Ferdinand Berthoud (a subsidiary model of the Chopard Group) launched its first watch in 2015; that watch is the FB 1, which has an octagonal case, a pillar and plate motion with a fusee-and-chain fixed drive mechanism and tourbillon, and an influence reserve mechanism based mostly on a cone-and-feeler mechanism. The watch has a surprisingly slim, elegant wrist presence contemplating the complexity of the motion, and it was adopted by variations on the unique design that includes structural and aesthetic improvements; there are at the moment eight variations on the FB 1 in its catalogue, and this 12 months the agency launched its first moonphase Ferdinand Berthoud timepiece (which consists of two watches within the assortment FB 1L). Final 12 months, Ferdinand Berthoud confirmed, at Baselworld, the Chronomètre FB 1R.6-1, which has a case of hardened, carburised metal, and an uncommon variation on a regulator-layout which makes a most attention-grabbing use of adverse area within the general dial composition. As with its stablemates, it’s, whereas a really difficult watch, additionally fairly slim and way more snug and natural a wrist presence, than is mostly the case for such superwatches.
The 44mm x 13.95mm case is manufactured from carburised metal; carburising is a type of case-hardening, which produces a really scratch and put on resistant floor, whereas preserving the toughness and affect power of the core materials. The time period comes from the truth that carburising is a method that entails the introduction of further carbon from carbon-bearing substances like charcoal or, in trendy trade, carbon dioxide. Gasoline carburizing is normally carried out in a particular oven, which may attain temperatures of 900º C or extra; the case of the FB 1R.6-1 has a floor hardness of 1200 Vickers (for comparability, 316L chrome steel has a hardness of about 140 Vickers; diamond has a hardness of 10,00zero Vickers).
It is an attention-grabbing selection each technically and aesthetically. Usually talking, on this type of watchmaking you are inclined to see both very conventional luxurious case supplies, like gold or platinum, or using clearly excessive tech supplies and finishes – solid carbon, and circumstances with DLC coatings (diamond-like carbon) happen to me. Carburised steels are extensively used, in contrast, in an enormous number of industrial purposes; every thing from transportation, to manufacturing gear, to elements in energy crops, and on and on. The method can be, essentially, not a high-tech course of; the impact of heating steels over a protracted interval in a excessive carbon atmosphere have been recognized for hundreds of years (the historic Ferdinand Berthoud himself may effectively have been conscious of the tactic).
The distinction between the matte, industrial-looking floor of the case, and the excessive diploma of end lavished on different elements, produces a way more texturally wealthy and attention-grabbing impact than extremely polished treasured metals or clearly high-tech supplies, and it is usually a superb foil to the dial composition and supplies. The dial itself is black rhodium-plated nickel silver, however it does not have a flat black look – because of the hand-applied vertical satin brushing, it picks up ambient mild and produces a good looking quiet glow. The brushing additionally supplies a particular however understated textural distinction to the case, in addition to to the opposite dial parts, together with the blued metal minute hand and hour pointer, and the polished metal of the facility reserve mechanism.
The asymmetry of the dial design provides the middle seconds hand a altering character because it sweeps across the dial; it has a beautiful isolation because it sweeps by means of the unoccupied area between two and 7 o’clock, and the size of the seconds hand tail maintains the stability of the general composition even when the hand is traversing the part of the dial carrying the assorted indications. I believe purely from an aesthetics standpoint, this is perhaps one of the vital profitable Ferdinand Berthoud watches; the design has that mixture of dynamism and serenity which characterizes lots of the finest horological designs (Lange and Jaquet Droz each spring to thoughts as firms that may generally do that extraordinarily effectively additionally).
The mainspring barrel, with the chain wound onto it.
The fusee cone.
The motion, caliber FB-T.FC.R (it appears an affordable guess that it is T for Tourbillon; FC for Power Fixed, in reference to the fusee-and-chain; and R in fact is for Regulateur, in reference to the dial structure) is completed in nickel silver, with titanium pillars for higher power and rigidity (in addition to a little bit of financial savings in weight, which given the minuteness of the elements might be a minor benefit at finest, however each bit helps). It’s unusually slim for a motion with a fusee-and-chain; these elements specifically, not solely take up a whole lot of room within the motion but additionally typically, and unavoidably, add appreciable top.
Ferdinand Berthoud has addressed this by borrowing a method from traditional ultra-thin watchmaking. That is using a “hanging” mainspring barrel, which moderately than being sandwiched between the mainplate and a bridge, is connected solely to the plate. Within the FB-T.FC.R, each the mainspring barrel and the fusee cone use this building and the result’s a motion which is available in at solely 35.50mm in diameter, and 9.86mm thick (for reference, the Rolex caliber 3186 is 28.50mm x 6.40mm).
Compared to the restrained lyricism of the dial, the motion aspect of the watch is unrestrained horological eye sweet. The seen particulars embody the adjustable weights on the massive, free-sprung stability; the natural taper of the limbs of the tourbillon carriage, the Maltese cross stopworks on the mainspring barrel, and the differential gears on the fusee cone. The latter are a part of the sustaining works – whenever you wind a watch with a fusee, you might be winding the chain onto the fusee cone, which attracts the chain off the mainspring barrel and places stress within the mainspring. The issue with this, is that the watch is powered when issues are going the other means – when the mainspring barrel, below the strain of the spring, is drawing the chain off the fusee cone, which acts as the primary wheel within the going prepare. Winding the watch, subsequently, will trigger the watch to cease. The answer to that is so-called “sustaining energy” which is a mechanism constructed into the fusee cone, which supplies power to the going prepare by preserving stress on the fusee cone’s “nice wheel” (the primary watch within the going prepare, on the base of the cone). The mechanism was invented by John Harrison for his H4 marine chronometer.
The Ferdinand Berthoud FB 1R 6.1 is, like all the corporate’s watches, very restricted by way of manufacturing numbers; this mannequin is a restricted version of 20 items. It’s a watch that exhibits off not solely very engaging, traditional watchmaking by way of building, but additionally represents a really attention-grabbing level within the evolution of watch design at Ferdinand Berthoud.
Chopard Group isn’t an organization that exhibits a lot signal of eager to be thought transgressive, or avant-garde, or unique for the sake of originality. The FB 1R.6-1 isn’t a novelty watch, and for all its sophistication, it does not put on like one both; effort has been expended on making it not merely an unique and profitable design (which is already a uncommon factor in watchmaking, as it’s in every other area of design) it is usually a watch on which effort has been expended, to make sure that isn’t solely wearable (a low bar, let’s face it) however truly snug and pleasurable to put on. You aren’t getting that in quarter million greenback watches as usually as you must.
The Ferdinand Berthoud FB 1R.6-1: case, carburised metal, 44mm x 13.95mm; water resistance 30 meters; crown, carburised metal with ceramic inlay. Sapphire crystals back and front, with two sapphire portholes within the case flank for viewing the barrel and fusee cone. Dial, regulator model; hours on a rotating sapphire disc at 2:00; energy reserve at 10:00, with minutes subdial at 12:00. Dial plate, black rhodium plated nickel silver. Motion, caliber FB-T.FC.R, 35.50mm x 9.89mm; operating in 49 jewels; 53 hour energy reserve. three Hz one minute tourbillon with instantly pushed heart seconds (pushed by the tourbillon cage). Suspended fusee-and-chain and mainspring barrel. Motion chronometer licensed by the COSC. Restricted version of 20 items world-wide; worth, $241,500. Learn extra about it at FerdinandBerthoud.ch.
