New projects for Time Æon Foundation

Aiming as always to perpetuate the skills of watchmaking excellence and encourage its transmission, it presents two new projects named “Naissance d’une Montre 2” and “Naissance d’une Montre 3”.

Throughout their careers, Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey noted the inexorable loss of knowledge and expertise in traditional mechanical watchmaking. Far from resigning themselves, they have endeavoured to develop, with other watchmakers who shared the same observation and values – Philippe Dufour, Vianney Halter and Felix Baumgartner amongst others – the Time Æon Foundation. A commitment to protecting watchmaking excellence and preserving the world’s watchmaking heritage.

An ambitious programme has been implemented with the foundation. It seeks to perpetuate the expertise of watchmaking excellence and promote its transmission to future generations, if possible by encouraging vocations among young watchmakers. A very important aspect is the support and training of future independent watchmakers who wish to promote watchmaking excellence.

Time Æon Foundation shares this vital mission with the public as evidenced by the different “Naissance d’une Montre” projects. Development continues; today, several new actors have joined the adventure, most recently Dominique Renaud.

“Naissance d’une Montre”
After the success of “Naissance d’une Montre” - a tourbillon wristwatch co-created by Philippe Dufour, Greubel Forsey and Michel Boulanger - and the sale of its School Watch for 1,461,507 USD at Christie’s auction in Hong Kong on May 30, 2016, the Time Æon Foundation continues its mission and presents two new projects under the name of “Naissance d’une Montre 2” and “Naissance d’une Montre 3”

“Naissance d’une Montre 2”
The Time Æon Foundation is a patron of Dominique Buser and Cyrano Devanthey’s new watchmaking adventure, with the support of watchmakers Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey and Felix Baumgartner, all members of the Time Æon Foundation family, along with watch designer
Martin Frei.

This new watch will be entirely crafted using traditional, “hand-made” methods. The adventure is above all a human one, telling the story of a traditional craft passed down from master to apprentice for centuries. It is not a case of creating a watch in a historical style, but rather perpetuating a craft that, while rooted in the past, has proven itself to be utterly contemporary. Mechanical watchmaking is in fact a living medium that never ceases to enrich and renew itself through the generations.

Hand-crafting a watch using historical machines means breaking free from industrial constraints and therefore rediscovering total creative freedom. When adopting this approach, we can no longer talk of a “product”, but rather an authentic piece of work, with a soul: that of its creators.

This watch will be fitted with an entirely atypical inverted movement. The conception and design of the case represents a major challenge in itself, as it pushes hand craftsmanship to its limits. On the dial side, with the hours and minutes in the centre, lies the constant-force barrel system with its differential, a large balance wheel with an extraordinary shape, fitted with four arms. The case back features a large power reserve indication.

The “Naissance d’une Montre 2” is a unique edition. Only one single watch will ever be built, and it will be auctioned upon completion.

“Naissance d’une Montre 3”
Time Æon Foundation joins forces with Ferdinand Berthoud for a new adventure under the name of “Naissance d’une Montre 3”. Sharing the same values, their perpetual quest for the transmission of knowledge and training brings the two entities together for a common purpose.

The goal is to build a watch by hand and to encourage continuous internal training, a notion very dear to Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey. Karl-Friedrich Scheufele will appoint in a number of departments of the Chopard group a person responsible for acquiring the know-how necessary for the “Naissance d’une Montre 3” project and for them to transmit it within their team.

Once this framework is in place, the goal of “Naissance d’une Montre 3” will be to transcribe the spirit and creativity of Ferdinand Berthoud’s groundbreaking 18^th century work into a wristwatch. Supported by the Time Æon Foundation, the realisation of this three-hand watch will involve traditional mechanical tools requiring very specific training and expertise to use. This transmission of know-how contributes to the safeguarding of professions and skills directly related to the worlds watchmaking heritage.

Together, the team ensures the follow-up, proper execution, and spirit of watchmaking excellence as described in the Time Æon Foundation charter, ensuring, among other things, the transmission of know-how on a number of levels, notably the movement construction, following the rules of traditional methods, excellent workmanship as well as decoration.

“Naissance d’une Montre 3” is above all the story of a meeting point between the past and the future, a story that focuses on spreading the know-how that will give birth to the vocations of tomorrow.

Dominique Renaud
The Time Æon Foundation is delighted to welcome Dominique Renaud, founder of Dominique Renaud SA, into the family. A new project is looming on the horizon, a co-creation of a watch perfectly in line with the spirit of the foundation, featuring a very unique escapement. The Time Æon Foundation will communicate regularly on the next steps of this co-creation signed Greubel Forsey and Dominique Renaud.

Workshop
In line with its mission to safeguard the expertise and methods of watchmaking tradition, the Time Æon Foundation regularly organises workshops dedicated notably to the decoration of mechanical watchmaking movement components. They are predominantly led by watchmaker Michel Boulanger, who participated in the first “Naissance d’une Montre” project, and sometimes by Philippe Dufour, an independent watchmaker of great renown.

Interns, students of watchmaking, as well as watchmakers wishing to learn the basics of certain traditional “hand-made” decoration can be initiated into some of the art’s demanding techniques.

They are introduced to graining the flanks of a bridge, polishing bevels, bow polishing the countersink of a screw-head recess, jewel setting and countersink polishing with a bow, graining the underside, steady pin fitting and the decoration of steel parts.

Upon completion of the workshop, each trainee is awarded a Time Æon Foundation diploma signed by Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey.

February 21, 2019