Our first live auctions of fall 2024 season, PHILLIPS RELOADED: The Rebirth of Mechanical Watchmaking, 1980-1999, and the Geneva Watch Auction: XX, take place on November 8, 9, and 10, at the Hotel President, at Quai Wilson 47, in central Geneva. The auctions include more than 195 of the world's finest watches – and though we are loath to boast, we truly think they're some of the best catalogs we've ever put together. We'll be highlighting a number of the most interesting lots and stories featured in the sales over the next month, including the watches highlighted in this article.
– By Logan Baker
In a world where tradition often holds sway, Romain Gauthier stands as one of the true avant-garde watchmakers, pushing the boundaries of both mechanical innovation and artisanal finishing.
His Logical One is a shining example of this ethos, merging centuries-old watchmaking techniques with groundbreaking solutions to challenges that have long troubled horologists. It’s a watch that turns the fusée-and-chain constant force mechanism – one of the most respected complications in the history of horology – on its head, while delivering the kind of meticulous craftsmanship that can only be achieved by hand.
At first glance, the Logical One presents itself as a modern marvel. Yet the soul of the watch remains rooted in the deep traditions of high-end watchmaking, where each component, from the ruby-studded chain to the sapphire-lined barrel, serves a crucial function. For Romain Gauthier, every decision in the design process of the Logical One speaks to his desire to perfect the constant force mechanism, all while maintaining an artistic vision that brings new visual excitement to the wearer.
The Constant Force Challenge
Before diving into the finer points of the Logical One, it's important to understand the problem it’s solving.
Watches, like all mechanical devices, face the issue of diminishing power. As the mainspring unwinds, the force it delivers weakens, which can affect the accuracy of the timepiece. In the past, watchmakers developed the chain-and-fusée mechanism to combat this. The principle was simple: as the mainspring unwound, a conical fusée would regulate the power delivered to the movement, ensuring a more consistent transmission of energy. The fusée did this by adjusting the angle at which the chain connected to the mainspring, balancing the diminishing power.
But implementing this in a wristwatch posed significant challenges. Fusées require space, and their design involves a complex interplay of gears and angles. Even in their most traditional form, they’re a marvel to behold, but they’re also cumbersome.
This is where Romain Gauthier’s Logical One stands apart.
The Logical Evolution: From Fusée to Snail Cam
In the Logical One, Romain Gauthier reimagines the traditional fusée mechanism by replacing the fusée with a snail-shaped cam.
This simple shift solves several significant problems that have long been inherent in the fusée system. The snail cam allows the chain to remain on the same plane as the barrel, eliminating the need for the angled transmission of energy that occurs when a chain coils around a fusée’s conical shape. In essence, Gauthier’s system reduces friction and stress, creating a more efficient and reliable power transfer.
This redesign is ingenious, not only because it improves the mechanical efficiency of the watch but also because it allows for larger, stronger chain links. Traditional fusée chains are often delicate, due to the need to accommodate the conical shape of the fusée.
Gauthier, however, strengthens the chain by using synthetic ruby rollers between each link, reducing friction and increasing longevity. The result is a much more robust and durable constant force mechanism.
A Ruby-Studded Chain, and Sapphire Innovations
The use of synthetic ruby in the chain links is an impressive technical feat. These ruby inserts, traditionally used in watchmaking to reduce friction in pivot points, now serve a new role, improving both the strength and the efficiency of the transmission system. But Gauthier didn’t stop there. To further address the issue of friction, he lined the barrel of the mainspring with sapphire sheets.
The inclusion of sapphire inside the barrel effectively acts as a permanent lubricant, a feature that significantly reduces wear over time. In traditional designs, the mainspring can rub against the inside of the barrel as it unwinds, causing friction and the eventual breakdown of lubricants.
Gauthier’s sapphire-lined barrel eliminates this, allowing the mainspring to unwind smoothly, further enhancing the watch’s ability to maintain constant force over time.
An Ergonomic Revolution
One of the more novel and visually subtle innovations in the Logical One is the elimination of the typical crown system used for winding.
Winding a traditional watch via the crown transmits force to the barrel at a 90-degree angle, which introduces additional wear and tear. Gauthier’s solution is to replace the winding crown with a pusher located at the nine o’clock position on the caseband. This pusher directly winds the mainspring, transmitting force along a straight line, which not only improves efficiency but also reduces the risk of damage over time.
This pusher system is intuitive and ergonomic, and perhaps most importantly, it fits seamlessly into the overall aesthetic of the Logical One. It doesn’t disrupt the symmetry of the case and serves as a quiet reminder that this is no ordinary timepiece. For the wearer, winding the watch becomes an experience, a tactile connection to the mechanical wonder inside the case.
A Showcase of Movement Architecture
Romain Gauthier’s approach to movement design is as much about aesthetics as it is about mechanics.
The dial-side of the Logical One proudly displays much of the movement’s complexity, with the chain-and-cam system, balance wheel, and timekeeping sub-dials all visible at a glance. The layout is both dynamic and well-balanced, with a thoughtful interplay of depth and texture that invites closer inspection.
The finishing on the Logical One is as meticulous as you would expect from Gauthier.
The bridges are made from solid red gold and given a frosted finish, while the bevels are polished to a mirror-like shine. Each screw is hand-finished, and the screw heads are polished to create a yin-yang effect when viewed under magnification. It’s this level of attention to detail that separates Gauthier’s work from many of his contemporaries, and it’s a testament to the craftsmanship that goes into every piece he creates.
On the caseback, a sapphire crystal reveals the full movement, where the real artistry comes into view.
The bridges and plates are finely finished, with double-angled bevels that reflect light in a way that is nothing short of hypnotic. One particularly notable feature is the 360-degree black polish applied to the post supporting the constant-force mechanism. This kind of finishing takes hours to complete but is part of what makes the Logical One such an impressive technical and aesthetic accomplishment.
The Materials
Beyond the mechanical and ergonomic innovations, the Logical One also stands out for its use of materials and finishes. The movement incorporates a mix of stainless steel, beryllium copper, brass, titanium, and German silver.
Each material serves a specific purpose, whether it’s structural strength, corrosion resistance, or aesthetic beauty. The different textures and finishes – graining, snailing, brushing, and black polishing – create a dynamic interplay of light and shadow across the movement’s surface.
The attention to finishing is perhaps most evident in the time-intensive hand-finishing process that each component undergoes. Take the barrel bridge, for example.
According to Romain Gauthier, this single component can take up to 20 hours to finish by hand. The bevels and internal angles are carefully shaped, while the flat surfaces are straight-grained and frosted to perfection. It’s a labor of love, but it’s also what elevates the Logical One from a technical marvel to a work of art.
A Timepiece Without Compromise
Ultimately, the Logical One is a watch that reflects the vision of a master watchmaker who refuses to compromise. Every decision, from the use of a snail cam instead of a fusée, to the pusher-winding mechanism, to the use of synthetic ruby and sapphire to reduce friction, has been made in the service of achieving true constant force in a wristwatch. The result is a timepiece that not only delivers exceptional timekeeping performance but also does so with a level of mechanical elegance that is unmatched.
At 43mm, the Logical One is a statement piece, but it wears surprisingly comfortably thanks to its thoughtful design and the absence of a traditional three o'clock crown. The exposed movement on the dial side, with its interplay of polished and frosted surfaces, immediately draws the eye, while the pusher at nine o’clock provides a subtle clue that this watch is unlike anything else on the market.
In an era where the boundaries of mechanical watchmaking are continually being pushed, the Logical One stands out not just for its technical prowess but for its ability to marry tradition with innovation. Romain Gauthier has succeeded in creating a timepiece that honors the past while boldly looking to the future – a watch that is as fascinating to study as it is to wear.
For those fortunate enough to own one, the Logical One represents a pinnacle of independent watchmaking, where each piece is crafted with a level of care and attention that can only be described as fanatical.
It’s a watch that invites you to engage with it, to appreciate the incredible complexity that lies beneath its seemingly simple time-only display. And in that, Romain Gauthier has created not just a watch, but a true horological masterpiece.
You can learn more, place a bid, and view the entire Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: XX catalog right here.
About Phillips In Association With Bacs & Russo
The team of specialists at PHILLIPS Watches is dedicated to an uncompromised approach to quality, transparency, and client service. Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo holds the world record for the most successful watch auction, with its Geneva Watch Auction: XIV having realized $74.5 million in 2021. Over the course of 2021 and 2022, the company sold 100% of the watches offered, a first in the industry, resulting in the highest annual total in history across all the auction houses at $227 million.
About Logan Baker
Logan has spent the past decade reporting on every aspect of the watch business. He joined Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo at the start of 2023 as the department's Senior Editorial Manager. He splits his time between New York and Geneva.
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