The Chronomètre FB 3SPC, the multiple award-winning wristwatch is now available in a new monochromatic execution, uniting a rose gold case with a nickel silver movement. The subtle arrangement of similar shades imbues the model FB 3SPC.2-1 with a classical mien and is officially unveiled to mark the opening of Art in Time Tokyo.
When it was initially launched in 2022, the Chronomètre FB 3SPC was groundbreaking with its unprecedented combination of a variable inertia balance, cylindrical balance spring and chronometer certification (COSC). The model’s technical virtuosity was immediately recognised by watch aficionados and industry experts, culminating in the Chronomètre FB 3SPC receiving numerous awards, including the prestigious ‘Chronometry prize’ at the GPHG 2023.
Rooted in chronometric performance, perpetuating the legacy of Ferdinand Berthoud and that of his nephew, Louis Berthoud, all the Manufacture’s models are highly precise.
Where the FB 1 and FB 2 achieved this feat using constant-force mechanisms, a different approach was adopted for the FB 3SPC, setting aside the conventional flat balance-spring in favour of a cylindrical balance-spring.
After three years of exhaustive research, Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud created a cylindrical balance-spring equipped with two terminal curves, formed by hand, a specially designed collet and a variable inertia balance, culminating in the movement being chronometer certified.
Most watches submitted to the COSC for chronometer testing are serially produced and submitted en masse; however, each Ferdinand Berthoud timepiece is individually crafted, assembled and regulated, making the task of obtaining certification far more challenging.
In creating each Chronomètre FB 3SPC by hand, the craftspeople and watchmakers can employ traditional techniques, use materials with inherent longevity and impart refined Haute Horlogerie finishes.
The Chronomètre FB 3SPC is now offered in a new 18-carat 5N rose gold case. Paired with a nickel silver movement, presented in a sandblasted finish, and framed with a beige-varnished inner bezel ring, the model appears almost monochromatic. The tonal contrast between each element is nuanced and endows the model with a seemly, classical appearance.
Beneath the domed sapphire crystal front of house, the hours and minutes are indicated with facetted and skeletonised open-tipped hands. Formed of 18-carat gold and blue CVD-treated, the hands confer contrast against the beige-varnished dial small seconds track and inner bezel ring. The seconds hand and power-reserve indicator, together with several screws, introduce smatterings of blue, punctuating the otherwise monochromatic scene.
Officially unveiled on the occasion of the opening of Art in Time Tokyo, this new Chronomètre FB 3SPC.2-1 in rose gold is a non-limited edition and completes the collection alongside the existing white gold variation, the FB 3SPC.1.
