A few weeks ago Philippe Fischer, Director of the FSRM (Swiss Foundation for Research in Microtechnology), opined that the watch industry version 4.0 would see the major brands manufacturing nothing but unique pieces.
While that prospect is still a long way off, an increasing number of watchmakers are bringing out one-of-a-kind watches, and they’re obviously getting results. It is a longstanding tradition for Vacheron Constantin (Les Cabinotiers), Blancpain and Patek Philippe; it’s an option for Montblanc; a reality for Louis Moinet; and an economic model for Kerbedanz. Even more emerge from the woodwork at the Only Watch auctions every two years.
For Hysek, it’s business as usual. Because the young manufacture is 100% independent, it has no reason to hold back, and regularly accepts commissions for one-off pieces that slip under the media radar. But that’s not the case for the Precious Tale. This watch, unveiled at the Baselworld watch fair, was born out of a purely creative impulse. It doesn’t even have a buyer yet. It’s extremely risky to launch into an endeavour like this without a purchase order, particularly when you’re paying up front for the creation of a high jewellery item!
Joaillerie d’Art no. 01/01
The Precious Tale is an offshoot of the Kalysta collection, Hysek’s first collection dedicated 100% to women. There are the obligatory design elements: a jumping hours display at 12 o’clock, and minutes indicated by a marquise-cut diamond on the outer edge of the dial.
But if this construction already has precious elements, it’s nothing compared to the gem-setting on the rest of the watch. The Precious Tale is based on the theme of a river of diamonds, which is why the piece is completely paved – dial, bezel and bracelet. This kind of stylistic exercise is common for the jewellery watch brands (Chopard and Van Cleef & Arpels, among others), but much rarer for the pure watchmaking houses, particularly those that are 100% independent, for whom the financial risk is considerable.
But Hysek has taken the risk, and matched it with unusual creative boldness. The diamond-set portion of the bracelet is completely flexible. It comprises two lateral rails, along which a fine network of flexible chatons extends, embracing a river of diamonds. This precious, pliant wave continues uninterrupted onto the snow-set bezel, with progressively smaller stones, as if the diamonds were flowing naturally from the bracelet onto the bezel, with no technical or stylistic break. On the dial, the Precious Tale tells an Asian version of Romeo and Juliet, symbolised by two wafers of frosted quartz against a bed of diamonds, inside a white gold case.
Central tourbillon, corrected and revised by Hysek
For men, Hysek has developed a new version of the IO Central Tourbillon Skeleton. It’s no ordinary watch. First, it is one of very few to feature a central tourbillon. Next, it’s a flying tourbillon, with no upper bridge. And, to provide even greater visual access to the in-house calibre, Hysek has also skeletonised the entire movement. But it isn’t simply a matter of hollowing out existing components: the whole calibre has been revised and reworked, particularly in terms of how its parts are arranged, in order to give the greatest degree of transparency, before being openworked.
A similar exercise has been undertaken with the markers, which are suspended in mid-air, not applied onto a sapphire disc as is more commonly seen. Each index is individually cut out, affixed to a mobile structure and completed with blocks of SuperLumiNova (SLN), cut to the exact dimensions, which guarantees greater luminosity than the usual thin layers of SLN. The superlative IO Central Tourbillon Skeleton, in a limited edition of 88, offers a theatrical, intuitive, creative and original way of reading the time.
