While its FB 3SPC code-name may seem abstruse, it actually could not be clearer. FB stands for Ferdinand Berthoud, the grand horological undertaking master-fully orchestrated by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, also Co-President of Chopard. The figure “3” means this is the third collection from the Maison that was revived in 2015. “SPC”, because its 100% in-house movement is regulated by a “cylindrical balance-spring”. The timepiece is inspired by the No. 26 decimal watch made by Ferdinand Berthoud’s nephew, Louis, who was also his closest collaborator. Its cylindrical balance-spring is very rare in watchmaking. Unlike almost all balance-springs, it does not “breathe” horizontally but vertically – a geometry that proves particularly tricky when the watch case is perpendicular to the ground, as when placed on a table. The cylindrical balance-spring is then left to its own devices in the face of gravity, and guaranteeing its chronometric performance is a huge task that took two years of development to achieve. The result is unique, as the FB 3SPC is the only watch of its kind in the world to be COSC-certified.
FB 3SPC
Case: 18K rose or white gold with transparent sapphire porthole at 9 o’clock, sapphire back
Size: 42.3mm (9.43mm thick) MOVEMENT: Caliber FB-SPC, 47 jewels, 72h power reserve, cylindrical balance-spring with hand-crafted Berthoud terminal curves, COSC chronometer-certified
Dial: hours and minutes flange in sandblasted brass, seconds at 6 o’clock, power reserve at 2 o’clock, visible escapement
Strap: alligator leather, gold pin buckle
Limited Serie: a maximum of 25 timepieces per year
Price: CHF 140,000
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