The hour, minute and small second indications are powered by a hand-finished, in-house calibre built from the ground up and boasting bidirectional micro-rotor made from 22k solid gold. This compact oscillating weight, visible dial side and through the display back, turns fluidly and noiselessly between two bridges, each fitted with a friction-minimising, wear-resistant ruby bearing. Whichever direction the micro-rotor swings, it is working away, winding a double mainspring barrel that, when fully wound, offers a generous 80 hours of power. The two barrels are in series for more constant power to the regulator, meaning the movement’s rate holds up whatever the state of wind.
Sweeping around the centre the small seconds are surrounded by the hour-minute subdial at 12 o’clock, beating balance at 6 o’clock and the swaying micro-rotor at 9 o’clock, framed within a remarkable void created by a circular cut-out in the mainplate. A plaquette with Romain Gauthier logo provides a visual counterpoint to the micro-rotor, while the curvaceous, hand-bevelled bridges evenly spaced around the periphery glint in the light, their arcs marrying with the inner contours of the case.
The case’s 39.5mm diameter ensures that Insight Micro-Rotor sits very comfortably, even on slimmer wrists. The observer is offered more views of the movement through the display back. Here the micro-rotor continues to steal the show as it sets the visible train of gears in motion, starting with the reversing gear that lends the mechanism its bidirectionality. The gears and ratchets stand out for their circular arms that feature eye-catching bevels. Meanwhile, the bridges are decorated with hand-made, hand polished bevels and jewel countersinks and are fixed in place using Romain Gauthier’s signature screws with aesthetic S-slot. The sinuosity of the bridges is counterpoised by the four linear plaquettes adorning them.
Insight Micro-Rotor red gold and Insight Micro-Rotor platinum are both available in three 10-piece limited editions: with oven-fired white enamel dial, oven-fired black enamel dial and oven-fired blue enamel dial.
