A Vancouver native who studied watchmaking in Switzerland, Bradley Taylor spent the last four years working on his own movement, an endeavour that is has finally in the Ardea. Manually wound with three hands, the Ardea is powered by a hand-made movement made by Mr Taylor, who incorporated a retrograde seconds, setting this apart from the high-end time-only watches that are now common.

Mr Taylor made his debut with time-only watches that were powered by high-quality, but essentially stock, Vaucher movements. The Ardea, in contrast, is of his own making. He fabricated his own movement by building on the vintage Omega cal. 30T2 architecture and then making most of the watch himself, right down to the guilloche dial and solid gold wheels of the gear train. Mr Taylor’s attention to detail extends to surprising aspects of the watch, like the platinum applied numerals in a custom typeface.

Initial thoughts

The Ardea, and especially its movement, is the product of substantial manual craftsmanship. From milling to filing to drilling to polishing – Mr Taylor does almost all of it himself and has documented the process with many photos and videos. As a result, the Ardea is more artisanal than other recent indie creations that are engineer-conceived timepieces, and Mr Taylor deserves credit.

Tapping the main plate

Applying guilloche to the dial ring with a hand-cranked rose engine

Mr Taylor’s choice of movement construction is not surprising, since the Omega cal. 30T2 architecture is something of a favourite amongst independents as it is reliable, well known, and widely available for experimentation and prototyping. Watchmakers that have employed the construction range from Atelier de Chronometrie in Barcelona to Dewey Vicknair in Pennsylvania.

Substantial work has gone into making this more than a cal. 30T2 replica, however, and that’s apparent from the details of the movement, including a free-sprung balance wheel of Mr Taylor’s own design. While the original Omega design was a precise chronometer calibre, it was no frills in form and finish. Mr Taylor’s movement, on the other hand, is elaborately executed with many of the flourishes that enthusiasts today seek.

While some recent highly decorated time-only movements feel overdone, the cal. 475RS is arguably just right. It has enough detailing to qualify as contemporary high-end “indie”, while not so much as to look confused or busy.

While I like the movement execution, I am less enthused about the dial design. The dial is finely made – the engine turned border is a pleasing touch – with individual elements that are appealing, including the custom typography for the Breguet-style numerals. But it doesn’t speak to me as much as the movement does, though I assume Mr Taylor may eventually offer some dial customisation, as many independents do.

Classical high horology

At a distance the Ardea is not dissimilar to many time-only watches, but it stands out in terms of materials and details. The dial itself is sterling silver, with hand-applied guilloche on the outer ring and seconds scale. The hands are polished steel heated to purple, with mirror polished and countersunk bosses.

Perhaps the most impressive detail are the applied numerals, which are actually solid platinum. Each of the numbers is milled and polished to a domed finish by Mr Taylor. And though the numbers are Breguet-esque, they are actually rendered in a custom font commissioned by Mr Taylor, and created by a noted Canadian typographer.

The open back reveals the cal. 475RS, which is named after its 4.75 mm height and “retrograde seconds” complication. While it is based on the architecture of the vintage Omega cal. 30T2, the movement has been reworked and refined to a degree that gives it enough of its own character to be interesting.

The addition of the retrograde seconds sets this apart from the typical vintage-origin calibre; the retrograde mechanism was designed band incorporated into the base plate entirely by Mr Taylor.

At 31 mm, the cal. 475RS is actually smaller than many recent time-only movements by independent watchmakers, which arguably gives it less visual impact, but does not detract from the intrinsic quality or finish. According to Mr Taylor, he makes some 80% of the movement components himself.

Amongst the notable details are the free-sprung titanium balance secured by a narrow cock, wolf’s teeth for the winding wheels, and polished, domed screw heads. A more unusual element are the square screw heads employed for the case back and barrel ratchet wheel. According to Mr Taylor, this design was patented in 1908 by P. L. Robertson, a Canadian inventor, some three decades before the familiar Phillips head.

Granted, all of the visible elements on the back are aesthetic rather than functional, but they are largely hand made and finished, which underlines the skill, effort, and time Mr Taylor has put into the watch.

The wheels of the going train are 14k gold

Key Facts and Price

Bradley Taylor Ardea

Diameter: 37.8 mm
Height: 10.9 mm
Material: Steel or platinum
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m

Movement: Cal. 475RS
Functions: Hours, minutes, and retrograde seconds
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 40 hours

Limited edition: 50 pieces
Availability: Direct from Bradley Taylor, with production of 5-10 pieces a year
Price: US$62,000 in steel, and US$82,500 in platinum

For more, visit Bradleytaylor.ca.