Since launching its Le Temps en Équilibre collection last year, Akhor has built its identity around a distinctive concept: an upper disc seemingly suspended at the center of the dial while the hands revolve around an elevated central axis. With the introduction of À Deux Mesures, the Maison takes that idea a step further. The dial now becomes a two-layer composition featuring an upper and lower disc, each available in different colors and finishes that clients can combine as they wish. “Akhor does not create variations. Akhor composes,” says the brand. Yet behind this creative freedom lies a remarkably disciplined technical architecture.
At first glance, the objective appears straightforward: create the illusion of a floating disc. In practice, however, it requires balancing two fundamentally opposing demands. “The main challenge was finding the right equilibrium between aesthetics, visual lightness, and extremely strict mechanical requirements,” explains Riccardo Monfardino. “We needed to guarantee absolute stability and flawless readability while maintaining the impression that the disc was freely suspended in space.”
Success ultimately came down to microscopic details. “Every micron matters—not only for timekeeping precision but also for the visual effect created by the disc. The slightest misalignment or an imperceptible variation in weight can destroy the illusion.” Achieving that balance required two and a half years of development and gave rise to the company’s guiding philosophy: all or nothing.
So how does the disc actually remain suspended? “The upper disc is attached to the movement’s central axis through a system that we developed and patented,” says Monfardino. The mechanism allows each component to operate independently. The real ingenuity, however, lies in what remains invisible. “The sensation of levitation comes from an architecture fully integrated into the movement itself and designed to disappear from sight. What you see—or more precisely, what you don’t see—required just as much work as the visible elements.”
Monfardino also hints at future possibilities. “One day, we may even make the suspended disc rotate.” If so, Akhor’s floating disc may still have more surprises in store.
Just 4.08 mm separate the main plate from the upper disc. “That distance was defined with extraordinary precision because even a few tenths of a millimeter can completely alter the watch’s visual perception,” he explains. This requirement directly influenced the design of the 39 mm cushion-shaped case, which measures 11 mm thick.
“We wanted to avoid a case that felt too thick and heavy, but we also didn’t want something too flat, which would diminish the levitation effect.” The cushion shape ultimately provided the ideal solution, offering sufficient space to express the watch’s three-dimensional architecture while maintaining elegant proportions on the wrist.
The concept also places greater demands on the movement than might be expected. “A disc system of this kind creates more energy constraints than a conventional architecture,” admits Monfardino. “The challenge wasn’t simply making the mechanism work. We also had to preserve chronometric stability, display smoothness, and long-term autonomy.”
From the beginning, one principle remained non-negotiable: the floating disc could not compromise precision. Every stage of development focused on optimization—reducing friction, strategically lightening components, and improving energy transmission throughout the movement.
The result is the AK10 caliber, which delivers a 60-hour power reserve while earning both COSC certification and the Geneva Seal. The hand-wound movement comprises 117 components and features a variable-inertia balance as well as a hacking seconds mechanism.
Beyond energy management, the architecture also had to withstand daily wear. “Throughout development, we paid particular attention to the system’s stability when exposed to wrist movements, positional changes, and the micro-shocks of everyday life,” says Monfardino. Such vigilance was essential, as even the smallest alignment shift could undermine the entire visual effect.
The honeycomb pattern presents its own challenges. “The decoration is produced through an extremely meticulous guilloché and finishing process,” he explains. The procedure includes multi-part dial machining, surface decoration, galvanic treatments, and final lacquering. “Each disc is finished individually to ensure perfectly consistent depth, uniformity, and light reflection.” The geometric complexity of the motif demands exceptional precision in both manufacturing and finishing.
Gem-setting introduces another level of difficulty by altering the system’s balance. “Every added material and every gemstone directly affect weight distribution and the disc’s inertia,” notes Monfardino. On pavé-set versions, the objective is not only to achieve visual harmony but also to maintain the precise mechanical balance required for stability, smooth operation, and chronometric performance.
The floating disc also opens the door to new material explorations. Looking ahead, Monfardino mentions sapphire, ceramic, enamel, and various hard stones as potential candidates. “Each material creates a different relationship with light, depth, and the perception of motion.” Yet aesthetics is only part of the equation. “Every material also changes the mechanical constraints, weight, balance, and the way the disc behaves within space.”
Could a transparent disc one day take the levitation effect even further?
Designed as a scalable platform, the AK10 caliber was conceived from the outset to accommodate complications such as a moon phase, big date, tourbillon, and day/night display. The challenge lies in integrating these features without compromising the purity of the concept.
“The key issue is ensuring that these complications interact naturally with the watch’s three-dimensional architecture without disrupting the purity and lightness that define Akhor,” Monfardino explains.
The tourbillon, in particular, is a compelling prospect. “It shares with the floating disc the same idea of suspended movement and mechanical theater,” he says. The difficulty, however, lies in preserving visual harmony, mechanical stability, and the levitation effect while incorporating a complication that naturally commands attention.
The floating disc itself is the result of multiple disciplines coming together. On the design side, Laurent Davoli—whose career includes roles at Piaget and Cartier and who also teaches at Geneva’s HEAD design school—was tasked with mastering an entirely new canvas.
“The disc is not simply a decorative element or a conventional dial,” says Monfardino. “It becomes a moving volume, almost an object suspended in space, constantly changing according to the angle of light and the observer’s viewpoint.”
The challenge was to create something visually dramatic while preserving an extraordinary sense of lightness. At Akhor, aesthetic decisions are never made independently of mechanical realities—and vice versa.
On the industrial side, Monfardino played what he describes as “a central role in transforming the Akhor concept into a technically feasible and industrially viable haute horlogerie timepiece.” Bringing such a complex architecture to life—with microscopic tolerances and an exceptional level of finishing—it helps that Akhor Chief Executive Officer Anissa Bader is also the owner of the Clamax Manufacture in Meyrin, where movement constructor Daniel Martinez and his team succeeded in turning an ambitious concept into reality.
The result is a rare object: an illusion that works, a dial designed for composition, and a uniqueconcept that still has the potential for many exciting future developments.
