Kerbedanz has always been enamored with collective symbols and has always found a way to slip them into each of its watches, turning them into initiation paths ideal for ultrapersonalization. And now, the brand is taking its aficionados on a journey to the days of the great explorers. The Polvs Arcticus, a Latin name that reminds one of the makers of maritime instruments of old, does carry an emotional and artistic charge dedicated to the mythical days of global adventures.
This watch's incredible feats of miniaturization turn it into a genuine work of art. Inside beats the double tourbillon GMT KRB-07 caliber, a manually-wound movement composed of 341 parts, conceived, manufactured and decorated by Kerbedanz in collaboration with Concepto.
It boasts a northern and southern tourbillon with microscopic cages made up of 80 components each and covered by two hemispheres.
The one covering the northern tourbillon is a mere 0.1 millimeters thick! The northern hemisphere of Earth seen from the pole emerges from a blue, translucent backdrop in grand feu enamel, with the visible parts of the continents carved out of gold. The total thickness, including the reliefs, does not surpass 0.3 millimeters.
On the southern hemisphere, we see an astrolabe made of pure gold and representing the celestial sphere. The key to this particular achievement lies in the faithful representation of the astrolabe, an ancient instrument that had a number of different functions, notably to determine precisely the time the sun would rise and set, or when a celestial body would pass over the meridian.
The beauty of the finishing, particularly the beveling and the different polishes, can be admired through the sapphire crystal at the back of the pure 18-karat white-gold, 50 millimeter case. On the dial, the decorations and finishing includes motifs related to seafaring. One can make out the subtle contours of a navigation compass of an ancient galleon.
The watch is fitted with an alligator mississipiensis leather strap. The double folding clasp has a Kerbedanz personalization in 18-karat gold.
