Press release
Louis Moinet presents its new concept, “Treasures of the World”. In doing this, Les Ateliers Louis Moinet have partnered with Mr Daniel Haas, great world specialist and craftsman in the realm of semi-precious stones. Jean-Marie Schaller and Daniel Haas have brought back the most beautiful stones from their travels around the world. These are still manufactured in an artisanal way and based on Daniel Haas' traditional know-how, which he in turn acquired from his father.
The creation of each dial is a veritable feat, as each one of the steps requires the greatest care applied to a job that can only be done by the hands of this great connoisseur. The thickness of the pieces is limited to 0.6 mm, which requires great precision in their manufacture. The result is a top-level creation, which combines the highly particular vibration of each stone with the mechanical beauty of the tourbillon. The marriage achieves perfection within the patented 18-carat gold case. The concept is presented in the form of one-of-a-kind creations, of which Louis Moinet is now unveiling the first three.
VERTALIS TOURBILLON « AUSTRALIAN OPAL »
The crystal opal is regarded as one of the most spectacular precious stones in gemology, with particularly sparkling reflections, lighting up depending on the angle from which one looks at the stone. One can see all its colors and particularities through this procedure. The stone used was discovered in the famous “Olympic Mine” in Australia around 30 years ago. Some of the most beautiful opals in the world have been extracted from this famous mine. This stone is so exceptional that a layer of lacquer had to be applied to bring out the most beautiful reflections. The unique piece is presented in an 18-carat white gold case and has a bezel set with 56 baguette-cut diamonds.
Vertalis Tourbillon « Australian Opal », unique piece.
VERTALIS TOURBILLON « RED STROMATOLITE »
Known to be the oldest fossil on the planet, the stromatolite stone is believed to date back more than three billion years. It is made up of a collection of layers formed by the growth of blue-green algae, that are also called “cyanobacteria”, and is part of the first known signs of life on Earth. Today, the red stromatolite has become very rare, and is only found in certain places on earth. The result is a unique piece that is characterized by an 18-carat rose gold case.
Vertalis Tourbillon « Red Stromatolite », unique Piece.
VERTALIS TOURBILLON « BIGGS JASPER »
Each jasper stone is truly unique, meaning no two stones are ever alike. It comes from volcanic rock and exists in a huge range of colours. The source of “Biggs Jasper” makes it even more exclusive. The deposit was discovered during the construction of a highway near the town of Biggs in Oregon. The vein of jasper was exploited as much as possible and then closed. Today, it is very difficult to obtain this quality. The dial is presented as a unique piece with a 5N 18-carat rose gold case.
Vertalis Tourbillon « Biggs Jasper », unique piece
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« DANIEL HAAS, ARTIST AND CRAFTSMAN OF SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES »
To achieve the exceptional quality of stone dials, the first operations consist of a series of cutting operations. The purpose of this stage is to select the most spectacular parts of the stone. The latter being fragile, the process calls for extreme dexterity, and this is where the unique expertise and experience of Daniel Haas prove so valuable.
Daniel's reputation as probably the best semi-precious stone-cutter is undoubtedly also due to his instruments. This unique equipment was made either by Daniel or in some cases by his father, around thirty years ago. These hand-craftsmanship tools, such as the diamond grinding-wheel or the lapping-machine, have been modifed by Daniel in order to optimise his work. They enable him to exercise ideal and sometimes infinitely small pressure, which he defines by his own unique feel for the stone. One of the most crucial stages comes with ultrasound cutting of the final piece, which takes an hour and a half to pierce. Adjusting it to size and polishing are naturally also done by hand.
The last operation involves trimming and fitting the stone into its brass base, which is done with a miniature milling-cutter. This final stage is one of the most hazardous, because the material could still snap where it is thinnest. The shape of the Tourbillon Vertalis dial is indeed particularly challenging at its extremities.
