At Trilobe, time is not displayed — it turns.
Introduced in 2022, the Une Folle Journée collection offers an alternative way of reading time by replacing hands with three rotating rings. Beneath a sapphire dome, these discs animate the entire dial space in a very dynamic way, which is quite rare for a piece that only displays the time.
The aesthetic of these rings is inspired by the monumental chandelier of the Opéra Garnier and the painted ceiling by Marc Chagall that surrounds it, where twelve colorful segments form a circular composition.
A miniature ballet of diamonds...
While the dance of the rings may seem light, it is actually based on a meticulous balance dictated by physics. These rotating discs are true giants on the scale of a watch movement. Their mass makes them particularly demanding components to set in motion, as the greater the mass, the more torque is required to make them turn.
And the challenge intensifies further when one decides to adorn them with diamonds! Remember that one carat of diamonds weighs 0.2 grams: on this piece, Trilobe has set 3.1 carats, or 0.62 grams. At this scale, that’s far from negligible: the minute ring alone weighs only 0.45 grams! In other words, the diamonds by themselves add more mass than an entire hand, on moving rings that are already complex to balance.
It’s a bit like asking a principal dancer to perform a cabriole… in a crystal costume: the movement is the same, but it requires much more energy.
How to solve this equation?
There are two approaches to overcome the constraint imposed by gem-setting.
The first is to increase the driving torque. In other words, send more energy to the rings to set them in motion, which would compensate for the extra weight of the diamonds. A theoretically effective solution, but a highly complex one: depending on the space available in the case, it could prove impossible… or require a complete overhaul of the movement, not to mention the inevitable reduction in power reserve.
The second approach seems more subtle: reduce the mass that needs to be moved. Lighten without weakening, replace material rather than force the mechanics. This is the path Trilobe chose. Titanium—already known for its lightness—was set aside in favor of an alloy of aluminum, silicon, and magnesium, a high-tech material borrowed from aerospace.
The result? Once set with diamonds, these new paved rings weigh almost the same as the original titanium discs. A feat of balance that changes everything: the X-Centric movement didn’t need to be modified. Trilobe thus managed to absorb the extra weight of the stones without affecting precision or compromising the reliability of the movement.
It is a triumph of fine engineering, where the constraint was bypassed rather than fought: a beautiful demonstration of the methodical creativity defining the brand. And because mechanical beauty must never overshadow legibility, Trilobe entrusted a French miniature painter with the task of hand-painting the twelve hour indicators, the final human touch on a work of rare rigor and poetry.
