Love and passion are the cornerstones of Pierre DeRoche, the brand from the Vallée de Joux that is preparing to celebrate Valentine’s Day in step with the seconds ticked off on the Royal Retro.
Time flies by, as its inexorable flow steadily clears the calendar pages leading to February 14th. Valentine’s Day is on the horizon and reminds us that it is time to celebrate love as well as all those caught up in beautiful love stories.
Pierre and Carole Dubois, who founded Pierre DeRoche, who met during their studies and have been married for 28 years, are well acquainted with the symbolism of this celebration. Time flies, but their love grows bigger, stronger and more harmonious than ever – a perfect balance reflected in the movements of their watches.
The Dubois family, a watchmaking dynasty already spanning four generations, has developed a unique timepiece in its TNT collection, named Royal Retro. Minutes are counted off by six successive retrograde seconds hands. Its secret is revealed by its dial-free face.
Like a central force, a carrier drives – for six 10-second periods each – a series of wheels that activate a rack. The latter pivots on a jewel and acts on the strip spring, which becomes taut as it moves slightly.
It resists for ten seconds before the carrier disengages. The retrograde seconds hand then returns to its initial position and passes the baton on to the next one… and so on.