Greubel Forsey repackages its cutting edge perpetual calendar in a sleeker, more accessible format as the QP Balancier. It’s still a highly legible calendar that adjusts forward and back via the crown without need of tools or fear of damage. Despite the simpler styling, the QP Balancier retains the high-end movement decoration the brand is known for.

Initial Thoughts

Greubel Forsey was arguably a latecomer to the world of complications, spending its first decade on chronometry, refining the tourbillon. The brand’s first complication, the GMT presented in 2011, applied an unfamiliar approach to a familiar complication.

That set the tone for the brand’s first perpetual calendar four years later – the Quantième Perpétuel à Équation. At its heart was a “mechanical computer” programmed with 48-month leap year cycle that allowed the calendar to be adjusted forward and back without issue, all from the crown.

The Quantième Perpétuel à Équation of 2015

While the result is not novel, – Ulysse Nardin and H. Moser & Cie. have bi-directional perpetual calendar as well – the method certainly is. Greubel Forsey paired the mechanical computer with a similarly sophisticated in-line display – using four layers of stacked disks – making its perpetual as easy to read as it is to use.

The new QP Balancier is a more focused watch than its predecessor, as it does away with the 24-second inclined tourbillon and equation of time.

While wider, the case is also slimmer and sleeker – and arguably less characterful without the tourbillon bulges that distinguished its earlier cases. While I’m not entirely convinced by the brand’s new (and somewhat bland) case styling, I suspect it has broader appeal.

As a whole the QP Balancier more accessible than its predecessor, both in cost and styling, while retaining its core competencies, including artisanal finissage.

New Case

While Greubel Forsey has drifted towards smaller case sizes over the last few years – recently releasing its smallest watch yet and downsizing existing models – at 45.1 mm the QP Balancier is a bit larger than its 43.5 mm predecessor.

The case is also in the brand’s new design language, much simpler and free of protrusions.

A Movement

Typically, it’s relatively easy to transpose perpetual calendars from one movement to another, as the calendar works perch on top of the base calibre.

However, Greubel Forsey’s QP mechanism sits on the same plane as the rest of the movement and integrates with the keyless works, which means the movement must be designed around the calendar.

This new calibre uses the same massive 12.6 mm diameter free-sprung balance found in the Balancier Contemporain and Tourbillon Cardan, inclined by 30°. An inclined balance exploits traditional methods used to  measure performance by obfuscating differences between horizontal and vertical positions.

In practical terms this reduces the difference between leaving the watch on its side and on its back, and reduces the lateral space the balance occupies by increasing the vertical space.

A pair of stacked fast-rotating barrels power the movement, yielding three days of chronometric timekeeping, tracked by an up/down hand on the dial.

Mechanical Computation

To set the calendar, press the button in the crown to switch from time setting mode to calendar setting; the display at 2 0’clock will change from “HM” (hours and minutes) to “QP”.

Then turn the crown counterclockwise to advance all of the displays at once, and clockwise retrace your steps. The calendar also reverses when moving the hands backward across midnight; most perpetual calendars do not.

The watch uses a total of nine disks to display its information, two of which are positioned in overlapping displays north of the hand stack for running seconds and  a 24-hour display. The latter uses a red segment to mark a dead zone where calendar-setting is automatically disabled.

On the back, two more disks count the year’s last two digits. The calendar isn’t fully autonomous, as the day will desync from the rest of the calendar on first of March, 2100, requiring watchmaker intervention to fix, and those first two digits of the year display must be replaced. Fortunately, that’s a problem for the next generation.

A sapphire bridge opposite the year display allows a glimpse of the 25-part mechanical “computer” that observes the 48-month leap year cycle. The entire assembly moves a little bit each day.

The QP en Equation used the process itself to indicate the solstices, equinoxes, and equation of time, which is missing on the QP Balancier.

World class movement decoration

While movement decoration isn’t the focus here, it’s still done to the highest possible standards. The escapement platform and rounded dual anchored balance bridge are specular polished. The new style escape wheel we spotted on the new GMT Convex also returns.

As are the many white gold rings on the dial. From the back, the plates are skeletonised to reveal the mechanical “computer”, year display and going train. The train wheels are chamfered on their spokes, the “computer” cage is black polished, and all jewels sit inside gold chatons.

While artisanal hand decoration is increasingly common in independent watchmaking, not every watch has the technical substance to back up its style. That certainly isn’t an issue here.

Key facts and price 

Greubel Forsey QP Balancier

Diameter: 45.1 mm
Height: 14.75 mm
Material: White gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: QP Balancier
Functions: Hour, minutes, 24-hours, running seconds, up/down, perpetual calendar.
Winding: Manual winding
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 72 hours

Strap: Textured rubber strap with white gold folding clasp

Limited edition: 22 pieces
Availability: From the Greubel Forsey and retailers
Price: On request

For more information, visit greubelforsey.com.

The latest iteration of Ulysse Nardin’s most affordable Freak is the Freak X Crystalium, a limited edition that blends the disruptive Freak aesthetic with a novel decorative element in the form of a dial in Crystalium.

Though it has an almost organic look, Crystalium is actually the result of crystallised ruthenium deposited via physical vapour deposition (PVD). The advanced, unusual material is decorative, yet harks back to the Freak’s origins as a materials pioneer.

Initial thoughts

The Freak has been a core collection in Ulysse Nardin’s roster since the first model was launched back in 2001. The line has been defined by disruptive and bold technical construction and a pioneering use of silicon.

But lately it feels watered down; the Freak X dials back on the exotic tech to make the iconic design more attainable. And the many iterations of the Freak X don’t help its case. 

But paradoxically the new Freak X is a return to one of the core values of the Freak series: materials science. Ulysse Nardin experimented with all sorts of materials over the years with the Freak as a platform, ranging from the DIAMonSIL escapement to silicon movement bridges to mono block oscillators.

The Freak X Crystalium employs new material, but this time it serves an aesthetic function as opposed to a mechanical one. The large rotating disk which serves as the dial’s foundation is covered in an organic-seeming, quartz-like glittering surface that’s the result of years of research. 

The appearance of the watch is odd, since it is reminiscent of the frosted gilt surfaces of old English and French pocket watch movements from afar, yet conveys a strong organic feel when observed up close. 

While the look is definitely not for everyone, this sort of avant-garde decorating technique is welcomed — especially from a brand with a history of exotic, technical materials. It’s reassuring to see the Le Locle-based brand is still interested in material-related developments, even if it is decorative.

Whatever is Crystalium?

Although both the whimsical name and granular surface suggest this new finish is indeed a sort of crystal, it actually has nothing mineral in it. The base of the dial is in fact a disc of ruthenium, a precious metal belonging to the platinum group.

The ruthenium blank undergoes a slow PVD process spanning several days. The conditions in the PVD chamber and the pace of the process causes quartz crystal-like growths on the ruthenium’s surface, much like ice crystallising on windows during wintertime. 

The specialised process also results in each dial being unique, since the deposition cannot be evenly controlled over an extended timeframe. The result is an unruly, textured surface of the ruthenium plate, which is indeed unlike any other traditional finishing techniques we’ve seen recently. 

After the quartz crystal-like texture is obtained, Ulysse Nardin subjects the dials to a fine rose-gold PVD treatment, which gives the final product a warm champagne tone. Finally, a hand-applied varnish is added.

The finished Crystalium surface brings to mind brownish zirconia, although the rough texture can also look like a gilded plate, depending on the light and observation distance. 

Ulysse Nardin made the good choice of leaving the rest of the dial face as neutral as possible, leaving the Crystalium plate to serve as the main show piece. In typical Freak fashion, the hands are incorporated with the movement to an extent, although the Freak X movement differs in many ways from the original 2001 construction. 

An almost monochromatic Freak

Apart from a few rose cold accents on the minute ring, this timepiece’s only source of colour is the Crystalium plate. Ulysse Nardin also thoughtfully employs two rose gold-gilt gears visible on the dial, along with balance weights in the same finish — which pair very well with the Crystalium dial. 

The 43 mm DLC-treated titanium case is identical to past Freak X constructions. One big issue with every Freak X edition is the lack of an operable bezel and the intruding addition of a winding crown. The original Freak could only be set via the bezel and wound by cranking the caseback. Here those quirky but charming features are replaced by a basic crown, which gives the Freak X a fairly ordinary silhouette. 

By resorting to this standard construction, one will be tempted to assume that Ulysse Nardin also increased the water resistance. Instead the sporty looking timepiece still has a disappointing 50 m water resistance.

Not that people would be necessarily tempted to take a limited edition, materials-centric watch for a swim, but at least 100 m of water resistance is becoming the standard for most modern wristwatches. 

A Freak-ish movement 

Powering the Crystalium edition is the same caliber UN-230 found in all Freak X models. Apart from the time-telling setup, the movement is a very distant relative of the original Freak calibers and instead shares more similarities with Ulysse Nardin’s workhorse UN-118 caliber. This includes the base construction, the Magic Lever automatic system and the industrial aesthetic. 

The UN-230 winds automatically and holds a respectable power reserve of 72 hours on a full wind. This is impressive, considering the torque is stored in a single barrel and is required to power the large flying carrousel.

Stacked from 15 images. Method=B (R=8,S=4)

Also compared to the original Freak concept, which was at its core a tourbillon (we covered this aspect in more detail in Part I of The Freak Saga), the Freak X is a true carrousel. The escapement is powered by the central rose gilt gear, while the one-hour turning platform it sits on is powered by the central black gear. The two mobiles turn at different rates, making this construction a carrousel. 

The slow-turning Crystalium disk also carries the hour hand and is powered by an epicyclic gear set. The platform holding the escapement and regulator serves as a minute hand. 

The regulating organ is the usual high-tech Ulysse Nardin assortment, fully crafted out of silicon. The escapement is of the a Swiss lever kind, but etched from silicon and heavily skeletonised to save weight. The balance and hairspring are also done in silicon and have an interesting design — one which we covered in more detail in Part III of The Freak Saga. The system beats at 3 Hz, the slower pace undoubtedly contributing to the watch’s three-day power reserve.  

Key facts and price

Ulysse Nardin Freak X Crystalium
Ref. 2303-270-4A/1A
Ref. 2303-270-4A/3A

Diameter: 43 mm
Height: Unspecified
Material: Black DLC titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m

Movement: Cal. UN-230
Functions: Hours and minutes
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 72 hours

Strap: Black alligator or rubber “ballistic” textured strap with rose gold stitching

Limited edition: 50 pieces
Availability: Ulysse Nardin retailers and boutiques
Price: CHF40,000

For more, visit ulysse-nardin.com.

Few brands approach marine chronometer-style wristwatches with the intensity of Ferdinand Berthoud (FB). Fewer still have the capacity to produce a watch that is truly hand made. The brand has leaned into these strengths to good effect with the Naissance d’une Montre 3, which is perhaps the most labour-intensive wristwatch ever created.

Marking the third official chapter of the Time Æon Foundation’s Naissance d’une Montre project, the Montre 3 is the byproduct of a six year quest to thoroughly document the steps required to make a chain and fusee wristwatch using only hand-operated tools.

While the production of the Montre 3 involves more than 80 individuals from both FB and its parent Chopard, the labour involved equates to roughly a full year’s work for five people to produce each of the 11 pieces that will be made in the coming years.

Initial thoughts

It’s easy to feel jaded about the smoke and mirrors of luxury watch marketing, with terms like ‘hand made’ and ‘in-house’ used all too freely, making it difficult to separate the signal from the noise.

Make no mistake, the Montre 3 is, in some ways, what all traditional haute horlogerie watches aspire to be, and takes the concept of hand craftsmanship to its absolute limit. The Montre 3 is neither inventive nor complicated, but the intrinsic quality of its construction is immediately obvious and breathtaking in its own right.

To some extent, the simplicity of the 44.3 mm white gold case demonstrates the limitations of hand craft. When the Ferdinand Berthoud brand was reborn a decade ago, it introduced an octagonal case design inspired by French and English marine chronometers from the 18th century, but this shape is impractical to produce by hand and requires modern milling methods.

As a consequence, the round case of the Montre 3 is comparatively simple, having been produced using a hand-operated lathe. The lugs are likewise produced by hand and screwed and soldered to the case band. At just 13 mm thick, the Montre 3 is well-balanced on the wrist and fairly sleek as such things go. Despite these antiquated production methods, the case is water resistant to modern standards, rated 30 m, to shield the movement from any aquatic mishaps.

Ferdinand Berthoud, both the man himself and the current brand, was well known for quirky regulator-style time displays. Given this reputation, reading the time on the Montre 3 is refreshingly simple, with hours and minutes read against an offset sub-dial. As befitting a chronometer-style watch, the slender seconds hand gets top billing, read against the dial flange.

Both dials are free-hand engraved, and while it’s difficult to point to any single imperfection, the markings exhibit the unmistakable signature of a human touch, which lends a charming warmth to the design.

The minimal dial being what it is, the visual impression of the Montre 3 is dominated by its movement. With a layout inspired by that of a historical Ferdinand Berthoud pocket watch, the caliber FB-BTC.FC features a prominent chain and fusée mechanism that supplies 50 hours of consistent energy to the escapement.

The latter is arguably the star of the show, featuring a hand made split bi-metallic Guillaume-style balance that self-adjusts for temperature changes the old fashioned way, by expanding and contracting. Against all odds, the Montre 3 is a COSC-certified chronometer, making it almost certainly the first wristwatch with a bi-metallic balance to pass this test under current standards.

For a watch with a nearly seven figure price tag, the value proposition is fairly straightforward. To the roughly 11,000 hours of high-cost Swiss labour required to make each Montre 3, one can factor in a typical luxury margin due an object with this kind of built-in exclusivity. One could argue there’s additional value derived from being associated with the quasi-charitable endeavour that is the Naissance d’une Montre project, which is admirable in its objectives.

The white gold pieces are priced at CHF850,000, but the market will get to set the price for a pièce unique in stainless steel that will go under the hammer at Phillips’ Geneva Watch Auction XXII in November, with part of the proceeds going to a charity dedicated to the preservation of horological know-how (presumably the Time Æon Foundation).

The hour and minute hands during polishing. Image – Ferdinand Berthoud

The birth of a watch

The Naissance d’une Montre project (which translates to English as ‘birth of a watch’) got going in 2009 as a community project to document and transmit endangered watchmaking skills to future generations of artisanal watchmakers. The overarching idea was to create a small series of watches entirely by hand without any computerised assistance, meaning no CNC, wire erosion, LIGA, or any other semi-automated production methods.

The Montre 1 “Montre École” prototype, sold at Christies for close to 1.5 million USD.

The project is overseen by the Time Æon Foundation, and doesn’t belong to any single brand. The first project, Montre 1, debuted in 2012 and was a series of 10 watches made by Michel Boulanger under the guidance of Greubel Forsey and Philippe Dufour.

The second project, Montre 2, commenced in 2015. These watches were made by Dominique Buser and Cyrano Devanthey, again with the help of Greubel Forsey, but with additional guidance from Urwerk, which explains the futuristic design.

Alongside the 2019 launch of the Montre 2, it was announced that FB would take the lead on the third chapter and the watch would apply the Naissance d’une Montre approach to a watch with a chain and fusée mechanism.

Six years later, coinciding with the brand’s 10th anniversary, Ferdinand Berthoud has delivered. Unlike the Montre 1 and Montre 2 that were the result of collaborations, the Montre 3 is a wholly FB creation.

The meaning of ‘hand made’

There are few phrases I try to avoid as much as ‘hand made’ because things rarely are. But the Montre 3’s raison d’être is the fact that it is hand made, so it’s worth defining what that means. In short, each of the Montre 3’s 747 individual components were made with hand-operated tools, many of which, like the Schaublin 102 lathe used for the circular components and the SIP jig boring machine used to drill and tap the plates, are more than 60 years old.

This means everything takes a really long time. The hour hand, for example, requires 54 different operations and takes about two days for a watchmaker to cut, polish, and flame-blue its surfaces. In total, the first example of the Montre 3 required close to 11,000 labour hours to produce from start to finish.

Polishing pinion leaves. Image – Ferdinand Berthoud

Polishing the hands. Image – Ferdinand Berthoud

To put this in perspective, George Daniels produced pocket watches at a rate of about 3,000 hours per watch, and Greubel Forsey’s million-dollar Hand Made 1 is known to require about 6,000 hours of work. While the Montre 3 plays it safe with a traditional lever escapement and lacks a tourbillon, the movement is otherwise more elaborate and demanding in its construction than even these vaunted peers.

Subsequent pieces will no doubt benefit from the know-how acquired making the first one, but fact remains the Montre 3 is about as hand made as an object can be. Even the strap and watch box are made with this limitation in mind.

The production of the Montre 3 relies on hand-operated machines. Image – Ferdinand Berthoud

A view through the looking glass at the pinion leaves. Image – Ferdinand Berthoud

The Montre 3 also serves as a useful example of the limits of what can be achieved by hand. The geometries are fairly simple, and the components are are quite bulky; the same is true for other hand made watches.

This takes away nothing from the watch, but serves as a guidepost for enthusiasts to help distinguish the difference between watches made with a lot of CNC and those like the Montre 3 that use only hand-operated tools.

Hand-operated lathes are used to produce all circular components. Image – Ferdinand Berthoud

Even the notches on the crown are cut manually, one by one. Image – Ferdinand Berthoud

Perfectly balanced

Oscillating at a frequency of 21,600 beats per hour, the split bi-metallic Guillaume balance is arguably the stand out feature of the Montre 3, being entirely unique in contemporary watchmaking. Modern watches account for temperature in a very straightforward way, using alloys that are thermally stable.

But it wasn’t always so easy; before the development of Glucydur balance wheels and Nivarox hairsprings in the 1930s, watchmakers would fuse metals with different thermal expansion coefficients, like brass and steel, to create a balance wheel that would expand and contract to compensate for the effects of temperature on the hairspring.

The first bi-metallic compensation balances were developed in France and England around the same time in the late 1700s; Berthoud was quick to see the advantages of this approach and contributed to its later development. The next significant breakthrough occurred in 1899 when Charles-Edouard Guillaume developed Anibal, an alloy with non-linear temperature expansion, that eliminated a thorny problem called middle temperature error.

Middle temperature error was the final frontier of temperature compensation, and tests at the Neuchâtel Observatory confirmed that an Anibal-equipped bi-metallic balance reduced middle temperature error from 1.9 seconds to 0.3 seconds per day; a huge jump in precision. Guillaume later won the Nobel Prize in physics for these developments.

The know-how for making Guillaume balances was lost to time once more advanced alloys made them obsolete, and FB invested a great deal of effort into rediscovering these methods. Given the aims of the Naissance d’une Montre project, I would not have expected the Montre 3 to be chronometer certified and would not have noticed the absence of COSC certification. But the brand’s full name is actually Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud; submitting its watches for certification is a matter of principle.

Even so, it’s surprising because the current testing process favours mass-produced high-frequency movements; haute horlogerie calibers tend to fail at higher rates. Making a bi-metallic Guillaume-style balance at this size using manual methods is already impressive; managing to do so with enough precision to rival contemporary chronometers is a major demonstration of skill.

The escapement contains another surprise, which is a set of natural diamond end-stones held in place by hand-made shock absorber springs. This contrasts with the approach taken by watches like the Greubel Forsey Hand Made 2 that use contemporary Kif shock absorbers, and is another way in which the Montre 3 stands apart.

The inverted form and functionality also departs from traditional usage of diamond end-stones; brands like A. Lange & Söhne often use them to embellish their tourbillon watches, but only on the pivot for the tourbillon cage, not the balance staff itself.

With craftsmanship like this, one element stands out as underwhelming: the escape lever itself. While undoubtedly hand made like the rest of the movement, it nonetheless looks like it could be from any other high end watch.

A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon features diamond end-stones, not for the balance staff, but for the tourbillon pivot.

Links to the past

The other significant feature of the Montre 3 is its chain and fusée, which benefits from FB’s decade of experience making watches equipped with this primitive device.

The chain and fusée divides the power source into two components, a mainspring barrel and spiral-cut cone, linked by a miniature chain. At full power, the mainspring pulls on the narrow end of the fusée cone, but as the spring unwinds, the chain slowly coils around progressively wider sections of the cone, increasing mechanical leverage as the tension in the spring decreases.

One of the complicated things about this setup is that, unlike ordinary mainspring barrels that are wound in the same direction that they unwind, the chain and fusée must rotate backward during winding, requiring additional complexity to keep the movement ticking while the watch is wound. In the case of the Montre 3, this takes the form of an auxiliary spring with about 30 minutes of power reserve that sits compactly within the fusée cone.

The black polished steel stop work mechanism atop the fusée cone, which contains an auxiliary spring to power the escapement during winding.

We now think of the chain and fusée as a type of constant force mechanism, which it is, but it was developed nearly 500 years ago as an alternative to the hairspring, which had not yet been invented. With the invention of the hairspring and subsequent development of detached escapements, the chain and fusée fell out of favour, and for good reason. The chains were fragile and tedious to make, and due to the incredibly small size of the links, children were often ’employed’ to assemble them.

The first wristwatch to employ a chain and fusée was the groundbreaking A. Lange & Söhne Tourbillon Pour le Mérite that debuted in 1994. A few other brands, namely Breguet, Zenith, Romain Gauthier, and Christoph Claret have dabbled with this gadget, but it hasn’t been taken up more widely for obvious reasons. It’s a bulky, complicated mechanism that, thanks to modern escapements, is largely irrelevant to actual timekeeping.

But why go to all this trouble? In short, it’s sexy and cool and a show of technical prowess. The chain in the Montre 3 is 172 mm in length. Though shorter than the FB1’s epic 285 mm chain, it compares well to the chains employed by Lange and Zenith, which measure about 150 mm and 180 mm, respectively. But unlike these predecessors, each of the Montre 3’s 285 links are made entirely by hand, including 191 pins that are just 0.3 mm in diameter.

The 8.8 mm crown provides a good grip to experience the delightful winding feel.

There’s also another benefit, which is the winding feel. Chain and fusée watches tend to have a very distinctive and satisfying feel to the crown operation, and that’s true with the Montre 3. It’s difficult to describe, but the sensation is characterised by detents that feel especially smooth and robust.

Finishing

Given the theme of this watch, it probably goes without saying that the finishing is done by hand. But it’s worth a quick examination because the details are handled so well.

Consistent with the style of Berthoud’s era, the German silver plates and bridges are given a gilded, sandblasted finish with gleaming anglage. The black polished steelwork is peerless, with distortion-free reflections of adjacent components.

Note the perfect inner angles on the steel winding click, and the reflection of the square-cut post in the surface of the click wheel.

Even though sharp inner angles were not part of the French tradition in the time of Berthoud, and were popularised by nineteenth century Swiss watchmakers in the Vallée de Joux, the Montre 3 lives up to contemporary expectations for a watch of this stature. The openings around the lower pivots of the chain and fusée are a joy to behold, and even the steel winding click is extravagantly finished.

Both the main dial and the flange for the seconds are made of solid white gold and free-hand engraved and lacquered. The movement is also engraved with flowing script that translates as, “Dedicated to time, the great teacher.” This is said to be a maxim of Louis Berthoud, Ferdinand’s nephew who took over the business after his death and who was a renowned watchmaker in his own right. For a watch that takes so much time to make, this inscription is fitting.

Free-hand engraving of the solid white gold dial. Image – Ferdinand Berthoud

Accessories

I rarely feel the need to mention the accessories that accompany a watch, but in this case it’s worth looking at how far FB has gone in its commitment to the aims of the Naissance d’une Montre project. As you may have now guessed, the watch box is entirely hand made with antique equipment.

There are actually two boxes, each designed to look like an old book, inspired by the volumes published by Berthoud in his time. The boxes are made of wood, covered in leather, and embossed. The first houses the watch, and the second contains the supporting documentation including a USB stick with the full details of production.

The hand made presentation box. Image – Ferdinand Berthoud

Both presentation boxes are made using antique binding equipment. Image – Ferdinand Berthoud

Closing thoughts

The most refined and impressive Naissance d’une Montre project to-date, the Montre 3 is a testament to the vision of brand president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. When initially announced in 2019, the stated aim of Montre 3 was to apply the hand made concept to a watch with a chain and fusée mechanism, which was already a big undertaking. The addition of a cut bi-metallic balance suggests to me that this project came from the heart, not just the mind.

There’s a remarkable coherence to the Montre 3 that expresses itself in improbable ways. Take the Guillaume balance, for example. Not only was Berthoud himself one of the early pioneers of bi-metallic temperature compensation, but both he and Charles-Edouard Guillaume were born in the same small Swiss town of Val-de-Travers, 134 years apart. If Val-de-Travers sounds familiar, that’s because it’s where the Montre 3 and all other Ferdinand Berthoud watches are produced today.

The movement engraving translates as “Dedicated to time, the great teacher.”

Key Facts and Price

Ferdinand Berthoud Naissance d’une Montre 3
Ref. FB 4BTC.1

Diameter: 44.3 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Material: 18k white gold (piece unique in steel)
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: FB-BTC.FC
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve indicator, with chain and fusée
Winding: Hand-wind
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 50 hours

Strap: Alligator with matching pin buckle

Limited edition: 10 pieces in 18k white gold; 1 in stainless steel
Availability: At boutiques and retailers
Price:
White gold – CHF850,000 excluding taxes
Steel – to be auctioned for charity at Phillips’ The Geneva Watch Auction: XXII on November 8-9, 2025 at the Hotel President Wilson

For more, visit Ferdinandberthoud.ch.

TAG Heuer is marking the rollout of its new-and-improved, and in-house, carbon hairsprings – timed to coincide with the 350th anniversary of the hairspring’s invention – with a pair of chronographs: the Monaco Flyback Chronograph TH-Carbonspring and Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport TH-Carbonspring.

More than just two new watches, the TH-Carbonspring is a notable technical achievement that might promise an entirely new generation of TAG Heuer movements equipped with oscillators that boast all of the advantages of silicon, but with added robustness. Protected by several patents, TH-Carbonspring is also the result of a fascinating process of research and development to overcome a surprising problem.

Kitted out in carbon composite dials and cases, the two watches are centred on TAG Heuer’s latest-generation carbon-nanocomposite balance springs, with each being a limited edition of just 50 pieces

Initial thoughts

Both models serve as a launch platform for TAG Heuer’s improved and industrialisation-ready carbon hairspring. While the brand has been flirting with carbon hairsprings since 2019, its use of the technology has been intermittent and on limited scale.

TAG Heuer explains previous attempts at carbon springs were not up to the brand’s standards, which is to say the hairsprings did not perform as expected and could not be produced at scale. The new TH-Carbonspring indicates TAG Heuer has perfected the technology to make reliable hairsprings, which might lead to broader adoption within the LVMH’s stable of watch brands. In fact, the material might even rival silicon in the future, at least for LVMH marques.

The main advantages of carbon hairsprings are the total magnetic resistance (since carbon is naturally non-magnetic), lightness, and ability to be formed in any shape imaginable — especially useful when optimising hairspring geometry. These qualities are very close to silicon’s traits, but carbon holds an advantage, higher yield strength, making it more robust when handled by a watchmaker during assembly or service.

Assuming TAG Heuer can industrialise the carbon hairspring and install it across its production, as is the goal, the technical achievement of TH-Carbonspring is significant. Ironically, the two watches are fairly low-key symbols of this achievement, both have a similar monochromatic aesthetic  due to the overwhelming use of carbon composite on the exterior — though they are as different as they come. 

Notably, the movements in the two watches are distinguished not only by the carbon hairspring, but in terms of decoration as well. Both the Monaco and Carrera share a distinctive chequerboard finish that was first implemented on the one-of-a-kind Monaco made for the Only Watch charity auction. Though not hand applied as with the unique piece, the decor does set these calibres apart.

The Monaco Flyback TH-Carbonspring is undoubtedly the better looking of the two – though I admit I’ve always been a fan of the Monaco. Fashioned out of forged carbon, the square Monaco case is very different from the colourful piece that famously graced Steve McQueen’s wrist. The monochromatic look suits the square design well, all while keeping the dial sufficiently legible. 

The classic dial layout of the Monaco is retained, but with a clever touch in the form of a spiral motif on the dial. In keeping with the iconic twin register look, the Monaco Flyback employs a “ghost” register for the running seconds at six o’clock. 

At CHF17,000 the Monaco in carbon is a little pricey compared to the standard Monaco models, but it offers a lot more in all respects, from the case material and the movement technology. That, combined with the small edition size, rationalises the price.

The Carrera, on the other hand, is still a value-minded complication, but dressed in a full carbon ensemble. The result is not as appealing as the Monaco, with some design choices here looking forced. The marbled texture of forged carbon are more prominent than on the Monaco, while the lugs attempt to resemble an integrated bracelet. Much of the aesthetic result is due to the design of the Carrera Extreme Sport rather than the carbon livery.

While the Carrera might not be to everyone’s taste, its value lies in the in-house chronograph movement, adapted for a flying tourbillon regulator which puts the TH-Carbonspring front and center.

The two movements employed to showcase the new TH-Carbonspring point to TAG Heuer moving upmarket in terms of both industrialisation capability and quality. Performance chronographs from the likes of Rolex, Omega and Breitling are almost all chronometer-certified while also employing advanced technology, especially in the oscillator.

TAG Heuer was always a little behind in that respect. With its new hairspring technology, TAG Heuer has finally a fighting chance of reaffirming its place as a chronograph maker of note, with innovation-fuelled creations.

The carbon evolution

With the hairspring turning 350 years old, we already delved substantially into its history and evolution driven by materials science. The final important development in the evolution was the silicon hairspring with its easy mass-production, tight tolerances, and isochronal geometries, not to mention a useful resistance to magnetic and temperature influence.

Carbon, however, might do one better. For all its qualities, silicon still suffers from inherent brittleness, which makes such hairsprings susceptible to snapping due to shock or even mishandling during service. This weakness, combined with the fact that the patent for silicon hairsprings limits their use to a select few companies, drove the engineers at the TAG Heuer Institute (now renamed the TAG Heuer Lab) to search for other non-metallic materials that to replace alloy springs.

TH-Carbonspring sample, with a distinctive geometry.

TAG Heuer’s first carbon nanocomposite hairsprings hit the market in 2019. The new oscillator promised all the advantages of silicon (non-magnetic, isochronal geometry) while boasting a superior yield strength. At the time, TAG Heuer claimed the new hairsprings could withstand 5,000 G of acceleration — a value which would snap silicon and severely bend alloy springs. 

These first versions the carbon spring were made out of carbon nanocomposite, essentially a vertical bundle of carbon nanotubes (with diameters of 3 to 7 nanometers), held together by a rigid carbon matrix, almost like a forest of nanotube trees. The tubes were arranged perpendicular to the spiral’s plane, with each nanotube parallel to the rotational centre of the hairspring, namely the balance staff. 

PVD chamber with wafer plate.

The patent WO2017220672A1 filed back in 2017 detailed an original two-part production process for these carbon nanotube hairsprings. The first step was “growing” the nanotube structure with a PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) method, and the second step was filling in the core carbon matrix, the adhesive that held the tubes together. The process was done on wafers similar to those used for silicon etching. 

The resulting carbon nanocomposite hairspring was elastic and strong, with the particular structure lending it a high elastic limit. A different patent addressed the issue of temperature self-compensation and the thermo-elastic coefficient. Paired with a proprietary geometry that would keep the rotation center coincident with the balance axis (an issue broadly covered in a past story on hairspring overcoils), the new carbon springs looked like a strong rival to replace silicon.

The promising system was only used sporadically by TAG Heuer (and sister company Zenith), clearly a sign that the hairspring was not as performing as intended — although the concept looked foolproof. A few select timepieces featured the new spring, but the carbon technology never reached the industrialised scale of its silicon counterpart. 

With the new TH-Carbonspring, TAG Heuer hints at the full potential for industrialising its improved carbon springs – the brand’s annual production of mechanical watches is into six figures. The fact that the two new models are each limited to 50 pieces is most probably related to their costly forged carbon cases and carbon accented dials, rather than the hairsprings themselves. 

Now watertight

Though TAG Heuer hints at a new and improved manufacturing process for the carbon springs, it has kept quiet about the details that make the invention ready for mass production. We did however manage to trace patent WO2025114588A1, filed at the end of last year and published earlier this year in June, which describes the additional manufacturing steps and hints at the issue that plagued the past versions of its carbon hairspring.

The patent heavily builds on the initial one from 2017, but explains how the composite material, in its raw form, is water permeable. This means that the original springs absorbed water and other liquids, which in turn affected their qualities (mass, natural frequency). In any watch there are plenty of lubrication points — not to mention the ever-present humidity in the air, all which seem to have negatively affected the original carbon springs. 

The issue of material permeability does not immediately come to mind in the field of hairspring design, since metal alloys and silicon are inherently non-permeable. The issue of oxidation was an issue, especially with alloy springs, but separate from permeability.

In the earlier version of TAG Heuer’s carbon hairspring, the nanotube “forest” turned into a sponge of sorts, with its porous surface absorbing humidity into the spaces between the tubes. The new patent explains the unwanted effect was only noticed in serial-production springs, so it was completely unforeseen during the design and development phase.  

At its core, the new patent describes a method of surface passivation, such that the hairsprings become hydro- and oleophobic. In other words, the hairspring will not absorb any liquids that may come in contact with its surface.

Through a bend of chemistry and physics, TAG Heuer engineers developed a process of treating the nanocomposite springs with specific carbon chains that render the final product impervious to humidity. The process itself is similar to electrolysis in some ways, but requires specialised chemical reactors and needed some extensive experimentation to be fine-tuned. 

With the implementation of this final step, the TH-Carbonspring seems to be a mature technology that is finally able to fulfil its potential. While it shares some qualities with silicon springs, mainly the imperviousness to magnetic fields and optimised geometry, it surpasses silicon in two ways: lightness and much higher yield strength. 

A lighter hairspring is more faithful to the theoretically perfect sprung regulator, which doesn’t take into account the spring’s own mass and inertia. The higher yield strength allows the TH-Carbonspring to withstand shocks, and important allows watchmakers to handle them like alloy springs during assembly and servicing, without fear of breakage.

The Monaco

Perhaps the most emblematic model in TAG Heuer’s line, the Monaco is dressed in carbon for this limited edition, while keeping the design cues of the original.

The square chronograph retains its classic, well-proportioned 39 mm case that is now sculpted from carbon composite. Being fashioned out of carbon, the case is light and durable. The material not only gives the watch a stealthy and raw look, but also makes each piece unique, since the carbon graining has a different orientation in each batch of material.

Also rendered in carbon composite, the dial is milled with a circular motif made up of wide bands that spiral from the center — a nod to the coils of a hairspring. 

The white hands and numerals maximise legibility, while the intentional omission of a defined sub dial for the small seconds is laudable, since it preserves the original Monaco look. The small seconds hand itself is blackened and only visible under close scrutiny. 

The Monaco Flyback TH-Carbonspring is powered by the TH20-60, an in-house movement derived from the more basic TH20-00 developed by Carole Forestier-Kasapi and her team. Compared to the basic version of the caliber, the TH20-60 is updated with a flyback function as well as the TH-Carbonspring system. 

The TH20-60 caliber is at its core a competent and modern chronograph movement, with a respectable power reserve of 80 hours and a standard 4 Hz rate. It benefits from a column wheel actuation system and a vertical clutch — both marks of modern performance chronographs. This new version updates the regulator with a TH-Carbonspring, while curiously keeping the simplistic raquette regulating system. 

The choice of an inexpensive index regulator, compared to the more advanced free-sprung option is odd — especially for a timepiece which is centred around a new high-performance regulator. Although it is not advertised on the dial, the TH20-60 is COSC-chronometer certified.

The caliber is clearly machine-finished, with the bridges finished with a chequered flag motif inspired by the brand’s motorsport ties. Being a round movement fitted into a larger square case, the TH20-60 requires a substantial movement ring, which is also tastefully finished with the same pattern.

A chronograph and tourbillon

Compared the almost-subdued Monaco, the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport TH-Carbonspring is an aggressively styled 44 mm. Whereas the Monaco leans into classic looks, the Carrera TH-Carbonspring is modern. The large case follows the lines of the traditional Carrera form, but is bulked up and accented with touches like the “integrated” strap.

It is fashioned from forged carbon, as are the chronograph pushers and crown. Also in carbon is the tachymeter bezel that features lacquered numerals. 

Much like the Monaco, the Carrera is very legible, something which can’t be said for many monochromatic watches. The carbon spiral motif is present on the dial as well, although it is decidedly larger than the one used for the Monaco. The spiral pattern is emanates from the tourbillon cage, as opposed to the center of the dial, which is a thoughtful design choice.

The defining visual trait of the model is surely the flying tourbillon regulator, positioned a little too low at the 6 o’clock position. The cutout aperture is larger than the chronograph sub registers and for some reason makes the tourbillon look a little small. This and the fact that it cuts into the outer minute track leaves the impression of a slightly lopsided dial. 

Powering the Carrera is the TH20-61 — yet another iteration of the basic TH20-00. For this version, TAG Heuer kept the chronograph works and only altered the going train and base plate to accommodate the dial-side tourbillon regulator.

The TH-Carbonspring is paired here with a free-sprung balance, which is fitting at this price point. The TH20-61 manages 65 hours of power reserve while beating at 4 Hz. This is less compared to the TH20-60 in the Monaco and the difference speaks of to the energy consumption of a tourbillon regulator. The TH20-61 is chronometer certified as well and shares the same finishing as the TH20-60. 

Key facts and price

TAG Heuer Monaco Flyback Chronograph TH-Carbonspring
Ref. CBL5190.FT6313

Diameter: 39 mm
Height: 14.1 mm
Material: Forged carbon, DLC-coated titanium caseback
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 100 m

Movement: Cal. TH20-60
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds and flyback chronograph
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 80 hours

Strap: Rubber strap with DLC-coated titanium folding clasp

Limited edition: 50 pieces
Availability: Starting from December 2025
Price: CHF17,000

TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport TH-Carbonspring
Ref. CBU5091.FT6305

Diameter: 44 mm
Height: 15.4 mm
Material: Forged carbon, DLC-coated titanium caseback
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 100 m

Movement: Cal. TH20-61
Functions: Hours, minutes, chronograph, and flying tourbillon
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 65 hours

Strap: Rubber strap with DLC-coated titanium folding clasp

Limited edition: 50 pieces
Availability: Starting from the first quarter of 2026
Price: CHF40,000

For more, visit Tagheuer.com.

The reborn Gérald Genta has just unveils a simply-titled complicated watch, the Minute Repeater. Although a new design, the striking timepiece harks back to Gérald Genta’s golden age in the late 20th century, in both style and quality of execution.

The case takes a clean, cushion-shaped form, while the dial is glossy black onyx. And inside ticks the GG-002, a hand-wind movement derived from the longstanding repeater movement made by Louis Vuitton La Fabrique du Temps (LFT), the parent of Gérald Genta. Though not a limited edition, the yearly output will be limited to 10 pieces.

Initial thoughts

Big-name brand revivals are not always successful endeavours, since it is often difficult for new patrons to recapture the spirit and style of the original, while also making it financially viable. Gérald Genta is clearly an exception. It was relaunched in 2023 by Louis Vuitton, allowing it to lean more towards genuine quality rather than a flash in the pan. 

The Minute Repeater is a welcome and original addition to the brand’s collection, embodying the late Genta’s instinctive design flair and aesthetic sensibilities, while being a new(ish) design. An especially pleasant surprise is the original case shape that certainly looks very Gérald Genta, but wasn’t previously in the catalogue, though Genta did pen similar cases in the past. In other words, this is not a remake.

The shape sits between an ellipse and a rounded rectangle, capturing the gist of the 1970s design well. The simple black onyx dial is overwhelmingly simple yet full of Genta-inspired details.

The repeater complication itself was dear to watch designer, who launched several models with the complication in the 1980s and 1990s. An all-new minute repeater collection is thus a fitting tribute to Genta.

The brand relied on in-house movements in the 1980s and 1990s, and so does the new repeater; it’s the complete package with the GG-002 inside. Manufactured by LFT, the minute repeating caliber features subtle design cues of traditional calibres and bears all the marks of a highly quality movement. (Ironically, LVMH does own the rights to the 1990s Gérald Genta movements, but those are now used by Bulgari, which once owned the brand.)

While the price is undisclosed, the Minute Repeater will probably cost in excess of CHF300,000 based on comparable models made by LFT. It’s definitely at the upper limit of the price range for such watches but regardless, the unique pedigree, elegant style, and excellent execution chime in its favour.

An original but inspired case

The late Genta left behind some 3,000 original drawings for watches, were are now owned by Gérald Genta and LFT, putting them at the disposal of the brand’s design team led by Mathieu Hegi. As a result, the case shape of the Minute Repeater is original, but clearly infused with Genta’s DNA. 

The exact shape is difficult to pinpoint. It is reminiscent of both the Patek Philippe Ellipse and Nautilus — the latter having been designed by Genta himself. The Minute Repeater’s case is both rounder than the Nautilus and less elongated compared to the Ellipse, not to mention it features Genta’s own whimsical design cues, all which give the case an appealing and familiar identity. 

The polished bezel is double-lipped, or double pomme in Gérald Genta terms. Connecting the gold case to the strap are a pair of short Vendôme lugs. While in his work for other brands Genta employed fairly conventional lug designs, he preferred integrated lugs like these for his own watches.  

Such a particular lug design hinders the owner’s ability to easily swap straps, the choice is true to the brand’s identity and the style it seeks to recreate.

At 40 mm in diameter and 9.6 mm in thickness, the piece sits firmly in the dress watch category, so the black leather strap is sufficient and appropriate (though maybe not funky enough for social media).

One final touch which completes the case is the domed black onyx cabochon on the slim crown. The elegance of the cabochon cannot be overstated and while most enthusiasts associate the jewelled crown with Cartier, it was also a defining trait of many original Genta pieces. 

There is however one gripe concerning the crown: it’s slimness might prove frustrating when it comes to winding the movement. While the deep groves might provide sufficient grip, winding a narrow, small crown is always a chore.

Plain yet soulful

The dial is perhaps the most visually defining trait of any timepiece, since it dominates the watch face. Here the choice was for a striking black onyx piece, which contrasts well with the gold case. The dial shape follows the case while also incorporating a round outline for the minute track. 

The choice for onyx instead of enamel is surprising, since the latter craft has experienced a surge in interest from both independent and mainstream brands. Genta himself was known to frequently favour mineral stone or shell dials, so the onyx dial plate is fitting. 

The slim gold indices evoke Genta’s work for Patek Philippe — the double indices at  12 o’clock are especially suggestive of the Nautilus dial design. The choice for simple and polished hands is suitable and further evokes the late ‘70s trends. The white markings are done in Genta’s characteristic typeface. 

The qualitative movement 

The movement here is a simpler version of the GG-001, which powered the Gérald Genta Mickey Mouse “Only Watch 2023″, a minute repeater with jumping hours. 

The GG-002, at its core a LFT construction, fills the case nicely. LFT is led by its founders Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, both veterans of the original Genta brand. The two master watchmakers worked under Pierre-Michel Golay in developing some of the most impressive and demanding complications for Gérald Genta. 

Today the watchmaking pair develop movements mainly for Louis Vuitton and the brands it owns, along with a handful of boutique brands. When it comes to preserving Gérald Genta’s legacy for qualitative and complicated movements, Navas and Barbasini are as good stewards as they come. 

The GG-002 itself is a very modern construction, yet it looks pocket-watch like. The core architecture is decidedly classical, with the large center wheel displayed prominently, the visible going train components and the large barrel with its blade click. 

On the case back side the sounding works are hidden, save for the two black polished steel hammers and the governor. Particular to the Gérald Genta-version of this movement is the clear sapphire governor bridge, which is framed by an octagonal ring —a nod to Gérald Genta’s own extensive use of the shape in other watches.

The movement sounds the time to the minute via the two hammers when the slider is activated. Although modern in its construction, the GG-002 is not an advanced repeater movement, but rather a classical one of very high quality, as it can be observed from the tidy finishing and solid construction. 

The free-sprung balance beats at a languid 3 Hz — not unusual for classically inspired movements. The flat hairspring’s secured by a Geneva stud carrier and the entire watch is regulated to six positions — very uncommon even for modern-day chronometers from the likes of Rolex or Omega. The GG-002 achieves a comfortable 80 hour power reserve from the single large barrel. 

While the finishing looks impeccable, at close scrutiny one can tell it was mostly machine-applied, with final touches made by hand. The Geneva stripes are consistent across the bridges and the main plate is fully covered in perlage. The hand-bevelled anglage on the bridges and black polished steel parts are artful touches, although as a whole the decoration of the GG-002 doesn’t have the artisanal refinement found in calibres from the likes of Voutilainen.

Key facts and price

Gérald Genta Minute Repeater
Ref. EBFE01A1

Diameter: 40 mm
Height: 9.6 mm
Material: Yellow gold 3N
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: Unspecified, probably only dust and moisture resistant

Movement: GG-002
Functions: Two-hammer minute repeater, hours, minutes
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hours (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 80 hours

Strap: Sheep leather strap with pin buckle

Limited edition: No, but only 10 pieces will be made each year
Availability: Directly from Gérald Genta
Price: Upon request

For more information, visit geraldgenta.com.