cape Cod series. In Dressage can be found an Arceau Pocket, a Perpetual Calendar and an Annual Calendar while the Cape Cod Grandes Heures features its variable speed hour hand. This poetic and technical treatment of displaying the time opens up a rather special avenue for Hermès—one of ‘tamed time’ or ‘imaginary time’ that the brand intends to further develop. Moreover, Hermès is presenting a series of timekeepers that pay homage to the arts and skills associated with traditional watchmaking with very lovely examples of engraving on mother-of-pearl, grand feu enamelling (inspired by the famous Hermès ‘squares’), and skeletonising. Certainly, a very convincing demonstration.

 Architects of (re-conquering) time

Another demonstration, but this time of getting back into the saddle, was seen at Ebel. With a new brand language, new campaign, new products, and new models, Ebel has begun “the job of re-conquering the markets”, which have changed in the meantime, according to Marc Michel-Amadry, one of the co-directors of the brand. “Consumers today want content. They want a strong and timeless brand. And for them, price has become a central element.”
A “strong and timeless brand” is exactly the message the new marketing campaign wants to get across. “We have returned to the initial campaign of the Architects of Time, but have strengthened it considerably. We have taken the idea of the imprint left by time on all matter by truly sculpting the watches featured in our campaign in clay, sand, chalk, silk, water, etc.,” explains Marc Michel-Amadry. Clearly, the campaign has moved far from the “‘ambassadors’ to centre essentially on the product. It is also being planned out for the long term (at least five to ten years).

CLASSIC SPORT by Ebel

In all cases, the new strategy corresponds closely to the very fine work accomplished by Ebel on the ‘architectural’ details that give the pieces their identity. The new Classic Sport is thus still purely ‘Ebelic’ in nature but it has been refined by subtle sculptural work on its single-block case as well as the structuring of three rows on its wave bracelet. With an aggressive entry-level price of 1,690 CHF (you can figure on 2,490 CHF for a mechanical movement), this is undoubtedly a piece designed to ‘re-conquer’ the market.

 Squaring the circle

The same spirit of ‘re-conquest’ was seen at Maurice Lacroix whose CEO, Martin Bachmann, affirmed, “It is now the moment to reconsider the positioning of the brand for the long term.” What does he mean by that? Basically, that Maurice Lacroix “wants to be perceived as a contemporary brand, and that the accent will be placed on this modernity,” all while remaining situated essentially in a very affordable price range.
From a stylistic point of view, Maurice Lacroix has abandoned its classic and very elaborate dials in favour of a resolutely contemporary design, whether in terms of its lines or in the utilization of materials. The most convincing example we saw was certainly the Pontos Décentrique Lunar Phases in a superbly designed brushed titanium case, featuring the date at 6 o’clock in a teardrop-shaped opening (the system for the disc return of the date has been patented), hours on a rotating disc, indication of the date of the next full moon, and a superimposed double sapphire disc, one indicating the phase of the moon and the other showing day or night. The 500 pieces of this limited series are priced at 7,900 CHF, while the very impressive Pontos Power Reserve sells for 2,950 CHF, and the Day Date for 2,150 CHF.

MASTERPIECE RÉGULATEUR ROUE CARRÉE by Maurice Lacroix

On a more traditional side, the Les Classiques collection, equally well designed by the talented Sandro Reginelli, has grown, now welcoming a number of new functions such as a retrograde day and a large date. The Valjoux chronograph remains classic and very readable.
Yet, to demonstrate that Maurice Lacroix has not lost its special spirit for innovation (while waiting for the famous Memory One), it has surged ahead, leaving the other brands in the dust, by being the first to introduce the famous ‘form wheels’, theorized by Michel Vermot while he was a professor at the Haute Ecole ARC. This is the same Michel Vermot who now heads up the technical department at Maurice Lacroix.
With the Masterpiece Régulateur Roue Carrée, Maurice Lacroix presents a world’s first: an open-worked square wheel that, driven by a wheel in the form of a cloverleaf, points to the hour using a raised corner. The minutes are shown on a central hand while the small seconds hand is at 6 o’clock, and the power reserve (48 hours) indicator is at 3 o’clock. The great difficulty of this very original device was in defining the spacing and shape of the teeth in order to ensure constant power transmission through the gear. The solution was to use LIGA technology to create the wheels. From a visual standpoint, the result is stunning. Adding to the effect is that the dial is actually the movement’s main plate and is finished with a black gold rim. Visible through the sapphire crystal case back is the beautiful anthracite movement with its linear satin finish. This piece is certainly emblematic of the new direction taken by Maurice Lacroix.

 A return to the ébauches