Maîtres du Temps Rounds Out Chapter Two


Maitres du Temps Chapter 2 TCR in Titanium - AngleLast year’s headliner watch from Maîtres du Temps was undeniably the innovative Chapter Three Reveal — but the haute-de-gamme brand, which teams up noted independent watchmakers to produce limited, complicated models, also released a version of its Chapter Two timepiece in a sporty, round case, nicknamed TCR, for Triple Calendar Round.

Maîtres du Temps Chapter Two TCR is the brainchild of Daniel Roth and Peter Speake-Marin, two of today’s most famous and accomplished watchmakers, and has a movement developed by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, the Swiss movement manufacturer that also makes exclusive calibers for Parmigiani and, recently, for Hermès. Like other Maîtres du Temps watches (including the original Chapter Two, which came in a tonneau case), the TCR includes cylindrical rollers, here indicating the day of the week and the month, placed at the top and bottom of the dial. (Photos can be enlarged with a click.)

Maitres du Temps Chapter Two TCR front

The rollers are seamlessly integrated into the case, which is made of high-tech Grade 5 titanium, available with either a high-polish finish or with a black PVD coating. The curved lines of the case are accentuated by 45° bevels along the caseband that flow around the round, matte-black ceramic bezel to focus attention on the dial.

The dial itself emphasizes legibility, with thick, oversized hour indices — including Roman numerals at 12, 3, and 9 o’clock — all filled with a white Super-LumiNova that glows green in the dark. The chapter ring’s five-minute intervals are marked by Arabic numerals; bright red is used for the hand of the small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock and for the chapter ring’s 15-minute markers. Another nod to legibility: the numerals in the big date window at 12 o’clock, as well as the month and day-of-the-week indications on the rollers, are rendered in the bold, easy-to-read Serpentine font.

Maitres du Temps Chapter Two TCR angle

The front of the watch incorporates no less than three nonreflective sapphire crystals, one over the main dial and two curved crystals over the rollers, made of black, anodized aluminum and metalized to frame the month and date. The wearer adjusts the day and month rollers by means of two ergonomic, paddle-shaped pushers, each engraved with their respective functions, located on the caseback. The pusher to adjust the big date, whose function is similarly identified, is located in the caseband at 2 o’clock.

Maitres du Temps Chapter Two TCR back

The sapphire display back, in Maîtres du Temps’s familiar octagon shape, offers a view of the Chapter Two’s movement, Caliber SHC01, developed by Vaucher in close collaboration with Speake-Marin and Roth and extensively tested, refined, and decorated to the watchmakers’ exacting standards. Peering through the window, the eye is immediately drawn to the engraved, goblet-shaped rotor of the movement’s automatic winding system, which is embellished with intricate panier guilloché in its center.  Around the rotor’s periphery is the text of Maîtres du Temps’ official motto, Masters and Their Craft—A Lifelong Pursuit of Excellence. The movement’s array of manually executed decorations and finishes includes sun-ray côtes de Genève on the polished hand-beveled bridges, helical spirals and perlage on the mainplate, and mirror-polished screw heads.

According to Maîtres du Temps founder Steven Holtzman, the goals in recreating the Chapter Two Triple Calendar in a round case were not only to establish “the first of our timepieces to sport a more casual design” but to create “the world’s most legible triple calendar wristwatch.”

Rouding out its casual, sporty design, the Chapter Two TCR is completed by a black, natural rubber strap with titanium folding buckle. Each of the three models (titanium, PVD, and two-tone) are limited to 50 pieces worldwide and priced at $69,000.

Maitres du Temps Chapter Two TCR Black PVD
The Chapter Two TCR is also available in a black-PVD (above) or two-tone titanium/PVD case (below).

Maitres du Temps Chapter Two TCR Two-Tone

Technical characteristics:

Movement: Caliber SHC01, automatic; dimensions = 45 mm x 32 mm x 9 mm; 332 components; 32 jewels; frequency = 28,800 vph (4 Hz); 50-hour power reserve; goblet-shaped rotor in 22K gold with panier guilloché and relief text; finishing includes sun-ray côtes de Genève, perlage, beveling, colimaçonnage, and polished screw heads

Functions: Hours and minutes on central hands; small seconds on subdial; instantaneous triple calendar with big date plus day and month indications on rollers

Case and strap: Grade 5 titanium or combination Grade 5 titanium and black PVD; dimensions = 56 mm x 44 mm x 15 mm; dial and octagonal display-back sapphire crystals with nonreflective coating; two curved, metalized sapphire crystals with nonreflective coating over rollers; high polish and brushed finishes on compound-curve surfaces; matte ceramic bezel; crown, screws, and pushers in 18K white or red gold; on natural rubber strap with adjustable two-position titanium deployant buckle

Dial and Hands: Multi-faceted, beveled dial with diamond-cut applied Roman numerals with Super-LumiNova; hour and minute hands with Super-LumiNova; small seconds hand with partial red painting; big date at 12 o’clock; day indicator roller at 6 o’clock; month indicator roller at 12 o’clock

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  1. blaine kelley

    Just a Masterpiece. I love the look, form and function of this timepiece. I also think the size is perfect. Well done!

    Reply
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