The Ferdinand Berthoud movement, stripped bare, gives up its secrets

It’s rare to even come across one To see one dismantled, even rarer So to be present to watch one being reassembled by master watchmakers at the manufacture is the stuff of dreams.

And yet, that’s what happened on 17 May WorldTempus was able to witness the dismantling and reassembly of the Ferdinand Berthoud manufacture movement, in the company of three of the brand’s watchmakers It was a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with one of the most original movements in the watchmaking world Everything in its place (but upside-down) The FB1 calibre is fundamentally different from any other, primarily because it turns many of the usual watchmaking principles on their heads.

The tourbillon, for example: it doesn’t display the seconds, it is the seconds And it’s not off-centre, it’s smack in the middle, which is probably absolutely unique in the watch world It also makes eminent good sense. More