Exactly three years ago Berneron, a Swiss brand based in Neuchâtel, a city with an important name in watchmaking tradition, was born. Today, two years later, the maison presents the Quantième Annuel, the first annual calendar from the independent brand, created to raise the standards of complications of this kind.
Having become famous with the Mirage model, Berneron burst onto the watchmaking scene in a disruptive way thanks to a highly innovative vision. Already the Mirage presented a strong identity, capable of drawing attention to itself thanks to an unusual case with sinuous and asymmetrical lines.
With the new Quantième Annuel, the Swiss brand further raises its standards, targeting a market segment and offering a watch designed to meet the needs of the user. A two-year project that led to the birth of this timepiece.
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The new Quantième Annuel
Looking at such a watch, one might think that the reading would be complex and doubt would arise as to which information to follow first. At Berneron, however, they have overcome this dilemma with technical and design solutions aimed at lightening the reading and providing greater clarity.
In fact, the dial shows an arrangement of windows typical of an annual calendar within which it is possible to display the month at 3 o’clock, the day of the week at 9 o’clock, and the small seconds at 6 o’clock, where a small circular window indicating the phase of the day, white for day and black for night, is also located. Two hands are housed inside the dial: the longer one for the minutes and the other for the retrograde date. The hour, on the other hand, is read through the large “jumping hour” window located at 12 o’clock.
The adjustment was also carefully thought out so as to make this operation as simple as possible, and that it was practicable for the user. At 4 o’clock is a button for setting the month window, while at 8 o’clock a second button is used to adjust the day of the week.
Caliber 595: a superfine movement
The new in-house caliber 595, developed by Berneron, cleverly addresses the difficulties typical of annual calendars. The main challenge concerns energy management: indeed, moving all these gears requires a lot of power, and the barrel (the component that stores and releases energy) is often not enough. That’s why a second barrel was introduced, so that on December 31, when five indications have to go off at the same time, the watch can handle them without compromising running.
Another important innovation is the safety device. With such complex watches, an incorrect setting can result in costly interventions by the manufacture. In the 595 caliber, however, if a mistake is made during adjustment, the mechanism automatically resets the date to the first day of the following month. For example, pressing the month corrector at 4 o’clock on January 31 will correctly change the watch to February 1 instead of February 31, a date that does not exist.
Aesthetically, the caliber also stands out: we find a fine mix of finishes, including anglage and guillochage on bridges and levers. With gold main plate and bridges and no less than 476 components, this movement represents a remarkable step forward for Berneron.
A mix of luxury and simplicity
The Quantième Annuel’s case measures 38 mm and is only 12 mm thick , providing surprising comfort on the wrist despite the complexity of the caliber. It is made of platinum, a noble but delicate material as easily scratched and difficult to repair. To overcome that dilemma that accompanies every overhaul “to polish or not to polish?”, Berneron has provided steel inserts at the most exposed points. This choice makes repairs easier and less expensive, preserving the integrity of the case without affecting its critical parts.
The case back was also designed with originality, taking inspiration from pocket watch cases. Covering the movement offers three main advantages such as protecting the caliber from UV rays, reducing the risk of shock damage, and allowing the customer to personalize it as desired. A seemingly minimal detail, but with great attention to the customer.
Price and availability
The new Berneron Quantième Annuel is available with a silvered or black lacquered dial, priced at CHF 140,000 excluding tax. Production is very limited: only 24 pieces per year, so all the more reason to buy it?
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