Beneath the magic of precious stones lies stunning mechanical virtuosity
Frédéric Jouvenot graces the Fine Watchmaking garden with the blossoming of an unprecedented complication: Surya, the world’s first watch to show the hours by means of 12 jumping petals. Crafted in pink sapphires, the latter change colour to depict the cycles of day and night while displaying the upcoming hour and the hour that has just elapsed. Like historical automata, the secret of this spectacular corolla in motion can be found in the most complex mechanism, concealed beneath the central minutes disc. An inner case placed at the heart of the watch comprises a hundred or so parts – including 24 jewels activating the jumping petals – cleverly interacting to create the magic of Surya.
An original take on time
Frédéric Jouvenot is the story of a gifted watchmaker who for many years worked behind the scenes for the most prestigious names in watchmaking. In 2008, he decided to create his own brand and presented the first ever chronograph with a self-winding system on the dial side. The destiny of the youthful Manufacture was sealed as inseparably bound up with technical innovation. Nonetheless, creations bearing the Frédéric Jouvenot are not just about technical innovation, since the man himself is a refined aesthete who draws inspiration form art, nature and architecture. This inventive individual loves exploring unusual ways of looking at time, while remaining solidly rooted in the grand watchmaking traditions that have forged his career, such as back in the day when he worked on restoring historical models. It is indeed this bridge between the fine objects of yesterday and tomorrow that represents Frédéric Jouvenot’s very reason for being.