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In this vein, the manufacture founded in 2005 by Maximilian Büsser unveiled the HM9 Sapphire Vision. Its particularity lies in a shell (the case) in transparent sapphire glass and precious metal (white or yellow gold) curved and domed. Two independent balance wheels deliver energy to a differential which converts the oscillations into a unitary beat. The time display is moved on a dial using conical gears. Under balance wheels reminiscent of propellers or turbines in action, we find the motor, a coaxial caliber in blue or green PVD. Very exclusive watches, produced in only ten copies.
Extreme. The term perfectly characterizes the Greubel Forsey house, founded in 2004 in La Chaux-de-Fonds by a Frenchman, Robert Greubel, and an Englishman, Stephen Forsey. Here, the mantra is simple: perpetuate traditional (very) fine watchmaking through technical and aesthetic pieces that defy all conventions. The house has managed to climb to the highest levels of the discipline with exceptional calibers and innovations such as the 24-second Tourbillon, the Double Balance Wheel and the Equality Differential. Above all, Greubel Forsey embodies the very notion of manufacturing. The brand makes its watches entirely by hand using an artisanal approach. The goal? “Transmit a unique watchmaking emotion”, as the firm itself emphasizes.
The proof with its latest watch, the Convex Balance S2. This exclusive piece, limited to 22 pieces, is adorned with a 41.5 mm case, a reasonable size that is rather unusual for Greubel Forsey. For the first time in the Convex collection, the box is made of matte carbon worked more densely so that its fibers never combine in the same way. Thus, each of the 22 watches is one of a kind. On the dial side, the mysteries of time are on display with the balance wheel inclined at 30°, the small seconds counter and the power reserve indicator (72 hours). The hand-wound movement with 303 components is carefully decorated by hand.
Hands are the soul of a watch. Each has its own style and reflects the intimate watchmaking personality of a reference that aims to be innovative, modern, vintage or classic. However, some models are distinguished by the absence of hands or by an alternative time display system. This is the case of the futuristic creations by Urwerk, a house founded in 1997 by Martin Frei and Felix Baumgartner. The two friends have always dared to be daring and have turned their backs on traditional watchmaking standards through watches straight out of a science fiction film. In 2019, Urwerk presented the UR-100 for a journey through time and space. This, thanks to satellite hour and minute hands appearing to be in orbit. This disruptive round of time is once again embodied in the UR-100V Stardust.
The brand sets out here to explore the cosmos and is inspired by stardust, omnipresent in the universe. The decor is reminiscent of the celestial vault with a setting of 400 diamonds adorning the 41mm steel case and the titanium back. Everything is enhanced by 36 diamonds running through the timer, without forgetting 24 complementary precious stones adorning the crown and 11 others on the bracelet’s pin buckle. On the dial, there are two counters, one of which is graduated in kilometers, representing the distance traveled by the earth on its own axis in 20 minutes (555 km). The second counter provides information on the distance traveled by the earth around the sun during the same period of time (35,740 km). Finally, the UR-100V Stardust is powered by an automatic caliber with wandering hours. This device consists of making the hour gravitate along a minute scale arranged in an arc. Tremendously extravagant!