German independent Kudoke has carved out its own niche with a distinctive blend of English-inspired movements and Germanic attention-to-detail in its Handwerk line of watches. The latest addition to the line is the Kudoke 3, which largely sticks to the successful formula of prior models, but offers a twist in the form of a split-level dial and triple-scale hour display.

Once known primarily for ostentatiously skeletonised Unitas calibers, such as the watch worn by Dominic Monaghan’s character in Last Looks, Kudoke hit the reset button in 2019 with Handwerk line comprised of the Kudoke 1 and 2. The collection introduced a more restrained design aesthetic and importantly, brand’s first proprietary movement. The Kudoke 3 continues down this path, but goes further in terms of creative design.

The Handwerk collection (from left): Kudoke 1, Kudoke 2, and Kudoke 3

Initial thoughts

As a fan of modern German (and historical English) watchmaking, I’ve been impressed with the brand’s work since the launch of the Kudoke 1. Like Habring² and Laine, Kudoke offers a compelling alternative to mass-produced luxury watches.

The Kudoke 3 is a thoughtful and unconventional addition to the Dresden-based brand’s growing collection, offering a novel time display with three scales for the hours along with a three-armed hour hand. This triple-scale calls to mind the distinctive seconds register of the 1990s Daniel Roth tourbillon (recently reborn as the Tourbillon Souscription), but here it is used for the hours rather than the seconds.

As with most unusual time displays, legibility is not the best, but the design is clearly in service of distinctive aesthetics rather than functionality. As a watch that continues the recognisable Kudoke styling while being instantly different, the Kudoke 3 succeeds well.

While the styling is new, the Kudoke 3 continues to offer the value proposition that made its predecessors successful. At €9,350, its price tag is on par with mass-market brands that offer little-to-no hand craftsmanship. In contrast, the Kudoke 3 combines with originality and craftsmanship, making it superb value-for-money.

English-inspired, German-made

Like the earlier models in the Handwerk series, the Kudoke 3 sports a silvered and frosted dial with heat-blued hands – uncommon features at this price point.

Despite the split-level dial, the Kudoke 3 manages to stay relatively thin. At 10.3mm, it is actually a tad slimmer than the Kudoke 2.

An important part of the Kudoke value proposition is inside the case: the proprietary Kaliber 1 unveiled in 2018 that features a distinctive English-style, gilt-frosted full bridge, engraved balance cock, and heat-blued screws.

A fully engraved version of the Kaliber 1 that is available on request

Constructed with the help of Habring2, the movement is based on the Habring2 A11 (which in turn borrows from the gear train of the Valjoux 7750 for maximum reliability and serviceability). This is a pragmatic and customer-friendly approach to independent watchmaking that enables Kudoke to offer the kind of reliability that is usually found only in industrial-scale production – all the while ensuring affordability.

The hand-engraved balance cock, which is unusual at this price point, is decorated with an infinity symbol, a recurring emblem for the Handwerk collection. The symbol also forms the 60-minute marker on the dial and the counterweight of the minute hand.

The Kaliber 1 in its standard guise

A new workshop

As a brand, Kudoke is small but growing, having first caught collectors’ attention in 2019 when the Kudoke 2 won the Petite Aiguille – the category for watches under CHF10,000 – at the 2019 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG)

This success was followed by the Kudoke 2 “Zodiac”, a 21-piece limited edition created to mark the 10th anniversary of SJX Watches. Fully engraved by hand front-and-back, the Zodiac was nominated for the Artistic Crafts prize in 2022.

Naturally, these high-profile successes have led to increased demand. In response, Kudoke now employee five people and is preparing to move into a new facility later this year.

The Zodiac

Key facts and price

Kudoke 3
Ref. KUD3

Diameter: 39 mm
Height: 10.3mm
Material: Stainless steel
Water resistance: 50 m

Movement: Kaliber 1
Functions: Hours and minutes
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Winding: Hand-wound
Power reserve: 46 hours

Strap: Louisiana alligator or Alcantara

Availability: Direct from Kudoke
Price: Starting from €9,350 in steel, excluding taxes

For more, visit Kudoke.eu.

Founded by watchmakers Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat, Petermann Bédat made its debut with the 1967 powered by an elaborately finished movement featuring a deadbeat seconds.

Now, the duo has just unveiled their next creation which is a step-up in complexity – the 2941 Monopusher Split-Seconds Chronograph. Presented in a 38 mm platinum case and limited to ten pieces, the 2941 follows the design language of the 1967 with a transparent dial and an emphasis on movement finishing.

Initial thoughts

The 2941 at a glance is a conceptually impressive release that meets the high expectations resulting from its previous release. But perhaps one may ponder over the under-dial execution of the split-seconds mechanism (as opposed to a traditional approach that puts it on the back).

Undoubtedly, the finishing remains top notch. The movement sports numerous gracefully formed bridges and a notable emphasis on black-polished components.

More broadly, it is uncommon to see a new chronograph movement designed from the ground up, even more so a rattrapante with an instantaneously jumping minute counter.

That said, the movement architecture seems paradoxical. Part of the appeal of a finely-finished split-seconds chronograph is the intricate and layered view of the rattrapante mechanism on top of the chronograph seen through a display case back.

Thus, Petermann Bedat’s approach of installing the split-seconds under the dial is questionable, particularly considering the near-US$265,000 price tag. This is reminiscent of the industrial approach used by Breitling and Franck Muller that places a split-second module on the base chronograph movement under the dial – paradoxical considering the quality of finish found in the 2941.

This makes the price of CHF243,000 before taxes (equivalent to US$265,000 today) a little steep, despite the elaborate finish and unique architecture.

There’s the inevitable comparison with another independent watchmaker, Atelier de Chronométrie. While arguably not as meticulously finish and also not original since it’s a reworked vintage Venus 185, the Atelier de Chronométrie AdC#8 cost less than half the 2941.

That said, the 2941 is within the ballpark for as such things, namely a high-end, in-house split-seconds built as a limited run by an independent watchmaker.

The split seconds mechanism that is hidden under the dial

Modern case

As with the 1967, the 2941 dial is centred on a clear sapphire chapter ring with a centre in frosted platinum. While the clear chapter ring reveals the chronograph mechanism and keyless works, the platinum centre unfortunately hides the key element under the dial – the rattrapante mechanism. This ends up defeating one of the reasons for having the split-seconds mechanism under the dial.

The design element that jumps out are the oversized registers. The constant seconds is located at nine o’clock, mirroring the instantaneously jumping minutes register at three. Both sub-dials are large enough to be almost as wide as the radius of the dial, giving it something of a googly-eyed look.

The 2941 is a monopusher rattrapante with the start-stop pusher located coaxially within the crown at three o’clock. Meanwhile, the rattrapante pusher is located at ten o’clock – this button “splits” the blued rattrapante hand that is otherwise hidden under the gold chronograph seconds hand.

Despite the notable complication, the 2941 comes packed in a modestly-sized, 38 mm platinum case that stands 13.7 mm, giving it dimensions similar to the 1967.

The case profile is notably modern and sleek, having tapered lugs that slope diagonally outwards, creating the impression of a trapezoid case middle. Likewise, the rattrapante pusher at ten o’clock takes the form of a parallelogram, further enhancing the sleekness. The bezel has a slightly domed sapphire crystal, making the 13.7 mm thickness appear relatively svelte.

Integrated, monopusher rattrapante

Of course, the highlight of the 2941 is the cal. 202 within – a 30 mm-diameter, monopusher split-seconds chronograph with an instantaneous jumping minute counter.

Unlike most high-end rattrapantes on the market, the cal. 202 is designed with the chronograph and rattrapante mechanisms split between the front and back of the movement. Thus, while most of the conventional chronograph mechanisms are visible through the display back, the monopusher actuation lever and rattrapante mechanisms are located under the dial.

This implies that a future variant of the movement sans rattrapante is easily feasible, since the rattrapante parts can be removed, although that would leave an empty space hidden under the dial centre.

Visible through the display back is a lateral-clutch monopusher chronograph. Partly thanks to the column wheel actuation lever being located on the other side, this allows the chronograph components to be spaced out, emphasising the thin and slender steel levers.

In contrast, most manual-wind rattrapante movements have their maximum height around the centre due to the split-seconds mechanism and a high density of components, resulting in a beautifully intricate view especially when the parts are well-finished. It may be a missed opportunity for Petermann Bédat not to have have gone with a traditional rattrapante construction that would have fully showcased its finishing.

And the finishing is exemplary. The steel components are instance are constructed with many curves and inner angles, and then finished with black polishing, making them a highlight of the movement. The black polishing even extends to the curved detent springs that are visible throughout the movement in an almost-organic layout.

A signature design element carried over from the 1967 movement are the arrowheads. Here they are most prominent on the lateral clutch lever and minute counter impulse isolator.

A notable detail of Petermann Bédat movements are the exceptionally large jewel bearings in huge countersinks – here the largest of them supports the barrel and sits in a massive countersink that is framed by two of the chronograph levers encircling it in a figure-of-eight shape.

Key facts and price

Petermann Bédat Monopusher Split-Seconds Chronograph
Ref. 2941 (platinum)

Diameter: 38.6 mm
Height: 13.7 mm
Material: Platinum
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: Unspecified

Movement: Cal. 202
Features: Hours, minutes, monopusher chronograph, split seconds
Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Winding: Manual
Power reserve: 42 hours

Strap: Alligator leather strap

Limited edition: 10 pieces
Availability: Direct from Petermann Bedat or authorised retailers
Price: CHF243,000 excluding VAT

For more, visit petermann-bedat.ch

The long anticipated revival of Urwerk’s first model has finally arrived: the UR-102 “Reloaded” is modelled on the watch Urwerk presented at its debut Basel fair in 1997.

The new UR-102 preserves the pebble-like form of the original but with enough tweaks to make it different, most notably with a larger case and revamped time display. But the new watch comes with a big caveat: it’s available only as part of a box set containing two UR-102s, one in titanium and the other all black.

Initial thoughts

I was looking forward to Urwerk’s revival of the UR-102. And I’m not disappointed with the result – except for the fact that it’s sold only as a pair.

The “Reloaded” version is obviously modelled on the 1997 original, but it’s also clearly a different creation. For one, it’s larger and the time display has been redesigned. Add to that the restyled lugs and repositioned crown and you have a watch that’s very much distinct.

In short, the new UR-102 is not a remake but a successful and appealing reinterpretation of the original. Leaving aside its origins, the UR-102 also has intrinsic appeal. It’s a clean, attractive design with sci-fi vibes.

But the UR-102 is being sold as a pair – both identical save for the case finish. Despite the merits of the watch and appeal of the brand, I dislike the fact that buyers are compelling to buy two near-identical watches (or find someone to split the set with, which from personal experience is harder than it sounds).

Fortunately it is a certainty that future iterations of the UR-102 will be launched, as is typical practice for Urwerk. I’m guessing they’ll be available individually, making them more accessible.

Coming full circle

At 41 mm the UR-102 “Reloaded” is noticeably larger than the 1997 original that was just 38 mm wide.

The enlarged case retains the same streamlined outline that was inspired by the Soviet-era Sputnik satellite. While the original had a conventionally positioned crown, the new UR-102 has the crown at four o’clock, further differentiating it from the original.

Offered with either a matte titanium or matte, black-coated titanium, the case also featured redesigned lugs that are more angular and prominent than those on the original.

The complication remains a wandering hours but the display now includes script relating to the history of the UR-102 as well as the distance travelled by the Earth around the Sun since the model was launched in 1997.

And of course the new UR-102 is powered by a contemporary calibre, the automatic cal. 20.2 that’s most probably a Zenith Elite base movement with Urwerk’s own wandering hours module.

The two versions of the UR-102 “Reloaded” are available only in a box set that’s limited to 25.

Key Facts and Price

Urwerk UR-102 “Reloaded” (box set of two watches)

Diameter: 41 mm
Height: 11.3 mm
Material: Steel and titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: Cal. 20.2
Functions: Hours and minutes
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 48 hours

Strap: Textured rubber and fabric with pin buckle

Limited edition: 25 box sets
Availability: At Urwerk retailers
Price: CHF56,000 excluding taxes

For more, visit Urwerk.com.

After more than a year of rumours, LVMH finally confirmed the long expected with its February announcement of the relaunch of Daniel Roth. And now the brand officially debuts its inaugural watch, the Tourbillon Souscription.

Modelled on the Daniel Roth tourbillon of 1988, the Tourbillon Souscription is almost a remake of the original from thirty-five years ago. It retains the same styling characterised by a double-ellipse case and one-minute tourbillon at six, but is entirely new in terms of mechanics: inside is a brand-new mechanical movement developed by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton (LFT).

Initial thoughts

I got in touch with Daniel Roth and his wife Nicolas after learning of the brand’s revival. They indicated their approval of the project. Their approval will probably have little impact on the new watches since they aren’t involved in the brand’s comeback, but it is certainly good to know.

Being a homage to the brand’s origins, the Tourbillon Souscription is a good opening act in its revival. But for the resurrected brand to have longevity and relevance, it would have to do more than remakes; it will have to create new and original products that channel the spirit of the originals, a point I made in my earlier editorial.

A Daniel Roth tourbillon from the 1990s

The Tourbillon Souscription is clearly inspired by the original watches of the 1990s. It retains the same dimensions and almost all the details, right down to the hobnail guilloche dial. In fact, it’s close enough to the original that the two are probably indistinguishable at a distance, at least to casual observers.

But enough has been changed that the keenest eyes will instantly recognise this as a modern-day watch, most obviously with the champagne dial, a colour that was never available with the originals.

Another tweak is the revised typography on the dial, which I am not a fan of. Although the markings on the dial are identical to that on the original, they are now in a sans serif font that seems at odds with the classical nature of the design. According to a brand insider, the modern font was chosen to reflect the contemporary nature of the Tourbillon Souscription. While I can appreciate the reasoning, I think it looks out of place.

The Tourbillon Souscription will cost CHF140,000 before taxes – fair considering the quality and proprietary movement. And that is also true when comparing it to comparable offerings on the market today. However, the price still almost double the most recent auction results for a 1990s Daniel Roth tourbillon (which is arguably valued too strongly today considering its fairly ordinary Lemania movement).

Although I have yet to see the prototype of the Tourbillon Souscription, I am sure it will feel exactly the same as an original since both are practically the same size.

More importantly, I am confident that the quality of execution is as good as that of the original, perhaps even slightly better. The team at LFT is talented and also enjoys the advances in manufacturing and finishing that have accumulated in the three decades since Mr Roth founded his brand.

Though hidden behind the case back, the DR001 movement inside has the details that one would expect from LFT, which was founded by Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini. The two played a crucial role in the Laurent Ferrier tourbillon, one of the better high-end tourbillon movements of recent years, so they clearly have what to takes to create a fine movement.

And from a philosophical standpoint, the Tourbillon Souscription might be even more “independent watchmaking” in terms of mechanics despite LFT being a subsidiary of Louis Vuitton. That’s because the calibre inside is unique to Daniel Roth, whereas the original Daniel Roth watches relied on either stock or lightly modified Lemania calibres.

The opening act

A brand that enjoyed its heyday in the 1990s, Daniel Roth was successful then because of its style and complications, most notably the tourbillon, of which several hundred were made. After the brand parted from its namesake founder due to financial distress, it bounced around several owners, before finding its (likely) permanent home at LFT, the complications factory owned by Louis Vuitton.

The revived brand’s opening act is the Tourbillon Souscription, which according to the brand is based on the C187, a double-faced tourbillon with power reserve and date indicators on its back, the brand’s very first model of 1988. Like the early examples of the C187, the Tourbillon Souscription has a hobnail guilloche dial, a motif that was later replaced by vertical fluting.

That said, the Tourbillon Souscription is single faced with a solid back. That means it’s actually remake of the less common single-faced tourbillon of the 1990s, the C186.

The Tourbillon Souscription measures 38.6 mm by 35.5 mm on its front, the same as the classic Daniel Roth case, but stands just 9.2 mm high, thinner than the C187 and about the same as the C186 single-face tourbillon.

But unlike any of the originals, the Tourbillon Souscription has a champagne-tone dial, something that was not available in the original series. Interestingly, it is produced by Kari Voutilainen’s workshop, the same location that produces Voutilainen watches (as opposed to Comblemine, the dial maker owned by Voutilainen).

As a result, the dial connects the past and present of independent watchmaking: it is an element of contemporary independent watchmaking inside a watch that pays tribute to a much earlier era of the same genre.

As it was with the original, the tourbillon cage at six o’clock is fitted with a three-armed seconds hand that is read in tandem with the triple-scale for the seconds. Although the tourbillon regulator largely preserves the aesthetics of the original, it is noticeably different. Most apparent is the fact that the tourbillon now has a lower profile, with the upper cage sitting on the same plane as the seconds scale.

Inside is the DR001 developed by LFT, the complications specialist that is responsible for Louis Vuitton’s increasingly impressive stable of complicated watches.

Because the cofounders of LFT, Messrs Navas and Barbasini, were both instrumental in conceiving the Laurent Ferrier LF619 tourbillon movement, it is perhaps unsurprising that the DR001 shares a few of the LF619’s features. One is the  generous 80-hour power reserve, and another is the mirror-polished linear winding click for the barrel ratchet wheel.

The Tourbillon Souscription will be sold on a “subscription” basis, meaning that buyers will have to pay a deposit upon order confirmation, while the balance is due upon delivery in early 2024. The watches will be available at a handful of retailers around the world.

Key facts and price

Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription
Ref. DR0011YG-01

Diameter: 38.6 mm by 35.5 mm
Height: 9.2 mm
Material: 18K yellow gold 3N
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: DR001
Features: Hours, minutes, seconds, and a one-minute tourbillon
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Winding: Manual winding
Power reserve: 80 hours

Strap: Calfskin strap with pin buckle

Limited edition: 20 pieces 
Availability: Only available through selected retail partners of Daniel Roth via subscription with delivery by early 2024
Price: CHF140,000 excluding taxes

For more, visit Daniel-roth.ch.

Beginning in early April, Sotheby’s spring sale season in Hong Kong also marks the auctioneer’s 50th anniversary in Asia. One of the headline sales is Important Watches I, a 210-lot sale that spans notable complications, artisanal decoration, and of course, independent watchmaking.

The indie line up includes heavy hitters from the likes of F.P. Journe, Richard Mille, and Philippe Dufour, but also a few potential value buys such as the Christophe Claret Blackjack 21. And in the mix are some surprises, like the FVF Tourbillon Superligero.

The auction takes place on April 5, 2023. Registration for bidding and the full catalogue can be accessed here.

Lot 2101: Gérald Genta Fantasy Retro Mickey Mouse in 18k white gold

Gérald Genta was the first watch brand to place cartoon character in high-end watches, well before it became a fad amongst luxury watchmakers. The Fantasy collection depicted various Disney characters, usually combined with retrograde complications. Such watches are common enough that a few appear every auction season, but almost always in steel or occasionally yellow gold.

This example, surprisingly, is entirely in 18k white gold, case and bracelet, making it very uncommon. While it will pass for steel at a distance, the heft of the case and bracelet is a giveaway. 

The case is 36 mm, compact by today’s standards but the typical size for a men’s watch in the 1990s and early 2000s. And the dial is mother of pearl – Genta was a pioneer in exotic dial materials – with Mickey Mouse enjoying a game of golf.

Like the rest of the Fantasy Retro watches, this is mechanically straightforward. It’s powered by an ETA movement with a Genta module on top. It indicates the minutes with a golf club wielded by Mickey, while hours are in a window at four o’clock.

This watch retains the original warranty card dated 2004 and presentation box. It carries an estimate of HK$80,000-120,000, or about US$10,200-15,300. 

You can find out more in the catalogue.

Lot 2144: FVF Tourbillon Superligero

The story of Franc Vila is one of failure and redemption: the Spaniard founded his namesake brand in 2005, riding the wave of demand for independent watchmaking during the period. His big and bold timepieces covered in materials like carbon fibre were perfect for the era. But like many highfliers of the period, the Franc Vila brand folded in the ensuring bust.

But Mr Vila made a comeback in 2018 with FVF, short for “Franc Villa Founder”. With FVF Mr Vila revealed a more cohesive vision and a certainly more thoughtful watch, the Tourbillon Superligero. Only a handful have been made to date, but this example has emerged at Sotheby’s.

The Tourbillon Superligero is a a distinctive watch that is all about the extensively open-worked movement that’s been constructed in in a near-symmetrical manner. It features a one-minute flying tourbillon at six o’clock, a heptagonal roller showing the day of the week at 12 o’clock, and in between the two, a spherical day and night indicator. And the calibre boasts an impressive 100-hour power reserve.

The titanium case is constructed with minimal metal: it’s essentially a case middle with tall sapphire crystals on both sides, allowing for a panoramic view of the movement. And it also ensures the watch is lightweight despite the size.

Despite the modern aesthetics, the FVF1 movement inside is decorated surprisingly well. In fact, the finishing is comparable to that of established, high-end brands like Vacheron Constantin and Chopard. This is especially evident on the “V” shaped base plate, which boasts prominent bevelling.

The FVF Tourbillon Superligero is accompanied by a carry-on suitcase and has an estimate of HK$240,000-400,000, or about US$30,600-51,000. 

You can find out more in the catalogue.

Lot 2149: Gérald Genta Success Perpetual Calendar

While Gerald Genta is best known for the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus, the late designer was more adventurous when it came to designs for his own brand, often experimenting with shapes and materials.

But unsurprisingly, one of his bestselling creations for his namesake brand was another octagonal watch, known as the Success. Like much else he designed, the Success was inspired by his fascination with sailing and maritime exploration. Its bezel is reminiscent of a ship’s wheel, while the crown brings to mind a diving helmet.

In the context of modern design the Success is an unconventional shape and also small at just 35 mm in diameter. But it is interesting while being good value considering the materials and complication.

This example is a quintessential Success model, featuring a perpetual calendar with moon phase. Like most other Genta watches of the period, the dial was crafted from unusual materials, including lapis lazuli for the moon phase disc, mother-of-pearl for the calendar rings, and carbon fibre for the dial itself.

The case on the other hand is retro: 18k yellow gold case matched with a five-link bracelet also in yellow gold. This example features a solid case back that hides the ultra-thin F. Piguet automatic movement within.

The lot is offered without any accessories and has an estimate of HK$50,000-100,000, or about US$6,400-12,740. For more, visit the catalogue entry.

Lot 2158: Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Secondes Incliné

Greubel Forsey’s Tourbillon 24 Secondes Incliné is an ingenious reinterpretation of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s invention. By inclining the tourbillon at 25°, the movement is meant to average out the effects of gravity while the watch is in an ever-changing position due to it being on the wrist.

At the time of its launch in 2007, the inclined tourbillon was a bona fide novelty. To showcase the novelty, the case has a small windows on the case band to reveal the tourbillon profile. This example dates to 2010 and features a platinum case.

Though this is a later variant of the model, it retains almost all the design elements of the original, save for some additional decorative elements. The dark grey dial has the same layout as the original version, but gains the brand’s signature “micro” relief engraving with a ring around the dial that depicts the Greubel Forsey motto.

Inside is the cal. GF01, a manual-wind movement with twin, stacked barrels that provide a healthy power reserve of 72 hours. They incorporating a decoupling mechanism that prevents them from being overwound.

Like most Greubel Forsey movements, the calibre is characterised by frosted bridges, blued screws, and jewels in gold chatons. The German silver bridges show signs of oxidisation, but fortunately the watch is being sold with a complimentary servicing by Greubel Forsey (up to a retail value of CHF10,000).

The Tourbillon 24 Secondes Incline has an estimate of HK$1.2-2 million, or about US$153,000-255,000. Find out more in the catalogue.

Lot 2162: Christophe Claret Blackjack 21

Lot 2169: Urwerk Black Cobra UR-CC1

No history of contemporary independent watchmaking is complete without Urwerk. Established by watchmaking brothers Felix and Thomas Baumgartner and designer Martin Frei in 1997, the innovative brand has always focused on inventive time displays housed in a futuristic cases that resemble spacecraft.

One of its most notable complications was the UR-CC1 King Cobra, a reinterpretation of the Patek Philippe ref. 3414 “Cobra”, a forgotten experimental designed by Geneva jeweller Gilbert Albert and constructed by watchmaker Louis Cottier. The key feature of the Cobra was its linear time displays, which was reproduced on the UR-CC1.

The UR-CC1 indicates the time with a pair of linear displays made up of retrograde cylinders for the hours and minutes.

The display is driven by a toothed segment at the end of a rack that slides up and down via a vertical triple cam. Each cam rotates the minute cylinder for one 60-minute cycle. The cylinder then jumps back to its original position courtesy of the extra-flat linear spring. This jump activates the jump of the hour cylinder, advancing it forward by one step.

Seconds are indicated by a spiral hand

The underside of the minute cylinder is visible on the back

The example on offer is the Black Cobra, a variant of the UR-CC1 with a AlTiN-coated steel case. This watch is fitted to a matching bracelet that, according to Sotheby’s, was a special order by the previous owner. It is also accompanied by its box and certificate.

Released in 2009, the UR-CC1 cost almost US$300,000, making it prohibitively expensive at the time. Now this has an estimate of HK$1-2 million, or about US$127,400-255,000. For more, visit the catalogue entry.

Lot 2177: Philippe Dufour Simplicity 34 mm

Widely considered the greatest movement finisher ever, Philippe Dufour’s most recognisable watch is the Simplicity. Much loved for its gorgeous movement decoration that has yet to be rivalled, the watch has clean, elegant lines.

This example is pink gold and 34 mm, giving it a warm, vintage feel. It has a silvered guilloche dial featuring Arabic numerals at the quarters.

Though 34 mm is small by current standards, traditionalists often seek out the Simplicity 34 mm, since it is both the size worn by Dufour himself and also the rarer of the two sizes (the other being 37 mm).

Numbered “14”, the present example was delivered in 2002, making it one of the earliest known examples from the original run of 200 watches. It includes the original certificate and wood box. The estimate is HK$4-6 million, or about US$510,000-764,400.

Full lot details here.

Lot 2180: F.P. Journe Octa Automatique Lune “France-China 50”

F.P. Journe is now as hot as an independent watchmaker can be, with early examples of his trademark complications, namely the Resonance and Tourbillon Remontoir d’Egalite, achieving record prices at auction.

But the brands still has a few rare but overlooked model, such as this Octa Automatique Lune made to commemorate the golden jubilee of diplomatic relations between France and China in 2014.

Just 50 of these were made, all featuring a dial in dark blue, an uncommon shade for F.P. Journe. And the dial gains a bit of colour from the commemorative emblem discreetly positioned next to the logo at three o’clock.

The emblem is made up of the names of both countries, each written in their respective languages, with a red box resembling a traditional seal sitting just above. The red square contains”50周年”, or “50th anniversary” in Chinese.

Housed in a 40 mm platinum case, this Octa Automatique Lune is powered by the cal. 1300.3 automatic movement found in the standard model.

This watch includes with its wooden box along with the guarantee certificate. It has an estimate of HK$800,000-1 million, or around US$102,000-153,000.

Full lot details here.

Lot 2307: Richard Mille Bonbon RM 37-01 “Cerise”

Less complication and artisanal than most of the prior picks, but certainly more whimsical than even the Genta Mickey, is the RM 37-01 “Cerise”. Part of the the Bonbon collection launched in 2019, the Cerise is typical Richard Mille – fun, loud, and expensive.

The Bonbon collection was a line of ladies’ watches centred on candy and fruit-themed motifs that was conceived to broaden the brand’s reach to include a younger, female demographic. French for “cherry”, Cerise has candies on the dial and hot pink strap.

Like other models in the Bonbon collection, the Cerise features a semi-skeletonised dial with appliqués taking the form of candies and fruits. The appliqués are naturally hand-painted in acrylic and varnished with a “powdered sugar” lacquered finish.

The Cerise is powered by the CRMA1, an in-house automatic movement, while the case is two types of carbon composite – black on the front and cherry-coloured on the back.

Accompanied by only its presentation box, this RM37-01 is numbered “17/30”. It has an estimate of HK$2.4-3.2 million, or about US$306,000-408,000.

For more, check out the catalogue.

Preview and auction details

All lots will be on show during the preview in Hong Kong during the run-up to the auction. Both the preview exhibition and sale will happen at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (New Wing).

Preview
April 1-4

Auction
April 5, 10:00 am

For the full catalogue, as well as viewing appointments and online bidding, visit sotheby’s.com.

This was brought to you in collaboration with Sotheby’s.

Having built a reputation with original timepieces characterised by Neo-Gothic flair, Stepan Sarpaneva celebrates his 20th year in watchmaking with a pair in typical Sarpaneva style – Stardust and Stardust “Nostromo”. Limited to twenty pieces each, the duo embody Sarpaneva’s trademark aesthetic styling in their hand-finished, open-worked dials and Korona case. 

Initial thoughts

I have long admired Sarpaneva for being different. The man has a unique and often quirky vision of watchmaking that is evident in his timepieces, which are also finished well in terms of cases and dials. While Sarpaneva has not done much in terms of movements, his original approach is very much independent watchmaking.

While different from its past offerings, both Stardust variants are still recognisably Sarpaneva with their radial dial motif and sculpted case.

Stardust (left) and Stardust “Nostromo”

The iridescent colours of the Stardust are not exactly novel, but it is a different take on the fashionable “rainbow” watch and it is certainly executed well since Sarpaneva does impressive dial work in its price segment.

On the other hand, the dark colours of the Stardust “Nostromo” give it a more sci-fi feel that goes well with Sarpaneva’s house style.

Both Stardust model are priced at €16,500 each, making them slightly affordable than the comparably spec’ed Valterri Bottas “Kilpisjärvi” released last year. While hefty on its face, the price tag is easily justified considering Sarpaneva’s small output and hand finishing of the dial and case.

20th anniversary

The Stardust pair was inspired by sisu, a Finnish philosophy of overcoming adversity with resilience. According to Sarpaneva, the brand’s 20-year pursuit of creating original timepieces is all about sisu. 

Executed in the typical Sarpaneva style, the limited edition pair both feature open-worked dials with stencilled numerals inspired by the numerals on space rockets and fighter jets. A rocket-shaped seconds is located eccentrically at ten o’clock, giving the dial an interesting asymmetry.

The seconds hand on the Stardust

The new pair is available in two distinct dial configurations. First is Stardust, which has a titanium dial that has been heated by hand to produce a rainbow-like oxide finish inspired by the deep-space landscapes visible from observatory telescopes.

Dial detail of “Nostromo”

“Nostromo”, on the other hand, is almost monochromatic. It has a DLC-coated dial and its hands, stencilled numerals, compass-like markings on the seconds dial, and its black polished seconds hand are coated with Super-Luminova for legibility in the dark.

The “lume” shot of the Stardust Nostromo

Both versions share the same signature case measuring 42 mm in diameter and 10 mm high. It’s brushed and polished with a heavily notched outline that is the brand’s defining case design. Like all Sarpnaeva cases, the case is crafted from high-grade stainless steel smelted in Finland. 

The Stardust models are powered by the P1003 made by complications specialist Chronode. Featuring a power reserve of 60 hours, the P1003 has been customised by Sarpaneva to feature a bespoke rotor bearing the brand’s trademark moon “face”. 

Key Facts and Price

Sarpaneva Stardust and Stardust “Nostromo”

Diameter: 42 mm
Thickness: 10 mm
Material: Stainless steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 100 m

Movement: Modified Chronode P1003
Functions: Hours, minutes, and small seconds
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 60 hours

Strap: Alligator with pin buckle, additional rubber strap

Limited edition: 40 pieces, with 20 per model
Availability: Direct from Sarpaneva
Price: €16,500 before taxes

For more, visit Sarpanevawatches.com.

The news concerning a revival of Daniel Roth was been circulating in Geneva and Paris for over a year but it is now official. LVMH just announced Daniel Roth “will be run as an independent brand, with guidance and incubation from La Fabrique Du Temps Louis Vuitton, as of February 2023.”

Once an independent brand run by its namesake founder, Daniel Roth had its heyday in the mid-1990s when classical complications with Breguet styling were the “in” thing with collectors. Due to Mr Roth’s personal and financial struggles, the brand then changed hands several times before ending up with Bulgari over a decade ago.

Daniel Roth had been on ice for several years after a few half-hearted attempts by the Italian jeweller to do something with the brand. No doubt spurred by the renewed interest in independent watchmaking, LVMH has spun off Daniel Roth and attached it to La Fabrique du Temps (LFDT), the complications and movement factory owned by Louis Vuitton (and word has it that the same will soon be done with Gerald Genta, once the sister brand of Daniel Roth).

One of the less successful Bulgari-Daniel Roth offerings, a “Chronosprint” made for the All Blacks, New Zealand’s rugby team

Revived with resources

The return of the brand is the brainchild of Jean Arnault, the Director of Marketing and Development at Louis Vuitton’s watch division. While Mr Arnault is best known as being the youngest son of LVMH chief executive Bernard Arnault, the younger Arnault is a collector of independent watchmaking himself according to industry insiders.

His personal interest in this relatively niche genre of watchmaking explains LVMH’s interest in reviving a brand so tiny it will have no impact on the luxury conglomerate’s results, even in the long term. More importantly, Mr Arnault’s involvement bodes well for the brand as it should ensure it has the resources it needs to develop, despite its modest size.

That said, luxury conglomerates do not have a good track record in developing artisanal brands, often as a matter of institutional expertise and culture. Breguet, for instance, has lost some lustre as part of the Swatch Group. There are of course exceptions, the most obvious being F.P. Journe. Chanel has a sizeable minority stake and a seat on its board, but Francois-Paul Journe remains absolutely sovereign, so in practice the brand is still a one-man show.

History should rhyme

For Daniel Roth specifically, the execution of the revival will be crucial. The inaugural watch of the relaunched brand will be a “20-piece souscription series”, presumably a tourbillon that channels the look and feel of the 1990s original. As the opening act of the revived marque, this homage to the past makes sense. And it will probably sell out swiftly given the recent interest in niche independent brands, particularly from late-to-the-game “investors” seeking the next big thing.

A Daniel Roth tourbillon powered by a Lemania calibre that was modified to incorporate a power reserve and date on the reverse

The past, however, is an insufficient guide for success today. Daniel Roth’s original watches were elegant creations that had a unique aesthetic – Breguet inspired but original – but 30 years on the aesthetic is still elegant but no longer as unique. That’s because independent watchmaking has expanded in diversity and scale, and also because the Breguet name no longer has the same aura due to the low profile of the modern-day Breguet brand.

Similarly, the originals had finely finished movements that were entirely outsourced (as were the cases and dials). Mr Roth himself was largely concerned with the construction of complication modules that were added to the base movements, which were mostly Lemania and finished at Lemania or by specialists. Doing the same today, namely turning to a specialist for a customised but off-the-shelf movement, is inadequate to set the brand apart. Many have tried and failed, which is why specialists like Chronode and Voutilainen are still in business, while various independent brands have gone under.

Seeking finesse in the details

Fortunately, parking Daniel Roth with LFDT gives the brand the expertise of the team at the Geneva manufacture. Still led by founders Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, LFDT is responsible for all of Louis Vuitton’s impressive stable of complications, including the gothic Carpe Diem repeater with automaton and its signature Spin Time jump hours.

The complications developed for Louis Vuitton are probably too extravagant for a brand with a classical spirit as Daniel Roth hopes to be. But earlier in their career at LFDT before the Louis Vuitton takeover, Messrs Navas and Barbasini proved the classical face of their watchmaking by constructing the tourbillon and automatic micro-rotor movements for Laurent Ferrier.

The two movements were gorgeous in their own way (a quality Laurent Ferrier has arguably lost since then as its later movements were created with a budget in mind). The tourbillon channeled the spirit of observatory tourbillon movements once made for pocket watches, while the micro-rotor calibre took a novel, modern approach that nonetheless incorporated numerous classical elements.

The Laurent Ferrier tourbillon movement

But the two movements were a collaboration between Messrs Navas and Barbasini as well as Laurent Ferrier, who in his early career was a constructor at Patek Philippe. Whether Messrs Navas and Barbasini, along with their team at LFDT, can again capture a similar aesthetic and mechanical refinement in their upcoming Daniel Roth movements will certainly be worth watching.

For updates on the revived brand, visit Daniel-roth.ch.

In the quest for precision chronometry in a mechanical watch, perhaps no other component is as crucial as the escapement – often consisting of an escape wheel and lever that engage with the oscillating organ. The history of watchmaking recounts many an attempt at inventing a better-performing escapement, with some attempts naturally more successful than others.

By the 20th century, the watch industry had settled upon the Swiss lever escapement, which has proven itself to be a reasonably solid performer and crucially, one fit for mass production. However, in the latter decades of the century, one English watchmaker attempted to challenge the industry status quo. In 1974, George Daniels invented the “co-axial escapement”, a seemingly novel and practical escapement of his own design that was conceived as an functionally superior alternative to the Swiss lever escapement. Daniels’ invention fulfilled his ambition, at least in part, when it was sold to Omega and then successfully industrialised starting in 1999; today it is found in hundreds of thousands of movements that Omega produces each year.

The latest iteration of the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch is kitted out with the co-axial escapement

With the merits of the co-axial escapement having been proven in part by its large-scale adoption, my aim here is not to examine its intrinsic qualities, but rather delve into its development. Specifically I will explore the fact that the co-axial escapement might not be an entirely new design, but rather a surprisingly direct evolution from one of history’s more obscure escapements, the Fasoldt chronometer escapement, which dates to the early 1860s.

Solving an age-old problem, from Breguet to Daniels

Put simply, any mechanical timekeeper requires an escapement to regulate the energy discharged by the mainspring. An escapement operates like a stepper mechanism: the escapement locks and unlocks the gear train’s movement at a set pace. Most escapements consist of an escape wheel that’s blocked by a lever and released periodically by an oscillating balance wheel affixed to a coiled hairspring.

Driven by the mainspring and its associated going train, the escape wheel powers – directly or indirectly – the oscillating motion of the balance wheel. It can thus be concluded that the escapement performs two functions at the same time: it determines the rate of mainspring discharge while maintaining the oscillations of the balance wheel.

For the last century, the watch industry has relied almost exclusively on the Swiss lever escapement to keep its watches ticking. While being relatively easy to produce and adjust in mass production, the Swiss lever escapement relies on a generous sliding action that delivers an indirect impulse to the balance.

This sliding motion creates sliding friction, which tends to degrade a moving part relatively quickly. In a Swiss lever escapement, the moving parts subjected to sliding friction are the jewel pallets of the lever and the teeth of the escape wheel. But for optimum performance, the friction coefficient between the two sliding surfaces should be minimal. The natural and most widely embraced solution to is to protect such surfaces with another substance that acts a buffer. Various lubricants are thus used for the escapement, ever since the invention of the clock.

Two examples of the Swiss lever escapement that both function on the same mechanical principles: the back and forth swing of the pallet lever locks and unlocks the gear train

Lubricants, however, deteriorate over time. The synthetic lubricants in use today are more long-lasting than the natural oils used in Abraham-Louis Breguet’s time that tended to clump up, resulting in them acting counter to their intended purpose and causing premature wear to the movement. But even in modern watchmaking the best lubricants don’t last forever, so a perfect escapement would require either an everlasting oil or simply eliminating lubricants altogether in a “dry” escapement that would not require lubrication by design. Being a watchmaker rather than a chemist, Daniels naturally chose the latter solution in his quest for the perfect escapement.

For almost two centuries, the oil-less escapement of choice in high grade chronometers was the detent escapement, also known as a chronometer escapement due to its preferred use in top-grade timepieces. While too fragile and unreliable for use in wristwatches, the detent escapement personified the purest concept of the escapement as it functions by providing direct impulse to the balance wheel in a virtually frictionless manner, with the slightest tangential push. In other words, the detent escapement doesn’t create sliding friction in its operation.

But the major shortcoming of the detent escapement is the fact that the impulse is provided in a single direction, once per oscillation in other words, as opposed to twice per oscillation with each alternation of the balance in a lever escapement. As a result, the detent escapement isn’t self-starting by design. As a result, should the balance be stopped, either accidentally or with intent, a detent escapement cannot not start again on its own and the timepiece requires gently shaking to initiate oscillation of the balance.

Moreover, the detent piece stopping the escape wheel can be easily disturbed by shocks, leading to premature unlocking of the escape wheel. Incidentally, the escapement’s name is derived from this device that detains the escape wheel (detent is French for “detain”) during the balance wheel’s supplementary arc. Generally, safety rollers can’t be employed in such an escapement, allowing for no meaningful solution to these problems.

Daniels used the detent escapement in his early pocket watches, but recognised the weaknesses that made it unsuitable for wider use, especially in wristwatches. To this day, the detent escapement has never been successfully adopted for large-scale production and remains an esoteric feature found in more artisanal watches.

The detent escapement found in Raul Pages RP1, one such artisanal watch. Image – Raul Pages

At the request of a client who commissioned a watch with an “extraordinary escapement”, Daniels turned to his experience as a Breguet scholar and drew inspiration from one of Breguet’s less-known (at the time) inventions, the échappement naturel, or “natural escapement”.

Breguet’s natural escapement involved two detent-like escape wheels arranged in a mirrored layout, both governed by a pivoted detent. Each escape wheel was made up of two layers, one the actual escape wheel with ratchet-like teeth and just below anther gear with a larger circumference.

The two escape wheel assemblies were joined through the meshing of their lower, wider gears. One of the escape wheels also featured a traditional escape pinion that engaged the rest of the gear train. Driven by the mainspring, the first escape wheel engaged the second, which spun at an a speed theoretically equal to the speed of the first.

For clarity, I present F.P. Journe’s patent for its own natural escapement, a modern, yet highly faithful, take on the échappement naturel. In fig. 1 we can observe the two large escape wheels, each with its own wider driving gear underneath (marked 2 and 3 in the drawing).

Fig. 1: A modern interpretation of Breguet’s natural escapement that is surprisingly close to the original in execution. Image – Patent EP 2 487 546 A1, Montres Journe SA

Breguet’s invention was essentially an escapement that impulsed the balance wheel in the same advantageous manner as the detent escapement – without sliding friction – but it did so twice an oscillation, with each escape wheel delivering an impulse once an alternation.

The main issues with Breguet’s natural escapement lay in the gearing that drove the second escape wheel. By design, when the primary escape wheel was locked by the detent, the second was free of any load and under no tension from the barrel. This, in conjunction with imperfect teeth profiles resulted in play within the meshing of the second escape wheel.

This unwanted radial play caused energy loss as well as unequal impulses. Equally, the friction generated between the two meshing gears proved to be substantial. Add to that the inertial losses caused by the second escape wheel with play in its meshing, the efficiency gains of the escapement design were in practice overcome by the limits of manufacturing at the time. Even after a number of tweaks, Breguet eventually dropped the idea altogether and shifted his focus to the lever escapement.

Over a century later, Daniels solved the problems faced by Breguet by removing the meshing gears between the twin escape wheels, thus rendering them independent (fig. 2). He linked the second escape wheel to a secondary gear train that mirrored the first. The two gear trains converged near the balance wheel and were synchronised by a type of pivoted detent that alternately locked and unlocked each escape wheel, effectively acting on both escape wheels.

Fig. 2: A 1990 sketch showing the final iteration of Daniels’ double-wheel escapement. Image – Sotheby’s

The result was his double-wheel escapement – most famously found in the Space Traveller pocket watch – that delivered highly satisfactory timekeeping. Daniels himself recounted in his memoirs a timepiece equipped with this escapement deviated by a mere second over the course of one month.

The merits of Breguet’s natural escapement meant that Daniels was not the only watchmaker to build on the idea. In the 21st century it has been taken even further thanks to modern technology, Ulysse Nardin for instance was the first watchmaker to use silicon in a mechanical movement in the form of twin silicon escape wheels.

While he was pleased with his feat, Daniels didn’t further develop the independent double-wheel escapement because he knew it was difficult, if not impossible, for the design to be produced on a large scale. But the experience he gained while tinkering with the natural escapement seemed to have left a lasting impression on him. It was undoubtedly here that Daniels observed first-hand the superior performance of a low-friction, double-impulse escapement in real-life testing. Unsurprisingly, he would go on to retain almost exactly the same balance roller design in the co-axial, but with only one impulse pallet instead of two.

Fasoldt’s way

Born in the German city of Dresden, Charles Fasoldt (1819 – 1889) was watch- and clockmaker who emigrated to America and eventually set up shop in Albany, New York. He preoccupied himself with a diversity of timekeepers ranging from tower clocks to precision pocket chronometers. Among other things, he is credited with inventing a large clock escapement and a smaller escapement for use in pocket watches.

But it is his invention described in American patent no. 46’652 dated March 7, 1865 that is most significant. Simply titled “C. Fasoldt, Chronometer”, it speaks of a “new and Improved Escapement for Chronometers”. The patent further details the escapement with four drawings, three of which show the escapement in the different stages of impulsing and locking (fig. 3).

Fasoldt’s escapement is composed of two escape wheels mounted co-axially, a three-pallet lever, and a balance roller. The lever is held in place by a jewelled, finger bridge and banks on two pins, in a manner similar to that in a conventional Swiss lever escapement. Although the patent drawings omit the safety roller and pin stemming from the fork, Fasoldt’s escapement was equipped with both.

A Charles Fasoldt pocket watch no. 353 from 1870 featuring his patented double wheel chronometer escapement that sold at Sotheby’s in 2019. Image – Sotheby’s

Notably, Fasoldt’s invention is also a type of duplex escapement – the Fasoldt escapement was among the first to incorporate twin, stacked escape wheels mounted co-axially, and he was most certainly the first to have used a three-pallet lever.

Invented in the early 18th entry, the aforementioned duplex escapement was the first to feature an escape wheel with two levels of teeth. Some iterations of the duplex escapement replaced one wheel with raised pillars in an effort to lower the unwanted inertia. Curiously, the latest iteration of the co-axial escapement developed by Daniels’ protege Roger W. Smith’s makes use of the same artifice, replacing one escape wheel with pillars, resulting in a co-axial escapement with a single escape wheel.

While satisfactory for its era, the duplex escapement is not effective or reliable because it relies heavily on prolonged direct contact with the balance arbour, which leads to frictional rest. Despite not the most excellent of timekeepers, the duplex escapement was the first to propose a two-level escape wheel, which is a key feature of Fasoldt’s escapement.

Fig. 3: The drawings of Fasoldt’s escapement. Image – US patent 46’652, C. Fasoldt

While Fasoldt labelled his invention a chronometer escapement, it is distinctly not a detent escapement, rather it is a double-wheel escapement.

Its functioning is fairly straightforward: note how one locking pallet (d in fig. 3) is decidedly closer to the lever’s fulcrum. This results in it having a deeper penetration accomplished by the same arc as for pallet e. Due to deeper-than-desired angular penetration of d, some light sliding may occur, but not nearly as severe as in the Swiss lever.

The desired effect of such geometry is a slower unlocking followed by a comparatively fast locking, which further results in an infinitesimal advance of the escape wheel when pallet d unlocks and pallet e locks. This particular arrangement and function resembles that of the Robin escapement devised by French watchmaker Robert Robin in the 18th century.

While it may not seem particularly noteworthy at first, there’s a small detail that will prove important later: due to the indirect impulse by means of the lever, the balance wheel is impulsed only when its direction of rotation is the same as that of the escape wheel. The reasoning behind this is rather simple: the assortment (escape wheel, lever and balance wheel) functions like an odd number of meshing gears (during the brief period when the escape wheel engages the balance through the lever), in which case the last gear (in this case the balance wheel) rotates in the same direction as the first (the escape wheel).

That happens because the lever assumes the role of an intermediate wheel, passing force indirectly between the escape wheel and balance. In a direct-impulse escapement it happens precisely the other way around, the impulse is given when the balance wheel swings in the opposite direction of the escape wheel’s motion, a movement akin to that of an even number of gears.

Assuming the mainspring and gear train coerce the escape wheel into moving in a clockwise direction and that at a given moment the balance wheel swings clockwise, the Fasoldt’s escapement functions as follows: while the balance is currently completing a supplementary arc after just having been impulsed, the escape wheel remains locked by means of pallet d. When the hairspring’s resisting force overcomes the impulse’s momentum, the balance swings back in a counterclockwise manner and its pin engages with the lever c’s fork and drags it from one banking pin to the other. On the other side of the fulcrum point, pallet d retracts from escape wheel b’s tooth slow enough for the pallet e to catch another tooth almost instantly after pallet d clears the escape wheel for moving.

Both escape wheels have moved by a small arc, which sets escape wheel a’s tooth in position and ready to drop into the impulsing pallet of the lever. Exiting the engagement with the lever c, the balance wheel continues its counterclockwise motion, driven by its own momentum. When said momentum becomes overcome by the hairspring’s resistance, it again changes direction, assuming a clockwise direction. The balance pin yet again comes in contact with the lever c’s fork, dragging it counterclockwise from one banking pin to another, which causes pallet e to disengage with escape wheel b and pallet d to fall right behind the tooth it used to lock in the previous phase, which gives escape wheel b the freedom to rotate a distance equal to the one between two of its teeth.

Moving at the same time with wheel b, one of wheel a’s teeth drops onto the impulsing pallet, pushing it, pallet which in turn passes the received impulse through the lever and to the balance wheel. Escape wheel b locks into pallet d and stops, while the impulsed balance accelerates clockwise. This succession of events happens with regularity until the mainspring’s power runs down.

Evidently, by being a single-beat escapement, the Fasoldt is not self-starting. As was the case with the detent escapement, the Fasoldt would require a gentle shake in order to initiate oscillation.

The escaping or lift angle is not specified, but satisfyingly accurate conclusions can be drawn from Fasoldt’s sketches – the lift angle has an approximate value of 62°. The circumferential ratio between lever and balance is 1.2:1, which makes for approximately 52° lever angle. These values suggest a decreased efficiency of the escapement caused by a prolonged engagement between the lever and the balance.

While neither Fasoldt nor his escapement ever gained fame (though his watchmaking business was modestly successful), his take on a chronometrically-capable escapement has its merits. The impulse is delivered in a radial, albeit indirect manner, the tangential contact during the drop causing only a small amount of resting friction as opposed to the sliding friction in Swiss lever escapements. The theoretical absence of any sliding action means there is no practical need for oiling, since the risks of congealed lubricants would far outweigh any theoretical benefits.

Fasoldt concluded his patent with what we can only assume are his observations after having experimented with running his escapement in various way: “No oil is required to make the escapement work smooth, and the injurious effects of such use are not felt. The watch keeps correct time as well after it has been in use for years as it does when new, and it is not affected by counter motion or sudden jars.”

He was obviously very confident in his creation for he equipped almost all of his pocket watches with the escapement. In terms of materials used, Fasoldt crafted the two co-axial escape wheels in gold and the lever in either steel or gold, which was customary for high-quality watches during the period.

The movement of Charles Fasoldt pocket watch no. 496 dating to 1870; the watch was sold at Antiquorum in 2007. Image – Antiquorum

The co-axial

Having had the opportunity to have examine and restore several of the greatest timepieces in history, Daniels acquired an extensive knowledge of past masters’ works, perhaps to a greater degree than anyone before him. His first book, unassumingly titled Watches, contains part of that knowledge and serves as an excellent and detailed historical chronicle of pocket watches.

It includes a chapter concerning the evolution of the escapement that explains in detail each major historical escapement. A short paragraph covers the Fasoldt escapement, accompanied by a photo presumably taken by Daniels himself (he was known to be an amateur photographer who favoured Leica cameras).

Daniels describes the Fasoldt escapement as “an interesting and rarely seen variant of the lever escapement”. He points how the pallets’ action presents some similarity to that of the Robin escapement and adds “the inertia losses in the escapement are high and the action is correspondingly weak” without explaining the reasoning behind this observation.

In summing up the Fasoldt escapement, Daniels wrote, ‘The watches are beautifully made and were a brave if undistinguished attempt to introduce a little variety into escapements which, by that time, had inevitably settled into a pattern of dull uniformity.” While short and lacking in detail, the conclusion provides us with some insight into his impression of Fasoldt’s work.

His ambiguous claim about inertia losses may stem from practical experience he had with a pocket watch fitted with such an escapement; perhaps he noticed the abnormally large lift angle or the somewhat bulky lever. But he did not mention that the escapement was designed to run dry in the same way a detent escapement was. Overall, his commentary on the Fasoldt escapement suggested Daniels didn’t think much of it. Crucially, it proves Daniels was familiar with Fasoldt’s work, despite him considering it to be less than perfect.

Fig. 4: Plate from Watches featuring the Fasoldt chronometer escapement. Image – Reproduction of plate 65, Watches (New York: Viking Press, 1965), George Daniels, Cecil Clutton

No doubt some years passed between Daniels’ first encounter with the Fasoldt escapement and the early 1970s when he perfected the co-axial escapement, fulfilling his ambition of creating a perfect escapement after much tweaking and prototyping. Daniels installed the escapement in several Swiss movements, from basic Omega time-only movements to tourbillons and even the Zenith El Primero chronograph. It proved reliable regardless of movement size, frequency, or complications.

With that, he attempted to persuade several major Swiss brands to adopt the co-axial escapement by demonstrating its performance and superiority to the Swiss lever across a range of movements. He met with little luck until the late Nicolas G. Hayek acquired the co-axial escapement for Omega. It took several more years for his dream of industrialising the co-axial to be realised, when in 1999 the first Omega watches equipped with the co-axial were launched.

One attribute that makes the co-axial escapement great is the way it combines all of Daniels’ requirements for an ideal escapement, one that can in theory surpass the Swiss lever he so despised, namely operating with minimal friction so it could go lubricant-free, to be self-starting, and to be reasonably easy to produce on a large scale. To that end, the co-axial makes use of a mixed-impulse system: one impulse is given directly to the balance wheel, while the other is delivered indirectly through a lever.

In summary, the co-axial can be thought of as a Swiss lever escapement at its base, with two standard pallets for locking and unlocking. However, instead of using the two standard pallets to transmit impulses to power the balance, it instead uses two additional pallets – one on a third arm of the escape lever, and one on the balance wheel arbour. These two additional pallets allow for a cleaner tangential impulse, minimising the effect of sliding friction. And ultimately this results in a design reminiscent to Fasoldt’s escapement.

Explaining co-axial’s operation should be considerably easier now since I already covered the Fasoldt in detail. The co-axial can be seen as a combination of the direct-impulse double-wheel and Fasoldt escapements, but bearing a closer resemblance to the latter.

While the co-axial does evoke the Fasoldt, Daniels did some extensive and remarkable work concerning the geometry and arrangement of the co-axial escapement. In the Fasoldt escapement, the centre of the escape wheel, the fulcrum of the lever, and the centre of the balance wheel all sit on the same line. This particular arrangement means the Fasoldt an “in-line” escapement, a trait it shares with the Swiss lever.

In practice, it means that the escape wheel is situated far from the balance so there no way they can directly interact. This is where the genius of Daniels’ idea comes through: he brought the escape wheel and balance as close together as possible (arranged in the same way as in his double-wheel escapement) while moving the lever to the side. The centres of each component no longer sit on the same line, instead, they form the three points of a triangle.

The lever in the co-axial, while still retaining three pallets fitted radially around the fulcrum, is different from that in the Fasoldt. Its fork (the part that interacts with the balance roller pin) is positioned near to the entry pallet. The same engineering choice can be found in some Swiss lever escapements with tourbillons, but that is done to save space. In the co-axial, the choice was made to facilitate contact between the two pallets seated equidistant from the fulcrum. This means that each interaction of the pallets with the escape wheel is equal, allowing the escape wheel to travel an identical distance of one tooth between each unlocking and locking.

The major innovation of the co-axial is the extra function performed by the lower escape wheel, which now provides direct impulse to the balance in addition to its locking function. As previously discussed, direct impulse can only occur between a balance and escape wheel moving in opposing directions. Combine that with the Fasoldt-inspired lever impulse phase and the result is a double-impulse escapement relying on just one escape wheel. This is precisely where the magic of the co-axial lies, a friction-free double impulse with just one escape wheel.

Fig. 5: Co-axial escapement stages. Image – abbeyclock.com

The co-axial (fig. 5) bears some resemblance to both the double-wheel and Fasoldt escapements in both form and function. But the co-axial escapement has two escape wheels with fewer teeth than those in the Fasoldt escapement. This stems from the double impulse nature of the co-axial, which means the impulsing action is split equally between the upper and lover escape wheels.

A step-by-step explanation of the co-axial escapement’s operation is as follows:

In fig. 5.1, the balance wheel begins turning back after the hairspring’s resisting force overcomes the impulse from the escapement. The escape wheels are locked by pallet L2 of lever C, which acts on wheel B. When the balance wheel returns toward its equilibrium point, the pin P engages lever C by making contact with its fork.

Pallet L2 disengages from wheel B, which promptly rotates and one of its teeth makes tangential contact with impulse pallet I1. Having completed an impulsing phase, the two-layer escape wheel comes to a stop when L1 locks one of its teeth (as shown in fig. 5.3). Again, the balance wheel begins to swing back, coerced by the hairspring. When the roller pin P engages the lever C, the escape wheel gets unlocked and the impulsing wheel A acts upon pallet I2, pushing the lever C, which in turn delivers the impulse to the balance through pin P.

Importantly, the co-axial is self-starting by design. When the mainspring runs down, the balance wheel settles in an equilibrium position, centred by the hairspring. In its equilibrium position, the balance half-engages the lever, which only faintly locks the escape wheel. If the watch is wound, the escape wheel will press upon either of the impulse pallets (I1 or I2, depending on the position), disturbing the balance’s equilibrium state and generating a small oscillation. That would cause a complete engagement or disengagement of the lever, thus starting an oscillating cycle.

In summary, the indirect impulse as well as the locking and unlocking phases of the co-axial escapement are in many ways borrowed from the Fasoldt escapement, while the direct impulse phase of the co-axial is identical to that in double-wheel escapement.

Interestingly, the very name of the co-axial escapement also refers back to the Fasoldt. The co-axial gets its name of the twin, stacked escape wheels in the original iteration of the escapement, a feature it shares with the Fasoldt. On the other hand, current iterations of the co-axial offered by Roger W. Smith in his watches only have a single escape wheel with two layers of teeth, making the co-axial moniker somewhat inaccurate.

A recent iteration of the co-axial escapement as seen in a 2015 Roger W. Smith Series 2, revealing its single escape wheel

Parting thoughts

Analysing the double-wheel and co-axial escapements of Daniels as well as the Fasoldt escapement makes it likely the co-axial is an evolutionary hybrid of the other two.

In his memoir, All in Good Time: Reflections of a Watchmaker, Daniels recollects the patent office citing three patents against the one he filed for the co-axial, namely the Robin escapement, the double mixed-impulse Robin escapement (a Breguet design), and the Fasoldt chronometer escapement. That implies that even the non-specialists at patent office noticed the resemblance of the co-axial to the much older Fasoldt. Yet, except for the escape wheel and curious lever design, there is nothing else that links the two designs. Their respective execution and operation are remarkably different.

Today the co-axial is widely hailed as an a paragon of chronometry and reliability, thanks in large part to Omega’s massive marketing machine. It is irrefutable that Daniels devoted a great portion of his career to perfecting both the theoretical and practical aspects of co-axial escapement. He endured much trial and error until he deemed it satisfactory.

And the Fasoldt escapement was not perfect at all, with its large lift angle that interferes with the balance’s natural oscillation for longer than desired. And since it was a single impulse escapement, Fasoldt operates with a “lost beat”that robs the balance of its momentum while not providing any impulse in return. The co-axial, on the other hand, has a 36° lift angle and an 18° lever angle (due to the 2:1 lever to balance circumference ratio that Daniels deemed ideal), which keep inertial losses to a minimum.

Even Daniels’ earlier double-wheel escapement had its faults, mainly the need for a secondary gear train, perhaps explaining why he developed it no further. The co-axial is just as accurate and precise as the double-wheel, but runs on a single gear train, which makes it infinitely more practical in terms of manufacturing.

The ultimate conclusion to be drawn is the co-axial escapement was not merely the brainchild of one brilliant watchmaker, but an invention built on the ideas of historical greats, including Robert Robin, Abraham-Louis Breguet, and of course Charles Fasoldt.

A longtime watch enthusiast, the author is currently studying mathematics and physics, and plans to continue his studies in micro-engineering at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).

Highly regarded for its artisanal movement finish, Atelier de Chronométrie relied entirely on vintage movements that were rebuilt and then decorated by hand. Now the brand finally has a movement to call its own with the M284. Vintage inspired like its timepieces, the M284 is a hand-wind calibre that makes its debut inside the AdC22 wristwatch.

Initial thoughts

AdC started out with watches that were equipped with refinished vintage movements that were beautifully decorated but not quite original enough to be special. The new proprietary movement – which has both fine finishing and tasteful design – elevates the brand to another level entirely.

The classical layout, frequency, and short power reserve of just 38 hours seem to imply that the movement might be derived from a vintage ebauche, or at least built according to the architecture of a vintage movement. However, AdC states that the movement is a new construction done with the help of a specialist. Regardless of its origins, the M284 is a calibre executed well both in terms of design and decoration, as would be expected given AdC’s past work.

Having examined several of prior AdC watches in detail, I imagine the M284 is finished extremely well and certainly on part with equivalent offerings from contemporary independent watchmakers. But AdC has the advantage of Mr Martinez’s aesthetic sensibility, which is perhaps even rarer than good movement decoration today.

The design is clearly vintage inspired, but with subtle tweaks to the details to give it a subtly original aesthetic. Importantly, the watch feels authentic because of the brand’s origins: AdC was founded by Spaniard Santiago Martinez Rabasa, a vintage watch dealer who speciality is the very sort of mid-20th century wristwatches that inspired the brand.

Mr Martinez’s eye for detail is evident in the details of the watch, ranging from the properly proportioned dial to the styling of the case. The result is a handsome watch that evokes vintage watches but is recognisable as a modern watch rather than a one-for-one remake.

Priced at €60,000 in steel, the AdC22 is more expensive than the brand’s earlier watches that were powered by Omega ebauches, but reasonably priced compared to comparable watches by other niche makers.

Vintage styling inside and out

The M284 is modelled on movements made in the 1940s in the Vallee de Joux by esteemed ebauche makers for marques like Audemars Piguet. Like many calibres of that era, the M284 has a large barrel bridge and elegant finger bridges for the going train. And of course the balance wheel is screwed and runs at just 18,000 beats per hour, exactly as a vintage movement would.

According to AdC, the M284 is a brand-new movement developed from scratch with the assistance of a specialist constructor. Some details reveal its modern nature, including the bridges in Arcap, a copper-nickel alloy that that takes well to finishing and machining. Another is the sharp, outward point in between the jewels for the centre and third wheels, a flourish that appeals to today’s finishing fad.

The M284 will be found in most of the brand’s watches from now on, but it is being launched in the AdC22. As the name implies, it is the brand’s 22nd wristwatch and continues with the 1930s and 1940s styling that the brand favours.

Each AdC wristwatch is made to order, so both the dial and case can be customised according to the client’s preferences. But the AdC22 is very much typical of the brand’s house style. The “Calatrava-style” case is 37.5 mm in diameter and fitted with a two-tone dial in rose with a silvered hour track. The leaf-shaped hands are steel as are the spherical hour markers.

Key facts and price

Diameter: 37.5 mm
Height: 9 mm
Material: Steel or 18k gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water-resistance: Unavailable

Movement: M284
Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds
Winding: Hand-wind
Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 38 hours

Strap: Leather with pin buckle

Limited edition: Made to order
Availability: Direct from Atelier de Chronométrie
Estimate: Starting from €60,000 with a steel case and metal dial (excluding taxes)

For more, visit Atelierdechronometrie.com.

English independent watchmakers Fears and Christopher Ward have teamed up to create a new take on the jump hour complication with the Alliance 01. A collaborative effort that plays to the strengths of each brand, the Alliance 01 was made expressly for the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, a trade body for horologists in the United Kingdom. It combines the minimalist, vintage-inspired aesthetic espoused by Fears with the affordable complications of Christopher Ward.

Initial thoughts

I was intrigued when I learned Christopher Ward was teaming up with Fears. At first glance, the Alliance 01 looks like another version of the Brunswick, one of Fears’ signature models since the brand’s revival six years ago. But it is best described as Fears watch containing a Christopher Ward movement. It smartly combines each brand’s strengths – Fears’ vintage-inspired styling and Christopher Ward’s accessibly-priced, simple complications.

Despite the resemblance to Fears’ other models, the Alliance 01 is appreciably different from anything Fears has done to date. But it still has the retro elegance typical of Fears, which actually makes the watch look simpler, despite the added complication.

Though the design is elegant, the Alliance 01 is chunky, especially for a watch of this style. With dimensions comparable to a Rolex Daytona, the case height of just under 13 mm mean it will sit thickly on the wrist.

If there were a bone to pick with the watch, it would be the lack of Christopher Ward branding on the dial. I would have preferred both brand names to be found on the dial, like how it was done with the Fears Garrick, for a more tangible expression of the collaboration.

The Alliance 01 costs the equivalent of US$4,000. It’s attractively priced relative to Fears’ time-only model with the same case that costs only 10% less, and also compared to the broader market for a relatively novel Sellita-powered watch.

The first collaboration

The trade body representing the interests of British watch and clock makers, the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers seeks to promote the industry internationally while supporting its member brands through training and education. Founded by Mike France, the chief executive of Christopher Ward, and independent watchmaker Roger W. Smith in 2020, the Alliance now counts 77 trade members, including watchmakers based in Ireland.

According to Alliance chairman Mr Smith, the organisation also hopes to serve as a launch pad for collaborations between its members. The Alliance 01 is the first collaborative to get off the ground, and it is also a fundraising project for the trade body.

Minimalist and slightly retro, the dial is in dark burgundy with a silver border for the minute register. It incorporates the jumping hour complication in a largely traditional layout. The hour aperture is at 12 o’clock, with the minute hand in an oversized register just below. As the minute hand passes the top of the hour, the numeral in the aperture “jumps” to the next hour.

The Alliance 01 uses the cushion-shaped Brunswick case from Fears but enlarged to accommodate the complication. Instead of the usual 38 mm, it is 40.5 mm wide and 12.8 mm high.

The Alliance 01 is powered by the cal. JJ101, which is made up of a proprietary jumping hour module on top of a Sellita SW200. It’s the same movement that Christopher Ward previously utilised in its C1 Grand Malvern Jumping Hour from 2017. Because the Sellita SW200 is essentially a clone of the reliable but long-in-tooth ETA 2824, it has a short power reserve of only 38 hours.

Key facts and price

Fears Christopher Ward Alliance 01
Ref. BS240.500

Diameter: 40.5 mm
Height: 12.80 mm
Material: Steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 100 m

Movement: Cal. JJ101
Features: Jumping-hour complication with running minutes
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 38 hours

Strap: Calf leather strap

Limited edition: 50 pieces
Availability: Only for members of the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers
Price: £3,291.67 excluding taxes

For more, visit Britishwatchmakers.com.