America’s largest luxury watch extravaganza, WatchTime New York, is returning for its fifth consecutive year at Midtown Manhattan’s Gotham Hall on October 25 – 26, 2019. This year’s event is shaping up to be the biggest yet, with 37 participating watch brands displaying their latest and greatest timepieces. Among these brands is the independent watchmaker Romain Gauthier, who will be showcasing a one-of-a-kind version of his award-winning Logical One timepiece set with 92 baguette-cut diamonds totaling 7.27 carats.
When the Logical One was originally released in 2013, it ended up winning the Men’s Complication prize at that year’s GPHG — and for a good reason. Gauthier’s research into the traditional fusee-and-chain constant force mechanism was a revolution in the usage of energy efficiency for a wristwatch. Gauthier and his team developed the caliber in-house and it’s on full display through sapphire crystals in the front and back. Situated to the left of the hours-and-minutes dial and its overlapping small seconds subdial, the chain-and-fusee mechanism holds an unusual snail cam connected to the mainspring barrel by a ruby-link chain. With the snail cam and mainspring barrel thus configured to be on the same plane, force is transmitted in a straight line for an ultra-efficient transfer of energy.
The relatively short length of the chain — which is joined together via a smart snap-clip system — enabled its designers to use strong, extra-large steel links, with rollers made from low-friction, hard-wearing synthetic rubies. To eliminate potential uneven friction within the mainspring barrel — a problem that occurs when the metal spring scratches against the edges of the brass barrel while it is unwinding — Romain Gauthier has placed the mainspring in the Logical One between synthetic sapphire plates. Sapphire has a low coefficient of friction with steel, making it an ideal material for this purpose.
The result of all these innovations, according to the brand, is a movement boasting two full days of constant force, translating to an extremely high level of chronometric precision. Another distinguishing feature of this watch is its clever push-button winding system, with an ergonomic pusher set into the side of the 43-mm case at 9 o’clock. Protruding just slightly from the caseband and following its curves, this pusher efficiently transmits force to the barrel on the same plane. When fully wound via this tactile method, the watch stores 46 hours of power reserve, displayed on an indicator on the back of the movement that is visible through a sapphire exhibition caseback. The time on the hour and minute hands are set separately, via a crown at 2 o’clock.
This year, the Logical One has received a one-of-a-kind update in its white gold dressing with over 90 baguette-cut diamonds totaling 7.2 carats across its bezel, lugs, and clasp. While the watch made its official debut at Baselworld 2019, it will be shown for the first time in the United States at WatchTime New York 2019.
You can be one of the first people in America to see the Romain Gauthier Logical One Baguette-Set Unique Piece in person at WatchTime New York 2019 on October 25 – 26 — get your tickets now!
