Ferdinand Berthoud : Explorer of excellence

Chronomètre Ferdinand Berthoud FB 1.3

CASE : 950 platinum with lateral openings, ceramic dials, dynamometric crown, sapphire back, water-resistant to 30m

DIAMETER : 44mm

MOVEMENT : mechanical manual-winding Caliber FB-T.FC, 53-hour power reserve), 1,120 components including 790 for the fusee-and-chain transmission, nickel silver bridges with titanium pillars, COSC-certified, manual finishing

FUNCTIONS : hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve, tourbillon

DIAL : satin-brushed nickel silver, lacquered counter at 12 o’clock, gold hands

STRAP : alligator leather, platinum folding clasp

Focus-FBIn the wake of the rose gold version that won the “Aiguille d’or” Grand Prix at the GPHG 2016, followed by a white gold interpretation, the Chronomètre Ferdinand Berthoud sets out to conquer 50 new collectors, attired in platinum framing a more contemporary dial. The marine chronometer DNA remains omnipresent, be it in the characteristic octagonal case recalling an overhead view of an historical marine chronometer in its box, or in the architecture of Caliber FB-T.FC built on 15 bridges and three half-bridges in nickel silver. Filtering through four lateral ‘portholes’ serving to admire the operation of the fusee-and-chain transmission ensuring constant force, the light plays over its 1,120 components. From an aesthetic and technical standpoint, giving new life to historical splendors in no way prevents today’s talented entrepreneur from enriching this contemporary creation with innovations – witness the filing of four patents for the suspended tourbillon, the power reserve, the fusee and the barrel. Not to mention the rare sight of a central sweep seconds-hand combined with a suspended tourbillon. Such a wealth of subtle details and impressive feats cannot be summed up in one page, so for more details, check out worldtempus.com

Brice Lechevalier is editor-in-chief of GMT and Skippers, which he co-founded in 2000 and 2001 respectively. He has also been CEO of WorldTempus since it joined the GMT Publishing stable, of which he is director and joint shareholder. In 2012 he created the Geneva Watch Tour, and he has been an advisor to the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève since 2011. Also closely involved in sailing, he has published the magazine of the Société Nautique de Genève since 2003, and was one of the founders of the SUI Sailing Awards in 2009 and the Concours d’Elégance for motor boats at the Cannes Yachting Festival in 2015.

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