Chronomètre FB1 by Ferdinand Berthoud; a Tourbillon Marine Chronometer on the Wrist
Before presenting the FB1 Marine Chronometer tourbillon watch by Ferdinand Berthoud, we made you discover – or re-discover – who Ferdinand Berthoud was in a previous video report, as he is part of a “little club” of very important watchmakers that had a real influence on the art and science of watchmaking during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. His specialty was marine chronometers or, put another way, precision.
This history has placed the bar rather high for the development of the first watch paying tribute to the illustrious name, and the team of Karl-Friedrich Scheufele has pulled it off very nicely with the development of a spectacular and architectural movement encased in a very distinctive octogonal case. And how to better mark the success of this first timepiece as it won the Aiguille d'Or of the GPHG 2016, quite an achievement for a first of!
Technically, this watch’s escapement consists of a very large tourbillon beating at 3Hz and high-precision direct drive seconds, which can be admired from the case-back. This caliber uses the intricate chain and fusée mechanism for releasing energy stored in its spring barrel, an element typical of marine chronometers of the time. The power reserve is set at 53 hours with an indicator on the dial side found at 9 o'clock.
When it comes to its design, this watch has a lot of personality. Here again the idea was to link it with the world of marine chronometers and to some timepieces designed at the time by Berthoud himself. In addition to its octagonal shape, one of the original aspects of the case is the small windows on the side that allows the observer to see and enjoy inner workings of the movement – like the chain and fusée.
The FB1 comes in two versions; one in white gold the other one in rose gold.
This video report was shot in Fleurier in the Val-de-Travers in the Canton of Neuchatel: