Operation Cabestan

Jean-François Ruchonnet and Vianney Halter have combined their talents to present an exceptional watch, one with a truly revolutionary design and a spectacular mechanism to shake up the watch world. Codename: Cabestan (patented model). Jean-François Ruchonnet is also, quite notably, the inventor and designer of TAG Heuer’s famous Monaco V4 Concept Watch. Vianney Halter is credited with the very innovative Opus III, made for Harry Winston, which is the first watch to totally integrate digital indications on a pure mechanical basis. This design is sort of odd and innovative at the same time. Get this:

Winding the watch and setting the hour and minutes are effected using a winding stem in the form of a movable “winch” that links directly to one of the small “capstans” that are found at the four exterior angles of the case: at the upper left, it acts directly on the fusee and, by the intermediary of the chain, allows the barrel to be wound; at the upper right, it acts on the minute cylinder which is connected to that of the hours. The two other small “capstans” are only there for decoration and to complete the aesthetics of the case. Once the small winch is used, it is easily stored in the buckle of the watch’s bracelet.

One functional prototype will be presented at Baselworld 2006, and a pre-series of the first ten watches is planned for the end of 2006. These watches are now ready to be ordered through Vianney Halter, at Janvier SA in Sainte-Croix. Said retail price: US$220,000 Via Europastar